Abstract:
An accessory holder system for securing a Personal Electronic Device (PED) for use in a golf cart whereby a golfer can easily view golf course GPS information on a display. The system includes a mount for insertion into a golf ball holder disposed in a golf cart; and an accessory holder for attachment and adjustment of the viewing angle of a PED in a variety of golf cart configurations. The accessory holder is typically composed of a mount with an attached rod for displacing an accessory away from interference with the golf cart dash board; a ball joint with a tensioning cap attached to the rod for adjusting the viewing position of an accessory; with a platform for mounting an accessory attached to the other end of the rod. The mount includes surface features which provide rotational stability for an accessory holder without relying on a friction-fit.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
     Not Applicable 
     SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     This application relates to accessory holders for holding personal electronics and other articles, specifically to accessory holders that mount to a golf ball holder in a golf cart. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Accessory holders for holding personal electronics and/or other articles in golf carts are known. Accessory holders used in golf carts include clamp-type mounts, suction cup mounts, and cup holder mounts. Bag-type mounts which are used in other types of vehicles are typically not used in golf carts due to their dynamic motion. Clamp-type mounts use clamps to attach to some part of the golf cart structure, e.g., struts holding the windshield or to the dash board. Suction cup mounts use suction cups to attach accessory holders to a windshield or a portion of a dash board which is large enough and smooth enough to allow a suction cup to seal. Cup holder mounts insert into and engage the inner surface of beverage cup holders. 
     Clamp-type mounts are more suited to permanent attachment. Many golfers rent carts and must attach and remove the mount. In either case a clamp, when attached to the windshield strut, can impede adjustment of a golf cart windshield. Some clamps can be bulky, making them difficult to store in a golf bag along with all of the other equipment that a golfer has stored. 
     Suction cup mounts may be adversely influenced by temperature and humidity fluctuations. The dynamic motion of a golf cart may also result in a bending moment applied to a suction cup by the weight of the accessory device, resulting in release of the device. Aging and repeated use of a suction cup may result in reduced reliability of the suction produced, resulting in release of the device and potential damage to an attached accessory device. 
     Cup holder mounts take up one of the beverage holders in a golf cart, reducing the number available for beverages and other items. The arm and attached accessory device may also impede access to beverages in the other beverage holders. A cup holder mount is also bulky, making it difficult to store in a golf bag along with all of the other equipment that a golfer has stored. 
     SUMMARY 
     Modern golfers have access to a variety of Personal Electronic Devices (PED&#39;s) which provide GPS location information relative to golf course features such as greens and various hazards. The invention described herein is an accessory holder system for securing a PED and making information available for use in a golf cart whereby a golfer can easily view information from a PED display. The accessory holder system includes a mount/base assembly for insertion into a golf ball holder disposed in a golf cart; and an accessory holder for attachment and adjustment of the viewing angle of a PED in a variety of golf cart configurations such that GPS golf course distance information can easily be seen and used by a golfer. A golf ball holder is generally located in or below the dash board of the golf cart, configured with a spherical of cylindrical cavity which accepts a golf ball and having an internal structure to frictionally hold a golf ball in place. The accessory holder is typically composed of an attached rod for displacing an accessory away from interference from the golf cart dash board; a ball joint with a tensioning cap attached to the rod for adjusting the viewing position of an accessory; with a platform for mounting an accessory attached to the other end of the rod. Typically the mount is a base assembly composed of a truncated sphere the diameter of a golf ball attached to a base structure with surface features/shapes which provide rotational stability for an accessory holder without relying on a friction-fit when inserted into a variety of golf ball holders disposed in golf carts and maintains an accessory in a substantially stable and constant position during use. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       Figures 
       The figures are consecutively numbered. 
         FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of an accessory holder system 
         FIG. 2  shows the same embodiment in an exploded view 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a Base Assembly (Left-Top View) 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a Base Assembly (Right-Bottom View) 
         FIG. 5  shows a section view of a Type I Golf Ball Holder with a golf ball 
         FIG. 6  shows a section view of a Type I Golf Ball Holder with a Base Assembly 
         FIG. 7  shows a section view of a Type II Golf Ball Holder with a golf ball 
         FIG. 8  shows a section view of a Type II Golf Ball Holder with a Base Assembly 
         FIG. 9  shows a section view of a Type III Golf Ball Holder with a golf ball (side) 
         FIG. 10  shows a section view of a Type III Golf Ball Holder with a Base Assembly (side) 
         FIG. 11  shows a section view of a Type III Golf Ball Holder with a golf ball (front) 
         FIG. 12  shows a section view of a Type III Golf Ball Holder with a Base Assembly (front) 
         FIG. 13  shows an alternative embodiment with dual base assembly 
         FIG. 14  shows an alternative embodiment with triple base assembly 
         FIG. 15  shows an alternative embodiment of a mount/base assembly with cylinder 
         FIG. 16  shows an alternative embodiment of a mount/base assembly with jaws 
     
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
         
           
               100  Mount/Base Assembly (BA) 
               110  BA—truncated sphere with the radius of a golf ball attached to a base structure 
               111  BA—base structure 
               112  BA—curved back to base structure with same radius as sphere 
               113  BA—shelf on bottom surface of base structure 
               114  BA—rail on top surface of base structure 
               115  BA—interface for attaching a rod to a base structure 
               200  Cap for securing a flexible ball joint to base assembly 
               300  Ball attached to rod and secured to base assembly by cap 
               400  Rod for displacing an accessory device from base assembly 
               500  Platform attached to a rod and for mounting an accessory device 
               600  Type I golf ball holder 
               610  Part of Type I golf ball holder—tension device 
               700  Type II golf ball holder 
               710  Part of Type II golf ball holder—tension device 
               800  Type III golf ball holder 
               810  Part of Type III golf ball holder—open slot 
               910  Alternate BA—jaw 
               920  Alternate BA—lever 
               930  Alternate BA—screw drive 
               1000  Golf ball 
           
         
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIGS.  1 - 4   
     First Embodiment 
     One embodiment of an accessory holder system is illustrated in  FIG. 1 , with an exploded view illustrated in  FIG. 2 . An accessory holder system uses a platform  500  for mounting a personal electronic device (PED) or other item. The platform is manufactured using an injection molding process with a plastic/resin material. This embodiment has a slot cut in either end of the platform  500  to accept a button on a PED. A belt clip can also be used to attach a PED. Two slots are used to accommodate installation of the system in either a vertical or horizontal orientation. The back surface of the platform  500  has a receptacle for insertion of a rod  400 . An adapter can be used with the platform to accommodate a variety of PEDs or other items. In this embodiment, the platform  500  is primarily rectangular. Other embodiments can use different configurations of the platform  500 . 
     A rod  400  is used to displace a PED from a mount/base assembly (BA). In this embodiment a solid material is used. The rod  400  has a bend in it to aid in positioning a PED for improved PED viewing angles. A flange on the end of the rod  400  is engaged by a cap  200  for securing the rod  400  in a desired position for viewing a PED. The rod  400  can be manufactured from metal such as stainless steel or a plastic material. Other embodiments can use a flexible goose-neck type rod  400  instead of solid material. 
     In this embodiment, a ball joint is used to provide the capability for adjusting the position for viewing a PED. A ball  300  is attached to the rod  400  for this purpose. A mount is composed of a base assembly  100  with a receptacle to accommodate the ball  300  with a thread for the cap  200 . The cap  200  is tightened to fix the rod  400  in a desired position. The ball  300  and cap  200  are manufactured using an injection molding process with a plastic/resin material. Other embodiments may attach a flexible goose neck rod  400  directly to the base assembly  100  without use of a ball joint. A goose neck rod  400  can be bent for positioning a PED for viewing. 
       FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  illustrate features of this embodiment of the mount as a base assembly (BA)  100 . This is a key item for interfacing with a golf ball holder in a golf cart. Several features are designed to provide rotational stability in a variety of golf ball holders disposed in golf carts. Golf ball holders disposed in golf carts are well known in the golf industry. They are generally located in or below the dash board of a golf cart, and are configured with a cavity composed of a cylindrical or spherical section. The cavity accepts a standard golf ball (a sphere with a diameter not less than 1.680 inches per the United States Golf Association rules), and has an internal configuration to hold a golf ball in place. A truncated sphere  110  is on the top surface of a base structure  111 . It has the approximate diameter of a golf ball, with a portion of the sphere removed. The rear portion of the base structure  111  is a depth equal to that portion removed from the sphere; with a shelf/ledge  113  which increases the depth of the base structure  111  at the front. The back end of the base structure  111  is curved  112  with the same radius as the truncated sphere  110 . A rail  114  is attached to the top surface of the base structure  111  in front of the truncated sphere  110 , and is the same width as the truncated sphere where it meets the base structure  111 . These features provide rotational stability in a variety of golf cart/golf ball holder configurations. The front of the base structure  111  has a hollow, threaded interface  115  for attaching the ball  300  and rod  400  to the base assembly  100 . The base assembly  100  is composed of a left and right side, each of which is mostly hollow with internal support struts. The two sides are manufactured using an injection molding process with a plastic/resin material. The center line dividing the two halves can be seen in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . 
     Operation— FIGS. 5-12   
     For the purpose of this description, three types of golf ball holders are described along with their operation for retaining a golf ball and a mount/base assembly of the accessory holder system. These golf ball holders are arbitrarily referred to as Type I, II and III. They are not part of the invention described in this application. 
       FIGS. 5 &amp; 6  represents a section view of a Type I Golf Ball Holder  600 .  FIG. 5  depicts a golf ball  1000  in the golf ball holder  600  and  FIG. 6  depicts a mount/base assembly  100  of the first embodiment in the golf ball holder  600 . This type of golf ball holder is installed in some models of the E-Z-GO golf cart, in a vertical part of the dash board. As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , when the golf ball  1000  is inserted into the golf ball holder  600 , a tension tab  610  which is part of the golf ball holder  600  presses against the golf ball  1000  to hold it in place. Since the golf ball  1000  is a sphere, the tension tab  610  only makes contact at one point on the ball. This keeps the ball in the holder; however it provides very little lateral/yaw stability. 
     A xyz coordinate frame orientation with respect to the mount/base assembly is depicted in  FIG. 3 . Pitch is a rotation about the x-axis, roll is a rotation about the z-axis, and yaw is a rotation about the y-axis. These terms will be used to describe stability of the mount/base assembly  100  when inserted into a golf ball holder. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , when the mount/base assembly (BA)  100  of the first embodiment is inserted into the golf ball holder  600 , the tension tab  610  presses against the BA truncated sphere  110 , and holds it in place in the same manner as a golf ball. The bottom, back portion of the BA base structure  111  is flat and rests on the bottom of the ball holder structure, providing lateral/yaw and roll stability. The shelf on the bottom of the BA  113  rests against the front of the golf ball holder  600 , providing lateral/yaw and pitch stability. In this type of golf ball holder, the BA is in a horizontal position. The accessory holder system rod  400  and accessory platform  500  depicted in  FIG. 1A  are rotated to position a PED at a suitable viewing angle for a golfer and fixed in position by tightening the ball cap  200 . Other embodiments may use a flexible goose neck rod which can be bent into a desired position. 
       FIGS. 7 &amp; 8  represent a section view of a Type II Golf Ball Holder  700 .  FIG. 7  depicts the golf ball  1000  in the golf ball holder  700  and  FIG. 8  depicts the mount/base assembly  100  of the first embodiment in the golf ball holder  700 . Variations of this type of golf ball holder are installed in some models of the Yamaha and Club Car golf carts, in a horizontal part of the dash board or in a tray mounted under the dash board. As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , when the golf ball  1000  is inserted into the golf ball holder  700 , the equator of a golf ball is below a curved portion of the front of the golf ball holder and held in place with a tension tab  710  in the back, which is part of the golf ball holder  700 . These features of the golf ball holder keep the golf ball in place, however, do not provide much rotational stability in roll, pitch or yaw. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , when the mount/base assembly (BA)  100  of the first embodiment is inserted into the golf ball holder  700 , the equator of the BA truncated sphere  110  rests below the front curve of the golf ball holder  700 , and the tension tab  710  presses against the bottom back section of the base assembly  111 . The curved back  112  of the base assembly  111  matches the curvature of the bottom of the golf ball holder. Since the back bottom of the base assembly  111  is flat, the tension tab  710  presses against a large surface area and provides greater pitch and roll stability. The width of the back of the base assembly  111  is straight and rests against the bottom of the golf ball holder  700 , providing yaw stability. In this type of golf ball holder, the BA is in a vertical position. The accessory holder system rod  400  and accessory platform  500  depicted in  FIG. 1  are rotated to position a PED at a suitable viewing angle for a golfer and fixed in position by tightening the ball cap  200 . Other embodiments may use a flexible goose neck rod which can be bent into a desired position. 
       FIG. 9-12  represent a section view of a Type III Golf Ball Holder  800 .  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 11  depict a golf ball  1000  in the golf ball holder  800  with a side view and front view respectively.  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 12  depict the mount/base assembly  100  of the first embodiment in the golf ball holder  800  with a side view and front view respectively. These views depict portions of the golf ball holder  800  as transparent in order to illustrate the internal position of the golf ball  1000  and BA  100 . This type of golf ball holder is essentially a vertical cylinder with an open slot in the front, and is installed in some models of the E-Z-GO golf cart. As illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 11 , when the golf ball  1000  is inserted into the golf ball holder  800 , it is kept in the golf ball holder by gravity. The open slot  810  in the front provides access for removing the golf ball  1000  vertically and allows a portion of the golf ball  1000  to protrude beyond the sides of the golf ball holder  800 . The golf ball holder  800  provides a loose fit for the golf ball  1000  and provides no pitch, yaw or roll stability. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 12 , when the mount/base assembly (BA)  100  of the first embodiment is inserted into the golf ball holder  800 , the BA truncated sphere  110  is positioned within the cylinder of the golf ball holder  800 , with the BA rail  114  on the top surface of the base assembly pressing into the sides of the open slot  810  of the golf ball holder  800 . The BA rail  114  tightens the fit of the BA in the golf ball holder providing additional gripping force, and also provides yaw stability. The top surface of the BA presses against the front of the golf ball holder  800 , providing pitch and roll stability. In this type of golf ball holder, the BA is in a vertical position. The accessory holder system rod  400  and accessory platform  500  depicted in  FIG. 1  are rotated to position a PED at a suitable viewing angle for a golfer and fixed in position by tightening the ball cap  200 . Other embodiments may use a flexible goose neck rod which can be bent into a desired position. 
     Additional Embodiments 
       FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  illustrate a first embodiment using a solid rod  400  and ball joint  300 . An additional embodiment replaces these with a flexible goose neck rod. The flexible goose neck rod can be bent into a desired position for viewing and/or access of a personal electronic device (PED) or other article. The first embodiment also uses a platform  500  for attaching an accessory device. An additional embodiment modifies the platform to include sliding walls, which may operate with a spring and ratchet mechanism for griping an accessory device securely. 
     The first embodiment uses a truncated sphere  110  as part of the mount/base assembly. An additional embodiment can use a different shape, such as a segment of a cylinder with the radius of a golf ball in one dimension and the width of a golf ball in another dimension as illustrated in  FIG. 15 . An additional embodiment of a mount/base assembly illustrated in  FIG. 16 , can create a set of jaws  910  and attach them to a selective means for moving the jaws  910 , such as a scissors type lever  920  arrangement with a screw drive  930  mechanism. The jaws  910  are then opened to press into the golf ball holder to provide additional force for securing the base assembly. 
       FIG. 13  illustrates an alternate embodiment where the mount/base assembly  100  has been enlarged to include two truncated spheres and two rods for attaching a larger or heavier PED or other article. An alternative embodiment can use an alternate shape such as a cylinder. This embodiment of the base assembly can be inserted into a golf ball holder with at least two ball positions available. Many golf carts have several holders, each of which accommodate three golf balls.  FIG. 14  illustrates an alternative embodiment where the base assembly has been enlarged to include three truncated spheres and two rods. An alternative embodiment can use an alternate shape such as a cylinder. This alternative can accommodate even larger or heavier PED&#39;s or other articles which may include multiple accessories, such as an IPOD with speakers. This embodiment of the base assembly can be inserted into a golf ball holder with three ball positions available. 
     Advantages 
     A first embodiment of the accessory holder system employs a mount/base assembly which is the width of a golf ball. Therefore only one position in a golf ball holder is required for mounting the accessory holder. Golf ball holders are located in a golf cart in positions which are readily accessible and viewable by a golfer. Therefore a personal electronic device or article attached to the accessory holder is also readily accessible and viewable by a golfer. When the accessory holder is mounted, it does not impede adjustment of a windshield, or interfere with access to beverages and other items placed in a cup holder. Since it does not require a cup holder for mounting, all of the cup holders are available for beverages and other items. The features of the base assembly combine to provide a stable platform for holding personal electronic devices or other articles when inserted into a variety of golf ball holder designs. A first embodiment of the accessory holder system is quite small and can easily be stored in a golf bag along with all of the other equipment that a golfer has stored. The base assembly itself is similar to the combined size of two golf balls. The first embodiment of the mount/base assembly is quite simple and has no moving parts. The accessory holder system is easily expanded to accommodate larger and/or heavier personal electronic devices and articles as illustrated in the alternate embodiments of  FIGS. 7  A&amp;B. Golfers may have an affinity to this accessory holder since the base employs a truncated sphere that resembles a golf ball, and can be inserted into a golf ball holder just like a golf ball. The sphere can also have a logo of popular golf ball manufacturers, e.g. Titleist, Callaway, etc., placed on it to enhance the resemblance to a golf ball. 
     Conclusions, Ramifications, and Scope 
     The details of a design have been described and illustrated to provide a novel and unique concept for mounting a personal electronics device or other article in a golf cart inserted into a golf ball holder. Features of a mount/base assembly have been designed to produce a stable accessory holder system in a variety of golf ball holders and maintain an accessory in a substantially secure and constant position during use. A truncated sphere is used in a first embodiment due to its resemblance to a golf ball, universal fit to a golf ball holder, the potential for licensing the application of logos, and the potential affinity for golfers. 
     Some accessories envisioned to be used with an accessory holder include, but are not limited to: a global positioning system device, a cell phone, an ipod or other music device with or without auxiliary speakers, and an ipad or other tablet computer. 
     The detailed description and specific examples given are by way of illustration and not of limitation. Changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.