Abstract:
A golf club head cover and towel assembly comprises a head cover having a toe end and a heel end. The heel end comprises an opening thereon, and the opening is positionable between an open position and a closed position. A towel removably coupled with the opening is provided.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of the earlier patent entitled “Golf Club Head Cover and Towel,” Ser. No. 11/490,724, filed Jul. 20, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,458,405, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The invention illustrated in the enclosed embodiment of this application relates to head covers for golf clubs, and more particularly, to a combination of a head cover and a towel. Golf club head covers currently are extensively used to protect the golf club heads during transport and storage, and at all times until the particular club is used in conjunction with the play of a game of golf. Covers are especially used for putters because of the relatively high cost of putters and the desire to protect the face of the putter from scratches and nicks. 
     A putter cover which has been found to be particularly handy for use, because of its ease of placement and removal, is the putter cover of applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,222. This putter cover has an open back on it with matching hook-and-loop strips on opposite sides, which allow the putter cover to be closed over the shaft of the putter club when the club is placed in the bag for storage. Removal of the cover of U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,222 is readily effected by pulling apart the attached hook-and-loop strips, either by pulling on opposite sides of the cover adjacent the strips, or by simply pulling the cover forward over the toe of the putter to cause the heel and the shaft to open the hook-and-loop strips, effectively opening and removing the putter cover in one continuous motion. 
     Another important accessory used in the play of the game of golf is a small towel or wiper, typically in the form of terry cloth or other absorbent material for use in cleaning a club head or putter club head and the golf ball. Such towels also are used by the golfer to clean perspiration from his or her hands prior to using a golf club or putter. Golfers frequently place a towel in a pocket of their wearing apparel; but some golf apparel does not have pockets for carrying a towel. In such a case, the towel must be carried separately in some other way. Fasteners have been provided on the golf bag or on the golf cart for temporarily and releasably holding a towel; but such locations are not entirely convenient. 
     A number of patents have been granted for combinations of a putter head cover and a towel. Generally, the configuration of the combined towel/head cover is such that the resultant basically is a specially shaped towel, which, when not in use, also surrounds or covers the putter head. Obviously, when such a combination towel/putter head cover becomes soiled and in need of laundering, the entire putter head cover/towel combination must be removed from the putter to effect the necessary laundering. This leaves the putter head unprotected during whatever time is required for laundering. Such combination putter cover/towels, however, do have an advantage in that the towel is associated with the most frequently used club in the bag of golf clubs. It is desirable to provide a combination of a towel and a putter head cover which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art noted above. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a golf bag showing an embodiment of the invention on a club stored in the bag; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged side view of an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating features of the embodiment of  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference now should be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numbers are used throughout the different figures to designate the same or similar components.  FIG. 1  shows a typical golf bag  10 , which may be used to store a number of different golf clubs, each shown in  FIG. 1  as covered by head covers  12  and  14 .  FIG. 1  also shows a wiper or towel  16  which is releasably attached to the head cover  14 , illustrated in the remainder of the figures as a putter head cover. 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the putter head cover  14  placed over and surrounding a putter head, with the shaft  18  of the putter extending outwardly from the cover  14 . 
     The cover  14  ideally is made in the configuration of the putter head cover of U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,222, the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety.  FIGS. 3 and 4  show additional details of the head cover  14 , which is open along its back or “heel” edge from the bottom of the putter head, such as the head  26  shown in  FIG. 4 , and extending upwardly a short distance along the shaft  18 . 
     As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,222, the head cover  14  has a pair of elongated mating hook-and-loop fastener strips such as VELCRO® strips  20  and  22  located on opposite facing sides of the open back. When the head cover  14  is secured onto a putter head  26 , such as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the mating strips  20  and  22  engage one another to releasably hold the putter cover  14  in place on the putter head. Pulling open the strips  20  and  22  to disengage them opens the back of the putter cover  14  to allow removal of the putter  26  and the shaft  18  from the cover  14 , which then may be placed aside during the time the putter is used by the golfer. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5  in particular, the putter cover of U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,222 is used to also releasably hold a terry towel or other suitable absorbent wiper  16  in position for ready access, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . This is accomplished by placing a small square of universal hook-and-loop fastener  24  on the opposite sides of a corner of the towel  16 . This corner of the towel with the universal hook-and-loop fastener  24  on each side of the towel then is placed between a portion of the mating strips  20  and  22 , and engages one or both of those strips to hold the towel  16  in place on the putter cover as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The portions of the strips  20  and  22 , which do not engage the smaller squares  24  engage one another, holding the remainder of the putter cover-on the putter head  26  and shaft  18  in the manner described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,222. 
       FIG. 4  is a cross section which has removed the side of the putter cover  14  carrying the strip  20  on it to indicate a possible positioning of the strip  24  and the towel  16  on the putter cover  14 , along with the shaft  18  and the putter head  26 . Even with one side removed, such as the side carrying the hook or loop strips  20 , the opposing fastener square  24  on the opposite side of the towel  16  from that shown in  FIG. 4  engages and is held by the other fastener strip  22 . Typically, when the putter cover  14  is opened, the towel  16  remains attached to one or the other of the strips  20  and  22 , from which it readily can also be removed, if desired. It is not necessary, however, to remove the towel  16  entirely from the putter cover  14  in order to use it, once the putter cover  14  has been removed from the putter, as described above. 
       FIG. 5  is a partial perspective view showing the putter cover  14  opened, with the putter  26  removed to show the exposed one of the hook-and-Loop fastener elements  20  disengaged from the universal hook/loop square  24  on the corner of the towel  16 . The mating fastener  22  on the rear edge of the putter cover  14  is shown partially exposed in  FIG. 5 ; and the square of universal hook/loop fastener  24  on the opposite side of the towel  16  (not shown in  FIG. 5 ) remains attached to the fastener portion  22  on the putter cover. 
     When the towel  16  is to be laundered, it readily can be disengaged from the releasable hook-and-loop fastener elements  20  and  22 , leaving the putter cover  14  in place on the putter head  26 . Alternatively, a second towel  16  immediately may be used to replace one which has been removed for laundering. 
     The foregoing description of an embodiment of the invention is to be considered as illustrative and not as limiting. For example, although hook-and-loop fastener elements are described in conjunction with the portions  20 ,  22  and  24 , other fasteners, such as snap fasteners, magnetic fasteners, or the like could be used to effect the same functional operation. Various other changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art for performing substantially the same function, in substantially the same way, to achieve substantially the same result, without departing from the true scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.