Site News  |   Monitor Keywords  |   Monitor Archive  |   Organizer  |   Account Info  |

Golf accessory apparatus

Golf accessory apparatus description/claims

Not Applicable

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates in general to a golf accessory apparatus and, more particularly, to a golf accessory apparatus which elevates one or more golf club shafts and/or grips off of the ground to, in turn, keep the same dry and/or free from hazardous chemicals on a golf course.

2. Background Art

Golf accessory apparatuses have been known in the art for years and are the subject of numerous patents, including: U.S. Pat. No. 7,153,218 entitled “Golf Accessory Apparatus,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,327 entitled “Golf Club Holder,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,407 entitled “Golf Accessory Device,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,422 entitled “Golf Club Holder,” U.S. Pat. No. D535,347 entitled “Reversible Golf Club Holder,” U.S. Pat. No. D529,977 entitled “Golf Club Holder,” U.S. Pat. No. D520,098 entitled “Golf Club Holder,” and U.S. Pat. No. D497,192 entitled “Golf Club Holder”—all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety including the references cited therein.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,153,218 appears to disclose a golf accessory apparatus which includes an elongated trough coupled to an elongated rod. The elongated trough is configured to receive a golf club so that its handle end is held off the ground when a first end of the elongated rod is coupled to the ground. The elongated trough can be pivotally coupled to the elongated rod and it can frictionally engage the golf club. The elongated trough has one or both of its ends shaped so that it can be easily inserted into a golf bag.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,327 appears to disclose a golf club holder useful for holding selected golf clubs in a generally upright position once such selected golf clubs have been extracted from the golf club bag for use by a golfer on the fairway or green approaching a hole. Such a golf club holder includes a pointed shaft for insertion into the ground, a handle for ease in insertion and retraction of the golf club holder from the ground, a cigar holder, a bag hanger, and an international orange colored head assembly for ease in locating the golf club holder.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,407 appears to disclose a golf accessory device which includes a shaft having first and second oppositely arranged shaft ends. A ball retrieval suction cup is affixed to the first shaft end. A ball mark repair tool is affixed to the oppositely arranged second shaft end. A hook located at approximately the ball mark repair tool on the shaft is sized for use in picking up objects which are lying in a horizontal position on a surrounding playing surface.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,422 appears to disclose a golf club holder adapted for removably supporting a golf club above a ground surface in such a manner that the club has a head which contacts the surface and the club has a shaft which extends above the surface.

U.S. Pat. No. D535,347, U.S. Pat. No. D529,977, U.S. Pat. No. D520,098, and U.S. Pat. No. D497,192 appear to disclose a plurality of ornamental configurations for golf club holding apparatuses.

While the above-identified patents do appear to provide operable golf accessory apparatuses, their configurations remain non-desirous and/or problematic inasmuch as, among other things, none of the above-identified apparatuses appear to be readily convertible from a storage configuration to a use configuration, wherein the use configuration controllably retains a plurality of golf clubs during practice, and/or play—among other things.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a golf accessory apparatus which, among other things, remedies the aforementioned detriments and/or complications associated with the use of the above-identified golf accessory apparatuses.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification, claims, and drawings.

In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a golf accessory apparatus comprising: (a) a ground engaging base member, wherein the ground engaging base member comprises: (1) an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper surface is generally opposite the lower surface; and (2) a first end and a second end, wherein the second end is associated with a golf club retaining member; and (b) a golf club retaining member, wherein the golf club retaining member comprises: (1) an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface is generally opposite the outer surface; and (2) a first end and a second end, wherein the second end comprises at least one groove for releasably containing at least a portion of a golf club.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ground engaging base member and the golf club retaining member comprise a unitary member.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ground engaging base member is hingably associated with the golf club retaining member.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ground engaging base member and the golf club retaining member are attached with a living hinge.

In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the golf accessory apparatus is convertible from a storage configuration to a use configuration—and vice versa.

Preferably in this embodiment, the lower surface of the ground engaging base member and the outer surface of the golf club retaining member are generally parallel to one another while the golf accessory apparatus is in a storage configuration.

In another aspect of the present invention, at least a portion of the lower surface of the ground engaging base member and at least a portion of the outer surface of the golf club retaining member contact one another while the golf accessory apparatus is in a storage configuration.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

• What Is a Patent?
• What Is a Trademark or Servicemark?
• What Is a Copyright?
• Patent Laws