1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to golf equipment accessories and, more specifically, to a golf club protection device which can be inserted into the readily available individual golf club tubes which are sold and inserted into a golf bag to segregate and protect individual golf clubs. While these tubes do segregate the golf clubs one from the other they do not prevent the shafts from scraping the lip of the tube while being extracted from or inserted into during the course of play. This contact with the lip of the tube will remove the coating on graphite shafts.
The present invention comprising a flanged insert seats into the top opening of existing tubes by means of compression fitting or is therein permanently affixed by adhesive means and said flanged insert has an acrylic soft pile material circumferentially affixed to the interior wall of said flanged insert.
Another embodiment is provided having all of the properties of the preferred embodiment in addition to a club head bearing member comprised of a Y-shaped member fixedly attached to the exterior surface of the flanged insert therein providing means for supporting the club head within the V-portion and preventing any lateral movement of the club head which normally occurs during the course of play.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other golf club shaft protection devices. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,349 issued to Burns on Jul. 3, 1990.
Another patent was issued to Henry et al. on Jan. 4, 1994 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,278. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,690 was issued to McConville on May 27, 1997 and still yet another was issued on Feb. 24, 1998 to King et al. as U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,388.
A golf club protector for protecting the shaft of a club including a golf club housing tube having a protective interior and a protective collar provided at the upper end of the tube. Alternatively, an optional protective sleeve insertable within the tube having a protective collar attached thereto may be removably provided as a unit for a conventional tube. Where the housing tube includes a fixed collar and protective interior, the length of the tube may be predetermined in accordance with the length of a particular club shaft, or the tube may be provided with spaced apart cut markings at its lower end to facilitate shortening of the tube by the consumer.
A golf club shaft protector is disclosed as including a hollow plastic tube of predetermined diameter and length with open upper and lower ends. The length of the hollow plastic tube substantially corresponds to the length of a golf club shaft and can be pre-selected and cut to the appropriate length. A flexible restricted throat element extends across the open upper end of the hollow plastic tube for resilient deformation upon the insertion of a golf club handle to allow passage of the golf club handle and associated golf club shaft into the hollow plastic tube. The flexible restricted throat element subsequently returns to its initial shape for close fitting circumferential support of the golf club hosel at an upper end of the golf club shaft adjacent the golf club head. The predetermined diameter of the hollow plastic tube is dimensioned to at least substantially peripherally engage the golf club handle at least adjacent the open lower end. The entire length of the golf club shaft is thus protected by the hollow plastic tube through the circumferential support of the golf club hosel by the flexible restricted throat opening at the open upper end and by the at least substantial peripheral engagement of the golf club handle at the lower open end so as to provide suspended non-engagement of the golf club shaft therebetween.
A wrap for protecting a portion of a golf club shaft from abrasion within a golf bag. The inventive device includes a pad strip for circumferentially extending about a shaft of a golf club. A securing strip extends from the pad strip for securing the pad strip in an annular configuration about the shaft to protect the shaft from abrasion against an upper interior surface of a receiving tube of a golf bag.
A golf club shaft protector is disclosed as including an elongated hollow plastic tube having a polygonal cross-sectional configuration with an unequal number of sides interconnected to each other by corner sections. Each of the unequal number of sides have the same predetermined length and each of the corner sections have the same predetermined angular shape. One of each of the corner sections faces one of each of the sides. Preferably, the unequal number of sides is at least seven to provide the largest possible opening with the greatest amount of rigidity for receiving the golf club shaft, including a golf club handle. The golf club shaft protector also includes a tubular element mounted adjacent the open upper end of the hollow plastic tube and includes an outer wall section, an inner wall section and flexible lip sections. The outer wall section surrounds an outer wall area of the tube adjacent the open upper end, the inner wall section surrounds an inner wall area of the tube adjacent the open upper end and the flexible lip sections extend over the open upper end of the tube for resiliently supporting a golf club shaft in centered position relative to the hollow plastic tube. The aforementioned elements facilitate the entry and removal of a golf club shaft including a golf club handle or grip, while protecting the golf club shaft against marring, scratching or other damage while retained within the hollow plastic tube.
While these golf club shaft protection devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
The present invention discloses a device for protecting golf clubs from being scratched due to the golf clubs being inserted into a golf club protection tube which are commercially available. The present invention discloses a flanged tubular insert for placement into the top neck of the golf club protection tube. The present invention is padded with soft pile material extending circumferentially about the insert having a hole therein for inserting of the golf club shaft. Another embodiment is provided which has a Y-shaped upstanding member mounted on the top edge of the present invention within which is placed the golf club head.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a flanged insert which can be used in conjunction with existing golf club tubes for the protection of golf clubs.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a flanged insert which can be used in conjunction with existing golf club tubes to prevent the golf club shafts from contact with the lip of existing golf club tubes.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a golf club tube flanged insert having a lower portion of smaller diameter and an upper portion of greater diameter.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a golf club tube flanged insert having a soft pile material circumferentially affixed to the greater upper interior wall of said flanged insert.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an alternate embodiment of a golf club tube flanged insert having a soft pile material circumferentially affixed to the greater upper interior wall of said flanged insert and further having a club head bearing member comprised of a Y-shaped member fixedly attached to the exterior surface of the flanged insert therein providing means for supporting the club head within the V-portion and preventing any lateral movement of the club head which normally occurs during the course of play.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a golf club protection device comprising a flanged insert which seats by compression fitting or adhesively fixed into the top opening of existing golf club protection tubes and said flanged insert having an acrylic soft pile material circumferentially affixed to the interior wall surface of said flanged insert.
Another embodiment is provided having all of the properties of the preferred embodiment in addition to a club head bearing member comprised of a Y-shaped member fixedly attached to the exterior surface of the flanged insert therein providing means for supporting the club head within the V-portion and preventing any lateral movement of the club head which normally occurs during the course of play.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.