Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Tee
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-14
2002-09-24
Wong, Steven (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Tee
C473S387000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06454669
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to golf tees.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the sport of golf, the opening shot of each hole is hit with the golf ball resting on a tee. Golf tees have been the subject of much work for some years, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,062,990; 6,053,822; 6,010,413; 5,738,598; 5,759,118; 5,505,444; 5,154,417; 4,998,732; 4,989,869; 4,783,077; 4,181,300; 4,103,888; 3,747,927; 3,697,082, even back to the 1920s, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,759,657; 1,656,401; 1,644,979; 1,644,980; 1,638,527. Forcing tees into the ground also has been considered, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,913,737; 5,540,433; 5,718,646; 4,896,883; 4,277,892; 4,090,298; 3,671,036; 3,540,727; 3,220,727; 2,801,852; 2,722,062.
Golf tees generally are about 2 inches long and of a unitary piece of wood. Known golf tees support the golf ball so that the ball may be struck, but without maximally balancing and supporting the golf ball. Sometimes the ball rolls off the tee. When a ball that is not well-balanced on the tee is struck, the ball's flight is less than optimal. For example, the ball could have traveled a longer distance if well-balanced on the tee. Also, when a golfer cannot count on the ball being well-balanced consistently on the tee, it may be difficult to hit with confidence. Relatedly, problems with “slicing” into the ball may be related to the teed ball not being well balanced.
Thus, reliably supporting the golf ball in the most stable manner possible is an important objective for a golfer, and a tee that provides maximal stability is needed. Such a tee desirably should be simple to manufacture, have no extra parts compared to a current tee, and be unobtrusive and unremarkable in appearance.
Another aspect of teeing in golf is that with known golf tees, balls often fall off and require re-teeing, and the need to re-tee the ball can result in unnecessary bending over. Such further bending can be especially problematic and unpleasant for golfers hindered by arthritis and back problems. As there is a high desire among golfers to continue golfing even as arthritis or back problems arise, simple methods for reducing re-teeing without requiring contraptions or complicated devices are especially needed.
A golf tee has two ends, a ball-holding end and a pointed end for inserting into the ground. Both ends of known golf tees may be susceptible of improvement.
As to the ball-holding end of a golf tee, various modifications have been suggested. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,444 to Bouclin, Jr. (1996); U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,118 to Sroczynski (1998); U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,822 to Kolodney et al. (2000). However, the ball-holding end of golf tees still needs improvement for better holding the ball in a maximally stable position, by a tee that at the same time it provides maximal stability still also is of a simple structure.
The ground-breaking end of standard wood golf tees is not well-suited for certain terrain. For example, a conventional wood tee wobbles when inserted into rocky mountain or sandy beach terrain. Inserting a standard golf tee into dry, hard, frozen or sandy turf is not easy.
One adaptation of a standard golf tee is used by Chi Chi Rodrigues, namely, what is believed to be a golf tee of generally standard construction but with an extended-length ground-breaking end. Such an extended-length golf tee still can be improved, such as with respect to positioning the golf ball on the ball-holding end, and still leaves to be addressed the problem of insertion of the tee into difficult terrain. Additionally, a way is needed to achieve gains in stability while maintaining an inconspicuous, more standard tee appearance.
Also, the need for properly supporting a golf ball on a tee is recognized in U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,909 to Broadbridge (1999) but this relatively complex device is for a driving range and does not address the problem of stabilizing the golf ball tee during actual play on the golf course. Although some golf tee setting or supporting devices are known (U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,737 to Park (1999); U.S. Pat. No. 052,689 to Lettrich (1991)), there remains a need for simpler methods of stabilizing golf tees and setting golf balls with improved stability.
The need to facilitate tee-insertion has been recognized in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,277,892 and 4,090,298 (to Rushforth); however, the need for a simple solution to the problem of teeing in difficult terrain remains.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the view that the challenge of the game of golf should not be to keep the ball on the tee, and after much evaluation by the inventor of potential ways to maximally balance the ball on the tee, the present inventor arrived at the following inventive products, including golf tees, golf tee penetration cones and golf tee kits.
The invention provides a golf tee comprising a tee having a ball-holding top end that is a dime-sized annulus (a dime being about 18 mm in diameter). In a preferred embodiment, the tee is made of wood.
The invention also provides a removable penetration cone for a golf tee, comprising a piece of stiff material having a pointed end for inserting into the ground and an open hollowed end for receiving and securely holding a golf tee point.
In a preferred embodiment, the inventive cone has an approximate end-to-end length of 1½ inches.
In an especially preferred embodiment, the cone's stiff material is wrapped tin.
In another preferred embodiment, the cone's stiff material is plastic.
The invention also provides a golf tee kit, comprising a wood tee having a ball-holding top end that is a dime-sized annulus; and a removable penetration cone for a golf tee, comprising a piece of stiff material having a pointed end for inserting into ground and an open hollowed end for receiving and securely holding a golf tee point.
In another embo
nt, the invention provides a method of reducing golf ball reteeing, comprising inserting into terrain a tee having a ball-holding top end that is a dime-sized annulus; wherein, before the inserting step, the tee optionally is slipped into a removable penetration cone comprising a piece of stiff material having a pointed end for inserting into ground and an open hollowed end for receiving and securely holding a golf tee point.
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