Special receptacle or package – For a sport implement – exercise device – or game – For a golf club
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-16
2001-03-13
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3727)
Special receptacle or package
For a sport implement, exercise device, or game
For a golf club
C383S016000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199690
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Golf Bags typically have a handle located at about mid-way between the golf bag's open mouth and its closed bottom end along the sidewall of the bag that defines the golf bag body. This handle is usually beneath a strap which has one end attached near the open mouth and another end attached to the sidewall at a point between the handle and the closed bottom. This handle is used to carry the golf bag when the strap is not being employed for this purpose. It has virtually no other utility.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention has several features, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of this invention as expressed by the claims that follow, its more prominent features will now be discussed briefly. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section entitled, “DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS,” one will understand how the features of this invention provide its benefits, which include, but are not limited to, ease of use, especially upon removing a golf bag from a user's shoulder and lowering the golf bag to a rest position.
The first feature of the golf bag of this invention is that it includes a bag body having an open mouth at a cavity in the bag body into which golf clubs are placed and a handle located adjacent the open mouth. The handle is positioned at an acute angle with respect to a reference plane that passes through the longitudinal axis of the bag body and is at a right angle to a closed bottom of the bag body. The acute angle is preferably from about 30° to about 60° with respect to the reference plane. Preferably, the length of the handle is from about 4.5 to about 9 inches. The handle has an outward end next to the open mouth that is displaced at least about 2 inches from the reference plane, typically from about 2 to about 5 inches, and an inward end that is at or next to the reference plane.
The second feature is that the bag body near the open mouth has an arcuate surface and the handle includes a flexible gripper member having a shape conforming to the contour arcuate surface. This gripper member extends between first and second connector members attached to the arcuate surface.
The third feature is that there is a pair of handles adjacent the open mouth, one handle being on the left side of the bag body and the other handle being on the right side of the bag body. In one embodiment, these handles are at about equal distances from the reference pane and their angular orientation is such that the relationship between the handles is essentially the same as that of the right hand to the left hand. In another embodiment, a first handle is positioned at an acute angle with respect to, and to one side of, the reference plane and a second handle is on a side of the reference plane opposite the first handle. This second handle is positioned to lie substantially parallel to the rim of the open mouth and adjacent to this rim.
This invention also includes a method of removing a golf bag from a user's shoulder where the bag has a strap that is draped over the user's shoulder and a handle that is located adjacent an open mouth of the golf bag. This method includes the steps of:
grasping the handle with one hand while sliding the strap off the shoulder, and
lowering the bag to a rest position while maintaining grasping of the handle to support the weight of the golf bag as the bag is lowered.
The method of this invention also includes using a bag with two handles at the mouth of the bag and grasping both handles while lowering the golf bag from the shoulder.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 172785 (1954-08-01), Eging
patent: D. 320887 (1991-10-01), Jones
patent: 1936021 (1933-11-01), Hutchinson
patent: 2437405 (1948-03-01), Robinson
patent: 2739631 (1956-03-01), Hamley
patent: 2853111 (1958-09-01), Williams
patent: 3521689 (1970-07-01), Woods, Jr.
patent: 4802773 (1989-02-01), Gross
patent: 4844253 (1989-07-01), Reimers
patent: 5860520 (1999-01-01), Tang
patent: 0563215 (1958-09-01), None
Connors John J.
Connors & Associates
Mai Tri M.
Shoap Allan N.
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