Special receptacle or package – For a sport implement – exercise device – or game – For a golf club
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-28
2001-09-04
Garbe, Stephen P. (Department: 3727)
Special receptacle or package
For a sport implement, exercise device, or game
For a golf club
C150S159000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283290
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a protective cover assembly which is removably attached to the open end of a golf bag in substantially complete covering relation to a plurality of golf clubs disposed within the golf bag and extending upwardly through the open end of the golf bag. More in particular, the protective cover assembly of the present invention includes a hood assembly which is structured to remain in a substantially if not completely closed position when disposed in an operative position on the golf bag, until access to the golf clubs is desired, whereupon, the hood assembly can be easily and generally momentarily moved into an open position. Further, the protective cover assembly may also be disposed in a stored position when detached from the golf bag and not in use.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
The game of golf has enjoyed increasing popularity for many years and is played on the recreational, amateur and professional levels by both men and women. Regardless of the level of play, the equipment required to participate typically involves a plurality of golf clubs housed or carried in a golf bag. As can be seen with reference to
FIG. 1-A
, labeled “Prior Art,” the conventional golf bag has a generally elongated configuration and although each may vary somewhat in design, color, size, etc., each typically shares certain common features. For instance, golf clubs are carried in the golf bag with the handles positioned inside the bag at the bottom so that the heads of the golf clubs extend upwardly and outwardly from the open end of the golf bag. The clubs heads are displayed through the open end of the golf bag so that the player can make an intended club selection depending upon the golf shot required. While the quality of the clubs utilized will naturally vary depending upon the seriousness of the golfer and his or her competitive level, a good set of golf clubs are a relatively expensive purchase, and accordingly, should be well cared for during both play and storage. Still referring to
FIG. 1-A
, it is also common for a golf bag to include one or more handles, typically securely attached thereto for carrying of the bag and clubs about a golf course. Also, many golf bags can be adapted to include additional structure, such as a pair of leg members on a forward portion of the bag, to permit the bag to assume a tripod position on the ground.
Golf is generally considered to be a “fair weather” sport in that play is suspended or prohibited during relatively harsh weather conditions such as thunder and lightening storms, driving rain and the like. However, due to the competitive nature of the game, golfers will often continue to play during marginal weather conditions such as during a relatively light rain or even snow. During such times, it is common practice to protect the golf clubs contained within the golf bag, and in that vein, to preferably protect the entire golf club from getting wet and slippery, and thereby, negatively impacting a golfer's swing.
Accordingly, some rain covers have been developed to provide protection not only to the head portion of the golf clubs, but also to the interior of the golf bags, and thus, for keeping the shaft and handle portions of each golf club within the bag dry as well. For example, there are numerous types of rain covers known in the art designed to be draped or otherwise disposed over the golf club heads in covering or enclosing relation thereto. While such known protective covers are generally considered to be adequate to accomplish their protective function, certain disadvantages exist which render their use undesirable or less desirable. For instance, some of these protective golf bag covers extend entirely about the golf bag and golf clubs extending therefrom, although others are removably secured about the open end of the golf bag. Such covers often do not facilitate ready access to the golf clubs within a golf bag, and consequently, accessing the golf clubs usually requires some disengagement of the rain cover from the golf bag, thereby exposing the golf clubs, as well as the interior of the golf bag, to the rain.
Even when such known rain covers do not require a complete removal from the golf bag to provide access, the golf clubs and/or the interior of the bag is still likely to become wet, as rain is often accompanied by windy conditions. To the other extreme, some rain covers have been designed for a golf bag which do not require full or partial removal therefrom, and most, if not all of these types provide a movable flap on the rain cover for accessing the golf clubs. However, the known rain covers with movable flaps are either too small to facilitate easy selection and removal of the appropriate golf club for the intended shot or are too large to provide adequate protection from rain, regardless of whether accompanied by wind or not. Yet others have designed rain covers for a golf bag which utilize zippers, snaps, and similar fasteners, but such fasteners are generally cumbersome and time consuming to manipulate and frequently, result if not in a poor fitting rain cover, then in the golfer's eventual non-use thereof out of frustration.
Other disadvantages associated with known rain covers for golf bags include an ineffective means of attachment and detachment from the golf bag. That is, in order to maintain a rain cover in its intended protective position on the golf bag, the means of attachment thereto must be reasonably secure so that when access to the golf clubs is attempted, the rain cover will remain in the. intended protective position. Many of the known rain covers become dislodged from the intended position when the golfer retrieves or replaces a golf club from or to the golf bag, thereby exposing the clubs to the elements. Further, many known rain covers for a golf bag are themselves bulky and not capable of being easily stored and carried. Consequently, those types of rain covers are often left behind during a golf outing, and should the weather change unexpectedly, as it can do during the four hours or so that it takes to play eighteen holes of golf, the player's golf clubs are again exposed to the elements.
Accordingly, there is a need in the sport of golf for a protective cover assembly which is structured to be removably attached to a conventional golf bag, regardless of minor differences in size or configuration, in a manner which will offer substantially complete protection to the head, shaft and handle of the golf clubs, as well as to the interior of the golf bag, during adverse weather conditions. Any such protective cover assembly should be capable of being easily attached and detached from an operative, protective position on the golf bag, and further, should be capable of being reduced to compact form so as to be easily stored and carried in a convenient location, such as in a pouch on the golf bag itself, during periods of non-use. In addition, any such protective cover assembly should provide easy and quick access to the golf clubs within the golf bag in order to facilitate the selection of an appropriate club, while at the same time, significantly restricting exposure of the golf clubs to the elements, during club selection. In addition to the above, any such protective cover assembly should also incorporate a base or other equivalent support frame structure which adequately secures the protective cover assembly to the club bag in an intended protective position, so as to remain in that position whenever a golf club is selected, removed and/or returned from or to the golf bag. Any such support frame should also be structured to facilitate access to the clubs while limiting exposure to rain, etc. and further to not interfere with or otherwise impede the selection, removal and/or return of a golf club from or to the golf bag.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed in order to solve the needs which remain in the art. More specifically, the present invention relates to a protective cover assembly for a golf bag that is designed to p
Garbe Stephen P.
Mai Tri M.
Reed Smith Hazel & Thomas LLP
LandOfFree
Rain cover for a golf bag does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Rain cover for a golf bag, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Rain cover for a golf bag will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2538839