Special receptacle or package – For a sport implement – exercise device – or game – For a golf club
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-03
2002-06-04
Garbe, Stephen P. (Department: 3727)
Special receptacle or package
For a sport implement, exercise device, or game
For a golf club
C150S160000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06398025
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to head covers for golf clubs designed to prevent golf clubs from being damaged and, more particularly, to a head cover capable of being used for receiving golf clubs of various kinds and various sizes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As well known to those skilled in the art, golf clubs are typically classified into two types; “woods” having large and voluminous heads, and “irons” having smaller and narrower heads. The “woods” are generally used for making long-distance drive shots, while the “irons” are generally used for making short-distance shots.
The “woods” and “irons” are manufactured to be of various sizes. Typically, individual golf clubs, having different sizes and different types, are selected by a golfer while golfing in accordance with physical characteristics of the golfer, landscape, and desired flying distances of golf balls. The “woods” have been typically classified into about five types in accordance with the sizes of the heads. However, in recent days, the head sizes of “woods” further vary in order to meet a golfer's fancy and desired flying distances, thus being classified into ten or more types. When carrying the “woods” and “irons” on a golf course or other areas, a golfer takes a golf bag with the clubs being received in the bag. In such a case, the clubs are positioned within the bag in a way such that the heads are directed upwardly, with the grips being positioned on the bottom of the bag. Therefore, the club heads may undesirably strike against each other, and so the heads, particularly, the heads of the “woods” may be impacted and damaged. In an effort to protect the heads of the “woods” the wood heads from being impacted or damaged, it is preferable to cover them with head covers.
FIGS. 1
to
3
show the construction of conventional head covers for golf clubs. As shown in the drawings, a conventional head cover
1
comprises a head protection part
2
, which defines a head pocket
3
for receiving and protecting the head
9
of a club
8
. An elongated shaft protection part
7
extends from the bottom of the head protection part
2
to a length and is used for receiving and protecting the shaft of the club
8
. In the head cover of
FIG. 1
, the head protection part
2
and the shaft protection part
7
are integrally formed through a knitting process using elastic yarns. In the head cover of
FIG. 2
, the outer layer of the head protection part
2
is made of woven fabric or synthetic fabric, with a cushionable sponge
5
being sewn to the interior surface of the woven fabric or synthetic fabric outer layer. Thereafter, the shaft protection part
7
is integrated with the bottom of the head protection part
2
through a sewing process. In the head cover of
FIG. 3
, a liner
6
, integrally extending from the top end of the shaft protection part
7
, is positioned within the head protection part
2
so as to somewhat tightly hold the club head
9
within the head protection part
2
.
However, the above head covers are problematic in that it is necessary for manufacturers to produce several types of head covers, having various sizes meeting the different head sizes, and for golfers to purchase the head covers at high cost. When the ten or more types of the heads of the “woods” are covered with inappropriately-sized covers respectively, the head covers may be undesirably removed from the heads and fail to effectively protect the wood heads from unexpected impact. In addition, since it is necessary for the manufacturers to produce such several types of covers, productivity while producing the covers is regrettably reduced. This finally results in an increase in the production cost of the head covers. Another problem, experienced in the conventional head covers, resides in that they force a golfer to cover the club heads with the head covers and to remove the covers from the heads one by one, thus being inconvenient to the golfer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a head cover for golf clubs, more securely covering any kind of or any size of golf club head, reduced in the production cost, and convenient to the golfer in use.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a universally usable head cover for golf clubs, comprising: a head protection part consisting of an outer layer and a liner, the outer layer defining a cavity therein and a liner being provided within the cavity to define a head pocket for receiving the head of a golf club therein, the liner consisting of upper and lower parts, the upper and lower parts of the liner being integrated into a single structure with an elastic band loop interposed between the upper and lower parts.
The head cover for golf clubs of this invention comprises further an elongated shaft protection part for receiving a shaft of the golf club, the shaft protection part extending from the bottom end of the liner and being attached to the bottom end of the head protection part at its top end.
The circumferential surface of the liner is divided into a plurality of sections, with the elastic band loop being positioned within at least one of the sections.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2526985 (1950-10-01), Whitehead
patent: 2737394 (1956-03-01), Abel
patent: 3727659 (1973-04-01), Shuford
patent: 3861434 (1975-01-01), Harding
patent: 4667716 (1987-05-01), Solheim et al.
patent: 5099898 (1992-03-01), Miller
patent: 5769141 (1998-06-01), Rinehard
patent: D402728 (1998-12-01), Stutzman
patent: 6053071 (2000-04-01), Vazquez, Jr.
Garbe Stephen P.
Mai Tri M.
McDermott & Will & Emery
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