Golf bag

Details Golf bag Golf bag

1999-09-08

2001-04-03

Weaver, Sue A. (Department: 3727)

Special receptacle or package

For a sport implement, exercise device, or game

For a golf club

C206S315200, C206S315300

Reexamination Certificate

active

06209721

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention concerns a sports bag such as a golf bag equipped with an organiser insert. In another aspect the invention concerns an organiser insert for a sports bag such as a golf bag.
1. Background Art
A generally tubular golf bag having an open top to receive golf clubs is well known. The golf clubs are usually dropped into the bag handle first and stand up in the bag with the golf club heads protruding above it. The bags are usually dressed with side pockets to receive golf balls, tees and scoring cards, and they may be carried or wheeled around a golf course.
2. Disclosure of the Invention
In a first aspect, the invention is a sports bag further comprising:
An apertured plate inside the bag near its top, with each aperture being sized and shaped to comfortably receive, for example, a golf club handle. Side walls extend below the plate into the bag to define a single compartment beneath each aperture. Spacer means are associated with the side walls to keep them in fixed relationship with each other as they extend down into the bag. A retainer is associated with each compartment to grip a golf club handle and resist its removal from the bag.
Golf club handles may be dropped or pushed into the bag through the apertures in the plate. They are gripped by the retainers and are kept relatively still inside their respective compartments. In this way the clubs will be retained in fixed relative locations within the bag, and will be unlikely to fall out of the bag during normal handling. The clubs may be easily removed by gentle upward pressure applied to the club heads.
The bag itself may comprise a fairly rigid plastics cylinder closed at the bottom and open at the top. The cylinder may be dressed on the outside with webbing material, or the like, and be provided with pockets, straps and handles as required. A soft material may be provided around the opening of the bag at the top, and the apertured plate may be secured inside the bag near it. The apertured plate may have a circumferential upstanding wall in order to assist in securing it to the bag. The plate itself need not be flat but could be tiered or arranged on a tilt
The apertures will generally be arranged in a regular pattern across the plate. They may have a reinforced rim to help prevent wear and damage during rough use. They will typically be sized and shaped to receive only a single golf club handle.
The side walls may comprise sleeves extending below each aperture. The sleeves may be made from tubes of a relatively rigid plastics material open at both ends, and the sleeves may extend into sockets associated with the underside of the plate at each aperture.
The spacer may comprise a plastics disk having holes through it, and the holes may be arranged in the same pattern as the apertures in the plate. The spacer may be arranged in registration with the plate and the sleeves may extend down from their respective apertures trough respective holes in the spacer. The spacer may be arranged to grip the sleeves, or may be fixed to each sleeve by, for instance, adhesive.
One or more retainers may be associated with each compartment, and advantageously a retainer is associated with the upper and lower ends of each compartment. Where the compartments are defined by tubes, the retainers may conveniently comprise a ring of polymer material pushed on to the end of the tube, and having radially inwardly directed resiliently deformable members. The inwardly deformable members would generally extend towards to the axis of the tube but leave a small opening, slightly smaller than the diameter of the golf club handle that will be engaged. Entry of the golf club handle will cause the members to be pressed downwards and spread apart from each other. Greater resistance is provided against withdrawal of the club by the need to pull the members back up while the handle is still in the opening. Since golf club handles are generally wider at their top end than their lower ends, the retainers at the bottom end of each compartment may have an opening of greater diameter than the retainers at the top.
In another aspect the invention concerns an organiser insert for a golf bag as defined above.


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