Background to the .Invention

The present invention relates to golf club containers.

Golf club containers conventionally comprise weather-proofed canvas bags. These bags are large enough to accommodate a conventional array of clubs. One of the bag faces - usually the top face - is open, allowing the club heads to project upwardly therefrom and to allow easy access to the clubs. A handle, or strap, is provided for carrying the club-filled container around a golf course in use.

These conventional golf club bags are designed to accommodate the clubs "head-up" inside them. They are also relatively flexible bags because, with the clubs stored inside them in a bundle, the club shafts themselves tend to give any rigidity that is needed to the assembled package. And they are also designed to ride on frame-trollies which, when the bag is coupled to the trolley, provide the bag with any further rigidity it might need.

These conventional bags have a number of draw-backs. When the top wall is opened to reveal the clubs, the whole array of clubs gets wet if it is raining, even though only a single club may need to be selected at that time. The practice of storing clubs "head- δ up" makes the bag extremely awkward to carry, even when it is accommodated on a frame-trolley, because the centre of gravity of the overall package is so high. Such non-club accessories as balls, score-card and pencil and clothing have either to be carried separately or (where the bag is designed to accommodate them)

10 are often simply bundled into the bag with no proper compartmentalized provision made for their individual storage. And whilst golf club bags habitually carry advertising, the inherently flexible- walled nature of such bags means that the advertising - which is often no more than the bag maker's name - lδ is not seen to best advantage.

The conventionally separate, and separable, golf club bag and frame-trolley have remained basically unchanged in design for many years. The bags become smarter, inevitably, and better- finished, with the passage of time; the trolleys become more 0 cleanly styled and less skeletal in appearance. But the basic design precepts have gone unchallenged.

Various modifications have been suggested to this conventional design, such as those described in the following patent specifications: US 2 010 961, US 2 δ90 178, US 2 907 364, US 3 164 5 393, US 3 451 690, EP 0 071 115, EP 0 274 782 and FR 2 583 294.

However, none of these suggested modifications provides a golf club container enabling: (a) convenient storage of the clubs; (b) a low centre-of-gravity of the container when carrying clubs; (c) a convenient means for carrying the clubs around a course; and (d. 0 means for allowing the container to be free-standing in use.

It is desirable for a golf club container to be provided having all of the above useful features.

S mmarv of the Invention

The present invention provides a golf club container comprising an elongate body and a base; the body and the base co-operating to provide means for retaining, in use, at least some of the clubs in a generally "head-down" orientation when the base is lowermost.

By retaining at least some of the clubs in a generally "head- down" orientation the centre of gravity of the container is lowered enabling the container to be free-standing on its base, without requiring the base to be inconveniently large.

The container may open to reveal and give access to the clubs, and with a handle or handles provided for pulling and/or carrying the club-filled container around a golf course in use; characterised by the features;

a) that the container is a box whose non-club-revealing walls are substantially rigid or semi-riged and/or are constructed around a substantially riged frame;

b ) that the interior of the box incorporates guides which constrain at least some of the clubs to fit "head-down" into the box; and

c) that the shape and/or configuration of the box, the nature and/or positioning of the or each handle, and/or the nature and/or positioning of the said guides is such as to lead the user to pull and/or carry the club-filled container with those said clubs in their "head-down" attitude.

Preferably, the wall which gives access to the clubs comprises a succession of individual wall-portions each of which pivots open to reveal only a respective part of the number of clubs making up a conventional array of clubs.

There may be guides constraining all the clubs to fit "head-down" into the box. Preferably the guides are so arranged that, with the clubs in place, some of the club hsadsiwill be staggered along the length of the container.

Preferably the box is generally trapezoidal with its trapezium base at the club-head-accommodating end of the box.

The box may incorporate wheels or skids to allow it to function as a trolley capable of being pulled about the golf course.

Preferably there are means securing the wheel unit or skid unit to the box in a readily detachable manner, the said means being so constructed and arranged that when the unit is removed from the box the inherent rigidity of the box is not substantially altered.

Preferably, each wall-portion gives access to a respective single club.

There may be provision in the box of one or more further, non- club-containing, compartments.

Preferably there is provision of a non-club-containing compartment in the form of a ball-containing compartment; the said compartment opening onto an outside wall of the box and being sized/ shaped to receive a "push-in" pack consisting of a container housing a plurality of golf balls, the container itself being characterised firstly by the said "push-in" feature just referred to and secondly by the fact that individual golf balls can be removed from and inserted into the pack without disturbing other golf balls already in the pack.

The handle of the box may incorporate and/or shroud a score- card support.

-o-

The support may be so constructed and arranged on the container as to weather-proof the score-card in use.

The container may be in combination with a tractor unit, the combination being characterised by the features, firstly that the tractor unit is self-powered and secondly that the tractor unit and the box are adapted to be readily coupled to and uncoupled from one another.

Preferably, the body is so shaped that the container can be free-standing on the base in normal usage.

The container preferably includes a strap to enable the container to be carried, the strap being secured so as to hang the container about its centre of gravity in normal usage.

The container preferably includes resilient foam retaining means which, in use, engage golf club shafts to retain them within the container.

The container is conveniently so configured that, in use, clubs are stored outside the body of the container such that, in use, clubs can be removed laterally from the container.

This broad inventive concept is, to the best of the applicant's knowledge and belief, new. It also reverses the conventionally accepted design of thinking. It leads more over to a number of unexpected advantages which will become apparent as the rest of this specification proceeds with reference to the drawings which form part of it.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings that follow; in which:

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a side view of a golf club container in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a back view of the container shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the container shown in Figures 1 and

2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the upper part of the container shown in Figures 1 to 3, with a rain cover in place; and

Figure δ is a perspective view of the container shown in Figures 1 to 4 (without the rain cover) in use.

Figures 1' and 2' show diagrammatically another container embodying the invention, illustrated respectively in perspective and in sectioned side elevation;

Figure 3' shows the way in which the container accommodates its golf clubs in use in a stored array;

Figure 4' , drawn to an enlarged scale, shows diagrammatically the way in which one wall of the container opens to give access to individual clubs one at a time;

Figure 5' again enlarged, is a section along the line A-A of figure 2';

Figure 6', drawn to the same scale as figure δ', shows how a baii- pack might be incorporated into the container; and

the three views which make up figures V show a combination container-and-tractor unit also embodying the invention.

ΩftRnription of the Preferred Embodiments

In Figures 1 to 3 there is shown a golf club container generally designated by reference numeral 2, the container comprising an elongate body 4 and a base 6.

The elongate body 4 is produced from a rigid plastics material 8 forming a "back-bone" to the container 2, with areas between the plastics infilled with a fabric material 10 which is bonded to the plastics material using any of the well known adhesiveε; alternative fixings may be used where appropriate. As shown in Figure 2 the "back-bone" tapers longitudinally upwards.

There are three projections from the "back-bone" of the body 4 which also form part of the body 4; these projections are designated upper 12, intermediate 14 and lower 16. Each projection 12, 14 and 16 forms a hollow cavity within with items may be stored.

The upper projection 12 makes an angle of approximately 45 degrees from . the longitudinal axis of the "back-bone" of the body 4 and extends generally upwardly therefrom. Projection 12 is so shaped as to allow a rigid plastics canopy (see Figure 4) to be pushed over it, and may be configured to produce a "snap-fit"; this aspect of the preferred embodiment is discussed further below.

The intermediate and lower portions 14, 16 respectively each comprise a plastics fin 20 which carries a resiliently deformable foam clip structure 22. The clip structures 22 (shown most clearly in Figure 3) are substantially similar, each having fifteen substantially similar slits 24 providing access to circular (in section) . elongate recesses 26. A club shaft can be forced into one of the recesses 26, the resilience of the foam material closing the slits 24 about the club shaft to secure it in position (see Figures 4 and 5). Slit 24/recesε 26 combinations are aligned correspondingly one above another on the projections 14, 16 respectively to provide two clips per club along the club shaft length.

The body 4 also has first ^" and second fabric access panels 28 and 30 respectively in its rear face 32, as well as generally 'n'-shaped (metal) fixings 34 forming closed loops. On the side 36 of the body 4 are foam pads 38.

The access panels 28, 30 close off the hollow interiors of the fins 20 to allow items, such as clothing and golfing equipment, to be stored within the hollow fins 20. The fins 20 may be open to the volume defined by the fabric infills 10 to provide extra storage space. Accordingly, the ' infills 10 are preferably substantially weather-proof.

The foam pads 38 may include a number of holes running through them to provide storage for golf balls; some holes are shown, by way of example, by dashed lines 39 in Figure 1. The resilience of the foam, as well as its relatively high coefficient of friction, assists in holding the balls in place. The cylindrical cut-outε from the holes within the foam pads 38 may be supplied with the container 2 so that the holes may be re-filled to allow the pads 38 to act as, optionally, either thigh pads or golf ball carriers; this allows a single design of the container 2 to accommodate both left and right-handed golfers.

The base 6 comprises a rigid plastics tray 40 forming a generally 'n'-shaped receptacle about the lowermost (in use) part of the body 4. The tray 40 splays downwardly outwards from the body 4, which also forms the underside of the tray 40. The tray 40 is generally level with the lowermost part 42 of the body 4, this lowermost part 42 also comprises part of the base 6 since it acts as a ground engaging portion. The underside of tray 40 and the part 42 together comprise ground engaging means 43. A protective covering may be interposed between the ground engaging means 43 and the ground if desired to, for instance, reduce damage to the container 2.

The upper, open part of the tray 40 includes twenty removable pegs 44 which may be securely located in holes 46 in the tray 40. Additional holes may be provided to allow the pegs to be located in a further plurality of positions in the tray 40. The pegs 44 can also be used to retain a foam pad (not shown) on which the club heads will rest.

In Figure 4 a rain cover 48 is shown extending over the handles (not visible) of a number of golf clubs carried in the container 2. The cover 48 comprises the canopy 18, which fits onto upper projection 12 to locate the cover 48, a substantially weather-proof fabric cover δO and two tension straps 52 (only one visible ). The fabric cover 50 is bonded to the interior of the canopy 18 and includes VELCRO (trade mark ) fastenings to secure it to the body 4. The tension straps 52 act to keep the cover 50 taut and out of contact with the clubs to minimise the transfer of moisture therethrough. The tension straps 52 are secured, at one end, to the cover 50 and, at the other opposite end, are hooked to the outer end of the tray 40. When not in use the rain cover 50 may be stored within the fins 20.

In Figure 5 the container 2 is shown in use. There are a number of golf clubs δ4 having heads 56, shafts 58 and handles 60 being carried in the container 2. Also shown is a strap 62 which is clipped, at either end, to the fixings 34 using any of the well known attachment clips at either end of the strap 62. The strap

62 includes a shoulder engaging portion 64 which is wider and/or softer than the rest of the strap 62 for comfort. The fixings 34 are so positioned that when the strap 62 is used to carry ^τ the container it hangs about its centre of gravity.

In use, a full array of golf clubs δ4 may be carried by the container 2. Each club δ4 is secured onto the container 2 by foam clips 22 as shown in Figure δ. This method of holding the clubs 54 is especially beneficial in protecting graphite shafts 58. The heads 56 of the clubs 54 lie within the tray 40 in a generally "head-down" position. The heads 56 are separated and restrained by the pegs 44 to minimise damage. By varying the spacing between pegs 44 different clubs 54 can be accommodated. The holes 46 additionally allow water to drain out of the tray 40. The container 2 is so shaped that a range of clubs may lie snugly within the confines of the body 4 and base 6 as shown. Since the clubs 54 are stored outside the container 2 instead of inside it, in accordance with much of the prior art, the weight of the container 2 is reduced whilst access to the clubs 54 is greatly increased. The use of the fabric infills 10 also helps keep the overall weight of the container 2 down.

When the container 2 is carried, as shown in Figure 5, the foam pad 38 adjacent the user acts as a protective thigh pad. The container 2 is sufficiently light weight and ? designed that it can be comfortably carried around a golf course. For additional savings in weight the fabric infills 10 can be omitted and the fins

20 closed to form smaller storage spaces.

If desired, one of the foam pads can be replaced with an umbrella holder. To provide maximum convenience the foam pad 38 can be secured to the body 4 by VE CRO (trade mark) strips.

Other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. δ For instance, zips or other fastening means may be used in place of the VELCRO (trade mark) where applicable and the rain cover can, if desired, extend down the full length of the container 2 to provide full weather-proofing for the clubs δ4. It will be readily apparent that different numbers of eg holes 46, fins 20, holes 39

10 and/or clips 22 etc may be used.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, there is shown a golf-trolley generally designated 64 comprising a one-piece chassis moulding 66, a tubular poly vinyl chloride (pvc) covered handle 68 and two wheels 70.

lδ The chassis 66 is sufficiently rigid for the container 2 to be mounted thereon and includes a generally-central open-region 72 through which access may be gained to the interior of the 2 via access panels 28,30. The chassis 66 includes two longitudinally- spaced substantially 'n'-shaped holes 74 which are shaped and

20 spaced to engage the fixings 34 on the container 2. The open parts of the fixings 34 hook over the lugs 76 defining the holes 74, 64 by gravity in normal usage, although further securing means (eg. straps, buckles, cords etc. ) may be used.

The handle 68 is shaped generally in the form of an elongate-'n' 25 at a height to allow the trolley 64 to be conveniently towed, pushed or even carried if necessary. In some embodiments clamps may secure the handle 68 to the chassis 66 enabling the handle 68 to slide telescopically up-and-down relative to the chassis 68 to allow the handle-height to be selectively adjusted.

The wheels 70 are mounted for free independent rotation on an axle 78 moulded into the chassis 66. As shown especially in Figure 7, when the trolley 64 is vertical relative to the ground the wheels 70 are maintained above the ground so that the

5 container 2 can rest on its base 6; once again the low centre of gravity of the container 2 enables it to maintain its stability even when coupled with the trolley 64. In use, the trolley is tipped to an acute angle to the ground which enables the wheels 70 to engage the ground and the trolley 64 to be easily wheeled around

10 a golf course. The axle 78 is spaced away from the container 2

(as mounted) by a deflected portion of the chassis 68 to ensure that the wheels 70 engage the ground, and that the base 6 is maintained above the ground, when the trolley 64 is tipped at an acute angle.

lδ Because of the low centre of gravity for the container 2 the wheel-base of the trolley 64 can be kept to a minimum for convenience. It has been found that a wheel-base of not more than approximately 46 centimetres is preferable, allowing the trolley 64 to be stored in a standard changing-room locker.

0 Figures 1' - 7' show the container, and the container-and- tractor combination units.

A golf club container is trapezoidal when viewed in side elevation (ie as in figure 2') and generally rectangular when viewed at right angles to that elevation (ie as in figure 3'). The container δ comprises an essentially rigid plastics box having side walls 11', a base 12' and a top 13' as well as respective opposite-end walls 14' and lδ'. The box is so assembled, and its individual walls are so sized and/or rib-re-inforced, as to constitute a substantially rigid structure although it could be constructed around a rigid or 0 semi-rigid frame.

The box is long enough and large enough to accommodate a conventional array of golf clubs all stored "head-down". Guides 16' run longitudinally inside the box and across it, as illustrated in figures 2', 3' and 4', and in greater detail in figure 5' so that δ each individual club has its own "run" in which to lie.

It will also be seen from these figures 2', 3' and 4' that with all the clubs in place, some of them are staggered longitudinally. In this particular instance, the longer clubs with the bigger heads have their heads located below the heads of the shorter clubs 10 with the lighter heads.

Each of the opposite box sides 11' is convex, as figure δ' shows, and this together with the fact that the box is compartmentalized helps to give it the necessary rigidity without adding undμly to its weight. There are three separate compartments built into the lδ box and they are reference respectively 17', 18', and 19' in the drawings.

Each of these compartments is accessible from at least one of the side walls 11' as figure 1' shows. And each of them could be put to respectively different uses. As illustrated, compartment 17' can 20 accommodate weatherproof clothing; compartment 18' can accommodate (for example) canned drinks; and compartment 19' accommodates a golf ball pack which is illustrated in figure 6' and which will now briefly be described.

The pack consists of a relatively rigid rectangular peripheral box 21' enclosing semi-rigid foam padding 22' from which individual circles 23' have been cut. The circles 23' are large enough for a conventionally sized golf ball to be a push-fit into each of them, δ the limited resilience of the semi-rigid foam padding 22' providing the extension necessary to grip the ball in its circle 23'. A pack of (in this case) fifteen golf balls can be accommodated in this way within the foam 22'. And the resultant package is then a push-fit into the appropriately- sized interior walls 24' of the

10 compartment 19'.

A handle 25' allows the ball-pack to be pushed into and pulled out of the compartment 19' and also allows it to be carried as a portable pack in its own ^" right. The handle 25' is an optional fitment and its shape and styling can vary to suit the overall lδ aesthetic appearance of the container.

Any or all of the compartments 17', 18' and 19' may be lidded in ways which the intended skilled addressee of this specification can readily provide. But if they are so lidded, then the side wall 11' of which they form a visual part can more easily accommodate 0 advertising from (for example) tournament sponsors.

The wall 13' of the box consists of a succession of individual wall- portions 26' each of which pivots open to reveal a respective one of the clubs housed within the container and making up the overall array of clubs. Two possible shapes for these hinged δ wall-portions 26' are shown respectively in figures 4' and δ' but the mode of action of each is the same. They are hinged with a hinge axis running along the length of the box, and they open and close through substantially 90 as shown to reveal and to give access to the shaft 27' and in particular the grip of the club.

The longitudinally-running internal guides 16' and the hinged-wall portions 26' do not run the whole length of each club. They extend from the top 14' of the container down as far as a bottom edge 28'. All but the head region of each club is therefore protected from the surrounding weather, whilst allowing the club heads to be overlapped and staggered as shown.

Each opening wall-portion 26' closes off its respective club-shaft and club-grip in a substantially weatherproof manner. Only one club at a time needs to be exposed to inclement weather with this arrangement. And the overall "head-down" club-carrying arrangement means that in contrast to conventional thinking, rain will not run from the club heads down onto the shaft and grip of the clubs.

Wheels 29' are freely rotatable about respective stub-axles on legs 31' each of which plugs removably into a respective opposite side wall 11' of the container. The plug-in-fitting is such that, whilst each leg 31' is reliably held in place in use, it can also readily be detached from the container wall. Because the container itself is already rigid enough, the removal of the legs 31' and wheels 29' do not substantially alter its rigidity. By contrast, virtually all the rigidity of a conventional bag-and-trolley combination is taken away from the bag when the trolley is uncoupled from the bag.

A handle 32' projects from the top end wall 14' of the container. It pivots about an axis 33' (figure 1') and it may be spring-loaded about that pivot axis to tend to assume an "in-line" position with the general top-and-bottom plane 12', 13' of the container.

As illustrated it has a rectangular peripheral 34' which shrouds a transparent plastics score-card acceptor 35'; and a grip 36' which gives the container user an alternative hand position.

A scoring pencil or other marker 37' can fit into a tunnel in the peripheral score-card shroud 34' or can clip to a portion of that periphery 34'. Ways of sliding replacement score-cards into and out of the transparent plastics card holder 35' need not be detailed, but it will be appreciated that the described and illustrated arrangement effectively weatherproofs the score-card in use.

The trolley of figures 1' to 6' is not in itself a powered unit but is intended to be pulled about the golf course by the user in the 0 normal way. Figures 7', however, illustrates the combination of the container with a self-powered "tractor" unit. These units are adapted to be readily coupled to and uncoupled from the container "C" and the units "T" can be battery-powered and incorporate their own built-in charger. The power-driven wheel or wheels 38' 5 could cast or as well as rotating about their own axis, and the coupling means between trolley T and container C could be such that the angle X between the two could vary without one becoming uncoupled from the other.

Although wheeled units T have been illustrated, the power-driven 0 units could alternatively or additionally be miniature hovercraft

(ie air-cushion-travelling vehicles).

Other modifications include giving trolley T a sufficiently powerful power unit that its top surface S can be used as a step-and-ride platform over at least relatively short distances by a golfer who δ stands upright on the unit and grasps handle 32' to steady himself as he rides along.

In figure 1', a row of holes H extends along each opposite side of the peripheral handle and score-card-shroud 34'. Golfing tees (not shown) fit into each of these holes. Other modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the field to which the invention relates.

The advantages of the invention have been touched on. Another advantage, not previously mentioned is that an effectively regimented array of clubs of this kind gives a very volume- efficient use of the container; known bags use very large volume to house a relatively small-section bundle of clubs.