TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates in general terms to a stand or a holder for various objects. The invention especially relates to a golf club holder and the holder is intended for placement in a golf bag, and in which the holder is arranged to align/fix the clubs in a predetermined and desirable manner.

BACKGROUND ART

At present there are a number of different golf bags on the market. Many have a system or devices for separating the golf clubs and keeping them in order in the bag. These devices often consist of a framework with holes, in which each hole is intended for an individual golf club shaft/club. Older bags often have fewer compartments with room for several clubs in the respective compartments. A relatively large space is required, since each club head, which usually hangs in the same direction, requires a relatively large total area.

If a player has many clubs of a bulky variety, for example wooden clubs, it can be difficult to find room despite there being a sufficient number of holes in the bag. The bulky club heads, perhaps not without difficulty, can be placed in spaces adjacent to one other. In existing golf bags, protectors for the club heads (so-called headcovers) are often used so as not to damage the clubs.

The compartments are also often placed on the same surface and at the same height level, and if the clubs can rotate freely in the bag they bang against one another during play and transport. This means that the clubs are liable to get worn and damaged upon contact with one another. Since the golf clubs often command a relatively high value, the user is normally keen to avoid this if possible. It is also a significant advantage if each club has its own exact place in the golf bag, with a predetermined angle for the club head, so that the player can more easily find, grab and lift up the correct golf club.

It is therefore advantageous if the clubs can be placed with the club heads in different directions away from one another and at different heights, and can be locked firmly in place in their position in the golf bag so that they do not fall out or work loose from their position and start to rub or be damaged one against the other. The golf bag becomes significantly more space-efficient as only the club shafts need space and the club heads can be separated from one another. Some attempts at such solutions are previously known.

For example, US 7303070 shows a golf club bag having a platform provided with fourteen holes for golf clubs. Each hole is marked with a number which is meant to correspond to the number of a specific golf club. In each hole is placed a tube, which at its upper end is provided with a U-shaped recess or notch which can detain a golf club and keep its head aligned at a set angle. A cap is arranged to be able to be closed over the head of the club to prevent possible entry of damp and rain and can thus also lock the club firmly in place in the adopted position. Drawbacks with this system are that the club has to be correctly aligned and lowered into the recess by hand, and that the cap has to be opened to allow the club to be lowered into the holder and then closed to hold the club firmly in place during transport. The cap needs space in order to be able to be handled. Further drawbacks are that a single size of holder cannot be used for golf clubs of widely differing sizes, but rather the holder must be produced in a number of different sizes, which complicates and adds to the cost of production, stockkeeping and selling.

In US 6244437 is shown a form of golf club holder, consisting of a short tube and having a "guiding or locking device" fitted at the top. This solution calls for a unique locking device tailored to each unique golf club shape, since different club heads do not fit in one and the same locking device. It complicates and adds to the cost of production and marketing. US 4194547 shows a golf club bag having separate tubes for each golf club. Special holders, common to several clubs, are arranged such that the golf clubs can be aligned at a certain angle in relation to one another. Drawbacks with this design are that the holders do not lock the clubs firmly in place and cannot align the heads of the clubs in directions desired and determined by the user.

US 2992012 shows a golf club bag comprising a plurality of tubular holders provided with an opening which is funnel-shaped at the top. The design does not allow the golf clubs to be locked firmly in place in their respective holders, nor can the heads of the golf clubs be lastingly aligned at a certain angle. The golf clubs can easily rotate in their holders and bang against one another and even fall out during transport, for example if the golf bag is laid in the boot of a vehicle.

These systems cannot therefore in a practical and simple manner, by means of a single form of holder, align and lock the clubs firmly in place at a certain relative angle, and in some cases require manual handling of a cap or similar locking device. The designs intended to be able hold or lock the clubs in place are therefore unable to cope with club heads of different shapes and sizes. In the majority of known systems, the club heads project beyond the edge of the golf bag and the clubs are liable to get damaged, above all during transport. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to solve the above-stated problems and demonstrate a holder which allows objects, e.g. golf clubs of different shapes and sizes, to be aligned and held, and/or locked in a certain position and at a certain angle in a simple manner in a golf bag.

Another object of the invention is that the holder shall be small, light and compact and easy to install together with other holders in existing commercially available golf bags or new golf bags.

A further object of the invention is to create a flexible system which allows an optional number of holders to be installed alongside one another, for example in one and the same golf bag. Another object of the invention is that each individual holder shall be able to be installed at an optional height, for example in a golf bag, and aligned in an optional direction in order to achieve an individually influenceable, expedient and areally efficient placement of all the golf clubs. These and further objects and advantages are achieved according to the invention with a holder configured according to the distinguishing features specified in patent claim 1. The invention thus essentially consists of a tube, or an equivalent space intended for the shafts of the golf clubs, for example cloth pockets, etc., and detachably or fixedly mounted, for example glued, taped or welded, on top of this, there is a specially configured holder part, lock head or club lock for the club head. The lock head is substantially cylindrical and is provided with an upwardly open, substantially funnel-shaped mouth and with a substantially V- shaped recess arranged in the front of the side wall.

The holder is designed to be able to receive a golf club and its head and is configured such that the head of the club automatically falls in place, and is aligned and fixed such that it assumes a set angle in the horizontal direction. The lock for the club head sits at least somewhat over the length of each individual golf club. In the case of lengthy transports of the golf bag, the holders can align the clubs toward the middle of the bag and there the clubs are located at different levels, which thus provides further protection from damage. It is also possible to combine the system with holders comprising headcovers (cloth protectors) for maximum protection.

The clubs can also be locked firmly in place by being manually pressed down harder in the respective holder. As a result of the elasticity in the lock head in the region of the V-shaped opening/edge, and the friction between the head of the golf club and the edge, the clubs remain in the holders such that they do not fall out or get damaged by mutual contact.

With the holder according to the invention, a flexible system is created by virtue of the holders being able to be moved and fitted easily and according to choice and being able to be placed in any chosen place in the bag. The user can also himself determine the number of holders, for example 1-14, which shall be fitted in the bag. Many golf clubs are configured relatively alike in terms of the neck between the shaft and the club head, while the angle between the sides of the club head and its rear edge can range between about 90 degrees, for example for a driver, and about 10 degrees, for example for a long iron club. Putters often have about a 180 degree angle between the shaft and the striking surface, but can nevertheless be placed and secured in the holder according to the invention.

At the top, the holder substantially encloses the neck of the golf club and at least a small part of both sides of the golf club head and, as a result of the V- shaped recess, the club is guided, and locked, firmly in place at a set angle. Depending on the size of the golf club and the angle of the club head, the golf club ends up higher up or further down in the V-shaped recess of the holder, but always automatically at a desired set angle.

The holder is mounted on a standard-type tube or in some other suitable space for the shafts, and the length of, for example, the tube can be optionally varied in dependence on the different lengths of the clubs or in order to obtain a good overview of the stock of clubs in the bag.

The holders are fixed in the golf bag with the aid of a tailor-made device (not shown) or with the aid of tape, hooks, clips, Velcro fastenings, sewn tape fastenings or the like. Because the club and the club head hang in the holders, the shaft does not become worn. In the rest position, parts of the sides of the club head are in contact with the edges of the lock head and its V-shaped recess. Moreover, the club receives support from a third point, for example the top part of the shaft placed farthest down in the space for the shaft, for example in the tube. A support point can also be considered to be at the rear edge of the club head, where it rests against the rear inner wall of the lock head. When the club is lowered into the holder, the club head is automatically guided to assume a set angle in relation to the center axis of the holder. The fact that the head of the club is in a fixed position in the holder allows the holder to be fitted such that the club heads are angled obliquely away from one another, whereby pre-existing and new golf bags can be made more space- efficient with respect to the space of the golf club shafts themselves.

The holders according to the invention fit all normal golf bags and golf clubs, such as left-handed, right-handed, ladies', men's, iron and wooden clubs, as well as putters, wedges, hybrids, etc. The holders can fix the club head in an optional direction in relation to the imaginary center axis of the golf bag, thus 0-360 degrees (directed upward, downward or to the sides), viewed from above. It is also possible to make the holder, either the whole holder with the tube or just the lock head itself, rotatable in the golf bag, in which case the club heads can be directed away from one another during use/play, which gives a desirable orderliness, and directed in toward the middle of the bag, which protects the clubs during transport, especially during longer transports by air.

The holders not only guide the club heads, but these also are locked firmly in place in their position by being manually pressed down further into the bag, which is an important function, since golf bags are often subjected to mechanical shocks and jump around on golf carts, and when they are carried or pulled around on their trolleys, especially on rougher ground. By virtue of the invention, existing or new golf bags become significantly more space-efficient, protective and orderly. The holder according to the invention also helps to reduce noise from the golf bag and the clubs when they are moved, since the clubs do not bang one against another, against the edge of the bag, etc. This also makes headcovers (club protectors made of cloth, for example) superfluous, which protectors are otherwise necessary in order to avoid/reduce wear and surface damage to the clubs during play. The holders also allow golf to be played faster, since the players are spared from handling headcovers and are quicker able to find the correct club.

Drainage holes in the holders mean that the club shafts do not get wet when it rains, and in heavy rain the holders can be angled to provide rain protection to the club shafts.

It has not previously manifestly been known to provide a golf club holder which solves said problems and which has the advantages sought.

Further distinguishing features and advantages of the invention emerge from the following, more detailed description of the invention and from the appended drawings and other patent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention is described in greater detail below in some preferred illustrative embodiments on the basis of the appended drawings. Figures la-b show some examples of the prior art.

Figure 2 shows a section through a holder or golf club lock according to the invention, viewed from the side.

Figure 3 shows a golf club lock according to figure 2, but directly from the front.

Figure 4 shows a golf club lock according to figures 2 and 3, but from the side.

Figure 5 shows a golf club lock according to figures 2 - 4, but in oblique view from the front.

Figure 6 shows a golf club lock according to figures 2 - 5, but from above.

Figure 7 shows an alternatively configured golf club lock from the side.

Figure 8 shows the alternative golf club lock according to figure 7, but directly from the front.

Figure 9 shows an alternatively configured golf club lock from the side, with an iron club placed in the holder.

Figure 10 shows a further alternatively configured golf club lock from the front and a wooden club placed in the lock. Figure 11 shows, in a view from the side, a golf bag comprising a plurality of golf club locks according to the invention.

MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The present invention thus relates to a holder or club lock for golf clubs and for placement and fitting in an existing or newly produced golf bag, and which can align/fix and also detain different types of clubs in the bag in a predetermined and desirable manner such that the heads of the clubs are held at a set angle in relation to one another, and which allows the clubs to be easily lifted out of and put back in the bag so that the clubs are not liable to bang together during play or during transport.

Figures la-b show some examples of the prior art within the field. More precisely, figure la shows the invention described in US 4194547 and shows a golf bag 1 having separate tubes 2 or spring clips 3 for each golf club 4. Special alignment members 5, 6 common to a number of clubs 4 are arranged such that the golf clubs 4 can be placed at a certain angle in relation to one another. The drawback with this design is that the alignment members 5, 6 do not automatically align the clubs 4, and do not allow an optional alignment of the clubs 4 and cannot lock the clubs 4 firmly in place in their position. Figure lb shows another holder 7 for a golf bag and consists of a tube 8 which at its upper end is provided with a U-shaped recess 9 or notch which can detain the head of a golf club 4 in a set direction. A cap 10 is arranged to be able to be closed over the head of the club 4 in order to prevent rain, for example, from entering, and can also thereby lock the club 4 in the holder 7. Drawbacks with this system are that the club 4 must be directed manually into the recess 9, that the cap 10 must be opened to allow the club 4 to be lowered into the holder 7, and closed to hold the club 4 in place during transport. Further drawbacks are that the holder 7 cannot be used for golf clubs 4 having club heads 1 in widely differing sizes unless the holder 7 is produced in a number of different sizes or variants.

Figure 2 shows from the side a section through a holder 1 1 or golf club lock according to the invention. A tube 12 made of PVC, for example, is fitted on a lock head 13 produced from a preferably elastic material such as a plastics material. The lock head 13 is substantially circular and somewhat funnel- shaped, i.e. somewhat more widened and wider at the top than at the bottom, in order to make it easier for a golf club to be lowered and for the head of the club to find room. The lock head 13 is at the bottom provided with a collar or flange 14, the inner diameter of which is matched to the outer diameter of the connecting tube 12, so that the lock head 13 can be fitted detachably or fixedly to the tube 12. The lock head 13 is configured with an obliquely cut opening 15 upwardly configured in such a way that, viewed from the side, the edge 16 of the opening essentially forms an oblique angle a to the imaginary center axis of the lock head 13. This angle a should lie between 30 and 70 degrees, but is preferably about 45 degrees. This oblique edge 16 guides the head of the club to rotate into the desired position in the holder 11. At the bottom, on that side of the lock head 13 toward which the opening is inclined, is arranged a downwardly directed recess 17 adjoining the opening 15, which recess extends from the opening 15 down along the front side of the lock head 13. The recess 17 thus substantially describes the shape of a V (see figure 3). With the aid of the obliquely cut edges 16, the recess 17 and its further extended edges 16b in the V-shape, the head of the golf club is guided and turned into a desired direction, out from the holder 1 1, when the club is lowered into the holder 1 1, so that the club head is orientated in the desired direction in relation to the center axis of the holder 11. The sloping sides and V-shaped recess 17 of the opening 15, in combination with the elastic material of the lock head 13, enable the head of the club to be guided and wedged or clamped firmly in place, so that the club head, and hence the club, remains in the lock head 13 and thus in the holder 11. This is ensured by virtue of the fact that the material in the lock head 13, at least in the region of the opening 15, 17, and its edges 16 and sides 18, is somewhat pliable or elastic/resilient when a club is pressed down between the edges 16 and sides 18 of the V-shaped recess 17. The edges 16 of the opening 15 substantially enclose the rear part of the club head. It is also possible to configure the surface material of the edge 16, at least in the region of the V-shaped recess 17, so that a greater friction is obtained, for example by creating an uneven material surface, or by the whole or parts of the edge 17 being coated with a friction-increasing material, e.g. a rubber mixture, a silicone substance or the like. It is also possible that the whole of the upper part of the lock head 13, i.e. the part which forms the opening upward and which constitutes the edge portion, is produced in a different, for example more elastic material than the rest of the lock head 13.

In order to further reinforce the V-shape, the front portion of the lock head 13, in the region of the recess 17, is somewhat prominent and extends out from the otherwise substantially cylindrical shape. The lock head 13 is thus somewhat asymmetrical in its horizontal cross section and the cross-sectional shape can be described as tear-shaped (see figure 6). Figure 3 shows the holder 1 1 and the lock head 13 according to figure 2, but from the front, i.e. from the side toward which the V-shaped recess 17 is directed. Here the V-shape of the recess 17 is more clearly apparent. In order also to be able to lock clubs with smaller heads, the V-shape is pronounced and deeper, i.e. with a greater extent in the vertical direction. The side portions 18 of the recess 17 are thus somewhat elastic/flexible and can be pressed outward when a golf club is pressed down into the holder 1 1. Figure 4 shows the holder 11 and the lock head 13 in figures 2 and 3, from the side. The edge 16 of the opening 15 is somewhat bent outward and gives a gently rounded surface which results in a larger contact surface against the club head in this region and thus produces a more suitable friction for easier retention of the golf club in the holder 11.

Figure 5 shows the holder 11 according to figures 2-4, but in oblique view from the front. Here it can be seen how the oblique cut of the opening 15 through the lock head 13 is terminated in the forward/downward direction with a V-shaped recess 17.

Figure 6 shows the holder 11 according to figures 2-5, but from above. The opening 15 has from this viewing angle a heart-shaped appearance and the edge 16 forms an approximately 90 degree angle in the upper rear part of the lock head 13. Most golf clubs, apart from the putter, have a shape with an angle in their rear portion of less than 90 degrees. The edge 16 of the opening further describes a round shape on each side, which slopes from the rear edge up to the V-shaped recess 17.

Figure 7 shows, from the side, an alternatively configured holder 11. The edge 16 of the opening 15 is here configured wider in order to create a larger contact surface and better support for the head of the golf club. The lock head 13 is provided with drainage holes 19 in case rain should fall into the opening Figure 8 shows the alternative holder 1 1 according to figure 7, but directly from the front, wherein the V-shape of the recess 17 is clearly visible. Figure 9 shows a further alternative holder 11, from the side, with an iron club 20 placed in the holder 11. The club 20 has here been orientated with the club head forward, toward the observer.

Figure 10 shows the same alternatively configured holder 11 as in figure 9, but with a wooden club 21 placed in the holder 11.

Figure 11 shows, in a view from the side, a golf bag 22 having a plurality of holders 1 1 according to the invention, arranged with their openings 15 essentially orientated out from the center of the golf bag 22. Two clubs 20, 21 are each placed in a respective holder 1 1. An optional number of holders 1 1 can be placed in one and the same golf bag 22 and the holders 11 and/or their lock heads 13 can be rotated into the desired direction/position.

The description above is primarily intended to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore not only is the invention, of course, limited to the specified embodiments, but also other variants of the invention are possible and conceivable within the scope of the inventive concept and the range of protection of the following patent claims. Thus it is also conceivable to use the holder for other purposes than golf clubs and to wedge in place other objects which, for some reason, need to be secured in a certain direction but still be easily releasable by the user. Such examples are, for example, holders for hammers and other shafted tools, but also for the like of gun holsters in which the barrel can be lowered into a tubular space. The invention can also be used for display/selling purposes in shops, etc. It is also conceivable to configure two substantially V-shaped recesses in one and the same holder, expediently in an oppositely-directed arrangement, i.e. so that they each emerge in their respective direction. This makes it easy to place the head of the club either, for example, facing out from the golf bag during play, or in toward the golf bag during transport.