EP3009172A1

EP3009172A1 - Golf teeing aid

Info

Publication number: EP3009172A1
Application number: EP14188913.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ralf Ziegler; Sven Ziegler
Original assignee: Ziegler Metallwerkstatt GbR
Current assignee: Ziegler Metallwerkstatt GbR
Priority date: 2014-10-14
Filing date: 2014-10-14
Publication date: 2016-04-20
Anticipated expiration: 2034-10-14
Also published as: EP3009172B1

Abstract

Problem

In golf, when the teed-up ball is struck during the so-called tee shot, a conventional tee tends to get pulled out of the ground and sent flying in the direction of the swing. While this effect is of little significance in tournament play, it can become a major annoyance on the driving range. Here, an allocated bay delimits the teeing ground, preventing the player from retrieving equipment beyond the bay's limits. Any breach on the side of the player of the bay's boundary, traditionally marked by a red line, puts the perpetrator at risk of being injured, prosecuted, or banned from future use of the driving range.

Solution

Golf teeing aid (10) comprising a tee (12) for supporting a golf ball and a base mechanically connected to the tee (12) for setting up the teeing aid (10) on a teeing ground, characterized in that the base is a wedge-shaped baseplate (14) comprising an essentially flat top face (16) inclined toward the tee (12) and the tee (12) is resiliently biased toward an upright position.

Description

Technical Field

The invention pertains to a teeing aid for golfing.

Background Art

Golf is a precision club and ball sport in which competing players, employing a variety of clubs, hit balls into a series of holes on a course. The aim of the sport is to minimize the number of strokes required to complete the course. GARRITY, John, et al. The Ultimate Golf Book: A History and a Celebration of the World's Greatest Game. Edited by MCGRATH, Charles, et al. New York: Mariner Books, 2002. ISBN 0618710256. describes the history, rules, and architecture of golf.
In golf, the teeing ground is the area at the beginning of a hole from which the player's first stroke is taken. When referring to this area, the terms "tee box" and "teeing ground" are often used interchangeably. The teeing ground is two club-lengths in depth and usually, but not necessarily, surfaced with grass cut short to allow the least possible interference with the ball's lie.
A so-called tee is employed to raise the ball off the teeing ground. Traditional tees rest flat on the teeing ground and comprise a raised portion to prop up the ball. US 638920 A (GRANT ) discloses an improved tee comprising a tapering base portion to be driven into the ground point first, and a flexible tubular head, the lower end of which embraces the upper tapering portion of the base.

Summary of invention

A driving range is an area where golfers can practice their golf swing. It can also be used as a stand-alone recreational activity itself for amateur golfers or when enough time for a full game is not available. The invention aims to provide a teeing aid optimized for use on a driving range.

Technical Problem

When the teed-up ball is struck during the so-called tee shot, a conventional tee tends to get pulled out of the ground and sent flying in the direction of the swing. While this effect is of little significance in tournament play, it can become a major annoyance on the driving range. Here, an allocated bay delimits the teeing ground, preventing the player from retrieving equipment beyond the bay's limits. Any breach on the side of the player of the bay's boundary, traditionally marked by a red line, puts the perpetrator at risk of being injured, prosecuted, or banned from future use of the driving range.

Solution to Problem

The problem is solved by means of a teeing aid according to Claim 1.

Advantageous effect of invention

The proposed teeing aid is based on a tee attached to a baseplate. Weight and form of the baseplate keep the tee from being hurled out of the bay. Meanwhile, the resilience of the tee allows the latter to yield to the force imposed by the swinging golf club without deflecting or blocking the tee shot itself. Between shots, an adequate bias of the tee toward its upright position permits the apparatus to return to its ready state without manual intervention. Finally, the wedge-like shape of the baseplate supports the trajectory of the swinging club prior to contact with the ball while accommodating and protecting the tee's resilient mounting from the blow of the club.

Brief description of drawings

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a teeing aid.
Figure 2 shows a side elevation view of a baseplate of the teeing aid.
Figure 3 shows a rear elevation view of the baseplate.
Figure 4 shows a plan view of the baseplate.
Figure 5 shows a section view of a pivot spindle of the teeing aid.
Figure 6 shows an elevation view of the pivot spindle.
Figure 7 shows a section view of a stud bolt of the teeing aid.
Figure 8 shows a section view of three tees for use with the teeing aid.
Figure 9 shows an elevation view of a leg spring of the teeing aid.
Figure 10 shows a plan view of a spring plate of the teeing aid.
Figure 11 shows an elevation view of the spring plate.
Figure 12 shows a plan view of a plastic frame for use with the teeing aid.
Figure 13 shows an elevation view of the plastic frame.
Figure 14 shows a plan view of an artificial turf of the teeing aid.

Description of embodiments

Figure 1 shows a teeing aid 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The teeing aid 10 comprises a tee 12 for supporting a golf ball as well as a base for setting up the teeing aid 10 on a teeing ground. As Figure 2 clarifies, the base takes the form of a wedge-shaped baseplate 14 comprising an essentially flat top face 16 inclined toward the tee 12 and an equally flat bottom face 18 opposite the top face 16. A nearly rectangular front face 20 adjoins both the top face 16 and the bottom face 18, the top face 16 and the bottom face 18 thus diverging from the front face 20 back toward the tee 12.
As depicted in Figure 3 and Figure 4 , a transverse bore 44 is formed in the baseplate 14 opposite its front face 20. This transverse bore 44 serves to mount the pivot spindle 26 of Figure 5 and Figure 6 which in turn is crossed by a cross bore 24. The stud bolt 42 shown in Figure 7 is threaded complementarily to this cross bore 24, allowing the bolt 42 to be screwed into the cross bore 24. On the other hand, the stud bolt 42 is threaded complementarily to the axial bore 28 of each of the tees 12, 22, 32 depicted in Figure 8 and dimensioned such that, in spite of their varying length, each of the rotationally symmetrical tees 12, 22, 32 may be screwed onto the stud bolt 42. As a result, the stud bolt 42 rigidly connects the pivot spindle 26 to the respective tee 12, 22, 32, which the pivot spindle 26 thus in turn pivotally connects to the baseplate 14. All the while, the tee 12, 22, 32 is resiliently biased toward the upright position of Figure 1 by the leg spring 34 shown in Figure 9 which is winding around the pivot spindle 26 between the transverse bore 44 and the cross bore 24. Toward the front face 20, the spring plate 36 depicted in Figure 10 and Figure 11 is mounted on the baseplate 14 and protrudes toward the pivot spindle 26, thus stopping the tee 12, 22, 32 from pivoting forward beyond said upright position.
In an alternative embodiment, to protect a player's golf club from wear when hitting the baseplate 14, the latter's front face 20 and side faces may be framed by a plastic frame 38 such as the one depicted in Figure 12 and Figure 13 . Also, the artificial turf 40 of Figure 14 may be fastened to the top face 16 to cover the baseplate 14 from above, corresponding to the embodiment shown in Figure 1 . To allow the player to fasten multiple turfs of varying pile height in this fashion, the top face 16 may comprise an adequately configured hook-and-loop fastener such as Velcro^®.
Similarly, the bottom face 18 may comprise appropriate screw fittings to accommodate multiple ground spikes of varying length, such as for engaging either ground soil or a synthetic ground tile covering the teeing ground. As an alternative, the baseplate 14 itself may be formed integrally with such ground tile, allowing for a stationary use within each bay of a commercial driving range.
Finally, a visual indicator of the teeing aid 10 may indicate a preferred line of play for the tee shot to be performed.

Industrial applicability

The invention is widely applicable throughout, inter alia, the sports and fitness industries.

Reference signs list

Golf teeing aid	12, 22, 32
Baseplate	14
Top face	16
Bottom face	18
Front face	20
Cross bore	24
Pivot spindle	26
Axial bore	28
Leg spring	34
Spring plate	36
Plastic frame	38
Synthetic turf	40
Stud bolt	42
Transverse bore	44

Citation list

The following literature is cited throughout this application:

Patent literature

US 638920 A (GRANT )

Non-patent literature

GARRITY, John, et al. The Ultimate Golf Book: A History and a Celebration of the World's Greatest Game. Edited by MCGRATH, Charles, et al. New York: Mariner Books, 2002. ISBN 0618710256.

Claims

Golf teeing aid (10) comprising a tee (12, 22, 32) for supporting a golf ball and a base mechanically connected to the tee (12, 22, 32) for setting up the teeing aid (10) on a teeing ground, characterized in that the base is a wedge-shaped baseplate (14) comprising an essentially flat top face (16) inclined toward the tee (12, 22, 32) and the tee (12, 22, 32) is resiliently biased toward an upright position.
Teeing aid (10) as in Claim 1, wherein the baseplate (14) comprises an essentially flat bottom face (18) opposite the top face (16) and a rectangular front face (20) adjoining the top face (16) and the bottom face (18), the top face (16) and the bottom face (18) diverging from the front face (20) back toward the tee (12, 22, 32).
Teeing aid (10) as in Claim 2 comprising a pivot spindle (26) mounted in a transverse bore (44) of the baseplate (14) opposite the front face (20), the pivot spindle (26) pivotally connecting the baseplate (14) to the tee (12, 22, 32).
Teeing aid (10) as in Claim 3 comprising a stud bolt (42) mounted in a cross bore (24) of the pivot spindle (26), the stud bolt (42) rigidly connecting the pivot spindle (26) to the tee (12, 22, 32).
Teeing aid (10) as in Claim 4, wherein the cross bore (24) and the stud bolt (42) are complementarily threaded and the stud bolt (42) is screwed into the cross bore (24).
Teeing aid (10) as in Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein the tee (12, 22, 32) is rotationally symmetrical, the stud bolt (42) and an axial bore (28) of the tee (12, 22, 32) are complementarily threaded and the tee (12, 22, 32) is screwed onto the stud bolt (42).
Teeing aid (10) as in Claim 6, wherein the stud bolt (42) is dimensioned such as to support one of multiple tees of varying length.
Teeing aid (10) as in any of Claim 3 to Claim 7 comprising a leg spring (34) for biasing the tee (12, 22, 32) toward the upright position, the leg spring (34) wound around the pivot spindle (26) between the transverse bore (44) and the cross bore (24).
Teeing aid (10) as in Claim 8 comprising a spring plate (36) for limiting forward pivoting of the tee (12, 22, 32) toward the front face (20) to the upright position, the spring plate (36) mounted on the baseplate (14) and protruding toward the pivot spindle (26).
Teeing aid (10) as in any of Claim 2 to Claim 9 comprising a plastic frame (38) for protecting a golf club from wear when hitting the baseplate (14), the plastic frame (38) framing at least the front face (20).
Teeing aid (10) as in any of the preceding claims comprising an artificial turf (40) for covering the baseplate (14), the turf (40) fastened to the top face (16).
Teeing aid (10) as in Claim 11, wherein the top face (16) comprises a hook-and-loop fastener configured such as to fasten one of multiple turfs of varying pile height.
Teeing aid (10) as in any of the preceding claims, wherein the bottom face (18) comprises screw fittings, each screw fitting dimensioned such as to receive one of multiple ground spikes of varying length for engaging the teeing ground.
Teeing aid (10) as in any of Claim 1 to Claim 13, wherein the baseplate (14) is formed integrally with an extensive ground tile for covering the teeing ground.
Teeing aid (10) as in any of the preceding claims comprising a visual indicator for indicating a line of play.