GB2238124A - Improved golf trolley - Google Patents

Description

p 1 A; A is 1 IMPROVED GOLF TROLLEY The invention relates to golf

trolleys.

Golf trolleys have been a familLar sight in this country for many years. Nowadays they are usually made of sturdy but relatively lightweight tubular steel or aluminium framed construction and they have relatively small diameter wheels. The basics of their design have remained unchanged, though, and any alterations have been mainly cosmetic in nature.

It is conventional to designate the successive holes of a golf course by their respective yardages from the tee. These yardages will be known to the player before he starts his round. The "par" stroke value attributed to each hole will also be known.

What is not known, however, to the individual player is the distance that he habitually hits his first drive. It is not at all uncommon for players to attempt to pace out that distance, from the tee, to where their ball has fallen; on the well known basis that the length of a grown man's stride is approximately one yard. But this is at best an approximation.

What every player does do, however, is to wheel his club trolley with him as he walks from one shot to the next.

He will do this, without thinking about it consciously, even when he attempts to pace accurately the distance he has hit his drive.

Odometers - mechanisms which monitor the revolution of a wheel of a bicycle, convert the monitored revolutions into a distancetravelled read out, and display the read out to the cyclist - are known in themselves. They have never previously, as far as the present applicant is aware, been used on golf trolleys. Fitting an odometer to a golf trolley will enable the golfer to be shown accurately how far he has wheeled his trolley on any given journey from one shot to another; and this is the essence of the present invention.

As well as being new, a golf trolley fitted with an odometer is believed to involve an inventive step. Easily the most common use - if not the only one - of odometers is in monitoring the revolution of bicycle wheels. Cyclists and golfers do not habitually fraternise and it would not, therefore, be obvious for someone seeking to improve the design of a golf trolley to look to the cycling art for his design improvements. And it has already been pointed out that, because the design of golf trolleys has not needed improvement over the years, it has not received any and has remained essentially static.

There is thus no apparent need to investigate the design of golf trolleys at all, since they perform their primary function perfectly well.

The odometer may be constructed so as to convert, in conventional manner, the revolutions of the golf trolley wheel into a digital display which is carried on the odometer itself. But it would be advantageous if the display were to be more easily legible and were to be mounted, for example, on or adjacent the handle region of the trolley. This is especially so because many golfers can be elderly and would find it far easier not to have to bend down to read a display adjacent the wheel hub of the trolley.

The eyesight of the older golfer might also be such that he welcomes a display rather nearer his normal line of vision. And that leads on to a further improvement in the inventive concept whereby the display is deliberately magnified so as to permit more easy reading of it.

The odometer may be a mechanically-driven odometer such as is used for bicycles. But in this day and age there is no reason why it should not be electrically, electronically or electro- mechanical I y driven. All these possibilities increase the versatility of the invention by increasing the range of options for mounting, constructing and driving the odometer.

Whilst the odometer might, again conventionally, give a direct read out of distance travelled by the trolley between re-setting the odometer, this need not necessarily be so. In the special circumstances of golfing, it might be more advantageous for the odometer to progressively subtract the distance travelled from the known distance from the t ee to a given hole. The between read out then given will be the yardage remainingthe ball and the hole when the golfer has teed off and has walked to where his ball lands. The means for constructing the odometer to work in this way, and the incorporation into it of a simple means for pre-setting a given yardage into it at the tee, can again be supplied by the skilled addressee of this specification, although specific embodiments will be described herein.

The invention is applicable as a modification of existing golf trolleys as well as being able to be built into new trolleys from the outset. The invention therefore includes within its scope the combination of a wheel unit with an odometer, the two being specifically adapted and constructed to work in cooperation such that the %,,,heel, when fitted to a golf trolley with the odometer, drives the odometer to cause it to display a read out of distance -.:-avelled and/or distance remaining to oc. travelled -c, reaci, a hole of a ggolf course hole is a known and pre-settable distance from the point tl-ic- wheel started to travel.

i5 One presently preferred embodiment of the invention, in both its broad inventive aspects - Le as a golf trolley fitted with an M odometer, and as a wheel unit and odometer combination for fitment to such a trolley - is illustrated in the accompanying 0 drawings. It will now be described with reference to those dra-,,:in.-1s. It is not the only way in which the invention might be I - known to the put into practice. BUt it is currently the best wa- applicant.

In the drai.in.-s:

Figlure 1 shows a golf trolley in De,,-spect.i.-e; Figure 22, also drawn in perspec-tli.-e bui to an. enlarged scale, shc,-s the odometer-containing, region the trolley handle; and Figure 3, drawn to approximately the same scale as Fi..lure 2, 1 shows the Figure 29 unit and its handle region in plan.

The embodiment- illustrated is con.structed in aczoi,.ian--e with the objects of the invention to assist a golfer to make a more accurate jud=gement of distances as he pla-ys his succession cf shots especially intermediate shots between the tee and the green. The odonieter and wheel unit which incorporates one these broad asr.,,-cts of the irivention can either he built int1 "customised CV-1f -1w be capable of attachment, t,, a stanjard one. The embodiment illustrated is a of such a - 1 As Z-.,11.,- 111-1c part of the is c! 11, Ir 1 Z1 d d a i. b p., i t 1 t - 5 lightweight foldable tubular metal frame incorporates struts 3 referenced 11, 12 respectively supporting wheels 11), 14 with a frame backbone 15 supporting a golfing ba., 16 and with a pushpull shaft 17 forming an extension of the backbone 15.

The details of the bag 16 need not be enlarged upon. As C) illustrated, it exhibits an outside pocket 18 and a sheath 19 for housing an umbrella 21, as well as a carrying handle 22. But it is readily removable from the wheeled frame trolley and it could be replaced with any one of a numher of available alternative bags.

1,11(11 y:, 1 The push-pull shaft 17 ends in a handle region referenced generally 18 in Figure 1. This handle region is initially made as a separate set of components from the resr of the trolley, and is illustrated in more detail and to an enlarged scale in Fi-rures 2 - rid The handle 18 totrether,;,-ith the -,-heel unit 14 and a cable li-nlcii-ntilem, for-ms- an attachment by,-hicl-. the 'initial]-,,- standard 'llustrated -Iolf trollev can be conJerted to a trolley e-,iit,od--in. the iii-,-entioi-,.

Initially the trolley has two wheels each of which is identical to the wheel 13, sl-.ok-n. That is, a freely rotatable fixed to the outer end of its respective one of the struts 11 and 1--- One of these standard wheels is taken off - a simple ei)oiijzh operation c not requirin Iturther description - and is repla ed.x-itii the wheel unit 14. Unit 14, like the one that it replaced, embodies a freely rotatable scheel. But the hub unit '23 abok-it which the wheel rotates a sensor counts th.e wheel The sensor co!strizctioi,. need riot be detailed and can zzi-ain be known tl. l., ; ". t - k i l- '. 1 - 1 - 11 t ' - -l d lc ;!,! - - - 1 - ' 111 k ' 1 hal 6 - region 18 of the trolley. This cable 24 is threaded thrcugh the hollow tubes of the trolle:- frame, emergin-- from the open end of shaft 17 and entering the odometer casing 25 as shown in Figure 3. The odometer itself, which can be of known kind, gives a M dgital liquid crystal display behind a lens 26 which weather i.c proofs the odometer and which - optionally magnifies the LCD display with the advantages previously touched on.

2, 0 The sensor in the hub unit 23, at the same time as it counts the revolutions of the wheel, produces sufficient electrical power to maintain a rechargeable battery pack which could be incorporated C5 in any suitable position on the trolley but preferably is incorporated within the od.ometer easing 25. This battery pack functions as a po.-er source for a simple computer, also incorporated into casingg which, not only powers the LCD display but also enables the user to select - via push buttons whether he wants the distance covered to be recorded; -.-.hether, conversely, he wants to Jknow the distance remaining. to a given pre-progracirmed distant tee; whether he wants to clear the alt.,D,-:,rethei, in pi,ei:lai-ati:,-.,- for the next tee. or -,..-iether he wants to hold, %ithotit clearing, a si.,-en dsi-:,lay.

n - - P,cspecti.-e push buttons 27, 218, and 131 tions to be made.

ndometer easing 225 tc enable, these select.

project from the T Ihe casing, 125 is built around a hand grip 32 which comprises a suitably -..-csi.lient finger-grip-indented covering moulded around a tubular core. The core 33 (Figure 2) is a progressively tightening fi.icti..,:,n.ii portion fit over the shaft J17. The original hand grip (not showni supplied with the trolley is rem.o-ed and the Zrip 39 - -3 2 - t - - -4 to its 33 pushed home in its place. The cable -1 k Lhen linkLubular frame of SE11.501, hut: unit 23 1JY threading it throu h t fjc 1 the irl tilt- 111(D!t g 1 1 7 "ore. D It can therefore be adjusted to the most coi-i-\-eiiient -,;.iewincr angle by an individual golfer and, once set in that angle, will In c, =1 tend to sta-y there unless it is fairly strongly pushed out of its setting.

1 '1 17 1) As mentioned above, other ways exist of putting the invention into practice. The sensor/ generator could be, for example, a "bottle" styled electrical dynamo of the kind well kno-%,-n from the field of cycle dynamos. Alternatively the cable 24, instead of being an electrically conductive cable, could be a cable sheathing a rotary mechanical drive from the hub 23' to the odometer. In triat latter case it is likely that the drive and dri%-e cable, having to pass in a relatively smooth curve from end to end, --:ould not go through the frame but i,-ould be clipped oi- taped to the outside of the frame; although at best, they could emerge part-v-ay from the -M frame in order to describe the necessary continuous curve.

Other modifications may be -made. --" un-lt suc-. as the one illustrated, once in general use in the golf-ing could well gen.c.rate a demand for more functions. For example, electrorlicallY dual --,i- '.liiltiplayer generated spoken output, score record,.

uses, read-outs for technical ad-ice or the rules of the game.

Perhaps also the incorporation of other de-ices, suc11-, as a theft al-arm, diary, pager, c.ilciilat::l., dictation machine or game with LCD display behind lens 26.

Any or all of these- could well be accommodated if the volume of manufacture for the thus- generated ma 11k e t J u stif le s their incorporation. '-one of them would have occurred -,,.-ithoi.it the basic in.,-enti-\-e L ce,ii,,:-:,pt and this siTi-jpl. - PQints 0-,it the inherently iri-,,-enti-c, of the concept as such.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS:

   1. The combination of a wheel unit u-ith an odometer, the two being specifically adapted to be fitted to a golf trolley and being constructed to work in co-operation such that the wheel, when fitted to the trolley with the odometer, drives the odometer to cause it to display a read out of distance travelled and/or distance remaining to be travelled to reach a hole of a golf course which hole is a known and pre-settable distance from the point the wheel started to travel.

   1 j 1;:, - j 2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and including means operatively linking the wheel unit to the odometer in such a way that, when both are fitted to the trolley, the od--i-.,ietf-r can be irounted remote from the wheel unit.

   3. Apparatus according to Claim and in which the odometer is adapted to be lriounted on or adjacent Ithe handle region of the trolley.

   4. Apparatus according to any of the precedii-i- and in which the odometer display is nia=-,,-ii-l'ied so --s te permit easy readin.- of it.

   5. Apparatus according to any of Clailns '- to 4 and in which Z the means operatively iinking the o-dometer re, E,-.e wheel unit travels through at least part of the trolley fraine when the odometer a.nd wheel unit are mounted or, the trolley.

   6. Apparatus according to any of Claims 3 to 5 and in => which the c)doniz-T-c-i. is housed in or forms Part of a casinc, which shrouds handle of the trolley in i. AV,Ial'aLli-s accordhig, tr, Claim G. and:xr-, the odometer -lout the. handic cali C adjusted to zb i -q- 8. Apparatus according to Claini 7 and in which the odometer casing is a relatively tight but nevertheless movable frictional fit on a handle which, when the apparatus is fitted to an existing trolley, can replace the conventional trolley handle as the wheel unit similarly replaces the conventional trolley wheel.

   9. Apparatus comprising a wheel unit and an odometer 0 constructed and arranged substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in any appropriate combination of the accompanying drawings.

   io 10. A golf trolley incorporating apparatus in accordance with any of the preceding Claims.

   Published 1991 atl7he Patent Office, State House, 66/71 High Holbom. London WCI R 47?. Further copies may be obtained frorn Sales Branch. Unit 6. Nine Mile Point, Cwmfelinfach, Cross Keys. Newport, NPI 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques lid. St Mary Cray, Kent.