US20060054258A1

US20060054258A1 - Golf club head cover

Info

Publication number: US20060054258A1
Application number: US10/939,084
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard Lamparello; Rocky Rabadia
Original assignee: Vista Design Studios Inc
Current assignee: VISTA DESIGN STUDIOS LLC; Vista Design Studios Inc
Priority date: 2004-09-10
Filing date: 2004-09-10
Publication date: 2006-03-16

Abstract

A golf head cover having outwardly extending portions is disclosed. The outwardly extending portions extend away from the main body of the golf head cover, and may support loads peripheral to the main body. The outwardly extending portions may include storage cavities configured to receive objects therein.

Description

BACKGROUND

Field
The present disclosure relates generally to covers for golf club heads.
Background
Protective head covers are often used for golf clubs and other sporting implements, to protect them while not in use. These covers generally surround at least a portion of the golf club, protecting it from wear and tear that may be caused while the club is not in play, such as by being bumped against other clubs or being otherwise disturbed.
Golf head covers may sometimes include ornamental or decorative aspects, that are aesthetically pleasing. Such decorative aspects may even serve to display advertising content to other golfers on the golf course. However, because of the narrow, linear structure of golf clubs, and the typical storage configuration of golf clubs wherein many clubs are contained in a single bag, the golf head covers themselves are usually limited to narrow shapes. This ensures that the golf head covers will not interfere with one another when many golf clubs are stored in a single bag. Although golfers may desire more intricate shapes and decorative aspects for their golf head covers, existing golf head covers tend to be available only in simple designs with minimal protrusions, so that they will not interfere with golf club storage. Thus, more intricately designed golf club covers have not been made available to golfers.
Additionally, some golf head covers include pockets or pouches for storing additional golf implements, such as combs, tees or the like. Although such pockets may be convenient for golfers who carry these extra items onto the golf course, the pockets are usually located close to the golf head itself, such that they have enough structural support to adequately support the additional items they contain. Locating storage pockets near the golf club head also maintains the linear, narrow shape that is typical of currently available golf head covers for the reasons described above. However, placement of stored objects so close to the golf club head may unduly wear the golf head cover in that region, resulting in eventual exposure of the golf club head thereby defeating the purpose of the protective cover.

SUMMARY

In one aspect of the present invention, a jersey shaped golf head cover includes a body portion having a first edge, a second edge substantially opposite the first edge, and an interior cavity arranged between the first and second edges and configured to accommodate a golf club head. The golf head cover further includes a first extending portion coupled to the first edge and extending away from the interior cavity, and a second extending portion coupled to the second edge and extending away from the interior cavity, wherein each of the first and second extending portions extends less than three fourths of the length of the body portion.
In another aspect of the present invention, a jersey shaped golf head cover includes a body portion having a first edge, a second edge substantially opposite the first edge, and an interior cavity arranged between the first and second edges and configured to accommodate a golf club head. The golf head cover further includes a first extending portion coupled to the first edge and extending away from the interior cavity, and a second extending portion coupled to the second edge and extending substantially horizontally away from the interior cavity.
In another aspect of the present invention, a golf head cover includes a body portion having a first edge, a second edge substantially opposite the first edge, and an interior cavity arranged between the first and second edges and configured to accommodate a golf club head, and an extending storage portion coupled to the first edge and extending away from the interior cavity, wherein the extending storage portion comprises a storage cavity configured to receive an object therein such that the object is supported peripherally from the body portion of the golf head cover.
It is understood that other aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein is shown and described only exemplary embodiments of the invention, simply by way of illustration. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various aspects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a golf head cover having extending portions;
FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a golf head cover with extending portions;
FIG. 3 illustrates another alternative embodiment of a golf head cover having an extending interior cavity;
FIG. 4 illustrates another alternative embodiment of a golf head cover having extending storage cavities; and
FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the extending storage cavities for a golf head cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated an exemplary embodiment of a golf head cover 100 having extending portions that are positioned peripheral to the main structure of the golf head cover. The golf head cover may include a body portion 102 and first and second extending portions 104 and 106, respectively. The body portion 102 may include an interior cavity 108 formed between two sides 101 and 103 of the body portion 102, and having an opening 110 into which a golf club 112 may be inserted. The interior cavity 108 may be configured to accommodate a golf club head. For example, the interior cavity 108 may be specially sized to accommodate only one certain golf club head size, or may be sized to accommodate any golf club head within a range of various sizes.
The extending portions 104 and 106 may be coupled to the edges of the body portion 102 such as by stitching or other coupling means, and may extend away from the interior cavity 108 such that they are located peripheral to the body portion 102. The extending portions 104 and 106 may extend away from each other along a line that is substantially horizontal. For example, each of the extending portions 104 may form an angle 105 with the body portion 102, wherein the angle is between 85° and 95°. In an exemplary embodiment, the extending portions 104 and 106 may extend downward from the top of the golf club head cover 100 less than three fourths of the length of the body portion 102. For example, in FIG. 1, the extending portion 104 extends for a distance “x” along the length of the body portion 102, as indicated by dimension 114, and the body portion 102 extends a total distance “y” along its side 101, as indicated by dimension 116. Thus, in the exemplary embodiment the distance “x” may be less than three fourths of the distance “y.”
FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a golf head cover 200 having extending portions 202 and 204. In this alternative embodiment, the extending portions 202 and 204 extend away from an interior cavity 206 that is within the body portion 208. However, the extending portions 202 and 204 are arranged at smaller angles 210 and 212 with respect to the body portion 208, than in the first exemplary embodiment that is illustrated in FIG. 1. In this alternative embodiment, the angles 210 and 212 may each be between 20° and 135°. The angles 210 and 212 may be substantially equal to each other or, alternatively, may be different from one another. The extending portions 202 and 204 may extend along a length “x” indicated by dimension 214, which may be less than three quarters the length “y” of a side of the body portion 208 indicated by dimension 216.
The exemplary head covers described herein may include an outer shell, an inner layer, and an interior lining. The outer shell may be constructed, for example, from materials including but not limited to cotton/nylon blended jersey, mesh, synthetic leather, genuine leather, micro-fiber suede, nylon oxford, cotton, or polyester. The outer shell may include stitching, embroidery, silkscreened designs or other forms of decorative indicia. An inner layer, arranged between the outer shell and an interior lining, may be thicker than the outer shell or interior lining, in order to provide support for objects that may be contained within extending storage cavities, as will be explained in further detail below. The thicker interior lining may also provide padding for extra protection of the golf club head. This structural and protective inner layer may be constructed of foam, neoprene, or other heavy material, and may be approximately 13 mm thick in order to provide the sufficient protection and support. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that this is only one example, and that other materials and other thicknesses may be utilized. An interior lining, which may be arranged beneath the inner layer, may be constructed of a soft material such as polyester, for example. The inner layer may be soft in order to safely contact the golf club head contained within the body portion of the golf club head cover. The various layers may cut to the appropriate shape, such as a jersey having a body portion and two extending portions resembling jersey sleeves, then stitched, fused or otherwise secured together to form the golf head cover. It is to be understood that the golf club head covers disclosed herein are not limited to the exemplary materials or dimensions disclosed above, and that other materials and dimensions may be used in accordance with the teachings herein. Also, the thickness providing structural and protective support described above is not limited to the inner layer, but may instead be provided in either the outer shell or the interior lining. Moreover, golf club head covers made in accordance with the teachings herein are not limited to having three layers, but may be constructed to have either fewer or more layers.
FIG. 3 illustrates another alternative embodiment of a golf head cover 300 having an extending interior cavity. The golf head cover 300 may include a first body portion 302 and extending portions 304 and 306. An extending body portion 308 may be coupled to the first body portion 302 along seam 310. The seam 310 may be formed, for example, by stitching, fusing or other securing means. The extending body portion 308 may include an opening 312 through which a golf club may be inserted such that the golf club extends through the extending body portion 308 and into an interior cavity 314 of the first body portion 302. The interior cavity 314 may be configured to accommodate a golf club head, while the extending body portion 308 may be narrower in order to more snugly accommodate the narrower golf club shaft. The extending body portion 308 may be constructed with knit cotton, nylon, acrylic, acrylic-rubber blended yarn, or other suitable elastic material.
FIG. 4 illustrates another alternative embodiment of a golf head cover 400 having extending storage cavities, as mentioned above. The golf head cover 400 includes a body portion 402 with first and second extending portions 404 and 406, respectively. One or both of the extending portions may include a storage cavity 408 that may be configured to hold small objects such as golf balls, tees and the like. The storage cavities 408 may be arranged such that they are peripheral to the body portion 402. As such, objects stored within the storage cavities 408 may be peripherally supported by the structure of the extending portions 404 and 406 themselves, rather than centrally supported by the structure of the body portion 402. The storage cavities 408 may include openings 410 configured to receive the objects into the storage cavities 408. The storage cavities 408 may be formed by lines of stitching, fusing or other coupling means 412 between the extending portions 404, 406 and the body portion 402.
The openings 410 may optionally be made securable by any type of various suitable fastening devices, in order to retain objects within the storage cavities 408. The fastening devices may include, for example, zippers, hook and loop closure mechanisms, buttons, folded over flaps, ties, snaps, or other suitable means as will be recognized by those skilled in the art. FIG. 5 illustrates a zipper 500 used to secure the opening and limit access to the storage cavity 502 in an extending portion 504 of a golf club cover. Of course, it is to be understood that the zipper 500 is only one example of a suitable fastening device, and that a variety of other devices may instead be implemented in accordance with the teachings herein.
While the specification describes particular embodiments of the present invention, those of ordinary skill can devise variations of the present invention without departing from the inventive concept. For example, the teachings herein refer to golf head covers with extending portions that resemble jersey sleeves but are equally applicable to golf head covers having extending portions of any shape, which extend away from the body portion of the golf head cover. Also, the teachings herein are not limited to covers for golf clubs but can also be applied to covers for various other sporting implements including lacrosse sticks, baseball bats, fishing poles, tennis rackets, and the like.
The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A jersey shaped golf head cover, comprising:

a body portion having a first edge, a second edge substantially opposite the first edge, and an interior cavity arranged between the first and second edges and configured to accommodate a golf club head;

a first extending portion coupled to the first edge and extending away from the interior cavity;

a second extending portion coupled to the second edge and extending away from the interior cavity; and

wherein each of the first and second extending portions extends less than three fourths of the length of the body portion.

2. The golf head cover of claim 1 wherein the interior cavity comprises a first interior portion, the golf head cover further comprising a second interior portion coupled to the first interior portion and configured to accommodate a golf club shaft.

3. The golf head cover of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second extending portions are each arranged at an angle that is between 20° and 90° with respect to the first and second edges of the body portion, respectively.

4. The golf head cover of claim 3 wherein the angle between the first extending portion and the first edge, and the angle between the second extending portion and the second edge are substantially equal.

5. The golf head cover of claim 1 wherein the first extending portion comprises a storage cavity configured to receive an object therein.

6. The golf head cover of claim 5 wherein the second extending portion comprises a storage cavity configured to receive an object therein.

7. The golf head cover of claim 5 wherein the first extending portion further comprises a first end coupled to the first edge of the body portion, a second end substantially opposite the first end, the storage cavity arranged between the first and second ends, and wherein the storage cavity comprises an opening located at the second end.

8. The golf head cover of claim 7 wherein the second end comprises a fastening device configured to secure the opening.

9. The golf head cover of claim 8 wherein the fastening device comprises a zipper.

10. The golf head cover of claim 8 wherein the fastening device comprises a hook and loop closure mechanism.

11. A jersey shaped golf head cover, comprising:

a first extending portion coupled to the first edge and extending away from the interior cavity; and

a second extending portion coupled to the second edge and extending substantially horizontally away from the interior cavity.

12. A golf head cover, comprising:

an extending storage portion coupled to the first edge and extending away from the interior cavity; and

wherein the extending storage portion comprises a storage cavity configured to receive an object therein such that the object is supported peripherally from the body portion of the golf head cover.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the extending storage portion comprises a first extending storage portion and the object comprises a first object, the golf head cover further comprising a second extending storage portion coupled to the second edge and extending away from the interior cavity, and wherein the second extending storage portion comprises a storage cavity configured to receive a second object therein such that the second object is supported peripherally from the body portion of the golf head cover.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the extending storage portion further comprises a first end coupled to the first edge of the body portion, a second end substantially opposite the first end, the storage cavity arranged between the first and second ends, and wherein the storage cavity comprises an opening located at the second end.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the second end comprises a fastening device configured to secure the opening.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the fastening device comprises a zipper.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the fastening device comprises a hook and loop closure mechanism.