HK1150795B - Golf bag - Google Patents

Description

Golf bag

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a bag for storing and transporting golf clubs.

Background

When practicing golf, in many cases, the person practicing the game must carry a set of golf clubs and various types of peripheral equipment, such as balls, tees, gloves, etc. This is not only the case for transport to and from the golf sport area, but also for staying there and during the golf sport. Furthermore, the above-mentioned devices need to be stored when not in use.

Transportation to and from the golf sport area can of course be carried out in many different ways, but some transportation ways have certain problems. That is, conventional bags of the golf bag type are very bulky and difficult to carry, for example when travelling by foot, bicycle or motorcycle, but also, for example, when using public transportation such as buses. This is due to the fact that, with conventional golf bags, they are mainly constituted by an elongated tube, into which the shaft of the stick is first lowered, and may or may not have a trolley; and with the more recent carrier bags, they are also mainly composed of elongated tubes into which the poles of the clubs are first put down, these carrier bags being carried in an inclined manner on the back.

It is common practice for players to carry a small number of golf clubs to a sport area, for example for practice, whereby conventional golf bags do not provide simple and comfortable transport of the small number of equipment being transported.

The demand for speed and flexibility is becoming increasingly prevalent during the game itself, particularly when playing so-called "speed golf" where players typically run between shots. Of course, this requirement also exists for other golf variants (golfing variants). Conventional bag carriers do not allow the user to move relatively freely over the field and also pose a problem when finding lost balls, for example in tight trees or bushes. That is, the shafts of the bag and the stick extend a distance on either side of the player's body. Moreover, it is difficult to move around quickly and ergonomically with such carrying bags, partly because of the tendency of the sticks to rock around in the bag as the player moves (even if the bag interior is divided into many separate sections for different sticks), and partly because the bag is either placed high on the player's back and is not ergonomic, or is placed low on the player's back creating a risk of hitting the player's back (which reduces the player's mobility, for example, as the player runs).

Moreover, conventional carrying bags are often unnecessarily heavy, clumsy and less ergonomic to use with such carrying bags, for example for women and young and older players of a slightly smaller size. The ergonomics is further enhanced by the asymmetrical placement of the club head outside the bag, thereby shifting the center of gravity.

Therefore, there is a need to obtain a low weight bag for golf clubs and peripheral devices, which is simple and easy to transport, even when transported by walking, cycling or the like, and which at the same time is very ergonomic during transport of the golf course and does not constitute an obstacle, in particular if transported quickly and/or in uneven terrain. Furthermore, there is a need to obtain a bag which is particularly advantageous when playing with only a small number of sticks. Furthermore, there is a need to obtain a bag that properly stores golf equipment when not in use.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention solves the above problems.

The invention therefore relates to a bag for storing and transporting golf equipment, wherein the bag comprises at least two parts, each part comprising an upper edge and a lower edge, respectively, wherein the at least two parts are pivotally connected to each other by a hinge, wherein the bag can be opened by folding apart the at least two parts along the hinge towards an open position exposing the interior of the bag, characterized in that at least one part comprises at its upper part a fixing means for the poles of golf clubs; at least one part comprising at its lower part club head separating means for receiving the club head of one or several golf clubs, the shaft of which is/are fixed to said fixing means; the hinges are arranged along respective lower edges of each portion; and the bag comprises support means so that the bag can stand on the support surface in a stable manner when in the open position of the bag.

Drawings

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof and to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1a is a perspective view of a bag according to the present invention, with the bag in a closed position.

Fig. 1b is a perspective view of a bag according to the present invention, with the bag in an open position.

Figure 2a is a side view of a bag according to the present invention, with the bag in a closed position.

Figure 2b is a side view of a bag according to the present invention, with the bag in an open position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a bag with a securing system according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a side view of a bag according to the present invention, including an illustrative sketch of a linkage system.

Corresponding elements in the drawings share reference numerals.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1a, 1b, 2a and 2b show a bag 1 for storing and transporting golf clubs 2 and peripheral equipment. The bag is shown in a position of rest on the ground and comprises a front portion 10 and a rear portion 20.

The front portion 10 comprises an upper edge 11 and a lower edge 12. Likewise, the rear portion 20 includes an upper edge 21 and a lower edge 22. The front portion 10 and the rear portion 20 are pivotably connected to each other using a hinge 3 provided by a lower edge 12, 22 of each of the front portion 10 and the rear portion 20. In this way, the front and rear portions 10, 20 can be folded apart about the hinge 3 towards the open position shown in fig. 1b and 2b, and conversely, the front and rear portions 10, 20 can be folded towards each other about the hinge 3 towards the closed position shown in fig. 1a and 2 a.

Likewise, the front portion 10 and the rear portion 20 can be interconnected by their respective lower edges 12, 22 in other ways known and conventional, and do not need to be interconnected using a hinge 3. The key is that the front and rear portions 10, 20 are connected to each other by respective lower edges 12, 22 and that they fold apart when the bag 1 is opened to open the interior of the bag 1. This brings about the advantage that: when it is placed on the ground, it is easy to open the bag 1 and access its contents. That is, this is important when playing golf, which makes it difficult to open the bag (e.g., a bag that is opened by folding one part to one side) when the internal items in the bag 1 must typically be accessible from a particular location on the ground where the bag 1 stands and because the support surface is typically composed of grass of different qualities. Furthermore, the head 2b of the club 2 is clearly visible, facilitating the selection of the club.

At the side of the front portion 10 remote from the rear portion 20, the front portion 10 comprises a carrying system 14, which carrying system 14 comprises a belt 15 and a hip belt 16. The carrying system 14 is arranged so that the user can carry the bag in the same manner as a conventional backpack using the straps 15 and hip straps 16. The straps 15 and hip belts 16 are preferably adjustable so that the carrying system 14 can be adjusted to suit the user.

Furthermore, the front portion 10 comprises a securing system 30 for golf clubs 2 stored and/or transported in the bag 1. The securing system 30 is best shown in fig. 3 and comprises one or several securing means 31 for the shaft 2a of the club 2 and one or several club head separating means 32 for receiving the club head 2b of the golf club.

The fastening means 31 are arranged at the side of the front portion 10 facing the interior of the bag 1, near the upper edge 11 of the front portion 10. The club head separating means 32 are arranged at the same side of the front part 10, but near the bottom of the bag 1. In other words, the bag 1 is arranged to accommodate golf clubs 2 in a standing manner with the club heads 2b facing downwards and the shafts 2a facing upwards. When the bag 1 is in its erected and closed use position, in which the bag 1 is carried like a conventional backpack on the back of a user, the batons 2 stand substantially upright in the bag 1. This results in a good ergonomic and comfortable transport. This position of the bag 1 is hereinafter referred to as the "bag standing position".

By accommodating the clubs in such a way that their club heads 2b are contained down inside the bag 1, the advantage is obtained that they are already turned right up (turn right side) when the user is about to use them. Since the golf clubs 2b can easily be kept separated in the bag 1, the club heads 2b can be protected against wear and at the same time no so-called head covers are needed.

According to the invention, the securing means 31 is designed as an elongated body 31a made of a flexible material, such as foam, rubber or the like, which elongated body 31a comprises a recess 31b, which recess 31b is dimensioned such that the shaft of the stick can be pushed down into one of the recesses and thereby hold the shaft, while the shaft of the stick can be removed from the recess by pulling slightly. However, it should be understood that the fixing means may also be designed in other ways. For example, one or more can be providedA holder for holding the shaft 2a of the stick. Another example is that the fixing means 31 along one part is designed as a recess at the upper edge of that part, but is not itself able to hold the bar 2a, and the adjacent part at its upper edge comprises pushing means arranged to apply pressure to the bar 2a, thereby fixing the bar 2a when the bag 1 is in its closed position.

According to a preferred embodiment, the club head separating means 32 are designed as individual bag receptacles made of a fabric material, wherein each bag receptacle is arranged to receive one club head. According to another preferred embodiment, the club head separating means 32 is designed as an elongated body 32a made of a flexible material, such as foam, rubber or the like, which elongated body 32a comprises recesses 32b, which recesses 32b are dimensioned such that a club head can be received in each recess 32b and thereby be substantially spaced from an adjacent club head when the shaft 2a of the club 2 is also fixed to the fixing means 31.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the club head separating means 32 is designed flexibly and tightly fitting such that each club head is substantially retained in the respective club head separating means once the club head has entered the device.

All the above mentioned fastening means 31 and club head separating means 32 are provided on the front part 10. However, the securing means 31 and club head separating means 32 could also be provided on the rear portion 20, or on other parts.

According to a preferred embodiment one section is arranged to face another section on its opposite side, at which the club head separating means 32 are arranged, said one section being arranged to exert pressure on the club head separating means 32 and to push the club head separating means 32 and thereby for securing the club head 2b when the bag is in the closed position of the bag.

Thus, the securing system 30 is arranged to individually secure each golf club on its shaft. Since the head of the club rests in the club head separating means 32, the club cannot rotate about the fixing point in the fixing means 31 but only about the longitudinal axis of the shaft 2a of the club. Thereby, each golf club is substantially individually secured within the bag 1. Thus, when stored or transported, the clubs 2 will not be disturbed around in the bag 1 and the club head separating means 32 also ensures that the club heads 2b do not wear or hit each other. Furthermore, the tidiness and ease of access to all the sticks 2 is ensured.

According to a preferred embodiment, the holding means 31 and the club head separating means 32 are designed to accommodate up to about half of a golf club set, in other words, the holding means 31 and the club head separating means 32 are designed to accommodate up to about seven clubs 2, one next to the other along a row. This arrangement is suitable for a bag 1 to be used, for example, when practicing golf or when performing "speed golf".

However, the bag according to the invention can also be designed for accommodating more than about seven sticks, for example an entire set of about fourteen sticks. This can be achieved, as an example, by: the securing means are arranged close to each other so that the shafts of the secured clubs are separated by the securing means, but otherwise the shafts of the secured clubs are arranged very close to each other, while the club head separating means are arranged in two rows so that every other club head is arranged in front of and/or above the club head adjacent to it.

An alternative example is to arrange the securing means 31 and the club head separating means 32 inside the front part 10 and the rear part 20 when a number of clubs are fitted in the bag 1.

Alternatively, the same effect can be obtained by arranging more than two parts in one and the same pocket. In this case, the housing of the bag is formed by two of these parts, one of which constitutes a front part and the other constitutes a rear part which can be folded out from the front part. Between them, one or possibly several parts are arranged, each of which can be folded with respect to the front part along a hinge or similar structure, preferably common to all parts. Thus, in this case, two or possibly several parts may individually comprise the above-mentioned individual fixing systems, so that the golf club can be fixed along several rows, wherein each row is arranged at one of these parts. Thereafter, by folding the rear portion out of the front portion and first opening the pocket, all sticks can be easily accessed by folding the middle portion or portions back or forth relative to the front portion in a similar manner to turning pages in a picture book.

In order to be able to stably secure the received golf club 2, each part comprising the securing means 31 further comprises stabilizing means. Such means may for example be in the form of a part made of a rigid material (e.g. rigid plastic or metal) and/or a part comprising for example a stabilizing beam.

Furthermore, the front portion 10 is preferably arranged with similar stabilizing means to provide sufficient rigidity to the bag 1 when the bag 1 is carried as a backpack. According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the front portion 10 is made of vacuum-formed plastic,Or corresponding materials, and further comprises stabilizing channels and/or beams.

The vertical positioning of the clubs 2 in the bag 1 together with the backpack-type carrying system 14 enables excellent ergonomics when transporting golf equipment with the bag 1. A sufficiently low center of gravity can be achieved, in particular because the heavier club head 2b points downwards. Further, the hip belt 16 relieves the burden on the shoulders of the user. Since the batons 2 are fixed inside the bag and since the bag 1 can be fixed to the back of the user using the carrying system 14, the bag 1 can be ergonomically pleasing even when running or walking briskly, for example, without feeling bumpy or sloshing.

It is important that the golf equipment in the bag 1 can also be transported ergonomically satisfactory when travelling with bicycles, motorcycles, etc. I.e. the bag 1 does not extend out of the side of the user, which reduces the risk of the bag 1 hitting something during transport.

Thus, the bag 1 can be opened by folding the front and rear parts 10, 20 apart. According to a preferred embodiment, the bag 1 comprises a locking arrangement 4, which locking arrangement 4 is arranged to hold the bag 1 openably in its closed position when in the activated mode. In other words, the bag 1 is opened in a manner enabling resealing. This is best shown in fig. 1a and 1 b.

The bag 1 according to fig. 1a-2b comprises support means 40, so that when the bag 1 is in the open position, the bag 1 can stand on a support surface in a stable manner, even in inclined ground and uneven grass.

According to a preferred embodiment, best shown in fig. 1a and 1b, the hip belt 16 comprises two side portions 16a and 16b, each extending perpendicularly from the bag 1 and arranged to enclose the body of the user on either side, each side portion comprising respective rigid means. The side portions 16a and 16b together constitute a support means 40. In other words, the side portions 16a and 16b are arranged to support the bag 1 by their extension from the bag 1 in two different directions in a horizontal plane, so that the bag 1 may be supported by both on its own bottom and by the side portions 16a and 16 b. For example, the stiffening means may be a plate extending in a vertical plane, substantially along the side portions 16a and 16b and being integral with the side portions 16a and 16b, and being sufficiently flexible to bend around the body of the user without using any substantial force, while being sufficiently rigid to provide the bag 1 with a good stability when the bag 1 is standing on the ground.

It is important that the bag 1 is able to stand on the ground in a stable manner, as this allows the user to easily put down the bag 1, open the bag 1 and select an appliance.

Fig. 4 shows a support device 50 according to another embodiment. The collapsible support leg 51 is arranged on the outside of one of the front part 10 and the rear part 20, on which the club 2 is arranged, in other words on the outside of the front part 10 in fig. 4. The support leg 51 is hinged to the outside of the front portion 10 by a hinge 52 at a distance upwards from the bottom of the bag 1 and is able to assume a folded-in position, which substantially abuts against the outside of the front portion 10, and a folded-out position, respectively, in which the support leg 51 is arranged to stabilize the bag 1 when the bag 1 is supported on a support surface, such as a floor.

According to a preferred embodiment (not shown) the hinged connection 52 of the support leg 51 is spring loaded (by means of a helical spring or the like) towards its folded-out position. The support leg locked at the upper edge of one of the sections is arranged to prevent the support leg 51 from folding out when the support leg lock is activated. The support leg lock is preferably a button incorporated in a handle provided at the upper edge of the front part 10 and arranged to be used when lifting the bag 1. Thus, when the bag 1 is put down by the handle, the button can be easily touched, so that the support leg 51 can be easily folded out when the bag 1 is put on the floor. Furthermore, in this case, a transmission means in the form of a link system, a wire system or the like is provided to move the support leg 51 towards the folded-in position of the support leg 51 when the two outer parts 10 and 20 are folded together to close the bag 1. Thereby, the support leg 51 is automatically folded in when the bag 1 is closed.

In this case the hinge 3 can also be spring loaded towards the open position of the bag 1. Thus, by releasing the locking means 4, the bag 1 can be automatically opened. According to a preferred embodiment, the support leg lock and the locking means 4 are one and the same device and consist of the above-mentioned lock in the handle of the bag 1.

According to another preferred embodiment, the support leg 51 is spring-loaded in the opposite direction, i.e. towards its folded-in position. In this case, the first push plate 53 is arranged at the bottom side of the bag 1, such that when the bag 1 is placed on a support surface, the first push plate 53 is pushed inwards towards the bag 1 from below by the weight of the bag 1. A second transmission 54 in the form of a link system, a wire system or the like is provided to move the support leg 51 towards its folded-out position when the first push plate 53 is pushed in. In this way, when the bag 1 is lowered onto a support surface (e.g. the ground), the support legs 51 automatically fold open, so that the bag 1 can stand in a stable manner.

As shown in fig. 4, the push plate 53, the actuator 54 and the support legs 51 are used to primarily and schematically illustrate the function of these components. Basically, the function of these components corresponds to that of a conventional golf carrying bag, wherein the support legs are folded open when the bag is lowered onto the ground.

According to another preferred embodiment the hinge 3 is spring loaded towards the closed position of the bag 1. In this case, the second push plate is arranged at the bottom side of the bag 1, so that it is pushed in from below towards the bag 1 when the bag 1 is lowered onto a support surface. A third transmission 55 in the form of a link system, a wire system or the like, schematically shown in fig. 4, is provided to fold the rear part 20 out of the front part 10 when the second push plate is pushed in, thereby moving the bag 1 towards its open position.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment shown in fig. 4, the first and second push plates are one and the same, whereby pushing of the push plates towards the bottom of the bag 1 causes the bag 1 to open and the support leg 51 to fold out. This firstly allows the bag 1 to quickly and conveniently assume a stable position when the bag 1 is lowered onto the ground, and secondly allows the user to quickly access the interior of the bag 1.

According to a preferred embodiment, the transmission means 54 and 55 can be locked using a lock or the like, which is identical to the locking means 4 described above and/or the support leg lock described above or any similar component thereof.

According to a preferred embodiment, the push plate is connected to the locking means 4 by a linkage system similar to the one described above, so that the locking means 4 can be automatically released when the bag 1 is lowered onto the ground.

According to a further preferred embodiment the handle is vertically movable relative to the bag 1 and likewise constitutes the locking means 4 and/or the support leg lock. In other words, the handle is arranged to be pulled out of the bag 1 due to the weight of the bag 1 when lifting the bag 1 using the handle, and is spring loaded such that when the user releases the handle after the bag 1 has been lowered onto a support surface, the handle is pulled back towards the bag 1 due to the action of the spring force. To this end, the handle may be arranged to release the rear portion 20 when the handle is moved downwards towards the bag 1 under the influence of the spring force, the rear portion 20 being ejected from the bag 1, so that the bag 1 is opened. Furthermore, the handle may be arranged in a corresponding manner to release the support leg 51, which is ejected from the bag 1, so that the support leg folds out when the bag 1 is lowered onto the ground and the user releases the handle. Furthermore, the handle may be arranged to cause the rear portion 20 to be reversed towards the bag 1 and/or the support leg 51 to be moved towards its folded-in position, by means of a link system or a wire system similar to those described above, when the user again lifts the bag 1 with the handle. Advantageously, this structure may have a further complementary lock, for exampleA lock, a button, etc., so that the bag 1 does not reopen when the user releases the handle, for example in order to put the bag 1 on his back. Such supplemental locks can also be used with other embodiments described herein, such as during shipping.

Thus, the present invention results in a small size, low weight bag for golf clubs and peripherals that is simple and easy to transport, even when walking, cycling, etc. Such bags provide good ergonomics during transport on a golf course and do not constitute an obstacle, especially during rapid transport and/or transport in rough terrain. Such a bag is particularly advantageous for use with only a few clubs, and is also suitable for storing golf equipment when not in use. Finally, the above-described structure for actuating the support means and opening the bag makes the bag easy to use.

A number of preferred embodiments have been described above. However, many variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. The invention is therefore not limited to the embodiments described above, but may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (12)

1. Bag (1) comprising a carrying system (14) arranged such that a user can carry the bag as a backpack for storage and transport of golf equipment, wherein the bag (1) comprises at least two parts (10; 20), each of which comprises an upper edge (11; 21) and a lower edge (12; 22), respectively, wherein the at least two parts (10; 20) are pivotably connected to each other by a hinge (3), wherein the bag (1) can be opened by folding apart the at least two parts (10; 20) along the hinge (3) towards an open position exposing the interior of the bag (1), and wherein the bag (1) comprises support means (40; 50) such that the bag (1) can stand on a support surface in a stable manner when the bag is in its open position, it is characterized by the combination of the following features: at least one of said at least two parts comprises, in its upper part, fixing means (31) for the shaft (2a) of the golf club; at least one of said at least two parts comprises in its lower part club head separation means (32) for receiving the club head (2b) of one or more golf clubs (2), wherein the shaft (2a) of said one or more golf clubs (2) is fixed to said fixing means (31); the hinge (3) is arranged along a respective lower edge (12; 22) of each of said at least two portions (10; 20).

2. Bag (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing means (31) are arranged substantially vertically above the stick head separation means (32) when the bag (1) is in the erected position of the bag (1), so that one or more golf sticks (2) can be received substantially vertically in the bag (1) in such a way that the poles (2a) of the one or more golf sticks (2) point upwards.

3. Bag (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that one and the same part comprises both the fixing means (31) and the club head separating means (32), and that said one and the same part is at least partly manufactured from a substantially rigid material, so that the position of the accommodated golf clubs (2) is substantially fixed by engagement with the fixing means (31) and by the club head separating means (32), respectively.

4. Bag (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the bag (1) comprises two parts, each part comprising both fastening means and stick head separating means.

5. Bag (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the bag (1) comprises three parts, each of two of which is pivotably interconnected with a third part, and in that the housing of the bag (1) is mainly formed by the two parts arranged furthest from each other.

6. Bag (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that one part (10) of the at least two parts comprises at its outer side facing away from the other part a stabilizing device arranged to give the bag (1) sufficient rigidity when the bag is carried as a backpack, a shoulder strap (15) and a hip strap (16).

7. Bag (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the support means (50) comprise a foldable support leg (51) arranged at one (10) of the at least two parts and at the side facing outwards from the bag (1), which support leg (51) can assume a folded-in position and a folded-out position, respectively, which fold-in position substantially abuts the outside of the one part (10), and in which folded-out position the support leg (51) is arranged to stabilize the bag (1) when the bag (1) rests on a support surface.

8. Bag (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the support leg (51) is spring-loaded towards the folded-out position of the support leg (51), a support leg lock arranged at the upper edge of one of the at least two parts (10; 20) is provided to prevent the support leg (51) from folding out when the support leg lock is activated, and first transmission means are arranged to move the support leg (51) towards the folded-in position of the support leg (51) when the at least two parts (10; 20) are folded together, thereby closing the bag (1).

9. Bag (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the support leg (51) is spring-loaded towards the folded-in position of the support leg (51), that a first push plate (53) is arranged at the bottom side of the bag (1) such that the first push plate (53) is pushed in towards the bag (1) when the bag (1) is lowered onto a support surface, and that second transmission means (54) are arranged to move the support leg (51) towards the folded-out position of the support leg (51) when the first push plate (53) is pushed in.

10. Bag (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the hip strap (16) comprises two side portions (16 a; 16b) extending vertically from the bag (1) and arranged to enclose the body of the user on each side, both side portions (16 a; 16b) comprising rigid means, and both side portions (16 a; 16b) together constituting the support means (40).

11. Bag (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinge (3) is spring-loaded towards an open position of the bag (1), and that a locking means (4) is arranged at an upper edge (11) of one of the at least two parts (10) to prevent the bag (1) from opening from a closed position of the bag when the locking means (4) is activated.

12. Bag (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinge (3) is spring-loaded towards the closed position of the bag (1), that a second push plate (53) is arranged at the bottom side of the bag (1) such that when the bag (1) is put down onto a support surface, the second push plate (53) is pushed in from below towards the bag (1), and that third transmission means (55) are provided to fold out one (20) of the at least two parts from the other part (10) towards the open position of the bag (1) when the second push plate (53) is pushed in towards the bag (1).