US20050103661A1

US20050103661A1 - Packaging for golf tees

Info

Publication number: US20050103661A1
Application number: US10/499,496
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank Dorner
Original assignee: Digicard GmbH
Current assignee: Digicard GmbH
Priority date: 2001-12-18
Filing date: 2002-09-11
Publication date: 2005-05-19
Also published as: CA2470617A1; AU2002342676A1; EP1455908A2; EP1455908B1; WO2003051468A3; DE10162240A1; WO2003051468A2; DE50209610D1; ATE355109T1

Abstract

A package for golf tees (15) consisting of a wrapper formed from a cutout, said wrapper having a front-panel section (1), a rear-panel section (2) and a cover section (3) which can be folded down on the front-panel section (1). In the cutout, provision is made for holes (14) in which the golf tees (15) are inserted. Further, the cutout has at least one further hole (24) punched in it through which the tip (23) of a ball marker (22) is inserted into a divot fork (21).

Description

The invention pertains to a package for golf tees in accordance with the general term laid down in Claim 1.
The holding devices on which a golf ball is placed for drives are designated as golf tees. The tees have a shaft ending in a tip which is stuck into the earth and a head usually broadening out conically to create a recess in which the ball is placed. The tees can be made, for example, out of wood, plastic or biodegradable material. From GB-A 353272, a package for golf tees is already known consisting of a wrapper made out of a cutout in accordance with the general term laid down in Claim 1.
Other small short-lived articles used in playing golf, which can consist of the same materials, are divot forks and ball markers. The divot fork is used to repair indentations caused by the ball hitting the green. The ball marker is used to mark the position of the ball on the green.
Golf tees, divot forks and ball markers are generally stored in bags or boxes that are relatively large and therefore inconvenient. From U.S. Pat. No. b 6,102,201, an accessory attachable to a belt is already known which has loops for inserting golf tees, a hole for inserting a ball marker and a pocket for holding a divot fork.
The object of the invention is to provide a simple small-volume package which, if at all possible, holds all small articles used in playing golf and does so in such a way that these articles are readily accessible.
In this invention, this object is achieved with the package designated in Claim 1. The sub-claims describe the advantageous features of the invention.
The package in accordance with this invention consists of an essentially rectangular cutout of cardboard, plastic or a similar flat material. From this cutout, a wrapper is formed whose essential sections are a front-panel section, a rear-panel section and a cover section. The wrapper is obtained by bending these sections along the bending lines between these sections.
In the front-panel section, and preferably in a step-shaped section in the front-panel section, provisions are made preferably for four to six punched holes in each of which one golf tee can be inserted. The cover section is folded over the golf tees inserted in the front panel section in order to close the package.
The step-shaped section is formed by two creasing or bending lines running crosswise in the front panel. The front-panel section and the rear-panel section are preferably connected to each other by a bending line running crosswise.
To cover the heads of the golf tees inserted in the front panel, provision is made for a connecting section to which the cover section and the rear-panel section are each connected by a creasing or bending line running crosswise. To close the wrapper, the cover section can have an insertion tab at its front end which can be inserted into an insertion slit in the corresponding opposite side of the package, for example, in the front-panel section. Instead of an insertion tab, however, provision can also be made, for example, for an adhesive tab which can be affixed to the corresponding opposite side of the package. Of course, other approaches could also be used for closing the package.
The rear-panel section preferably has a section pre-punched in such a way that it can form a hanging device for the package to be hung on a sales display stand.
The package is further devised to hold one or several ball markers. For this purpose, the cutout has at least one further hole through which the tip of a ball marker can be inserted.
In addition, the package is devised to hold at least one divot fork. The divot fork is preferably fastened with at least one ball marker, and specifically in such a way that the tip of the ball marker is inserted through the hole in this cutout and then into at least one corresponding hole or a similar recess in the divot fork to create a clamped engagement. The holes for holding the ball markers and for fastening the divot fork in the package are preferably to be put in an inner-panel section connected to the front-panel section with at least one, preferably however two, bending lines running crosswise in order to form a connecting section which extends over the divot fork arranged between the inner section and the front-panel section.
The package in accordance with this invention can further be devised to hold a pencil or a like writing utensil.
For this purpose, provision can be made for at least one loop on the connecting section between the front-panel section and the inner-panel section on the inner side, i.e. on the side of the connecting section facing the divot fork. The loop is preferably created by providing for two longitudinal cuts on the connecting section, which cuts extend over the bending line between the connecting section and the inner-panel section, whereby the part of the cutout between these two longitudinal cuts are pressed inward, i.e. in the direction of the divot fork, to form a loop.
Below an executed design of the package in accordance with the invention is explained in greater detail with reference to the drawing by way of example. The figures show the following:
FIG. 1A perspective view of the package with opened cover section and partially removed divot fork and removed ball markers; and
FIG. 2A view from above of the cutout for producing the package, with divot fork.
As shown in FIG. 2, the package consists essentially of a rectangular cutout which has, as shown in FIG. 1 and 2, a front-panel section 1, a rear-panel section 2, a cover section 3 and an inner-panel section 4.
The front-panel section 1 is connected to the rear-panel section 2 by a bending line 5, which, like all bending lines mentioned below, runs crosswise to the longitudinal direction of the cutout. This means that all bending lines run parallel to each other. This is also true of the bending lines mentioned below.
To connect the cover section 3 to the rear-panel section 2, provision is made for a connecting section 6 which is connected to the cover section 3 and to the rear-panel section 2 by a bending line 7 and 8, respectively. Further, provision is made for a connecting section 9 which is connected to the inner-panel section 4 by a bending line 11 and to the front-panel section 1 by a bending line 12.
In the front-panel section 1 of the package (FIG. 1), provision is made for a step-shaped section 13 in which, for example, are placed six equally spaced holes 14, each for the insertion of one golf tee 15, said holes being arranged next to each other in a row running crosswise. The step-shaped section 13 is formed by bending the cutout at the two bending lines 16, 17 in the front-panel section 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the heads 18 of the golf tees 15 are arranged with their recess 19 on the upper side of the step-shaped section 13 while the tips of the golf tees 15, not visible in this figure, extend to the bending line 5 between the front-panel section 1 and the inner-panel section 4 of the package. Thus, the heads 18 of the golf tees 15 are arranged on the outside when the cover section 3 of the package is opened as shown in FIG. 1 so that they can be drawn by hand out of the holes 14 in the step-shaped section 13 of the package.
On the inner-panel section 4, a divot fork 21 is fastened to the side of the package facing the front-panel section 1. For fastening the divot fork 21, at least one ball marker 22 is used, its tip 23 being inserted through a hole in the inner-panel section 4 and into a hole 25 in the divot fork 21.
In a further hole 24 in the inner-panel section 4, a further ball marker 22 can be inserted without engaging with the divot fork 21. In other words, the head 30 of the ball marker 22 is arranged between the rear-panel section 2 and the inner-panel section 4 of the package. To remove the divot fork 21, the package is opened up to the extent that the ball marker 22 can be grasped by the head 30 and drawn out of the hole 25 in the divot fork 21.
The connecting section 9 is at least as wide as the divot fork 21 is thick. The connecting section 6 is at least as wide as the maximum diameter of the heads 18 of the golf tees 15 plus the width of the connecting section 9.
To close the package, provision is made for an insertion tab 26 at the free end of the cover section 3 which tab can, for example, be inserted into a curved insertion slit 27, which slit is located in the front-panel section 1 between the step-shaped section 13 and the bending line 5 with which the front-panel section 1 is linked to the rear-panel section 2.
Punched in the rear-panel section 2 is a tab 28 which can be swiveled outward at the bending line 7. The tab 28 can be used as a hanger. For this purpose, it has a pre-punched slit 29.
The package is thus devised as a wrapper. For this purpose, the other sections 9, 1, 2, 6 and 3 of the cutout (FIG. 2) are wrapped around inner-panel section 4 by bending the cutout at the bending lines 11, 12, 5, 7 and 8. In addition, the section 13 of the cutout is made into the step 13 (FIG. 1) by folding said section at the bending lines 16, 17.
Further, the package has a receptacle for a pencil 32 or similar writing utensil. For this purpose, a provision is made for a loop 33 on the connecting section 9 between the front-panel section 1 and the inner-panel section 4 on the inside, i.e. on the side of the connecting section 9 of the package facing the divot fork 21.
The loop 33 is created by making two longitudinal cuts 34, 35 on the connecting section 9 which cuts extend over the bending line 11 between the connecting section 9 and the inner-panel section 4. The part of the cutout between the two cross-cuts 34, 35 is pressed inward, i.e. toward the divot fork 21 in the package as shown in FIG. 1, to form the loop 33. For this purpose, a provision is made for the bending line 36 with which the loop 33 is attached to the inner-panel section 4 and the bending line 37 in the middle of the loop 33.
In particular, the exterior sides of the package, e.g. the outside of the cover section 3, can be printed, for example, with advertising.
The package in accordance with this invention is suitable in particular as advertisement, in particular for so-called (start) gifts at a tournament or other golf events at which a sponsor advertises and also gives out the necessary accessories as gifts.

Claims

1. Package for golf tees consisting of a wrapper, formed out of a cutout, having a front-panel section (1), a rear-panel section (2) and a cover section (3) which can be folded down on the front-panel section (1), which cover section (3) covers the golf tees (15) inserted in holes (14) in the cutout, characterized by the cutout having at least one further hole (24) punched in it through which the tip (23) of a ball marker (22) is inserted in a divot fork (21).

2. Package as described in claim 1 characterized by the front-panel sction (1) having a step-shaped section (13) formed by two bending lines (16, 17) in which holes (14) are provided for the insertion of golf tees (15).

3. Package as described in claim 2 characterized by the front-panel section (1) and the rear-panel section (2) being connected to each other by at least one bending line (5).

4. Package as described in claim 1 characterized by at least one connecting section (6) connecting the cover section (3) to the rear-panel section (2) by one bending line each (7, 8).

5. Package as described in claim 1 characterized by a tab (28) being punched in the rear-panel section (2) for use as a hanger.

6. Device as described in claim 1 characterized by provision being made for at least one further hole (24), through which the ball marker (22) is inserted, in an inner-panel section (4) which section is connected to the front-panel section (1) by at least one bending line (11, 12).

7. Package as described in claim 6 characterized by provision being made for a connecting section (9) extending over one bending line in each case (11, 12) to connect the inner-panel section (2) to the front-panel section (1).

8. Package as described in claims claim 6 characterized by the divot fork (21) being arranged on the side of the inner-panel section (4) of the package facing the front-panel section (1).

9. Package as described in claim 1 characterized by the cutout having a loop (33) in which a writing utensil (32) is inserted.

10. Device as described in claim 9 characterized by the loop (33) being provided for on the connecting section (9) between the front-panel section (1) and the inner-panel section (4).

11. Package as described in claim 10 characterized by two longitudinal cuts (34, 35) being provided for on the connecting section (9) to create the loop (33), which cuts extend over the bending line (11) between the connecting section (9) and the inner-panel section (4), whereby the part of the cutout between the two longitudinal cuts (34, 35) is pressed inward to form the loop (33).