Device for Repairing Golf Ball Marks

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a device for repairing golf ball marks. The device includes a pin, a base and three or more prongs which are fixed to the base and extend in an opposite direction to the pin. The tips of the prongs are sloped. The inner sides of the prongs form a round shape in such a way that the inner edge of the slope part is a sharp protuberance. This protuberance is found at the thickest part of the prong. The device is pushed into the soil in such a way that the prongs surround the ball-mark. The inner sides of the prongs shift soil towards the centre of the ball-mark and the protuberance loosens the soil when the device is inserted into the soil. After that the soil is tamped down with, for example, a golf club to even out the putting surface.

Claims

1. A device for repairing golf ball marks, the device comprising a pin, a base and three or more prongs, and the base has a first surface, a second surface and an edge of the base, the pin is fixed on a central area on the first surface and the pin is configured to be inserted at least into a vent hole in the grip of a golf club, and the device has a longitudinal axis and the pin defines said longitudinal axis, and the prongs are fixed to the base and the prongs extend in an opposite direction to the pin or deviates at maximum 10 degrees, and there is a second surface level which is a horizontal level on the second surface at the longitudinal axis, and the prong is an elongated structure and the prong comprises an outer side, an inner side and an end part, and the inner side is facing towards the longitudinal axis of the device and the outer side is facing away from the longitudinal axis, and at the end part is a sloping section having a first edge, which is a tip of the prong, the device comprising the sloping section further having a second edge -and the second edge is on the inner side and the second edge is closer to the longitudinal axis and the second surface level than the first edge, and there are parts on the prong between the second edge and the second surface level where the thickness of the prong, the horizontal distance between the outer side and the inner side, is smaller than the thickness of the prong at the second edge, and the distances of the tips of all the prongs from the longitudinal axis is greater than the radius of a golf ball.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein in that the first edge and the second edge are arranged horizontally.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein a length of the first edge is greater than a length of the second edge.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein vertical distances between the second surface level and the second edge is greater than the radius of a golf ball.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first surface is flat.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the inner sides of the prongs between the second edge and second surface level follow a curvature of a golf ball.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the prongs are arranged symmetrically in relation to the longitudinal axis.

8. The device according to claim 1, further comprising four prongs wherein each prong has a counterpart on the opposite side of the edge of the base.

9. The device according to claim 1, further comprising six prongs wherein each prong has a counterpart on the opposite side of the edge of the base.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal cross-section of the prong is a quadrangle.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein an outer side of the prong is at least partly vertical.

12. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a groove or grooves on the pin arranged to keep the pin in a vent hole in a grip of a golf club.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein an angle between the sloping section and a surface that is parallel to the second surface level is between 30 and 70 degrees.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein first edges of the sloping sections the prongs define a first circle and second edges of the sloping sections of the prongs define a second circle, and a diameter of the first circle is larger than a diameter of a golf ball and a diameter of the second circle is smaller than the diameter of a golf ball.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein the prongs are configured to clamp a golf ball between them in such a way that the golf ball is attachable to the device and removable from the device.

Description

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In the following, the present disclosure is described in detail. The description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0030] FIG. 1a depicts an example of a device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 1b depicts a side view of the device depicted in FIG. 1;

[0032] FIG. 1c depicts a cross section of the device depicted in FIG. 1; and

[0033] FIG. 2 depicts another example of a device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS

[0034] The embodiments in the following description are given as examples only and someone skilled in the art can carry out the basic idea of the present disclosure also in some other way than what is described in the description. Though the description may refer to a certain embodiment or embodiments in several places, this does not mean that the reference would be directed towards only one described embodiment or that the described characteristic would be usable only in one described embodiment. The individual characteristics of two or more embodiments may be combined and new embodiments of the present disclosure may thus be provided.

[0035] FIGS. 1a-1c depict an example of a device 100. The device comprises a base 101, a pin 103 and in this embodiment six prongs 102.

[0036] In FIG. 1a the device is seen from below. In FIG. 1b it is seen from the side and in FIG. 1c a cross-section of the device is shown.

[0037] The base 101 is, in this example, a flat body comprising a first surface 107, a second surface 113 and an edge 114 of the base. The pin 103 is an elongated structure. The pin is fixed to a central area on the first surface. The pin is configured to be inserted into a vent hole in the grip of a golf club. Naturally, this configuration also allows insertion of the pin into another body that could function as a grip. The body should have a hole or similar into or to which the pin could be inserted or attached. In some embodiments the pin has a groove or grooves or similar shapings. These shapings help to keep the pin in place when the pin is inserted into a body or a golf club. In some embodiments, the first surface is flat so as to improve the stationary position of the device when it is inserted into a body or a golf club. The horizontal level on the second surface at the longitudinal axis is a second surface level 108.

[0038] The device 100 has a longitudinal axis 109. The pin defines the longitudinal axis of the device. The axis (longitudinal) of the pin is congruent to the longitudinal axis of the device.

[0039] The prongs 102 are on the edge 114 of the base 101. In this example, the prongs are hook-like structures which extend first in a horizontal direction, away from the longitudinal axis 109 and then extend vertically. The prong comprises an upper part, an outer side 104, an inner side 105 and an end part. The upper part of the prong is fixed to the edge of the base. The inner side is facing towards the longitudinal axis of the device and the outer side is facing away from the longitudinal axis. There are embodiments where the prongs are fixed differently. What is essential is that they form a ring that is placeable around a ball-mark and there are no prongs inside this ring and the distances of the tips of all the prongs from the longitudinal axis is greater than the radius of a golf ball. The edge of the base could extend beyond this ring.

[0040] At the end part of the prong 102 is a sloping section 106, having a first edge 110, and a second edge 111. The first edge is a tip of the prong. The second edge is on the inner side 105. The sloping section forms at the end part of the prong a wedgelike structure and the thin part of the wedge is on the outer side 104. The second edge is closer to the longitudinal axis and the second surface level than the first edge. In an advantageous embodiment, the first edge and the second edge are horizontal, i.e. they are parallel to the second surface level 108. In some embodiments, the length of the first edge is greater than the length of the second edge. Also, there are embodiments where the horizontal cross-section of the prong is a quadrangle, i.e. there are four angles. These embodiments improve soil loosening and shifting. To improve insertion of the device 100 into the soil there are embodiments in which the outer side of the prong is at least partly vertical.

[0041] At the second edge 111 the prong 102 is thicker in the horizontal direction than the prong immediately above and below the second edge. This means that at the second edge is a protuberance 112 in the prong. Advantageously, the slope upwards, i.e. towards the second surface level 108, is steeper than the sloping section 106. This protuberance will open the hole for the prong and loosen the soil when it is inserted into the soil. The protuberance also lifts soil when the device is lifted from the soil.

[0042] In this example, there are six prongs 102 that are placed symmetrically in relation to the longitudinal axis 109. Each prong has a counterpart on the opposite side of the edge 114 of the base 101. The device can be implemented with three, four of five prongs. When using a device with less than six prongs, two or more insertions may be required to lift and loosen enough soil to repair a ball-mark. Using a device with more than six prongs may result in too much loose soil and/or damage to the grass roots. There are embodiments where only some of the prongs are shaped as was described before. The unshaped prongs could be straight sharp structures which are situated between the shaped prongs.

[0043] The upper parts of the inner sides 105 of the prongs 102 are curved towards the longitudinal axis 109. This means that the thickness of the prongs increases in the upper parts of the prongs. When inserting the device 100 into the soil, these thicker parts of the prongs push soil towards the centre of the ball-mark and thus improve the efficiency of the device. In some embodiments, between the prongs, the edge 114 of the base is curved and forms a sharp edge. The edge of the base between the prongs is closer to the level of the tips of the prongs than the second surface level 108, i.e. the vertical distance from the second surface level to the level of the tips of the prongs is longer than the distance of the edge of the base between the prongs to the level of the tips of the prongs.

[0044] When developing a device for repairing ball-marks it has been determined that the device 100 is also suitable for picking up and carrying golf balls. In an embodiment the prongs 102 can be configured to clamp a golf ball between them in such a way that the golf ball is attachable to the device and removable from the device. This means that the first edges of the sloping sections of the prongs define a first circle and the second edges of the sloping sections of the prongs define a second circle, and the diameter of the first circle is larger than the diameter of a golf ball and the diameter of the second circle is smaller than the diameter of a golf ball. Also, the prongs should be at least partly elastic. In one embodiment, the vertical distance between the second surface level and the second edge is bigger than the radius of a golf ball. Also, the inner sides 105 of the prongs between the second edge 111 and second surface level 108 follow at least partly the curvature of a golf ball. Because the device can be placed on the end of a golf club, the device can be an aid for golf players who have difficulty with kneeling. Such players can use the device for both repairing ball-marks and for picking up golf balls.

[0045] FIG. 2 depicts a second example of the device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device comprises a base 201, a pin 203 and in this embodiment six prongs 202. The base comprises a first surface 207, a second surface (not marked in the figure) and an edge 214 of the base.

[0046] The prong 202 comprises an upper part and an end part. The upper part of the prong is fixed to the edge 214. The prong also comprises an outer side 204 and an inner side 205. At the end part of the prong is a sloping section 206 having a first edge 210, and a second edge 211, both of which are horizontal. At the second edge is a protuberance 212 in the prong. The protuberance forms a thicker part in the end part of the prong.

[0047] In this embodiment the prongs 202 are manufactured separately and then attached to the body 201. There are embodiments where the body and the prongs are made in one piece. The material of the device 200 can be for example plastic, metal or some combination of different materials.

[0048] Some advantageous embodiments of the device according to the present disclosure have been described above. The present disclosure is however not limited to the embodiments described above, but the inventive idea can be applied in numerous ways within the scope of the claims.