GB2413090A

GB2413090A - Ball carrier

Info

Publication number: GB2413090A
Application number: GB0410689A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Herbert Gardner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-05-13
Filing date: 2004-05-13
Publication date: 2005-10-19
Also published as: GB0410689D0; GB0310894D0

Abstract

This invention relates to a ball carrier, and in particular to a carrier which can be used to store temporarily a small number of balls such as golf balls which can be dispensed individually when required. The ball carrier comprises a tube 16 adapted to contain a number of balls, the tube having an opening 18 through which the balls may pass, the carrier having a movable member 20 which can move to a blocking position in which it blocks at least part of the opening 18 so as to prevent the passage of a ball therethrough, the movable member 20 being resiliently biassed towards the blocking position.

Description

241 3090 1 -

BALL CARRIER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a ball carrier, and in particular to a carrier which can be used to store temporarily a small number of balls which can be dispensed individually when required.

The invention has particular utility for the temporary storage of golf balls, and the following description therefore relates to such use. However, the use of the carrier for other balls is not thereby excluded.

15.'. '

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION,^,

A golfer will typically transport his or her clubs around.

the course in a golf bag which has a number of pockets. , ? Usually, one of the pockets will be used by the golfer to store golf balls. a 6. ë

Typically, the golfer will carry a large number of balls in his or her golf bag, comprising balls which he may wish to use and perhaps other balls which he has found during previous rounds of golf. Most golfers will typically carry a number of golf balls well in excess of the number that is likely to be required during a round of golf.

Should the golfer lose a golf ball during a round of golf he will need to obtain another golf ball from the pocket of the golf bag. If the golfer wishes to use only a certain type of golf ball it may take some time to retrieve a golf ball of that type from the pocket (which pocket will typically also contain several different ball types). In addition, the golfer should only use a golf ball which has been marked so that the golfer can later recognize the ball. Further time will be used (and wasted) if the golfer has not already - 2 marked the ball he wishes to use. Also, the balls in the pocket may be wet and/or dirty, and the golfer's hand (or golf glove) may also become wet and/or dirty when seeking to locate a particular ball within the pocket and to retrieve that ball from the pocket.

To overcome these problems the golfer could maintain a smaller store of golf balls in another pocket of the golf bag, the smaller store containing balls of the chosen type, appropriately marked and ready for use. However, most golfers do not wish to take up two pockets of their golf bag with balls, and will instead continue with a single pocket despite the consequent disadvantages. c.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION,- , , r

It is an object of the present invention to provide a ball.., carrier which avoids or reduces the above-stated problems. . Specifically, the ball carrier enables the temporary storage of a number of balls without taking up an existing pocket of a the golf bag for example. . '.

According to the invention, there is provided a ball carrier comprising a tube adapted to contain a number of balls, the tube having an opening through which the balls may pass, the carrier having a movable member which can move to a blocking position in which it blocks at least part of the opening so as to prevent the passage of a ball therethrough, the movable member being resiliently biassed towards the blocking position.

When it is desired to remove a ball from the carrier the movable member may be moved against the resilient bias to expose all of the opening and allow the passage of a ball therethrough. - 3 -

Preferably, the opening is in the side of the tube adjacent one end thereof, and the movable member is longitudinally movable relative to the tube. Desirably, the movable member is carried by an end cap for the tube.

Preferably, the movable member is resiliently biassed by a resilient biassing means; preferably also the resilient biassing means is a compression spring.

Desirably, the movable member is a piston which is movable within the tube. It is not necessary that the piston is a tight fit within the tube and it should preferably be substantially freely-movable within the tube.

Preferably, the opening is sufficiently large to allow a ball within the tube to be grasped by the golfer. In this way, when a ball is to be removed from the carrier the ball adjacent the opening may be grasped and urged out of the me.: opening to overcome the resilient biassing means; it is not necessary for the golfer to press or otherwise engage the movable member directly. When a ball has been removed from ..

the carrier the movable member is urged back towards its,...

blocking position preventing another ball from passing '' through the opening until that ball is required. .. :.

Desirably, the tube is substantially rigid. Desirably also, the internal dimension of the tube is slightly greater than the diameter of the balls. These features will ensure that the balls are substantially freelymovable within the tube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.1 is a side view of the carrier according to the invention, containing three golf balls; and - 4 Fig.2 is a detailed view of the movable member, resilient biassing means, and end cap of the carrier of Fig.1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The ball carrier 10 shown in Fig.1 is adapted for the temporary storage of three golf balls 12. The carrier 10 is therefore designed for a golfer who may use up to four golf balls in a typical round of golf (the golfer loading up the carrier 10 with three golf balls 12 before the round of golf and commencing the round with a fourth golf ball).

Because the carrier 10 contains only three golf balls, it is relatively easy to ensure that all of the balls 12 are of the type chosen to be used by the golfer, and all of the balls can be marked by the golfer before being loaded into the carrier 10. Clearly, in other embodiments the carrier could be adapted to contain two, or more than three, golf balls as desired, and a carrier adapted to contain four golf balls is presently preferred.

The carrier 10 is not expected to be the only store of golf balls for the golfer, and the golf bag (not shown) will typically have a pocket for other golf balls which the golfer may find during a round of golf, or which he or she may wish to play with during other rounds of golf.

To secure the carrier 10 to the golf bag it has an eyelet 14 which can receive a cord, chain and/or spring clip by which it may be secured to the golf bag in known fashion.

The carrier 10 comprises a tube 16 which is slightly longer than the diameter of three golf balls 12. Adjacent one end the tube has an opening 18 which is large enough to permit the passage of a golf ball 12 therethrough. The tube 16 carries a movable member 20 which is movable to a blocking - 5 - position as shown in Fig.1 in which it serves to block the opening 18 and prevent the passage of a ball 12 therethrough.

The movable member 20 is shown in more detail in Fig.2. The movable member comprises a piston which is slidable within the tube 16, and is urged towards its blocking position by a resilient biassing means, in this embodiment a compression spring 22. The compression spring 22 acts against an end cap 24 which is secured to the end of the tube 16.

Accordingly, both ends of the tube 16 are closed, and the opening 18 is the only means for loading or removing a golf ball 12.

Though not shown in the drawings, the movable member 20 preferably carries an O-ring or circlip and the inside wall of the tube 16 has a collar or the like which is engageable by the O-ring or circlip so as to limit the movement of the movable member 20 (i.e. to prevent leftwards movement of the movable member beyond the blocking position shown in Fig. 1).

' ': Alternatively, it can be arranged that the movement of the movable member 20 is defined by the range of movement of the spring 22, i.e. the leftwards movement of the movable member (as drawn in Fig.1) is limited to a position defined by the rest position of the spring. In such embodiments the respective ends of the spring 22 can be secured to the end cap 24 and to the movable member 20.

It will be understood that the compression spring 22 should be sufficiently strong to support the weight of the chosen number of golf balls 12 (in this embodiment three), i.e. when the carrier is hanging from the eyelet 14 all or large part of the weight of the golf balls 12 loaded therein will act upon the movable member 20 and it is necessary that the movable member is maintained in the blocking position to prevent the golf balls falling out of the opening 18. - 6

However, the compression spring 22 should allow the movable member 20 to be moved by the golfer when desired. Thus, the size of the opening 18 is sufficiently large for the partially-exposed golf ball 12 to be grasped by the golfer; when it is desired to remove a golf ball from the carrier 10 the golfer grasps that ball and pulls it through the opening, during which movement the movable member is urged towards the end cap 24 and away from its blocking position as the compression spring 22 is partially compressed.

When one golf ball 12 has been removed, the compression spring 22 causes the movable member 20 to resume its blocking position, retaining the remaining ball(s) 12 within the tube 16.

It will also be understood that the distance through which the blocking member 20 must move, and therefore the required stroke of the spring 22, is relatively small, and springs other than compression springs could be used if desired.

It is desired that the tube 16 be substantially rigid.

Also, it is desired that the tube 16 has an internal dimension (e.g. a diameter if the tube is of the preferred circular cross-section) slightly greater than the diameter of the golf balls 12. The golf balls 12 are therefore substantially freely movable within the tube 16, which ensures that when the carrier is suspended by way of the eyelet 14 a golf ball 12 will lie upon the movable member 20 adjacent the opening 18 and be ready to be removed when required.

A suitable material for the tube 16 and end cap 24 would be polished or colour anodised aluminium, which is lightweight and yet has a pleasing appearance likely to appeal to golfers.

The movable member 20 in this embodiment is in the form of a flat plate 26 with a surrounding lip 30. The plate 26 is - 7 slightly smaller than the inner dimension of the tube 16 and so the movable member 20 is substantially freely slidable therewithin. In use, part of the lip 30 will engage the inner surface of the tube 16, and the lip 30 is sufficiently long to ensure that the axis of the movable member 20 remains substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the tube 16.

In Fig.2 the movable member 20, the compression spring 22, and the end cap 24 are shown as separate components, but they may be secured together and fitted as a complete unit, if desired. Also, if desired the plate 26 may be formed slightly concave to help ensure that the golf ball 12 which engages the plate 26 is urged towards the longitudinal axis of the tube 16. :e I I r I r l . - 8 -

Claims

1. A ball carrier comprising a tube adapted to contain a number of balls, the tube having an opening through which the balls may pass, the carrier having a movable member which can move to a blocking position in which it blocks at least part of the opening so as to prevent the passage of a ball therethrough, the movable member being resiliently biassed towards the blocking position.

2. A ball carrier according to claim 1 in which the opening is in the side of the tube adjacent one end thereof.

3. A ball carrier according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the movable member is longitudinally movable relative to the tube. .

4. A ball carrier according to claim 3 in which the movable member is a piston which can slide within the.. tube.

5. A ball carrier according to any one of claims 1-4 in which the movable member is carried by an end cap for the tube.

6. A ball carrier according to any one of claims 1-5 in which the movable member is resiliently biassed by a compression spring.

7. A ball carrier according to any one of claims 1-6 in which the tube is substantially rigid.

8. A ball carrier according to any one of claims 1-7 in which the internal dimension of the tube is slightly greater than the diameter of the balls. - 9 -

9. A ball carrier constructed and arranged subsantially as described in relation to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings. . . r >