DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY SUPPLYING GOLF BALLS

• US 20140113735A1
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jae-Woo Choi
• Original Assignee: Jae-Woo Choi
• Inventors: Choi, Jae-Woo
• Granted Patent: US 9,044,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/136
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/002 Devices for dispensing balls, e.g. from a reservoir automatic teeing devices A63B57/0006; devices for projecting balls A63B69/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/0006 Automatic teeing devices devices for automatically dispensing balls in general A63B47/002

Abstract

A novel device for automatically supplying golf balls. A stopper, a golf ball lifting part, an inclined guide part and an inclined lifting part disposed inside a main body cooperate with each other to automatically lift a golf ball from a rear portion of the main body by placing the golf ball on a lifting tee so that a golfer can hit the ball using a driver. An iron shot hitting part is further provided at one side of the main body so that the golfer can practice driver shots and iron shots concurrently and conveniently at the same time. The lifting tee is inclined to the left in order to supply a ball seated on the inclined lifting part to the iron shot hitting part. The iron shot hitting part has a plurality of detection recesses with which a golfer or a beginner can correct his/her posture.

Claims

1. A device for automatically supplying golf balls comprising:

a main body (10) comprising a plurality of plate members (11a, 11b) which are spaced apart from each other to define a transport space part (11c);

a golf ball supplying part (20) disposed in a front lower portion of the main body (10);

an eccentric cam (50) disposed on a drive shaft (41) of a motor (40) disposed on an upper central portion of one surface of the main body (10), the drive shaft (41) being disposed in the transport space part (11c);

a golf ball lifting part (60) comprising a drive bar (64) for receiving a golf ball (G) from the golf ball supplying part (20), wherein the drive bar is connected to a first pivot member fitted around a first pivot shaft (61) disposed in front of and below the drive shaft (41), a rear portion of the drive bar is inclined in a back to front direction so as to be driven through an operation of the eccentric cam (50), and the drive bar has a lifting part (63) in a front portion thereof;

an inclined guide part (70) disposed in front of the golf ball lifting part (60) and behind a stopper (30), the inclined guide part comprising a slope (71) for receiving the golf ball (G) lifted on the golf ball lifting part (60);

an inclined lifting part (80) disposed in front of a second pivot member (82) fitted around a second pivot shaft (81) disposed behind and above the drive shaft (41), the inclined lifting part comprising a lifting bar (83) having a slope (83a) which faces the inclined guide part (70) so as to receive the golf ball (G) guided on the inclined guide part (70); and

a tee-up part (100) comprising a link (104), wherein one end of the link is disposed at an exposed drive shaft (41a) of the drive shaft (41) which extends through the plate member (11b) so as to be exposed, a gear (91a) disposed behind and above the plate member (11b), and a chain (92a), wherein a front portion of the chain is connected to the other end of the link (104), a lower portion of the chain moves on an outer circumference of the gear (91a), and a rear portion of the chain is connected to a lifting part (103).

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the stopper (30) is disposed between the golf ball supplying part (20) and the golf ball lifting part (60), wherein the stopper is disposed in a front lower portion of the main body (10), the stopper pivots on a hinge (31) in order to open and close an outlet of the golf ball supplying part (20) so that the golf ball (G) enters and exits a lower portion of the transport space part (11c), and a lower fixing protrusion (32a) is formed on the stopper and is disposed using a first return spring (33) so as to be connected to a fixing protrusion (32) formed on a portion of the main body (10).

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the drive bar (64) of the golf ball lifting part (60) is disposed on the first pivot member (62), is driven with one portion thereof being butted to an inner surface of the plate member (11a), and is inclined with a rear portion thereof being butted to a bottom surface of the eccentric cam (50), and a front portion of the drive bar is bent toward the other side to provide a lifting part (63) which lifts the golf ball (G), and wherein a catching projection is provided on a front portion of the drive bar (64), and presses an upper front portion of the stopper (30).

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the tee-up part comprises a plurality of lift rods (102) which is disposed on a base plate (11d), a lifting plate (105) which is connected to an inner surface of the lifting part (103) which is lifted along the plurality of lift rods (102), and a lifting tee (106) which is disposed behind and inward from the lifting plate (105) to receive the golf ball (G) from the inclined lifting part (80).

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the golf ball lifting part (60) comprises a lift hole (66) formed in a surface of the main body (10), a fixing protrusion (67) disposed on a rear portion of the golf ball lifting part, the fixing protrusion adjoining the drive shaft (41) and extending through the lift hole (66) so as to be exposed, a lower fixing protrusion (68) formed below the lift hole, and a second return spring (69) connecting the fixing protrusion (67) to the lower fixing protrusion (68).

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the golf ball supplying part (20) is formed as a cylinder that a plurality of the golf balls (G) enters and exits, and is disposed in front of the main body (10) at an incline.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein the tee-up part further comprises a pivot shaft (107) which extends through the lifting plate (105), a fixing part (109) which has a fixing hole (108) in a rear portion thereof to which a front portion of the pivot shaft (107) is fixed, and a fixing hole (110) which is formed in an upper portion and a front portion of the fixing part (109) which are connected to each other, wherein a lower portion of the lifting tee (106) is fixed to the fixing hole (110).

8. The device of claim 7, wherein a guide recess (111) is formed in the plate member (11b) positioned at the other side of the fixing part (109).

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the tee-up part further comprises a pivoting part (112) which is disposed on an outer circumference of the pivot shaft (107) exposed behind the lifting plate (105), a driving part (114a) which is provided at one side of the fixing part (109) and has a driving shaft portion (114) communicating with the drive motor (113), and a third return spring (116) which connects the driving shaft portion (114) to a lower fixing part (115) formed on a lower portion of the pivoting part (112).

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the tee-up part further comprises a fourth return spring (117) which connects an upper portion of the driving part (114a) to an upper fixing portion (115a) formed on an upper portion of the pivoting part (112).

11. The device of claim 1, wherein an iron shot hitting part (200) is provided at one side of the main body (10).

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the iron shot hitting part (200) comprises a first seating plate (210) disposed at a bottom, a second seating plate (220) seated on the first seating plate (210), a fixing plate (230) seated on the second seating plate (220), and a grass part (240) disposed on the fixing plate.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the first seating plate (210) comprises a plurality of springs (211) disposed on an upper periphery thereof.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the second seating plate (220) comprises a plurality of guide recesses (221) formed in an upper periphery thereof and a plurality of detection recesses (222) formed in a central portion thereof.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein transport rolls (223) are disposed in the guide recesses (221), and sensors (224) are disposed in the detection recesses (222).

16. The device of claim 12, wherein each of the fixing plate (230) and the grass part (240) has an exposure hole (231) in a central portion thereof through which the detection recesses (222) of the second seating plate (220) are exposed.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the iron shot hitting part further comprises a control part (250) which controls the motor (40) and the drive motor (113).

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the sensors (224) are controlled by the control part (250).

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the control part (250) is connected to a display part (260).

20. The device of claim 7, wherein the lifting tee (106) comprises a space part (106a) formed inside the lifting tee, a through-hole (106b) formed in a lower portion of the space part (106a) to communicate with the space part (106a), a wire (106c), a portion of the wire being inserted into the through-hole (106b) and the space part (106a), and another portion of the wire being exposed below the through-hole (106b), upper and lower fixed rings (106d, 106e) respectively fixed to upper and lower portions of the wire (106c), an inner movable ring (106f positioned at a bottom of the space part (106a), the wire (106c) being fitted into the inner movable ring (106f, an outer movable ring (106g) positioned on a bottom surface of the lifting tee (106), the wire (106c) being fitted into the outer movable ring (106g), an inner spring (106h) positioned between the upper fixed ring (106d) and the inner movable ring (106f, the wire (106c) being fitted into the inner spring (106h), and an outer spring (106i) positioned between the outer movable ring (106g) and the lower fixed ring (106e), the wire (106c) being fitted into the outer spring (106i).

21. The device of claim 12, wherein the grass part (240) comprises a base plate (241) disposed at a bottom, an elastic member (242) disposed on the base plate (241), and a number of grass seedlings (240a) disposed on an upper portion of the elastic member (242).

22. The device of claim 12, wherein the second seating plate (220) comprises a pressure sensor (225) and a limit switch (226) disposed on a front inner portion thereof, the pressure sensor (225) being connected to the control part (250).

23. The device of claim 1, wherein the eccentric cam (50) comprises a plurality of bearings (51) disposed on an outer circumference of the eccentric cam.

24. The device of claim 1, wherein the stopper (30) comprises a guide roll (34) which is positioned above the stopper (30) and is disposed in a front portion of the main body (10).

25. The device of claim 12, wherein the grass part (240) comprises a number of grass seedlings (240a) and a protruding grass seedling (240b), the protruding grass seedling being provided on a central portion of the grass part (240) and is longer than the number of grass seedlings (240a) in a longitudinal direction.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the number of grass seedlings (240a) and the protruding grass seedling (240b) have different colors.

27. The device of claim 21, wherein the grass part (240) comprises a number of grass seedlings (240a) and a protruding grass seedling (240b), the protruding grass seedling being provided on a central portion of the grass part (240) and is longer than the number of grass seedlings (240a) in a longitudinal direction.