Device for practicing golf

• US 6,881,154 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rudolph John Neskudla
• Original Assignee: Rudolph John Neskudla
• Inventors: Walmsley, Timothy John, Micalizzi, Carmelo Giovanni, Neskudla, Rudolph John
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Mark S.
• Application Number:
  US10/360,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20030146576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 273/395, 273/396, 273398-402, 473/197, 473/454, 473/455, 473/456, 473/476, 473/478, 473/150, 473/172, 473/195
• US Class Current: 473/197
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2210/50 Size reducing arrangements for stowing or transport
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3623 for driving A63B69/3608, A63B69/3658, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/022 Backstops, cages, enclosures or the like, e.g. for spectator protection, for arresting balls

Abstract

A device for practicing ball sports comprising an enclosure (3) defined by a membrane supported from a self-supporting structure (7), the structure (7) comprising a base (8) having a playing surface (19) and having a forward edge (2) and a support means (9, 10) spaced forwardly and upwardly of the base (8) and supported at least in part from the base (8), the structure (7) further comprising an upstanding frame (11) supported from the sides (12,13) of the base (8) and extending over the base (8), the enclosure (3) being supported from the structure (7) to define a space (6) having an open end (4) and a closed end (5), the space (6) being of a general conical configuration, the open end (4) being supported from the base (8) to maintain the open end (8) in an open condition adjacent the forward edge (2) and the closed end (5) being supported from the support means in spaced relation to the open end (4), wherein the lower portion of the enclosure (3) is inclined downwardly from the closed end (5) to the base (8) to enable a ball thereon to return to the playing surface (19).

Claims

1. A device for practicing golf comprising:

a base having a border and an upper surface bounded by the border, a portion of the upper surface providing a playing surface upon which a person using the device stands while striking a golf ball that rests relative to the playing surface;

an elongate enclosure for catching a golf ball that is struck, the enclosure formed of a membrane and comprising an open end and a closed end with side walls therebetween, a lower portion of the enclosure extending from the closed end to the base;

a resilient, elongate first support fixed at each end to the sides of the base to define an arcuate perimeter overlying the base, the first support supporting the upper portion of the open end of the enclosure, wherein the ends of the resilient elongate first support are fixed to the sides of the base intermediate opposite ends of said sides;

a second support adapted to support the closed end of the enclosure forward of the base wherein, in use, the second support applies a tension to the enclosure between the closed end and open end to cause the first support to resiliently flex forwardly such that the perimeter is inclined forwardly with respect to the base whereby the first support and the membrane are able to deflect when the golf ball strikes the membrane to thereby absorb kinetic energy of the golf ball.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein a segment of the perimeter of the open end underlies the base from the each side of a rear portion of the playing surface.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the membrane is formed from cylindrical construction.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the open end is oblique relative to the cylindrical axis.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the closed end is transverse relative to the cylindrical axis.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the support that supports the closed end is not connected to the base.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the edge of the open end is supported by a resiliently flexible member.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the top of the open end is disposed at a height that is not greater than the height of an average man standing on the playing surface.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the enclosure has the general shape of a cylinder wherein one end of the cylinder is supported by the elongate support and the other end is gathered to provide the closed end.

10. A golf practice device, comprising:

a base having a front, a rear, and a pair of sides, and defining a playing surface upon which a person using the device is intended to stand during use, the playing surface being defined between the front, rear and sides of the base;

a flexible, resilient, elongate, upstanding frame element the ends of which are fixed to the sides of the base intermediate opposite ends of said sides, the frame element extending upwardly, said frame element having an uppermost point;

an enclosure having an open end and a closed end, the open end being supported by the upstanding frame element to define an arcuate perimeter overlying the base;

a free standing support;

the enclosure being supported in the vicinity of the closed end by the free-standing support forwardly of the front of the base to apply tension to the enclosure between the closed end and the open end whereby the enclosure defines an elongate space which is divergent from the closed end to the open end;

the enclosure having a lower portion between the closed end and the front of the base that is inclined downwardly from the closed end to enable a ball to return to the playing surface, and the open end extending rearwardly from the upstanding frame element along each side of the base to adjacent the rear of the base to thereby define lateral portions rearwardly of the upstanding frame element;

each lateral portion decreasing in height from the upstanding frame element to adjacent the rear of the base;

wherein the enclosure is formed of a membrane such that, when the device is erected, the membrane and the frame element are able to deflect when struck by a driven golf ball to thereby absorb kinetic energy of the golf ball.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein a segment of the open end underlies the base from each side rearwardly of the upstanding frame element.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the membrane is formed from cylindrical construction.

13. The golf practice device of claim 10 wherein the frame element is caused to be resiliently deflected forwardly by the tension created in the enclosure by the free-standing support.

14. The golf practice device of claim 10 wherein the frame element is able to resiliently flex forwardly or sidewardly or both forwardly and sidewardly on said impact.

15. The golf practice device of claim 10 wherein the membrane comprises netting.

16. The golf practice device of claim 10 wherein the free-standing support comprises an element adapted to receive a counterweight.

17. The golf practice device of claim 10 wherein the free-standing support comprises a support structure adapted to support the enclosure above a supporting surface, the support structure comprising contact portions adapted to contact the supporting surface at positions intermediate the base and the closed end.

18. The golf practice device of claim 17 wherein the support structure comprises a body and a pair of arms, the arms extending from the body to contact the supporting surface at positions intermediate the base and the closed end.

19. The golf practice device of claim 18 wherein the arms extend laterally from the body in opposed directions to provide clearance from the membrane.

20. The golf practice device of claim 10 wherein the sides of the base converge from the rear to the front.

21. The golf practice device of claim 20 wherein the base is substantially trapezoidal in shape.

22. The golf practice device of claim 10 wherein the base comprises a base frame enclosing the playing surface, the base frame comprising a front member, a rear member and pair of side members, wherein the base frame members comprise a plurality of removably interconnected sub-members.

23. The golf practice device of claim 10 wherein a lower rearward portion of the membrane extends beneath the base.

24. The golf practice device of claim 10 wherein the closed end comprises an end element adapted to receive and support the membrane at the closed end.

25. The golf practice device of claim 24 wherein the end element comprises a cup-like element, and wherein the membrane is supported by the side of the cup-like element.

26. The golf practice device of claim 25 wherein the cup-like element comprises a deformable material adapted to absorb kinetic energy from a golf ball impacting the cuplike element.

27. The golf practice device of claim 26 wherein the cup-like element is formed of a leather material.

28. The golf practice device of claim 27 wherein energy-absorbing material is associated with the end element.

29. The golf practice device of claim 28 wherein the energy-absorbing material is situated within a space enclosed by the cup like element and a deformable membrane adapted to be struck by the ball.

30. The golf practice device of claim 29 wherein the energy-absorbing material comprises high-density, low-recoil foam pellets.

31. The golf practice device of claim 29 wherein the cup-like element further comprises apertures adapted to permit the release of air from the space enclosed by the cup like element and the deformable membrane.