Golf practice mat

• US 8,147,347 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fiberbuilt Manufacturing Inc.
• Original Assignee: 766089 Alberta Ltd.
• Inventors: Hooper, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Legesse, Nini
• Application Number:
  US13/093,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20110201441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 473/478, 473/479, 428/85, 428/137, 428/165
• US Class Current: 473/278
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3661 Mats for golf practice, e.g. mats having a simulated turf, a practice tee or a green area
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/007 Forming single grooves or ribs, e.g. tear lines, weak spots by moulding B29C37/0057; folding lines B29C53/06; in metal articles B21D17/00; by cutting B26D3/08
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/02 by mechanical means, e.g. pressing B29C59/007 takes precedence; embossing expanded porous articles B29C44/5627

Abstract

A golf practice mat including a surface pattern formed by thermally deforming and allowing setting of the deformed mat surface.

Claims

1. A golf practice mat comprising:

an upper surface formed of thermoformable material and a backing material, the thermoformable material including upstanding fibers extending up a height from the backing material; and

a surface indication in the upper surface, the surface indication including an indentation surrounded by the upstanding fibers, the indentation having a bottom surface recessed relative to the height of the plurality of upstanding fibers, the bottom surface including melt-deformed fibers that are;

(i) partially removed, (ii) fused together and/or (iii) fused to the backing material, compared to the upstanding fibers.

2. The golf practice mat of claim 1 wherein the surface indication defines at least one of:

a logo, an advertising indicia, and a golf practise aid.

3. The golf practice mat of claim 1 wherein the bottom surface includes a region at first depth extending down from a plane defined by the upper surface about the surface indication and one or more other regions defining a depth other than the first depth.

4. The golf practice mat of claim 1 wherein the upstanding fibers are bristles and the melt-deformed fibers are melt-deformed bristles.

5. The golf practice mat of claim 1 wherein the thermoformable material includes at least one of a thermoplastic or a thermoset polymer.

6. The golf practice mat of claim 1 further comprising a ball supply tray mounted adjacent the upper surface.

7. The golf practice mat of claim 1 further comprising a golf tee holding structure adjacent the upper surface.

8. The golf practice mat of claim 7 wherein the golf tee holding structure is an aperture formed adjacent the upper surface.

9. The golf practice mat of claim 7 wherein the golf tee holding structure is an aperture formed through the upper surface.

10. A golf practice mat comprising:

an upper surface including a backing material, upstanding thermoformable plastic fibers connected to the backing material and thermoformable plastic deformed fibers connected to the backing material, the thermoformable plastic deformed fibers having a condition (i) partially removed, (ii) fused together and/or (iii) fused to the backing material, compared to the upstanding thermoformable plastic fibers; and

the thermoformable plastic, deformed fibers being grouped together and the upstanding thermoformable plastic fibers being grouped together and being positioned adjacent the thermoformable plastic, deformed fibers to define a shape on the upper surface.

11. The golf practice mat of claim 10 wherein the shape defines at least one of:

a logo, an advertising indicia, and a golf practise aid.

12. The golf practice mat of claim 10 wherein the thermoformable plastic, deformed fibers and the upstanding thermoformable plastic fibers each have a height at which they extend from the backing material and the height of the thermoformable plastic, deformed fibers is less than the height of the upstanding thermoformable plastic fibers.

13. The golf practice mat of claim 10 wherein the upstanding thermoformable plastic fibers are bristles and the thermoformable plastic, deformed fibers are deformed bristles, compared to the bristles.

14. The golf practice mat of claim 10 further comprising a ball supply tray mounted adjacent the upper surface.

15. The golf practice mat of claim 10 further comprising a golf tee holding structure adjacent the upper surface.

16. The golf practice mat of claim 15 wherein the golf tee holding structure is an aperture formed adjacent the upper surface.

17. The golf practice mat of claim 15 wherein the golf tee holding structure is an aperture formed through the upper surface.

18. The golf practise mat of claim 15 wherein the thermoformable plastic includes at least one of a thermoplastic or a thermoset polymer.