Golf putting aid apparatus for the visually handicapped

• US 4,270,751 A
• Filed: 09/12/1979
• Issued: 06/02/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stephen D. Lowy
• Original Assignee: Stephen D. Lowy
• Inventors: Lowy, Stephen D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US06/074,796
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 273/184 R, 273/184 A, 273/185 A, 273/381, 273/34 R, 273/DIG. 27, 273/213, 273/58 G, 273/179 C, 273/177 A, 273/177 R, 273/382, 273/178 A, 340/323 R
• US Class Current: 473/175
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/357 for golf cups or holes, e.g. flags
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/40 Golf cups or holes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/27 Blind and color blind

Abstract

A golf putting aid apparatus for a visually handicapped person which is capable of use with a standard type golf cup is provided in which an audibly distinguishable electronic sound emission is provided for audibly indicating to the visually handicapped person the location of the golf cup or hole and a second audibly distinguishable electronic sound emission is provided for audibly indicating to the visually handicapped person that a putt has been successfully completed. The putting aid apparatus comprises a housing, such as one removably insertable in the golf cup so that it may be transferred from hole to hole during regulation play on a golf course. The housing has a golf ball receiving portion and an audible electronic sound emitting portion with the ball receiving portion having an entrance portion alignable in the golf cup for receiving a golf ball putted thereinto.

Claims

1. A golf putting aid apparatus for a visually handicapped person capable of use with a standard type golf cup, said putting aid comprising a housing insertable in said golf cup, said housing having a golf ball receiving portion and an audible electronic sound emitting portion, said ball receiving portion having an entrance portion alignable in said golf cup for receiving a golf ball putted thereinto, said audible electronic sound emitting portion comprising an audible alarm means capable of providing at least two different independently selectable audibly distinguishable electronic sound emissions, a power supply operatively connected to said electronic alarm means for providing power thereto, bistable switch means having a first open circuit state and a second closed circuit state, said bistable switch means arming said audible alarm means in said second state for providing a first independently selectable audibly distinguishable electronic sound emission for audibly indicating to said visually handicapped person the location of the golf cup in which said housing has been inserted, and spring biased golf ball activated switch means having a first state and a second state for providing a different second independently selectable audibly distinguishable electronic sound emission for audibly indicating to said visually handicapped person that a putt has been successfully completed, said first state being a stable state in which said ball activated switch means is in a resiliently biased normal open circuit condition with no ball in said ball receiving portion, said second state being a state in which said ball activated switch means is in a closed circuit condition with a ball resting in said ball receiving portion, said ball activated switch means comprising a resiliently biased member normally resiliently biased to said open circuit condition by a predetermined resilient bias force, said resilient bias force being selected to be less than the force exerted by a received ball due to the weight of the ball, said resiliently biased member being disposed in said ball receiving portion for enabling pressure contact with a ball received therein for enabling the weight of said received ball to overcome said resilient bias force to place said ball activated switch means into said second state, said ball activated switch means arming said audible alarm means in said second state for providing said second audibly distinguishable electronic sound emission, whereby when said bistable switch is armed said golf cup is initially uniquely audibly located for a subsequent putt whose successful completion is subsequently uniquely audibly indicated when said ball activated switch is armed.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said housing is removably insertable in said golf cup.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said golf cup is substantially cylindrical having a predetermined diameter, said ball receiving portion comprises a frustum of a cone having a bottom portion below said entrance portion, said entrance portion having substantially the diameter of said golf cup and said bottom portion having substantially the diameter of said golf ball to be received through said entrance portion, said resiliently biased member being disposed in said bottom portion for activation by said received golf ball.

4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said first audibly distinguishable electronic sound emission is a continuous tone and said second audibly distinguishable electronic sound emission is a different continuous tone.

5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said first audibly distinguishable electronic sound emission is a continuous tone and said second audibly distinguishable electronic sound emission is an intermittent tone.

6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said audible alarm means comprises a buzzer.

7. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said power supply comprises a battery.

8. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first audibly distinguishable electronic sound emission is a continuous tone and said second audibly distinguishable electronic sound emission is a different continuous tone.

9. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first audibly distinguishable electronic sound emission is a continuous tone and said second audibly distinguishable electronic sound emission is an intermittent tone.

10. An apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein said ball activated switch means further comprises interrupter means for providing said intermittent tone when said ball activated switch means is armed.

11. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said audible alarm means comprises means for producing said different second electronic sound transmission from said first sound transmission in said second state of said bistable switch means.