Golf tee

• US 7,011,586 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2004
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daiya Corporation
• Original Assignee: Daiya Corporation
• Inventors: Toyosawa, Issei, Hiroshima, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US10/773,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20040166964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 473387-403, 473417-420
• US Class Current: 473/401
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/10 Golf tees
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/12 attached to straps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/16 Brush-type tees

Abstract

The present invention provides a durable golf tee capable of conserving as much as possible the impact energy transmitted to the golf tee and preventing possible flight thereof from the ground. The golf tee comprises a stick pin, the lower end of which is formed in a tapered shape, to stick into the ground, a ball-holding member placed on the top of the stick pin and provided with a small hole at the bottom of a hollow part, and a flexible connecting member, the lower end of which is fixed on the stick pin. The connecting member is provided with a flange on the upper end for binding slidably the ball-holding member to the stick pin and inserted into a hollow part H through a small hole perforated at the bottom of the ball-holding member. Notches 4b1 are formed between the flange of the connecting member and the ball-holding member to let air escape upward.

Claims

1. A golf tee comprising:

a stick pin having a tapered lower end for insertion into the ground;

a ball-holding member for holding a ball placed on top of the stick pin and having a tubular form with a hollow part inside, a small hole provided at the bottom of the hollow part and a round loop base provided at an upper portion thereof; and

a flexible connecting member having a lower end fixed with the stick pin and an upper end having a flange provided thereon, the flexible connecting member slidably binding the ball-holding member to the stick pin,

wherein the connecting member is inserted into the hollow part through the small hole, the flange of the connecting member has notches for allowing air to pass upward between the flange and the ball-holding member and a plurality of ribs extend in the axial direction of the ball-holding member around the periphery thereof at a regular interval therebetween and protrude from the round loop base.

2. The golf tee according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion length L of the ribs protruding from the ball-holding member is a length that does not cause the ribs to deform beyond their plasticity and become brittle when the ribs are pressed until the ball enters into contact with the round loop base and the ribs are bent radially outward.

3. The golf tee according to claim 1, wherein the top of said stick pin is integrated by injection molding with the lower end of the connecting member.

4. The golf tee according to claim 1, wherein the top of each rib is formed in the shape of a globe.