Golf bag

[0002] The invention relates to a golf bag.

[0003] If one full golf club set including woods, irons and a putter, plus practice clubs are put in one golf bag, the bag will weigh as heavy as about 10 kg.

[0004] A golf bag has a shoulder strap and is usually carried by a caddie or player on his shoulder.

[0005] Carrying such a heavy bag on a shoulder from one hole to another is a lot of labor and troublesome.

[0006] An object of this invention is to provide a golf bag which can be carried easily even if it contains many clubs and thus is heavy.

[0007] According to the invention, there is provided a golf bag comprising a body having a bottom, and wheels mounted to the bottom of the body, the wheels being mounted such that when the body is stood erect on a flat surface, it is supported on the bottom alone with the wheels not in contact with the flat surface, or on both the bottom and the wheels, and such that when the body is tilted in a proper direction, the body is supported on the wheels alone.

[0008] With this arrangement, by tilting the golf bag so that only the wheels get into contact with ground, the golf bag can be easily moved on the wheels.

[0009] The wheels should be detachably mounted on the body. With this arrangement, when the wheels get worn, they can be replaced with new ones. Thus the golf bag can be used semi-permanently unless any other damage occurs.

[0010] In order for the user to easily identify club numbers in a golf bag and take out a proper club by gripping its neck, the necks of all the clubs in the bag, including short clubs, i.e. short irons and putter, have to protrude from the top of the bag. For this purpose, most golf bags are up to one meter tall.

[0011] In order to tow such a short bag by gripping the highest point of the bag, the user has to walk awkwardly with his back hunched like a monkey. The extension handle allows the user to walk like a human with his back straight while towing the bag.

[0012] Other features and objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a golf bag embodying the invention;

[0014] FIG. 2A is a partially cutaway side view of the golf bag of FIG. 1;

[0015] FIG. 2B is its bottom view;

[0016] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of a bottom member of the golf bag of FIG. 1;

[0017] FIG. 4A is a schematic side view of the golf bag of FIG. 1 when stood erect;

[0018] FIG. 4B shows the state when the bag is inclined until it is supported on the wheels alone, ready to be moved by rolling;

[0019] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment;

[0020] FIG. 6A is a sectional view of the same;

[0021] FIG. 6B shows the handle in a retracted state;

[0022] FIG. 6C is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 6B; and

[0023] FIG. 7 is a view showing how the embodiment of FIG. 5 is pulled.

[0024] First referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the golf bag 1 according to the invention includes a cylindrical body 2, a disk member 4 secured to the bottom edge of the cylindrical body 2 by rivets r, and a cup-shaped member 3 mounted to the bottom of the cylindrical body 2 by inserting its top edge 3ainto the bottom edge of the body 2 and joining them together by means of rivets r. The disk member 4 serves as a bottom of the golf bag 1. The members 3 and 4 are made of a hard resin.

[0025] Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3, the cup member 3 has a bottom in which is formed a recess 5 in which are mounted wheels 6. FIG. 3 shows the bottom of the cup member 3. As shown, the wheels 6 are carried on an axle 8 detachably fitted in a semicylindrical groove 7aformed in a protrusion 7 formed on the bottom surface of the recess 5. With the axle 8 fitted in the groove 7a, an axle support cover 9 is detachably fastened to the protrusion 7 by screws 9b.

[0026] When the bag 1 is erected on flat ground E as shown in FIG. 4A, a slight gap d forms between the wheels 6 and the ground E. On the bottom of the cup member 3, a plurality of protrusions 3bhaving flat surfaces are formed. With the bag standing erect on the flat surface E, the flat surfaces of the protrusions 3bcontact the ground surface E, so that the bag stands on the protrusions in this state. Thus, even on a slope, the bag will not roll down on the wheels 6.

[0027] To move the bag, it is inclined until it stands on the wheels 6 alone as shown in FIG. 4B, and pulled or pushed to move it. Thus, the golf bag 1 of the invention can be rolled to a desired place without the need to carry it on the shoulder.

[0028] Since the wheels 6 are detachable from the body 2, when the wheels 6 are worn or otherwise damaged, they can be replaced. Thus it is possible to keep using the bag simply by replacing the wheels 6.

[0029] In the embodiment, in order that the bag will not roll down on the wheels 6 when placed on a slope, the wheels are mounted so as not to touch the ground when the bag is stood erect. But in order that the bag can be more easily inclined to the position shown in FIG. 4B, the wheels 6 may be mounted so as to touch the ground when the bag is stood erect.

[0030] In the case of such an arrangement, the wheels 6 may be equipped with brakes. Such brakes are applied when the bag is stood erect, and released to roll the bag.

[0031] FIGS. 5-7 show a golf bag having an extension handle 10 for easy carrying.

[0032] The handle 10 comprises a pair of vertical pipes (serving as elongated handle members) 11 slidably mounted into vertical tubes 13 fixed to the inner wall of the bag by rivets 2r(FIGS. 5 and 6A), and a crossbar 12 or grip by which the vertical pipes 11 are connected together at its tip ends. The vertical tubes 13 have an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pipes 11 so that the pipes can smoothly slide in the tubes without shaking.

[0033] A stopper means is provided for preventing each pipe 11 from coming out of the tube 13.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, the stopper means comprises a leaf spring 14 including a horizontal top portion 14bhaving its tip inserted into the pipe 11, and fixed at its bottom end 14ato a portion of the pipe 11 near its bottom end by a rivet 15, and a recess 13aformed in the tube 13 near its top end. The recess 13ais defined by a top horizontal ledge and a tapered wall. At its rest position, the spring 14 snugly fits in the recess 13aas shown in FIG. 6C. When the pipe 11 is retracted in the tube 13 as shown in FIG. 6B, the top horizontal portion 14bis biased rightwardly in the figures from the rest position as shown by phantom line in FIG. 6C by the inner wall of the tube 13. When the pipe 11 is raised and the top horizontal portion 14bof the spring 14 enters the recess 13a, it resiliently moves leftwardly until it engages the top ledge of the recess 13a. Once the top horizontal portion 14bengages the top ledge of the recess 13a, the pipe 11 cannot be raised any further. Now the golf bag 2 can be pulled by the grip 12.

[0035] To move the bag, the handle 10 is pulled out to the limit and the bag is pulled by gripping the thus extended handle 10 as shown in FIG. 7. Since the handle is located at a high position even when the bag is inclined, one can pull the bag with his back straight. When the bag 1 is at rest, the handle is moved to its fully retracted position shown in FIG. 6B simply by pushing it down.