Divot Tool and Method of Manufacture Thereof

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/106,978 filed on Feb. 7, 2023, which is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/202,312 filed on Mar. 15, 2021, which claims benefit of Provisional Application No. 62/989,184, filed Mar. 13, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The applicant(s) hereby rescind any disclaimer of claim scope in the parent application(s) or the prosecution history thereof and advise the USPTO that the claims in this application may be broader than any claim in the parent application(s).

Embodiments relate generally to tools for playing golf, and, more specifically, to a divot repair tool for repairing divots and divot holes in grass surfaces.

The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.

Golf is a sport enjoyed by millions of people all over the world. The sport is played by hitting a golf ball with a club. When swinging the golf club, the process of striking the golf ball can often form a divot, or hole, in the grassy playing surface. When the ball lands, it can often form a divot on the green or other parts of the playing surface.

Some golfers carry a variety of secondary tools and appliances in addition to their golf clubs. These tools can include ball markers, cleat tools, towels, distance finders, ball retrieval devices, ball cleaners, etc. One of the more frequently used tools is a divot tool for repairing the grassy playing surface after a divot has been formed.

Divot tools often include a handheld two-pronged hand device which can be inserted into the grassy playing surface and used to restore the grass to a semblance of its original condition. Such devices are often pocket sized and carried by the golfer or included in the golf bag. This requires the golfer to bend over to use the tool to repair the surface.

In the following detailed description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention.

Embodiments are described herein according to the following outline:

Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for manufacturing and use of the divot repair tool for repairing golf playing surfaces. The divot repair tool can be attached to a variety of shaft options to simplify the repair of the divots. In the various embodiments, the divot repair tool can provide an improved device and process for fixing divots.

The act of striking a golf ball often results in hitting the grassy playing surface of the golf course with the head of a golf club and creating a hole in the grassy surface. The resulting divot is a piece of grassy turf cut from the ground by action of striking the golf club on the playing surface. The divot may form one or more portions of grass, sod, and dirt. The act of the golf ball landing on the playing surface can also result in a dent or hole being formed in the playing surface. However, it is understood that the term divot can have different meanings due to the informal nature and widespread popularity of the game. The term divot can be used to describe the piece of grassy turf cut from the playing surface, the dent created by the landing of the golf ball, the divot hole created by the removal of the piece of grassy turf from the playing surface, or a combination thereof. The term divot hole can also be used to describe the dent formed by the golf ball landing on the playing surface, the hole resulting from the piece of the playing surface being removed, or a combination thereof. The terms divot and divot hole can be used interchangeably.

When a divot and divot hole are created, the general rules and guidelines of the game requires that the divot and the divot hole created be repaired to restore the playing surface to a near original condition. Divots are often repaired by fixing the divot and stamping down on the divot to help seat it firmly in the divot hole on the playing surface. However, this is not always an effective solution.

Further, some divots are indentions in the grassy surface of the playing surface, such as the putting green, when the golf ball landed and left an indentation. In this case, the player should try to decompress the indentation and restore the playing surface to its original flatness.

According to one embodiment, the divot repair tool can comprise a prong subsystem attached to an attachable base. The prong subsystem can have a variety of prong and levering mechanisms to improve the performance of the divot repair tool.

According to another embodiment, the divot repair tool can comprise a variety of individually actuated prongs with different directional configurations for improving the repair action of the tool. The divot repair tool can leave an improved playing surface by pulling more soil in at the base of the replaced divot.

According to another embodiment, the divot repair system can include a self-flattening mechanism for improving the surface of the repaired divot. The repair tool can include a manual or powered mechanism for compressing the divot against an upper flattening surface.

In other aspects, the invention encompasses divot repair tools configured to carry out the foregoing techniques.

illustrates a view of a golf clubhitting a golf ballto land on a playing surface. The club headof the golf clubis swung at the golf ball. It can strike a combination of the golf balland the playing surface, such as the turf, fairway, driving box, grass playing surface, or other similar playing surface. The strike can cause a divotto become detached or separated from the playing surfaceand leaving a divot holein the playing surface. strikes the playing surface. In addition, the golf ballcan land on another portion of the playing surface, such as the green, and form a dent or impression, which is another type of divot hole.

The golf ballis a spherical playing element having certain elastic properties. When struck with the club headof the golf club, the golf ballcan be moved down the playing surface.

The golf clubcan have a variety of different characteristics and elements. The golf clubincludes the club head, a club shaft, and a grip.

The club headis a structural element having a flat face for hitting the golf ball. The club headcan have different weights, loft, and composition depending on the type of golf club.

The club shaftis a structural element that is substantially straight, generally cylindrical, and of varying length. The golf clubcan flex while being swung but is generally a rigid element that transmits the force of the swing from the gripto the club head.

The gripis the primary interface between the golf cluband the player. The gripcan have a variety of different properties depending on the type of the golf club. The gripcan be porous, solid, rubber, fabric, or other materials. The gripis generally a tapered cylinder around the end of the club shaftopposite of the club head.

In one embodiment, when the golf clubis swung at the golf ball, a divotcan be knocked out of a divot holeby the club head. The divotis a mass of grass and dirt cut from the playing surfacein making a stroke with the golf club. The divot holecan generally be repaired by replacing the divotin the divot holeand pressing down to reseat the roots of the divotin the soil of the divot hole. In other embodiments, the soil of the divot holecan be loosened to help restore the divot. The soil can be loosened using a divot tool.

In another embodiment, the golf ballcan create a divot holeby landing forcibly on the placing surface. Particularly on putting green surfaces, such an impact can form an indentation that needs to be repaired. In this case, the divotmay be a portion of the grass or turf that has been impacted and compressed and may lie below the top surface of the playing surface.

As described above, different types of the divotand the divot holecan exist. It is understood that many other types of the divotand the divot holecan be formed and all need to be repaired in a quick and expeditious manner to prevent disruptions in the flow of the game of golf.

illustrates a use of a divot repair toolin an embodiment. The divot repair toolcan be used to repair the playing surface, such as the green. The golf ballcan land on the green with significant force and form a hole, dent, or ball mark in the playing surface. This can affect the play of subsequent players and should be repaired. The term divot hole can mean a dent, a ball mark, and a hole. The term divot can mean a bump, dent, or hole when the divot is on the green.

In the left portion of the figure, the golf balllands on the playing surface, such as on the green near the hole, and deforms the playing surface by forming the divot holewhich can also be described as a dent, a divot, a ball mark, or other similar terms. The playercan then repair the divot holeusing the divot repair toolto fix the playing surface.

In the right portion of the figure, the playercan reverse the golf cluband use a divot repair toolattached to the gripto repair the divot hole. The divot repair toolcan be inserted into the playing surfaceat the location of the divot holeto fix the surface using a levering or a rotation motion.

The divot repair toolcan be attached to the grip. The divot repair toolcan include prongsthat can be used to penetrate the playing surface. The prongsare rigid structural elements configured to penetrate the playing surface. The prongscan be cylindrical, rectangular, flat, straight, bent, curved, spiral-shaped, or have other similar properties. The prongscan be used to manipulate the soil and vegetation of the playing surface. The prongscan be formed from different materials such as metal, alloys, plastic, wood, ceramic, or a combination thereof.

The playercan invert the golf cluband use the divot repair toolto fix the divot hole. The divot repair toolcan be inserted into the ground adjacent to the divot holeand used as a lever to pry up material, such as soil, from below the playing surfaceto help smooth out the playing surfacedamaged by the repair of the divot holemade by the golf ball.

Alternatively, the playercan insert the divot repair toolinto the divot holeand rotate the golf clubusing the prongsin a corkscrew-like motion to level the playing surface. The prongsof the divot repair toolcan be oriented to lift the material of the playing surfacewhen rotated around an axis running down the center of the golf club.

Using the divot repair toolattached to the gripof the golf clubcan improve the repair operation by making it easier to reach the area adjacent to the divot holewith the divot repair tool. Further, the longer lever arm of the golf clubcan make it easier to lever up the material to fix the divot hole.

Attaching the divot repair toolto the golf clubcan offer the advantage of making the divot repair tooleasy to use and readily available when playing golf. In different embodiments, the divot repair toolcan be attached to the golf clubin different ways. For example, the divot repair toolcan be attached directly to the grip, attached directly to the shaftof the golf club, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the divot repair toolcan include a portion that can replace the gripwhen the divot repair toolis attached directly to the shaftof the golf club. The divot repair toolcan be optionally covered with a cap for safety.

In some embodiments, the player can use the divot repair toolattached to the golf clubto repair the divot holewith a minimum of bodily bending. This can enable mobility limited players to repair holes without having to bend over. The divot repair toolcan be operating from a standing position making it easier to use by players having mobility and flexibility limitations.

illustrates a view of a divot repair toolin an embodiment. The divot repair toolcan include one or more prongssecurely attached to a tool base. The divot repair toolcan be used to replace and repair a divoton a playing surface.

The tool base, such as a hub or base unit, is a structural element for attaching the prongs. The tool basecan be formed from a rigid material such as a metal, an alloy, a plastic, a composite material, a ceramic material, wood, stone, or a combination thereof. The tool basecan be in the shape of a disk with a central opening and mounting point for the prongs.

The prongsare rigid elements extending from the tool base. Each of the prongscan have a prong lengththat can be measured in a variety of ways. In one example, the prong lengthcan be a vertical measurement from a tool base top surfaceof the tool baseto a prong tip. In another example, the prong lengthcan be measured along the entire length of one of the prongsincluding any portion of the prongsinside the tool base.

The prongsand the prong lengthcan be configured in a variety of ways. The length of the prongscan influence the effectiveness and efficiency of divot repair operation. In one embodiment, each of the prongscan have the prong lengthhaving equal length value. In another embodiment, the prongscan each have the prong lengthhaving different length values. In yet another embodiment, some of the prongscan have the same length, while others can have a different length. For example, separate pairs of the prongscan have the same length, while other pairs have a different length. In an illustrative example, the prongscan include a set of long prongs having a length of 1 ⅛ inches long and a set of short prongs having a length of ⅝ inches long.

In an illustrative example, the prongscan have two long prongs where the prong lengthof the long prongs can be between two to four inches extending from the tool baseto the prong tip. The prongscan also include two short prongs approximately half the length of the long prongs. The prong lengthof the short prongs can be between one and two inches extending from the tool baseto the prong tip. The prong lengthgenerally does not include the length of the prong below the surface of the tool base. The prong lengthcan be expressed as the length of the prong including any additional length due to geometry such as bends, ridges, spirals, or other mechanism shape factors. The prong lengthcan also be expressed as the length of the prong not including any shape or geometry features. The prong lengthcan be varied depending on factors including type of sod or grass, hardness of playing surface, depth of soil, or other similar factors. In another illustrative example, the prongcan have pairs of the prongs with the prong lengthconfigured between one-half and one inch and another pair of the prongs with the prong lengthconfigured between one and two inches. The selection and length of the prongscan be varied to compensate for the condition of the playing surface. For example, if the playing surfaceis soft, then longer prongs may be used. If the playing surfaceis hard, then shorter prongs may be more effective.

The divot repair toolcan have different arrangements of the prongsand they can be positioned on the tool basein a variety of configurations. In some embodiments, the divot repair toolcan have a different number of the prongs. For example, the divot repair toolcan have any number of the prongs. The divot repair toolcan have two prongs, three prongs, four prongs, five prongs, six prongs, or other numbers of the prongs.

The prongscan be arranged on the tool basein a variety of positions. In one embodiment, the prongscan be arranged along the perimeter of the tool base. The prongscan be offset by a prong offset distancefrom the outer perimeter of the tool base. The prongscan be arranged in rows, in a circular pattern, in a grid pattern, in a geometrical pattern, along a circular path following a perimeter, in a triangular pattern, in a rectangular pattern, evenly space, unevenly space, or in a combination thereof.

In another embodiment, the prongscan be positioned in different geometrical shape arrangements including a circle, a square, a pentagon, star, X, or other similar geometrical shape. The prongscan be positioned symmetrically including linear symmetry, radial symmetry, circular symmetry, or other similar geometrical symmetries.

In yet another embodiment, the prongscan be positioned substantially vertically. This can include having a prong base portionaligned perpendicular to the top surface of the tool baseand having a prong angleof ninety degrees. The prong base portionis the portion of the prongsdirectly attached to the tool base.

It is understood that mechanical mounting processes and general wear and tear can change the actual value of the prong anglefrom ninety degrees to substantially similar to ninety degrees. The actual value of the prong anglecan be considered perpendicular to tool basewhen the prong anglevaries from true perpendicular with a deviation range of zero to five degrees from of a measured ninety degrees. In another embodiment, the deviation range can be between zero and fifteen degrees from vertical.

In another embodiment, the prongscan be arranged with a different value of the prong angle. It is understood that arranging the prongsnot perpendicular to the tool base and can include having the prong angleat other angles. For example, the prongshave the value of the prong anglebetween ninety degrees and forty-five degrees to improve the ability of the prongsto interface with the playing surface.

In yet another embodiment, the prongscan be arranged differently based on the prong lengthand the prong angle. For example, the prongscan be arranged as two long prongs and two short prongs to increase the effectiveness of the lever action of the tool. In another example, the prongscan have all the same value of the prong length. In another example, the prongs can be arranged to have an increasing value of the prong lengthalong the perimeter of the tool.

The prongscan be configured with different shapes. In different embodiments, one or more of the prongscan have a straight body and a single angular tip portion, a multi-bend structure, a multi-bend structure forming a three-dimensional structure, a straight structure, a curved structure, a corkscrew structure, a flat plate, a curved plate, a blade, a multiple blade structure, a rounded structure, a pyramid structure, and structures with other shapes. The blades can be formed from different materials such as metal, alloys, plastic, wood, ceramic, or a combination thereof.

In an illustrative example, the prongscan have a straight body with a single angular bend at the prong tip. The prong tipof each of the prongscan be aligned in different ways. The prong tipscan be arrange pointing outward, pointing inward, or pointing along the circular path around the perimeter of the divot repair tool. The prong tipscan be aligned in pairs with each pair of the prong tipspointing in different directions including toward one another, away from one another, or at an angle between thirty degrees and ninety-degrees from one another in a clockwise or counter-clockwise configuration to support rotation. The prong tipsof the prongs can have a vertical deflection angle between five and sixty degrees to enable and improve the ability of the prongs to engage the playing surface. The prong tipscan be configured to improve penetration performance including using pointed tips, edged tips, ridges, serrations, bladed tips, chisel-tips, carbide tip, or other similar techniques.

The prongscan be attached to the tool basein a variety of ways. For example, each of the prongsmay be attached to the tool baseby welding, a pressure bond, mounted in a hole, with an adhesive, screwed into a hole, or other similar techniques.

The prongscan be formed from a variety of materials. The prongscan be formed from a prong materialsuch as a metal, an alloy, ceramic, plastic, resin, glass, composite materials, or a combination thereof. The prong materialcan be treated to improve performance including hardening, case hardening, grain hardening, solid solution strengthening, precipitation hardening, martensitic transformation hardening, nitriding, cyaniding, carbonitriding, plating, bonding, or other similar hardening techniques. The prongscan be configured to improve penetration performance including having the prong tipsthat have pointed tips, edged tips, ridged tips, serrations, bladed tips, chisel-tips, carbide tips, or other similar techniques.