Portable Golf Ball Holder

The present invention relates to a portable golf ball holder, which is convenient for golf players to carry balls with them for use.

In golf, players sometimes lose a ball by hitting it into a pool or a forest. For this reason, players have to carry golf balls with them. In general, players carry golf balls in their pockets. However, the pocket bulging with balls may cause discomfort in the movement of the player and affect the performance. For the sport of golf, there is a need to develop a specialized ball holder for golfers to carry golf balls with them.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a portable golf ball holder, comprising a ball holder and a clip.

The ball holder includes a flexible frame. The frame has a front end, an opposing rear end, and two sides. The frame includes at least one ball-holding unit. The ball-holding unit has an entrance at the front end of the frame. The entrance has a width less than the diameter of a golf ball. The frame has a circular hole at the inner edge of the entrance. The circular hole runs through the two sides of the frame. The diameter of the circular hole is less than the diameter of the golf ball. The frame further has a pair of expandable frame arms tangent to the entrance. The wall of the circular hole at the inner edges of the pair of frame arms matches the curved surface of the golf ball to form a curved recess for accommodating the golf ball.

The clip is disposed on the rear end of the frame of the ball holder and has a clip body. The upper end of the clip body has a bent portion connected to the frame to form a clip groove with an opening facing downward.

When the golf ball is forced into the pair of frame arms from the entrance of the ball-holding unit of the ball holder, the elasticity of the pair of frame arms enables the entrance to recover automatically after being expanded, so that the golf ball is accommodated in the frame through the curved recess. When at least one of the ball-holding units of the ball holder holds a golf ball, a golfer can carry the golf ball for use during sports by simply attaching the clip body of the clip to the waistband/or belt. When the golf ball is forced to move toward the front end of the frame, the pair of frame arms will be expanded to open the entrance, such that the player may grab the golf ball from both sides of the frame to move the golf ball toward the front end, that is, the golf ball is taken out from the curved recess of the frame arms for use. The overall structure enhances the convenience for golfers to carry golf balls with them for use.

Preferably, the bent portion at the upper end of the clip body of the clip is integrally connected to a base formed on the rear end of the frame of the ball holder. The lower end of the clip body is close to the base, so that the opening is gradually reduced toward the clip groove. When the opening of the clip groove is opened by the clip body, the deformation elasticity of the bent portion enables the opening of the clip groove to recover. When the clip body is attached to the waistband/belt of the player, the recovery ability of the opening enables the clip body to have a positioning effect on the clip.

Preferably, a connecting portion is provided on the rear end of the frame of the ball holder. The bent portion of the clip is connected to a base plate. One side of the base plate has at least one coupling portion corresponding to the connecting portion. The connecting portion of the frame and the coupling portion on the base plate of the clip have a male buckle and a female buckle groove to match with each other. The male buckle and the female buckle groove are engaged with each other, so that the clip is connected to the rear end of the frame of the ball holder. The male buckle is detachably connected to the female buckle groove, so that the ball holder can be selectively assembled with different clips. Alternatively, one side of the base plate of the clip has a plurality of coupling portions each configured for connection of the ball holder, such that golfers can carry more golf balls for use.

Preferably, at the inner edges of the pair of frame arms, the recessed depth of the curved recess is greater than the diameter of the circular hole by 2 to 4 mm. The curved recess with a sufficient recessed depth is able to accommodate part of the surface of the golf ball, so that it is not easy for the golf ball to disengage from the frame arms via the two sides of the frame.

Preferably, the width of the entrance is less than the diameter of the circular hole by 2 to 4 mm. When the golf ball is placed into the pair of frame arms from the entrance, the entrance will not be expanded excessively, so the pair of frame arms can maintain good resilience. The pair of frame arms have chamfers corresponding in position to the entrance. The golf ball is guided by the chamfers to be placed into the pair of frame arms, such that it is easier for the golf ball to be placed into the pair of frame arms.

Preferably, two trays are formed on the pair of frame arms at two sides of the entrance, so as to increase the width of the frame. The inner edges of the two trays follow the curved recess and have concave surfaces corresponding to the spherical surfaces of two symmetrical vertices of the golf ball. The concave surfaces of the two trays hold the spherical surfaces of the two symmetrical vertices of the golf ball, so that the frame arms can hold the golf ball stably.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in,and, the present invention discloses a portable golf ball holder, comprising a ball holderand a clip.

The ball holderincludes a flexible frame. The framemay be made of a plastic, aluminum, or stainless steel material. The framehas a front end, an opposing rear end, and two sides. The frameincludes at least one ball-holding unit. There are two ball-holding unitsin this embodiment. Each ball-holding unithas an entranceat the front endof the frame. The entrancehas a width H less than the diameter D of a golf ball. The framehas a circular holeat the inner edge of the entrance. The circular holeruns through the two sides. The diameter D of the circular holeis less than the diameter D of the golf ball. The framefurther has a pair of expandable frame armsA,B tangent to the entrance. The wall of the circular holeat the inner edges of the pair of frame armsA,B matches the curved surface of the golf ballto form a curved recessfor accommodating the golf ball.

The clipis disposed on the rear endof the frameof the ball holderand has a clip body. The upper end of the clip bodyhas a bent portionconnected to the frameto form a clip groovewith an openingfacing downward.

As shown inand, when the golf ballis forced into the pair of frame armsA,B from the entranceof the ball-holding unitof the ball holder, the elasticity of the pair of frame armsA,B enables the entranceto recover automatically after being expanded, so that the golf ballis accommodated in the framethrough the curved recess. When at least one of the ball-holding unitsof the ball holderholds a golf ball, as shown inand, a golfer can carry the golf ballfor use during sports by simply attaching the clip bodyof the clipto the waistband/or belt. As shown inand, when the golf ballis forced to move toward the front endof the frame, the pair of frame armsA,B will be expanded to open the entrance, such that the player may grab the golf ballfrom both sidesof the frameto move the golf balltoward the front end, that is, the golf ballis taken out from the curved recessof the frame armsA,B for use. The overall structure enhances the convenience for golfers to carry golf balls with them for use.

According to the above embodiment, preferably, as shown inand, the bent portionat the upper end of the clip bodyof the clipis integrally connected to a baseformed on the rear endof the frameof the ball holder. The basemay be integrally formed with the rear endof the frameby plastic injection molding. The lower end of the clip bodyis close to the base, so that the openingis gradually reduced toward the clip groove. When the openingof the clip grooveis opened by the clip body, the deformation elasticity of the bent portionenables the openingof the clip grooveto recover. As shown in,and, when the clip bodyis attached to the waistband/beltof the player, the recovery ability of the openingenables the clip bodyto have a positioning effect on the clip.

According to the above embodiment, preferably, as shown inand, a connecting portionis provided on the rear endof the frameA of the ball holderA. The bent portionA of the clipA is connected to a base plate. One side of the base platehas at least one coupling portioncorresponding to the connecting portion. The connecting portionof the frameA and the coupling portionon the base plateof the clipA have a male buckleand a female buckle grooveto match with each other. The male buckleis formed on the connecting portionand the female buckle grooveis formed on the coupling portion, but not limited thereto. Alternatively, the female buckle grooveis formed on the connecting portion, and the male buckleis formed on the coupling portion. The male bucklehas a T-shaped, omega-shaped, or dovetailed cross-section. The female buckle groovehas a T-shaped, omega-shaped, or dovetailed cross-section. The male buckleand the female buckle grooveare engaged with each other, so that the clipA is connected to the rear end of the frameA of the ball holderA. The male buckleis detachably connected to the female buckle groove, so that the ball holderA can be selectively assembled with different clipsA. As shown inand, one side of the base plateA of the clipB has a plurality of coupling portionsA each configured for connection of the ball holder A, such that golfers can carry more golf balls for use.

According to the above embodiment, the present invention may be implemented, as shown in, to prevent the golf ballfrom getting out from the two sidesof the frame. The ball-holding unitin the embodiment ofis unchanged, so no further explanation will be given. At the inner edges of the pair of frame armsA,B, D(equivalent to the diameter of the golf ball) of the curved recessis greater than the diameter of the circular holeby 2 to 4 mm. As shown inand, the curved recesswith a sufficient recessed depth is able to accommodate part of the surface of the golf ball, so that it is not easy for the golf ballto disengage from the frame armsA,B via the two sidesof the frame.

According to the above embodiment, the present invention may be implemented, as shown in, to make the frame armsA,B less susceptible to elastic fatigue. The ball-holding unitin the embodiment ofis the same as the ball-holding unitof, so no further explanation will be given. The width H of the entranceis less than the diameter Dof the circular holeby 2 to 4 mm. As shown in, when the golf ballis placed into the pair of frame armsA,B from the entrance, the entrancewill not be expanded excessively, so the pair of frame armsA,B can maintain good resilience. As shown in,and, the pair of frame armsA,B have chamfers,corresponding in position to the entrance. As shown inand, the golf ballis guided by the chamfers,to be placed into the pair of frame armsA,B, such that it is easier for the golf ballto be placed into the pair of frame armsA,B.

According to the above embodiment, the present invention may be implemented, as shown in, to increase the stability of the ball-holding unitfor holding the ball. The ball-holding unitin the embodiment ofis the same as the ball-holding unitof, so no further explanation will be given. Two traysA,B are formed on the pair of frame armsA,B at two sides of the entrance, so as to increase the width of the frame. The inner edges of the two traysA,B follow the curved recessand have concave surfacesA,B corresponding to the spherical surfaces of two symmetrical vertices of the golf ball. As shown inand, the concave surfacesA,B of the two traysA,B hold the spherical surface of the two symmetrical vertices of the golf ball, so that the frame armsA,B can hold the golf ballstably.

Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.