Modular Rack for Disc Golf Discs

The present application claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) to Canada Patent Application No. 3,239,572, filed May 25, 2024, which application is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.

The present invention relates generally to disc golf holders, and, in particular, to modular racks for disc golf discs.

Disc golf players have many discs they need to manage. The preferred and most accessible way to display discs is to stand them upright and front to back, like books on a shelf. The need for players to organize their discs exists at the course in a bag or pull-cart and at home on a shelf.

The common solution in a disc golf bag or pull-cart is to use a limited number of reinforced fabric dividers held in place by Velcro®. This solution creates pockets which house several discs. It is very common to have a partially full bag while playing. Particularly between shots, throwing multiple shots, losing discs, or not having enough discs to fill the pocket to start. Because of this, the discs will fall over or lean. Lacking rigidity, this style of divider fails to maintain its shape and/or position and pockets often get over or under filled with discs; neither of which is desirable. In many cases, players remove all dividers from their bag due to lack of utility.

When storing discs at home, the common solution is a rack consisting of two horizontal bars in which discs are placed upright with a singular divider at the end to prevent discs from falling over. Home disc racks have a fixed width and are sometimes vertically stackable. This solution is for bulk storage of discs and is only functional indoors.

Another known solution is to use individual rigid dividers, resembling a dish drying rack. This solution is intended for display in stores, however it would not work in a bag because the density is not high enough. In order to have individual rigid dividers, the slot needs to be wide enough to accommodate the widest disc. In addition, the dividers themselves take up a considerable amount of space. The combination of these two factors reduces the density of discs by a significant portion, limiting its use-case to display and storage only.

Some exemplary embodiments of the present invention may overcome one or more of the above disadvantages and other disadvantages not described above, but the present invention is not required to overcome any particular disadvantage described above, and some exemplary embodiments of the present invention may not overcome any of the disadvantages described above.

The present invention includes many aspects and features. Moreover, while many aspects and features relate to, and are described in, the context of disc golf discs, the present invention is not limited to use only in disc golf, as will become apparent from the following summaries and detailed descriptions of aspects, features, and one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to one aspect relates to a modular rack for disc golf discs, including: a plurality of modules, the modules including two or more disc modules, each disc module having a base, having a front, a rear, a bottom, a top, and left and right sides, and at least one slot or groove disposed at the top of the base, each slot or groove being arranged to receive and support a single disc golf disc in an upright orientation, wherein the plurality of modules are aligned in side-by-side abutment with one another such that the fronts of the modules define a front of a modular rack and the rears of the modules define a rear of the modular rack; at least one mechanical coupling that connects the plurality of modules together in side-by-side and aligned abutment with one another, thereby forming the modular rack; wherein the modular rack receives and retains a plurality of discs in upright, side-by-side arrangement with no more than one disc in each slot or groove.

In a feature of this aspect, each module of the plurality of modules may be positioned and connected on either side of any of the other modules of the plurality of modules.

In another feature of this aspect, the plurality of modules further include one or more support modules, each having a base that has a front, a rear, a bottom, a top, and left and right sides, and wherein a plate extends upward from the top of each support module. In further features, a handle is disposed at the top of the plate of each support module; the support module is disposed at an end of the rack; the support module is disposed at an intermediate location in the rack; each support module further includes a slot or groove disposed at the top of the base thereof, the slot or groove being arranged to receive and support a single disc golf disc in an upright orientation; the at least one coupling mechanism includes a tensioned cord that extends through the plurality of modules and pulls the plurality of modules together; the base of each module, of the plurality of modules, includes a thru-hole through which the tensioned cord is routed, the thru-holes of the bases being aligned with each other when the plurality of modules are aligned in side-by-side abutment with one another; the base of each module, of the plurality of modules, further includes a cord friction hold that receives and compresses an end of the tensioned cord such that the end of the tensioned cord is held in place by friction; the cord friction hold is a side slot opening disposed at one end of the thru-hole opening and is transverse to, and an extension of, the cord-through hole; the base of each module, of the plurality of modules, includes a thru-hole at each end thereof; the base of each module, of the plurality of modules, includes two thru-holes at each end thereof; a tube is inserted through the aligned thru-holes of two or more bases, and the tensioned cord is routed through the tube; the base of each module, of the plurality of modules, includes a thru-hole through which a rod is routed, the thru-holes of the bases being aligned with each other when the plurality of modules are aligned in side-by-side abutment with one another; the at least one coupling mechanism includes a rod to which each base is clipped or otherwise fastened; and/or each base includes a mating portion of a coupler that is removably attached to a corresponding mating portion of a coupler on the base of an adjacent module.

In another feature of this aspect, a first module, of the plurality of modules, has a slot or groove having a first set of dimensional parameters; a second module, of the plurality of modules, has a slot or groove having a second set of dimensional parameters that are different than the first set of dimensional parameters; and the first and second sets of dimensional parameters are specifically adapted for different types of disc golf discs such that the first module is specifically adapted to receive and retain a first type of disc golf disc and the second module is specifically adapted to receive and retain a second type of disc golf disc.

In further features, the first and second types of disc golf discs include driver discs and midrange discs, driver discs and putter discs, or midrange discs and putter discs; the first module and the second module each include indicia representative of the type of disc golf disc for which the respective first or second module is specifically adapted to receive and retain; each slot or groove defines a groove profile that extends from the front of the base to the rear of the base; the groove profile includes a uniform width of between 12 mm and 24 mm, inclusive; the groove profile includes a uniform front-to-rear curvature having a radius of between 90 mm and 125 mm, inclusive; upper portions of side walls of the groove profile are “V”-shaped such that an angle of between 0 degrees and 90 degrees, inclusive, is defined between the side wall upper portions; and/or the groove profile includes a bottom having uniform side-to-side “U”-shaped curvature having a radius of between 1 mm and 12 mm, inclusive.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect relates to a disc golf bag containing a modular rack for disc golf discs, including: a portable bag having an interior and an exterior; and a modular rack, disposed in the interior of the portable bag, that is assembled from a plurality of disc golf disc modules connected by at least one mechanical coupling, wherein each disc module includes a base that has a front, a rear, a bottom, a top, and left and right sides, wherein each disc module includes at least one slot or groove disposed at the top of the base, wherein each slot or groove is arranged to receive and support a single disc golf disc in an upright orientation, wherein the plurality of modules are aligned in side-by-side abutment with one another such that the fronts of the modules define a front of a modular rack and the rears of the modules define a rear of the modular rack, and wherein the at least one mechanical coupling connects the plurality of modules together in side-by-side and aligned abutment with one another; wherein the modular rack receives and retains a plurality of discs in upright, side-by-side arrangement in the interior of the bag with no more than one disc in each slot or groove.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect relates to a module for supporting a disc golf disc and adapted for use with other disc golf disc modules, including: a base, having a front, a rear, a bottom, a top, and left and right sides; at least one slot or groove disposed at the top of the base, each slot or groove being arranged to receive and support a single disc golf disc in an upright orientation; and a thru-hole extending between the left side and the right side and adapted for receiving a connection element; wherein the module is adapted for alignment and connection with other disc golf disc modules, via the thru-hole and the connection element, such that the module receives and retains at least one disc golf disc in upright arrangement with no more than one disc in each slot or groove and in side-by-side arrangement with disc golf discs supported in other modules.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect relates to a method of assembling a modular rack for disc golf discs, comprising the steps of: procuring a plurality of modules, the modules including two or more disc modules, each disc module having a base, having a front, a rear, a bottom, a top, and left and right sides, and at least one slot or groove disposed at the top of the base, each slot or groove being arranged to receive and support a single disc golf disc in an upright orientation; aligning the plurality of modules in side-by-side abutment with one another such that the fronts of the modules define a front of a modular rack and the rears of the modules define a rear of the modular rack; via at least one mechanical coupling, connecting the plurality of modules together in side-by-side and aligned abutment with one another, thereby forming the modular rack; inserting a plurality of discs into the slots or grooves of the modular rack such that the discs are received and retained in an upright, side-by-side arrangement with no more than one disc in each slot or groove.

In a feature of this aspect, procuring the plurality of modules includes procuring a set of modules that includes at least two different types of disc modules. In further features, the step of procuring a set of modules includes procuring a first disc module that includes a first number of the slots or grooves and procuring a second disc module that includes a second number of the slots or grooves, the first and second numbers being different from one another; and/or the step of procuring a set of modules includes procuring a first disc module whose at least one slot or groove is adapted to receive and retain a first type of disc golf disc and procuring a second disc module whose at least one slot or groove is adapted to receive and retain a second type of disc golf disc, the first and second types of disc golf disc being different from one another.

In another feature of this aspect, procuring the plurality of modules further includes procuring a support module, each having a base that has a front, a rear, a bottom, a top, left and right sides, and a plate that extends upward from the top.

In another feature of this aspect, connecting the plurality of modules together includes applying tension to a cord that extends through the plurality of modules so as to pull the plurality of modules together. In further features, the base of each module, of the plurality of modules, includes a thru-hole through which the tensioned cord is routed, the thru-holes of the bases being aligned with each other when the plurality of modules are aligned in side-by-side abutment with one another; the base of each module, of the plurality of modules, further includes a cord friction hold that receives and compresses an end of the tensioned cord such that the end of the tensioned cord is held in place by friction; the cord friction hold is a side slot opening disposed at one end of the thru-hole opening and is transverse to, and an extension of, the cord-through hole; and/or the base of each module, of the plurality of modules, includes a thru-hole at each end thereof.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes a step, after connecting the plurality of modules together, of disconnecting and removing at least one of the plurality of modules. In further features, the method further includes a step, after disconnecting and removing at least one of the plurality of modules, of reconnecting the removed module in a different location in the rack; and/or a step, after disconnecting and removing at least one of the plurality of modules, of connecting a different module into the rack.

In another feature of this aspect, the aligning step includes aligning the plurality of modules in a desired sequence based on user preferences for organizing discs belonging to the user. In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes a step of installing the modular rack in a disc golf bag.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiment(s) of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art (“Ordinary Artisan”) that the present invention has broad utility and application. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. Furthermore, an embodiment of the invention may incorporate only one or a plurality of the aspects of the invention disclosed herein; only one or a plurality of the features disclosed herein; or combination thereof. Moreover, many embodiments, including adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, are implicitly disclosed herein and fall within the scope of the present invention.

Accordingly, while the present invention is described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present invention, and is made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention in any claim of a patent issuing here from, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.

Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and orders while still falling within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention is to be defined by the issued claim(s) rather than the description set forth herein.

Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which the Ordinary Artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used herein—as understood by the Ordinary Artisan based on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the Ordinary Artisan should prevail.

With regard solely to construction of any claim with respect to the United States, no claim element is to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the explicit phrase “means for” or “step for” is actually used in such claim element, whereupon this statutory provision is intended to and should apply in the interpretation of such claim element. With regard to any method claim including a condition precedent step, such method requires the condition precedent to be met and the step to be performed at least once during performance of the claimed method.

Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an” each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having an apple” describes “a picnic basket having at least one apple” as well as “a picnic basket having apples.” In contrast, reference to “a picnic basket having a single apple” describes “a picnic basket having only one apple.”

When used herein to join a list of items, “or” denotes “at least one of the items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having cheese or crackers” describes “a picnic basket having cheese without crackers,” “a picnic basket having crackers without cheese,” and “a picnic basket having both cheese and crackers.” Further, when used herein to join a list of items, “and” denotes “all of the items of the list.” Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having cheese and crackers” describes “a picnic basket having cheese, wherein the picnic basket further has crackers,” as well as describes “a picnic basket having crackers, wherein the picnic basket further has cheese.”

Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like components throughout the several views, one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention are next described. The following description of one or more preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its implementations, or uses.

is a perspective view of a backpack-style disc golf bagequipped with an exemplary modular rackand disc golf discsin accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, andis an orthogonal view of the exemplary modular rackfor disc golf discsof. A modular rack such as the rackshown inis constructed of at least two (and usually at least several more) disc modulesand, optionally, one or more support modules. As further discussed herein, modular racks may be constructed and customized by a user in order to fit a particular bag as desired, and the exemplary modular rackshown inis simply one of a very large number of permutations that are possible using disc modulesas described herein. In this particular example, the rack includes a total of nine disc modules, of three different types, and two support modules, but it will be appreciated that the number of disc modulesand support modulesmay be varied as desired.

In order to provide greater customization, support for different types of discs, and the like, the disc modulesutilized in the construction of a particular rack are preferably drawn from a set of different types of disc modulesand of different sizes.is an orthogonal view of an exemplary set of module types used in the construction of the exemplary modular rackof. Notably, although disc golf disc dimensions vary from one disc to another, the most significant differences typically occur between one type of disc and another. Thus, it has been found to be useful to include different modulesfor different types of discs. It has also been found to be useful to include modulesaccommodating different numbers of discs. In a non-limiting example, different modulesmay be provided for three relatively standard types of discs(commonly known as “drivers,” “midranges,” and “putters”). Of course, the number of module types provided may be greater or fewer than three. For example, different module types could be provided for “distance drivers” and “fairway drivers.”

Also in a non-limiting example, different modulesmay be provided to accommodate one, two, or three discs. Optionally, a set of available module types preferably also includes at least one type of support module. All of these are illustrated in the exemplary set of, which includes a single-groove driver module, a double-groove driver module, and a triple-groove driver module; a single-groove midrange module, a double-groove midrange module, and a triple-groove midrange module; a single-groove putter module, a double-groove putter module, and a triple-groove putter module; and a support module. It will be appreciated that such modules may be made commercially available as individual modules or as part of a kit that includes, for example, two of each type of module,,,,,,,,,.

is an orthogonal view of one of the disc modules of, shown in isolation. The particular moduleshown inis a single-groove driver module. Although the various disc modulesare each slightly different from one another, they have many similarities, and these similarities are next described with respect to the moduleofas being generally representative thereof. This representative disc moduleis further shown in, which are a right side, left side, rear, front, top, and bottom view, respectively, of the disc moduleof. As representatively shown therein, each disc modulepreferably includes a base, one or more disc slots or grooves, at least two cord thru-holes, at least two cord friction holds, and a label. The disc groovereceives a discand retains it in a generally upright (although not necessarily perfectly vertical) position. In at least some embodiments, all of the disc groovesin a particular disc module share a common groove profile, but it will be appreciated that additionally or alternatively, a disc module (not shown) could include disc grooves of different profiles. The baseis adapted to maintain a stable upright position when placed on a surface and provides support for the disc grooves, and thus the discscontained therein. As discussed below, the cord thru-holesand cord friction holdsenable the use of a cordto align and mechanically connect rack modules together, and the labelis used to identify the module type. Of course, in various embodiments, one or more of these elements (such as the label) may be omitted without departing from the scope of the present invention. Each of these elements is described further hereinbelow.

The baseforms the main body of each moduleand supports the other elements. The baseincludes a front, a rear, a left side, a right side, a top, and a bottom. The frontand rearare preferably angled inward at their lower ends so as to minimize space occupied and material required for their construction. In at least some embodiments, the baseis relatively uniform from one disc moduleto the others except for with respect to the width thereof. First, in at least some embodiments, the width of a single-groove module may vary slightly from one module type to another so as to minimize wasted space and material. Second, the width of a double-groove module, regardless of type, is approximately (and in at least some embodiments, exactly) two times the width of the single-groove module of the same type, and the width of a triple-groove module, regardless of type, is approximately (and in at least some embodiments, exactly) three times the width of the single-groove module of the same type. Otherwise, the baseof each disc moduleis essentially the same. The length for each moduleis preferably the same so that when assembled as shown, for example, in, the ends of the modulesare all aligned with each other. Furthermore, lowermost portions of the baseare preferably co-planar so as ensure stability when placed on a flat surface and to ensure uniformity in an assembled rack. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the lowermost portions include a segmentnear each end as well as an intermediate portion. Still further, the disposition of the cord thru-holeson each module is preferably the same, the disposition of the labelson each module is the same, the shape of the bottom is the same, and the like.

Each baseincludes one or more disc grooveson or at the top thereof. Each disc groovedefines a groove profile that is designed to receive a single disc. In this regard,is a cross-sectional view of the disc moduleof, taken along line-, illustrating substantial portions of the groove profile of the disc moduleof. As noted previously, discs are available with a variety of dimension. However, it has been found that providing specific groove profiles for every possible disc design is of insufficient benefit to justify the cost and complications inherent therein. Instead, most disc golf discs can be sufficiently accommodated using one of a plurality of generalized groove profiles. Using these generalized groove profiles, players can select profiles which match their discs with enough accuracy to reliably hold the discs but without losing density in their assembled rack.

To define the groove profiles, typical disc geometries were used as a guideline. Four primary characteristics in defining a groove profile are disc width, disc outer diameter, camber of the disc, and disc nose radius. The groove profile width, which is related to the disc width, ranges from 12 mm to 24 mm. The outer radius of curvature of the groove profile, which is related to the outer diameter of the disc, ranges from 90 mm-125 mm. The ‘V’ groove angle created by the two side walls, which is related to the camber of a disc, ranges from 0°-90° inclusive angle. If a steep angle is used for the ‘V’ groove, the height of the profile extends to an undesirable level. The upper radiusof the groove profile is used to limit the overall height of the groove profile. The nose radiusof the groove profile, which is related to the nose radius of a disc, ranges from 1 mm to 12 mm. Although the nose radiuscan also influence the height of a groove profile, the core function of this parameter is to match that of the disc. This highlights the importance of the upper radius. These characteristics define the parameters and bounds used in creating groove profiles. The variety of groove profiles created allows the assembled rack to maintain a reliable vertical hold on each individual disc type without the use of dividers while still achieving a high storage density that is only slightly less than simply storing discs without any sort of rack or dividers.

As noted previously, the disc moduleofis for a single driver disc, and thus the groove profile ofis for a driver disc. It will be appreciated, however, that the putter and midrange groove profiles are based on the same principles, but use appropriate values related to that particular disc type.

By varying the number of grooves(from one to three, or even more if desired) and the type of groove profile for the grooves, a set of modulesmay be provided that are well-equipped for handling the vast majority of available disc golf discs and for allowing users to customize a modular rackthat best meets their needs. In addition to the single-groove driver moduleof, these may include the disc modules of, which are orthogonal views of a double-groove driver module, a triple-groove module, a single-groove midrange module, a double-groove midrange module, a triple-groove midrange module, a single-groove putter module, a double-groove putter module, and a triple-groove putter module, respectively, for use in modular racks of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. Notably, each module's type (driver, midrange, putter, and the like) is indicated by the label, which is preferably applied or integrated into each module. In at least some embodiments, one instance of the labelis disposed on the left side of the moduleand another instance of the label is disposed on the right side of the module, but additional or alternative label dispositions may likewise be utilized.

As noted previously, the cord thru-holesand cord friction holdsenable the use of a cordto align and mechanically connect rack modules together. Each cord thru-holepenetrates through the baseof the modulesuch that the cordmay be routed therethrough. In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of cord thru-holesare located at each end of the baseto improve case of use. However, other arrangements are possible. In one alternative arrangement (an example of which is illustrated herein), only one cord thru-hole is located at each end of the base. In another alternative arrangement (not illustrated) each base includes only a single cord thru-hole, which may, for example, be disposed at or near the middle of the base. In some such arrangements, the base may be provided with one or more structures to help fit the modules together, but where a cordprovides the necessary tension to hold the modules together.

In at least some embodiments, the cord thru-holesare cylindrical and of slightly larger diameter that the cordsuch that it is easy for a user to insert the cordinto and through the holeswhen assembling a rack, and to tighten the cordas desired. However, some variation is possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. As noted previously, the disposition of the cord thru-holesis preferably the same in the baseof each modulesuch that the holesat each end thereof are aligned with the respective holesin the adjacent modules. Each cord friction holdcomprises a side slot opening that is disposed at one end of a respective cord thru-holeand is transverse to, and an extension of, the cord thru-holesuch that the cordmay be routed into the opposite end of the cord thru-holeand then pulled to the side and out through the cord friction holdinstead of being routed all the way through the cord thru-hole. The slot opening forming the cord friction holdhas a width that less the corditself (and thus considerably less than the diameter of the cord thru-hole) such that once forced therethrough, the cordis compressed and held in place by friction.

To align and mechanically connect multiple modulesinto one assembly, the modulesare aligned the cordis strung horizontally through all of the modulesusing the thru-holeson each side of the module bases. In this regard,is an orthogonal view of the exemplary modular rackof, shown partially constructed;is an orthogonal view of the exemplary modular rackof, shown with the cordpulled tight through the modules;is an orthogonal view of the exemplary modular rackof, shown with the final modulein place; andis an orthogonal view of the exemplary modular rackof, shown with the cord being locked in place. The cordis strung through one side of the assembled rack base, around the back, and up through the other side, creating a ‘U’ shape with the cord as shown in. Tension is then applied to the assembly by pulling the ends of the cordtightly as shown in, thereby forcing the various modulestightly against one another. Once the final moduleis in place, as shown in, the tension may then be maintained by pulling the ends of the cordlaterally outward, as shown in, which naturally forced the cordto fall into the slots of the friction holdsconnected to the thru holeson each side of the endmost module. The friction holdscompress the ends of the cordapply enough friction to hold the modulestogether, thereby forming the rack. Furthermore, to help ensure the tension is not released, and also to store the excess cord, the cord ends may then be fed into the adjacent second thru-holeson either side of the rackand secured using the corresponding friction hold slots. The result is the rackshown in.

In at least some embodiments, the cord friction holdsare disposed adjacent one side or the other of each module, but not both. In such embodiments, care must be taken to ensure the final module(in, the triple-groove putter moduleat the far right) is installed so that the cord friction holdsare located at the very end of the rack, rather than facing toward the previous module, to that they are available for use in properly lacing and locking the cordin place. Notably, because the friction holdsare located on the front and back faces of each module, and thus of the finished rack itself, the corddoes not extend beyond the sides of the rack, which has the benefit of maximizing the overall width of the rack (because no space is required at the ends for the cord). This placement also avoids accidental release of the corddue to accidental rubbing against a neighbouring wall of the bagor the like.

The friction holdsmay be released by manipulating the exposed cord loops, shown in, by pushing them toward the end of the rackand out of the friction holds, thereby removing the tension from the cord.

As noted previously, the rackofalso includes two support modules. In this regard,is an orthogonal view of one of the support modulesof, shown in isolation, andis a right side view of the support moduleof. Support modulesmay serve a variety of functions, including serving as dividers between different groups of discs, serving as end walls for a rack, serving as handles for a rack, preventing a bagfrom collapsing on an empty or partially-empty rack, and/or the like. In the illustrated embodiment, each support modulepreferably includes a base, at least two cord thru-holes, at least two cord friction holds, a support plate, and a handle. The baseforms the main body of each support moduleand supports the other elements. In at least some embodiments, the basehas a similar footprint, when viewed from one side or the other, to the basesof the various disc modules. As with the disc module bases, lowermost portions of the support module baseare preferably co-planar so as to ensure stability in an assembled rack. The cord thru-holesand cord friction holdsprovide functionality somewhat similar to the cord thru-holesand cord friction holdsof the disc modules, but in the illustrated embodiment, the width of the support moduleis minimized so as to improve disc storage density, and thus the cord friction holdshave a different shape (semicircular), location (on the bottom of the base) and orientation (side-to-side rather than opening to the front or back, like those of the disc modules). Notably, when installed in a module rack, the cord thru-holesare aligned with the cord thru-holesof the various disc modulesin the rack.

The support plateand handleprovide most of the functionality of the support module. The support platecreates a physical barrier as well as providing support for, or being integral with, the handle. In at least some embodiments, the support plate extends upward from the top of the support modulefor a distance that is at least approximately as much as the radius of a disc(or the radius of curvature of the grooves of the disc modules). The support plateand handlecan be used in a variety of ways. In the rackof, one support modulehas been included to separate the driver modules,,from the midrange modules,,, while another support modulehas been included to separate the midrange modules,,from the putter modules,,. In addition to serving the function of visually and physically separating different types of modules, the two support modulesof(which may be considered “intermediate” support modules because they are disposed at an intermediate location in the rack, in between various disc modules) may also help prevent discsfrom shifting around unnecessarily. However, it will be appreciated that a modular rack may be constructed without any support modules at all. Furthermore, if used, support modulesmay additionally or alternatively be disposed at one or both ends of a rack. In this regard,is an orthogonal view of another exemplary modular rackfor disc golf discsin accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the rackof, a support modulehas been arranged at each end thereof. Such a configuration provides a rigid wall on cither end of a rack and may be particularly useful when an unconventional bag (such as a grocery bag or a regular backpack) is utilized as a disc golf bag, or when using the rack on a shelf at home. When using the rack in an unconventional bag, the support moduleshelp keep the unconventional bag open, so as to not collapse the bag into the disc carrying space of the rack. Furthermore, in this configuration, the support modulesprovide handles with which one can easily pick up the whole rackand move it from one place to another.

When locating the support modulesat the ends of a rack, such as the rackof, the stringing method used to fasten the racktogether differs slightly from that described in. In this regard,is a bottom orthogonal view of the exemplary modular rackof, shown with some of the disc modulesomitted for clarity. As shown therein, the cordis passed through aligned thru-holesof the various disc modulesand then through the corresponding thru-holeson the support module. Each end of the cordis then routed down toward one of the friction holdsand looped around and back through an adjacent friction hold. From there, any remaining cordcan be fed through the second thru-hole. This method provides similar functionality to that provided by the thru-holesand friction holdsof the disc modules, using friction, applied by the friction holds, to hold the racktogether.

Disc modules and support modules may be implemented in a variety of ways. For example,is an orthogonal view of an exemplary modular rackfor disc golf discsin accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. Like the racks,of, this rackutilizes disc modules and support modules. In this regard,is an orthogonal view of one of the disc modulesof, shown in isolation, andis an orthogonal view of the support moduleand endmost disc moduleof, shown in isolation. The disc modulesare similar in many respects to the disc modulespreviously described, including use of a disc slot or groovewith a groove profile that may be customized for particular types or sizes of discs, but utilize a somewhat different baseand only a single cord thru-holeat each end. However, the disc modulesinclude two cord friction-holdsat each end, and application of the cord lock is generally similar to that of the previous racks,. The support modules, on the other hand, are something of a hybrid of the disc modulesand the support moduleof the previous racks,. Like the disc module, the support moduleincludes a disc groovesupported by a base, wherein the baseincludes a cord thru-holeand two cord friction-holdsat each end. Like the other support module, however, the support moduleofincludes a support plateand a handle, thereby providing much of the functionality of the previously-described support module.

In at least some methods of use, a user may purchase or otherwise acquire a set of disc modules. In some methods, the user may also purchase or otherwise acquire one or more support modules. In at least some methods, disc modules and support modules are offered commercially as kits, as individual modules, or both. In some methods, the user may begin laying out acquired modules in a desired storage or use location in order to determine various rack design parameters before actually assembling the rack. Such design parameters may include, without limitation: a best arrangement of modules, including location/sequence of disc modules; whether there is a need for support modules as dividers, handles, or both; sizing requirements (particularly width) for the rack, and the like. In at least some of these embodiments, the “laid out” arrangement may then be rearranged, separated, removed, or the like as necessary or desired before actually assembling the various modules into the finished rack. For example, if a cord lock mechanism is utilized, the rack may be designed by first laying out the modules and then separating or otherwise manipulating them to install the cord as described herein. Furthermore, in at least some embodiments, a fully-assembled rack may be partially or fully disassembled to remove a module, add a module, or both, before reassembling. In short, contemplated methods involve the customization of the rack as desired, and even re-customization as desired, in order to produce a modular rack that fits the user's exact needs and preferences.