Golf bag with fold out crush zone

A golf bag comprising:

• a front, a back, a first side, and a second side;
• a divider top, the divider top comprising a leg connection bracket;
• a base, the base comprising a bottom panel and a receiving wall;
• a flat, the flat comprising a crush zone extending across portions of the front, the first side, and the second side of the golf bag, adjacent the base;
• the crush zone comprises a center panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, and a circumscribing panel;
• the center panel comprises a center panel height that is greater than a first side panel height and a second side panel height;
• the center panel comprises a first side edge comprising a radius of curvature between 70 cm and 90 cm and a second side edge comprising a radius of curvature between 70 cm and 90 cm;
• the circumscribing panel comprises a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein the bottom edge is secured to the base and the top edge is not secured to the base;
• a stay, the stay comprising a stay top end, a stay bottom end, a top hinge, and a bottom hinge;
• a stand assembly, the stand assembly comprising:
• a first leg and a second leg;
• wherein the first leg comprises a first upper end and a first lower end;
• and
• wherein the second leg comprises a second upper end and a second lower end;
• a first leg end cap and a second leg end cap,
• wherein the first leg end cap is configured to attach to the first upper end, and the second leg end cap is configured to attach to the second upper end;
• a spring;
• two spring brackets, wherein the spring brackets are configured to couple the spring to the first leg at a point between the first upper end and the first lower end, and the second leg at a point between the second upper end and the second lower end;
• wherein:
• the divider top and the base attach to opposite ends of the flat to form a hollow interior for receiving golf clubs;
• the stay top end flexibly attaches to the divider top by way of the top hinge;
• the stay bottom end flexibly attaches to the base by way of the bottom hinge;
• the first leg end cap and the second leg end cap of the stand assembly pivotably attach to the leg connection bracket of the divider top;
• the spring of the stand assembly attaches to the base;
• the golf bag can be placed in an upright position or a deployed position;
• in the upright position, the first leg and the second leg of the stand assembly are retracted and flush with the flat;
• in the deployed position, the stand assembly is deployed with the first leg and the second leg extended away from the flat;
• the crush zone of the flat comprises an upper gusset and a lower gusset connected by a folding seam;
• the upper gusset comprises an upper gusset top edge and an upper gusset folding edge, and the lower gusset comprises a lower gusset bottom edge and a lower gusset folding edge;
• wherein the upper gusset top edge defines a top edge of the crush zone, and the lower gusset bottom edge defines a bottom edge of the crush zone;
• wherein the upper gusset folding edge and the lower gusset folding edge abut along the folding seam;
• the upper gusset and the lower gusset are configured to fold such that the folding seam moves outwards when crush zone is compressed;
• wherein the crush zone is compressed when the golf bag is in the deployed position, and;
• wherein an entirety of a front edge of the crush zone has a convex shape when viewing the crush zone from a side view;
• wherein:
• the front edge is defined by an outermost edge of a crush zone surface when viewed from a side view and extends across an entirety of the crush zone, from the upper gusset top edge to the lower gusset bottom edge;
• the front edge comprises a single outermost point positioned on the folding seam;
• the crush zone comprises a bulge point defined by the single outermost point of the front edge;
• the bulge point defines a horizontal bulge distance parallel to a ground plane defined by the distance between a front of the base and the bulge point;
• the horizontal bulge distance increases when the golf bag is in the deployed position;
• a pivot point defined by the bottom hinge of the stay;
• a pivot reference plane parallel to the ground plane and coincident with the pivot point;
• wherein from a side view, the golf bag bends about the pivot point when moved between the upright position and the deployed position and;
• the crush zone extends to the pivot point.