Soft sided golf bag with quick action integral stand
OwnerEric W. Reimersinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A soft sided golf bag with a quick action integral stand (10) is provided to operate intermediate a stand mode and a storage mode. The stand assembly (14) is secured to the bag assembly at a top pivot assembly (40) and a bottom pivot assembly (44) and includes a leg member assembly (38) and a connecting rod assembly (42). The single linear connecting rod (98) transfers force from a rocker plate (114) on the bottom pivot (44) to an associated pair of pivot connectors (54) which rotate within a "V" block (60) of the top pivot to rotate the leg members (45) intermediate the modes. The golf bag (10) is characterized by single point connection for each leg member (45), rapid activation and "hands free activation.
Claims20
A stand assembly for use with a golf bag having an elongated tube portion, a bottom member, a top collar member, and a total length taken from the bottom member to the top collar member, comprising:
- a pivot block member secured to a mounting location on an exterior front portion of the elongated tube portion of the golf bag, the mounting location being displaced from the bottom of the golf bag by a distance greater than one half of the total length of the golf bag, the pivot block having a first side and a second side;
- a first leg member including a proximal end having a pivot portion and a distal tip end for resting on a surface, wherein the proximal end pivotally engages the first side of said pivot block member such that the first leg member may pivot thereabout intermediate a storage position wherein said leg member extends to a position proximate the elongated tube member and a stand position wherein the tip end is displaced outward and forward from the golf bag;
- a second leg member, being a mirror image of said first leg member, adapted to engage the second side of said pivot block member and, with said first leg member and a portion of the bottom portion of the golf bag, provide tripodal support for the stand position when rotated thereto, the stand position being characterized by the golf bag being inclined from vertical at an angle of 25.degree. to 60.degree.;
- a top pivot subassembly pivotally associated with said pivot block member, said top pivot subassembly being linked to the associated proximal pivot ends of said first leg member and said second leg member;
- a bottom pivot subassembly attached to the front bottom portion of the golf bag and aligned with said pivot block member, said bottom pivot subassembly including a ground engaging member which is caused to pivot upward when the golf bag is tilted forward;
- and
- a connecting rod subassembly including a single rod interconnecting said top pivot subassembly and said bottom pivot subassembly such that upward pivoting of the ground engaging member results in corresponding upward motion of said top pivot subassembly and corresponding rotation of said leg members from the storage position to the stand position.
A quick action stand assembly for use with a golf bag, the golf bag having an elongated a tube portion, a base member and a collar member, the stand assembly comprising:
- a leg member subassembly including two leg members having upper and lower ends;
- a top pivot subassembly including a V block member secured to a front side of the tube portion at a location nearer the collar member than the base member, and leg pivoting means attached to the top ends of the leg members for pivotally rotating the leg members intermediate a storage mode wherein the leg members extend generally parallel to the tube portion and adjacent thereto, and a stand mode wherein the lower ends of the leg members are rotated radially outward from the tube portion so as to form, with a portion of the base member, a tripodal support for the golf bag on a resting surface;
- a bottom pivot subassembly, situated at the front of the base member radially intermediate the leg members, including a pivot foot member, having a bottom surface which extends forward and which is caused to pivot upward by the force of the resting upon the bottom surface of the pivot member when the golf bag is tipped forward to the orientation of the stand mode;
- and
- force transfer means, including a single connecting rod extending intermediate said top pivot subassembly and said bottom pivot subassembly, for delivering the force of pivoting of the pivot foot member to the leg pivoting means so as to cause the leg pivoting means to pivot the leg members in accordance with the orientation of the foot pivot member.
In a golf bag having a tube portion with a tube front and a tube rear, and a pair of leg members which may be oriented in at least a storage mode with the leg members adjacent to the bag portion and a stand mode wherein the legs and the bag portion form an inclined tripod, the improvement comprising:
- providing a top pivot assembly for attaching the leg members to the bag portion, the top pivot assembly being situated in the upper longitudinal portion of the tube on the circumference thereof,
- providing a bottom pivot assembly attached to the tube front so as to be longitudinally aligned with said top pivot assembly, said bottom pivot assembly including a ground engaging foot pivot which is driven in a upward direction as the tube portion is tipped forward;
- and
- providing a connecting rod assembly extending intermediate said top pivot assembly and said bottom pivot assembly, said connecting rod assembly including a linear connecting rod member terminating in upper and lower tee members for respectively interfacing in a pivotal manner with said top pivot assembly and said bottom pivot assembly;
- wherein the leg members are connected to the said top pivot assembly at a single force transfer point each, the single force transfer point being situated within the upper ten percent of the longitudinal extent of the leg member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.