Ball marker with built-in green fork

Abstract

To provide a ball marker with a built-in green fork, which can be smoothly operated to appear and disappear outside, can secure a sufficient display area of ​​the ball marker, and can be manufactured at low cost. [Solution] A ball marker 1 with a built-in green fork comprises a pair of circular flat plates 2a, 2b facing each other at a distance, a relay portion 3 sandwiched between them and crescent-shaped with the arc of the crescent coinciding with the outer peripheral edge of the flat plates 2a, 2b and the chord of the crescent shape being shorter than the diameter of the flat plates 2a, 2b, a void 4 surrounded by the flat plates 2a, 2b and the relay portion 3, and a green fork 5 housed inside the void 4 and fixed to a rotating shaft 6 that passes through a position on the peripheral side of the flat plates 2a, 2b and can rotate approximately 180 degrees toward the opening of the void 4, and ball marker markings are located on the outer surfaces of the flat plates 2a, 2b.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a ball marker with a built-in green fork. [Background technology]

[0002] When a golfer aims a golf ball (hereafter referred to as the ball) from the fairway onto the green (places it on the green), the position of the ball mark (indentation) created by the impact of the ball's fall is indicated, and a disc-shaped ball marker is placed where the ball was removed for the next golfer to play. After the next shot aimed at a hole-in, it is considered good manners to use a green fork to comb up the grass on the green surface to flatten it out and remove the ball mark.

[0003] For example, the multi-functional golf ball marker described in Patent Document 1 has a disk-shaped flat plate that is viewed at an angle perpendicular to the planar direction, and a green fork storage groove that is wide at the back and narrow at the opening is formed along the center line of the plate. The green fork is stored in the storage groove so that it can slide radially within the storage groove, and the square protrusion that protrudes upward from the surface of the green fork is exposed outside a rectangular groove that is opened in the radial direction in another flat plate. This makes it possible to perform the dual functions of ball marker and green fork. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-233407 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the multi-functional golf ball marker of Patent Document 1, the protrusions of the green fork are slid to protrude outward from the flat plate that serves as the ball marker. Therefore, if the swinging of the green fork, including the protrusions, generates unnecessary friction between the green fork's storage groove or the elongated groove surrounding the protrusions, smooth sliding may become difficult. The same problem occurs if fine dust or other particles enter the interior from the elongated groove surrounding the protrusions and become trapped between the pair of flat plates and the green fork. Furthermore, because the elongated grooves allow the protrusions to slide, the display area of ​​the flat plate with the elongated grooves as a ball marker is reduced. Additionally, there is the problem of increased manufacturing costs for obtaining the flat plate with the green fork storage groove.

[0006] The object of this invention is to solve the problems described in the background art, and to provide a ball marker with a built-in green fork that can be smoothly operated to extend and retract to the outside, ensures a sufficient display area for the ball marker, and can be manufactured more inexpensively. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the ball marker with a built-in green fork of this invention is A pair of flat plates that are circular at a viewing angle perpendicular to the planar direction and face each other at a distance; a relay portion that is sandwiched between the pair of flat plates, has a crescent shape as a whole at the visual angle, an arc of the crescent shape coincides with the outer periphery of the pair of flat plates at the visual angle, and a chord of the crescent shape is shorter than the diameter of the pair of flat plates; a void space surrounded by the pair of flat plates and the relay portion; a green fork that is accommodated inside the cavity and fixed to a rotation shaft that penetrates the peripheral edge positions of the pair of flat plates, and that can rotate toward an opening on the open side of the cavity at the viewing angle; At least one of the surfaces of the pair of flat plates that are exposed to the outside has a ball marker displayed on it.

[0008] At least one end of the rotary shaft may be provided with a knob located on the surface of the pair of flat plates.

[0009] The shape of the pair of flat plates at the viewing angle may be a perfect circle, or may include an ellipse or oval at the viewing angle with the longitudinal direction of the green fork and the longitudinal direction of the chord of the relay section as its major axis.

[0010] At least one of the pair of flat plates and the relay portion may be made of the same type of synthetic resin, or the pair of flat plates may be made of synthetic leather and the relay portion may be made of synthetic resin, or the three may be an integrated body made of the same type of synthetic resin.

[0011] The surfaces of the pair of flat plates exposed to the outside may be coated with different types of paint or may have ball markers with different expressions. The relay portion may be formed integrally with at least one of the pair of flat plates. The relay portion may be formed separately from the pair of flat plates. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The ball marker is a ball marker that is placed between two opposing circular plates. The ball marker can be moved smoothly outward by simply manipulating one of the ends of a rotating shaft that holds the ball marker between the two plates. The ball marker can be displayed on the outer surfaces of the two plates in a sufficient area. Furthermore, the simple structure of each component makes it possible to manufacture the ball marker at low cost. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1A] 1(A) and 1(B) are perspective views showing a first embodiment of a ball marker according to the present invention. [Figure 1B]1A is a front view showing a first embodiment of the ball marker according to the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a front view showing the state in which the built-in green fork is protruding to the outside. [Figure 2] (A) is a side view of the marker in Figure 1, (B) is a cross-sectional view of the viewing angle along line BB in (A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the green fork has been rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise from the state in (B). [Figure 3] (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the green fork has been rotated approximately 30 degrees counterclockwise from the state in Figure 2(C), and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the green fork has been rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise from the state in Figure 2(C). [Figure 4] (A) to (D) are modified examples of embodiment 1, where (A) and (B) are side views showing ball markers (part 1) of an embodiment having knobs of different shapes and with different rotation angles of the green fork, (C) is a side view showing ball markers (part 2) of an embodiment having knobs of different shapes, and (D) is a side view showing ball markers (part 1) of a different embodiment. [Figure 5] (A) to (B) are modified examples of embodiment 1, where (A) is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2(B) showing a ball marker (part 2) of a different embodiment, and (B) is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2(B) showing a ball marker (part 3) of a different embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a ball marker according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing one of the flat plates according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a ball marker according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10A is a side view of a green fork according to embodiment 2 before it is removed from the marker, and FIG. 10B is a side view of the green fork after it has been removed from the marker. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Embodiment 1. The following describes embodiments of the present invention. In the following description of each embodiment, the green fork will be abbreviated to simply "fork," and the ball marker will be abbreviated to simply "marker." FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a ball marker 1 incorporating a green fork according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B(A) is a front view of a ball marker 1 incorporating a green fork according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B(B) is a front view showing the state in which the green fork 5 is protruding outward.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1A(A), 1B(B), 1B(A), 1B(B), and 2(A), ball marker 1 comprises a pair of opposing flat plates 2a, 2b that are identically circular when viewed from the front, perpendicular to the planar direction; a plate-like intermediary portion 3 sandwiched between the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b, that is crescent-shaped overall, with its arc coinciding with the outer periphery of the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b and the chord of the crescent shape shorter than the diameter of the flat plates 2a, 2b; and a fork 5 rotatably mounted within a flat cavity 4 surrounded by the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b and intermediary portion 3. At least one of the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b has a ball marker design (not shown) on its outer surface, and is made of synthetic leather or synthetic resin that is somewhat soft to the touch. Meanwhile, intermediary portion 3 is made of hard resin or a light alloy such as aluminum or magnesium. These three components are joined together with an adhesive (not shown). In this embodiment, the relay portion 3 and the flat plates 2a and 2b are formed separately from each other. However, this is not limiting. For example, the relay portion 3 may be formed integrally with one of the flat plates 2a and 2b.

[0016] A fork 5 is rotatably housed within a flat cavity 4 surrounded by the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b and the relay portion 3. The fork 5 is formed by stamping a metal plate having a thickness similar to the width of the cavity 4, and is made of, for example, stainless steel or an aluminum alloy. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1B(A) and 2(A), the fork 5 is housed within the cavity 4 along the chord direction of the relay portion 3 and the radial direction of the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b. The fork 5 is fixed by spot welding, brazing, or the like to a rotating shaft 6 that penetrates along the thickness direction through a position on the center line of one of the flat plates 2a, 2b near the outer periphery of each of them.

[0017] One end of the rotating shaft 6 is provided with a disk-shaped flange 7 set in the axial direction. The flange 7 is housed in a recess formed in the surface of the flat plate 2b (the lower surface in FIG. 2(A)) so as not to protrude from the surface of the flat plate 2b. In this embodiment, the surface of the flange 7 (the lower surface in FIG. 2(A)) is formed to be flush with the surface of the flat plate 2b. The other end of the rotating shaft 6 is integrally provided with a knob 8 having a flat, cylindrical shape whose circumferential surface is continuously formed with fine projections and depressions along the axial direction. By holding the knob 8 with your fingertips and rotating it 180 degrees, the fork 5 can be changed from a state embedded between the pair of flat plates 2a and 2b as shown in FIG. 1B(A) to a state protruding outward as shown in FIG. 1B(B). Furthermore, by adjusting the dimensions of the knob 8 and the flange 7 appropriately, it is possible to stabilize the rotation operation by the knob 8 and the protruding state of the fork 5 while maintaining an appropriate degree of friction.

[0018] The rotational trajectory of the fork 5 described above starts from the built-in state shown in Fig. 2(B), passes through the state shown in Fig. 2(C) where it is rotated about 90 degrees counterclockwise around the rotation axis 6, and then passes through the state shown in Fig. 3(A) where it is rotated about 40 degrees from that, and then rotates about 180 degrees as shown in Fig. 3(B), where most of the fork 5 protrudes outside the flat plates 2a and 2b. During this time, the semicircular arc portion 5r located on the base end side of the fork 5 does not come into contact at all with the inner wall surface 3g, which is the inner arc of the relay part 3.

[0019] By rotating the fork 5 as described above, ball marks (dents) caused by the impact of the ball on the green can be easily combed up and flattened on the grass surface of the green after play, so that the next golfer playing can be protected from inconvenience and the golfer can observe proper etiquette.

[0020] Furthermore, the outer surface of at least one of the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b, except for the positions of the knob 8 and flange 7, is either directly coated with normal paint, luminescent paint, or hologram, or has a film with these paints printed on it pasted on it. Therefore, by removing the ball from its position after hitting the target green with one's own shot and placing the marker 1 of the present invention in its place, it can reliably function as a ball marker that allows the ball's position to be easily identified. The luminescent paint mentioned above includes fluorescent paint, phosphorescent paint, and luminous paint, making it possible to use it in various weather conditions and at twilight.

[0021] Modification of the first embodiment A modified example of the first embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 4. In the modified example of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the flange portion 7 is provided so as to protrude from the surface of the flat plate 2b. However, this is not limiting. The flange portion 7 does not have to be provided so as to protrude from the surface of the flat plate 2b, as in the first embodiment described above. 4(A) and (B) are side views of the marker 1 at different rotation angles of the fork 5, with knobs 8a of different shapes fixed to the rotation shaft 6. The knobs 8a are vertically long rectangular parallelepipeds with rounded upper corners on the top edge, with their long sides parallel to the longitudinal direction of the fork 5. The knob 8b shown in FIG. 4(C) is semicircular and plate-like in side view, with its radius parallel to the longitudinal direction of the fork 5.

[0022] 4(D) is a side view of the marker 1 in which the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b and the relay portion 3x are made of the same type of hard synthetic resin. In this configuration, the flat plate 2a and the relay portion 3x, or the flat plate 2b and the relay portion 3x, are injection molded as a single unit, thereby reducing the number of bonding steps and making it easier to manufacture the marker 1. Furthermore, by integrating the flat plates 2a, 2b and the relay portion 3x into a single unit and spot welding or brazing the rotating shaft 6 and the fork 5 from the outside, the number of materials can be reduced and manufacturing can be made even easier.

[0023] Fig. 5(A) is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 2(B) showing a marker 1a of a different configuration. This marker 1a has a pair of flat plates 9a, 9b that are elliptical (circular) in front view, and a fork 5 is built into a cavity 4a surrounded by the flat plates 9a, 9b and a relay portion 3a. The longitudinal direction of the fork 5 coincides with the long axis direction of the flat plates 9a, 9b.

[0024] Fig. 5(B) is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 2(B) showing a different type of marker 1b. In this marker 1b, a pair of flat plates 10a, 10b have an oval (circular) shape when viewed from the front, and a fork 5 is built into a space 4b surrounded by the flat plates 10a, 10b and a relay portion 3b. The longitudinal direction of the fork 5 coincides with the longitudinal direction of the flat plates 10a, 10b.

[0025] According to the markers 1, 1a, and 1b of the present invention described above, the fork 5 can be stably protruded from the cavity 4 surrounded by the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b and the relay portion 3 by rotating the rotary shaft 6. Furthermore, the ball marker can be displayed over a wide area on the outer surfaces of the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b, excluding the positions of the knob 8 and flange 7. Furthermore, because the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b are circular and the fork 5 is housed in the cavity 4 surrounded by these plates, the risk of injuring a golfer's fingertips or ripping a pocket in clothing is reduced. Additionally, the overall structure is simple, allowing for easy and low-cost manufacturing.

[0026] It is also possible to apply different ball marker markings to the outer surfaces of the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b, etc. For example, the outer surface of one flat plate 2a may be painted with a water-based paint for daytime use, and the outer surface of the other flat plate 2b may be painted with a luminous paint for twilight.

[0027] The same knob 8 or the like may be fixed to both ends of the rotary shaft 6, or different knobs may be fixed to each end.

[0028] Embodiment 2. In the above-described first embodiment, the relay part 3 is formed separately from the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b, as shown in FIG. 2(A). Furthermore, in the above-described first embodiment, the fork 5 is rotated by the knob 8. However, this is not limited to this. As in the second embodiment, the relay part 3 may be formed integrally with either of the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b. Furthermore, as in the second embodiment, the fork 5 may be rotated by pinching both ends of the rotating shaft 6. Below, a description will be given of the second embodiment, which has a structure partially different from that of the first embodiment. The following mainly describes the differences from the first embodiment.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the relay portion 3 is formed integrally with the flat plate 2b of the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b. The relay portion 3 is formed to protrude upward from the flat plate 2b toward the flat plate 2a. In the second embodiment, the relay portion 3 is formed integrally with the flat plate 2b of the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b, but is not limited to this. The relay portion 3 may also be formed integrally with the flat plate 2a of the pair of flat plates 2a, 2b. In this case, the relay portion 3 is formed to protrude downward from the flat plate 2a toward the flat plate 2b.

[0030] Furthermore, a notched recess 3c is formed in the relay portion 3. When the flat plates 2a and 2b are combined with each other, the protrusion 2c formed on the flat plate 2a fits into this recess 3c, thereby positioning the flat plate 2b relative to the flat plate 2b.

[0031] The rotating shaft 6 is configured by combining a first rotating shaft part 6a and a second rotating shaft part 6b.

[0032] The first rotating shaft part 6a is fitted into the through-hole of the upper flat plate 2a. The first rotating shaft part 6a is formed with a flange portion, a shaft body, and an insertion cylindrical portion in that order from top to bottom.

[0033] The flange portion of the first rotating shaft part 6a is formed so that its upper surface does not protrude from the surface of the flat plate 2a. In the second embodiment, the surface of the flange portion is formed to be at the same height as the surface of the flat plate 2a. However, this is not limited to this. The surface of the flange portion may be formed to be slightly lower than the surface of the flat plate 2a.

[0034] The shaft body of the first rotating shaft part 6a is formed with a rotation prevention portion 6c that protrudes radially and prevents the first rotating shaft part 6a from rotating more than a predetermined angle relative to the flat plate 2a. When the first rotating shaft part 6a attempts to rotate more than the predetermined angle relative to the flat plate 2a, the rotation prevention portion 6c comes into contact with a restriction surface formed in the through-hole of the flat plate 2a. This prevents the first rotating shaft part 6a from rotating more than the predetermined angle relative to the flat plate 2a.

[0035] The second rotating shaft part 6b is fitted into the through-hole of the lower flat plate 2b. The second rotating shaft part 6b is formed with a flange portion and a shaft body in this order from the bottom.

[0036] The flange portion of the second rotating shaft part 6b is formed so that its lower surface does not protrude from the surface of the flat plate 2b. In the second embodiment, the surface of the flange portion is formed to be at the same height as the surface of the flat plate 2b. However, this is not limited to this. The surface of the flange portion may be formed to be slightly higher than the surface of the flat plate 2b.

[0037] The shaft body of the second rotating shaft part 6b is formed with an insertion hole into which the insertion columnar part of the first rotating shaft part 6a fits.

[0038] In the fork 5, a groove 5a into which the rotation prevention portion 6c fits is formed in the through hole into which the rotating shaft is inserted. With the rotation prevention portion 6c fitting into this groove 5a, when the rotating shaft 6 is rotated by pinching both ends of the rotating shaft 6, the rotation of the rotating shaft 6 is transmitted to the fork 5, and the fork 5 rotates around the rotating shaft together with the rotating shaft.

[0039] The present invention can be embodied in various forms and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0040] According to this invention, it is possible to provide a ball marker with a built-in green fork that can be smoothly operated to extend and retract to the outside, ensuring sufficient display area for the ball marker, and being able to manufacture it more cheaply. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1, 1a, 1b, 1-2 Ball marker with built-in green fork 2a, 2b flat plate 2c Convex part 3, 3a, 3b, 3x relay section 3c Recess 3g Inner wall surface 4, 4a, 4b blank space 5. Green Fork 5a groove 5r Arc section 6 Rotation Axis 6a First rotating shaft part 6b Second rotating shaft part 6c Anti-rotation control part 7. Tsuba 8, 8a, 8b knobs 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b flat plate

Claims

1. A pair of flat plates that are circular at a viewing angle perpendicular to the planar direction and face each other at a distance; a relay portion that is sandwiched between the pair of flat plates, has a crescent shape as a whole at the visual angle, an arc of the crescent shape coincides with the outer periphery of the pair of flat plates at the visual angle, and a chord of the crescent shape is shorter than the diameter of the pair of flat plates; a void space surrounded by the pair of flat plates and the relay portion; a green fork that is accommodated inside the cavity and fixed to a rotation shaft that penetrates the peripheral edge positions of the pair of flat plates, and that can rotate toward an opening on the open side of the cavity at the viewing angle; A ball marker with a built-in green fork is provided on at least one of the surfaces exposed to the outside of the pair of flat plates.

2. 2. The ball marker with a built-in green fork according to claim 1, wherein a knob positioned on the surface of the pair of flat plates is attached to at least one end of the rotating shaft.

3. A ball marker with a built-in green fork as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the shape of the pair of flat plates at the viewing angle includes, in addition to a perfect circle, an ellipse or an oval at the viewing angle with the longitudinal direction of the green fork and the longitudinal direction of the string of the relay section as its major axis.

4. A ball marker with a built-in green fork as described in claim 1, wherein at least one of the pair of flat plates and the relay portion are made of the same type of synthetic resin, or the pair of flat plates are made of synthetic leather and the relay portion is made of synthetic resin, and the three are a single unit made of the same type of synthetic resin.

5. A ball marker with a built-in green fork as described in claim 1, wherein each of the surfaces exposed to the outside of the pair of flat plates is coated with a different type of paint or has a ball marker display with a different expression.

6. 2. The ball marker with a built-in green fork according to claim 1, wherein the relay portion is formed integrally with at least one of the pair of flat plates.

7. 2. The ball marker with a built-in green fork according to claim 1, wherein the relay portion is formed separately from the pair of flat plates.

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