Ball picker for park golf

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ball picker for park golf, and more specifically, to a ball picker for park golf that not only allows for easy retrieval of a ball placed on a hole cup or green in various ways depending on the situation, but also provides the function of easily placing the retrieved ball onto a slenderly protruding tee on the green, thereby eliminating strenuous physical movements such as excessive bending of joints like the waist or knees to retrieve the ball directly or place it back on the green. This provides significant physical assistance, particularly for elderly players or those with joint strain, and reduces the risk of injury by minimizing repetitive joint bending movements. It also enables smoother game progression by allowing for quick ball handling, and is effectively used to retrieve balls from hard-to-reach places, allowing players to fully concentrate on the actual game for more time. Furthermore, it is lightweight, making it easy to use, carry, and store.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a ball picker for park golf, and more specifically, to a ball picker for park golf that not only allows for easy retrieval of a ball placed on a hole cup or green in various ways depending on the situation, but also provides the function of easily placing the retrieved ball onto a slenderly protruding tee on the green, thereby eliminating strenuous physical movements such as excessive bending of joints like the waist or knees to retrieve the ball directly or place it back on the green. This provides significant physical assistance, particularly for elderly players or those with joint strain, and reduces the risk of injury by minimizing repetitive joint bending movements. It also enables smoother game progression by allowing for quick ball handling, and is effectively used to retrieve balls from hard-to-reach places, allowing players to fully concentrate on the actual game for more time. Furthermore, it is lightweight, making it easy to use, carry, and store. Background Technology

[0002] Park golf is a sport that originated in Japan. It is similar to golf but is simpler and more accessible, and is called 'park golf' because it can be enjoyed mainly in parks. Compared to regular golf, park golf has relatively simple equipment and rules, and course usage fees and equipment are inexpensive. It is gaining popularity as a sport for middle-aged and older adults that anyone can easily enjoy regardless of age or gender, as it helps improve physical health by combining activities of walking and hitting a ball outdoors.

[0003] In park golf, one club (usually a wood) and a dedicated ball are used, but the club is shorter than a standard golf club and the ball is slightly larger.

[0004] The course consists of 9 or 18 holes, with each hole typically ranging in length from 20m to 100m. Just like regular golf, the goal is to get the ball into the hole with the fewest possible strokes. In this case, the score is recorded in the same way as in regular golf, and the rule is that the person with the lowest number of strokes wins.

[0005] Meanwhile, due to the rules of park golf, where the length of each hole is short and the game proceeds relatively quickly, players must repeatedly pick up balls placed on the green or repeatedly place picked-up balls back on the tee.

[0006] However, considering that most people who enjoy park golf are middle-aged, there was a problem of physical strain or stress on the lumbar joints that unnecessarily bend during the process of picking up the ball on the green or placing it on the tee. Prior art literature

[0007] Registered Patent 10-2080406 The problem to be solved

[0008] The present invention was created to address the various problems of the aforementioned prior art. Its purpose is to provide a ball picker for park golf that is lightweight, easy to use, carry, and store. This is achieved by providing a function that allows for the easy retrieval of a ball placed on a hole cup or green in various ways depending on the situation, as well as the ability to easily place the retrieved ball onto a slenderly protruding tee on the green. By eliminating strenuous physical movements such as excessive bending of joints like the waist or knees to retrieve the ball or place it back on the green, it offers significant physical benefits, particularly for older players or those with joint strain. Furthermore, it reduces the risk of injury by minimizing repetitive joint bending movements, enables smoother game progression by allowing for quick ball handling, and is effectively used to retrieve balls from hard-to-reach places, allowing players to fully concentrate on the actual game for a longer period of time. means of solving the problem

[0009] The present invention, as a means to achieve the above objective, comprises a pickup unit having a structure in which both ends are connected in a convergence manner at the lower part of the convergence holder, wherein a small-diameter wire is bent multiple times to form a lower opening at the central lower part and a front opening at the front, so as to elastically deform to pick up a ball by approaching vertically from the upper part of the ball through the lower opening, or to pick up a ball by approaching from one side of a ball placed on the green through the front opening, and to discharge the ball recovered inside through the front opening.

[0010] Additionally, the pickup portion is characterized by comprising: a pair of front wires branching out to the lower left and right sides of the convergence holder and formed symmetrically to the left and right to form the front opening between them; and a pair of base wires formed symmetrically to the left and right to form the lower opening between them while being bent and extended toward the rear from the lower ends of each of the pair of front wires.

[0011] Additionally, each of the above-mentioned pair of front wires is characterized by comprising: a first front wire member formed by extending a certain length in a straight line toward the left and right outer directions from the bottom of the convergence holder; a second front wire member formed by extending a certain length downward from the bottom of the first wire member; and a third front wire member formed by extending a certain length toward the front inner diagonal direction from the bottom of the second front wire member and then connected to the base wire to support the front lower end of the ball.

[0012] In addition, the above pair of base wires is characterized by having a structure that is curved in an arc shape to form a circular lower opening between them when viewed from a planar view, and is curved in an arc shape such that its height gradually increases toward the rear when viewed from the side.

[0013] Additionally, the pickup unit further comprises a deformation-inducing wire formed at a point between the rear ends of the pair of base wires to induce elastic deformation spreading outward from the pair of base wires. Effects of the invention

[0014] This invention provides a function that allows for the easy retrieval of a ball placed on a hole cup or green in various ways depending on the situation, as well as the ability to easily place the retrieved ball onto a slenderly protruding tee on the green. By eliminating strenuous physical movements such as excessive bending of joints like the waist or knees to retrieve the ball or place it back on the green, it offers significant physical benefits, particularly for older players or those with joint strain. Furthermore, by reducing repetitive joint bending movements, it lowers the risk of injury and enables smoother gameplay by allowing for quick ball handling. It is also effectively used for retrieving balls from hard-to-reach places, allowing players to fully concentrate on the actual game for longer periods, and offers the advantageous benefits of being lightweight, easy to use, carry, and store. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0015] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating the state in which a ball picker for park golf according to the present invention has retrieved a ball. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the exploded configuration of a ball picker for park golf according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating the front configuration of a ball picker for park golf according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating the planar configuration of a ball picker for park golf according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating one side configuration of a ball picker for park golf according to the present invention. FIGS. 6 to 8 are drawings for explaining the process of a pickup unit retrieving a ball. FIG. 9 is a drawing showing the state in which a ball is drawn into the inside of the pickup section. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the process of discharging a ball onto a tee. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0016] To fully understand the present invention, preferred embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the present invention may be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments described in detail below. These embodiments are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those with average knowledge in the art. Accordingly, the shapes of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated to emphasize clearer explanations. It should be noted that in each drawing, identical components may be depicted with the same reference numeral. Detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations that are deemed to unnecessarily obscure the essence of the present invention are omitted.

[0017] The ball picker for park golf according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the ball picker) not only allows for easy retrieval of a ball placed on the green in various ways depending on the situation, but also provides the function of easily placing the retrieved ball onto a thinly protruding tee on the green. This eliminates strenuous physical movements such as excessively bending joints like the waist or knees to retrieve the ball directly or place it back on the green, thereby providing significant physical assistance, especially to elderly players or those with joint strain, and reduces the risk of injury by minimizing repetitive joint bending movements. Furthermore, it allows for smoother game progression by enabling quick ball handling, and is effectively used to retrieve balls from hard-to-reach places, allowing players to fully concentrate on the actual game for a longer period of time. Additionally, it is lightweight, making it easy to use, carry, and store.

[0018] Before describing the present invention, for convenience of explanation, non-strict directional references are specified by referring to the attached drawings. In the state as shown in FIG. 1, the up and down (y), front and back (z), and left and right (x) are divided, and directional references are specified according to this reference in descriptions related to other drawings as well.

[0019] A ball picker according to the present invention can be broadly defined as comprising a convergence holder (10), a pickup part (100), and a shaft (20).

[0020] First, the convergence holder (10) has a cylindrical structure and can detachably connect and support a shaft (20) through the open upper inner side, and can detachably connect and support a pickup part (100) through the open lower inner side.

[0021] That is, for a single convergence holder (10), shafts (20) of different lengths can be replaced and used according to the situation, or an optimal pickup part (100) suitable for the size of the ball can be appropriately replaced and used.

[0022] A certain section of screw threads may be formed on the lower inner side of the convergence holder (10), and the pickup part (100), which will be described later, may be firmly connected and fixed to the convergence holder (10) by a screw connection method.

[0023] The shaft (20) is a rod-shaped structure having a predetermined length and serves as a handle for the player to directly grip and operate.

[0024] The end of the shaft (20) can be connected and coupled in a press fit manner toward the open upper inner side of the convergence holder (10) to integrate the shaft (20) and the convergence holder (10).

[0025] The shaft (20) provides sufficient length, allowing the player to easily manipulate the ball without having to bend their waist or knees to retrieve the ball or place the retrieved ball on the green or tee.

[0026] It is noted that the shaft (20) may use a separate rod member, but in some cases, a golf club for striking the ball may be used as is.

[0027] Next, the pickup unit (100) is connected to the convergence holder (10) and is configured to perform the function of retrieving a ball placed on the green or inserted into a hole cup, or discharging the retrieved ball toward the green or tee. It is structured such that a small-diameter wire is bent multiple times to retrieve the ball inside and to discharge the ball retrieved inside.

[0028] At this time, the small-diameter wire constituting the pickup unit (100) has a structure in which both ends are connected at the bottom of the convergence holder (10) so that the ball can be retrieved inside or discharged outside.

[0029] For example, the pickup unit (100) may have a structure in which a small-diameter wire is bent multiple times to form a lower opening (W1) at the center bottom and a front opening (W2) at the front.

[0030] Accordingly, the pickup unit (100) can approach the ball placed on the green in a vertical direction through the lower opening (W1) and pick up the ball inside while elastically deforming. This pickup method is an easy way to retrieve a ball located deep inside the hole cup.

[0031] Alternatively, the pickup unit (100) can approach the ball placed on the green from one side through the open front opening (W2) and pick up the ball inside. That is, the pickup unit (100) can retrieve the ball inside by scooping up the ball placed on the green, and this method is advantageous for retrieving the ball when it is placed on a flat green area rather than deep inside a place such as a hole cup.

[0032] Accordingly, the pickup unit (100) can easily retrieve the ball by selectively using the two methods described above depending on the situation where the ball is located.

[0033] Meanwhile, the ball recovered into the pickup unit (100) can be quickly and easily discharged from the pickup unit (100) by simply moving the pickup unit (100) without the need for the player to manually operate the pickup unit (100) to discharge it from the pickup unit (100) and place it on the green or tee.

[0034] For example, if the pickup unit (100) is tilted at a certain angle or moved up and down on the tee, the structure becomes such that the ball recovered inside can be discharged outside through the front opening (W2) as is.

[0035] That is, the pickup unit (100) can not only retrieve the ball into the interior, but also easily discharge the retrieved ball to a desired location, thereby providing an effect that maximizes convenience of use.

[0036] Hereinafter, the structure of a specific pickup unit (100) for performing the function of the pickup unit (100) described above will be explained with reference to the attached drawings.

[0037] The pickup unit (100) can be exemplified as including a front wire (110), a base wire (120), and a deformation-inducing wire (130).

[0038] The above-mentioned front wire (110), base wire (120), and deformation-inducing wire (130) are detailed components classified according to position of a pickup unit (100) formed by continuously bending a small-diameter metal wire multiple times, and are connected to each other to form an integrated pickup unit (100). Accordingly, the front wire (110), base wire (120), and deformation-inducing wire (130) may have a predetermined skeletal structure to recover a ball into the interior while following the structure of the small-diameter metal wire.

[0039] For example, the front wire (110) is responsible for the configuration of the front position of the pickup unit (100), the base wire (120) is responsible for the configuration of the lower position of the pickup unit (100), and the deformation induction wire (130) is responsible for the configuration of the rear position of the pickup unit (100), and they are organically connected to each other to enable the recovery and discharge of balls and also contribute to overall weight reduction.

[0040] First, the front wire (110) can be exemplified as a left and right pair formed symmetrically on both the lower left and right sides of the convergence holder (10), with the front opening (W2) formed between them.

[0041] That is, the space between a pair of left and right front wires (110) can be defined as the front opening (W2), and the ball can be moved in and out of the approximate inner space of the pickup unit (100) through this front opening (W2).

[0042] The upper ends of a pair of front wires (110) are joined and converged to each other through a screw bushing (140), and starting from the point where they are joined and converged, they are spaced apart laterally from each other as they go downward, forming an expanded front opening (W2).

[0043] The screw bushing (140) that joins the uppermost part of the front wire (110) is a cylindrical structure having a certain section of screw threads on its outer surface, and is inserted into the lower inner side of the convergence holder (10) and coupled to the screw threads provided in the convergence holder (10) in a screw-meshing manner, thereby allowing the pickup part (100) to be detachably attached to the convergence holder (10).

[0044] The base wire (120) can be exemplified as a left and right pair formed symmetrically by being bent and extended toward the rear from the lower end of each of the pair of front wires (110) to form the lower opening (W1) between them.

[0045] That is, the space between a pair of left and right base wires (120) can be defined as the lower opening (W1), while the base wire (120) extends from the front wire (110) to form the bottom of the pickup unit (100) and supports the ball introduced through the front opening (W2), or the ball can be forcibly introduced into the pickup unit (100) while undergoing elastic deformation that spreads to both the left and right sides.

[0046] For example, when a base wire (120) is pressed strongly downward (vertically) while in contact with the upper part of the ball, a pair of base wires (120) spread apart to the left and right respectively, causing the lower opening (W1) to expand elastically so that the ball can be received inside the pickup unit (100). When the ball is fully drawn into the pickup unit (100) through the lower opening (W1), the pair of base wires (120) are restored to their original state, allowing the lower part of the ball to be supported.

[0047] The ball that is placed on the base wire (120) in this way is not discharged through the lower opening (W1) unless the base wire (120) is forcibly spread apart in the left and right directions.

[0048] In one embodiment, a pair of base wires (120) are curved into arcs that are symmetrical to each other so that when viewed from a plane as shown in FIG. 4, a roughly circular lower opening (W1) is formed between them. This is advantageous in terms of being able to more stably insert and support the ball that is drawn into the pickup part (100) from both the left and right sides.

[0049] Since the ball used in park golf is also a sphere like a regular golf ball, a pair of base wires (120) are curved in an arc shape that follows the outer surface of the ball, thereby stably gripping the left and right circumferences of the ball and more effectively suppressing the arbitrary movement of the ball inserted into the lower opening (W1).

[0050] In particular, as shown in FIG. 9, when a ball is inserted into the lower opening (W1), a lower portion of the ball can protrude from the base wire (120) and the lower portion of the ball can protrude from the base wire (120). When the ball is formed to protrude downward in this way, a structure is provided that allows the ball picked up by the pickup unit (100) to be more easily seated on the tee.

[0051] In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, when viewing the ball picker from the side, it is preferable that the base wire (120) has a curved structure in the shape of an arc, with its height gradually increasing towards the rear.

[0052] With this structure, when retrieving a ball placed on the green by scooping it up, the base wire (120) guides the lever movement of the pickup unit (100) while in contact with the green, thereby enabling the ball to be retrieved more easily into the pickup unit (100) through the front opening (W2), and also, in this process, the structure is provided so as not to unnecessarily damage the green.

[0053] A detailed explanation of the specific method related to ball recovery will be provided later.

[0055] Next, each of the pair of front wires (110) can be exemplified as including a first front wire member (111), a second front wire member (112), and a third front wire member (113).

[0056] The first front wire member (111), the second front wire member (112), and the third front wire member (113) are detailed components that separate the front wire (110) according to their positions, and are connected to each other to form an integrated front wire (110).

[0057] For example, the first front wire member (111) forms the uppermost part of the front wire (110), the third front wire member (113) forms the lowermost part of the front wire (110), and the second front wire member (112) forms the section between the first front wire member (111) and the third front wire member (113).

[0058] First, the first front wire member (111) is formed to extend a certain length in a straight line toward the left and right outer directions from the bottom of the convergence holder (10), and the second front wire member (112) is formed to extend a certain length downward from the bottom of the first wire member on the same plane as the first front wire member (111).

[0059] Next, the third front wire member (113) has a structure formed to extend a certain length inwardly diagonally from the bottom of the second front wire member (112) and then connect to the base wire (120).

[0060] That is, the first front wire member (111) and the second front wire member (112) are extended to spread outward and downward from the center of the convergence holder (10), and then the third front wire member (113) is extended a certain length toward the front inner diagonal direction and connected to the front end of the base wire (120).

[0061] Accordingly, the third front wire member (113) has a structure that protrudes a certain length forward relative to the first front wire member (111) or the second front wire member (112), and thus a structure is provided in which a pair of left and right third front wire members (113) can support the front lower end of the ball.

[0062] For example, a pair of left and right symmetrical third front wire members (113) can support the front lower portion of a ball seated on a base wire (120) and serve as a support to prevent the ball seated on the base wire (120) from being discharged through the open front opening (W2) until the pickup unit (100) itself is tilted at an arbitrary angle.

[0063] In addition, when retrieving a ball placed on the green by scooping it up, the third front wire member (113) protruding forward becomes a structure that allows easier access to the lower corner point of the ball in contact with the green, thereby providing a structure that facilitates scooping up the ball through the open front opening (W2).

[0064] Next, the deformation-inducing wire (130) is formed at a point between the rear ends of the pair of base wires (120) to connect the rear ends of the pair of base wires (120), and not only induces elastic deformation in which the pair of base wires (120) spread outward, but also acts as a stopper to suppress the rearward movement of the ball seated on the base wires (120).

[0065] In a structure in which a front wire (110) is positioned in the left and right directions of a ball that is drawn into the pickup section (100) and seated on a base wire (120), a convergence holder (10) is positioned directly above it, and a deformation-inducing wire (130) blocks the rear, a ball drawn into the pickup section (100) can only be discharged through the opened front opening (W2) unless the base wire (120) is forcibly spread to arbitrarily expand the lower opening (W1). A specific method for discharging a ball from the pickup section (100) will be described later.

[0066] In one embodiment, the deformation-inducing wire (130) may be exemplified as including a vertical wire member (131) and a connecting wire member (132).

[0067] The vertical wire member (131) is a structure that extends upward for a certain length from the rear end of a pair of left and right base wires (120), and is extended to a sufficient length to support the rear surface of a ball seated on the base wire (120).

[0068] A pair of left and right vertical wire members (131) are parallel to each other, and a connecting wire member (132) is configured to connect the upper ends of these pair of vertical wire members (131).

[0069] The front ends of a pair of base wires (120) are spaced apart from each other left and right, and the rear ends are also spaced apart from each other left and right, while the rear ends of the base wires (120) are connected to the deformation-inducing wires (130) so that elastic deformation is induced to spread the base wires (120) more easily left and right, thereby enabling the expansion of the lower opening (W1) for inserting the ball.

[0071] The operation of the pickup unit (100) is explained below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0072] First, referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the process of retrieving a ball inserted into a hole cup to a pickup unit (100) is explained by moving the pickup unit (100) vertically toward the ball inside the hole cup so that the ball aligns with the open lower opening (W1).

[0073] Next, when the top of the ball is inserted into the lower opening (W1) to some extent, a pair of base wires (120) come into contact with the edge of the ball, blocking the downward movement of the pickup unit (100). At this time, if a predetermined pressure is applied toward the ball, the pair of base wires (120) elastically deform to spread left and right to match the maximum diameter of the ball, thereby expanding the lower opening (W1) and allowing the ball to be drawn into the inside of the pickup unit (100). When the ball passes through the base wires (120), the pair of base wires (120) return to their original state and close the lower opening (W1), and when the ball is settled and retrieved on the base wires (120), the pickup unit (100) is discharged from the hole cup.

[0074] As another method for retrieving a ball, the process of retrieving a ball placed on the green is explained with reference to FIG. 8. When the pickup unit (100) is brought in from one side of the ball while the front opening (W2) of the pickup unit (100) is aligned to face the ball placed on the green, the third front wire member (113) protruding forward can easily approach the gap between the ball and the green. Meanwhile, when the third front wire member (113) scoops up the lower part of the ball, the ball is naturally drawn into the inside of the pickup unit (100) through the front opening (W2) and settles on the base wire (120) to be retrieved.

[0075] To explain the method of discharging the ball picked up and recovered by the pickup unit (100) back onto the tee, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the bottom of the ball placed on the base wire (120) passes through the lower opening (W1) and protrudes downward to a certain extent. Then, the pickup unit (100) is positioned directly above the tee so that the protruding part rises onto the tee, and when the ball is placed on the tee, the pickup unit (100) is slowly lowered downward so that the ball placed on the base wire (120) is placed on the tee. In this way, the ball can be completely separated from the base wire (120) and the third front wire member (113), and in this state, if the pickup unit (100) is moved backward, the ball is discharged through the front opening (W2) and at the same time, the ball can be easily placed onto the tee.

[0076] In summary, the ball picker according to the present invention not only allows for easy retrieval of a ball placed inside a hole cup or on the green in various ways depending on the situation, but also provides the function of easily placing the retrieved ball onto a slenderly protruding tee on the green. This eliminates strenuous physical movements such as excessively bending joints like the waist or knees to directly retrieve the ball or place it back on the green, thereby providing significant physical assistance, especially for elderly players or those with joint strain, as well as reducing the risk of injury by minimizing repetitive joint bending movements and enabling smoother game progression by allowing for quick ball handling.

[0077] The embodiments of the present invention described above are merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will readily understand that various modifications and equivalent alternative embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, it will be understood that the present invention is not limited only to the forms mentioned in the detailed description above. Accordingly, the true technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims. Furthermore, the present invention should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0078] 10: Convergence holder 20: Shaft 100: Pickup unit

Claims

Claim 1 A pickup unit comprising a structure in which a convergence holder and both ends converge and are connected at the bottom of the convergence holder, wherein a small-diameter wire is bent multiple times to form a lower opening at the central bottom and a front opening at the front, so as to elastically deform to pick up a ball by approaching vertically from the top of the ball through the lower opening, or to pick up a ball by approaching from one side of a ball placed on the green through the front opening, and to discharge the ball retrieved into the interior back through the front opening; wherein the pickup unit comprises: a pair of front wires branching out to the left and right sides of the bottom of the convergence holder and formed symmetrically so as to form the front opening between them; and a pair of base wires formed symmetrically so as to form the lower opening between them while being bent and extended toward the rear from the bottom of each of the pair of front wires. A ball picker for park golf comprising: a deformation-inducing wire formed at a point between the rear ends of the pair of base wires and inducing elastic deformation that spreads outward from the pair of base wires; wherein the picking of a ball through a lower opening and the picking of a ball through a front opening are selectively possible. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A ball picker for park golf according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of front wires comprises: a first front wire member formed by extending a certain length in a straight line toward the left and right outer directions from the bottom of the convergence holder; a second front wire member formed by extending a certain length downward from the bottom of the first front wire member; and a third front wire member formed by extending a certain length forward in an inner diagonal direction from the bottom of the second front wire member and then connected to the base wire to support the front lower end of the ball. Claim 4 A ball picker for park golf according to claim 3, characterized in that the pair of base wires are curved in an arc shape to form a circular lower opening between them when viewed from a planar view, and have a structure in which the height gradually increases toward the rear when viewed from the side. Claim 5 delete

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