Cylindrical Golf Ball Holder for Quick Access and Secure Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for storing and accessing golf balls during a game are inefficient, often requiring golfers to remove items from their pockets, deal with mechanical devices that lose tension, or untie and re-tie bags, making it difficult to retrieve balls quickly and easily.
Innovation Solution
A cylindrical ball dispenser with a hinged lid and internal shelf that allows easy loading and secure storage of golf balls, featuring a retrieval opening and clip for mounting on a golf bag, enabling ball access without bending or unzipping, and constructed from materials like plastic for durability and customization options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical holding device with wire loops is used to hold golf balls, then the balls can be held securely, but the device loses tension over time requiring forced pinching to increase tension
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a spring mechanism that dynamically adjusts to maintain constant tension on the wire loops. The spring automatically compensates for tension loss over time, eliminating the need for manual adjustment and maintaining easy ball removal while ensuring secure holding throughout the device's lifespan.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring mechanism serves itself by automatically maintaining the required tension force. As the wire loops gradually lose tension through use, the spring expands to compensate, providing self-regulating tension maintenance without user intervention, thus preserving both security and ease of operation.
2Quantity of substance
If a pouch in a golf bag is used to carry golf balls, then balls can be stored, but the golfer must unzip the pouch to access balls which is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ball storage function from the main golf bag by providing a separate, dedicated ball holder that attaches to the bag. This segmentation allows for specialized quick-access design independent of the main bag's zipper mechanism, enabling rapid ball retrieval without unzipping the entire bag.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball holder is pre-positioned on the golf bag in an easily accessible location, and balls are pre-loaded into the holder. This preliminary arrangement allows the golfer to access balls immediately without the need to open or manipulate the main bag pouch during play.
3Quantity of substance
If a bag hooked to the outside of the golf bag is used to hold balls, then additional balls can be carried, but the player must untie and re-tie the securing tie to access balls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual tying and untying mechanism with a spring-loaded wire loop system. The spring mechanism automatically maintains tension to secure balls, while allowing easy removal by simply lifting the ball out, eliminating the need for knot manipulation entirely.
4Ease of operation
If golf balls are stored in pockets during play, then balls are accessible, but this replaces the restrictions removed by emptying pockets before play
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves ball storage from the two-dimensional pocket space on the golfer's body to a three-dimensional external structure attached to the golf bag. This dimensional change allows balls to be stored externally in a dedicated holder, keeping the golfer's pockets completely empty and maintaining full freedom of movement and grip.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for dispensing golf balls is disclosed. Balls are received into a cylindrical tube, and are supported on a shelf that extends inwardly at a dimension that retains the balls when they are stacked vertically. Balls are removed through a forward opening.