Golf club carrier

{
  "publication_number": "US10004961B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Golf club carrier",
  "abstract": "A golf club carrier includes seven inner receptacles and seven out receptacles. The carrier is rotatable about an axis. Two ejectors are caused to be raised simultaneously by a single actuator with one ejector raising a golf club and the other ejector rising in a space between two receptacles.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A golf club carrier including a plurality of receptacles each for receiving a golf club, at least some inner receptacles being mounted inwardly of at least some outer receptacles, and at least two ejectors comprising an inner ejector and an outer ejector being arranged, in use, to rise and bear against and lift the base of a club in each receptacle as required, wherein the inner and outer ejectors are arranged in use to rise simultaneously such that one ejector rises up into a receptacle and the other ejector passes upwardly between two receptacles.",
    "2. The carrier as claimed in claim 1, including seven inner and seven outer receptacles.",
    "3. The carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receptacles are rotatable about an axis relative to a base region.",
    "4. The carrier as claimed in claim 3, wherein the relative rotation is arranged, in use, to align a particular receptacle over an ejector in order that, in use, a club in that particular receptacle is able to rise.",
    "5. The carrier as claimed in claim 3, wherein the inner receptacles are mounted about a circumference to the rotational axis, and the outer receptacles are mounted about a greater circumference to that axis than the inner receptacles.",
    "6. The carrier as claimed in claim 3, wherein the outer dimension of the inner receptacles is spaced circumferentially from the outer dimension of the outer receptacles.",
    "7. The carrier as claimed in claim 3, wherein the outer dimensions of the inner receptacles are spaced in a radial direction from the outer dimensions of the outer receptacles.",
    "8. The carrier as claimed in claim 5, wherein each inner and each outer receptacle is spaced in a circumferential direction by a distance at least equal to the periphery of an inner and an outer ejector respectively.",
    "9. A method of operating a golf club carrier, which includes a plurality of receptacles, at least some of which have a golf club therein, and at least some of the receptacles are inner receptacles mounted inwardly of at least some outer receptacles, the method comprising raising at least one club in one of the inner or outer receptacles by one of a plurality of ejectors comprising an inner ejector and an outer ejector, wherein the inner and outer ejectors are arranged in use to rise simultaneously such that one ejector rises up into a receptacle and the other ejector passes upwardly between two receptacles.",
    "10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising aligning a particular receptacle over an ejector by rotating the receptacles about an axis, and raising that ejector to cause a club in the receptacle to rise.",
    "11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the inner receptacles are mounted about a circumference to the rotational axis, and the outer receptacles are mounted about a greater circumference to that axis than the inner receptacles.",
    "12. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising automatically lowering at least one ejector after a club has been removed from a particular receptacle.",
    "13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of ejectors are arranged, in use, to rise and bear against and lift the base of a club in each receptacle as required.",
    "14. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the outer dimensions of the inner receptacles are spaced in a radial direction from the outer dimensions of the outer receptacles.",
    "15. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the outer dimension of the inner receptacles is spaced circumferentially from the outer dimension of the outer receptacles.",
    "16. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein each inner and each outer receptacle is spaced in a circumferential direction by distance at least equal to the periphery of the inner and outer ejector, respectively.",
    "17. A golf club carrier including a plurality of receptacles each for receiving a golf club, at least some inner receptacles being mounted inwardly of at least some outer receptacles, and at least two ejectors comprising an inner ejector and an outer ejector being arranged, in use, to rise and bear against and lift the base of a club in each receptacle as required, wherein the receptacles are rotatable about an axis relative to a base region, the inner receptacles are mounted about a circumference to the rotational axis, and the outer receptacles are mounted about a greater circumference to that axis than the inner receptacles, and each inner and each outer receptacle is spaced in a circumferential direction by a distance at least equal to the periphery of an inner and an outer ejector respectively."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a golf club carrier and a method of operating a golf club carrier.\n\nWO 2010/089602 discloses a golf club carrier in which a series of golf clubs are arranged around a circumference so as the golf club carrier is rotatable and an ejector is able to raise or lower a particular golf club when that golf club is located over an ejector. Normally a golf player has 14 clubs in a bag. When the golf clubs are located around a common circumference the size of the bag is considerable.\n\nIt is an object of the present invention to attempt to overcome the problems associated with the prior art. It is a particular aim to provide a golf club carrier having reduced size and weight.\n\nAccording to the present invention there is provided a golf club carrier and method as set forth in the appended claims. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the dependent claims, and the description which follows.\n\nAccording to one aspect of the present invention a golf club carrier includes a plurality of receptacles each for receiving a golf club, at least some inner receptacles being mounted inwardly of at least some outer receptacles and at least two ejectors being arranged, in use, to rise and bear against and lift the base of a club in each receptacle as required.\n\nAdvantageously the location of the receptacles on an inner and outer region allow the golf club carrier to be more compact. Suitably, the receptacles are spaced on a circular path. Here there is an inner circumference upon which the inner receptacles are arranged and an outer circumference upon which the outer receptacles are arranged.",
  "cpc": [
    "A63B 55/40",
    "A63B 55/00",
    "B65G 65/00"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A63B 55/00",
    "A63B 55/40",
    "B65G 65/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "ROTACADDY Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "John Pittman"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-08-14",
  "publication_date": "2018-06-26",
  "grant_date": "2018-06-26",
  "priority_date": "2013-08-22",
  "application_number": "US-201414913425-A",
  "family_id": "49302073",
  "cited_by_count": 5,
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}