Golf bag with a stand

Abstract

A golf bag includes a bag body having a rigid bottom end with horizontal and inclined portions, and a stand unit with two legs pivoted to the bag body, and two push rods pivoted to the legs. A footplate is provided with a pivot connector at a middle portion thereof. The pivot connector defines a pivot hole for receiving rotatably a crossbar that interconnects lower ends of the push rods. The footplate is disposed below the inclined portion of the bottom end of the bag body, and is free of a connection with the bottom end of the bag body. The footplate is coplanar with the horizontal portion when the bag body is at an upright position. When the bag body is tilted, the legs pivot away from the bag body, and the footplate is coplanar with the inclined portion of the bottom end of the bag body.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A golf bag comprising: 
 a bag body having a top end, a rigid bottom end, and a surrounding wall extending between said top and bottom ends, said surrounding wall having an outer wall surface formed with a push rod holder proximate to said rigid bottom end, said push rod holder being formed with a vertically extending slot unit, said rigid bottom end having an underside with a horizontal portion extending along a horizontal plane, and an inclined portion adjacent to said horizontal portion and extending upwardly and rearwardly from said horizontal portion, said horizontal portion being adapted to be in contact with a ground surface when said bag body is in an upright position, said inclined portion being adapted to be in contact with the ground surface when said bag body is in a tilted position; and    a stand unit including 
 a pivot seat secured to said outer wall surface of said bag body proximate to said top end,  
 a pair of upright legs, each of which has an upper end pivoted to said pivot seat, and a lower end adapted to be supported on the ground surface,  
 a push member having a pair of upright push rods that extend slidably through said vertically extending slot unit in said push rod holder, each of said push rods having an upper end disposed below said pivot seat and pivoted to a respective one of said upright legs, a bent lower end which extends below said inclined portion of said rigid bottom end of said bag body, and an intermediate section between said upper and lower ends, said push member further having a horizontal crossbar interconnecting said lower ends of said push rods, said push rods pushing said legs and causing said legs to pivot away from said bag body so as to enable said lower ends of said legs to rest on the ground surface when said bag body is disposed at the tilted position, and  
 a footplate disposed below said inclined portion of said rigid bottom end of said bag body, and free of a connection with said rigid bottom end of said bag body, said footplate having a front edge portion proximate to said horizontal portion of said rigid bottom end of said bag body, a rear edge portion opposite to said front edge portion, and a middle portion between said front and rear edge portions, said footplate having a top side formed with a pivot connector that defines a pivot hole with a horizontal axis and that is disposed at said middle portion, said crossbar being received rotatably in said pivot hole and being coupled pivotally to said footplate, said footplate further having a bottom side adapted to be supported on the ground surface, said push rods having a length sufficient to enable said bottom side of said footplate to be disposed coplanar with said horizontal portion of said rigid bottom end of said bag body to help support said bag body when said bag body is at the upright position, and to enable said bottom side of said footplate to be disposed coplanar with said inclined portion of said rigid bottom end of said bag body to help support said bag body when said bag body is at the tilted position.  
   
     
     
         2 . The golf bag as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said stand unit further includes a clip mounted on and extending across said intermediate sections of said push rods for retaining said intermediate sections of said push rods in a parallel relationship with each other so as to ensure smooth sliding movement of said push rods through said vertically extending slot unit in said push rod holder.  
     
     
         3 . The golf bag as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said push rod holder includes a pair of holding members that are spaced apart in a horizontal direction, said vertically extending slot unit including a pair of vertically extending slots, each of which is formed through a respective one of said holding members, each of said push rods extending slidably through said vertically extending slot in a respective one of said holding members, each of said holding members having one side confronting the other one of said holding members and formed with a notch that is communicated with said slot, said intermediate section of each of said push rods being extended into said slot via said notch in the respective one of said holding members.  
     
     
         4 . The golf bag as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said bag body includes a tubular body with a lower end, and a rigid base secured to said lower end of said tubular body, said rigid base having a bottom wall that defines said rigid bottom end and an annular wall that extends upwardly from said bottom wall and that is connected to said tubular body, said holding members of said push rod holder being formed on said annular wall of said rigid base.  
     
     
         5 . The golf bag as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said bag body includes a tubular body with a lower end, and a rigid base secured to said lower end of said tubular body, said rigid base having a bottom wall that defines said rigid bottom end and an annular wall that extends upwardly from said bottom wall and that is connected to said tubular body, said push rod holder being formed on said annular wall of said rigid base.  
     
     
         6 . The golf bag as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said underside of said rigid bottom end of said bag body is formed with a plurality of bosses and recesses to result in increased friction acting on the ground surface.  
     
     
         7 . The golf bag as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said bottom side of said footplate is formed with a plurality of bosses that have tip portions adapted to contact the ground surface.