Display rack for golf clubs

Abstract

A golf club display rack is provided for supporting and displaying golf clubs in a sales environment or the like. The display rack includes at least one platform mounted on a frame in spaced relation above a floor surface, wherein the platform has a plurality of upwardly open club ports formed therein. A support collar, which may include a security tag, is snugly mounted onto the elongated shaft of a golf club. This support collar has a size and shape for sliding seated reception into a selected club port to retain the golf club in a predetermined position, such as an inverted orientation with a head of the golf club spaced a selected distance above the platform. In the preferred form, the support collar includes a key for seating within a keyway lining the selected club port, to prevent relative rotation between the golf club and the platform.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A golf club display rack for supporting a plurality of golf clubs in a predetermined spatial array, said display rack comprising: 
 a frame including an elevated golf club support structure defining a plurality of passages formed therein, said passages each including a keyway; and    a plurality of support collars adapted for mounting onto a correspondingly plurality of golf clubs, each of said support collars having a key;    each of said plurality of support collars having a size and shape for at least partial reception into a respective one of said passages with said key seated within said keyway for supporting the associated golf club in a predetermined rotational orientation relative to said golf club support structure.    
     
     
         2 . The golf club display rack of  claim 1  wherein each of said support collars further includes a security tag.  
     
     
         3 . The golf club display rack of  claim 1  wherein said golf club support structure comprises a platform supported by said frame in an elevated position, and further wherein said plurality of passages comprise a plurality of ports formed in said platform.  
     
     
         4 . The golf club display rack of  claim 3  wherein said frame further includes a base, and at least one support post extending upwardly from said base for supporting said platform in said elevated position.  
     
     
         5 . The golf club display rack of  claim 4  wherein each of the golf clubs includes an elongated shaft connected at a lower end thereof to a club head, and further wherein said plurality of support collars are mounted respectively onto the club shafts at predetermined rotational orientations for supporting the golf clubs in predetermined rotational orientations relative to said platform.  
     
     
         6 . The golf club display rack of  claim 5  wherein said support collars are further mounted onto the club shafts for supporting the golf clubs in inverted relation with respect to said platform, and spaced above said base.  
     
     
         7 . The golf club display rack of  claim 3  wherein each of said support collars has a tapered profile shape defining a lower end for slide-fit reception into a respective one of said platform ports, and an upper end having a size larger than said respective one of said platform ports.  
     
     
         8 . The golf club display rack of  claim 1  wherein each of the golf clubs includes an elongated shaft connected at a lower end thereof to a club head, and further wherein each of said support collars comprises an interfitting pair of generally collar segments and a pair of grommet segments, said collar segments being adapted for substantially snap-fit assembly with said grommet segments retained snugly against the club shaft.  
     
     
         9 . The golf club shaft of  claim 8  further including a security tag mounted within said collar segments, when said collar segments are mounted onto the club shaft.  
     
     
         10 . The golf club shaft of  claim 9  further including tool means for disassembly of said collar segments.  
     
     
         11 . A golf club display rack for supporting a plurality of golf clubs in a predetermined spatial array, each of said golf clubs including an elongated club shaft connected at a lower end thereof to a club head, said display rack comprising: 
 a frame including an elevated platform defining a plurality of ports formed therein, each of said ports being lined by a recessed keyway; and    a plurality of support collars adapted for mounting respectively at predetermined longitudinal and rotational orientations on the shafts of a correspondingly plurality of golf clubs, each of said support collars having a key;    each of said plurality of support collars having a size and shape for at least partial reception into a respective one of said ports with said key thereon seated within said keyway for supporting the associated golf club in a predetermined longitudinal and rotational orientation relative to said platform.    
     
     
         12 . The golf club display rack of  claim 11  wherein each of said support collars further includes a security tag.  
     
     
         13 . The golf club display rack of  claim 11  wherein said frame further includes a base, at least one support post extending upwardly from said base for supporting said platform in said elevated position, and a lower bracket carried by said at least one support post and including a plurality of notches for seated reception of the club shafts of an additional plurality of golf clubs.  
     
     
         14 . The golf club display rack of  claim 13  wherein said base has a upwardly open recess formed therein for supporting upper ends of the club shafts of said additional plurality of golf clubs.  
     
     
         15 . The golf club display rack of  claim 11  wherein said support collars are further mounted onto the club shafts for supporting the golf clubs in inverted relation with respect to said platform, and spaced above said base.  
     
     
         16 . The golf club display rack of  claim 11  wherein each of said support collars has a tapered profile shape defining a lower end for slide-fit reception into a respective one of said platform ports, and an upper end having a size larger than said respective one of said platform ports.  
     
     
         17 . The golf club display rack of  claim 11  wherein each of said support collars comprises an interfitting pair of generally collar segments and a pair of grommet segments, said collar segments being adapted for substantially snap-fit assembly with said grommet segments retained snugly against the club shaft.  
     
     
         18 . The golf club shaft of  claim 17  further including a security tag mounted within said collar segments, when said collar segments are mounted onto the club shaft.  
     
     
         19 . The golf club shaft of  claim 18  further including tool means for disassembly of said collar segments.  
     
     
         20 . A golf club display rack for supporting a plurality of golf clubs in a predetermined spatial array, said display rack comprising: 
 a frame including an elevated golf club support structure defining a plurality of passages formed therein; and    a plurality of support collars adapted for mounting onto a correspondingly plurality of golf clubs, each of said support collars being respectively and removably seated at least partially into said passages for supporting the golf clubs relative to said golf club support structure;    each of said plurality of support collars further including a security tag.