Tiltable golf platform

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tiltable tee apparatus suitable for use in practising golf driving. The apparatus comprises a ground support, and a tee platform rotatably mounted on the ground support. The tee platform comprises a base portion and a playing surface panel hingedly connected at a first edge portion to a corresponding edge portion of the base portion. The playing surface panel is supported at a jack support portion remote from the first edge portion on an upper end of at least one screw jack pivotally connected thereto. At least one screw jack has its lower end pivotally connected to the base portion. One of the ground support and the tee platform base portion has a fixed spur gear secured thereto in a substantially horizontal plane on the rotational axis of the rotatable tee platform, and the other has mounted thereon a drive motor with an elongate toothed drive output transmission member for driving engagement with the spur gear so as to rotate the tee platform in use of the apparatus. In use of the apparatus the tee platform may be tilted throughout a range of slope angles and slope directions by operation of the screw Jack and the tee platform rotation drive motor.

1 . A tiltable tee apparatus suitable for use in practising golf driving and comprising a ground support, and a tee platform rotatably mounted on said ground support, said tee platform comprising a base portion and a playing surface panel hingedly connected at a first edge portion to a corresponding edge portion of said base portion, said playing surface panel being supported at a jack support portion remote from said first edge portion on an upper end of at least one screw jack pivotally connected thereto, said at least one screw jack having its lower end pivotally connected to said base portion, one of said ground support and tee platform base portion having a fixed spur gear secured thereto in a substantially horizontal plane on the rotational axis of said rotatable tee platform, and the other having mounted thereon a drive motor with an elongate toothed drive output transmission member for driving engagement with said spur gear so as to rotate said tee platform in use of the apparatus, whereby in use of the apparatus said tee platform may be tilted throughout a range of slope angles and slope directions by operation of said at least one screw jack and said tee platform rotation drive motor.  
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the elongate toothed drive output transmission member comprises a worm screw rotated, in use of the apparatus, directly or indirectly, by the motor.  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the elongate toothed drive output transmission member comprises an elongate rack member driven by a screw jack device operated by said drive motor.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  3  wherein at least one said screw jack is a scissor jack.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  3  wherein at least one said screw jack is a telescopic screw jack.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  5  wherein the tee platform tilting screw jack is driven by a motor.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  6  wherein at least one said motor is provided with a reduction gear-box.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  7  wherein is provided an annular bearing support extending radially outwardly of the rotatable mount.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 8  wherein said annular bearing comprises a multiplicity of angularly distributed roller bearings.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  9  wherein is provided a locking device which is engagable after the tee platform has been rotated to a desired position.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein is provided a locking device configured to be normally locked, being unlocked upon activation of the tee platform rotating drive motor, and re-locked upon deactivation of the drive motor.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus according to  claim 10  or  claim 11  wherein said locking device comprises a plurality of angularly distributed electromagnet units with axially displaceable elements with end portions which function as brake pad elements extending into braking engagement with a disk brake type plate when the electromagnets are powered up, and returning to a retracted position when the electromagnets are powered down.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  12  wherein the playing surface panel is provided with an artificial turf synthetic matting simulating grass for supporting the ball on.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 13  wherein the matting has an outer annular zone with shorter turf for simulating fairway, an inner annular zone with longer turf for simulating rough, and a central zone having a non-slip surface for supporting a player thereon.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  14  which apparatus is coupled to a golf driving monitoring system so as to additionally provide a readout of one or more lie parameters selected from slope angle and slope direction of the tee platform playing surface, the apparatus being provided with suitable sensors to indicate the inclination of the playing surface panel and the orientation of the tee platform.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  14  coupled to a golf driving monitoring system with the control device of the tiltable tee apparatus incorporated into the golf drive monitoring system so that the slope angle and slope direction of the apparatus can be controlled from said monitoring system.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to any one of  claims 1  to  14  when operatively coupled to a golf playing simulator so as to provide an enhanced golf playing experience.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus according to  claim 17  wherein the golf simulator comprises a launch area facing a screen at which the ball is driven and which is used to display an image of part of a golf course; sensor devices formed and arranged for detecting at least one of: the impact of a golf ball on the screen, the flight of the ball towards said screen, and the trajectory of the golf club head during the golf club swing; and a computer apparatus operatively connected to said sensor devices and programmed so as to control display of part of a golf course on said screen, based on the topography of the golf course, and the position of the launch area in relation to said golf course, and compute an estimated trajectory of the ball on the basis of the inputs received from said sensor devices, compute the projected position of the ball on the screen image based on the estimated trajectory and the ball landing zone topography, and control said display on the screen so as to display the projected position of the ball on the screen image.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus according to  claim 18  wherein the tiltable tee apparatus is provided with control signal receiving inputs for a tee platform tilting device motor and the tee platform rotation drive motor, for tilting and rotation of the tee platform respectively, towards required slope angle and slope direction or orientation values, said control signal receiving inputs being operatively connected to the computer of said golf simulator so that the slope and slope direction of the tee platform may be adjusted under the control of the computer so as to be brought into correspondence with the slope angle and slope direction values at the estimated position of the ball as defined by the ball landing zone topography.  
     
     
         20 . An Apparatus according to  claim 19  wherein the computer is used to control stepper drive motors which are drivable between positions with fixed predetermined relationships to given reference positions so that a control signal from the computer to achieve a desired slope angle and/or slope direction is executable directly.  
     
     
         21 . An apparatus according to claims  19  wherein there is used a feedback system with slope angle and slope direction sensing devices provided on the tiltable tee platform and having outputs for slope angle and slope direction signals, respectively; and a tee platform tilting device motor and the tee platform rotation drive motor, for tilting and rotation of the tee platform respectively, towards required slope angle and slope direction values.  
     
     
         22 . An Apparatus according to  claim 21  wherein the slope angle and slope direction (orientation) sensing devices, are selected from resistive or capacitative sensors, optical sensors and LVDT sensors.  
     
     
         23 . A tiltable tee apparatus according to any one of  claims 17  to  22  wherein is provided: 
 a slope sensing device and slope direction sensing device having outputs for slope angle and slope direction signals, respectively; and  
 control signal receiving inputs for a tee platform tilting drive motor and the tee platform rotation drive motor, for tilting and rotation of the tee platform, respectively, towards required slope angle and slope direction values; said slope and slope direction sensing devices and said slope and slope direction control signal inputs of said apparatus being operatively connected to the computer of a said golf simulator so that the slope and slope direction of the tee platform may be compared by said computer with the slope and slope direction of the golf course, at the estimated position of the ball in the ball landing zone, and the computer generate control signals for tilting and rotation of the tee platform so as to bring the slope and slope direction of the tee platform into correspondence with the slope angle and slope direction values of said estimated position.