Golf club bag

Abstract

A golf bag includes a light-weight frame structure and a collapsible bag disposed within an inner space of the frame structure. The frame structure carries golf clubs in a directly exposed presentation, which protects the golf clubs from contacting one another and provides convenience for golf club selection. The collapsible bag is placed within the frame structure in a fully expanded condition and the contents therein are completely accessible through the open front the frame structure. The bag is completely removable from the frame structure, which provides a golfer with the option of leaving the bag with its contents while taking the light frame structure with the golf clubs carried therein, over a distance to the vicinity of a particular shot.

1 . A golf club bag for carrying a plurality of golf clubs in a directly exposed presentation, comprising: 
 a frame structure including a top end, a base end and a plurality of extension frames extending between the top and base ends, thereby defining an inner space within the frame structure, an open front, and two open sides;    means attached to the base end at the respective open sides for receiving grips of the clubs;    means provided at the top end at the respective open sides for releaseably securing hosels or shafts of the clubs; and    a bag defining a storage enclosure therein, the bag being disposed within the inner space of the frame structure and extending substantially from the top end to the base end of the frame structure, the bag being openable at the open front of the frame structure, and being removable from the frame structure through the open front thereof.    
   
   
       2 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the top end comprises a section of a periphery thereof extending in a sloped direction with respect to the base end such that the hosel or shaft securing means and the grip receiving means positioned at one open side of the frame structure are spaced apart a greater distance than the spacing between the hosel or shaft securing means and the grip receiving means positioned at the other open side of the frame structure.  
   
   
       3 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the base is collapsible and is held within the inner space of the frame structure in a manner such that the collapsible bag maintains an extended condition, even when containing no contents therein.  
   
   
       4 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the top end comprises a top member including a pair of top side rims extending divergently towards the open front and interconnected at the open front by a front rim, thereby defining substantially a closed U-shaped periphery surrounding a top opening in a top plan view thereof.  
   
   
       5 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 4  wherein one of the top side rims extends downwardly towards the open front and the other of the top side rims extends upwardly towards the open front.  
   
   
       6 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the means for receiving golf club grips comprises a pair of lower side bodies attached to the base end at the respective open sides of the frame structure, the lower side bodies being sized to cover the width of the respective open sides and to cover only a minor portion of the height of the respective open sides, each of the lower side bodies defining a plurality of openings in a top thereof in order to permit the golf club grips to be inserted into the lower side body.  
   
   
       7 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 6  wherein each of the lower side bodies comprises a hollow configuration.  
   
   
       8 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the means for releaseably securing golf club hosels or shafts comprises a plurality of slots defined in a periphery of the top end and extending inwardly therefrom, for securing the hosels or shafts therein when the grips of the respective clubs are received in the lower side bodies and the corresponding hosels or shafts are pushed into the respective slots.  
   
   
       9 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the means for releaseably securing golf club hosels or shafts further comprises a plurality of holders installed in the respective slots for releaseably engaging the respective hosels or shafts.  
   
   
       10 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 9  wherein each of the holders comprises a pair of fingers having a closed position in which the fingers are positioned adjacent each other, thereby defining a circular opening therebetween for holding a golf club hosel or shaft, and an open position in which the fingers are positioned apart from each other to permit the hosel or shaft to move therebetween.  
   
   
       11 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 10  wherein each of the holders comprises a box for partially containing the fingers, the fingers in both the closed and open positions extending outwardly from the box through an opening at one end of the box, each holder including at least one spring to force the fingers to project out of the box and to move from the closed position to the open position, the spring being biased when the fingers are pushed towards the box to move from the open position to the closed position.  
   
   
       12 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 11  wherein each of the holders comprises a trigger to lock the fingers in the closed position against a spring force, the trigger being adapted to be actuated to release the fingers such that the fingers are urged by the spring force to move to the open position.  
   
   
       13 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the bag comprises a plurality of divided compartments therein, each compartment being individually openable.  
   
   
       14 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the bag comprises a top pocket openable from a top opening at the top end of the frame structure.  
   
   
       15 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the bag comprises a plurality of external pockets attached thereto, the pockets being accessible from the open front.  
   
   
       16 . A golf bag as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the collapsible bag comprises means located at a top thereof for releasable attachment of the collapsible bag to a top member of the frame structure.  
   
   
       17 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 1  comprising a wheel assembly attached to the frame structure such that the golf club bag can be towed by a golfer.  
   
   
       18 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 17  wherein the wheel assembly is detachable from the frame structure.  
   
   
       19 . A golf club bag for carrying a plurality of golf clubs in a directly exposed presentation, comprising: 
 a frame structure including a top end, a base end and a plurality of extension frames extending between the top and base ends, thereby defining an inner space within the frame structure, an open front, and two open sides, wherein 
 the top end comprises a top member including a pair of top side rims extending divergently towards the open front and being interconnected at the open front by an L-shaped front rim, thereby defining substantially a closed U-shaped periphery surrounding a top opening in a top plan view thereof, one of the top side rims extending downwardly towards the open front and the other of the top side rims extending upwardly towards the open front; and wherein  
 the base end comprises a base member shaped substantially similar to the periphery of the top member in a top plan view thereof;  
   a pair of lower side bodies attached to the base end at the respective open sides of the frame structure, the lower side bodies being sized to cover the width of the respective open sides and to cover only a minor portion of the height of the respective open sides, each of the lower side bodies defining a plurality of openings in a top thereof in order to permit the golf club grips to be inserted into the lower side body;    means attached to the respective top side rims of the top end for releaseably securing hosels or shafts of the golf clubs.    
   
   
       20 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the means for releaseably securing the hosels or shafts of the respective golf clubs comprises a plurality of holders.  
   
   
       21 . A golf club bag comprising: 
 a rigid support structure for carrying a plurality of golf clubs thereon in a directly exposed presentation, the rigid support structure including a top end and a base end defining a inner space therebetween;    a collapsible bag defining a storage enclosure therein, the bag being disposed within the inner space of the support structure, and extending substantially from the base end to the top end thereof, the collapsible bag being openable at a vertical side thereof and being removably held in the inner space of the support structure in a manner such that the collapsible bag maintains an extended condition even when containing no contents therein.    
   
   
       22 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the collapsible bag comprises means attached to a top thereof for hanging the collapsible bag in a locker when the collapsible bag is removed from the support structure.  
   
   
       23 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the rigid support structure comprises a frame structure having an open front end permitting access therethrough to the openable vertical side of the collapsible bag.  
   
   
       24 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the rigid support structure comprises a shell structure permitting access to the openable vertical side of the collapsible bag.  
   
   
       25 . A golf club bag for carrying a plurality of golf clubs in a directly exposed presentation, comprising: 
 a frame structure including a top end, a base end and a plurality of extension frames extending between the top and base ends, thereby defining an inner space within the frame structure, an open front, and two open sides;    means attached to the base end at the respective open sides for receiving grips of the clubs; and    a plurality of holders attached to a periphery of the top end for securing the hosels or shafts therein when the grips of the respective clubs are received in the receiving means attached to the base end, each of the holders including a pair of fingers having a closed position in which the fingers are positioned adjacent each other, thereby defining a circular opening therebetween for holding a golf club hosel or shaft, and an open position in which the fingers are positioned apart from each other to permit the hosel or shaft to move therebetween.    
   
   
       26 . A golf club bag as claimed in  claim 25  wherein the holders are installed in a plurality of slots respectively, the slots being defined in the periphery of the top end and extending inwardly therefrom.