Height Adjustable Golf Tee

Abstract

A height adjustable golf tee includes an elongated shank having a ball supporting top end, a tapered bottom end and tab structure projecting outwardly from the shank and arranged in a vertically spaced relationship between the top end and the bottom end of the shank. An adjustable stop member is mounted for separate vertical and rotational movement on the shank from an unlocked position to a locked position. The adjustable stop member is formed with an internal cavity having a surface for rotationally receiving the tab structure and providing an interference member frictionally engageable with the tab structure to effect the locking position.

1 . A height adjustable golf tee comprising:
 an elongated shank having a ball supporting top end, a tapered bottom end and a tab structure projecting outwardly from the shank and arranged in vertically spaced relationship between the top end and bottom end of the shank; and   an adjustable stop member mounted for separate vertical and rotational movement on the shank from an unlocked position to a locked position, the adjustable stop member being formed with an internal cavity having a surface for rotatably receiving the tab structure and providing an interference member frictionally engageable with the tab structure to effect the locking position.   
   
   
       2 . The golf tee of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the shank and adjustable stop member is provided with locating structure for enabling locating the adjustable stop member at a discrete height position along a length of the shank. 
   
   
       3 . The golf tee of  claim 1 , wherein the tab structure includes a plurality of resilient, fin-shaped locking tabs extending from at least one side of the shank. 
   
   
       4 . The golf tee of  claim 1 , wherein the tab structure is frictionally retained in a seat formed in the internal cavity adjacent the interference member. 
   
   
       5 . The golf tee of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable stop member has a substantially flat upper surface. 
   
   
       6 . The golf tee of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the tab structure is held in the locked position within the adjustable stop member. 
   
   
       7 . The golf tee of  claim 5 , wherein a slide channel receives a tab structure during vertical sliding movement of the adjustable stop member along the shank, and extends from the flat upper surface of the adjustable stop member to a locking channel beneath the upper surface for rotatably receiving the tab structure. 
   
   
       8 . The golf tee of  claim 1 , wherein the locking channel has a curved outer wall and a flat top wall. 
   
   
       9 . A height adjustable golf tee comprising:
 an elongated shank having a ball supporting top end, a tapered bottom end and tab structure projecting outwardly from the shank and arranged in vertically spaced apart relationship between the top end and the bottom end; and,   an adjustable member mounted for vertical sliding and rotational movement on the shank to establish variable heights for the ball supporting top end of the shank of a ground surface by preventing insertion of the shank into the ground surface beyond a bottom surface of the adjustable member, the adjustable member having a body formed internally with a slide channel for slidably receiving the tab structure when the adjustable member is moved vertically along the shank, the body also being formed internally with a locking channel for rotatably receiving the tab structure between a locked position and an unlocked position, and providing an interference member frictionally engageable with the tab structure to effect the locking position in a seat formed in the locking channel.   
   
   
       10 . The golf tee of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the shank and the adjustable member is provided with locating structure for enabling locating the adjustable member at a discrete height position along a length of the shank. 
   
   
       11 . The golf tee of  claim 9 , wherein the tab structure includes a plurality of resilient, fin-shaped locking tabs extending from at least one side of the shank. 
   
   
       12 . The golf tee of  claim 9 , wherein the seat is located adjacent the interference member. 
   
   
       13 . The golf tee of  claim 9 , wherein the adjustable member has a substantially flat upper surface. 
   
   
       14 . The golf tee of  claim 9 , wherein at least a portion of the tab structure is held in the locked position within the adjustable member. 
   
   
       15 . The golf tee of  claim 13 , wherein a slide channel receives the tab structure during vertical sliding movement of the adjustable member along with the shank, and extends from the flat upper surface of the adjustable member to the locking channel beneath the upper surface for rotatably receiving the tab structure. 
   
   
       16 . The golf tee of  claim 9 , wherein the locking channel has a curved outer wall and a flat top wall. 
   
   
       17 . In a height adjustable golf tee having a shank with a ball supporting top end, a tapered bottom end and a tab structure projecting from the shank, and an adjustable stop member slidable along the shank to an adjustment position and rotatable about the periphery of the shank between unlocked and locked conditions, the improvement wherein:
 the adjustable stop member is formed with an internal cavity having a surface for rotatably receiving the tab structure and providing an interference member frictionally engageable with the tab structure to effect the locking condition; and   at least one of the shank and the adjustable stop member is provided with locating structure for enabling locating the adjustable stop member at the adjustment position along the shank.   
   
   
       18 . The improvement of  claim 17 , wherein the tab structure is frictionally retained in a seat formed in the internal cavity. 
   
   
       19 . The improvement of  claim 17 , wherein the adjustable stop member has a substantially flat upper surface. 
   
   
       20 . The improvement of  claim 19 , wherein a slide channel receives the tab structure during vertical sliding movement of the adjustable stop member along the shank, and extends from the flat upper surface of the adjustable stop member to a locking channel beneath the upper surface for rotatably receiving the tab structure.