Golf divot repair tool

Abstract

A golf repair tool includes a pivot repair member movable between a stored and a deployed position, and includes a spring assist construct that facilitates movement from the stored to the deployed position, and vice-versa.

1 . A golf divot repair tool including
 (a) a housing including a first slot ( 93 ) formed therein;   (b) a golf green-manipulating fork ( 86 ) in said slot and having
 (i) a proximate end, 
 (ii) a pair of spaced apart prongs attached to and extending from said proximate end, and 
 (iii) a first contact surface ( 102 ), 
 said fork mounted in said housing for sliding movement in a first direction of travel from a retracted position inside said housing to a deployed position with said prongs extending away from said housing; 
   (c) a control system mounted in said housing and including
 (i) a spring loaded pivoting locking plate ( 106 ) adjacent said first contact surface and preventing movement of said green-manipulating fork from said retracted to said deployed position, 
 (ii) a control plate ( 125 ) slidably mounted in said housing and including a second slot ( 132 ) and a surface ( 129 ) to displace said locking plate from engagement with said first contact surface, 
 (iii) control fork ( 115 ) slidably mounted adjacent said green-manipulating fork and including
 a finger ( 120 ) extending outwardly from said control fork and contacting said proximate end of said green-manipulating fork, and 
 at least one elongate leg ( 118 ) slidably extending into said second slot generally parallel to said first direction of travel, said leg minimizing the risk said control fork will bind during operation of said divot repair tool, 
 
 (iv) a spring ( 60 ) interconnecting said control fork and said control plate, said control plate manually slidably displaceable along said housing to tension and extend said spring to generate a force on said finger of said control fork that acts against said proximate end of said green manipulating fork to move said green-manipulating fork from said retracted to said deployed position, and contact said spring loaded locking plate ( 106 ) to disengage said locking plate from said first contact surface to permit said spring to move said green-manipulating fork from said retracted to said deployed position. 
   
   
   
       2 . A method to repair a divot on a golf green, comprising the steps of
 (A) providing a golf divot repair tool including   (1) a housing including a first slot ( 93 ) formed therein;   (2) a golf green-manipulating fork ( 86 ) slidably mounted in said slot and having
 (a) a proximate end, 
 (b) a pair of spaced apart prongs attached to and extending from said proximate end, 
 (c) a first contact surface ( 102 ), and 
 (d) an elongate side, 
 said fork mounted in said housing for sliding movement 
 (e) in a first direction of travel from a retracted position inside said housing to a deployed position with said prongs extending away from said housing, and 
 (f) in a second direction of travel from said deployed to said retracted position; 
   (3) a control system mounted in said housing and including
 (a) a first spring loaded pivoting locking plate ( 106 ) in a first detent ( 97 ) adjacent said first contact surface and preventing movement of said green-manipulating fork from said retracted to said deployed position, 
 (b) a second spring loaded pivoting locking plate ( 106 ) in a second detent ( 98 ) in a first operative position slidably contacting said side of said green-manipulating fork without preventing the movement of said green-manipulating fork from the retracted to the deployed position, said second locking plate ( 106 ), when said green-manipulating fork is in said deployed position, pivoting to a second operative position adjacent said proximate end to prevent said green-manipulating fork from moving from said deployed to said retracted position; 
 (c) a control plate ( 125 ) slidably mounted in said housing and including a second slot ( 132 ), a first surface ( 129 ) to displace said first locking plate away from said first contact surface, and a second surface ( 130 ) to displace said second locking plate from said second operative position to said first operative position, 
 (d) a control fork ( 115 ) slidably mounted adjacent said proximate end of said green-manipulating fork and including
 (i) a finger ( 120 ) extending outwardly from said control fork and contacting said proximate end of said green-manipulating fork, and 
 (ii) at least one elongate leg ( 118 ) slidably extending into said second slot ( 132 ) generally parallel to said first direction of travel, 
 
 said leg minimizing the risk said control fork will bind during operation of said divot repair tool, 
 (e) a relaxed spring ( 60 ) interconnecting said control fork and said control plate, said control plate
 (i) when said green-manipulating fork is in the retracted position, manually slidably displaceable along said housing in said first direction to
 tension and extend said relaxed spring to generate a force on said finger of said control fork that acts against said proximate end of said green-manipulating fork to move said green-manipulating fork from said retracted to said deployed position, and 
 slidably contact said spring loaded locking plate ( 106 ) in said first detent with said first surface ( 129 ) to displace said locking plate in said first detent away from said first contact surface to permit 
 said spring and said control fork to move said green-manipulating fork from said retracted to said deployed position, and 
 said leg ( 118 ) of said control fork to slide in said second slot ( 132 ) such that said control fork slides toward said control plate ( 125 ) and relaxes the tension on said spring, 
 
 (ii) when said green-manipulating fork is in the deployed position, manually slidably displaceable along said housing in said second direction opposite said first direction to
 slidably contact said spring loaded locking plate ( 106 ) in said second detent with said second surface ( 130 ) to displace said locking plate in said second detent away from said proximate end to permit said green-manipulating fork to be manually pushed from said deployed to said retracted position; 
 
 
   (B) placing said tool in a pocket with said green-manipulating fork in said retracted position;   (C) walking to a green on a golf course;   (D) removing said tool from the pocket and displacing said control plate in said first direction of travel to tension said relaxed spring, displaced with said control plate said locking plate in said first detent, move said green-manipulating fork from said retracted to said deployed position, and permit said locking plate in said second detent to move to said second operative position to lock said green-manipulating fork in said deployed position;   (E) utilizing said tool to repair a divot on the green;   (F) displacing said control plate in said second direction to move said locking plate in said second detent to said first operative position; and,   (G) manually pushing said green-manipulating fork from said deployed to said retracted position.