Golf club head cover and method of use

Abstract

A golf club head cover comprises an enclosure formed by a pair of complementary cover sections connected to pivot about a manually actuated spring-biased clip member. The clip member normally biases the cover sections into a closed condition adapted to enclose a head of a golf club. The clip member includes a pair of handle elements projecting outward from the enclosure that are adapted to be gripped between the thumb and one or more fingers by a user and depressed towards each other to move the cover sections so they pivot and spread apart into an open condition. The user grips the handle elements with one hand and depresses them so the enclosure is in the open condition. While maintaining a grip on the handle elements to keep the enclosure in the open condition, the user with his or her other hand places the head of a golf club between the spread apart cover sections, or withdraws the head, as the case may be. When the head of a golf club is between the spread apart cover sections in the open condition, or is withdrawn, the user releases the grip on the handle elements so the cover sections come together automatically into the closed condition.

1 . A golf club head cover comprising
 a body having an open condition enabling the body to receive the head of a golf club and a closed condition substantially enclosing said head therein, said body including a pair of cover sections each with a predetermined configuration and each including a perimeter, said perimeters abutting when the body is in the closed condition, and   a clip member connecting the cover sections and having an open position and a closed position, said clip member including a pair of arms hinged together and a spring element connected to the arms to normally bias the clip member into the closed position, each arm including a mounting element and a handle element, one cover section being connected to the mounting element of one arm and the other cover section being connected to the mounting element of the other arm,   said handle elements projecting from the connected cover sections and positioned opposite each other along a portion of the abutting perimeters and oriented so that manually gripping and depressing the handle elements using only one hand overcomes the bias of the spring element to move the clip member to the open position by pivoting the hinged together arms to separate the cover sections to form the open condition of the body so long as the handle elements are manually depressed and, upon release of manually gripping the handle elements, said spring element moving the separated cover sections together to rejoin said cover sections along said perimeters to form the closed condition of the body.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head cover of  claim 1  where each cover section includes a frame forming a substantial portion of the perimeter of the frame's corresponding cover section and each frame having attached thereto sheet material covering the frame. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head cover of  claim 1  where the perimeter of each cover section includes a mating segment that mates with a complementary mating segment of the other cover section. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head cover of  claim 1  where the body has a topside and one cover section has along a segment of its perimeter in said topside a laterally projecting portion and the other cover section has along a segment of its perimeter in said topside a recess portion that is aligned with and that receives said laterally projecting portion when the body is in the closed condition. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head cover of  claim 4  where the laterally projecting portion and the recess portion are each substantially semi-circular shaped and they have a common center when the body is in the closed condition. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head cover of  claim 4  where the cover sections are each molded from a plastic and are substantially rigid. 
     
     
         7 . A golf club head cover comprising
 a body including a pair of cover sections,   a hinge connecting the cover sections together and enabling the cover sections to pivot about the hinge, moving between a closed condition that provides an interior space formed between the cover sections when the cover sections come together and an open condition where the cover sections are at least partially separated to enable the head of a golf club to be inserted between the separated cover sections and enclosed within the interior space when the cover sections are in the closed condition,   a spring connected to the hinge to normally bias the hinge to move the cover sections together, and   a manually operable actuator mechanism operably connected to the hinge and projecting outward from an exterior of the body that enables a user with one hand to grip and operate the actuator mechanism, causing the cover sections to at least partially separate and move into an open condition and, upon release of the grip of the actuator mechanism, said spring element moving the partially separated cover sections together.   
     
     
         8 . The golf club head cover of  claim 7  where each cover section includes a perimeter and each perimeter includes a mating segment that mates with a complementary mating segment of the other cover section's perimeter. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head cover of  claim 7  where the body has a topside and one cover section has along a segment of a perimeter thereof in said topside a laterally projecting portion and the other cover section has along a segment of a perimeter thereof in said topside a recess portion that is aligned with and that receives said laterally projecting portion when the cover sections are in the closed condition. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head cover of  claim 9  where the laterally projecting portion and the recess portion are each substantially semi-circular shaped and they have a common center when the body is in the closed condition. 
     
     
         11 . A golf club head cover comprising
 a body providing an enclosure formed by a pair of complementary cover sections that each constitute substantially half of the body,   said cover sections connected to pivot about a longitudinal centerline along a backside of the body by a manually actuated spring-biased clip member that normally biases the cover sections into a closed condition adapted to enclose a head of a golf club,   said clip member being in the backside of the body and including a pair of handle elements projecting outward from the backside of the body that are adapted to be gripped between the thumb and one or more fingers by a user and depressed towards each other to move the cover sections so they pivot and spread apart into an open condition in a front side of the body that is adapted to receive the head of a golf club.   
     
     
         12 . The golf club head cover of  claim 11  including an enlarged upper interior for a head of a golf club and a lower reduced sized interior for a hosel of a golf club. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head cover of  claim 11  where the cover sections have abutting perimeters in the closed position and the handle elements are positioned opposite each other along a portion of the abutting perimeters and oriented so that manually gripping and depressing the handle elements using only one hand overcomes the spring bias of the clip member to move the cover sections into the open condition so long as the handle elements are manually depressed and, upon release of manually gripping the handle elements, the separated cover sections rejoin along said perimeters to form the closed condition of the body. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head cover of  claim 11  where the clip member functions as a single action spring-biased hinge that is positioned substantially centrally a longitudinal centerline in a backside of the enclosure. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head cover of  claim 14  where there is a single clip member along the longitudinal centerline. 
     
     
         16 . A method of covering and uncovering the head of a golf club including the steps of
 (a) providing a user with a golf club head cover comprising   an enclosure formed by a pair of complementary cover sections connected to pivot about a manually actuated spring-biased clip member that normally biases the cover sections into a closed condition adapted to enclose a head of a golf club, said clip member including a pair of handle elements projecting outward from said enclosure that are adapted to be gripped between the thumb and one or more fingers by a user and depressed towards each other to move the cover sections so they pivot and spread apart into an open condition so the head of a golf club may be inserted or withdrawn, and   (b) with one hand the user grips the handle elements and depresses them so the enclosure is in the open condition,   (c) said user maintaining the grip on the handle elements to keep the enclosure in the open condition while placing the head of a golf club between the spread apart cover sections, or withdrawing it, and   (d) when the head of a golf club is between the spread apart cover sections in the open condition, or removed therefrom, said user releasing the grip on the handle elements so the cover sections come together into the closed condition.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  where the handle elements are along a longitudinal centerline in a backside of the enclosure.