Truncated pyramidal golf ball positioning device

Abstract

A positioning device that includes a hopper and tray configured to define an internal cavity when in a closed position that accommodates being filled with golf stacked to form a pyramidal shape. The hopper and tray each have a surface that stably self-supports the positioning device without toppling on a flat, horizontal surface. The hopper and tray may have retainers that them to each other and have a hinge that hinges a common side. The hinge may be configured to swing apart the tray and hopper when their retainers are separated from each other. When in the closed position, the positioning device may be stably stacked between two other positioning devices that are identical to it in configuration. An indentation may project into the internal cavity or a stacking insert may be placed within the internal cavity to take up space otherwise filled by one or more golf balls.

1 . A golf ball positioning device, comprising: 
 a hopper and a tray configured to define an internal cavity when in a closed position, the internal cavity being constituted at least by a truncated level and a base level each configured to accommodate a respective layer of golf balls that together stack to form a truncated pyramidal shape, the hopper and tray being further configured to keep the golf balls stacked in the truncated pyramidal shape albeit inverted as the hopper and tray flip over while maintaining integrity of the internal cavity during the flip over, the truncated level being of a smaller dimension than the base level, the hopper and tray each having a respective surface that extends within respective planes that are parallel to each other and each being of a dimension to stably self-support, and without toppling, the hopper and tray in the closed position as either of the surfaces rests on a flat, horizontal surface.    
   
   
       2 . A golf ball positioning device of  claim 1 , wherein adjacent the respective surface of the hopper are configurations that are shaped to complement counterpart configurations that are adjacent the respective surface of the tray.  
   
   
       3 . A golf ball positioning device of  claim 1 , further comprising retainers that engage each other to retain the hopper and the tray to each other in the closed position, the hopper and tray being movable out of the closed position to an open position upon release of the retainers from engaging each other, the retainers being integrally formed with the hopper and the tray.  
   
   
       4 . A golf ball positioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the tray has an indentation that has a shape that complements and is arranged in correspondence with the truncated level.  
   
   
       5 . A golf ball positioning device of  claim 3 , wherein the retainers include surfaces that slide against each other when bringing the tray and the hopper together to define the internal cavity.  
   
   
       6 . A golf ball positioning device of  claim 1 , further comprising a hinge connection that joins the hopper and the tray together.  
   
   
       7 . A golf ball positioning device of  claim 6 , wherein the hinge is configured to bias the hopper and the tray into the open position upon release of the retainers from each other.  
   
   
       8 . A golf ball positioning device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the hopper and tray have dimples spaced from each other that have a curvature.  
   
   
       9 . A golf ball positioning device of  claim 4 , wherein the truncated level and the indentation each have dimples arranged in correspondence with each other and that complement each other in shape.  
   
   
       10 . A golf ball positioning device of  claim 4 , wherein the hopper and tray are configured to stably stack between two identical golf ball positioning devices when the hopper and tray are in the closed position with the truncated level of the hopper fitted within a further indentation of a further tray of one of the identical golf ball positioning devices and with the indentation of the tray fitting a further truncated level of the other of the identical golf ball positioning devices.  
   
   
       11 . A golf ball positioning device of  claim 1 , wherein the indentation is integral with the tray.  
   
   
       12 . A golf ball positioning device of  claim 1 , further comprising a spacer insert within the internal cavity.  
   
   
       13 . A golf ball positioning device of  claim 12 , wherein the spacer has a lid that may be open to provide access to an interior of the spacer.