Golf travel cover

Abstract

The golf travel cover includes a collapsible inner cage, which is covered by an outer soft cover having an opening which can be closed with fasteners, and telescoping control tubes including a top handle. The inner cage includes cage ribs each including a rear stationary rib portion, and first and second pivot arms pivotally connected to the rear stationary rib portion. The cage ribs may also be connected and supported by support tubes, which may be telescoping support tubes or offset support tubes. Wheels are mounted to the golf travel case, either to the bottom rear portion of the outer jacket, or the bottom rear portion of the inner cage.

1 . In combination, a golf travel case moveable between a longitudinally extended configuration and a longitudinally collapsed configuration, comprising: 
 an inner cage having a front side and a rear side, the inner cage including a plurality of cage ribs extending about the circumference of the golf travel case inner cage, each of said plurality of cage ribs including a rear stationary rib portion, a first pivot arm and a second pivot arm, said first and second pivot arms being pivotally connected to said rear stationary rib portion and movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, each of said first pivot arms having a free distal end and a proximal end pivotally connected to the first end portion of the rear stationary rib portion, and each of said second pivot arms having a free distal end and a proximal end pivotally connected to the second end portion of the rear stationary rib portion;    at least one longitudinally extending rear telescoping control tube mounted to and connecting the plurality of cage ribs; and    an outer jacket covering said inner cage, said outer jacket being moveable between a longitudinally extended configuration and a longitudinally collapsed configuration, said outer jacket having an opening, and said opening of the outer jacket having an open configuration and a closed configuration.    
   
   
       2 . The golf travel case of  claim 1 , wherein said first pivot arms are connected and supported by at least one longitudinally extending first side support tube, and said second pivot arms are connected and supported by at least one longitudinally extending second side support tube.  
   
   
       3 . The golf travel case of  claim 2 , wherein said first and second side support tubes are telescoping support tubes, said plurality of cage ribs including an upper cage rib and a bottom cage rib, each said longitudinally extending first side telescoping support tube having a top end fixedly mounted to the first pivot arm of the upper cage rib, and a bottom end fixedly mounted to the first pivot arm of the bottom cage rib, and each said longitudinally extending second side telescoping support tube having a top end fixedly mounted to the second pivot arm of the upper cage rib, and a bottom end fixedly mounted to the second pivot arm of the bottom cage rib.  
   
   
       4 . The golf travel case of  claim 3 , wherein each of said longitudinally extending first and second side telescoping support tubes includes an upper tube section, a middle tube section slidably connected to the upper tube section and having a larger diameter than the diameter of the upper tube, and a bottom tube section slidably connected to the middle tube section and having a larger diameter than the diameter of the middle tube.  
   
   
       5 . The golf travel case of  claim 1 , wherein each said rear stationary rib portion includes a straight middle portion extending between said first end portion and second end portion.  
   
   
       6 . The golf travel case of  claim 1 , wherein said rear stationary rib portions of said cage ribs are connected and supported by at least one longitudinally extending rear telescoping control tube, said at least one telescoping control tube being movable between a longitudinally extended locked configuration and a longitudinally collapsed unlocked configuration.  
   
   
       7 . The golf travel case of  claim 6 , said plurality of cage ribs comprising an upper cage rib and a bottom cage rib, and wherein each said rear telescoping control tube includes a top end fixedly mounted to the stationary rib portion of said upper cage rib, and a bottom end fixedly mounted to the stationary rib portion of said bottom cage rib.  
   
   
       8 . The golf travel case of  claim 6 , wherein each said telescoping control tube is mounted to the cage ribs by a tube collar.  
   
   
       9 . The golf travel case of  claim 6 , wherein said at least one longitudinally extending rear telescoping control tube has a top end, and further comprising a handle connected to the top end of said at least one rear telescoping control tube.  
   
   
       10 . The golf travel case of  claim 9 , wherein said handle comprises a release which is connected to unlock said at least one telescoping control tube to allow the golf travel case to be moved to the longitudinally collapsed configuration.  
   
   
       11 . The golf travel case of  claim 6 , wherein each of said at least one rear telescoping control tube comprises an upper control tube section, a middle control tube section slidably connected to the upper control tube section and having a larger diameter than the diameter of the upper control tube section, and a bottom control tube section slidably connected to the middle control tube section and having a larger diameter than the diameter of the middle control tube section.  
   
   
       12 . The golf travel case of  claim 11 , wherein said upper and middle control tubes of the rear telescoping control tubes each carries a spring loaded detent pin that is removably lockable in a corresponding detent pin aperture of the control tube section below.  
   
   
       13 . The golf travel case of  claim 1 , wherein said rear stationary rib portions are connected and supported by at least one longitudinally extending rear support tube.  
   
   
       14 . The golf travel case of  claim 13 , wherein said at least one longitudinally extending rear support tube comprises a telescoping support tube, said plurality of cage ribs including an upper cage rib and a bottom cage rib, and each said telescoping support tube including a top end fixedly mounted to the stationary rib portion of the upper cage rib, and a bottom end fixedly mounted to the bottom stationary rib portion.  
   
   
       15 . The golf travel case of  claim 14 , wherein each said telescoping support tube comprises an upper tube section, a middle tube section slidably connected to the upper tube section and having a larger diameter than the diameter of the upper tube section, and a bottom tube section slidably connected to the middle tube section and having a larger diameter than the diameter of the middle tube section.  
   
   
       16 . The golf travel case of  claim 13 , wherein said first pivot arms are connected and supported by at least one longitudinally extending first side telescoping control tube, and said second pivot arms are connected and supported by at least one longitudinally extending second side telescoping control tube.  
   
   
       17 . The golf travel case of  claim 16 , wherein said plurality of cage ribs comprises an upper cage rib and a bottom cage rib, each said longitudinally extending first side telescoping support tube having a top end fixedly mounted to the first pivot arm of the upper cage rib, and a bottom end fixedly mounted to the first pivot arm of the bottom cage rib, and each said longitudinally extending second side telescoping support tube having a top end fixedly mounted to the second pivot arm of the upper cage rib, and a bottom end fixedly mounted to the second pivot arm of the bottom cage rib.  
   
   
       18 . The golf travel case of  claim 17 , wherein each of said longitudinally extending first and second side telescoping support tubes includes an upper tube section, a middle tube section slidably connected to the upper tube section and having a larger diameter than the diameter of the upper tube, and a bottom tube section fixedly connected to the middle tube section and having a larger diameter than the diameter of the middle tube.  
   
   
       19 . The golf travel case of  claim 16 , wherein said at least one longitudinally extending first side telescoping control tube has a top end, and said at least one longitudinally extending second side telescoping control tube has a top end, and further comprising a first side handle connected to the top end of said at least one first side telescoping control tube, and a second side handle connected to the top end of the second side telescoping control tube.  
   
   
       20 . The golf travel case of  claim 19 , wherein each of said first and second side handles comprises a release which is connected to unlock said corresponding at least one first and second side telescoping control tubes, respectively, to allow the golf travel case to be moved to the longitudinally collapsed configuration.  
   
   
       21 . The golf travel case of  claim 20 , wherein each of said at least one first and second side telescoping control tubes comprises an upper control tube section, a middle control tube section slidably connected to the upper control tube section and having a larger diameter than the diameter of the upper control tube section, and a bottom control tube section slidably connected to the middle control tube section and having a larger diameter than the diameter of the middle control tube section.  
   
   
       22 . The golf travel case of  claim 21 , wherein said upper and middle control tubes of said first and second side telescoping control tubes each carries a spring loaded detent pin that is removably lockable in a corresponding detent pin aperture of the control tube section below.  
   
   
       23 . The golf travel case of  claim 2 , wherein said rear stationary rib portions, and the first and second pivot arms are connected and supported by at least one corresponding longitudinally extending fixed, upper, middle and bottom offset support tube, respectively.  
   
   
       24 . The golf travel case of  claim 23 , wherein said plurality of cage ribs comprises upper, second, tertiary and bottom cage ribs including corresponding upper, secondary, tertiary and bottom rear stationary rib portions; upper, secondary, tertiary and bottom first side pivot arms; and upper, secondary, tertiary and bottom second side pivot arms; and each of said upper offset support tubes includes a top end fixedly mounted to the upper rear stationary rib portion, upper first pivot arm and upper second pivot arm, respectively; and a bottom end slidably mounted to the secondary stationary rib portion, and secondary first side and second side pivot arms, respectively.  
   
   
       25 . The golf travel case of  claim 23 , wherein each of said middle offset support tubes includes a top end fixedly mounted to the secondary stationary rib portion, and first and second pivot arms, respectively, and a bottom end slidably mounted to the tertiary stationary rib portion, and the tertiary first and second pivot arms, respectively, and each of the bottom offset support tubes includes a top end fixedly mounted to the tertiary stationary rib portion, tertiary first and second pivot arms, respectively, and a bottom end fixedly mounted to the bottom stationary rib portion, and the bottom first and second pivot arms, respectively.  
   
   
       26 . The golf travel case of  claim 1 , wherein said outer jacket is formed of a fabric.  
   
   
       27 . The golf travel case of  claim 26 , wherein said outer jacket further comprises at least one fastener for closing said opening.  
   
   
       28 . The golf travel case of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of wheels mounted to the golf travel case.  
   
   
       29 . The golf travel case of  claim 28 , wherein said plurality of wheels are mounted to support plates mounted to a bottom rear portion of the outer jacket.  
   
   
       30 . The golf travel case of  claim 28 , wherein said plurality of cage ribs comprises a bottom cage rib including a corresponding bottom rear stationary rib portion, and wherein said plurality of wheels are mounted to the bottom rear stationary rib portion.  
   
   
       31 . The golf travel case of  claim 28 , wherein said plurality of cage ribs comprises a bottom cage rib including a corresponding bottom rear stationary rib portion, and further comprising a rear lower backing plate mounted to the bottom rear stationary rib portion.  
   
   
       32 . The golf travel case of  claim 28 , further comprising at least one foot pedestal mounted to a bottom front portion of the outer jacket.