US20090057176A1

US20090057176A1 - Cue bag and manufacturing method thereof

Info

Publication number: US20090057176A1
Application number: US11/896,420
Authority: US
Inventors: Chia-Ching Liao
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-08-31
Filing date: 2007-08-31
Publication date: 2009-03-05

Abstract

A cue bag including a bag and at least two tubes is provided. Each of the tubes includes a tube body, a cushion and a front block. The tube body includes a penetrated hole defined along an axis, a front opening and a rear opening respectively defined in the two ends of the penetrated hole. The cushion is disposed in the penetrated hole and has a cushion body, a stitching formed along the axis and two folded portions respectively folded on an outer surface of the tube body from the front opening and the rear opening. The front block is mounted in the inner surface of the tube body and disposed adjacent to the front opening of the tube body to define a first diameter less than a second diameter of the front opening.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a cue bag, and more particularly to the cue bag for receiving the cue more easily and the manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
The conventional cue bag includes a bag and multiple tubes set within the bag. The tubes are designed in various sizes in accordance with the cue butt and the cue shaft with different diameters.
Refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 1 illustrates a partial perspective view of the flannel 120 to show the crease thereon. FIG. 2 illustrates a sectional view of the tube 100 to show the crease on the flannel 120.
The tube 100 includes a cushion made of elastic fabric to prevent the cue surface from scraping. In this embodiment, the flannel 120 is disposed inside the hollow tube 110, and the two ends of the flannel 120 are respectively folded from the two ends of the hollow tube 110 to attach on the outer surface of the hollow tube 110 by an adhesive tape 130. Because of the friction between the flannel 120 and the outer surface of the cue, the demounted cue butt or the cue shaft 140 needs to be spiraled in and out of the tube 100.
However, the flannel 120 is folded to attach on the outer surface of the hollow tube 110 without position process and flat detection such that the two ends of the flannel 120 may be twisted radially. Therefore, the flannel 120 positioned in the hollow tube 110 is formed as redundant crease 121. The crease 121 is intertwined around the cue tightly when the demounted cue butt or the cue shaft 140 is spiraled in and out of the tube 100. As a result, the demounted cue butt or the cue shaft 140 is difficult for the user to spiral in and out of the tube 100 because of the resistance resulted from the crease 121 of the flannel 120.
In addition, the cue is gradually decreased in diameter from the back end to the front end, but the conventional tube 100 of the cue bag is formed in a same diameter such that the cue is easily escaped from the tube 100 because of a lack of block. When the cue bag is laid on a vehicle, the cue bag is affected by the shaking force, and the cue is moved forward and backward to collide with the cover of the cue bag. In this way, the cue cannot be protected from damage by the cue bag, and the ends of the cue may be broken because of the collision.

SUMMARY

It is therefore an aspect to provide a cue bag to improve the problem that conventional cue bag has a flannel crease to affect cue receiving.
It is therefore another aspect to provide a cue bag to solve the problem that the cue received in the conventional cue bag is escaped easily because of a lack of block.
It is therefore another aspect to provide a cue bag to improve the problem that the cue is difficult to spiral into the tube because of the air resistance.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the cue bag includes a bag and at least two tubes held in the bag. Each of the tubes includes a tube body, a cushion and a front block.
The tube body includes a penetrated hole defined along the axis, multiple holes defined on the outer surface of the tube body to communicate with the penetrated hole, a front opening and a rear opening respectively defined in the two ends of the penetrated hole. The front block is an elastic material, and is mounted in the inner surface adjacent to the front opening. The cushion is made of flannel or fabric material, and disposed in the penetrated hole.
The cushion includes a cushion body, a stitching formed along the axis, and two folded portions formed in the two ends of the cushion body. The folded portions are respectively folded on the outer surface of the tube body from the front opening and the rear opening. The stitching on the folded portions is aligned with the stitching of the cushion body straightly and is defined parallel to the axis.
As a result, the cue bag of the present invention has the following effects:
The cushion is disposed in the tube body with fine roundness and flatness such that the cue is prevented from obstructing by the crease formed on the cushion when spiraling into the cue bag for receiving. In addition, the cue is also prevented from escaping to cause damage because of the obstruction provided from the front block. In addition, the configuration of the holes provides air conduction to exhaust the air in the tube body, and the cue is spiraled into the tube body more easily without air resistance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of the flannel of the conventional tube;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the conventional tube;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cue bag of an embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the cross line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the tube of the embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the tube in accordance with the tube body in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of the manufacturing method of the tube in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.
While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.
Refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a cue bag of an embodiment in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 4 illustrates a sectional view along the cross line 4-4 in FIG. 3. The cue bag includes a bag 200 and multiple tubes 300 held in the bag 200. In this embodiment, the tubes 300 comprise two tubes with larger diameter and four tubes with smaller diameter to respectively receive the cue butt and the cue shaft.
The bag 200 includes an ornament cover 210, a slab layer 220, and a buffering layer 230 wherein the slab layer 220 is held between the ornament cover 210 and the buffering layer 230. The ornament cover 210 is cloth or fur, and includes a lid 211, a sling 212 and a side bag 213 for receiving appurtenances. The slab layer 220 is made of cardboard or plastic board with firm and counter shock features. The buffering layer 230 is formed by covering the polyurethane foam with the cushion and circulated around the tubes 300 to absorb shock.
Refer to FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the tube of the embodiment. FIG. 6 illustrates a sectional view of the tube body in accordance with the tube in FIG. 5. Each of the tubes 300 includes a tube body 310, a cushion 320, a front block 330, a rear block 340 and multiple bands 350 and 360.
The tube body 310 includes a penetrated hole 312, a front opening 313, a rear opening 314 and multiple holes 315. The penetrated hole 312 is defined along the axis 311. The front opening 313 and the rear opening 314 are respectively defined in the two ends of the penetrated hole 312. The holes 315 are defined on an outer surface 316 of the tube body 310 to communicate with the penetrated hole 312.
The cushion 320 is made of flannel or fabric material, and disposed in the penetrated hole 312 of the tube body 310. The cushion 320 includes a cushion body 321, a stitching 322 formed along the axis 311 and two folded portions 323 formed in the two ends of the cushion body 321. The folded portions 323 are respectively folded on the outer surface 316 of the tube body 310 from the front opening 313 and the rear opening 314. The stitching 3221 on the folded portions 323 is aligned with the stitching 3222 of the cushion 320 straightly, and is defined parallel to the axis 311.
Refer to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. The bands 350 are respectively wound around the folded portions 323 of the cushion 320 to fix the folded portions 323 on the outer surface 316 of the tube body 310. Refer to FIG. 4. Another band 360 is wound around the six tubes 300 to prevent shaking resulting from the spaces between each of the tubes 300.
Refer to FIG. 6. The front block 330 is an elastic material made of polyurethane foam. The front block 330 is mounted in an inner surface 317 adjacent to the front opening 313, and clipped between the tube body 310 and the cushion 320. When the cue is put into the tubes 300 through the front opening 313, the cue is forced against the front block 330 to compress and deform the elastic front block 330. After the cue is received in the tube 300, the front block 330 is expanded elastically to original shape to form an obstruction segment and prevent the cue from escaping from the front opening 313.
The rear block 340 is made of elastic material, such as hardened sponge, and positioned in the rear opening 314 to absorb the shake resulted from the oscillation of the cue received in the tube 300.
Refer to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. FIG. 7 illustrates a flow chart of the manufacturing method of the tube of the cue bag in accordance with the present invention.
In step 410, mounting the elastic front block 330 on the inner surface 317 of the tube body 310 to form a first diameter “d” less than a second diameter “d1” of the front opening 313.
In step 420, disposing the cushion 320 in the tube body 310 along the axis 311, and folding two folded portions 323 formed in the two ends of the cushion 320 on the outer surface 316 of the tube body 310 wherein cushion 320 has a stitching 322 formed along the axis 311.
In step 430, aligning the stitching 3221 on the folded portions 323 with the stitching 3222 of the cushion 320 wherein the stitching 3221 is defined parallel to the axis 311, and fixing the folded portions 323 on the outer surface 316 of the tube body 310 by the bands 350.
In step 440, examining the roundness and the flatness of the cushion 320 in the tube body 310, and regulating the cushion 320 to reduce redundant crease and enhance flatness.
In step 450, setting a rear block 340 in the rear opening 314 of the tube body 310 to obstruct the rear opening 314, and setting the tubes 300 in the bag.
As embodied and broadly described herein, the cushion 320 is disposed in the tube body 310 with fine roundness and flatness such that the cue is prevented from being obstructed by the crease when spiraling into the cue bag for receiving. Through the elastic feature of the front block 330 mounted adjacent to the front opening 313, the cue is also prevented from escaping to cause damage. In addition, the configuration of the holes 315 defined on the outer surface 316 of the tube body 310 mitigates the weight and provides air conduction. Because of the air conduction, the air in the tube body 310 is exhausted when the cue is spiraled into the tube body 310 more easily without air resistance.
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred embodiments contained herein.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cue bag, comprising:

a bag; and

at least two tubes held in the bag, each tube comprising:

a tube body comprising a penetrated hole defined along an axis, a front opening and a rear opening wherein the front opening and the rear opening are respectively defined in two ends of the penetrated hole; and

a cushion disposed in the penetrated hole and comprising a cushion body, a stitching formed along the axis, and two folded portions formed respectively in two ends of the cushion body wherein the folded portions are respectively folded on an outer surface of the tube body from the front opening and the rear opening, and the stitching on the folded portions is aligned with the stitching of the cushion body straightly and is defined parallel to the axis.

2. The cue bag of claim 1, wherein the tube body further comprises a plurality of holes defined on the outer surface and communicating with the penetrated hole.

3. The cue bag of claim 1, wherein the cushion is made of flannel or fabric material.

4. The cue bag of claim 1, further comprising a rear block positioned in the rear opening of the tube body.

5. The cue bag of claim 1, further comprising multiple bands wound around the folded portions to fix the folded portions on the outer surface of the tube body.

6. The cue bag of claim 5, wherein the bands are transparent adhesive tapes.

7. A cue bag, comprising:

a bag; and

at least two tubes wherein the tubes respectively receive a cue shaft and a cue butt, and each tube comprising:

a tube body comprising a penetrated hole defined along an axis, a front opening and a rear opening wherein the front opening and the rear opening are respectively defined in the two ends of the penetrated hole;

a cushion disposed in the penetrated hole and comprising a cushion body, a stitching formed along the axis, and two folded portions formed respectively in two ends of the cushion body wherein the folded portions are respectively folded on an outer surface of the tube body from the front opening and the rear opening, and the stitching on the folded portions is aligned with the stitching of the cushion body straightly and is defined parallel to the axis; and

a front block made of elastic material, mounted in an inner surface of the tube body and disposed adjacent to the front opening of the tube body to define a first diameter less than a second diameter of the front opening.

8. The cue bag of claim 7, wherein the front block is a polyurethane foam.

9. The cue bag of claim 7, wherein the front block is clipped between the tube body and the cushion.

10. The cue bag of claim 7, wherein the front block has a taper cross section.

11. A manufacturing method for a cue bag, comprising:

(A) disposing a cushion in a tube body along an axis, and folding two folded portions formed in two ends of the cushion on an outer surface of the tube body wherein the cushion has a stitching formed along the axis;

(B) aligning the stitching on the folded portions with the stitching of the cushion and fixing the folded portions on the outer surface of the tube body;

(C) examining the roundness and the flatness of the cushion in the tube body; and

(D) setting the tubes in the bag.

12. The manufacturing method for a cue bag of claim 11, further comprises

mounting an elastic front block on an inner surface of the tube which is adjacent to a front opening of the tube body before step (A) to provide a first diameter less than a second diameter of the front opening.

13. The manufacturing method for a cue bag of claim 11, further comprising

setting a rear block to obstruct a rear opening after step (C).

14. The manufacturing method for a cue bag of claim 11, wherein the folded portions of the cushion are respectively fixed on the outer surface of the tube by a band.