Ball putting cup and method of ejecting ball from same

Claim 2

A golf cup comprising: first means including a housing operable to be positioned at least partially below ground level, and open upwardly, and receive a downwardly moving golf ball; second means including a diaphragm operable to impact a golf ball out of said housing; said diaphragm defining a bse of said housing and being operable to undergo downward and upward flexing movement; said diaphragm including a recess operable to receive and support a golf ball at random locations therein; third means operable to effect golf ball impacting, upward flexing movement of said diaphragm; and fourth means operable to actuate said third means in response to downward flexing movement of said diaphragm; said upward flexing of said diaphragm being operable to impact said golf ball upwardly out of said housing, generally transversely across said diaphragm.

Claim 3

An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said diaphragm comprises: a bellows encircling a cavity and operable to resiliently extend longitudinally upwardly of said housing; and a flexible wall extending across an upper portion of said bellows and defining a generally annular, ball receiving recess, comprising said recess of said diaphragm, and generally encircling said cavity; said annular, ball receiving recess having a generally concave cross section, an outer, generally annular rim operable to engage an under portion of a golf ball, and an upwardly converging wall operable to engage an under portion of said golf ball.

Claim 4

An apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said third means comprises: an impacting cup operable to engage the underside of said rim of said diaphragm and effect upward movement thereof; said upward movement of said rim being operable to longitudinally extend said bellows and cause said annular, ball receiving recess to impact a golf ball supported thereby and cause said golf ball to be impacted generally upwardly out of said housing.

Claim 5

An apparatus as described in claim 3: wherein said impacting cup comprises a generally frusto-conical, impacting wall diverging upwardly of a longitudinal axis of said housing; and wherein said third means further includes a lightweight, electromagnetic coil disposed beneath said frustoconical impacting wall, said frustoconical impacting wall being movable upwardly, at least in part, away from said lightweight coil, and a magnet defining an annular passage, within which annular passage said lightweight coil is telescopingly received; said magnet and lightweight coil being operable to actuate said fourth means by generating an electrical signal in response to downward movement of said diaphragm, said frustoconical impacting wall, and said coil caused by engagement of a golf ball with said diaphragm; said fourth means being operable to generate a flow of electricity through said coil in response to actuation of said fourth means, with said flow of electricity being operable, in cooperation with a magnetic field generated by said magnet, to induce upward, ball impacting movement of said lightweight coil; said upward, ball impacting movement of said lightweight coil being operable to induce upward movement of said frustoconical impacting wall, with said upward movement of said frustoconical impacting wall in turn inducing upward movement of said diaphragm; and said upward movement of said diaphragm being operable to impact a golf ball received therein generally across, and upwardly out of, said housing in a random manner; said frustoconical impacting wall, during said upward movement, being movable relative to, and away from said coil; and said fourth means including battery means operable to supply said flow of electricity.

Claim 6

An apparatus as described in claim 1: wherein said third means includes a coil movable downwardly in response to downward movement of said diaphragm caused by engagement of a golf ball therewith and movable upwardly to effect golf ball impacting movement of said diaphragm; said downward movement of said movable coil being operable to develop an electrical signal; and wherein said fourth means includes an amplifier operable to amplify said electrical signal; and means operable to deliver electrical energy to said movable coil, with said electrical energy being operable to induce said upward movement of said coil.

Claim 7

An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said third means comprises: a coil operable, when electrically energized, to impart a generally upwardly directed impacting force to said diaphragm; and a magnet telescopingly receiving said coil and operable, in cooperation with said electrical energization of said coil, to develop said impacting force.