Golf club bag support mechanisms and related methods

1. A golf bag support mechanism comprising:

a bracket comprising:

a bracket wall comprising an outer bracket side and an inner bracket side opposite the outer bracket side; and

a first dock adjacent to the outer bracket side of the bracket wall;

and

a first hinge member configured for hinged coupling with the first dock;

wherein:

the first hinge member comprises:

a first top end;

a first bottom end opposite the first top end;

a first sidewall extended between the first top end and the first bottom end;

a first protrusion protruding from the first top end and comprising a stop portion; and

a first bore bounded by the first sidewall;

a first axis extends between the first top end and the first bottom end of the first hinge member;

the first bore is centered about the first axis;

the first dock comprises a first notch extending into the outer bracket side of the bracket wall;

the first dock comprises:

a first back wall comprising the first notch; and

first and second ears coupled substantially perpendicular to, and at opposite ends of, the first back wall;

the first ear comprises a first ear aperture;

the second ear comprises a second ear aperture;

a first clevis pin configured to hinge the first hinge member to the first dock;

the first clevis pin comprises:

a head end portion comprising a clevis head; and

an insertion end portion configured to protrude out of the second ear aperture when the clevis pin is in a hinge position;

the insertion end portion is devoid of a retention mechanism; and

a maximum thickness of the insertion end portion is complementary to aperture dimensions of each of the first and second ear apertures and a first and second hinge apertures;

wherein:

the first hinge member comprises:

a first sidewall end of the first sidewall, the first sidewall end comprising the first hinge aperture; and

a second sidewall end of the first sidewall and opposite the first sidewall end,

the second sidewall end comprising the second hinge aperture;

and

the first clevis pin is insertable along a hinge axis of the first hinge member into the hinge position to hinge the first hinge member with the first dock,

the hinge position comprising the first clevis pin in the first ear aperture, the first hinge aperture, the first bore, the second hinge aperture, and the second ear aperture,

wherein an inner end of the first bore of the first hinge member comprises a first and second fingers protruding therefrom;

the first clevis pin comprises a first groove between the head end portion and the insertion end portion and at least partially circumscribing the first clevis pin;

a distance between the first and second fingers is:

complementary with a thickness of the first clevis pin at the first groove; and

less than a thickness of the first clevis pin adjacent to either side of the first groove;

and

the first and second fingers are configured to straddle the first groove when the first clevis pin is in the hinge position to restrict the clevis pin from sliding out of the hinge position; and

the first and second fingers comprise a flexible material; and

the golf bag support mechanism is configurable between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration; and

when the golf bag support mechanism is in the extended configuration:

an extended angle exists between the first axis and the bracket wall; and

the stop portion of the first protrusion is received at least partially within the first notch.

2. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

the first axis is fully bounded by the first protrusion; and

the bracket is configured to be coupled to a top bag portion of a golf bag such that the inner bracket side faces toward the golf bag.

3. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

the first hinge member comprises a hinge axis for the hinged coupling with the first dock;

the first protrusion comprises a protrusion first dimension orthogonal to the first axis and orthogonal to the hinge axis; and

the first axis intersects a centerpoint of the protrusion first dimension.

4. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 3 , wherein:

the protrusion first dimension comprises a first protrusion length of the first protrusion.

5. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 3 , wherein:

the protrusion first dimension comprises a first protrusion length of the first protrusion; and

the first axis is fully bounded by the first protrusion.

6. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 3 , wherein:

the first protrusion comprises a protrusion second dimension orthogonal to the protrusion first dimension; and

the first axis intersects a centerpoint of the protrusion second dimension.

7. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

the first protrusion comprises:

a first protrusion width measured orthogonal to the first axis; and

a first protrusion length measured orthogonal to the first axis;

the first top end comprises:

a first top end width measured orthogonal to the first axis; and

a first top end length measured orthogonal to the first axis;

the first top end length is greater than the first protrusion length; and

the first notch of the first dock is at least as wide as the first protrusion width of the first protrusion, but narrower than the first top end width and the first top end length of the first top end.

8. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

the first hinge member comprises a hinge axis for the hinged coupling with the first dock;

the first protrusion comprises:

a first protrusion length orthogonal to the first axis and orthogonal to the hinge axis; and

a first protrusion width orthogonal to the first protrusion length;

and

the first protrusion length is greater than the first protrusion width.

9. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

a curved surface of the stop portion of the first protrusion is complementary with and received by a curved surface of the first notch of the first dock when the golf bag support mechanism is in the extended configuration.

10. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

the bracket is configured to be coupled to a top bag portion of a golf bag; and

the bracket wall is configured to be coupled with, and substantially parallel to, a bag sidewall at the top bag portion.

11. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 10 , wherein:

the first bore of the first hinge member is configured to receive a first end of a first support leg; and

when the golf bag support mechanism is in the extended configuration while coupled to the bag sidewall, while the first end of the first support leg is received in the first bore of the first hinge member, and while a bottom of the golf bag and a second end of the first support leg are supported over a support surface,

the stop portion of the first protrusion contacts a bottom end of the first notch.

12. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

the first protrusion comprises a straight oval shape having:

first and second rounded ends opposite each other; and

a midsection separating the first and second rounded ends from each other and comprising first and second straight-line sides.

13. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

the stop portion of the first protrusion comprises a rounded protrusion stop surface;

a bottom end of the first notch comprises a rounded notch stop surface that is rounded complementarily with the rounded protrusion stop surface of the stop portion of the first protrusion; and

when the golf bag support mechanism is in the extended configuration, the rounded protrusion stop surface pushes along the rounded notch stop surface when received therein.

14. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

the first hinge member comprises:

a third sidewall end of the first sidewall, located between the first and second sidewall ends; and

a fourth sidewall end of the first sidewall, located between the first and second sidewall ends and opposite the third sidewall end;

the first protrusion comprises:

a first protrusion end facing towards the third sidewall end; and

a second protrusion end facing towards the fourth sidewall end;

the first and second protrusion ends are substantially mirror images of each other relative to the hinge axis;

the first hinge member is insertable into the first dock in a first orientation where the third sidewall end faces the first back wall of the first dock when the golf bag support mechanism is in the retracted configuration and the first protrusion end engages the first notch when the golf bag support mechanism is in the extended configuration; and

the first hinge member also is insertable into the first dock in a second orientation where the fourth sidewall end faces the first back wall of the first dock when the golf bag support mechanism is in the retracted configuration and the second protrusion end engages the first notch when the golf bag support mechanism is in the extended configuration.

15. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

the extended angle comprises between approximately 40 to approximately 60 degrees.

16. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

the bracket wall comprises one or more reinforcing ribs protruding therefrom opposite the first dock and at the inner bracket side of the bracket wall; and

at least a first rib of the one or more reinforcing ribs is located below and adjacent to a bottom portion of the first notch.

17. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

the first dock comprises:

the first back wall comprising the first notch; and

first and second ears coupled substantially perpendicular to, and at opposite ends of, the first back wall;

the bracket further comprises:

a top wall extending from a top of the bracket wall and non-parallel thereto,

the top wall comprising a first side facing the first hinge member and coupled to the first and second ears;

and

at least when the golf bag support mechanism is in the extended configuration, the first hinge member is still coupled with the first side of the top wall.

18. The golf bag support mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second hinge member comprising:

a second protrusion at a second top end of the second hinge member; and

a second axis extended through a centerpoint of the second protrusion;

wherein:

the bracket further comprises a second dock adjacent to the outer bracket side of the bracket wall;

the second hinge member is hingedly coupled with the second dock;

when the golf bag support mechanism is in the extended configuration:

a second extended angle exists between the second axis and the bracket wall;

and

the second extended angle is commensurate with the extended angle.