CA2028373C - Golf club construction - Google Patents

Golf club construction

Info

Publication number
CA2028373C
CA2028373C CA002028373A CA2028373A CA2028373C CA 2028373 C CA2028373 C CA 2028373C CA 002028373 A CA002028373 A CA 002028373A CA 2028373 A CA2028373 A CA 2028373A CA 2028373 C CA2028373 C CA 2028373C
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
shaft
neck
club head
golf club
head
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
CA002028373A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2028373A1 (en
Inventor
Kun-Nan Lo
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GB9022577A external-priority patent/GB2248785B/en
Priority to AT0209590A priority Critical patent/AT396336B/en
Priority to AU64787/90A priority patent/AU621247B1/en
Priority to AU64787/90D priority patent/AU6478790A/en
Priority to CA002028373A priority patent/CA2028373C/en
Priority to BE9001004A priority patent/BE1004640A3/en
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to DE4034393A priority patent/DE4034393C2/en
Priority to FR9014443A priority patent/FR2669233B1/en
Publication of CA2028373A1 publication Critical patent/CA2028373A1/en
Publication of CA2028373C publication Critical patent/CA2028373C/en
Application granted granted Critical
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29CSHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C70/00Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
    • B29C70/68Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts by incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or layers, e.g. foam blocks
    • B29C70/86Incorporated in coherent impregnated reinforcing layers, e.g. by winding
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63BAPPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B53/00Golf clubs
    • A63B53/02Joint structures between the head and the shaft
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63BAPPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B53/00Golf clubs
    • A63B53/002Clubs made of composite, plastics or rubber materials, with integral head and shaft
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29CSHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C70/00Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
    • B29C70/68Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts by incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or layers, e.g. foam blocks
    • B29C70/84Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts by incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or layers, e.g. foam blocks by moulding material on preformed parts to be joined
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29LINDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
    • B29L2031/00Other particular articles
    • B29L2031/52Sports equipment ; Games; Articles for amusement; Toys
    • B29L2031/5227Clubs

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Composite Materials (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
  • Golf Clubs (AREA)

Abstract

A novel golf club construction is provided herein. It includes a club head and a shaft. The club head has a tapering neck. The shaft has a lower end extending into the club head and passing through the neck. The golf club construction further has a cured resin impregnated fibrous material wrapping around the shaft and an adjacent portion of the shaft in a fashion that provides a gradually decreasing cross-section from the neck to the shaft. The cured resin impregnated fibrous material wrapping integrally interconnects the club head and the shaft by cohesive bonding upon being heated and pressurized. There is thus no visible seam at the joint between the club head and the shaft.

Description

202~373 This invention relates to a golf club construction, and particularly to the neck portion of a golf club which interconnects the head and the shaft of the golf club.
Conventionally, the head of a golf club is connected to the shaft by receiving one end of the shaft in the socket of a neck portion of the head and applying an adhesive to the joint of the neck and the shaft. Generally, the club heads are made of wood, or metals such as stainless steel and other alloys, or composite plastic materials such as fiber reinforced plastics. However, the shafts are never wooden anymore.
Metallic club heads are generally strong, hard and tough. Such heads are connected to composite plastic shaft just by applying an adhesive to the joint of the shaft and the neck of the head as shown in Figure 1.
The strength of the joint depends on the total strength of the adhesive, the neck and the golf shaft.
A wooden or composite plastic head has poorer strength, hardness and toughness than metallic heads.
In order to reinforce the joint of such a head and the shaft, synthetic cords are wound around the neck of the head as shown in Figure 2 after the neck is connected to the shaft. In addition, the neck as well as the socket in the neck should be lengthened so that the
2~28373 shaft can extend more deeply into the head.
The joints formed by the methods mentioned above are generally liable to loosen when subjected to torsion forces created by striking balls. When the neck and the shaft are made of different materials, serious deformation might be caused at the joint. In many cases, the neck or the shaft breaks at their joint.
An object of a principal aspect of this invention is to provide a golf club which has a strong part that interconnects the head and the shaft, such strong part being capable of enduring a large torque.
The present invention provides, in a broad aspect thereof, a golf club construction comprising a club head and a shaft; the club head having a tapering neck; the shaft having a lower end extending into the club head passing through the neck; the golf club construction further having a cured resin impregnated fibrous material wrapping around the shaft and an adjacent portion of the shaft in a fashion that provides a gradually decreasing cross-section from the neck to the shaft, the cured resin impregnated fibrous material wrapping integrally interconnecting the club head and the shaft by cohesive bonding upon being heating and pressurized, and whereby there is no visible seam at the joint between the club head and the shaft.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 shows the joint of the head and the shaft of a golf club of the prior art;

t ll Figure 2 shows the joint of the head and the shaft of another golf club of the prior art;
Figures 3 and 4 show a first embodiment of the invention; and Figures 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the invention.
Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the first embodiment of the golf club of one aspect of the invention includes a head 10, a neck 11 and a shaft 20, which are formed simultaneously in a mold by using a resin impregnated fibrous material, e.g., an epoxy resin impregnated woven or non-woven fabric. The fabric may be made of glass fibres or carbon fibres. In fabrication, the resin-impregnated woven fabric layers are wrapped around a core substantially to form the shape of a golf club head including a neck in a conventional way. The shaft 20 is fabricated by wrapping resin-impregnated woven fabric layers into a cylinder or other suitable form to fashion a rod continuing from the 2~

the wrapping process, the fibers of the fabric layers are oriented properly so as to achieve the maximum possible strength golf club. The resulting unfinished article is then placed in a suitable mold and heated until the resin impregnated woven fabric layers are cured. The golf club so formed has no joint between the head 10 and the shaft 20 and therefore can endure a large torque.
A second embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 5 and 6, having a golf club head 10' with a neck 11' and a shaft 20' which are separate pieces.
The head 10' and the neck 11' are fabricated by using a resin impregnated fibrous material as in the first embodiment. The shaft 20' is also fabricated by using the same material. However, the head 10' and the shaft 20' are respectively cured and formed in two moids.
After the head and the shaft are fabricated, a bore 12' is provided in the neck 11. The shaft is jointed to the neck 11' by fitting the end 21' of the shaft 20' into the bore 12'.
Afterwards, the joint of the shaft 20' and the head 10' are wrapped with a resin impregnated fibrous material 40 which may be the same as the material used to fabricate the head 10' and the shaft 20'. Then, the resin impregnated fibrous material 40 is cured by heating and pressurizing it in a suitable die. The cured resin impregnated fibrous material 40 cohesively bonded to the shaft 20' and the head 10', thereby strengthening the joint between the shaft and the head.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS
FOLLOWS:
1. A golf club construction comprising a club head and a shaft; said club head having a tapering neck; said shaft having a lower end extending into said club head passing through said neck; said golf club construction further having a cured resin impregnated fibrous material wrapping around said shaft and an adjacent portion of said shaft in a fashion that provides a gradually decreasing cross-section from said neck to said shaft, said cured resin impregnated fibrous material wrapping integrally interconnecting said club head and said shaft by cohesive bonding upon being heated and pressurized, and whereby there is no visible seam at the joint between said club head and said shaft.
CA002028373A 1990-10-17 1990-10-23 Golf club construction Expired - Fee Related CA2028373C (en)

Priority Applications (7)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT0209590A AT396336B (en) 1990-10-17 1990-10-17 METHOD FOR PRODUCING A GOLF CLUB
AU64787/90D AU6478790A (en) 1990-10-17 1990-10-19 Improved golf club construction
AU64787/90A AU621247B1 (en) 1990-10-17 1990-10-19 Improved golf club construction
BE9001004A BE1004640A3 (en) 1990-10-17 1990-10-23 Construction for improved golf club.
CA002028373A CA2028373C (en) 1990-10-17 1990-10-23 Golf club construction
DE4034393A DE4034393C2 (en) 1990-10-17 1990-10-29 Method of making a golf club
FR9014443A FR2669233B1 (en) 1990-10-17 1990-11-20 IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION FOR GOLF ROD.

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT0209590A AT396336B (en) 1990-10-17 1990-10-17 METHOD FOR PRODUCING A GOLF CLUB
GB9022577A GB2248785B (en) 1990-10-17 1990-10-17 Improved golf club construction
BE9001004A BE1004640A3 (en) 1990-10-17 1990-10-23 Construction for improved golf club.
CA002028373A CA2028373C (en) 1990-10-17 1990-10-23 Golf club construction

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2028373A1 CA2028373A1 (en) 1992-04-24
CA2028373C true CA2028373C (en) 1994-10-04

Family

ID=27421696

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002028373A Expired - Fee Related CA2028373C (en) 1990-10-17 1990-10-23 Golf club construction

Country Status (6)

Country Link
AT (1) AT396336B (en)
AU (2) AU621247B1 (en)
BE (1) BE1004640A3 (en)
CA (1) CA2028373C (en)
DE (1) DE4034393C2 (en)
FR (1) FR2669233B1 (en)

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1553867A (en) * 1923-05-23 1925-09-15 George H Maas Means of attaching the heads of golf clubs to their sticks
US3253071A (en) * 1960-03-14 1966-05-24 Donald P Hings Method of making a golf club
CA1005478A (en) * 1973-04-27 1977-02-15 Michael A. Taylor Golf club, carbon-graphite shaft therefor, and method of making carbon-graphite tubes
US3873090A (en) * 1973-12-17 1975-03-25 Stanley C Thompson Graphite shaft connection to golf club hosel
FR2523854A1 (en) * 1982-03-25 1983-09-30 Vennin Thierry Golf club shafts with integral moulded plastic head - opt. including fibrous or dense fillers or inserts
GB2121296B (en) * 1982-05-22 1986-03-12 Mizuno Kk Golf club head of carbon fiber reinforced plastic
US4757997A (en) * 1986-06-06 1988-07-19 Fiber-Speed International, Inc. Golf club shaft and method of manufacture
GB8618300D0 (en) * 1986-07-26 1986-09-03 Align Eng Ltd Golf clubs
US4936582A (en) * 1989-02-24 1990-06-26 Kenneth Bernstein Golf club

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE4034393C2 (en) 1994-07-14
AT396336B (en) 1993-08-25
FR2669233B1 (en) 1994-02-18
AU621247B1 (en) 1992-03-05
ATA209590A (en) 1992-12-15
CA2028373A1 (en) 1992-04-24
BE1004640A3 (en) 1993-01-05
FR2669233A1 (en) 1992-05-22
DE4034393A1 (en) 1992-04-30
AU6478790A (en) 1992-03-05

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request
MKLA Lapsed