Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B53/00—Golf clubs
  • A63B53/10—Non-metallic shafts
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B53/00—Golf clubs
  • A63B53/02—Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B60/00—Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B60/00—Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
  • A63B60/002—Resonance frequency related characteristics
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B2209/00—Characteristics of used materials
  • A63B2209/02—Characteristics of used materials with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B60/00—Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
  • A63B60/06—Handles
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B60/00—Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
  • A63B60/06—Handles
  • A63B60/08—Handles characterised by the material
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B60/00—Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
  • A63B60/06—Handles
  • A63B60/10—Handles with means for indicating correct holding positions

Definitions

• series of clubs is meant a set of nearly a dozen clubs, more particularly 8 irons and 3 woods or 9 irons and 6 woods all belonging to one of the five elasticity classes defined according to l 'Kenneth Smith' scale and designated respectively by L (ladies), A (flexible), R (medium), S (Stiff, ie stiff), E (extra stiff, that is- i.e. extra-stiff) as well as one or other of the two sleeve length classes (male or female).
• L ladies
• A flexible
• R medium
• S Stiff, ie stiff
• E extra stiff, that is- i.e. extra-stiff
• each of the 15 clubs in a series of 9 irons and 6 woods has a head which strikes the ball at a different angle (loft angle) allowing it to print a more or less twisted and more or less stabilized according to the gyration given to the ball to take into account the distances and obstacles that must be crossed.
• This loft angle is modified with the elasticity of the handle.
• the clubs of the same series have different characteristics but these characteristics however have a certain homogeneity concerning in particular the characteristic which constitutes the "swing-weight” which must remain appreciably constant for the clubs of the same series.
• This "swing-weight” a sort of moment of the striking force exerted on the ball, is calculated by multiplying the total weight of the club by the length of the distance which separates the center of gravity of the club from a theoretical point. top of club handle (officiai scale swing-weight) or 14 inches (35.5 cm) from top of handle (loryth ique swing-weight). It is very complex to take into account all of the characteristic parameters of the clubs in order to manufacture homogeneous series of clubs desired by the players (that is to say series of so-called “consistent" clubs. for English-speaking players).
• the physical characteristic which will take best account of all the variables is the frequency of vibrations of the club because it integrates all of these parameters.
• the frequency of vibration of the clubs of the series must be constant or, if the player wishes, that it varies regularly from club of the series to another.
• the devices according to the invention make it possible to control the frequency of vibration and the swing-weight of golf clubs obtained from the same metallic or composite materials with carbon fibers associated with fibers of boron, arids or glass, produced in industrial series.
• the clubs are obtained from tubes made of these materials and then nested one inside the other in such a way as to obtain control of the vibrational frequencies and a very high resistance to tearing. It is known in fact that the vibration phenomena inside the tubes of nested composite materials then crimped or glued are modified. It should be written here that the equation which expresses simply, under conditions probably close but satisfactory, this frequency "f" of vibration can be written:
• E denotes the modulus of elasticity of the material constituting the handle
• the essential characteristic of the invention takes account of what has just been explained above because it consists in varying "on demand” the elasticity module of the sleeves of the clubs by fitting over determined lengths a central whip in one or more end tubes.
• US Patent No. 4122593 presents a table for calculating the amount of material to be removed at either end of a metal club to balance it in frequency within a narrow range.
• GBA patent 2,146,906 (Wilson Sporting Goods) presents a method of balancing the vibrational frequencies, by making, during the manufacturing by stretching and then hammering of the metal tube, the length of a necking (or “step") intermediate then removing material at one end.
• FIG. 1 represents a schematic drawing of two clubs having different head weights M and M2 but central parts (1) and (2) identical fitted at the handles in tubes on different lengths.
• FIG. 2 represents two clubs, the identical whips (1) and (2) of which are fitted over the same length in tubes at the level of the handles but over different lengths in tubes at the level of the heads M.
• FIG. 3 brings together the characteristics of the two preceding figures and
• FIG. 4 is a schematic section of another variant according to which the whip tube consists of an outer tubular wall of steel containing an inner tubular wall of fibers synthetic bonded or fretted.
• the two clubs consist of two tubes 1 and 2 made of carbon fibers linked by epoxy resins for example. These tubes are absolutely identical both in their composition and in their etro! Ogical characteristics, so that they can be mass produced.
• these tubes are fitted then glued or crimped over lengths l, I 2 inside the metal tubes 3 and 4 intended to constitute the handles of the clubs.
• the lengths li and 1 of introduction, gluing or crimping of the tubes 3 and 4 are chosen, so that the vibratory frequency of the whips L and L2 which extend from the head to the glued handles supporting the head loads M and M2 either the same, taking into account that the vibration is modified at the level of the entry of the whips inside the tubes 3 and 4.
• the 2 clubs are constituted by two tubes (1) and (2) made of synthetic fibers, carbon fibers for example linked by epoxy resins. These tubes are absolutely identical both in their composition and in their metrological characteristics, so that they can be mass produced.
• these tubes are fitted then crimped or glued in sleeves (5) and (6) over lengths I3 and 1 chosen so that the vibratory frequency of the whips L3 and L4, which extend from the head to the handles (7) and (8) by supporting the loads (M3) and (M4), which is the same.
• the vibrational frequency takes into account not only the masses and the lengths constituting the whip, but also its modulus of elasticity which is here transformed at will over the lengths I3 and -j ⁇
• the tubes (1) and (2) could be made of metal (14 , 16) thus presenting another variant of the device.
• a plastic sleeve (17) can come to inter- sandwich between the walls of the two tubes to better absorb vibrations.
• the device according to the invention makes it possible to overcome a drawback which slows down the use of synthetic fibers (with characteristics which are so interesting) in the manufacture of golf clubs: the heads sometimes having to be changed, they are preferably bonded with hot-melt adhesives. However, these cannot be used because the fiber handles linked to resins have poor heat resistance. In this case, the metal sleeves (5) and (6) allow these heat-fusible bondings since they are resistant to heat.
• the 2 clubs consist of 2 tubes (1) and (2) made of synthetic fibers, carbon fibers for example linked by epoxy resins. Again these tubes are absolutely identical so that they can also be mass produced.
• these tubes are fitted then crimped or glued into the head sleeves (9) and (10) which carry the heads M5 and M in the handle tubes (11) and (12) on respective lengths I5 and 15 then 17 and 18 so that the vibratory frequency of the whips L5 and L5 which extend from the head of the clubs to the top of the handles minus a length "d", 4 or 5 inches for example, which delimits the position of the player's hands, which is the same.
• this device it is also conceivable that one can manufacture a series of homogeneous (consistent) clubs as in the 2 previous cases. You can also keep a constant "swing-weight" by moving the center of gravity C3 as indicated in the previous cases.
• the device according to the invention allows a substantial saving of expensive materials since the part of the handle at the level of the handle of the club is above all constituted by a metal which is considerably cheaper than synthetic fibers.
• the whip tube is a composite tube resulting from the association of an external metallic tubular wall (14), for example made of steel, and an internal wall (15) formed by a tube of synthetic fibers hooped inside the metal tube (14) and which can increase its mechanical characteristics while allowing the assembly to be lightened.
• This arrangement tion can finally be adopted on only part of the whip, that is to say that the hooped fiber tube (15) provided inside the steel tube (14) may only extend over a fraction the length of the steel tube (14).
• the tube (14) can be followed by a succession of tubes (16) of decreasing diameters fitted and glued or shrunk into one another as shown in FIG. 4.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Golf Clubs (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=27251276

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Families Citing this family (17)

Family Cites Families (18)

• 1986
  • 1986-04-11 WO PCT/FR1986/000119 patent/WO1986006286A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1986-04-11 DE DE8686902415T patent/DE3667612D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1986-04-11 EP EP86902415A patent/EP0258233B1/de not_active Expired
  • 1986-04-11 AU AU56909/86A patent/AU593246B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1986-10-15 CA CA000520528A patent/CA1318114C/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1988
  • 1988-12-20 US US07/286,815 patent/US4954198A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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