FR2645755A1 - GOLF CLUB - Google Patents

Abstract

A golf club C1 includes means 6 for preventing its head 1 from rotating when a ball is struck. This means extends from the neck 2 of the head at least to a part thereof which is close to its distal end. For example, the means may extend between the upper part of the neck and a portion of the upper surface of the head which is close to its distal end. The means can also extend between the middle part of the neck and a portion of the surface of the head opposite a face thereof which is close to its distal end. According to an embodiment of the invention, the means may comprise several elements extending between the neck of the head and its distal end and an opposite end of the latter, respectively. The means can be welded to the head or be in one piece with it.

Description

The present invention relates to a golf club equipped with a means

  to prevent the head from

turns when the ball is hit.

  When a golf player hits the ball, a great deal of force is applied brutally to the head of the club and, therefore, the head rotates to a certain degree. To be more precise, the head is subjected to a bending moment such that its face turns upwards and outwards according to a certain degree. Therefore, the ball cannot move along the line

of force of the blow.

  Consequently, the present invention relates to golf clubs equipped with a means allowing

  to prevent the head from spinning when the ball is hit.

  According to the present invention, this means extends from the neck of the head at least to a part thereof which is close to its distal end. For example, the means may extend between an upper part of the neck and a portion of the upper surface of the head which is close to its distal end. Or else the means can extend a middle part of the co] and a portion of the surface of the head opposite its face close to its distal end. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the means may comprise several elements extending between the head and its distal end to its opposite end, respectively. The medium can be welded to the

  head or formed in one piece therewith.

  The present invention will be clearly understood from the

  reading of the following description made in relation to

  the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a rear view of the head of a golf club with a means to prevent it from rotating when hitting the ball. This means of FIG. 1 constitutes a preferred embodiment of the present invention; - Figure 2 is a side view of the head of the club of Figure 1; - Figure 3 is a rear view of the club head comprising the means preventing rotation, similar to that of Figure 1, but showing another embodiment of the invention; - Figure 4 is a side view of the head of the club of Figure 3; - Figure 5 is a rear view of a golf club head with means for preventing rotation according to another embodiment of the invention; - Figure 6 is a rear view of the head of a golf club with means for preventing rotation according to yet another embodiment of the invention; - Figure 7 is a rear view of the head of a golf club with a means preventing rotation according to another embodiment of the invention; - Figure 8 is a side view of the head of the club of Figure 7; and - Figure 9 is a cross section

  taken along line a-a in Figure 7.

  In FIGS. 1 and 2, a golf club C1 is described according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Club Cl is an iron that can be used as a "driver" iron, for example. The club C1 comprises a metal head 1 and a rod 4 having a lower end which extends through a tube 5 and received in the neck 2 of the head 1. A metal reinforcing element 6, in the form of an elongated plate, is welded to both ends of the head 1. The reinforcing element 6 extends between the upper part of the neck 2 and the upper surface of the head 1, or surface opposite to its sole. The end of the reinforcing element 6 which is welded to the upper surface of the head 1 is

  located near the distal end of the head.

  When the club is used to strike a ball, a force is suddenly applied to the head 1 and, consequently, a bending moment is produced in the head 1 such that it undergoes a rotation and that its face 3 turns towards the up- and outward. However, the reinforcing element 6 does not allow the effort to

  bending to act on head 1, and prevents rotation.

  Although not shown, the part of the rod 4 located in the tube and the neck 2 have steps in several places to form annular parts having smaller and smaller diameters. Consequently, this part of the rod 4 is conical as a whole in the direction of the bottom. With a classic club, the lowest end of the rod cannot

  not exceed 9.5 mm in outside diameter.

  The lowest end of the cane 4 has an outer diameter significantly greater than that of the cane of a conventional club, namely a diameter of 10.5 mm. In addition, the lowest end of the rod 4 has a wall thickness greater than 0.4 mm. Consequently, the additional element 6 which the club of the prior art does not include does not cause flexing of the rod 4 greater than that of a conventional club when the club is rocked. Experiments by the present inventor have shown that even if the lowest end of the rod 4 has an outside diameter as high as 15 mm, the swing of the club can be controlled

  as well as that of a classic club.

  Since the reinforcing element 6 is welded to the head 1, it is not necessary to provide 3b a mold or a model to form in one piece the head comprising the reinforcing element. Therefore, the

  manufacturing cost of club Cl is not high.

  As the reinforcing element 6 has a smaller surface than that of the head 1, the air resistance which it opposes during the swinging of the club does not prevent

not a regular swing.

  If a club has a longer neck than the illustrated neck 2 and a reinforcing element longer than the shown element and connected at one end to the corresponding part of the neck 2, we can prevent

  indeed that the head of such a club does not rotate.

  Figures 3 and 4 show a C2 golf club equipped with a second preferred embodiment of

  the reinforcing element 6a. The C2 club is a putter.

  The reinforcing element 6a has an upper end connected to the middle part of a neck 12 and a lower end connected to the part of the head 1 projecting rearward. With the exception of the reinforcing element 6a, the parts of the club C2 equivalent to those of the first embodiment are represented by the same references preceded by a 1. As in the case of the first embodiment, the element reinforcement 6a prevents the head 11 from rotating when

hits the ball.

  FIG. 5 describes a club C3 according to a third embodiment of the reinforcing element (namely 6a, 6b). The C3 club is also a putter. With the exception of the reinforcing elements 6a, 6b, the parts of the club C3 similar to those of the first embodiment are indicated by the same references preceded by a 2. Unlike the first embodiment of the reinforcing element 6 , the reinforcing elements 6a and 6b are in one piece with the head 21. As shown, the neck 22 of the head 21 is located near the left end of the head 21 when viewed from the back. The two reinforcing elements 6a, 6b project from the upper part of the neck 22 in opposite directions, and the longer element, 6b, extends to a portion of the upper surface of the body of the head which is close to the right end of the cell]] here, while the short element 6c extends to a portion of the upper surface of the body of the head which is very close to its left end. When using the club C3, the reinforcing elements 6a, 6b effectively prevent the head 21 from rotating when the ball is struck at a part of the head 21 which is very close to its end

right (rear view).

  FIG. 6 describes a golf club C4 presenting a fourth embodiment of the reinforcing element, or reinforcing elements 6c, 6c, according to the present invention. The C4 club is also a putter. With the exception of the reinforcing elements 6c, 6c, the parts of the club C4 equivalent to those of the first embodiment are indicated by the same references preceded by a 3. As with the embodiment of FIG. 5, the elements reinforcement 6c, 6c are in one piece with the head 31. As shown, the club C4 is different from the club C3 in that only the collar 32 has no part extending directly into the body of the head. In other words, the reinforcing element 6c, 6c

  constitutes most of the collar 32.

  Figures 7 and 8 show a golf club C5 according to a fifth embodiment of the reinforcing element, or reinforcing element 6d according to the present invention. Club C5 is an iron that can be used as a short iron. With the exception of the reinforcing element 6d, the parts of the club C5 equivalent to those of the first embodiment are

  indicated by the same references preceded by a 4.

  The reinforcing element 6d extends from the upper portion of the neck 42 to a part of the rear of the head 41 which is close to its straight end when viewed from the rear. The reinforcing element 6d is in one piece with the head 41 and comprises a part projecting from the head in the rear direction perpendicular to the face 43 and a portion perpendicular to the part projecting towards

the back.

  All of the previous reinforcing elements

  can be formed according to hollow or solid elements.

  In addition, the reinforcing elements may have a polygonal or circular cross section. In addition, where appropriate, the reinforcing elements may have elliptical cross sections so as to reduce their resistance to air when struck.

a ball. -

  It will be noted that the reinforcing elements of the present invention can be provided

  for all types of golf clubs.

Claims (12)

  1. Go] f club, characterized in that it comprises means (6) for preventing the head (1) of the club from rotating when a ball is struck, this means extending from the co] ( 2) from the head at least to a part   of the head which is close to its distal end.   2. Golf club according to claim 1, characterized in that the means extends between an upper part of the neck and a portion of the upper surface   of the head which is close to its distal end.   3. Golf club, according to claim 1, characterized in that the means extends between a median part of the neck and a portion of the surface of the head which is opposite to its face which is close to its end. distal.   4. Golf club, according to claim 1, characterized in that the means comprises several reinforcing elements (6a, 6b) which extend from the neck of the head to its distal end and to its end opposite, respectively.   5. Golf club according to claim 1,   characterized in that the means is welded to the head.   6. Golf club, according to claim 2,   characterized in that the means is welded to the head.   7. Golf club, according to claim 3,   characterized in that the means is welded to the head.   8. Golf club, according to claim 4,   characterized in that the means is welded to the head.   9. Golf club according to claim 1, characterized in that the means is in one piece with the head. 10. Golf club according to claim 2, characterized in that the means is in one piece with the head. 11. Golf club according to claim 3, characterized in that the means is in one piece with the head. 12. Golf club according to claim 4, characterized in that the average is in one piece with the head.