GB2331939A

GB2331939A - Hosel for a golf club

Info

Publication number: GB2331939A
Application number: GB9824977A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Daniel J Kubica; Randall B Noble
Original assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corp
Current assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corp
Priority date: 1997-12-04
Filing date: 1998-11-13
Publication date: 1999-06-09
Anticipated expiration: 2018-11-13
Also published as: GB9824977D0; FR2771936A1; CA2254184A1; GB2331939B; KR200345126Y1; ES1041829Y; KR19990032993U; FR2771936B1; ZA9810294B; DE29821129U1; CA2254184C; ES1041829U; JPH11221302A

Abstract

A golf club 10 commonly referred to as a "driver" includes a head 12 made of titanium and a hosel 14 made of plastic. The head 12 includes a hollow body 18, and the hosel 14 has a lower portion 36 inserted into a bore 28 in the head 12 and an upper portion 34 extending upwardly from a top wall 20 of the hollow body 18. The bore 28 has an open top end 28a that is substantially flush with the body top wall 20 and a closed bottom end 28b that is spaced from a bottom wall 22 of the hollow body 18. A passage 40 extends through the upper and lower portions 34, 36 of the hosel 14 and receives a tip end 17 of a shaft 16 that is preferably made of graphite. Since the hosel 14 is made of softer material than the head 12, the hosel 14 has a cushioning effect on the shaft 16 which reduces the amount of vibration transmitted to the shaft 16. The hosel lower portion 36 has an irregular outside shape and the bore 28 in the head 12 has a complementary irregular inside shape so that the hosel 14 may be inserted into the bore 28 in only one orientation to ensure exact alignment of the shaft 16 relative to the head 12.

Description

2331939 GOLF CLUB This invention relates generally to golf clubs and, in

particular, to a golf club commonly referred to as a "driver".

Recent developments in golf club design have included improvements in "drivers" which are used primarily to strike a golf ball resting on a golf tee. These improvements have resulted in drivers with shafts made of synthetic material and heads consisting of hollow shells made of steel, titanium and aluminum. Examples of such improvements are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,452,890 to G. Bingman, U.S. Patent No. 5,538,246 to S. Dekura, and U.S- Patent No. 5,575,723 to S. Take et al. The Bing-man patent discloses a golf club having a cushioning insert in a titanium head for protecting the shaft from breakage. The Dekura patent discloses a golf club with a hosel formed of synthetic resin for attaching the shaft to the head which is made of magnesium or aluminum. The Take et al patent discloses a golf club having a cushioning member made of synthetic resin for connecting the shaft to the head.

The present invention provides a golf club comprising a head made of a first material having a high shear modulus of elasticity. The head includes a hollow body having a top wall, 1 a bottom wall, a side wall connecting the top and bottom walls and a front wall arranged for impacting a golf ball. The head further includes a heel end and a toe end. The head has a bare disposed in the heel end thereof behind the body front wall extending downwardly from the body top wall toward the body bottom wall. The bore includes a top end which is open and a bottom end which is closed. The bore top end is substantially flush with the top wall of the body, and the bore bottom end is spaced from the bottom wall of the body. The golf club further comprises a hasel formed of a second material having a low shear modulus of elasticity. The hosel includes a lower portion inserted into the bore in the head and an upper portion extending upwardly from the.top wall of the body. hosel has a substantially longitudinal passage extending through its upper and lower portions. The golf club also comprises a shaft having a tip end received in the hosel passage.

In a preferred embodiment of the golf club, the first material which forms the head is titanium, and the second material which forms the hosel is plastic. The shaft may be made of a third material such as graphite having a low shear modulus of elasticity. The hosel absorbs much of the shock resulting from the head striking a golf ball on its front face. Since less shock is transmitted to the shaft, breakage of the shaft is prevented.

2 1 1 1 A.n important feature of the preferred golf club of the present invention is that the lower portion of the hosel has an irregular outside shape and the bore in the head has a complementary irregular inside shape so that the hosel may be inserted in the bare in only one orientation. This ensures exact alignment of the shaft relative to the head.

A preferred embodiment of the golf club according to the present invention will now be described in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a golf club, partially broken away, embodying the preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. la is a perspective view of the head of the golf club shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the golf club shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 in Fig.

2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the hosel used in the golf club shown in Figs. 1-3; Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the hosel shown i Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the hosel shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a rear elevational view of the hosel shown in Fig. 4; and 3 Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along lines 8-8 in Fig.

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Referring to Fig. 1, a golf club 10 according to the present invention includes a head 12, a hosel 14 and a shaft 16. Head 12 is comprised of a hollow body 18 made of a first material such as titanium having a high shear modulus of elasticity. The body 18 has a top wall 20, a bottom wall 22, a side wall 24 connecting the top and side walls 20 and 22, and a front wall 26 arranged for impacting a golf ball. Further, the head 12 has a heel end 12a and a toe end 12b.

A bore 28 is provided in the heel end 12a of the head 12 extending downwardly from the body top wall 20 toward the body bottom wall 22. The bore 28 has a top end 28a which is open and a bottom 28b which is closed. As seen in Fig. 3, the top end 28a of the bore 28 is substantially flush with the top wall 20 of the body 18, and the bore bottom end 28b is spaced from the bottom wall 22 of the body 18. The bore 28 is defined by a lateral wall 30 connected with the side wall 24 of the head 12, and an end wall 32 connected with the lateral wall 30.

The hosel 14 is formed of a second material such as plastic having a low shear modulus of elasticity. Hosel 14 includes an upper portion 34 that extends upwardly from the 4 1 top wall 20 of the body 18 and a lower portion 36 that is inserted into the bore 28. The upper and lower hosel portions 34, 36 are separated by a parting line 38. The hosel 14 also has a substantially longitudinal passage 40 extending through its upper and lower portions 34, 36. when the golf club 10 is assembled as shown in Fig. 3, the hosel 14 contacts the bottom end 32 of the bore 28.

The shaft 16 is made of a third material, preferably graphite, having a low shear modulus of elasticity. Shaft 16 has a tip end 17 received in the hosel passage 40. The shaft tip end 17 extends completely through the hosel 14 and contacts the bottom end 32 of the bore 28. In the preferred embodiment of the golf club 10, the shear modulus of elasticity of the hosel 14 is much closer modulus of the shaft 16 than to the shear to the shear elastic elastic modulus of the head 12. This relationship of elastic moduli causes the hosel 14 to absorb much of the shock resulting from the head 12 striking a golf ball on the front face 26. Therefore, less shock is transmitte1 to the shaft 16 which prevents breakage of the shaft 16 and permits the shaft 16 to have a weaker tip end 17 which reduces cost.

Referring to Figs. 4-8, it is seen that the lower portion 36 of the hosel 14 has an irregular outside shape defined by a generally arcuate surface 14a covering its front and sides, and a generally flat surface 14b covering its back. The bore 28 in the head 12 has a complementary irregular inside shape defined by a generally arcuate surface 28a and a generally flat surface 28b. Therefore, the hosel 14 may be inserted into the bore 28 in only one orientation which ensures exact alignment of the shaft 16 relative to the head 12. In that orientation, the generally arcuate surfaces 14a, 28a of the hosel 14 and the bare 28 mate with each other, and the generally flat surfaces 14b, 28b of the hosel 14 and the bore 28 also mate with each other.

Since the hosel 14 is made of softer material than the head 12, the hosel 14 has a cushioning effect on the shaft 16. This cushioning effect significantly reduces the amount of vibration that is transmitted to the shaft 16 which increases shaft life.

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Claims

1. A golf club comprising: a head made of a first material having a high shear modulus of elasticity, said head including a hollow body having a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall connecting said top and bottom walls, a front wall arranged for impacting a golf ball, said head further including a heel end and a tee end; said head having a bore disposed in said heel end thereof behind said body front wall extending downwardly from said body top wall toward said body bottom wall, said bare including a top end which is open and a bottom end which is closed, said bare top end being substantially flush with said top wall of said body, said bore bottom end being spaced from said bottom wall of said body; a hosel formed of a second material having a low shear modulus of elasticity, said hosel including a lower portion inserted into said bore and an upper portion extending upwardly from said top wall of said body, said hosel having a substantially longitudinal passage extending through said upper and lower portions thereof; and a shaft including a tip end received in said hosel passage.

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2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said first material is titanium.

3. The golf club of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said second material is plastic.

4. The golf club of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said shaft is made of a third material having a low shear modulus of elasticity.

5. The golf club of claim 4, wherein said third material is graphite.

6. The golf club of any preceding claim, wherein said hosel further comprises a parting line separating said upper and lower portions thereof.

7. The golf club of claim 6, wherein said parting line is substantially flush with both said top wall of said body and said top end of said bore.

8. The golf club of any preceding claim, wherein said lower portion of said hosel has an irregular outside shape and wherein said bore has a complementary irregular inside shape so that said hosel lower portion may be inserted into said bore in only one orientation.

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9. The golf club of claim 8, wherein said irregular outside shape of said hasel lower portion is defined by a generally arcuate surface and a generally flat surface.

10. A golf club comprising: a head made of titanium including a hollow body having a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall connecting said top and bottom walls, a front wall arranged for impacting a golf ball, said head further including a heel end and a toe end; said head having a bore disposed in said heel end thereof behind said body front wall extending downwardly from said body top wall toward said body bottom wall, said bore including a top end which is open and a bottom end which is closed, said bore top end being substantially flush with said top wall of said body, said bore bottom end being spaced from said bottom wall of said body; a hosel formed of plastic including a lower portion inserted into said bore and an upper portion extending upwardly from said top wall of said head, said upper and lower portions of said hosel being separated by a parting line, said parting line being substantially flush with both said top wall of said body and said top end of said bore, said hosel having a substantially longitudinal passage extending through said upper and lower portions thereof; and 9 a shaft made of graphite including a tip end received in said hosel passage.

11. The golf club of claim 10, wherein said lower portion of said hasel has an irregular outside shape and wherein said bore has a complementary irregular inside shape so that said hosel lower portion may be inserted into said bare in only one orientation.

12. The golf club of claim 11, wherein said irregular outside shape of said hosel lower portion is defined by a generally arcuate surface and a generally flat surface, and wherein said complementary irregular inside shape of said bore is also defined by a generally arcuate surface and a generally flat surface so that, in said only one orientation, said generally arcuate surfaces of said hosel and said bore mate with each other and said generally flat surfaces of said hosel and said bore mate with each other.

13. A golf club substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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