WO2000020075A1

WO2000020075A1 - Golf club

Info

Publication number: WO2000020075A1
Application number: PCT/SE1999/001233
Authority: WO
Inventors: Leif Sundberg
Original assignee: Leif Sundberg Golf Ab
Priority date: 1998-10-05
Filing date: 1999-07-07
Publication date: 2000-04-13
Also published as: SE9803372D0; SE9803372L; SE514685C2; AU5076299A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a golf club comprising a handle (3) and club head (1) with neck (2) with a fastening hole (6) for the handle, the fastening hole being enlarged and having a groove (10) running all round in the wall of the fastening hole in the area of the opening of the fastening hole in the end of the club neck, and that a ring (15) of elastic material going round the handle (3) is placed in said groove.

Description

GOLF CLUB

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a golf club comprising a handle and club head with neck with fastening hole for the handle.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

The handle on golf clubs is inserted with its lower end part into the fastening hole in the neck of the club head and is fixed in the fastening hole on modern golf clubs by gluing, which is known for example from US 5624330. The connection is thereby relatively rigid and handle breaks can occur. Breaks typically occur at the transition between handle and club head/neck. In the worst case, a handle break may cause death, as the club head acquires an immensely high velocity in connection with the stroke, meaning that in the event of a possible break in connection with the stroke, the broken-off head may go off like a projectile with very high impact energy. The plastic ferrule, which is conventionally arranged on the handle up to the end of the club neck, only reduces the risk of a handle break to a small degree. However, it is usual for the opening part of the fastening hole to be chamfered to avoid sharp corners between the end of the club head/neck and the handle. The risk of breaking can hereby be reduced to a certain but insufficient extent. If the chamfered-out section is filled with glue which becomes hard after hardening, which is customary, the chamfered-out section also becomes more or less ineffectual.

A further problem with the prior art is that the glue does not always provide a satisfactory seal, especially after a period of use, meaning that moisture can penetrate down into the fastening and cause corrosion.

BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to reduce the risk of handle breaks in golf clubs. This can be achieved according to a first aspect of the invention by means of a golf club comprising a handle and club head with neck with a fastening hole for the handle, the fastening hole being enlarged and having a groove running all round in the wall of the fastening hole in the area of the opening of the fastening hole in the end of the club neck, a separate ring of elastic material going round the handle being compressed in said groove between the handle and the wall of the groove, so that the inside of said ring bears on the handle, while its outside bears on the wall of the enlarged fastening hole in the area of said groove, the fastening hole is enlarged and has a groove running all round in the wall of the fastening hole in the area of the opening of the fastening hole in the end of the club neck, and a ring of elastic material going round the handle is placed in said groove, so that relief of the forces occurring is distributed over a larger surface than usual fastenings.

In addition, the invention results in a secure seal being obtained on fastening, so that moisture is prevented from penetrating down into the fastening part. Furthermore, the elastic ring results in vibrations being damped, which in turn further promotes the strength of the material in the handle.

Further features and aspects of the invention are evident from the following claims and from the following description of a preferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING In the following description of a preferred embodiment, reference will be made to the enclosed drawings, of which

Fig. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the fastening of the club handle in the neck of the club head in sectional view and partly in cross-section, and

Fig. 2 shows the part circled in Fig. 1 in larger scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Fig. 1 shows a part of a golf club with a club head 1 with a neck 2, a handle 3 and a ferrule 4 on the handle 3 bearing on the end face 5 of the neck 2, Fig. 2. Located in the neck 2 is a cylindrical fastening hole 6. The end part 7 of the handle 3 is inserted into the fastening hole 6 and is fixed there by gluing. The ferrule 4 is fixed on the handle 3 in the position shown, also by gluing.

According to the invention a groove 10 running all round is located in the wall of the fastening hole in the area of the opening of the fastening hole 6 in the end of the club neck 2. The groove 10 has first a completely cylindrical, or substantially cylindrical outer part 11, which extends a way into the neck 2 from the end of the neck. The groove then passes over into a concave part 12, which in turn passes into a convex part 13, which extends as far as the cylindrical main part 14 of the fastening hole. The transition between the convex part 13 and the cylindrical part 14 is gradual, i.e. continuous. This can also be expressed such that the curve which the wall of the fastening hole forms in axial section does not have any point of discontinuity in the form of a knee in the borderline between said convex transition part 13 and said cylindrical main part 14. A further way of the expressing the relations in said area is that the area where the handle part 7 loses contact with the wall of the fastening hole is bevelled, so that no sharp edge bears on the club handle and provides a break notch.

Located in the groove 10, more precisely in its outer, cylindrical or substantially cylindrical part 11, is an O-ring 15 of elastic material, preferably an elastomer, plastic or rubber. The ring 15 is compressed in the groove 10 with a certain compression between the wall of the groove in the area 11 and the handle 3. The ferrule 4, which bears on the annular end face 5 of the neck 2, covers the groove 10 with the ring 15 and the annular end face 5.

On assembly, a layer of glue is applied inside the fastening hole 6 and to the end part 7 of the handle 3 before the handle 3 is slipped into the fastening hole 6 and fixed. The flexible ring 15 is then pressed into the groove 10. Finally, the ferrule 4 is placed in position and also fixed by gluing in a manner known in itself.

Since the handle is exposed to shear stresses when the club is used, these will be taken up to a considerable extent by compression of the elastic ring 15. The loading is hereby relieved on the handle where this loses direct contact with the neck of the club head. The soft transition between the cylindrical part 14 of the fastening hole 6 and the end of the club neck 2 is also a positive factor in reducing the risk of breakage.

A further advantage of the elastic ring 15 is that it counteracts the penetration of moisture into the fastening hole, which inter alia eliminates corrosion, which can sometimes be a cause of handle breaks in metal handles.

Claims

1. Golf club comprising a handle (3) and club head (1) with a neck (2) with a fastening hole (6) for the handle, the fastening hole being enlarged and having a groove (10) running all round in the wall of the fastening hole in the area of the opening of the fastening hole in the end of the club neck, characterized in that a separate ring (15) of elastic material going round the handle (3) is compressed in said groove (10) between the handle (3) and the wall of the groove so that the inside of said ring (15) bears on the handle (3), while its outside bears on the wall (11) of the enlarged fastening hole in the area of said groove (10).

2. Golf club according to claim 1, characterized in that said groove (10) has a transition part (13) up to the main part (14) of the fastening hole which is not enlarged, but of which the diameter essentially corresponds to the diameter of the end part (7) of the handle (3) which is inserted into and fixed in the fastening hole, and that the groove wall between said main part and said groove has a convex bevelled form.

3. Golf club according to claim 2, characterized in that said convexly bevelled transition part gradually, i.e. continuously passes over into the main part (14) of the fastening hole, i.e. without the curve which the wall of the fastening hole forms in axial section having any point of discontinuity in the form of a knee in the borderline between said transition part (13) and said main part (14).

4. Golf club according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said groove (10) has a substantially cylindrical part (11) outside said transition part (13) seen in an axial direction, and that the elastic ring (15) is arranged in this substantially cylindrical part.

5. Golf club according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elastic ring (15) is a so-called O-ring, which is made of rubber.

6. Golf club according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a ferrule (4) arranged on the handle which bears on the end face (5) of said neck, covers said groove (10) and with it also the elastic ring (15).