WO2009088163A2

WO2009088163A2 - Golf swing navigator

Info

Publication number: WO2009088163A2
Application number: PCT/KR2008/007735
Authority: WO
Inventors: Won Kun Tae
Original assignee: Won Kun Tae
Priority date: 2008-01-09
Filing date: 2008-12-29
Publication date: 2009-07-16
Also published as: WO2009088163A3; KR20080009776A; KR100960512B1

Abstract

The present invention is a golf swing navigator which visually presents the golf club s state location and gradient of the shaft, and opening/closing of club head- due to the golf swing route. Golf requires hitting a motionless ball with a golf club, when the club is swung the right way along the swing route, the golfer can fly the ball in the desired direction. The present invention visually presents the difference between the golf club s state due to the golf swing route (hereafter as the present state) and the desired state of golf club due to the golf swing route (hereafter as the desired state), leading to the golfer the desired form swing through the desired swing route. The crossed beam (1, 2, 3, 4) is formed of a luminous source housing part (500) installed inside the grip (52) of golf club (50), a connectable and disconnectable crossed luminous source part (100), and a crossed luminous source part (300) connectable and disconnectable to a carrier part (50) which allows disconnection from shaft (51). The cross mark (7) of desired state can be installed on the floor, the wall and the ceiling, then a crossed map can be made by installing two of these cross marks on desired swing routes. The crossed luminous source parts (100, 300) emits two line beams (1, 2 and 3, 4), these two meet at right angles, one of these beams (1, 3) is parallel to club head face, and the other beam (2, 4) is parallel to the real or imaginary target line. The golf swing navigator can lead and achieve the desired golf swing by holding the beam of present state unto the desired cross mark map.

Description

GOLF SWING NAVIGATOR

Technical Field

[1] The present invention is about a golf swing navigator which can be fixed onto and taken off from a golf club to visually inform the practicing golfer the presents the golf club state — location and gradient of the shaft, and opening/closing of club head- due to the golf swing route. The present invention can visually present the difference between the golf club s state due to the golf swing route (hereafter as the present state) and the desired state of golf club due to the golf swing route (hereafter as the desired state), so that the golfer can perform the desired swing through the desired swing route.

[2]

Background Art

[3] Using a luminous source or a light beam connectable and disconnectable to the golf club is widely used previously. It is usually used to visually inform the golfer if the impact face of the club head is square with the target line within the real or imaginary golf ball impact position.

[4] One of those tools was released on golf swing guide apparatus (application number

10-2005-0084589) registered by Oh Hwa Young on September 12^th 2005. This invention is a tool for guiding swing path by installing a luminous source at the end of the golf club.

[5] The luminous source installed here is a lazar point which cannot inform the golfer that state of the golf club - location and gradient of the shaft, and opening/closing of club head — but was only able to mark the extended point of the shaft. Also, the extended point is visible only when the end of the grip is pointing the floor. So the state of the golf club during the swing cannot be seen, and the golfer cannot decide whether the club head face is square with the ball at the ball impact position.

[6] Golf swing guide apparatus (application number 10-0529413) given to Jang Chan

Hong and Jung Seung Tae in November 10^th 2005 is a tool for determining the swing path during the golf swing with two luminous sources installed inside the golf club head.

[7] Installing a luminous source in a club head is only possible in a driver head, not in an iron head. And also, the installed driver cannot be used in a real field. The luminous source is installed in the club head, therefore the width between the two sources cannot be wider than the club head, making it difficult to inform the golfer about the difference between the angles made by the two luminous sources during the swing impact. [8] Golf swing analyzing lazar pointer (application number 20-0253434) given to Jung

Seung Tae and Lee Taeg Hyeoung in November 17^th 2001 is installed on the lower part of the golf club shaft grip so that the lazar beam points to the head.

[9] This apparatus released in the invention of Seung Tae and Lee Taeg Hyeoung helps golfers to determine whether or not the club face is square with the ball at the impact position, but it cannot acknowledge the golfer the club face state information out of the impact position.

[10] Also, golf impact moment is a result from the previous swing so it cannot provide information on the cause of such a result.

[11] Golf Swing Practice Device of publication number 2001 -0071344 (Applicant : GSP

Company Inc) is a tool that visually informs to the golfer about if it is square with the ball in contact, and the flat surface where club is positioned at a part during the swing using three luminous sources; two in the direction of golf head, one in the opposite direction.

[12] The practice device of GSP Company Inc is the combined version of the device registered by Jang Chan Hong and Jung Seung Tae and the device by Oh Hwa Young. The beam path; shown on the floor by the beam emitted from the luminous point source installed underneath the grip of the practice device of GSP Company Inc; is not showing the swing flat side, but showing direction of the shaft. The reason is that there are so many flat surfaces passing the beam path not one. Also, even if the two luminous point sources do inform the golfer whether or not the club face is square with the ball at impact position, it is limited within the impact area, it cannot inform about the location and gradient of the shaft, and opening/closing of club head before the impact. Eventually the golfer can only find out the result, not the process.

[13]

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[14] It is an object of the present invention to provide a golf swing navigator which visually informs the location and gradient of the shaft, and opening/closing of club head of golf club swing in real time, so that the golfer can achieve the desired golf swing by recognizing the shaft state of the desired golf swing and the difference between opening/closing of the club head.

[15] As stated above, the practice devices by Oh Hwa Young, Jang Chan Hong, Jung

Seung Tae, Lee Taeg Hyeoung, GSP Company Inc cannot provide information of this type.

[16]

Technical Solution [17] To achieve the above aim, the present inventor invented a luminous source installed at the end of a wooden or iron grip which emits a crossed beam that informs the location and gradient of the shaft, and opening/closing of club head of golf club swing, and a crossed mark map that locates the crossed mark that shows location and gradient of the shaft and the club head in two or more positions along the swing path (floor, wall, and ceiling).

[18] The above luminous source is formed of luminous source 1 which emits a discerning crossed beam in the direction of club head, and luminous source 2 which emits a discerning crossed beam in the opposite direction of club head.

[19] The luminous source 1 and the luminous source 2 are installed to the luminous source housing 1 and luminous source housing 2, and are detachable.

[20] The above luminous housing parts are cylindrical with its tops hollow, and four of

shaped grooves are made on the sides on the opened tops circumference/4 distance apart from each other. There is a spring attached to the closed bottom which connects to the negative ' — 'side of the power source battery. The cylindrical shape is covered in electrical material so the

Ld shaped grooves work as the negative ' — 'sides.

[21] The above luminous source housing part comprises a LED which is the luminous source, PCB which connects to the positive ' + 'side of the power source battery installed luminous source housing, 3 cylindrical lenses that transform the beams emitted from the luminous source into crossed beams, the '1 'shaped latch on the surface of the luminous source all together hooked onto the

Ld shaped grooves of the luminous source housing which then stabilizes the luminous source part, and the connector standing out from the PCB is connected to the

Ld shaped groove (negative ' — 'sides) of the luminous source housing part. [22] The spring inside the above luminous source housing part pushes out the battery connecting the positive ' + 'side of the battery and the positive ' + 'side in the center of the PCB below the luminous source, and also pushes the connecter standing out from the PCB so that it becomes in contact with the lower parts of the shaped groove switching the part ON. When the ' 1 ' shaped latch is in the upper middle part of

J shaped groove, the connecter standing out from the PCB cannot get in contact with the

shaped groove, turning the switch OFF.

[23] The above luminous source housing 1 gets installed to the shaft, it requires a cylinder for it to be inserted, 4 connecting bridges for controlling connecting angles when connecting the cylinder to the shaft, 4 of C-shaped sections winded around the shaft, and the shaft carrier formed of hooks to stabilizing the C-shaped sections.

[24] The above luminous source housing 2 is installed inside the shaft, therefore it does not require extra carrier parts.

[25] An O-shaped elastic band is installed to upper and middle part of the luminous source housing. The role of the O-shaped elastic band is to soften the impact on the shaft, stabilizing the above luminous source housing inside the shaft or the carrier parts, and prevent the deforming of the

shaped gooves of the luminous source housing. [26] The crossed beam needed in the present invention can be formed by using the beam splitter which combines two perpendicular beams in 50 to 50 emitted in same direction. But in this case 50% of energy is wasted, the luminous source becomes fragile against instant swing impact as its volume and weight increased. So the crossed beam was created by using three cylinder lenses. [27] The formation of the three lenses is that when the lens in the middle forms a beam parallel to the floor, the upper and lower lenses form beams perpendicular to the floor. [28] One of the line beam points to the target line of the ball through the middle of the club head, and the rest of the beams point to the center score line of the club head face.

These two line beams have different line width, allowing the golfer to distinguish between the two. [29] Another characteristic of the present invention is that the golfer can not only look at the swing path of the crossed beams, but lead the crossed beams unto the two or more crossed marks on the floor, the wall or the ceiling attached according to the desired swing path. [30] The above cross mark map has two or more cross marks showing the state of the golf club — location and gradient of the shaft, and opening/closing of club head with the physical data of the golfer and the club. [31] The examples were explained in order to achieve the above aim, but the present invention can be transformed and edited within the boundaries of the present invention's ideas and concepts.

[32]

Advantageous Effects

[33] As stated above, the present golf swing navigator shows where the golfer s beam escaped the cross mark map or how the golfer s beam differed to the cross mark map, helping the golfer practice to swing properly. [34] Also, when the golfer's beam escaped the cross mark map or the golfer s beam differed to the cross mark map during the practice, the golfer can work a certain part of their body to fit the beam onto the cross mark map allowing them to search for their own physical mistakes. [35] [36]

Brief Description of the Drawings [37] Figure 1 is a transparent view of the golf swing navigator, illustrating the end of the golf club shaft, luminous source connected to luminous source housing installed to shaft, and cross beam emitted on the cross marks on surfaces. [38] Figure 2 is a detailed front and side view of the golf swing navigator illustrated in figure 1. [39] Figure 3 is a view of the luminous source housing and the luminous source in connection and operation, and of the luminous source housing and the luminous source. [40] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the carrier part connecting the luminous source housing shaft illustrated in figure 1. [41] Figure 5 is a view illustrating the principals of making a cross beam using three cylinder lenses. [42] Figure 6 is a view explaining the cross beams the luminous source inside the grip of the shaft made on the surface. [43] Figure 7 is a view if an example of a cross beam emitted over the cross mark map showing location and gradient of the shaft, and opening/closing of club head [44] Figure 8 is a view illustrating the beam emitted from the illustrated luminous source swinging along the cross mark map. [45]

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [46] The best mode to operate the golf swing navigator which emits beams towards the cross mark map to show the desired golf swing is explained below in referring to the attached illustrations.

[47] The golf swing navigator illustrated in figure 1 is illustrated with the location of installment on to the shaft (51) or the grip (52) of the club (50) as the center, and the shaft (51), the grip (52), the club (50) are illustrated in dotted lines.

[48] The golf swing navigator illustrated in figure 1 includes two identical crossed luminous source beam parts (100, 300), and identical luminous source housing parts (200, 400) where the luminous source beam parts (100, 300) are installed. The crossed beams (3, 4) of the crossed beam part (300) installed onto shaft (51) divides the head face center in to a cross towards the club head, and one line beam (4) is perpendicular to the head face.

[49] The crossed beams (1, 2) of the crossed beam part (100) installed inside the end part of the grip (52) of figure 1 are in opposite direction to the above crossed beams (3, 4) and are parallel.

[50] As illustrated in the figure 2, the luminous housing parts (200, 400) are cylindrical with its tops hollow, and through here luminous sources (100, 200) come in, and four of * shaped grooves are made on the sides on the opened tops with circumference/4 distance apart from each other.

[51] The least diameter of the grip (approximately 95mm in depth from the end of the shaft) where the luminous source housing will be installed is 11.8mm, and the used battery (8) AAA is 8.3mm in diameter, the usable amount of space when the width of the luminous source housing 9200) and the tool to stabilize the luminous source housing to the shaft grip (52) are combined is only 3.5mm.

[52] The present invention did not choose to use normal screw holes for the luminous source housing (200) as the direction of the crossed beam may be incapable of emitting to the desired swing path or it can differ every time when the luminous source (100) and the luminous source housing (200) are fixed very tightly. Also, using this method, it is inconvenient as an extra ON/OFF power switch has to be installed to the luminous source.

[53] Below is an explanation about how to switch ON/OFF while luminous source (100) is being installed.

[54] In the present invention, power connection, ON/OFF switch, installment of luminous source housing (200, 400), and 90 degrees rotation of cross beams using luminous source housing (200) outside wall (210) grooves (201).

[55] The power used for the LED (18) of the luminous source (100) are two AAAA batteries, and its - side is connected to the spring (205) below the luminous source housing (300).

[56] The inserted two AAAA batteries (8) is pushed towards outside the luminous source housing (200) by the spring (205). The latch (115) standing out from the luminous source (100) is facing in the directions towards the grooves (201), and when the luminous source (100) is pushed in contact with the batter (8), and the luminous source (100) connecter (116) and the latch (115) slides into the grooves (201). When the connecter (116) touches the floor of the groove (204), the luminous source is rotated in clockwise (220) direction and the luminous source is let go, the latch (115) is fixed onto the groove (202) by the force of the spring (205).

[57] Then, the connecter (116) connected to the PCB touches the ceiling of the groove

(204) by the force of the spring (205), connecting the - power to the PCB.

[58] To switch off, the luminous source (100) is pushed slightly and turned anti-clockwise to make the latch (115) touch the groove wall (203). Then the connecter (116) connected to the PCB is floating in the center of the groove (204) in the disconnected state with the luminous source housing (300), switching the power off.

[59] The above state method is applied to the four grooves (201) at the same time, it works the same when the luminous source (300) is being inserted into luminous source housing (400) installed to shaft luminous housing carrier (500).

[60] To install the luminous source housing (200) inside the shaft grip (52), elastic O- rings (208, 209) are winded around the two luminous source housing (200). When these O-rings are being inserted, to prevent them from escaping, make the surfaces around the O-rings higher creating bumps.

[61] Also, the upper O-ring (208) goes through the center of the * shaped groove (201), so that the O-ring is not effected or deformed by the exterior force.

[62] As illustrated in figure 4 a luminous source housing carrier (500) is prepared to install luminous source housing (400) to the shaft (51) and it must be detachable from the shaft (51) and the lower part of the shaft grip (51). Also, it is best to prepare a controller to make sure that the cross beam (3, 4) emitted from the luminous source (100) points the center of the club head.

[63] As illustrated in figure 4, four clamping parts (505) are installed to connect the carrier part (500) to the shaft (51), and there are four connecting bridges (503) connecting the clamping parts (505) and the cylinder luminous source housing parts (501). These bridges (503) have spinning pins at both ends, controlling the cross beams (3, 4) from the luminous source (505) to point the center of the club head.

[64] The cross beams (1, 2) illustrated in figure 5 used three cylinder lenses (111, 112,

113) with identical focus length. The beam (2) parallel to the line XY is formed by the middle lens (2), the width of the beam is determined by the width of the cylinder lens (112). The beam (1) parallel to the line YZ is formed by the upper and lower lenses (111, 113), and the width of the beam is determined by the width of the cylinder (120). The angle between the beams (1, 2) is determined by the LED view angle (figure 3, 110) of the luminous source (100). The front view of the luminous source (100, 300) forms a square when length of the upper and lower lenses (121, 123) plus the width of the middle beam (122) is made to equal the width of the cylinder (120).

[65] Below is an explanation of how to interpret the cross beam (5, 6) shapes luminous source (100) inside the grip (52) made on the floor XY line. Out of the two beam lines that from the cross beam, the thicker line beam (5) is parallel to the club head face, and the thinner (6) is perpendicular to the club head face.

[66] When the club shaft is in a 3 dimensional space XYZ as shown in figure 6, the angle

(15) between the shaft (51) and the Y line is called alpha ( ), the angle (16) between the shaft (51) and the X line is called beta ( ), the height from the flat surface XY to the luminous source (100) at the end of the grip (52) is called h. And the diverging angle (figure 3, 110) of the luminous source is called zeta ( ).

[67] The center (10) of the cross beam formed on the flat surface XY illustrated in figure

6 is distant from the luminous source (100) by the X distance (18, h

tan(90 - β) and the Y distance ( 19 , h

(tan (90 -α) [68] The length of the line beam (13) shown in the figure 6 is h

LI

{tan(90-α - tan(90- - )}, the length of line beam (14) is h

LI

{tan(90 [69] (tan(90-β) -tan(90-β + θ)} and the length of line beam (11) is h

(tan(90-β) - tan(90-β - θ}, and the length of line beam (12) is h

(tan(90-α) - tan(90-α + β}.

[70] For example, is the height h(17) of the luminous source (100) is 1200m, α(15)= 60 degrees, β(16) = 55 degrees, the diverging angle of the luminous source is 8 degrees, the length of the line beam (13) is 20.8mm, the length of the line beam (14) is 21.5mm, the length of the line beam (11) is 22.8mm, and the length of the line beam (12) is 27.9mm. Therefore, the difference between the longer and the shorter beams are 20%. And when the diverging angles become wider, the difference between the longer and the shorter beams bigger. [71] Figure 7 illustrated the repeated beams formed when the golfer keeps down swinging as two beams (5a, 6a, 5b, 6b) over the first (7a, 8a) and second cross mark (7b, 8b) formed of dotted lines considering the location and gradient of the shaft, and opening/ closing of club head due to the desired swing path.

[72] Figure 7 is showing, firstly, down swing gradient is good because it is the same as the desire down swing gradient but the hand has mistakenly slipped down to forward. The reason why the gradients are identical is because the center (10a, 10b) of the line beam (5a, 5b) are equal, and the reason why the hand has slipped forward is because the center (10a, 10b) is further out compared to the desired line (21).

[73] Secondly, figure 7 is showing the club head is more open that desired. The reason is because the line beam (5a, 5b) is slanted to the right compared the cross line mark (7a, 7b) so that the line beam (6a, 6b) is pointing the right of the desired line (the direction the golfer desires the fly the ball).

[74] Thirdly, the golfer's cocking is released earlier than the golfer desired. The reason is the line beam (6a, 6b) is slanted to the right comparing to the center line (10a, 10b).

[75] Figure 8 is the view operating the golf swing navigator with cross marks (7) attached on floor XY and wall XZ which show location and gradient of the shaft, and opening/ closing of club head according to the swing path desired by the golfer. The attached cross marks are best if created referring to the physical data of the golfer and the golf club. Figure 8 only illustrates the cross beams that are from cross beam luminous source (300) installed on the shaft, but the cross beam at the end of the XY surface apparent in the real use of the golf swing navigator has been excluded in the illustration.

[76] As stated above, the golf swing navigator allows the golfer to visually check if his or her shaft and club face are sailing (swinging) through the desired sail way (cross map) just like sailing a ship across the sea.

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Claims

[1] A golf swing navigator which is used with a golf club which has a club head and a shaft comprising of a) aluminous source housing 1 installed on the shaft and a luminous source housing 2 installed inside the middle of shaft grip, b) a luminous source 1 installed on the above luminous source housing 1 which emits distinguishing cross beams towards the club head, a luminous source 2 installed on the above luminous source housing 2 which emits distinguishing cross beams in the opposite direction of the club head, c) a connector which connects the above luminous source housings and the above luminous sources together, and switches the power ON/OFF at the same time, d) and a cross mark map which the cross beams emitted from the above luminous sources follow.

[2] The golf swing navigator of claim 1 where the luminous source is a cylinder with the top hollow open, and four of * shaped grooves are formed on the on the sides of the opened top circumference/4 distance apart from each other.

[3] The golf swing navigator of claim 1 where the lower section of the luminous source is a cylinder, and the latches standing out from the outer surface of the cylinder are inserted into the grooves of claim 2, and are fixed into place inside the grooves by the pushing force of the spring inside the luminous source housing.

[4] The golf swing navigator of claim 3 where the latches standing out form the lower part of the luminous source touches the side

shaped groves which are connected to electric switch inside the luminous source housing, the latches supply and disconnect power to the luminous source by the force of the spring inside the luminous source housing.

[5] The golf swing navigator of claim 1 where, between the luminous source housing

Ld shaped grooves and luminous source housing, an elastic O-ring band stabilizes luminous source housing with shaft or inside the end of the shaft grip.

[6] The golf swing navigator of claim 1 with the cross beam using three cylinder lenses or holograms.

[7] The golf swing navigator of claim 1 where the cross beams are two line beams perpendicular to each other, one parallel to club head face, the other square with the club head face, and the two beams are different in width for golfer to easily distinguish them.

[8] The golf swing navigator of claim 1 where the cross beams are two or more cross marks on the floor, the wall, or the ceiling, showing location and gradient of the shaft, and opening/closing of club head according to the desired swing path of the golfer.