WO2012152880A1

WO2012152880A1 - Shaft for a golf club

Info

Publication number: WO2012152880A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/058672
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alexander Kadner
Original assignee: B.I.G. Bioengineered In Germany Gmbh
Priority date: 2011-05-12
Filing date: 2012-05-10
Publication date: 2012-11-15
Also published as: DE202011050113U1

Abstract

In order to create a shaft for a golf club that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and further improves the hitting characteristics of the golf club and in order to create a shaft for a golf club that has high strength and low weight, a shaft (100) for a golf club (1) is proposed, comprising a tubular body (10), which extends between a grip element (11) and a club head (12), wherein the tubular body (10) has a hollow space (13), into which a carbon material body (14) is inserted.

Description

Shaft for a golf club

description

The present invention relates to a shaft for a golf club having a tubular body extending between a handle member and a club head.

State of the art

From DE 40 09 590 AI a shaft for a golf club is known and is made of an elongated, tubular body formed of a metal. On the outside, the metallic tubular body is reinforced with a reinforced polymer composite shell. This composite sheath has a much shorter length than the golf club and can be attached at selected locations above the shank. The position of the shell controls the hit of the golf club. The wrapper is formed by a shell of preimpregnated material containing epoxy resin and fibers. When this sleeve is placed around a portion of the shank and heated under pressure, the sheath is attached from a reinforced, assembled and braided structure. The braided reinforcement preferably consists of a mixture of aramid, such as Kevlar or carbon / graphite fibers.

Thus, the impact properties of the golf club can be affected only conditionally, and the disadvantages of having a metallic shank are not or only partially overcome by the proposed reinforced polymer composite shell.

Basically, the impact properties in the production of

Golf clubs in the foreground, for example, it is desired that vibrations are absorbed in the shaft, which can be caused by the impact of the club head on the golf ball. However, if a golf club shaft is made of a carbon fiber material, then this may be very flexible and thus soft designed to have good damping properties, whereby the impact properties of the golf club but overall are not fundamentally improved. In addition, in principle, a high

Richter ^■ Werdermann ^■ Gerbaulet ^■ Hofmann B11079WO7533PT activity of the club, while weight requirements must be complied with by golf regulations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION: Problem, Solution, Advantages

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a shank for a golf club, which overcomes the disadvantages of the above-described prior art and further improves the impact properties of the golf club. In particular, it is the object of the present invention to provide a shaft for a golf club, which has a high strength at a low weight.

This object is achieved on the basis of a shaft for a golf club according to the preamble of claim 1 in conjunction with the characterizing features. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

The invention includes the technical teaching that the shaft for a golf club is formed from a tubular body having a cavity in which a carbon material body is inserted.

The invention is based on the idea to use the present in a tubular body to form the shaft of a golf club cavity to fill it with a filler. According to the invention, it is provided to form this filler at least partially by a carbon material body. In this case, the tubular body may be made of any material, and the properties of the tubular body may be combined with the improving properties of a carbon material body in the cavity of the tubular body. In particular, the tubular body can have a correspondingly large diameter, and if the tubular body has a high strength, a large area moment of inertia of the shaft for the golf club can be utilized by the large diameter of the tubular body. The cavity can be at least partially filled with a carbon material body, without negatively influencing the area moment of inertia of the tubular body, whereby in addition to the strength-forming properties of the tubular body, vibration-damping properties can equally be utilized by the carbon material body. In particular, the flexibility of the

Richter ^■ Werdermann ^■ Gerbaulet ^■ Hofmann B11079WO7533PT Shaft of the golf club are positively influenced by a special choice of carbon material body.

Advantageously, the carbon material body forms a film which is arranged on the inner wall of the tubular body. The arrangement of the foil-type carbon material body in the tubular body can be provided by an adhesive bond. For example, the inner wall of the tubular body can first be wetted with an adhesive in order subsequently to adhere the foil-like carbon material body to the inner wall of the tubular body. Alternatively, the carbon material body can also form a coating, which is applied to the inner wall of the tubular body.

The foil of the carbon material may consist of a fiber mat, a woven fabric, a knitted fabric or any other textile-like fiber, for example, which may in particular be filled with an epoxy resin as filler. The fiber thickness of the carbon material body can be made different thickness, and the carbon material body can be supplemented for example by 30% proportion of glass fibers.

The fibers for forming the film may be at different angles to the shaft axis, with an angle greater than, for example, 45 °, causing a harder shaft. However, if the angle is less than 45 °, the shaft is softer. The fiber thickness may be, for example 0.8 mm and extend at 45 ° to the shaft axis. It is also conceivable that the fiber thickness is 1.3 mm, 2.0 mm or more. In particular, the angle of the fiber path to the shaft axis can be 65 ° or more, whereby a particularly rigid shaft is created. As a result, the transmission of vibrations from the club head into the grip member is damped by the carbon body, and the torque of the club shaft is stabilized. It could be determined that the characteristics of the ball flight could be positively influenced. In particular, the racket can be set to be more "good-natured" so that badly hit golf balls still show a positive flying result.Particularly positive characteristics have been found if the carbon material consists of an Elexalkarbon The filler may be a relatively dilute epoxy resin which is curable with an Armin hardener.

Richter ^■ Werdermann ^■ Gerbaulet ^■ Hofmann B11079WO7533PT The tubular body may advantageously consist of a metallic material. Particularly advantageously, the tubular body can consist of a steel material, wherein the best properties of the tubular body can be created with an aluminum material. In particular, the shaft can have a particularly low weight with a tubular body made of an aluminum material. This will create a hybrid shaft that prefers to combine the materials aluminum with the material carbon. In particular, an aluminum tubular body is combined with a fiber composite of carbon fiber.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the shank according to the invention, the carbon material body may have a length which corresponds to the length of the shank, preferably the carbon material body may have a length which is less than the length of the shank, wherein the carbon material body is preferably arranged in that area of the shank. is net, which points to the club head.

The shank can have a variable cross-sectional shape over its extension in a shank axis, with the shank tapering in particular in the direction of the club head. Thus, the carbon material body can also taper to one side, and can be adapted to the tapered shape of the tubular body. In particular, the cavity in the tubular body may extend into a tip, and the carbon material body may preferably be introduced into the tip of the tubular body. In this case, the tubular body has the smaller cross section in the direction of the club head, so that the carbon material body is also introduced on the side of the club head in the tubular body.

With a further advantage, a hybrid foam can be introduced into the cavity, in particular the hybrid foam can be introduced on the inside into the carbon material body and this can preferably comprise a nano-carbon foam. The hybrid foam preferably comprises an extruder diertes backing material made of thermoplastic material comprise, thus, a further combination of materials is proposed, so beziehungswei- in the cavity of the tubular body both a carbon material body in a foil ichter ^■ Werdermann ^■ ^■ Gerbaulet Hofmann B11079WO7533PT se in a fabric form and a hybrid foam may be introduced, which cures, for example, only after introduction into the cavity.

The object of the present invention is further achieved by a golf club having a shaft, the shaft having a tubular body extending between a handle element and a club head of the golf club, wherein the tubular body has a cavity in which a Karbonwerkstoffkörper is introduced.

Furthermore, the invention proposes a method for producing a shaft for a golf club having a tubular body extending between a handle member and a club head, the tubular body having a cavity, and wherein the method comprises at least the step of introducing a carbon material body into the cavity in the tubular body includes.

According to an advantageous development of the method, before the introduction of the carbon material body into the cavity, the inner wall of the hollow body can be wetted with an adhesive or the adhesive is applied to the outside of the Karbonwerkstoffkörper. If the carbon material body is introduced into the cavity, the adhesive may bond the carbon material body to the inner wall of the tubular body.

With even greater advantage, the carbon material body may be formed like a foil, wherein the foil-like carbon material body is applied to an auxiliary mandrel which is introduced with the applied Karbonwerkstoffkörper in the cavity to bond the Karbonwerkstoffkörper with the inner wall of the tubular body. For example, the auxiliary mandrel can be inserted from the direction of the grip element into the tubular body, and only after introduction of the carbon material body can the grip element be placed on the tubular body.

With even further advantage, after introduction of the carbon material body, a hybrid foam can be introduced into the cavity, in particular being introduced into the shell-like carbon material body on the inside. The hybrid foam can be driven by a propellant into the cavity, and cure in the cavity. In particular, the hybrid foam on the inside stabilize the carbon material body, so that this

Richter ^■ Werdermann ^■ Gerbaulet ^■ Hofmann B11079WO7533PT can not detach from the inner wall of the tubular body. As a result, the strength properties of the shaft of the golf club are further improved.

Brief description of the drawings

Further measures improving the invention will be explained in more detail below together with the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the figures. It shows:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a golf club with a shaft between a club head and a handle member and

2 shows a cross-sectional view of a cross section through the shaft of the golf club according to the section line A-A according to FIG. 1.

Preferred embodiment of the invention

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of the golf club 1 with a shaft 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The shaft 100 is shown cross-sectionally and in sections, and extends between a pushed onto the shaft 100 handle member 11 and a club head 12. The club head 12 is exemplified as an iron racket, and may also be a wood, a hybrid, a putter or as a be carried out other racquet. The shaft 100 has a tubular body 10 made of an aluminum material. The shaft 100 extends as a tubular, elongated body along its shaft axis 15 and has a variable cross-sectional area over its elongate extent, and the tubular body 10 is circular in shape and has a variable diameter over the shaft length. In this case, the diameter decreases in the direction of the club head 12 from, for example, the tubular body 10 over a length shown in the direction of the club head 12 has a constant diameter. The portion of the constant diameter is followed by a section with an increasing diameter of the tubular body 10 in the direction of the handle element, the illustration being provided by way of example only, and the tubular body 10 may alternatively have a continuously increasing diameter from the club head 12 to the handle element.

The tubular body 10 has a cavity 13 over its substantially entire length, and in the cavity 13 is a carbon material body 14th

Richter ^■ Werdermann ^■ Gerbaulet ^■ Hofmann B11079WO7533PT exemplified as a section over a length L introduced. The carbon material body 14 may alternatively be introduced into the cavity 13 over the entire length of the tubular body 10.

The carbon material body 14 is in the form of a film and is arranged on the inner wall of the tubular body 10 by an adhesive bond. The carbon material body 14 forming film may be formed as a film tube which is inserted into the tube body 10 or injected with pressure medium.

In the carbon material body 14, a hybrid foam 16 is further introduced, which may comprise an extruded backfill material of thermoplastic material. Thus, the hybrid foam 16 can be injected into the Karbonwerkstoffkörper 14, and cure in this. Thus, the carbon material body 14 is caused to be held on the inner wall of the tube body 10 and can not peel off therefrom. Furthermore, the vibration characteristic of the golf club 1 is further positively influenced by the hybrid foam 16.

In the region of the grip element 11, an auxiliary mandrel 18 is shown by way of example, over which the foil-like carbon material body 14 is slipped. The auxiliary mandrel 18 may be inserted with the carbon material body 14 along the shaft axis 15 into the tubular body 10 to bond the carbon material body 14 to the inner wall of the tubular body 10. Once the adhesive bond has been produced between the carbon material body 14 and the tubular body 10, the auxiliary mandrel 18 can be retracted again, and the carbon material body 14 remains in the cavity 13 of the tubular body 10 in an arrangement glued to the inner wall of the tubular body 10. Subsequently, the handle member 11 can be pushed onto the end of the tubular body 10 to complete the golf club 1.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the shaft 100 with the features of the present invention. The cross-sectional profile A - A is shown in FIG. 1, and may also show a similar configuration at a further point along the shaft axis 15. The tubular body 10 forms the essential structural element of the shank 100 and is designed as a cladding tube, so that the tubular body 10 forms the outer sheath of the shank 100. The tubular body 10 is made of a ^■ Werdermann ^■ Gerbaulet ^■ Hofmann B11079WO7533PT nem aluminum material integrally formed and produced along the shaft axis 15 in a drawing process. On the inside of the tubular body 10 of the carbon material body 14 is adhered by an adhesive 17. The carbon material body 14 may be formed by way of example as a foil, wherein the carbon material body 14 may in particular comprise a fiber composite material, and this may comprise, for example, an anisotropic carbon fiber with a ringing 1K-24K. The weave of the carbon material body 14 may be formed by a braided hose having different wall thicknesses, for example, the braided hose may have 0.2 kg to 2.5 kg per 100 meters. The fiber angle of the roving may include 30 ° -60 ° to the shaft axis 15, with a smaller fiber angle softening the elastic properties of the shaft 100, and with a larger fiber angle, the elastic properties become harder.

For producing the shank 100, a method may be provided, according to which firstly the tube body 10 is provided which has the cavity 13. Subsequently, the inner wall of the tubular body 10 is wetted with the adhesive 17. Subsequently, the auxiliary mandrel 18 is provided, which has an undersize along the shaft axis 15 has the same cross-sectional shape as the inside of the tubular body 10. On the auxiliary mandrel 18 of the carbone material body 14 is applied, and this is from the direction of the shaft axis 15 in the cavity 13th of the tubular body 10 is inserted until the carbon material body 14 adheres accurately to the inside of the tubular body 10 and with the adhesive 17. Alternatively, the adhesive 17 may also be applied to prepare the bonding of the carbon material body 14 with the inner wall of the tubular body 10 on the outside of the carbon material body 14.

If the carbon material body 14 is bonded to the inner wall of the tubular body 10 by the adhesive 17, the auxiliary mandrel 18 is withdrawn again from the direction of the shaft axis 15.

In a last method step, the cavity 13 with a

Hybrid foam 16 are foamed and then the shaft 100 can be cured.

Richter ^■ Werdermann ^■ Gerbaulet ^■ Hofmann B11079WO7533PT The invention is not limited in its execution to the above-mentioned preferred embodiment. Rather, a number of variances is conceivable, which makes use of the illustrated solution even in fundamentally different versions. All the features and / or advantages arising from the claims, the description or the drawings, including constructional details, spatial arrangements and method steps, can be essential to the invention, both individually and in the most diverse combinations.

Richter ^■ Werdermann ^■ Gerbaulet ^■ Hofmann B11079WO7533PT LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

100 shank

I golf clubs

10 raw bodies

II grip element

12 club head

13 cavity

14 carbon material body

15 shaft axis

16 hybrid foam

17 adhesive

18 auxiliary mandrel

L Length of the carbon material body

Richter ^■ Werdermann ^■ Gerbaulet ^■ Hofmann B11079WO7533PT

Claims

claims

A shaft (100) for a golf club (1) having a tubular body (10) extending between a handle element (11) and a club head (12), the tubular body (10) having a cavity (13), in which a carbon material body (14) is introduced.

2. Shank according to claim 1, characterized in that the carbon material body (14) forms a film which is arranged on the inner wall of the tubular body (10).

3. Shank according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the arrangement of the foil-like Karbonwerkstoffkörpers (14) in the tubular body (10) has an adhesive bond.

4. Shank according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the Karbonwerkstoffkörper (14) forms a coating which is applied to the inner wall of the tubular body (10).

5. Shank according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tubular body (10) comprises a steel material and preferably an aluminum material.

6. Shaft according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carbon material body (14) has a length (L) which is the

Length of the shaft corresponds, preferably that the carbon material body (14) has a length (L) which is smaller than the length of the shaft, wherein the carbon material body (14) is preferably arranged in that region of the shaft, the club head (12) has.

7. Shaft according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shaft has an over its extension in a shaft axis (15)

Richter ^■ Werdermann ^■ Gerbaulet ^■ Hofmann B11079WO7533PT has variable cross-sectional shape, wherein the shaft tapers in particular in the direction of the club head (12).

8. Shaft according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cavity (13) of the shaft in the direction of the club head

(12) has a decreasing cross-sectional area and in particular in the direction of the club head (12) tapers.

9. Shaft according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the cavity (13) further comprises a hybrid foam (16) is introduced, in particular the hybrid foam (16) is inside the carbon material body (14) introduced and may preferably be a nano -Carbon foam include.

10. golf club (1) with a shaft (100), wherein the shaft a

Tubular body (10) extending between a handle member (11) and a club head (12) of the golf club, wherein the tubular body (10) has a cavity (13) in which a Karbonwerkstoffkörper (14) is introduced.

11. Golf club (1) according to claim 10 with a shank (100) according to one of claims 2 to 9.

12. A method for producing a shaft (100) for a golf club (1) with a tubular body (10) extending between a handle element (11) and a club head (12), wherein the tubular body (10) has a cavity (13). characterized in that in the cavity (13) in the tubular body (10) a carbon material body (14) is introduced.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that prior to introducing the Karbonwerkstoffkörpers (14) into the cavity (13), the inner wall of the tubular body (10) with an adhesive (17) is wetted.

Richter ^■ Werdermann ^■ Gerbaulet ^■ Hofmann B11079WO7533PT

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the carbon material body (14) is formed like a film, wherein the film-like Karbonwerkstoffkörper (14) on an auxiliary mandrel (18) is applied, with the applied Karbonwerkstoffkörper (14) into the cavity ( 13) is introduced to bond the carbon material body (14) with the inner wall of the tubular body (10).

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that after the introduction of the carbon material body (14) further comprises a hybrid foam (16) in the cavity (13), in particular inside the shell-like Karbonwerkstoffkörper (14) is introduced.

Richter ^■ Werdermann ^■ Gerbaulet ^■ Hofmann B11079WO7533PT