JP2000024148A - Golf club and juncture for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a juncture most advantageously usable for a putter having a substantially large diameter (from 25 to 45 millimeters), thin walls and a parallel shaft and to increase a 'sensation coefft'. SOLUTION: A golf putter constitutes a head 11 including a cavity 16. An insert member 17 is supported in the cavity 16 using neoprene elastic O-rings (22, 23) and a shaft 14 or hosel member 13 is connected to the insert 17. The insert member 17 is insulated from the head by these elastic O-rings and, therefore, smaller impact energy is dispersed in the head. The insert member 17 is so arranged as to exist at the sweet spot of the head 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a golf club. More specifically, the present invention relates to providing a new connection between a golf club head and a shaft.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the prior art golf club shown in FIG. 1, a golf club 1 has a head 2 connected to a shaft 3. The head 2 comprises a striking surface 4 with a so-called sweet spot 5, which is usually arranged to be located at the geometric center of the area of the striking surface 4, as indicated by the crosshairs. Ideally, the impact on the golf ball is required to take place at the sweet spot 5.

[0003]

The problem with the prior art arrangement is that the shaft 3 is somewhat offset from the impact area and is fixed directly to the head 2. This results in some distribution of impact energy within the head, reducing the amount of impact energy that can be transmitted up the shaft to the competitor's hand, and the amount of energy available to determine the "feel" Decreases.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a golf club having a head including a striking surface having a sweet spot, the head being spaced from a shell member defining a cavity. And an insert positioned inside the cavity and a connecting shaft secured to the insert through an outer shell.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of specific examples.

FIG. 2 shows a golf putter 10 according to the present invention.
It is shown. Golf putter 10 generally comprises a T-shaped head 11 connected to a shaft 12 by a hosel member 13. The hosel member 13 can be hollow. The shaft connection can comprise a hosel member 13 or the hosel member 1
3 can be omitted, and a portion of the shaft 14 whose shaft connection portion is directly connected to the head 11 can be provided.

The head 11 has a cavity 1 inside the head.
And a shell member 15 forming the same.

An important aspect of the present invention is the use of a cylindrical internal insert member located inside the cavity 16 of the head 11.

The insert member 17 is made of a bronze-based material and forms a rear cavity 18. For the bronze-based material, a flexible ductile material is selected to facilitate the transmission of impact.

As best shown in FIG.
The sweet spot 19 of the head 11 is the insert 17
Are located in the center of the circular surface area and are indicated by crosshairs. The opening 20 is formed in the insert 17 by drilling and reaming to ensure that either the hosel 13 or the shaft 14 is received and fitted properly.

As shown in FIG. 2, the hosel member 13 extends to a position short of the back end of the opening 20 so as not to contact the outer shell member 15.

It is believed that this arrangement promotes the transmission of impact energy to the putter shaft so that it can be easily perceived as a sensation.

The cavity 18, which combines with the rest of the cavity 16, defines a space 21 in the head 11.

It is understood that the space 21 increases the resonance element of the head 11.

The insert 17 is supported and fixed in the cavity 16 by using neoprene elastic O-rings 22 and 23 fitted in grooves 24 and 25 having a semicircular cross section formed around the peripheral surface of the insert 17. You. Insert 17
, And a slight clearance exists between the shoulder 26 formed inside the outer shell member 15. As shown in FIG. 2, the O-rings 22 and 23 are spaced from the shell member 15 to the insert 17 so that a slight clearance 31 is formed to insulate the insert 17 from the shell member 15 to some extent.

[0016] Stabilizer or inertia weight 27
Are guided into the side surfaces 28 of the head 11 to minimize the effects of off-center hits.

The slot 29 shown in FIG. 5 assists the aiming of the putter head 11 on the hitting surface 30.

Outer shell member 15 and hosel member 13
Is made of high strength aluminum comparable to aircraft, and when the shafts 12, 14 form substantially larger diameters, the shafts are made of carbon fiber material.

In addition to the insert 17 which is resiliently fixed to the cavity 16, the O-ring functions as a seal to prevent dirt and moisture from entering the space 21 through the clearance 31.

The shaft 14 or the hosel member 13
Fits into the opening 20 in the insert 17 through a hole 29 drilled in the outer shell member 15.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, the insert 17 is insulated from the outer shell member 15 by the elastic O-ring, so that any impact on the insert 17 is such that small impact energy is dispersed inside the head 11. Thus, most is directly transmitted to the shaft 14 or the hosel 13. As a result, a golf club such as a putter as shown in FIG.
According to the increased energy transmitted up 4, an increased “fell factor” can be provided.

In embodiments, it has been discovered that space 21 also increases sensory coefficients.

[0023]

The present invention can be used for a so-called standard shaft. However, the present invention can be used most advantageously with putters having substantially larger diameters (between 25 and 45 mm), thin walls, and parallel shafts, increasing the "sense factor".

The present invention can be used with golf clubs other than putters, but in such cases, care must be taken in the design, as higher forces may be applied.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a prior art golf club and connection.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of a golf putter according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view as viewed from an arrow “A” in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an insert used in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a head and shaft connecting portion of the putter according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Conventional golf club 2 Head 3, 12, 14 Shaft 4 Hitting surface 5, 19 Sweet spot 10 Golf putter 11 Head 13 Hosel member 15 Outer shell member 16 Cavity 17 Insert member 18 Rear cavity 20 Opening 21 Space 22, 23 O-ring 24, 25 Semi-circular groove 26 Shoulder 27 Weight 28 Side surface 29 Slot 30 Striking surface 31 Clearance

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (71) Applicant 598111744 17 Burway Trading Estate Bloom Road Load ShropshireEngland SY8 1EN (72) Inventor Douglas Boyd Butchanan United Kingdom Eswei 8 Roche R. Roerch

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. A head comprising a striking surface with a sweet spot, the head comprising a shell member defining a cavity, an inner insert member spaced from the shell member and located within the cavity, and an outer member. A golf club having a shaft connection secured to an insert through a shell member. 2. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the internal insert member is elastically supported inside the cavity. 3. The golf club according to claim 2, wherein the inner insert member is supported by an elastic O-ring. 4. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the shaft connecting portion includes a hosel member fixed to the insert. 5. The golf club according to claim 4, wherein the hosel member fits inside the opening formed in the insert, and extends to a position near the far end of the opening so as not to contact the outer shell member. 6. The golf club according to claim 4, wherein the hosel member is hollow. 7. The golf club according to claim 4, wherein the shaft connection portion has a shaft portion fitted to the hosel. 8. The golf club according to claim 7, wherein the shaft member comprises a substantially large diameter shaft between 25 mm and 45 mm, a thin wall, and a parallel shaft. 9. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the insert forms a sweet spot on the head. 10. The golf club according to claim 3, wherein the O-ring seals the insert inside the cavity of the shell member. 11. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the insert includes a rear cavity. 12. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the cavity at the rear of the insert and a part of the cavity of the outer shell member form a cavity in the head. 13. The golf club according to claim 1, further comprising a putter portion. 14. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the outer shell member and the hosel are formed of aluminum having a high strength comparable to that of an aircraft. 15. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the insert is formed of a flexible ductile bronze-based material. 16. The golf club according to claim 3, wherein the elastic O-ring comprises a neoprene material.