US20020137575A1

US20020137575A1 - Golf club

Info

Publication number: US20020137575A1
Application number: US10/011,295
Authority: US
Inventors: Wen-Cheng Tseng
Original assignee: Delphi Technologies Inc
Current assignee: Delphi Technologies Inc
Priority date: 2001-03-26
Filing date: 2001-12-11
Publication date: 2002-09-26
Also published as: TW493459U; JP3087684U; JP2002291945A

Abstract

A golf club has a shaft, a connecting pin, a pin and a nut. One end of the connecting pin is securely inserted into the shaft, the other end of the connecting pin is threaded and is exposed from the shaft. The head is mounted on the shaft and has a neck with a passage for the shaft inserting into the passage in the neck. A baffle formed in the passage in the neck and has a through hole for the connecting pin extending through the through hole. The nut is screwed with the thread on the connecting pin and abuts the baffle. Consequently, the head is securely attached to the shaft with the connecting pin and the nut. With such an arrangement, the head is adjustable relative to the shaft prior to an adhesion process.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a golf club, and more particularly to a golf club in which the position of the head of the golf club can be adjusted relative to the shaft.

2. Description of Related Art

With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, a conventional golf club has a shaft ( 60) and a head (61). One end of the shaft (60) has the head (61) secured to it, and the other end of the shaft (60) has a grip (601) formed on it, as shown in FIG. 9. A hole (611) or a passage (612) is defined in the neck (62) for one end of the shaft (60) to extend into the hole (61 1) or the passage (612). A striking face (not numbered) is formed on the head (61) for hitting a golf ball. The head (61) of the conventional golf club is secured to the shaft (60) with glue.

After the golf club is manufactured, it is always tested to determine the dynamic equilibrium of the golf club. With reference to FIG. 9, a testing device holds the grip ( 60 1) of the golf club, and the head (61) is moved downward with a load. When the head (61) is released, the head (61) with the shaft (60) will vibrate as shown in the phantom lines in FIG. 9. If the head (61) is not positioned at a desired position relative to the shaft (60), the vibration of the head is irregular as shown in FIG. 10. The dynamic equilibrium of the golf club is unsatisfactory as the vibration of the head is irregular.

However, because the head ( 61) is secured to the shaft (60) with glue, the head (61) is not adjustable relative to the shaft (60). When it is found in the test that the dynamic equilibrium of the golf club is not very good, nothing can be done to remedy the golf club with bad dynamic equilibrium because it is not adjustable. Consequently, the quality of the conventional golf club is not sufficient to meet effective manufacturing and commercial requirements.

To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide a golf club to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the invention is to provide a golf club in that the head of the golf club can be adjusted relative to shaft. The golf club has a shaft, a connecting pin, a pin and a nut. One end of the connecting pin is securely inserted into the shaft, the other end of the connecting pin is threaded and is exposed from the shaft. The head is mounted on the shaft and has a neck with a passage for the shaft to extend into the passage in the neck. A baffle is formed in the passage in the neck and has a through hole for the connecting pin to extend through the through hole. The nut is screwed with the thread on the connecting pin and abuts the baffle. Consequently, the head is securely attached to the shaft with the connecting pin and the nut. With such an arrangement, the head is adjustable relative to the shaft, whereby the quality of the golf club is improved relative to the prior art.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf club in accordance with the present invention; [0010]
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the head and the shaft of the golf club in FIG. 1; [0011]
FIG. 3 is a side plan view in partial cross section of the head and the shaft of the golf club in FIG. 2; [0012]
FIG. 4 is a side plan view in partial cross section of the shaft with the connecting pin of the golf club in FIG. 2; [0013]
FIG. 5 is an operational plan view of the golf club in FIG. 1 showing that the head rotates relative to the shaft; [0014]
FIG. 6 is an operational plan view of the golf club in FIG. I showing that the golf club is being tested; [0015]
FIG. 7 is a perspective view in partial cross section of a first embodiment of a conventional golf club in accordance with the prior art; [0016]
FIG. 8 is a perspective view in partial cross section of a second embodiment of a conventional golf club in accordance with the prior art; [0017]
FIG. 9 is an operational plan view of the conventional golf club in FIG. 7 or FIG. 8 showing that the head rotates relative to the shaft; and [0018]
FIG. 10 is an operational plan view of the conventional golf club in FIG. 7 or FIG. 8 showing that the golf club is being tested.[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIGS. [0020] 1 to 3, a golf club in accordance with the present invention comprises a head (10) and a shaft (20). The head (10) is secured to a bottom of the shaft (20), and the top of the shaft (20) is integrally molded to a grip (202). A striking face (11) is formed on one side of the head (10) for hitting a golf ball. A neck (12) with a passage is formed on one end of the head (10) to connect with the shaft (20). A baffle (13) is formed in the passage to divide the passage into two chambers. A through hole (131) is defined through the baffle (13) to communicate the two chambers with each other.
The shaft ([0021] 20) is hollow and has an opening defined in the bottom of the shaft (20). A connecting pin (30) is inserted into the opening in the bottom of the shaft (20). The connecting pin (30) has a first end inserted into the opening in the bottom of the shaft (20) and a second end exposed from the shaft (20) and extending through the through hole (131) in the baffle (13). A flange (32) is formed on the connecting pin (30) near the second end of the connecting pin (30) and abuts the bottom of the shaft (20). A first thread (31) is formed on the connecting pin (30) at one side of the flange (32) far away from the second end of the connecting pin (30). An inner thread (201) is formed on the inner surface of the bottom of the shaft (20) to screw with the first thread (3 1) on the connecting pin (30). A second thread (33) is formed on the second end of the connecting pin (30). A nut (34) is screwed with the second thread (33) on the connecting pin (30) and abuts the baffle (13) in the passage of the neck (12), such that the shaft (20) is securely attached to the neck (12) of the assembled head (10), connecting pin (30) and nut (34). A ferrule (22) is secured on the shaft (20) to abut the top of the neck (12). Consequently, the head (10) is positioned relative to the shaft (20). A layer of glue (50) is arranged between the neck (12) and the shaft (20) to further increase the fixation between the head (10) and the shaft (20).
In addition, the bottom of the shaft is filled with an elastic material ([0022] 40) which surrounds the first end of the connecting pin (30), such that the connecting pin (30) can be further secured in the shaft (20) by means of the elastic material (40). A plug (23) is received in the shaft (20) to keep the elastic material (40) from filling in the entire shaft (20). The connecting pin (30) has multiple grooves or a spiral groove (35) defined in the outer surface of the connecting pin (30) to receive the elastic material (40), whereby the fixation between the shaft (20) and the connecting pin (30) is increased. The elastic material (40) can also absorb any shock occurring when the golf club hits a golf ball. At least one bore (21) is defined in the shaft (20) for some of the elastic material (40) discharging from the at least one bore (21).
With reference to FIGS. [0023] 2 to 4, to assemble the golf club, the elastic material (40) is firstly poured into the bottom of the shaft (20). The connecting pin (30) is then inserted into the bottom of the shaft (20) and screwed with the inner thread (201) in the shaft (20) with the first thread (31). Excess elastic material (40) will discharge from the shaft (20) through the bore (21) as the connecting pin (30) is inserted into the shaft (20). The connecting pin (30) will be securely attached to the shaft (20) after the elastic material (40) solidifies. After that, the bottom of the shaft (20) with the connecting pin (30) is inserted into the neck (12), and the second thread (33) of the connecting pin (30) extends through the through hole (131) in the baffle (13). The nut (34) is then screwed with the second thread (33) on the connecting pin (30) and abuts the baffle (13) so as to secure the head (10) to the shaft (20). In addition, a layer of glue (50) is arranged between the neck (12) and the shaft (20) to further increase the fixation between the head (10) and the shaft (20).
Before the glue ([0024] 50) solidifies, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, the head (10) can rotate relative to the shaft (20) as the nut (34) is released. Consequently, if the golf club is examined in a testing device and it is found that the head (10) is not in a desired position relative to the shaft (20), the head (10) can be rotated to the desired position relative to the shaft (20) after the nut (34) is released and before the glue solidifies. The golf club can be adjusted to a suitable condition with a good dynamic equilibrium, wherein the vibration of the head is regular as shown in FIG. 6. Thus, the quality of the golf club is improved in relation to prior art golf clubs.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. [0025]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A golf club comprising:

a shaft with a first end and a second end, and a grip formed on the first end;

a connecting pin having a first end securely inserted into the second end of the shaft and a second end with thread exposed from the second end of the shaft;

a head mounted on the second end of the shaft and having a neck with a passage for the second end of the shaft inserting into the passage in the neck;

a baffle formed in the passage in the neck and having a through hole defined through the baffle for the second end of the connecting pin extending through the through hole; and

a nut screwed with the thread formed on the second end of the connecting pin and abutting the baffle to securely attach the connecting pin to the neck of the head, wherein before the shaft is fixed relative to the head, the head is rotatable relative to the shaft.

2. The golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein a flange is formed on the connecting pin near the second end of the connecting pin and abuts the bottom of the shaft to position the head relative to the shaft.

3. The golf club as claimed in claim 2, wherein a thread is formed on the connecting pin at one side of the flange far away from the second end of the connecting pin; and

an inner thread is formed on an inner surface of the second end of the shaft to screw with the first thread on the connecting pin.

4. The golf club as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a ferrule secured on the shaft to abut the top of the neck so as to position the head relative to the shaft.

5. The golf club as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a layer of glue arranged between the neck and the shaft to increase fixation between the head and the shaft.

6. The golf club as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an elastic material applied in the second end of the shaft and surrounding the first end of the connecting pin to secure the connecting pin to the shaft.

7. The golf club as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a plug received in the shaft to keep the elastic material from filling in entire shaft.

8. The golf club as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one groove is defined in an outer surface of the connecting pin to receive the elastic material.

9. The golf club as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one bore is defined in the shaft for excess of the elastic material discharging from the at least one bore as the connecting pin is inserted into the shaft.