U.S. patent application number 10/227434 was filed with the patent office on 2003-05-01 for length-adjustable golf putter.
Invention is credited to Shin, Yi So.
Application Number | 20030083144 10/227434 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19715451 |
Filed Date | 2003-05-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030083144 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shin, Yi So |
May 1, 2003 |
Length-adjustable golf putter
Abstract
The present invention relates to a length-adjustable golf putter
primarily for use in putting a ball that is on green into a hole in
a golf match. The invention is particularly for solving problems
generated in case of short putting. When a player uses a long
putter for short putting, gap between a bottom of green and an eye
of a player is widened and range of vision is opened out, which
lowers concentration, causing a problem that a putting line is not
read exactly. Accordingly, an object of the present invention for
eliminating mistakes originated from such problem, is to provide a
putter whose length can be adjusted depending on putting distance,
thereby achieving high putting success rate.
Inventors: |
Shin, Yi So; (Seoul,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WENDEROTH, LIND & PONACK, L.L.P.
2033 K STREET N. W.
SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20006-1021
US
|
Family ID: |
19715451 |
Appl. No.: |
10/227434 |
Filed: |
August 26, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/296 ;
473/307 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 53/007 20130101;
A63B 60/0085 20200801 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/296 ;
473/307 |
International
Class: |
A63B 053/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 29, 2001 |
KR |
2001-00666.33 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A length-adjustable golf putter having a shaft(s) to which a
putter head is fit and a grip which is fit in the upper part of the
shaft, the shaft(s) moves up and down within the grip; the golf
putter comprising: a guiding tube which is fixed within the grip
and has a shaft rising path so that the shaft may move up and down
through it; a shaft guiding surface projected vertically on the
inner surface of the shaft rising path; a concave groove which is
installed with a predetermined length and is stuck on the shaft
guiding surface of the guiding tube for moving up and down on the
guiding surface so that the shaft is not rotated; and a shaft
fixing member which is fixed in the bottom of the grip for fixing
the shaft.
2. The length-adjustable golf putter as claimed in clime 1, wherein
the shaft of the putter moves up and down through the shaft rising
path of the guiding tube fixed within the grip, whereby its length
can be adjusted; and fixing of the shaft is made by use of the
fixing member comprising a tightening tube block and a fixing tube
block which is fixed in the bottom of the grip.
3. The length-adjustable golf putter as claimed in clime 2, wherein
a female screw part is formed on the inner wall of the tightening
tube block, and a male screw part is formed on the outer wall of
the fixing tube block for being combined in a screw binding manner;
the bottom inner wall of the tightening tube block and the bottom
outer wall of the fixing tube block have tapered surfaces,
respectively; and a plurality of cut grooves are formed on the
tapered surface of the fixing tube block.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a length-adjustable golf
putter for use in putting a ball that is on green into a hole in a
final stage of a golf match. A putter is relatively short in its
length among golf clubs and is primarily used for putting a ball
that is on green into a hole, and depending on situations, it can
be used in a fairway in the neighboring green or green flange, for
which particularly stable and delicate control is required.
[0003] As putting technique using a putter has a great influence on
golf score, putting is very important. Though putting technique is
acquired through continuous practice and lots of real golf matches,
inborn talent is also required for good putting.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Examination of a related putter shows that a putter includes
a putter face L for hitting a ball; a putter head H having a putter
rack 2 to which a putter shaft is fit; a shaft of a predetermined
length to which the putter rack 2 is fit; and a grip G which is fit
to the upper part of the shaft. The length of a putter is between
33 inches to 35 inches in general and, depending on a user's
stature and setup posture, a putter of appropriate length is
different.
[0006] Of course, controlling a putter largely depends on
individual ability but, in general, controlling a putter get more
difficult as a length of a putter is getting longer and get easier
as a length of a putter is getting shorter. But the related putter
is limited in its length and a putter of the same length is used in
cases of long putting and short putting, causing a problem that
controlling a putter is getting difficult according to putting
distance. Namely, in case of long putting, as the distance between
a ball position and a hole is extended, a range of vision is
enlarged, by which not only concentration greatly falls down but
also sense of distance is not felt exactly. Furthermore, under such
circumstance, controlling a putter gets difficult and putting line
is not easy to read, which generates the cause of putting
failure.
[0007] In case of long putting, it is considered inevitable that a
range of vision is enlarged and concentration falls down. But in
case of short putting, when a range of vision is enlarged
unnecessarily or large green around the hole is unfolded before a
range of vision, a problem that stability falls down and
concentration reduced is caused. The reason that concentration is
lowered when a range of vision is enlarged unnecessarily for this
short distance case, is that a user uses a putter of a long length
even in case of short distance putting.
[0008] Based on such problems, the present inventor found a
remarkable fact, through considerable period of research, as a
result of experiment of performing putting with a putter length
changed depending on a putting distance. Namely, as a result of
putting using putters of various lengths ranging from 15 inches to
35 inches, it has been revealed that putting success rate greatly
soars up in such conditions that a putting distance is short and a
putter of a short length is used. As a reference, examination of
putting success rate at distances within 100 cm and 50 cm by
professional golfers participated in United States PGA(Professional
Golf Association) tour, shows that 80% for a distance within 100
cm, and only 90% even for 50 cm, respectively, representing that,
to our surprise, a success rate for a short putting greatly falls
down. The reason that a failure rate for a short putting is
unexpectedly high as mentioned above, is that concentration is
lowered due to enlarged vision generated by use of a long putter
even in case of a short distance putting.
[0009] For prior art in which a shaft length of a putter can be
adjusted, there exist U.S. Pat. Registration No.5,569,096, United
States Design Registration No.363,519 and Design Registration
No.364,436 where description that lengths of an iron shaft and a
putter shaft can be adjusted, is included.
[0010] The above mentioned prior art, U.S. Pat. Registration
No.5,569,096 relates to an iron club having constitution in which a
shaft moves up and down within a grip so that a shaft length may be
adjusted and, after the length is adjusted, a flexible ring fixes
the shaft with the help of pressure generated by a locking nut upon
the locking nut being tightened. Such constitution, however, has no
separate device for fixing a shaft, causing a problem that a shaft
could be rotated when force is exerted on the shaft. Particularly,
prior art like this one, can be used for the case of an iron club
but is not applicable to the case of a putter.
[0011] The reason the above US prior patent cannot be applied to a
putter, is because a grip constitution of a putter is different
from that of an iron club. As a putter has such constitution that
its front face with which a thumb comes in contact upon its grip
being gripped by the hand, is of planar constitution, and if a
putter shaft is rotated, the grip and the head of a putter would
cross each other in their directions, causing disturbance in proper
use of a putter. Therefore, the constitution according to the above
US prior Pat. registration No.5,569,096 is not suitable and usable
for a putter.
[0012] Also, the above US prior Design Registration No.363,519
describes a constitution in which a shaft having a separate grip is
fit in an existing putter shaft so that a putter length may be
adjusted, but such constitution has a problem that a putter length
cannot be made shorter than an existing putter length. In addition,
the above US prior Design Registration No.364,436, also describes a
constitution in which a shaft having a separate grip is fit in an
existing putter shaft, showing the same problem that a putter
length cannot be made shorter than an existing putter length.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] It is an object of the present invention, in order to solve
problems arising from using a putter of the same length in both
cases of long distance putting and short distance putting as
described above, to provide a length-adjustable golf putter whose
length is adjustable arbitrarily, so that its length is lengthened
in case of long distance putting while shortened in case of short
distance putting.
[0014] To achieve the above object, there is provided a
length-adjustable golf putter having a shaft to which a putter head
H is fit and a grip G which is fit in the upper part of the shaft,
is provided and the shaft moves up and down within the grip G; the
length-adjustable golf putter: comprising a guiding tube 100 which
is fixed within the grip G and has a shaft rising path 110 so that
the shaft may move up and down in it, a shaft guiding surface 120
projected vertically on an inner surface of the shaft rising path
110, a concave groove 200 which is installed with a predetermined
length and is stuck on the shaft guiding surface 120 of the guiding
tube 100 for moving up and down on the guiding surface 120 so that
the shaft is not rotated, and a shaft fixing member 300 which is
fixed in the bottom of the grip G for fixing the shaft(s).
[0015] Here, the shaft fixing member 300 includes a tightening tube
block 310 and a fixing tube block 320. The upper outer wall of the
fixing tube block 320 is fixed on the inner wall of the grip G and
the bottom of the guiding tube 100 is fixed on the inner wall of
the fixing tube block 320.
[0016] Furthermore, on the inner wall of the tightening tube block
310 a female screw part 330 is formed and on the outer wall of the
fixing tube block 320 a male screw part 340 is formed, so that the
tightening tube block and the fixing tube block are combined each
other in a screw binding manner. The bottoms of the tightening tube
block 310 and the fixing tube block 320 have, respectively, tapered
surfaces 310a and 320a whose upper portion is wide and whose bottom
is narrow, and on the tapered surface 320a of the fixing tube block
320 a plurality of cut grooves 320b is formed, so that the tapered
surface 320a may be shrunk.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The above objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will become more apparent from the following detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view according to the
present invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a magnified cross-sectional view of primary part
of a putter according to the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 3 a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 by the traversing
line A-A.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0021] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the
following description, same drawing reference numerals are used for
the same elements even in different drawings. The matters defined
in the description such as a detailed construction and elements of
a putter are nothing but the ones provided to assist in a
comprehensive understanding of the invention. Thus, it is apparent
that the present invention can be carried out, not limited to those
defined matters. Also, well-known functions or constructions are
not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in
unnecessary detail.
[0022] A shaft(s) inserted into a shaft rising path 110 of a
guiding tube 100 fixed within a grip G is combined, and not rotated
because a shaft guiding surface 120 formed on the shaft rising path
110 of the guiding tube 100 is fit in a concave groove 200 formed
on the shaft(s). When fixing the shaft(s), tighten up a fixing tube
block 320 and when adjusting the length of the shaft(s), loosen the
tightening tube block 310. In condition that the tightening tube
block 310 of a shaft fixing member 300 is loosened, the shaft(s)
moves up and down freely through the shaft rising path 110 of the
guiding tube 100, so that the length of the shaft(s) can be
adjusted. When the shaft length is adjusted as desired, tighten up
the tightening tube block 310 so that the shaft(s) may be fixed.
Here, a male screw part 340 formed on the outer wall of the fixing
tube block 320 and a female screw part 330 formed on the inner wall
of the tightening tube block 310, are combined in a screw binding
manner, which makes easy a loosening-tightening job.
[0023] Furthermore, tapered surfaces 310a and 320a are formed on
the tightening tube block 310 and the fixing tube block 320,
respectively, where the tapered surface 310a of the tightening tube
block 310 exerts pressure on the tapered surface 320a of the fixing
tube block 320 when the tightening tube block 310 is raised while
being tightened. Then cut grooves 320b formed on the tapered
surface 320a of the fixing tube block 320 on which pressure is
exerted, get shrunk, whereby the bottom inner wall of the fixing
tube block 320 come to apply pressure on the shaft(s), fixing the
same. Also, when loosening the tightening tube block 310 to extract
out the shaft(s) from the guiding tube 100 or to push the shaft(s)
into the guiding tube in order to adjust the shaft length, a
guiding surface 120 of the guiding tube 100 is combined, being
stuck on the concave grooves 200 formed on the shaft(s).
Accordingly, the shaft(s) is not rotated and, therefore, change or
mutual crossing in positions of a grip G and a putter head H is not
generated.
[0024] As is apparent from the foregoing constitution and effect, a
golf putter according to the present invention has lots of strong
points as follows, in which depending on putting distance arbitrary
adjustment of the shaft length is possible and stable putting can
be performed; particularly, in case of short distance putting,
putter's length can be adjusted short as desired, so that visual
range for a putting line can be made narrow, increasing
concentration, making it possible to read the putting line exactly,
thereby raising greatly putting success rate; a putter movement
generated when one tries a putting with a putter at short distance,
can be minimized and controlling a putter get easy.
[0025] Though the invention has been shown and described with
reference to a certain preferred embodiment thereof, it will be
understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form
and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit
and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
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