U.S. patent application number 11/351606 was filed with the patent office on 2006-06-22 for golf club and practice arrangement.
Invention is credited to Bendict F. Marnocha.
Application Number | 20060135277 11/351606 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36596726 |
Filed Date | 2006-06-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060135277 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Marnocha; Bendict F. |
June 22, 2006 |
Golf club and practice arrangement
Abstract
A golf club including a shaft and a head attached to the shaft.
A cavity is formed in the head and a removable light-producing
insert is located within the cavity. A non-light producing insert
is also provided so as to be selectively received within the cavity
in place of the light producing insert.
Inventors: |
Marnocha; Bendict F.;
(Granger, IN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JAMES D. HALL;BOTKIN & HALL, LLP
105 E. JEFFERSON BLVD.
SUITE 400
SOUTH BEND
IN
46601
US
|
Family ID: |
36596726 |
Appl. No.: |
11/351606 |
Filed: |
February 10, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11283488 |
Nov 18, 2005 |
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11351606 |
Feb 10, 2006 |
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10659648 |
Sep 10, 2003 |
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11283488 |
Nov 18, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
473/220 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 69/3685 20130101;
A63B 53/0416 20200801; A63B 69/3614 20130101; A63B 53/0441
20200801 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/220 |
International
Class: |
A63B 69/36 20060101
A63B069/36 |
Claims
1. A golf club, comprising: a shaft; a head attached to the shaft,
said head comprising a ball striking surface, an aperture formed in
the surface for allowing light to pass therethrough, and a cavity
formed in the head adjacent the aperture; a light-producing insert
configured so as to be operably and removably received within the
cavity; and a non-light-producing insert, configured so as to be
selectively received within the cavity in place of the
light-producing insert.
2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the non-light-producing insert
is substantially equal in weight to the light-producing insert.
3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the non-light-producing inset
has substantially the same size, weight and weight distribution as
the light-producing insert.
4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said ball striking surface
comprises a translucent material disposed over said aperture.
5. The golf club of claim 1, further comprising a prism disposed in
said aperture for transmitting light produced by said
light-producing insert, wherein said prism columnates a light beam
produced by said light-producing insert such that said light beam
forms a line on a surface between the head and a putting
target.
6. The golf club of claim 5, wherein a portion of said light beam
produced by said light-producing insert is projected directly to,
and is reflected by a surface of the target.
7. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said light-producing insert
comprises a prism to columnate a light beam produced by said
light-producing insert to form a line on a surface between the head
and a target, wherein a portion of said light beam produced by said
light-producing insert is projected directly to, and is reflected
by a surface of the target.
8. The golf club of claim 1, further comprising a switch for
allowing a user to selectively activate the light-producing
insert.
9. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the aperture is located at an
approximate midpoint of the ball-striking surface.
10. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said light-producing insert
comprises a battery and a laser.
11. The golf club of claim 1, wherein at least one of the
light-producing insert and the non-light-producing insert is
secured within the cavity by a snap fit.
12. A practice arrangement for putting, comprising the combination
of a golf club and a target, the golf club comprising: a shaft; a
putter head attached to the shaft, said putter head comprising a
ball striking surface, an aperture formed in the surface for
allowing light to pass there through, and a cavity formed in the
putter head adjacent the aperture; a light-producing insert
configured so as to be operably and removably received within the
cavity; and a non-light-producing insert, configured so as to be
selectively received within the cavity in place of the
light-producing insert; and the target comprising a surface for
reflecting at least a portion of a light beam produced by the
light-producing insert to provide a visual indication of
orientation of the putter head relative to the target.
13. The practice arrangement of claim 12, wherein said target
comprises a surface which extends transversely to a target line
defined by the light-producing insert, said surface having a
plurality of regularly-spaced marks thereon.
14. The practice arrangement of claim 12, wherein said target
includes a portion configured to extend into a golf hole to secure
the target in position relative to the hole.
15. The practice arrangement of claim 12, further comprising a
prism disposed in said aperture for transmitting light produced by
said light-producing insert, wherein said prism columnates a light
beam produced by said light-producing insert such that said light
beam forms a line on a surface between the putter head and the
target.
16. The practice arrangement of claim 12, wherein said
light-producing insert comprises a prism to columnate a light beam
produced by said light-producing insert to form a line on a putting
surface between the putter head and the target.
17. The practice arrangement of claim 12, wherein at least one of
the light-producing insert and the non-light producing insert is
secured within the cavity by a snap fit.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is related to and claims priority to
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/283,488, filed Nov. 18, 2005
and U.S. application Ser. No. 10/659,648, filed Sep. 10, 2003, both
entitled "Golf Club and Practice Arrangements" and to U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/409,463, filed Sep. 10,
2002, entitled "Laser Putt II," and to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 60/447,593, filed on Feb. 14, 2003, entitled
"Laser Putt III," and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.
No. 60/457,804, filed on Mar. 26, 2003, entitled "Laser Putt IV,"
and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/471,953,
filed on May 20, 2003, entitled "Laser Putt V." The subject matter
disclosed in those applications are hereby expressly incorporated
into the present application.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention related generally to golf, and more
particularly to a golf club and practice arrangement utilizing
same. More specifically, the invention relates to a golf club, and
practice arrangement utilizing same, that facilitates development
of proper club head aiming technique. It will be apparent to those
of skill in the relevant arts that variations in the specific
designs disclosed may be made without departing from the spirit of
the invention.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] One element of a proper golf shot is proper orientation or
aim of the club head. It is important that the club head be
properly oriented relative to the ball during set up. A proper golf
swing or stroke will return the club head to the ball at
substantially the same orientation adopted by the player during set
up. Thus, it is important that the club head be properly oriented
or aimed relative to a target along the desired line of ball flight
or roll.
[0004] The most used club in golf is the putter. The most important
and difficult task to accomplish with a putter is proper aim. In
one embodiment, the present invention facilitates the development
and practice of proper putter aim, one of the most important
fundamentals in putting and one of the most difficult to
master.
[0005] In certain embodiments, the present invention is intended
primarily as a practice device which may be used both indoors and
outdoors. However, the golf club of the present invention may be
used in actual play on a course. This is desirable in that it
eliminates the need to transfer learning from a practice device to
an alternative club used in regulation play. In certain
embodiments, the practice device/golf club of the present invention
is well suited for both purposes, and may be used both to learn
proper aim and alignment of the club, as well as in actual playing
of the game of golf.
[0006] In one embodiment, the present invention includes a golf
club comprising a shaft, a head attached to the shaft, a
light-producing insert, and a non-light producing insert. The head
has a ball-striking surface, an aperture formed in the
ball-striking surface for allowing light to pass therethrough and a
cavity formed in the head adjacent the aperture. The
light-producing insert is configured so as to be operably and
removably received within the cavity. The nonlight-producing insert
is configured so as to be selectively received with the cavity in
place of the light-producing insert. In one embodiment, the
nonlight-producing insert is substantially equal in weight to the
light producing insert and, in certain embodiments, may be
substantially the same size and weight, and have substantially the
same weight distribution, as the light-producing insert.
[0007] In certain embodiments, the ball striking face of the head
comprises a translucent material disposed over the aperture. A
prism, or lens, may be disposed in the aperture for transmitting
light produced by the light-producing insert. The prism columnates
a light beam produced by the light-producing insert such that the
light beam forms a line on a surface, a portion of the light beam
may be projected onto a surface of a target. In certain
embodiments, the prism may be formed as part of the light-producing
insert. In these or other embodiments, the aperture is located in
an approximate midpoint of the ball-striking surface.
[0008] A switch may be provided to allow a use to selectively
activate the light-producing insert.
[0009] The light-producing insert preferably includes a
battery-powered laser device. The nonlight-producing insert may be
formed of any material having an appropriate size, weight and
weight distribution.
[0010] In a practice arrangement particularly well-suited for
putting, the invention includes the combination of a golf club and
a target. The subject golf club includes a shaft, a putter head
attached to the shaft, a light-producing insert, and a
nonlight-producing insert. The putter head includes a ball-striking
surface, an aperture formed in the surface for allowing light to
pass therethrough and a cavity formed in the putter head adjacent
to the aperture. The light-producing insert is configured so as to
be operably and removably received within the cavity in place of
the light-producing insert.
[0011] The target includes a surface for reflecting at least a
portion of a light beam produced by the light-producing insert to
provide a visual indication of orientation of the putter head
relative to the target. The target may include a surface which
extends transversely to a target line defined by the
light-producing insert. The surface may have a plurality of
regularly-spaced marks thereon. A portion of the target may be
configured so as to extend into a golf hole to secure the target in
position relative to the hole. In one embodiment, a prism is
provided to columnate a light beam produced by the light-producing
insert such that the light beam forms a line on a putting surface
between the putting head and the putting target. A portion of the
light beam may also be projected directly to, and reflected by, a
surface of the target.
[0012] The concepts disclosed are not limited to use with a golf
club of the exact type illustrated in the drawings, but may be used
with clubs of many shapes, sizes, or dimensions.
[0013] Additional embodiments, features and advantages will become
apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the
following description of the illustrated embodiments exemplifying
the best mode of carrying out the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a golf
club constructed in accordance with the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a golf
club and practice arrangement constructed in accordance with the
present invention.
[0016] FIG. 3 shows a front view of a portion of one embodiment of
a golf club constructed in accordance with the present
invention.
[0017] FIG. 4 shows a side view of a portion of one embodiment of a
golf club constructed in accordance with the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 5 shows a top, cross-sectional view of a portion of one
embodiment of a golf club constructed in accordance with the
present invention.
[0019] FIG. 6 shows an illustrative example of a nonlight-producing
insert used with the embodiment of FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0020] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a golf
club constructed in accordance with the present invention. Golf
club 10 includes a shaft 12 and a head 14 which is attached to
shaft 12. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the golf club head is
specifically designed for use in putting. Head 14 includes a ball
striking surface or "face" 16. An aperture 18 is formed in surface
16 for allowing light to pass from the inside of head 14 through
surface 16, as will be explained in more detail below.
[0021] A prism, or lens, 19 is disposed within aperture 18. Prism
19 columnates a light beam produced by the light-producing insert
so as to cause a portion of the beam to define a line along a
surface in front of head 14. A cavity (see, for example, FIG. 4) is
formed within head 14 for receiving a light-producing insert which
is discussed and illustrated in additional detail in connection
with FIGS. 3-5. Covering aperture 18 is translucent element 20
which may be formed, for example, of clear plastic. The purpose of
element 20 is to provide a smooth surface along that portion of
surface 16 which contacts a golf ball. Element 20 further serves to
protect the light-producing insert discussed in more detail
below.
[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates a golf club 10, as used to practice
alignment for a putting stroke. The arrangement of FIG. 2 includes,
in addition to golf club 10, a target 22 which comprises a surface
24 having a plurality of regularly-spaced marks illustrated, for
example, by marks 26 and 28 spaced thereon. A beam of light,
illustrated by line 30 is produced by the light-producing insert of
club 10 and projected along line 30 to target 22. At least a
portion of the light beam is reflected off surface 24 of target 22
so as to be visible to the user of club 10. As noted above and
discussed in greater detail below, a prism or lens is provided in
the path of the light beam to "columnate" the beam so as to cause a
portion of the beam to define a line along path 30. In addition to
the line, a portion of the light beam is projected as a "dot" or
short vertical line on surface 24, as is illustrated by reference
numeral 32.
[0023] Target 22 is shown inserted into a hole 34 which may be a
hole on a practice green or a regulation green, or another object
in an indoor or outdoor setting. This invention allows the use to
become accustomed to and practiced at aiming the ball striking
surface 16 of the club 10 directly at target 22. The
regularly-spaced marking on surface 24 of target 22, which in some
embodiments may extend laterally from hole 34 to a greater extent
than shown in FIG. 2, allow a user to aim at a target other than
the center of the hole, if desired. This is often necessary to
accommodate for irregular or uneven putting surfaces.
[0024] It should be noted that bright sunlight may cause the path
of the light beam along line 30 to be obscured, or become very dim.
In that even, the dot or short line 32 projected onto the surface
24 will still be visible to the user.
[0025] FIG. 3 shows a front view of a portion of one embodiment of
a golf club constructed in accordance with the present invention.
Shown in dashed lines behind translucent material 20 is a
light-producing insert 36 which is disposed within a cavity formed
in head 14. Insert 36 includes one or more batteries 38 which power
a light producing source, such as a laser. The light-producing
source produces a light beam which, in the embodiment illustrated,
is projected from a central portion 40 of insert 36 through
aperture 18 and prism 19, as is illustrated in FIG. 2. The beam is
columnated or split so as to define a line on the
generally-horizontal surface between club head 14 and a target, and
so as also to project at least a portion of the beam onto a
generally-vertical transverse element associated with the
target.
[0026] FIG. 4 shows a side view of a portion of one embodiment of a
golf club constructed in accordance with the present invention.
Double-dashed line 42 represents a light beam produced by
light-producing insert 36, as projected through aperture 18 and
prism 19, and projected along a surface between club 10 and the
target. A portion of the light beam, illustrated by double lines 44
is projected directly toward the target.
[0027] FIG. 5 shows a top, cross-sectional view of a portion of one
embodiment of a golf club constructed in accordance with the
present invention. Light-producing insert 36 is shown disposed
within a cavity formed in head 14. In this embodiment, light
producing insert 36 includes a laser, illustrated generally by
element 46, powered by batteries 38. Relatively small lasers of the
type which may be used in this invention are generally available,
and are used in hand-held pointing devices, firearm aiming devices,
and other applications. In the embodiment illustrated, prism 19 is
shown as an integral portion of insert 36. In other embodiments,
prism 19 may be separately mounted in aperture 18.
[0028] FIG. 6 shows an illustrative example of a nonlight-producing
insert 50 used with the embodiment of FIG. 5. In the illustrated
embodiment, insert 50 is substantially the same size and weight,
and has substantially the same weight distribution, as
light-producing insert 36. Insert 50 is designed to replace insert
36. This may be desirable in instances where club 10 is used in
regulation golf play, or other instances in which the user does not
wish to have light-producing insert 36 installed.
[0029] An access cover may be provided in the bottom, rear, or top
of club head 14 to provide ready access to the internal cavity and
to allow for easy interchange of inserts 36 and 50. The access
cover may be secured by screws, or equivalent fasteners. In certain
embodiments, either one or another of the access cover, the
light-producing insert, and the nonlight-producing insert (or any
combination thereof) may be provided with a "snap fit" to
facilitate access to, removal of, and interchangeability of the
inserts.
[0030] With further reference to FIG. 5, wires 52 are shown
extending from insert 36 to an opening in head 14 which receives
shaft 12. Wires 52 are also illustrated in FIG. 3. These wires
extend up through shaft 12 to a switch which may be positioned, for
example, immediately below a grip of club 10. The switch allows a
user to selectively activate light-producing insert 36 to
selectively project light beam 42/44, when desired. In an
alternative embodiment, a switch may be provided, for example, on
the sole or bottom of head 14 and operated by downward pressure on
club 10. Other alternative positions and arrangements of a switch
to activate light-producing insert 36 will be apparent to those of
skill in the art.
[0031] Although the above description refers to a particular means,
materials and embodiments, one skilled in the art can easily
ascertain the essential characteristics of the present invention.
Various changes and modifications may be made to adapt to various
uses and characteristics without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present invention.
* * * * *