U.S. patent application number 11/127140 was filed with the patent office on 2006-11-16 for composite shaft.
Invention is credited to Patrick Hsu.
Application Number | 20060258478 11/127140 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37419869 |
Filed Date | 2006-11-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060258478 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hsu; Patrick |
November 16, 2006 |
Composite shaft
Abstract
A composite shaft has sheets rolled. A number of the sheets is
three or multiple of three. Widths of the sheets are substantially
identical to a length of a circumference of the shaft. Each of the
rolled sheets has an overlapped rib distributed on the
circumference of the shaft, and central angles between two of the
neighboring ribs are substantially identical. The shaft of the
present invention has a well mechanical strength and balance.
Inventors: |
Hsu; Patrick; (Taichung
City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BROWDY AND NEIMARK, P.L.L.C.;624 NINTH STREET, NW
SUITE 300
WASHINGTON
DC
20001-5303
US
|
Family ID: |
37419869 |
Appl. No.: |
11/127140 |
Filed: |
May 12, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/316 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2209/023 20130101;
A63B 60/08 20151001; A63B 60/54 20151001; A63B 60/10 20151001; A63C
11/22 20130101; A01K 87/00 20130101; A63B 60/06 20151001; A63B
53/10 20130101; A63B 2209/02 20130101; A45B 2009/005 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/316 |
International
Class: |
A63B 53/12 20060101
A63B053/12 |
Claims
1. A composite shaft having sheets rolled, which a number of the
sheets is three or multiple of three, wherein widths of the sheets
are substantially identical to a length of a circumference of the
shaft, and each of the rolled sheets has an overlapped rib
distributed on the circumference of the shaft, and central angles
between two of the neighboring ribs are substantially
identical.
2. The method of making a composite shaft, comprising the steps of:
1) making composite sheets for rolling, wherein widths of the
sheets are substantially identical to a length of a circumference
of the shaft; 2) rolling the sheets on a rod in sequence, wherein a
number of the sheets is three or multiple of three, and each of the
rolled sheets has an overlapped rib distributed on the
circumference of the shaft, and central angles between two of the
neighboring ribs are substantially identical; 3) heating the sheets
with the rod for curing, and 4) removing the rod from the sheets to
have the shaft.
3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the rod has a scale or
a mark at an end or at two opposite ends.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a composite
shaft, and more particularly to a composite shaft for golf club,
ski stick, climbing stick, and fishing rod etc., which uniformly
distributes vibration on entire shaft.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Conventional composite shafts are made of carbon fiber,
glass fiber or boron fiber prepreg resin, such as epoxy, for
tubular elements. The methods of making the composite shafts
include filament winding method and sheet rolling method. The
filament winding method is to wind single type fiber filaments
prepreg resin on a rod, which usually is an elongated tapered iron
rod. An orientation of the filament is between thirty degrees and
sixty degrees. For example, the filament is wound on the rod from
an end to the other end with +45 degrees orientation to form a
layer on the rod, and then the filament is wound backwards with -45
degrees orientation to form another layer on the layer. The
orientations of the layers are cross that reinforces the strength.
The advantages of the filament winding method include uniform
distribution of the fibers, without the overlapped rib and
non-orientation in elasticity test. The elasticity test is to fix
an end of the shaft and vibrate a free end of the shaft to measure
the status of the swing. The disadvantage of the filament winding
method is the orientation of the fiber cannot be 0 degree that
orientation gives the shaft a best capacity of anti-flexibility.
The sheet rolling method is to make sheets of fiber prepreg resin.
The sheets have a predetermined fiber orientation respectively,
such ad forty-five degrees, sixty degrees and 0 degree. The sheets
with various fiber orientations are stacked, and the stacked sheets
are rolled on an elongated tapered iron rod to form a tubular
shaft. The advantages of the sheet rolling method include well
strength because that the fiber orientations of each sheet may be
designated. The disadvantage is the shaft made by the sheet rolling
method having overlapped rib. The shaft is thicker at the
overlapped rib that make the shaft has orientation, which means, in
the elasticity test, the swings are different while the fixed
location of the shaft is changed. As a result, the locations of the
ribs affect the status of swing of the shaft. In conclusion, the
filament winding method provides the shafts with strength lower
than the shaft made by the sheet rolling method, but, it has
non-orientation and a well balance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide
a composite shaft, which has well mechanical strength and
balance.
[0006] According to the objective of the present invention, a
composite shaft has sheets rolled. A number of the sheets is three
or multiple of three. Widths of the sheets are substantially
identical to a length of a circumference of the shaft. Each of the
rolled sheets has an overlapped rib distributed on the
circumference of the shaft, and central angles between two of the
neighboring ribs are substantially identical.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment
of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a sectional view along 2-2 line of FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the first preferred embodiment of
the present invention, and
[0010] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a second preferred embodiment
of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 2, a shaft 10 of the first preferred
embodiment of the present invention is made from fiber prepreg
resin reinforced sheets 11. A number of the sheets 11 is three or a
multiple of three. In the first preferred embodiment, the number of
the sheets is six, and the sheets are made of carbon fiber prepreg
epoxy. Each of the sheets 11 has a width substantially identical to
a length of a circumference of the shaft 10, and the widths of the
sheets 11 are gradually increased from the interior sheet to the
exterior sheet. Each of the sheets 11 is rolled up to form an
overlapped portion, which is defined as a rib 111, and the ribs 111
of the sheets are uniformly distributed on the circumference of the
shaft 10, such that the shaft 10 has six ribs 111 at orientations
of twelve clock, two clock, four clock, six clock, eight clock and
ten clock. Central angles of the neighboring ribs 111 are sixty
degrees. Therefore, the shaft 10 of the present invention has a
uniform mechanical property. Orientations of the fibers in each
sheets 11 may be .+-.45 degrees, .+-.60 degrees and 0 degree, and
orientations of the ribs 111 are 0 degree. They provide the shaft
10 of the present invention a well mechanical strength.
[0012] As shown in FIG. 3, in the process of making the shaft of
the present invention, the carbon fiber prepreg epoxy sheets a, b,
c. . . , f are cut for predetermined shapes. The orientations of
the fibers of the sheets a, b, c. . . , f are +45 degrees, -45
degrees, +60 degrees, -60 degrees, 0 degree and 0 degree
respectively. The fifth sheet e is made of carbon fiber with 0
degree fiber orientation, and the sixth sheet f is made of
transparent glass fiber with 0 degree fiber orientation. In
operation, operator rolls the sheets on a cone iron rod 20 with a
scale or a mark 21 at an end or two opposite ends in sequence. The
scale or the mark gives an index to separate the locations of the
ribs. And then, heating the iron rod 20 with the sheets rolled
thereon for curing, and after heating and the sheets are cooled,
drawing the iron rod 20 out of the sheets to have a hollow shaft of
the present invention.
[0013] It has to be mentioned that the number of the sheets of the
present invention may be three with .+-.45 degrees and 0 degree or
.+-.60 degrees and 0 degree fiber orientations, as shown in FIG. 4.
The preferred number is six, but nine, twelve or twenty-fourth
sheets are workable also. The conventional sheet rolling method
usually reinforces the shaft at predetermined portions, such as
tip, it also may be incorporated in the present invention. The
shaft of the present invention may be made to golf club shaft, ski
stick, climbing stick, and fishing rod etc.
* * * * *