U.S. patent application number 11/766229 was filed with the patent office on 2008-12-25 for billard cue with a cushion ferrule.
Invention is credited to Jung-Shih CHANG.
Application Number | 20080318700 11/766229 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40137062 |
Filed Date | 2008-12-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080318700 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHANG; Jung-Shih |
December 25, 2008 |
BILLARD CUE WITH A CUSHION FERRULE
Abstract
A billiard cue includes a shaft, a ferrule engaged with the
shaft and a tip mounted on the ferrule. The shaft includes a tenon
defining an outward annular shoulder. The ferrule includes an
opened end, an opposed closed end and an interior bore. The bore
has a front portion and a rear portion. The diameter of the front
portion is larger than that of the rear portion to define an inward
annular shoulder therebetween. The tenon of the shaft is received
in the front portion of the bore in such a way that the top surface
of the tenon snugly leans against the inward annular shoulder, the
end surface of the opened end of the ferrule is snugly seated
against the outward annular shoulder of the shaft, and a buffer
space is defined by the rear portion of the bore of the
ferrule.
Inventors: |
CHANG; Jung-Shih; (Taichung
Hsien, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BROWDY AND NEIMARK, P.L.L.C.;624 NINTH STREET, NW
SUITE 300
WASHINGTON
DC
20001-5303
US
|
Family ID: |
40137062 |
Appl. No.: |
11/766229 |
Filed: |
June 21, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/49 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63D 15/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/49 |
International
Class: |
A63D 15/12 20060101
A63D015/12 |
Claims
1. A billiard cue comprising: a shaft having a tenon at one end
thereof defining an outward annular shoulder; a ferrule having an
opened end, an opposed closed end and an interior bore extending
longitudinally from the opened end for a predetermined length
toward the closed end; a tip mounted on the closed end of the
ferrule; the interior bore having a front portion with a first
diameter, a rear portion with a second diameter, and the first
diameter of the front portion being larger than the second diameter
of the rear portion such that an inward annular shoulder is defined
therebetween; and the tenon of the shaft snugly being received in
the front portion of the interior bore of the ferrule in such a way
that a top surface of the tenon snugly leans against the inward
annular shoulder and an end surface of the opened end of the
ferrule is snugly seated against the outward annular shoulder of
the shaft; whereby the ferrule can be durably engaged with the
shaft and the rear portion of the interior bore of the ferrule
defines a buffer space to absorb the impact forces generated during
the impact of the cue on a ball.
2. The billiard cue as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a
shock absorbing member received in the rear portion of the interior
bore of the ferrule.
3. The billiard cue as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interior
bore of the ferrule has a bottom end, and the ferrule has a through
hole longitudinally extending from the bottom end of the interior
bore to the closed end of the ferrule.
4. The billiard cue as claimed in claim 3, wherein the through hole
of the ferrule has a third diameter smaller than the second
diameter of the rear portion of the interior bore.
5. The billiard cue as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear portion
of the interior bore of the ferrule has a first interior wall
provided with at least a reinforced rib.
6. The billiard cue as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front
portion of the interior bore has a second interior wall provided
with a threaded section.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to billiard cues,
more particularly, to a billiard cue with a cushion ferrule.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,437 discloses a billiard/pool cue having
a ferrule with a bore, and a shaft with a tenon inserting into the
bore in such a way that a hollow portion is formed in the ferrule
(especially shown in FIG. 8 of the patent). Such a structure will
absorb a portion of the impact forces so as to permit easy outward
flexure of the tip end of the shaft. This outward flexure of the
tip end of the shaft minimizes inward buckling of the tip end of
the shaft on off center hits and results in less deflection of the
cue ball from the line of stroke of the cue.
[0005] However, the billiard/pool cue mentioned above has a
disadvantage that the shaft and the ferrule engaged with each other
only by an annular shoulder formed on the shaft and an annular end
portion formed on the ferrule so that the ferrule would be easily
cracked or depart from the shaft of the cue.
[0006] Thus, it would be desirable to provide a billiard cue having
a shaft and a ferrule durably engaged with the shaft of the cue
while forming a buffer space therein to absorb the impact forces
generated during the impact of the cue on a ball.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] To achieve the desire, the present invention discloses a
billiard cue which comprises a shaft, a ferrule engaged with the
shaft, and a tip mounted on the ferrule. The shaft includes a tenon
at one end thereof defining an outward annular shoulder. The
ferrule includes an opened end, an opposed closed end, and an
interior bore extending longitudinally from the opened end for a
predetermined length toward the closed end. The bore has a front
portion with a first diameter, a rear portion with a second
diameter. The first diameter of the front portion is larger than
the second diameter of the rear portion such that an inward annular
shoulder is defined therebetween. The tenon of the shaft is snugly
received in the front portion of the bore of the ferrule in such a
way that the top surface of the tenon snugly leans against the
inward annular shoulder and the bottom surface of the ferrule at
the opened end thereof is snugly seated against the outward annular
shoulder of the shaft.
[0008] According to the combination disclosed above, the ferrule
can be durably engaged with the shaft and the rear portion of the
bore of the ferrule defines a buffer space therein to absorb the
impact forces generated during the impact of the cue on a ball.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The various features, advantages and other uses of the
present invention will become more apparent by referring to the
following detailed description and drawings in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a first
preferred embodiment of a billiard cue according to the present
invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line 2-2 in
FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 but showing a cross sectional
view of a second preferred embodiment of a billiard cue according
to the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 2 but showing a cross sectional
view of a third preferred embodiment of a billiard cue according to
the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 2 but showing a cross sectional
view of a fourth preferred embodiment of a billiard cue according
to the present invention; and
[0015] FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 2 but showing a cross sectional
view of a fifth preferred embodiment of a billiard cue according to
the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0016] Referring firstly to FIGS. 1 to 2, there is illustrated a
first embodiment of a billiard cue of the present invention,
generally designated 10. Billiard cue 10 comprises a shaft 12
having a longitudinal axis, a ferrule 20 engaged on a distal end 14
of the shaft 12 and a tip 40 mounted on the ferrule 20.
[0017] The ferrule 20 is made of plastic materials and has a
generally cylindrical body with an open end 22 and an opposed
closed end 24. An interior bore 26 is formed in the body and
extends inwardly from the open end 22 of the body for a
predetermined length toward the closed end 24 of the body.
[0018] The bore 26 has a front portion 28 with a first diameter, a
rear portion 30 with a second diameter. The first diameter of the
front portion 28 is larger than the second diameter of the rear
portion 30 such that an inward annular shoulder 32 is defined
therebetween.
[0019] The ferrule 20 is engaged on the shaft 12 of the billiard
cue 10 by means of a tenon 16. The tenon 16 extends longitudinally
outward from the distal end 14 of the shaft 12 and defines an
outward annular shoulder 18. In combination, the tenon 16 is snugly
inserted into the front portion 28 of bore 26 in such a way that
the upper surface 19 of the tenon 16 is leaned against the inward
annular shoulder 32 and the end surface 34 of the opened end 22 of
the ferrule 20 is snugly seated against the outward annular
shoulder 18 of the shaft 12.
[0020] As described above, the billiard cue 10 constructed
according to the present invention is provided with a buffer space
defined by the rear portion 30 of the bore 26 of the ferrule 20 to
absorb the impact forces generated during the impact of the cue 10
on a ball so that the buckling is minimized while permitting easier
outward flex of the tip end of the shaft 12 to result in less
deflection of a cue ball from the line of stroke of the cue 10.
[0021] In addition, the shaft 12 and the ferrule 20 engage with
each other not only by the annular shoulder 18 of the shaft 12
snugly seated against the end surface 34 of the ferrule 20 but also
by the upper surface 19 of the tenon 16 leaned against the inward
annular shoulder 32 of the ferrule 20 so that the durability of the
engagement between the shaft 12 and the ferrule 20 is better than
that of the prior art.
[0022] Referring secondly to FIGS. 3 to 6, the present invention
can be embodied in several ways. For example, in a second preferred
embodiment of the present invention, the interior wall of the rear
portion 30 of the bore 26 is provided with a plurality of
reinforced ribs 31 to avoid deformation due to fatigue of
materials, as shown in FIG. 3. In a third preferred embodiment of
the present invention, in the rear portion 30 a shock absorbing
member 33 can be received to increase the shock absorbing ability
thereof, as shown in FIG. 4. In a fourth preferred embodiment of
the present invention, the interior wall of the front portion 28 of
the bore 26 can be provided with a threaded section 35 to get a
better engagement between the ferrule 20 and the tenon 16 of the
shaft 12, as shown in FIG. 5. In a fifth preferred embodiment of
the present invention, the bore 26 of the ferrule 20 has a bottom
end 21. Ferrule 20 further has a through hole 23 longitudinally
extending from the bottom end 21 to the closed end 24 of the
ferrule 20. The through hole 23 of the ferrule 20 has a third
diameter being smaller than the second diameter of the rear portion
30 of the bore 26. Such a design can increase the flexibility of
the ferrule 20.
* * * * *