U.S. patent application number 13/048934 was filed with the patent office on 2012-05-10 for golf club.
This patent application is currently assigned to Advanced International Multitech Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Te-Fu Hsiao, Chieh-Fu Tseng.
Application Number | 20120115631 13/048934 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46020154 |
Filed Date | 2012-05-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120115631 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tseng; Chieh-Fu ; et
al. |
May 10, 2012 |
GOLF CLUB
Abstract
A golf club includes a golf club head, and a shaft extending
from one side of the golf club head. The shaft and the golf club
head are made as a one-piece body from a prepreg sheet including a
fiber structure impregnated with a resin. The fiber structure
extends continuously from the shaft to the golf club head.
Inventors: |
Tseng; Chieh-Fu; (Kaohsiung
City, TW) ; Hsiao; Te-Fu; (Kaohsiung City,
TW) |
Assignee: |
Advanced International Multitech
Co., Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
46020154 |
Appl. No.: |
13/048934 |
Filed: |
March 16, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/304 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 53/00 20130101;
A63B 2209/023 20130101; A63B 2209/02 20130101; A63B 60/00 20151001;
A63B 53/002 20200801 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/304 |
International
Class: |
A63B 53/00 20060101
A63B053/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 9, 2010 |
TW |
099138485 |
Claims
1. A golf club comprising a golf club head, and a shaft extending
from one side of said golf club head, said shaft and s aid golf
club head being made as a one-piece body from a prepreg sheet
including a fiber structure impregnated with a resin, said fiber
structure extending continuously from said shaft to said golf club
head.
2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said golf club is formed by
laminating a plurality of said prepreg sheets respectively
including first prepreg sections to form said shaft, and second
prepreg sections to form said golf club head.
3. The golf club of claim 2, wherein each of said first prepreg
sections has a fiber orientation angle of 0 degree with respect to
an extending direction of said shaft.
4. The golf club of claim 3, wherein each of said prepreg sheets is
cut into a plurality of strips in a respective one of said second
prepreg sections, said strips being pulled apart from each other so
that said strips have different fiber orientation angles with
respect to the extending direction of said shaft.
5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein each of said shaft and said
golf club head has fiber orientation angles of 45 degrees and -45
degrees with respect to an extending direction of said shaft.
6. The golf club of claim 1, wherein each of said shaft and said
golf club head has fiber orientation angles of 0 degree and 90
degrees with respect to an extending direction of said shaft.
7. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said fiber structure is a
tubular multiaxial woven fabric.
8. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said fiber structure includes
a fiber selected from the group consisting of carbon fiber, glass
fiber, Kevlar fiber, boron fiber, and combinations thereof.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority of Taiwanese application
no. 099138485, filed on Nov. 9, 2010.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to a golf club, more particularly to
a golf club including a golf club head and a shaft made as a
one-piece.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Referring to Figs. land 2, a conventional golf club 1
includes a golf club head 11, a shaft 12 inserted into the golf
club head 11, a ferrule 13 sleeved on the top of a hosel 16 that
defines the portion of the golf club head 11 to which the shaft 12
is attached, and a grip 14 sleeved on an end of the shaft 12
opposite to the golf club head 11. In the hosel 16, the golf club
head 11 is coupled to the shaft 12 using an adhesive 15. When using
the golf club 1, the user's power is transmitted to a golf ball
(not shown) via the grip 14, the shaft 12, and the golf club head
11. However, the conventional golf club 1 still has the following
defects:
[0006] 1. The striking performance cannot be fully utilized. This
is because the user's power, aside from hitting the golf ball, will
also be partially diminished by the adhesive 15 and gaps formed
among the constructive elements of the golf club 1.
[0007] 2. The error tolerance for striking is poor. The inclusion
of the ferrule 13, the adhesive 15, and other joining structures
(not shown) among the elements of the golf club 1 moves a center of
gravity of the golf club 1 upward and increases the weight of the
golf club 1. This may reduce the error tolerance of striking, and
is adverse to the adjustment of the center of gravity and weight of
the golf club 1.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide
a golf club that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks associated
with the prior art.
[0009] Accordingly, a golf club of this invention comprises a golf
club head, and a shaft extending from one side of the golf club
head. The shaft and the golf club head are made as a one-piece body
from a prepreg sheet including a fiber structure impregnated with a
resin, the fiber structure extending continuously from the shaft to
the golf club head.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Other features and advantages of the present invent ion will
become apparent in the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional golf
club;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary partly sectional view of the golf
club of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a golf club according to the
present invention;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary schematic view for illustrating the
first preferred embodiment of the fiber structure of the golf club
according to this invention;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary schematic view for illustrating the
second preferred embodiment of the fiber structure of the golf club
according to this invention;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary schematic view for illustrating the
third preferred embodiment of the fiber structure of the golf club
according to this invention; and
[0017] FIG. 7 is a fragmentary schematic view for illustrating the
fourth preferred embodiment of the fiber structure of the golf club
according to this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] Before the present invention is described in greater detail
with reference to the accompanying preferred embodiments, it should
be noted herein that like elements are denoted by the same
reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
[0019] Referring to FIG. 3, a golf club 2 according to this
invention includes a golf club head 22, a shaft 21 extending from
one side of the golf club head 22, and a grip 23 sleeved on one end
of the shaft 21 opposite to the golf club head 22.
[0020] Further referring to FIG. 4, the shaft 21 and the golf club
head 22 are made as a one-piece body from a prepreg sheet 3
including a fiber structure impregnated with a resin. The fiber
structure extends continuously from the shaft 21 to the golf club
head 22.
[0021] The golf club 2 is formed by laminating a plurality of the
prepreg sheets 3 (only one is shown). The prepreg sheets 3 may
respectively include first prepreg sections 31 to form the shaft
21, and second prepreg sections 32 to form the golf club head
22.
[0022] The fiber structure in each of the prepreg sheets 3 includes
a fiber selected from the group consisting of carbon fiber, glass
fiber, Kevlar fiber, boron fiber, and combinations thereof. In the
preferred embodiment, the fiber is carbon fiber.
[0023] Preferably, each of the first prepreg sections 31 has a
fiber orientation angle of 0 degree with respect to an extending
direction of the shaft 21.
[0024] Preferably, each of the prepreg sheets 3 is cut into a
plurality of strips 311 in a respective one of the second prepreg
sections 32. The strips 311 are pulled apart from each other so
that the strips 311 have different fiber orientation angles with
respect to the extending direction of the shaft 21.
[0025] The golf club 2 of this invention may be formed by the
following steps. First, an airbag (not shown) made of silicone
rubber or rubber latex is formed and shaped into a golf club. Then,
the prepreg sheets 3 are attached to the airbag one above the other
so that the strips 311 of one of the prepreg sheets 3 are staggered
with those of an adjacent one of the prepreg sheets 3. Thereafter,
the airbag and the prepreg sheets 3 are disposed and heat-pressed
together in a mold to form the golf club 2, followed by deflating
and removing the airbag.
[0026] By virtue of the fiber structure of the golf club 2 of this
invention, the golf club head 22 has improved toughness, and the
user's power can be effectively transmitted to the golf club head
22 through the shaft 21 during striking.
[0027] Accordingly, the golf club 2 of this invention has the
following advantages:
1. Good Striking Efficiency
[0028] Since the fiber structure extends continuously from the
shaft 21 to the golf club head 22, and since the shaft 21 and the
golf club head 22 are formed as the one-piece body, gaps among
constructive elements of the golf club 2, which may diminish the
user power, can be effectively avoided and the adhesive is not
necessary. Thus, the user's power is almost completely transmitted
to the golf club head 22 to result in an improved striking
efficiency.
2. Good Error Tolerance for Striking
[0029] As described above, since the shaft 21 and the golf club
head 22 are formed as the one-piece body, joining structures for
assembling the constructive elements or the adhesive for bonding
together the shaft 21 and the golf club head 22 are not necessary.
Thus, the total weight of the golf club 2 can be reduced, and the
center of gravity of the golf club 2 is relatively low. This is
beneficial for the adjustment of the center of gravity and weight
of the golf club 2 to increase the error tolerance for
striking.
[0030] FIG. 5 illustrates the second preferred embodiment of the
golf club 2 according to this invention (see also FIG. 3). The
second embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in that
each of the shaft 21 and the golf club head 22 has fiber
orientation angles of 45 degrees and -45 degrees with respect to
the extending direction of the shaft 21. Furthermore, because the
fiber orientations of this embodiment are different from that of
the first embodiment, each of the prepreg sheets 3 of the second
preferred embodiment is not required to be cut into a plurality of
strips 311.
[0031] In this embodiment, the golf club 2 may be formed by
attaching the prepreg sheets 3, each having a unidirectional fiber
orientation, to the airbag in different directions so as to obtain
the shaft 21 and the golf club head 22 having the above-mentioned
fiber orientation angles. Alternatively, the shaft 21 and the golf
club head 22 that have the above-mentioned fiber orientation angles
may be formed by attaching the prepreg sheets 3, each having the
fiber orientation angles of 45 degrees and -45 degrees (i.e., at
will-weave structure), to the airbag.
[0032] Besides, in this embodiment, since each of the shaft 21 and
the golf club head 22 has the above-mentioned fiber orientations,
not only shall the golf club 2 have the advantages of the first
preferred embodiment, but the fiber structure in the golf club 2
can be twisted to absorb a reaction force due to striking.
Therefore, the golf ball can fly more straightly and precisely.
FIG. 6 illustrates the third preferred embodiment of the fiber
structure of the golf club 2 according to this invention (see also
FIG. 3). The third embodiment differs from the second embodiment
only in that each of the shaft 21 and the golf club head 22 has
fiber orientation angles of 0 degree and 90 degrees with respect to
the extending direction of the shaft 21. In this preferred
embodiment, each of the prepreg sheets 3 has a plain-weave fiber
structure, and the golf club 2 further has a relatively good impact
resistance.
[0033] FIG. 7 illustrates the fourth preferred embodiment of the
fiber structure of the golf club 2 according to this invention (see
also FIG. 3). The fourth embodiment differs from the second
embodiment only in that the fiber structure of each of the prepreg
sheets 3 is a tubular multiaxial woven fabric. In this embodiment,
the golf club 2 further has a relatively good impact
resistance.
[0034] While the present invention has been described in connection
with what are considered the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to
the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest
interpretations and equivalent arrangements.
* * * * *