Non-metallic connection assembly for a golf club

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9468816-B2
Application number	US-201414587573-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2014
Priority date	Dec 31, 2014
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

A golf club head connection assembly having a non-metallic component possessing unique relationships that offer increased durability, weight savings, and reduced manufacturing costs.

First claim

We claim:

1. A golf club assembly comprising:
a club head having a hosel defining an upper opening, and a sole defining a lower opening in communication with the upper opening;
a club shaft having a lower end portion;
a shaft sleeve mounted on the lower end portion of the shaft and adapted to be received in the upper opening of the club head, the shaft sleeve having:
a) a primary portion having a primary portion proximal end, a primary portion distal end, a primary portion axis, a primary portion shaft bore for receiving and mounting the shaft, a primary portion volume, and a primary portion overlap region, wherein the primary portion is formed of a primary portion non-metallic material having a primary portion density of less than 2 grams per cubic centimeter, a primary portion tensile strength of at least 150 megapascal, and a primary portion percent elongation to break;
b) a secondary portion having a secondary portion proximal end, a secondary portion distal end, a secondary portion length, a secondary portion axis, a secondary portion bore establishing a secondary portion bore wall thickness having a minimum secondary portion bore wall thickness and a maximum secondary portion bore wall thickness, and a secondary portion volume, wherein the secondary portion is formed of a secondary portion metallic material having a secondary portion density that is greater than the primary portion density, a secondary portion tensile strength that is greater than the primary portion tensile strength, and a secondary portion percent elongation to break;

a screw having a screw head and an externally threaded screw shaft extending from the screw head, wherein the secondary portion bore is releasably securable to the club head by inserting the screw through the lower opening and tightening the screw into the secondary portion bore and place a tensile load on a portion of the primary portion within the club head, and wherein the screw is formed of a screw material having a screw material density, a screw material tensile strength, and a screw material percent elongation to break;
wherein the primary portion percent elongation to break is at least four percent, the primary portion percent elongation to break is at least twenty-five percent of the secondary portion percent elongation to break, the primary portion percent elongation to break is at least twenty-five percent of the screw material percent elongation to break, and the primary portion volume is at least five times the secondary portion volume.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein a primary portion product is the product of the primary portion percent elongation to break and the primary portion tensile strength in megapascal, wherein the primary portion product is greater than 800, wherein a secondary portion product is the product of the secondary portion percent elongation to break and the secondary portion tensile strength in megapascal, wherein the secondary portion product is greater than 1500 and is greater than the primary portion product, and wherein the primary portion percent elongation to break is at least fifty percent of the secondary portion percent elongation to break, the primary portion volume is at least ten times the secondary portion volume, and majority of the primary portion volume is received in the club head.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the primary portion percent elongation to break is at least fifty percent of the screw material percent elongation to break, and the primary portion volume is at least fifteen times the secondary portion volume.

4. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the primary portion percent elongation to break is less than the secondary portion percent elongation to break.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the secondary portion percent elongation to break is less than the screw material percent elongation to break, and the secondary portion product is at least twice the primary portion product.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the secondary portion density of at least 2 grams per cubic centimeter, the secondary portion tensile strength of at least 250 megapascal, and the primary portion tensile strength is at least forty percent of secondary portion tensile strength.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the screw material tensile strength is at least fifty percent greater than secondary portion tensile strength.

8. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the primary portion percent elongation to break is at least six percent, the secondary portion percent elongation to break is at least nine percent, the screw material percent elongation to break is at least nine percent, and the secondary portion product is at least 5000 and the primary portion product is 1250-2000.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the primary portion percent elongation to break is 50-80% of the secondary portion percent elongation to break.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the primary portion is molded around a portion of the secondary portion to define a primary portion overlap region having a primary portion overlap region length, wherein the primary portion overlap region is within the club head when the shaft sleeve is installed, and wherein within the primary portion overlap region the secondary portion has a secondary portion interface surface having:
(a) a translation resistant surface oriented at a translation resistant surface projection angle from the secondary portion axis of at least thirty degrees, and having a translation resistant surface area of at least 7 square millimeters; and
(b) a rotation resistant surface oriented at a rotation resistant surface projection angle from an orthogonal extending from the secondary portion axis of no more than sixty degrees, and having a translation resistant surface area of at least 7 square millimeters.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the translation resistant surface projects outward from the secondary portion interface surface a translation resistant surface projection distance that is at least fifty percent of the minimum secondary portion bore wall thickness within the primary portion overlap region.

12. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the translation resistant surface projects inward from the secondary portion interface surface a translation resistant surface projection distance that is at least fifty percent of the minimum secondary portion bore wall thickness within the primary portion overlap region.

13. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the rotation resistant surface projects outward from the secondary portion interface surface a rotation resistant surface projection distance that is at least fifty percent of the minimum secondary portion bore wall thickness within the primary portion overlap region.

14. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the rotation resistant surface projects inward from the secondary portion interface surface a rotation resistant surface projection distance that is at least fifty percent of the minimum secondary portion bore wall thickness within the primary portion overlap region.

15. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the primary portion overlap region length is at least 25% of the secondary portion length.

16. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the primary portion overlap region length is at least 75% of the secondary portion length.

17. The assembly of claim 10 , further including at least one translation resistant flange that forms the translation resistant surface with the translation resistant surface projection angle of substantially 90 degrees.

18. The assembly of claim 17 , wher

Assignees

• Taylor Made Golf Co

Inventors

• Barelmann Daniel R
• Yu Joseph

Classifications

• A63B60/00

  Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like · CPC title

• A63B53/02 Primary

  Joint structures between the head and the shaft · CPC title

• A63B53/0466

  wood-type · CPC title

• A63B60/50

  with through-holes (A63B60/18 takes precedence; for stringing purposes A63B49/00) · CPC title

• A63B2053/0491

  with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable · CPC title