Golf club sensor housing
AssigneeKarsten Manufacturing Corporation
InventorsLes J. Bryant, Rick D. MacMillan, Kelsey E. McGinty, Paul D. Wood
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various embodiments of a golf club senor housing are described herein. The sensor housing can include a cover and a base that enclose a sensor therebetween. The sensor housing can be designed to sit on the end of a grip in a position that is non-obtrusive to the user. The sensor housing can further be configured to minimizes the impact on the center of gravity (CG) of the golf club by including mass reducing features. The sensor housing is also configured to sit lower on the grip and reduce the length that it projects outward from the grip butt end. Reducing the added length from the sensor housing creates a less-obtrusive feature.
Claims20
A golf club comprising:
- a club head, a shaft, a grip, and a sensor housing, wherein:
- the grip comprises a tip end proximate the shaft, a butt end opposite the tip end, a front, and a rear;
- the grip defines a longitudinal axis extending from a geometric center of the butt end to a geometric center of the tip end;
- the butt end of the grip defines a grip surface;
- the grip defines a grip aperture near the butt end for receiving a portion of the sensor housing;
- the sensor housing comprises a cover, and a base, wherein:
- the cover comprises a hollow cylinder having a cover top edge, a cover bottom edge, a cover inner surface, and a cover outer surface;
- the cover defines a rim near the cover top edge;
- the rim extends inwardly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and forms an entire uninterrupted perimeter of a top opening, and the cover bottom edge defines a bottom opening;
- the cover further defines a plurality of windows located at an offset from the cover bottom edge, and a plurality of thinned regions below each of the plurality of windows;
- a lower portion of the cover below the plurality of windows is solid;
- the base comprises a disk and a post, wherein;
- the disk comprises a disk top surface, a disk bottom surface, a disk perimeter, and a plurality of tabs;
- the post extends from the disk bottom surface, and wherein the post comprises a plurality of thickened portions;
- the base is received by the cover through the bottom opening, and the plurality of tabs are received by the plurality of windows such that the base is located at an offset from the cover bottom edge;
- the plurality of tabs extend perpendicularly through the plurality of windows;
- the cover inner surface and the disk top surface define a sensor cavity for housing a sensor;
- and
- the disk bottom surface and the lower portion of the cover define a lower cavity, wherein the lower portion of the cover is solid to form a substantially sealed lower cavity;
- the butt end of the grip is at least partially received in the lower cavity, and at least 50% of the grip surface is in contact with the disk bottom surface;
- the post is received by the grip aperture to secure the sensor housing to the grip;
- and
- the sensor housing remains within the grip surface and does not overhang a perimeter of the grip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.