Golf shaft and method of manufacturing the same
AssigneeTaylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
InventorsPhilippe Renard, Todd Beach, Eric Zedelmayer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A golf club shaft having a hollow body comprised of a fiber and resin composite and a tube-shaped stiffener substantially surrounding a lower portion of the body which comprises a material other than a fiber and resin composite. The stiffener is preferably a metal and comprises a pre-formed sheath.
Claims19
A hollow golf club shaft of circular cross section comprising:
- a fiber and resin-base hollow body extending substantially the entire length of the shaft from a large butt end to a smaller tip end;
- and
- a lower tubular member surrounding said hollow body along a lower covered portion of said hollow body which extends substantially from the tip end to an upper end situated below the median point of the shaft, the remainder of the hollow body constituting a free upper portion of the hollow body, at said upper end, the lower covered portion of said hollow body comprises a short flared portion having an outer surface flaring progressively and locally with respect to the general variation of the hollow body;
- and said tubular member having complementary locally flared portion comprising an inner surface in engagement which the outer surface of said flared portion of said hollow body.
A golf club shaft having a butt end, a tip end and a median point comprising a hollow body comprised of fiber and resin composite extending substantially the length of the shaft from the butt end to the tip end and a tube-shaped stiffener comprising a material other than fiber and resin composite which substantially surrounds the lower portion of the body and extends between the tip end of the body and a point below the median point of the shaft, said tube-shaped stiffener including an upper end, at said upper end the lower covered portion of said hollow body comprises a short flared portion having an outer surface flaring progressively and locally with respect to the general variation of the hollow body;
- and said tubular member having complementary locally flared portion comprising an inner surface in engagement with the outer surface of said flared portion of said hollow body.
A golf club, comprising:
- a golf club head having no hosel and defining an embedding hole extending through a heel of said head from a top surface to a bottom surface of said heel;
- and
- a hollow golf club shaft of circular cross section comprising:
- a fiber and resin-base hollow body extending substantially the entire length of the shaft from a large butt end to a smaller tip end;
- and
- a lower tubular member partially surrounding said hollow body along a lower covered portion of said hollow body which extends substantially from the tip end to an upper end situated below the median point of the shaft, the remainder of the hollow body constituting a free upper portion of the hollow body, wherein a portion of said shaft is positioned within said embedding hole and said tubular member of the shaft extends upward beyond the top surface of said heel of said club head, at said upper end, the lower covered portion of said hollow body comprises a short flared portion having an outer surface flaring progressively and locally with respect to the general variation of the hollow body;
- and said tubular member having complementary locally flared portion comprising an inner surface in engagement with the outer surface of said flared portion of said hollow body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.