WO2004052470A2

WO2004052470A2 - Grip for golf club

Info

Publication number: WO2004052470A2
Application number: PCT/GB2003/005365
Authority: WO
Inventors: Douglas Boyd Buchanan
Original assignee: Topsport Golf Bv
Priority date: 2002-12-11
Filing date: 2003-12-10
Publication date: 2004-06-24
Also published as: GB0228834D0; AU2003295097A8; GB2397771A; WO2004052470A3; AU2003295097A1

Abstract

A grip assembly for a golf club (10) is provided. The grip assembly includes an elongate, thin-walled, tubular, parallel-sided grip member (14) having a sufficiently large diameter such that a shaft(11) will fit within the grip member. First and second support insert members (17,18) support and space the shaft (11) from the grip member (14) such that a void is formed within the grip member. The grip member (14) is provided with holes (20) such that air is allowed to circulate within the void thereby providing a cooling effect for the grip. The holes (20) also provide a frictional effect for the grip. The inside surfaces of the support members (17,18) are chamfered to assist in draining any moisture that may enter the void. The inserts (17,18) are made of elastomeric material of differing Shore hardness.

Description

GRIPS FOR GOLF CLUBS

This invention relates to grips for golf clubs. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a design of grip assembly that can be used on woods, so-called metal woods, irons and putters.

In my published UK patent application Nos GB 2361873A; GB 2361874A and GB 2356351A, there are disclosed golf clubs comprising a head, a grip and a shaft connecting the head and the grip wherein the grip comprises an elongate, thin- walled, tubular, hollow grip member having a cross- sectional dimension substantially greater than the shaft and wherein first and second support members space the grip member from the shaft whereby a void is formed between the grip member and the shaft . The present invention provides an improved grip over those disclosed in the above mentioned published patent applications.

According to the present invention, there is provided a grip for a golf club, the golf club having a head and a shaft connected to the head, the grip comprising an elongate, thin-walled, tubular, hollow grip member having a cross-sectional dimension substantially greater than the shaft such that the shaft will fit within the grip member, first and second support members spacing the shaft from the grip member whereby a void is formed within the grip wherein the grip member is provided with a plurality of holes such that air may circulate within the void and contact the hands of a golfer when gripping the club.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein :-

Figure 1 illustrates a golf club using the grip of the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a part cross-sectional view of a grip according to the invention; Figure 3 represents a perspective view of thin-walled, tubular grip member; Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of the two halves making up the thin-walled, tubular grip member;

Figure 5 is a part cross-sectional view of the interlocking halves of the thin-walled, tubular, grip member;

Figure 6 illustrates a patterned configuration of the holes of the invention;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 3 but of another example; and, Figure 8 illustrates a further example.

In Figure 1 there is shown a golf club 10 having a shaft 11 connected to a grip 12 and head 13. Grip 12 is in accordance with an example of the present invention and is shown in greater detail in Figure 2. In Figure 2 grip or grip assembly 12 is seen to comprise an elongate thin- walled, tubular, parallel sided hollow grip member 14 having a club head end 15 and shaft head end 16. Grip member 14 has a sufficiently large cross-sectional dimension such that shaft 11 can be supported within grip member 14 at the club head end 15 by a first support member or insert 17 and at the shaft head end 16 by a second support member or insert 18. Support members 17 and 18 space the shaft from the grip member such that a void 19 is formed within grip 12. In accordance with an important part of the present invention grip member 14 is formed with a plurality of holes or perforations 20. Holes 20 perform the important function of allowing air to enter void 19 which may circulate particularly due to the swinging of club 10 and contact the hands of a golfer using the club and thus provide a cooling effect on the hands. This can be very important in hot climates or when a golfer is prone to perspire easily. It should be noted that US patent 5575473 (Turner) discloses a grip having a vent hole 22 in the grip wall. However, it is believed that a single hole such as disclosed in Turner would not allow sufficient circulation of air within the grip member to provide a cooling action, nor would a single hole provide any frictional effect for gripping the club. In addition to supporting shaft 11 within the grip member 14 first and second support members 17, 18 have a number of important functions. Firstly they act as seals between the shaft 11 and the grip member 14 so that any water or moisture entering void 19 must drain through holes 20. First support member 17 is stepped at 22 to form a somewhat T- shaped section with a vertical wall or shoulder 23. The inner end 24 has an inwardly directed chamfer 25 sloping towards shaft head end 16 and down to a shoulder 26 prior to contacting shaft 11. Outer end 27 has an outwardly directed chamfer 28 sloping down to a shoulder 29 and acts as a transition piece between the large cross-sectional dimension grip member 14 and shaft 11. Inwardly directed V-shaped spurs 30 formed on the inside 31 of grip member 14 are a snap fit into annular depressions moulded into the elastomeric material of which first support member 17 is made and assist in locking grip member 14 securely thereto. Second support member 18 likewise is stepped at 32 to form a somewhat T-shape with a head 33 having a vertical wall or shoulder 34 and an annular outer ring or surface 35. Inwardly directed V-shaped spurs 36 are a snap fit in annular depressions moulded into second elastomeric support member 18 and assist in locking grip member 14 thereto. Grip member 14 is also constrained between the shoulders 23 and 34 acting as restraining walls. Inner end 37 has an inwardly directed chamfer 38 sloping towards clubhead end 15 and down to shaft 11. Chamfers 25,38 serve to assist in draining any water that may have entered void 19. First and second support members 17,18 are fixed relative to grip member 14 and shaft 11 by suitable adhesive or double sided tape. With the exception of chamfered surface 28 on insert 17 and the visible surface 35 on insert 18 all surfaces on the inserts 17,18 will be subjected to sandblasting (as opposed to shot blasting) or the like. This treatment ensures that the surfaces of the inserts will have a textured finish which assists the inserts in sliding relative to the shaft and grip member and enhances the fixing effect of the adhesive.

Because tapered outer end 27 of first support member 17 is not constrained within grip member 14, it will be free to deform under impact to a greater or lesser extent and thus will tend to absorb a certain amount of impact energy. This can be assisted by the selection of a particular Shore hardness for the elastomeric material forming the support members 17,18. Shore hardnesses used can range from 30-35; 40-45; 50-55; 60-65; 70-75 and 80-90 depending on the properties desired. For example, a 60 shore hardness material will be used on a club when distance is required and an 80 shore hardness will be used on a club being used for accuracy. The material Neoprene is particularly useful when shock absorbancy is desired, for example, in the case of golfers with such conditions as golfers elbow or tennis elbow or arthritic conditions. In this connection, the outer annular surface 35 on the T- shaped head 33 of second support member 18 can be used to provide the very useful feature of a colour coding for a particular function, for example, the surface can be coloured green for distance, yellow or gold for accuracy and red for shock absorbancy. A mechanical locking assembly 39 is arranged at shaft head end 16 of the grip member 14 providing a safety feature for the grip. This comprises an outer end cap 40, made of a stable polymer material, such as ABS, an intermediate expanding cylindrical bush member 41, locking nut 42 and a small diameter locking screw 43 of high tensile material, e.g., SS. A lightweight material such as Titanium may also be used for the screw 43. End cap 40 has a curved outer portion 44 and a parallel stem 45 which fits within shaft 11 with a neat sliding or push fit. Expanding bush 41 is of suitable elastomeric material and tapers inwardly and upwardly towards the inside of shaft 11. A locking screw 43 (not shown) will extend through the clearance holes in the end cap 40 and bush 41 to engage locking nut 42. The turning of locking screw 43 causes the locking nut 42 to move towards the end cap 40 and compresses expanding bush 41 thereby locking it against the inside of shaft 11. The locking arrangement can be released by reversing the operation. Thus the grip of the invention can be assembled to a new shaft 11 or retro-fitted to a golf club with an existing grip provided the existing grip is first removed. The grip of the invention is also useful if it is desired, say, to change the golf club from one designed for distance to one designed for accuracy. Grip member 14 as best seen in Figure 3 can be made in two halves by moulding as illustrated in Figure 4. In this case, the holes 20 will be formed in-situ by the moulding tool and two internal locking seams 46, flush with the outside diameter of grip member 14 as illustrated in Figure 5 will be provided, also to assist the moulding process the grip member instead of being parallel sided may have a slight taper or draft. Alternatively, grip member 14 can be made by drilling the holes in a flat sheet of suitable material e.g., GRP and thereafter rolling it into the circular shape of grip member 14.

Holes 20 may be parallel as shown in sectioned wall 21, Figure 2, but may vary in shape and in section. For example, they may be square, triangular, slotted, even trapezoidal and may have a patterned configuration as shown in Figure 6. The holes 20 will extend along the length of the grip member 14, as shown in Figure 3 with the exception of a plain band at each end just where the grip member will encircle the inserts 17,18. In a preferred embodiment of the invention grip member 14 complete with holes 20 will be made from ABS or similar high impact mouldable material. Grip member 14 has a diameter of approximately 1 inch (25.4mm) with a wall thickness of 1mm, whilst the diameter of holes 20 can be as large as can comfortably be accommodated on grip member 14 but will probably range from 1.0mm or 1.5mm to 12mm. Preferred diameters are 1mm (after any coating has been applied) or in the range 1 to 1.5mm. This will ensure that the viscosity of water will prevent the water from passing through the holes 20 into the interior of the grip member 14.

In other examples, aluminium may be used for the grip member 14. This would allow the use of a smaller diameter grip member, say 20mm to 23mm. Also, it would be easier to form the holes either by drilling or punching. A small amount of indenting will usually take place which will result in a reinforcing of the grip member 14. The aluminium tube will be coated with a plastics material, probably polyurethane . Also, if aluminium is used, it would be possible to use an inner mandrill to help make the holes .

An alternative approach is to use larger diameter holes 20, say over 6mm. This would allow for better air movement and evaporation. In addition, a preponderance of holes 20 could be located adjacent each end on the basis that hotter air in void 19 will tend to rise and this will aid evaporation. They will be required at each end since the clustered holes will be reversed when the club is in use and when it is stored in the golf bag. Figure 7 illustrates this idea.

It is important that the holes are not in any pattern which could be recognised by the fingers, otherwise the grip will not conform to the rules of golf.

In the examples described so far, the holes 20 are provided along the side wall of the grip member 14. Figure 8 illustrates a further example in which holes 20' are provided in a conical end section 14 ' ' of the grip member 14' and an end cap 50 at the other end of the grip member 14 ' . This embodiment is advantageous since it allows for the possibility that the movement during the downswing and through swing could tend to drive air along the grip member 14' in the void 19 to give a move positive cooling effect. It would also allow the grip member 14' to be plain without perforations. Of course, holes 20 could also be provided in the side wall as in the previous examples. ^• Hole centre locations can vary dependent on size and tube material . The material for the inserts or support members can be of various polymers. Generally it has been found that the better the material memory the faster the response time. A slower memory is more shock absorbent. A length of 15mm for the resilient inserts is believed the minimum for adequate gluing and also appears to distort adequately. Inserts longer than this will have more resistance to movement. The materials for the respective inserts need not be the same and a mixture of same may be used. A length of 11 inches (280mm) is envisaged for grip member 14.

Typically, the surface of grip member 14 will be finished in such a way that will not allow smooth water movement, e.g. sandblasting.

Claims

1. A grip for a golf club, the golf club having a head and a shaft connected to the head, the grip comprising an elongate, thin-walled, tubular, hollow grip member having a cross-sectional dimension substantially greater than the shaft such that the shaft will fit within the grip member, first and second support members spacing the shaft from the grip member whereby a void is formed within the grip wherein the grip member is provided with a plurality of holes such that air may circulate within the void and contact the hands of a golfer when gripping the club.

2. A grip according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the holes are formed in a side wall of the grip member.

3. A grip according to claim 2, wherein the holes are unevenly distributed along the grip member.

4. A grip according to claim 3, wherein some of the holes are grouped in bands at each end of the grip member.

5. A grip according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the holes are provided at each end of the grip member.

6. A grip according to any of the preceding claims, wherein locking members are formed on the inside of the grip member to lock against the support members.

7. A grip according to claim 6, wherein the locking members are V-shaped spurs.

8. A grip according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the holes in the grip member range from 1 to 12mm in diameter.

9. A grip according to claim 8, wherein the holes in the grip member range from 1 to 1.5mm in diameter.

10. A grip according to claim 8, wherein the holes in the grip member have diameters in excess of 6mm.

11. A grip according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the holes are positioned so as not to accommodate the holder's fingers.

12. A grip according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the grip member is moulded.

13. A grip according to any of claims 1 to 11, wherein the grip member is rolled from flat material.

14. A grip according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the support members are chamfered to assist any water that has entered the void to drain therefrom.

15. A grip according to claim 14, wherein the chamfer on a first support member slopes downwardly and inwardly towards the shaft head end of the grip member.

16. A grip according to claim 14, wherein the chamfer on a second support member slopes downwardly and inwardly towards the club head end of the grip member.

17. A grip according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a portion of one of the support members is used to provide a visible indication of the function of the support member.

18. A grip according to claim 17, wherein the portion of the support member is coloured.

19. A grip according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the support members are made of elastomeric material having a Shore hardness selected from the range 30-35; 40-45; 50-55; 60-65; 70-75 and 80-90.

20. A grip according to any of the preceding claims, wherein one of the support members is made from an elastomeric material having a slow memory for shock absorbancy.

21. A grip for a golf club according to claim 20, wherein the material is Neoprene .

22. A grip according to any of the preceding claims, including a mechanical locking assembly engageable against a shaft to which the grip is to be fitted.

23. A grip according to claim 22, including an expanding elastomeric bush.

24. A grip according to claim 23, wherein the expanding bush tapers outwardly and inwardly towards the shaft .

25. A grip for a golf club, the golf club having a head and a shaft connected to the head, the grip comprising an elongate, thin-walled, tubular, hollow grip member having a cross-sectional dimension substantially greater than the shaft such that the shaft will fit within the grip member, first and second support members spacing the shaft from the grip member whereby a void is formed within the grip, the first and second support members being adhesively fixed between the shaft and the grip member, the support members being treated to thereby enhance the fixing effect of the adhesive.

26. A grip for a golf club according to claim 25, wherein selected areas of the support members are provided with a textured finish.

27. A grip for a golf club according to claim 26, wherein the selected areas are sandblasted.

28. A grip for a golf club according to any of claims 25 to 27, wherein the grip member includes means to assist the locking of the grip member to the support members .

29. A grip according to claim 28, wherein said means comprises V-shaped spurs formed on the inside of the grip member .

30. A grip comprising a combination of any of claims 1 to 24 and any of claims 25 to 29.