Composite shaft for a golf club
First Claim
1. A golf club shaft having a length between a tip end and a butt end, comprising:
- at least two biased plies extending approximately the length of the shaft; and
at least two longitudinal plies extending substantially less than the length of the shaft, wherein;
the at least two biased plies contain fibers oriented at a substantial angle transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shaft;
the at least two longitudinal plies contain fibers oriented approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft;
one of the at least two longitudinal plies aligns with the tip end of the shaft;
one of the at least two longitudinal plies aligns with the butt end of the shaft; and
the at least two longitudinal plies at least partially overlap each other.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A lightweight composite golf club shaft and method for its manufacture. The shaft preferably includes at least two biased plies extending approximately the length of the shaft and at least two longitudinal plies extending substantially less than the length of the shaft. The at least two biased plies contain fibers oriented at a substantial angle transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shaft. The at least two longitudinal plies contain fibers oriented approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. One of the at least two longitudinal plies aligns with the tip end of the shaft. One of the at least two longitudinal plies aligns with the butt end of the shaft. The at least two longitudinal plies at least partially overlap each other. The method for constructing such a shaft preferably includes rolling the plies onto a mandrel to form a rolled assembly where the plies are then fused together.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A golf club shaft having a length between a tip end and a butt end, comprising:
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at least two biased plies extending approximately the length of the shaft; and
at least two longitudinal plies extending substantially less than the length of the shaft, wherein;
the at least two biased plies contain fibers oriented at a substantial angle transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shaft;
the at least two longitudinal plies contain fibers oriented approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft;
one of the at least two longitudinal plies aligns with the tip end of the shaft;
one of the at least two longitudinal plies aligns with the butt end of the shaft; and
the at least two longitudinal plies at least partially overlap each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31)
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12. A method for constructing a golf club shaft with a corresponding longitudinal axis and length extending between a tip end and a butt end of the shaft, the method comprising the steps of:
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forming a laminar subassembly of plural angularly biased plies;
rolling the subassembly onto a mandrel defining an inner contour of the shaft, including a tip end of the mandrel and a butt end of the mandrel corresponding to a tip end of the shaft and a butt end of the shaft;
positioning a first longitudinal ply substantially shorter than the biased plies, the first longitudinal ply approximately aligned with the tip end of the shaft;
positioning a second longitudinal ply substantially shorter than the biased plies, the second longitudinal ply approximately aligned with the butt end of the shaft; and
rolling the longitudinal plies onto the subassembly to form a rolled assembly, wherein;
the plural biased plies contain fibers oriented transverse to a longitudinal axis and extend the length of the shaft;
the mandrel shares the longitudinal axis of the shaft; and
the longitudinal plies contain fibers oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis and at least partially overlap each other.
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23. A method for constructing a golf club shaft with a corresponding longitudinal axis and length extending between a tip end and a butt end of the shaft, the method comprising:
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forming a laminar subassembly of plural angularly biased plies;
positioning longitudinal plies substantially shorter than the biased plies onto the subassembly to form a laminar assembly;
rolling the laminar assembly onto a mandrel to form a shaft;
wherein;
the biased plies approximately extend the length of the shaft, and at least partially overlap each other, the biased plies containing fibers oriented at a substantial angle transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shaft; and
the longitudinal plies extend substantially less than the length of the shaft, the longitudinal plies containing fibers oriented approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.
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24. The method of 23, further comprising fusing the plies together.
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25. The method of 23, wherein:
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the fibers in one of the at least two biased plies are oriented at an angle within a range of approximately 25-degrees to 65-degrees transverse to the longitudinal axis; and
the fibers in another of the at least two biased plies are oriented at an angle within a range of approximately 115-degrees to 155-degrees transverse to the longitudinal axis.
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28. The method of 27, wherein another of the longitudinal plies aligns with the butt end of the shaft and with a reference corresponding to a 180-degree position of rotation on the mandrel.
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32. A golf club shaft, comprising:
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two biased plies with pre-impregnated fibers oriented with a bias, the first biased ply with fibers oriented at an angle in the range of approximately 25-degrees to 65-degrees transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shaft and the second biased ply with fibers oriented at an angle in the range of approximately 115-degrees to 155-degrees transverse to the longitudinal axis, both biased plies extending approximately an entire length of the shaft;
two longitudinal plies with pre-impregnated fibers oriented approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, both longitudinal plies extending substantially less than the entire length of the shaft; and
a butt end reinforcement ply;
wherein;
one of the longitudinal plies aligns with a tip end of the shaft and another of the longitudinal plies aligns with a butt end of the shaft;
one of the longitudinal plies at least partially overlaps the other; and
the butt end reinforcement ply aligns with the butt end of the shaft. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification