GOLF CLUB WITH INTERCHANGEABLE HEAD-SHAFT CONNECTIONS

• US 20060105855A1
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Cackett, Matthew T., Hocknell, Alan, Erickson, Joel B., Ogg, Steven S., Blanke, Jerry V., Lenhof, Konrad
• Granted Patent: US 7,083,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/306
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/14 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/22 Adjustable handles

Abstract

A golf club (20) having a club head (22) with an interchangeable shaft (40) is disclosed herein. The golf club (20) includes a tube (44, 144) mounted in the club head (22), and a sleeve (46, 146) mounted on a tip end (50) of the shaft (40). The tube (44, 144) includes a tapered portion (60, 160) and a rotation prevention portion (62, 162). The sleeve (46, 146) has a frustoconical portion (72, 172) and a keyed portion (74, 174) that are respectively received in the tapered portion (60, 160) and the rotation prevention portion (62, 162) of the tube (44, 144). The golf club (20) further includes a mechanical fastener (48, 148) for removably securing the shaft (40) to the club head (22).

Claims

1. A golf club comprising:

a club head;

a tube mounted in the club head, the tube having an upper end with an inner diameter larger than an inner diameter at a lower end of the tube, the tube including a tapered portion and a rotation prevention portion, the rotation prevention portion defining a keyway having a non-circular configuration;

a shaft having a tip end removably mounted in the tube in the club head;

a sleeve mounted on the tip end of the shaft and disposed between the shaft and the tube, a lower section of the sleeve including a frustoconical portion and a keyed portion, the frustoconical portion extending along at least a quarter of the length of the lower section, the frustoconical portion being received in the tapered portion of the tube, the keyed portion being received in the rotation prevention portion of the tube, the keyed portion having an external configuration complementary to that of the keyway to prevent rotation of the shaft relative to the club head; and

a mechanical fastener removably securing the sleeve to the tube.

2. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the upper end of the tube is substantially flush with an exterior crown surface of the club head.

3. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the upper end of the tube extends above an exterior crown surface of the club head.

4. The golf club according to claim 1, further comprising a sealing gasket located between the upper end of the tube and one of the mechanical fastener and the sleeve.

5. The golf club according to claim 1 wherein each of the tube and the sleeve is composed of a metallic material.

6. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the tapered portion of the tube and the frustoconical portion of the sleeve is coated with an elastomeric material.

7. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the sleeve is spaced apart from the lower end of the tube.

8. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the tip end of the shaft is inserted into an opening formed in the sleeve, the tip end of the shaft being spaced apart from a bottom surface of the opening.

9. The golf club according to claim 1, further comprising an adhesive between the mechanical fastener and the tube, the adhesive preventing removal of the mechanical fastener.

10. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the tube is integrally formed with the club head.

11. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the club head includes a hosel, the tube being mounted in the hosel.

12. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical fastener is a nut having external threads, and an upper portion of the tube has internal threads for engaging the external threads of the nut.

13. The golf club according to claim 12, further comprising a cover disposed on the nut, the cover encasing an exposed surface of the nut when the nut is engaged with the tube.

14. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the tube is open and aligned with an opening in a sole portion of the club head.

15. The golf club according to claim 14, wherein the mechanical fastener is a socket screw having external threads, and a lower portion of the sleeve has internal threads for engaging the external threads of the socket screw, the socket screw being inserted into the opening in the sole portion of the club head.

16. The golf club according to claim 15, further comprising an adhesive between a head of the socket screw and the tube, the adhesive preventing removal of the socket screw.

17. The golf club according to claim 15, wherein a lower portion of the tube includes a flange, a head of the socket screw abutting the flange when the socket screw is secured to the sleeve.

18. The golf club according to claim 16, wherein a lower end of the sleeve is spaced apart from the flange.

19. A golf club comprising:

a club head;

a tube mounted in the club head, the tube being composed of a metallic material and having an upper end with an inner diameter larger than an inner diameter at a lower end of the tube, the tube including a tapered portion and a rotation prevention portion, the rotation prevention portion being located below the tapered portion and defining a keyway having a non-circular configuration;

a shaft having a tip end removably mounted in the tube in the club head;

a sleeve mounted on the tip end of the shaft and disposed between the shaft and the tube, the sleeve being composed of a metallic material, a lower section of the sleeve including a frustoconical portion and a keyed portion, the frustoconical portion extending along at least a quarter of the length of the lower section, the frustoconical portion being received in the tapered portion of the tube, the keyed portion being received in the rotation prevention portion of the tube, the keyed portion having an external configuration complementary to that of the keyway to prevent rotation of the shaft relative to the club head; and

a mechanical fastener removably securing the sleeve to the tube.

20. The golf club according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the tapered portion of the tube and the frustoconical portion of the sleeve is coated with an elastomeric material.

21. The golf club according to claim 19, wherein a lower end of the sleeve is spaced apart from the lower end of the tube.

22. The golf club according to claim 19, wherein the tip end of the shaft is inserted into an opening formed in the sleeve, the tip end of the shaft being spaced apart from a bottom surface of the opening.

23. The golf club according to claim 19, further comprising a sealing gasket located between the upper end of the tube and one of the mechanical fastener and the sleeve.

24. The golf club according to claim 19, further comprising an adhesive between the mechanical fastener and the tube, the adhesive preventing removal of the mechanical fastener.

25. The golf club according to claim 19, wherein the mechanical fastener is a nut having external threads, and an upper portion of the tube has internal threads for engaging the external threads of the nut.

26. The golf club according to claim 19, wherein the lower end of the tube is open and aligns with an opening in a sole portion of the club head, the mechanical fastener is a socket screw having external threads, and a lower portion of the sleeve has internal threads for engaging the external threads of the socket screw, the socket screw being inserted into the opening in the sole portion of the club head.

27. The golf club according to claim 26, wherein a lower portion of the tube includes a flange, a head of the socket screw abutting the flange when the socket screw is secured to the sleeve, and wherein a lower end of the sleeve is spaced apart from the flange.