Shaft behavior automatic measuring system

• US 20070105639A1
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,686,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/221
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/10 Non-metallic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/12 Metallic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3614 using electro-magnetic, magnetic or ultrasonic radiation emitted, reflected or interrupted by the golf club

Abstract

A shaft behavior automatic measuring system 2 according to the present invention includes a metal member 14 provided on a surface of a shaft 8 in a golf club 4, and a radar device 6 to be a Dopper radar. The radar device 6 has at least one transmitting portion for emitting a radar wave to the metal member 14 in the golf club 4 during a swing and at least three receiving portions 16 for receiving the radar wave reflected from the metal member 14. The shaft behavior automatic measuring system 2 includes a calculating portion for calculating three-dimensional coordinates of the metal member 14 based on a signal received by the at least three receiving portions 16. A coating material containing metal powder, a resin sheet containing metal powder, a metallic foil and a metallic thin film are taken as an example of the metal member 14.

Claims

1. A shaft behavior automatic measuring system comprising:

a metal member provided on a surface of a shaft attached to a golf club and a Doppler radar;

the Doppler radar including at least one transmitting portion for emitting a radar wave to the metal member in the golf club during a swing and at least three receiving portions for receiving the radar wave reflected from the metal member, and

a calculating portion for calculating three-dimensional coordinates of the metal member based on a signal received by the at least three receiving portions.

2. The shaft behavior automatic measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the metal member is set to be a coating material containing metal powder, a resin sheet containing metal powder, a metallic foil or a metallic thin film, and a total weight of the metal member is equal to or smaller than 3% of a total weight of the club.

3. The shaft behavior automatic measuring system according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the transmitting portion and receiving portion and the metal member is 0.5 to 8 m within a full range of the swing.