GOLF CLUB

• US 20170216692A1
• Filed: 01/27/2017
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: TERADA, Takahiro, YATAKA, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 10,010,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/74 with powered illuminating means, e.g. lights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/00 Golf clubs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/14 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/16 Caps; Ferrules
• 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

Abstract

A golf club has within the grip a main device, a connector, a wireless module, an antenna, a light emitting element, and an optical fiber. The main device is a device that includes a sensor such as a motion sensor, a circuit such as a CPU, and a battery. The light emitting element is an indicating means that emits light in accordance with the state of a component mounted in the golf club. The light emitted by the light emitting element is guided to the grip end by the optical fiber and emitted to the outside of the grip via the grip end.

Claims

1. A golf club that is used in a fitting service that selects a golf club suited to a golfer and that has a shaft and a grip, comprising:

components mounted in the interior of the grip, including at least a sensor that detects motion of the golfer, a wireless module that modulates a signal output by the sensor, and an antenna that is connected to the wireless module; and

a light emitting element that is mounted in the interior of the grip and that indicates the state of the components,

wherein the antenna is provided at a position nearer to the grip end of the grip than the light emitting element, and an optical fiber is provided that propagates the emission light emitted from the light emitting element to the outside of the grip end.

2. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the components mounted in the interior of the grip further include a battery that supplies electrical power to the sensor and the wireless module, and the light emitting elements indicates the charge state of the battery.

3. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting element indicates the wireless connection state between the wireless module and an external computer.

4. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting element indicates a disconnection state between components mounted in the interior of the grip.

5. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein a shaft end of a shaft inserted in the interior of the grip is positioned closer to the head than the grip end;

and

the antenna is disposed in a region between the shaft end and the grip end within the grip.

6. The golf club according to claim 5, wherein a connector that is an interface for connecting an external device, the light emitting element, and the sensor are disposed in that order in the direction leading from the shaft end to the head at the region in the interior of the shaft that is in the interior of the grip.

7. A motion detection device that is provided in a grip and that detects motion of a player, comprising:

components mounted in the interior of the grip, including at least a sensor that detects motion of the player, a wireless module that modulates a signal output by the sensor, and an antenna that is connected to the wireless module; and

a light emitting element that is mounted in the interior of the grip and that indicates the state of the components,

wherein the antenna is provided at a position nearer to the grip end of the grip than the light emitting element, and an optical fiber is provided that propagates the emission light emitted from the light emitting element to the outside of the grip end.