Apparatus and method for measuring head speed and opening angle using six sensors arranged in a rectangular format

• US 5,614,823 A
• Filed: 04/13/1995
• Issued: 03/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Katayama, Hiroyuki, Ohshima, Shinji, Teraguchi, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phillips, Roger
• Application Number:
  US08/421,315
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 273/187.1, 273/35 R, 273/183.1, 273/191 R, 273/192, 273/195 R, 324/178, 324/175
• US Class Current: 324/178
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3614 using electro-magnetic, magnetic or ultrasonic radiation emitted, reflected or interrupted by the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for measuring head speed and an opening angle. At least four sensors are disposed at each vertex of a defined rectangle. An instrumentation device measures differences in time between instants in which a moving head intercepts rays of light toward the sensors, respectively. An arithmetic unit calculates head speed and an opening angle on the basis of the measured time differences.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring head speed and an opening angle of a moving head as it impacts a projectile, comprising:

at least six sensors, four of said sensors being disposed each at a vertex of a defined rectangle and at least two of said sensors being disposed each on an opposed long side of said rectangle for detecting interception of light caused by said moving head;

an instrumentation means for measuring time differences between instants in which the moving head intercepts rays of light aimed toward the sensors, respectively; and

an arithmetic unit for calculating head speed and an opening angle on the basis of the time differences measured by said instrumentation means.

3. The apparatus for measuring head speed and an opening angle as set forth in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the sensors are light sensors for detecting light from light projectors.

6. The apparatus for measuring head speed and an opening angle as set forth in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein one pair of opposing faces of the rectangle are arranged perpendicular to the direction of the intended path of the club-head.

2. An apparatus for measuring head speed and an opening angle of a moving head as it impacts a projectile, comprising:

at least six sensors, four of said sensors being disposed each at a vertex of a defined rectangle and at least two of said sensors being disposed each on an opposed long side of said rectangle for detecting interception of light caused by said moving head;

an instrumentation means for measuring time differences between instants in which the moving head intercepts rays of light aimed toward the sensors, respectively; and

an arithmetic unit for calculating head speed, an opening angle, head acceleration, and a change in the opening angle on the basis of the time differences measured by said instrumentation means.

4. A method for measuring head speed and an opening angle of a moving head as it impacts a projectile, in which four sensors are each disposed at a vertex of a defined rectangle and at least two sensors are each disposed on an opposed long side of said rectangle, comprising the steps of:

intercepting successive rays of light aimed toward the sensors by motion of the moving head;

measuring time differences between instants in which the moving head intercepts rays of light aimed toward the sensors, respectively; and

calculating both a head speed and an opening angle on the basis of the measured time differences.

5. A method for measuring head speed and an opening angle of a moving head as it impacts a projectile, in which four sensors are each disposed at a vertex of a defined rectangle and at least two sensors are each disposed on an opposed long side of said rectangle, comprising the steps of:

intercepting successive rays of light aimed toward the sensors by motion of the moving head;

measuring time differences between instants in which the moving head intercepts rays of light aimed toward the sensors, respectively; and

calculating head speed, an opening angle, head acceleration, and change in the opening angle on the basis of the measuring time differences.