Strong, lightweight article containing a fine-grained metallic layer

• US 7,387,578 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Integran Technologies Incorporated (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Integran Technologies Incorporated (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCrea, Jonathan, Tomantschger, Klaus, Panagiotopoulos, Konstantinos, Erb, Uwe, Palumbo, Gino, Brooks, Iain, Limoges, David
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US11/013,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20060135281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 473316-323, 205/50, 205/67, 205/73, 205/80, 205/164, 205/255, 205/261, 205/271, 427/22, 427/230
• US Class Current: 473/320
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 87/00 Fishing rods
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 9/00 Details
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 49/10 made of non-metallic materials, other than wood
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/10 Non-metallic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/12 Metallic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 59/00 Bats, rackets, or the like, not covered by groups A63B49/00 - A63B57/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 59/50 Substantially rod-shaped bats for hitting a ball in the air, e.g. for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 59/70 with bent or angled lower parts for hitting a ball on the ground, on an ice-covered surface, or in the air, e.g. for hockey or hurling
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 1/00 Electroforming
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 15/00 Electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings containing embedded materials, e.g. particles, whiskers, wires
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 7/00 Electroplating characterised by the article coated
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/582 Recycling of unreacted starting or intermediate materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12028 Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12493 : Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12708 : Sn-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12778 : Alternative base metals from diverse categories
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/13 : Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24405 : Polymer or resin [e.g., natural or synthetic rubber, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24413 : Metal or metal compound
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/26 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component, the element or component having a specified physical dimension
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 : 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 : Of metal

Abstract

Articles for automotive, manufacturing and industrial applications including shafts or tubes used, for example, as golf club shafts, ski and hiking poles, fishing rods or bicycle frames, skate blades and snowboards are at least partially electroplated with fine-grained layers of selected metallic materials. Parts with complex geometry can be coated as well. Alternatively, articles such as conical or cylindrical golf club shafts, hiking pole shafts or fishing pole sections, plates or foils and the like can also be electroformed of fine-grained metallic materials on a suitable mandrel or temporary substrate to produce strong, ductile, lightweight components exhibiting a high coefficient of restitution and a high stiffness for use in numerous applications including sporting goods.

Claims

1. A golf club shaft comprising a polymeric material and a fine grained metallic layer extending over said polymeric material with or without an intermediate conductive layer, wherein the fine grained metallic layer has a thickness ranging from 30 μ

m and 5 cm, a modulus of resilience ranging from 0.25 MPa and 25 MPa and a weight between 5% and 95% of the total weight of the golf club shaft; and

the fine grained metallic layer has a microstructure with an average grain size between 0.004 μ

m and 10 μ

m;

said golf club shaft containing the metallic layer having a torsional stiffness per unit weight improved by at least about 5% when compared to the torsional stiffness per unit weight of the same golf club shaft not containing the metallic layer.

2. The golf club shaft of claim 1 wherein the fine grained metallic layer extends over at least a part of an inner surface of said polymer material.

3. The golf club shaft of claim 1 wherein the fine grained metallic layer extends over at least a part of an outer surface of said polymer material.

4. A golf club shaft comprising a polymeric material containing graphite/carbon fibers and a fine grained metallic layer extending over said polymeric material with or without an intermediate conductive layer, wherein the fine grained metallic layer has a thickness ranging from 30 μ

m to 5 cm, a modulus of resilience ranging from 0.25 MPa to 25 MPa and a weight between 5% and 95% of the total weight of the golf club shaft; and

the fine grained metallic layer has a microstructure with an average grain size between 0.004 μ

m and 10 μ

m;

said golf club shaft containing the metallic layer having a torsional stiffness per unit weight improved by at least about 5% when compared to the torsional stiffness per unit weight of the same golf club shaft not containing the metallic layer.

5. The golf club shaft of claim 4 wherein the fine grained metallic layer extends over at least part of an inner surface of said polymeric material.

6. The golf club shaft of claim 4 wherein the fine grained metallic layer extends over at least a part of an outer surface of said polymeric material.