Methods and apparatus for interchangeably coupling golf club heads and shafts

• US 7,413,518 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Solheim, John A., Cole, Eric V., Schweigert, Bradley D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blau; Stephen L.
• Application Number:
  US11/613,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20080146368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 473305-310, 473/288, 473298-299
• US Class Current: 473/288
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/57 Distinct end coupler

Abstract

Embodiments of methods and apparatus for interchangeably coupling golf club heads and shafts are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a body having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion to interchangeably couple a first golf club head with a shaft, the first golf club head being associated with a right-handed golf club; and

the second portion to interchangeably couple a second golf club head with the shaft, the second golf club head being associated with a left-handed golf club;

wherein the first portion is incompatible to couple the second golf club head to the shaft, and the portion is incompatible to couple the first golf club head to the shaft.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises one or more external screw treads to engage one or more internal screw threads associated with the first golf club head.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the second portion comprises one or more external screw threads to engage one or more internal screw threads associated with the second golf club head.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first portion or the second portion comprises at least one of a cylindrical portion or a conical portion.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein a diameter of a cross section associated with the first portion is greater than a diameter of a cross section associated with the second portion.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein a diameter of a cross section associated with the second portion is greater than a diameter of a cross section associated with the first portion.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a third portion located between the first and second portions to separate the first and second portions.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a chamfer located between a flange and at least one of the first portion or the second portion, wherein the flange comprises a bore to hold a portion of the shaft.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a first end tapering to a second end, wherein at least one of the first portion or the second portion is located at or proximate to the first end, and wherein at least one of the first portion or the second portion is located at or proximate to the second end.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 further comprising a cavity at the second end to hold an insert weight.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein a diameter of a cross section of the first portion is substantially constant along a length of the first portion.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein a diameter of a cross section of the second portion is substantially constant along a length of the second portion.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein a diameter of a cross section of the first portion is substantially constant along a length of the first portion.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, further comprising:

a third portion between the first portion and the second portion;

wherein

the third portion comprises a first section, a second section, and a third section between the first section and the second section;

the first section comprises the diameter of the cross section of the first portion; and

the second section comprises the diameter of the cross section of the second portion.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the first portion further comprises external clockwise screw threads;

the second portion further comprises external counterclockwise screw threads;

the first portion couples the first golf club head to the shaft when the first golf club head is rotated in a clockwise manner onto the external clockwise screw threads of the first portion, and

the second portion couples the second golf club head to the shaft when the second golf club head is rotated in a counterclockwise manner onto the external counterclockwise screw threads of the second portion.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the first portion further comprises external counterclockwise screw threads;

the second portion further comprises external clockwise screw threads;

the first portion couples the first golf club head to the shaft when the first golf club head is rotated in a counterclockwise manner onto the external counterclockwise screw threads of the first portion, and

the second portion couples the second golf club head to the shaft when the second golf club head is rotated in a clockwise manner onto the external clockwise screw threads of the second portion.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein at east the second portion comprises a conical section or tapering tailored to fit within a complementary conical section or tapering at or proximate to a bottom end of a bore in the second golf club head and in the first golf club head.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a non-threaded portion between the first portion and the second portion.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a body having a surface, a first end, and a second end;

a first plurality of ridges on the surface of the body at or proximate to the first end to interchangeably connect a first golf club head with a shaft, the first golf club head having a first club face characteristic; and

a second plurality of ridges on the surface of the body at or proximate to the second end to interchangeably connect a second golf club head with the shaft, the second golf club head having a second club face characteristic,

wherein the first and second club face characteristics are opposite of each other; and

wherein the first plurality of ridges cannot secure the second golf club head to the shaft, and the second plurality of ridges cannot secure the first golf club head to the shaft.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the first golf club head comprises a club face on a right side of the first golf club head, and wherein the second golf club head comprises a club face on a left side of the second golf club head.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein an area of a first cross section is greater than an area of a second cross section, the first cross section being located at or proximate to the first end and the second cross section being located at or proximate to the second end.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the surface comprises a ridge-less portion between the first and second plurality of ridges.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein an area of a first cross section is less than or equal to an area of a second cross section and greater than an area of a third cross section, the first cross section being associated with a ridge-less portion of the surface between the first and second plurality of ridges, the second cross section being at or proximate to the first end, and the third cross section being at or proximate to the second end.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 19 further comprising a chamfer located between a flange and at least one of the first portion or the second portion, wherein the flange comprises a bore to hold a portion of the shaft.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein at least one of the first or second plurality of ridges comprises at least one of a plurality of helical ridges or a plurality of spiral ridges.

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 19 further comprising a cavity at the second end to hold an insert weight.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein at least the second end comprises a tapered section tailored to fit within a complementary tapered section in the second golf club head and in the first golf club head.

28. An apparatus comprising:

a body having a first end and a second end, the body tapers from the first end to the second end;

a non-threaded bore at the first end to interchangeably couple the body to a portion of a shaft;

a first male threaded portion at or proximate to the first end to interchangeably mate a first female threaded portion, the first female threaded portion being associated with a first golf club head having a first characteristic;

a second male threaded portion at or proximate to the second end to interchangeably mate with a second female threaded portion, the second female threaded portion being associated with a second golf club head having a second characteristic; and

a non-threaded portion between the first male threaded portion and the second male threaded portion,

wherein the first and second characteristics are opposite of each other.

29. An apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein the first golf club head comprises at least one of a right-handed club head or a left-handed club head, and wherein the second golf club head comprises a club head opposite of the first golf club head.

30. An apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein a circumference of a first cross section is greater than a circumference of a second cross section, the first cross section being associated with the first male threaded portion and the second cross section being associated with the second male threaded portion.

31. An apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein a circumference of a first cross section is less than or equal to a circumference of a second cross section and greater than a circumference of a third cross section, the first cross section being associated with the non-threaded portion, the second cross section being associated with the first male threaded portion, and the third cross section being associated with the second male threaded portion.

32. An apparatus as defined in claim 28 further comprising a chamfer located between a flange at the first end of the body and at least one of the first male threaded portion or the second male threaded portion.

33. An apparatus as defined in claim 28 further comprising a cavity at the second end to hold an insert weight.