Shaft behavior automatic measuring system

• US 7,686,701 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): LEGESSE, NINI F
• Application Number:
  US11/519,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20070105639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 473/131, 473/151, 473/152, 473/155, 473/156, 473198-200, 473219-226, 473/257, 473/407, 473/409, 342/104, 342/113, 342/114, 342/117, 342/59, 342/107, 342/179
• 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 Doppler 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 for measuring the behavior of a shaft in a golf club as the golf club undergoes a swinging movement imparted by a swing actor, the system comprising:

a metal member provided on a surface of the shaft in the 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 the swinging movement and at least three receiving portions for receiving the radar wave reflected from the metal member;

wherein

a distance between the Doppler radar and the metal member throughout the swinging movement is at least 0.5 m and no more than 8 m; and

wherein

the wave emitted by the Doppler radar has (1) a beam width in a horizontal direction that includes the horizontal range of the movement of the metal member and (2) a beam width in a vertical direction that includes the vertical range of movement of 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 the metal member is provided in a plurality of portions in the longitudinal direction of the shaft.

4. The shaft behavior automatic measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the position of the metal member in the longitudinal direction of the shaft is placed in 3 portions or more and 20 portions or less.

5. The shaft behavior automatic measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the length of the metal member in the longitudinal direction of the shaft is set to be 1 mm or greater and 40 mm or less.

6. The shaft behavior automatic measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the distance in the longitudinal direction of the shaft between the metal member which is placed in the closest position to the head and an end face of a neck of the head is set to be 200 mm or less, and a distance in the longitudinal direction of the shaft between the metal member which is placed in the closest position to the grip and an edge on the head side of the grip is set to be 200 mm or less.

7. The shaft behavior automatic measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the radar device is a millimeter wave radar.

8. The shaft behavior automatic measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the radar wave reflected from the exposed surface of the metal member is distinguished from the radar wave reflected from the non-metal member by providing a predetermined threshold on a strength of the received wave.