Golf clubs and golf club heads

• US 9,403,078 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2015
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Boggs, Joshua M., Hatton, Philip J., Kammerer, Brian, Hadden, Jeffrey A., Kramer, Gregory S., Thornton, Douglas A., Jones, Sherry L., Lua, James H., Wisniewski, Daniel F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US14/632,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20150231478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 473222-226
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0647 Visualisation of executed movements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/24 Ice hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 49/035 with easily dismountable parts, e.g. heads, shafts or grips
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 49/08 with special construction of the handle
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/00 Golf clubs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/007 Putters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 : wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 : iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/10 : Non-metallic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/14 : Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 59/20 : having means, e.g. pockets, netting or adhesive type surfaces, for catching or holding a ball, e.g. for lacrosse or pelota
• 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 60/16 : 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/50 : with through-holes A63B60/18 takes precedence; for stringing purposes A63B49/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3632 : Clubs or attachments on clubs, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence; clubs for swinging exercises in general A63B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3685 : Putters or attachments on putters, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 : Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 : with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

Golf clubs according to at least some example aspects of this disclosure may include a golf club head and a shaft configured to engage with the golf club head which includes a grip engaged with the shaft. Further, the golf club may include a monitoring device, which includes a sensor and a transmitter. Additionally, the monitoring device may be configured to determine data related to the characteristics of a golf swing. Further, the monitoring device may be configured to transmit the data related to the characteristics of a golf swing to a remote computer.

Claims

1. A piece of sports equipment comprising:

a cartridge;

an electronic module carried by the cartridge;

one or more flexible members connected to the cartridge and configured to engage a grip or distal end of the piece of sports equipment to retain the cartridge to the piece of sports equipment;

wherein the cartridge has a housing configured to receive the electronic module; and

wherein the flexible members are connected to an exterior surface of the cartridge and extend outwardly from the cartridge to engage the grip.

2. The piece of sports equipment of claim 1, wherein the cartridge has a diameter, wherein the grip or distal end of the piece of sports equipment has a diameter, and wherein the diameter of at least a portion of the cartridge is greater than the diameter of the grip or distal end of the piece of sports equipment.

3. The piece of sports equipment of claim 1, wherein the cartridge has a width, wherein the grip or distal end of the piece of sports equipment has a width, and wherein the width of at least a portion of the cartridge is greater than the width of the grip or distal end of the piece of sports equipment.

4. The piece of sports equipment of claim 1, wherein the cartridge further comprises a clip configured to hold the electronic module.

5. The piece of sports equipment of claim 4, wherein the flexible members are positioned on the clip.

6. The piece of sports equipment of claim 5, wherein the flexible members are in the form of ridges that at least partially encircle a base of the clip.

7. The piece of sports equipment of claim 4, further comprising a cap member.

10. The piece of sports equipment of claim 1, wherein the electronic module comprises a sensor configured for sensing a swing parameter of the piece of sports equipment during use.

11. The piece of sports equipment of claim 1, wherein the piece of sports equipment has an opening at its distal end configured to receive the cartridge.

12. The piece of sports equipment of claim 11, wherein an interior of the opening is configured to guide the cartridge into the opening during insertion.

13. The piece of sports equipment of claim 11, wherein the flexible members are configured to engage an interior of the opening.

8. A piece of sports equipment comprising:

a cartridge;

an electronic module carried by the cartridge;

one or more flexible members connected to the cartridge and configured to engage a grip or distal end of the piece of sports equipment to retain the cartridge to the piece of sports equipment;

a cap member;

wherein the cartridge further comprises a clip configured to hold the electronic module; and

wherein the clip member has a base and a finger extending generally transversely from the base, and wherein the cap member, the base, and the finger are configured to engage the electronic module.

9. The piece of sports equipment of claim 8, wherein the finger engages a first end of the electronic module and the cap engages a second end of the electronic module.

14. A piece of sports equipment comprising:

a cartridge;

a monitoring device carried by the cartridge;

one or more fasteners connected to the cartridge and configured to retain the cartridge to the piece of sports equipment; and

wherein the cartridge has a housing configured to receive the monitoring device.

15. The piece of sports equipment of claim 14, wherein the one or more fasteners are threaded.

16. The piece of sports equipment of claim 15, wherein the one or more fasteners are configured to be secured to a threaded insert in the piece of sports equipment.

17. The piece of sports equipment of claim 14, further comprising a cap, wherein the cap includes an orifice, and wherein a threaded fastener is configured to be inserted through the orifice and secured in a threaded insert within the piece of sports equipment.

18. A piece of sports equipment comprising:

a monitoring device having a sensor configured to monitor a performance characteristic of the piece of sports equipment having a grip and a distal end located proximate the grip;

a cartridge comprising a retaining member, wherein the monitoring device is removably carried by the cartridge, wherein the retaining member retains the monitoring device in connection with the cartridge; and

a plurality of flexible members connected to the cartridge and configured to engage the grip or distal end of the piece of sports equipment to retain the cartridge to the piece of sports equipment;

wherein the cartridge has a housing configured to receive the monitoring device; and

wherein the flexible members are connected to an exterior surface of the cartridge and extend outwardly from the cartridge to engage the grip.