SHAFT CAP ASSOCIATED WITH GOLF CLUBS AND METHODS TO MANUFACTURE GOLF CLUBS

• US 20090163287A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Jertson, Marty R., Vald'Via, Gil G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,892,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/310
• 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: A63B 60/006 Surfaces specially adapted for reducing air resistance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A golf club comprising a grip, a shaft having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the shaft having the grip disposed upon it, a shaft cap disposed at the second end of the shaft, and a head having a face portion and a hosel portion with the second end of the shaft having the shaft cap disposed on the shaft coupled to the head.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

disposing a shaft cap on a hosel end of a golf club shaft to form a shaft assembly with a shaft cap end;

disposing epoxy in a hosel bore of a club head; and

inserting the shaft cap end of the shaft assembly into the hosel bore.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the hosel bore is straight.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising aligning a shaft graphic with a club face of the club head.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising forcing the epoxy in the hosel bore into a gap between a wall of the hosel bore and an outside surface of the shaft.

5. The method of claim 4, in which forcing is accomplished by inserting the shaft cap end of the shaft assembly into the hosel bore.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the shaft cap is inserted until it reaches the bottom of the hosel bore.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the shaft cap includes a weight.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the shaft cap includes an aperture disposed in a base.

9. The method of claim 8, in which the base diameter is less than the diameter of an outside diameter of the shaft.

10. The method of claim 1, in which the shaft cap includes a plurality of wings.

11. The method of claim 1, in which the wings are splines.

12. A golf club comprising:

a grip;

a shaft having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the shaft having the grip disposed upon it;

a shaft cap disposed at the second end of the shaft; and

a head having a face portion and a hosel portion with the second end of the shaft having the shaft cap disposed on the shaft coupled to the head.

13. The golf club of claim 12, in which the shaft having the shaft cap is coupled to a bore disposed in a hosel of the head.

14. The golf club of claim 12, in which an adhesive couples the shaft and the shaft cap to the hosel bore.

15. The golf club of claim 14, in which the adhesive is epoxy.

16. A hosel assembly comprising:

an adhesive;

a hosel with a hosel bore, and the epoxy disposed therein;

a shaft cap; and

a shaft with the shaft cap disposed at an end of the shaft, with the shaft and the shaft cap assembled to the hosel bore such that the adhesive is displaced in the bore to bond an outer wall of the shaft to the hosel bore.

17. The hosel assembly of claim 16, in which the hosel bore is parallel.

18. The hosel assembly of claim 16, in which the hosel bore is tapered.

19. The hosel assembly of claim 16, in which the shaft cap centers the shaft in the hosel bore.

20. The hosel assembly of claim 16, in which the shaft cap includes a base that is of a diameter less than that of an outer diameter of the shaft.

21. A shaft cap comprising:

a base having an aperture;

a plurality of wings coupled to the base.

22. The shaft cap of claim 21, in which the plurality of wings are shaped to match the curvature of a golf club shaft.

23. The shaft cap of claim 21, in which the base has a diameter less than an outer diameter of a golf club shaft.

24. The shaft cap of claim 21, in which the shaft cap is made from polypropylene.

25. The shaft cap of claim 21, in which the plurality of wings is four wings.

26. The shaft cap of claim 21, further comprising a weight disposed on the base.

27. The shaft cap of claim 21, in which the plurality of wings are formed as splines.