Golf club swing path, speed and grip pressure monitor

• US 6,441,745 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2000
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Perfected Falcon Joint Venture
• Original Assignee: Cassen L. Gates
• Inventors: Gates, Cassen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SON M
• Application Number:
  US09/531,635
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 340/669, 340/670, 340/671, 434/252, 473/232, 473/233, 473/131, 473/282, 473/257
• US Class Current: 340/669
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2060/464 Means for indicating or measuring the pressure on the grip
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0627 when used improperly, e.g. by giving a warning
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0663 worn on the wrist, e.g. wrist bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/56 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/80 Special sensors, transducers or devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• 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

Abstract

The golf club has a head and a shaft. A three axis linear accelerometer is mounted on the shaft adjacent to the head. The axis of one accelerometer is in parallel alignment with an axis of the shaft. A circuit board is attached to the shaft and the accelerometer. The circuit board includes a calibrator for calibrating at least the accelerometer with an axis parallel to the axis of the shaft. The circuit board also has a wireless transmitter. Data from the accelerometer is transferred to a processor by the transmitter. The measured velocity of the club head is displayed by a display device carried by the golfer.

Claims

1. An acceleration monitor assembly for measuring acceleration forces on a first golf club head during the swing of a first golf club comprising:

a circuit board having;

at least one power supply battery mounted on said circuit board;

a linear accelerometer for measuring centripetal force, having a first accelerometer axis, mounted on said circuit board, with the first accelerometer axis parallel to a circuit board axis, and connected to the at least one power supply battery;

an accelerometer calibrator, for accommodating changes in the radius of a path of movement of the linear accelerometer, mounted on said circuit board and connected to the linear accelerometer and the at least one power supply battery;

said circuit board releasably mounted on a shaft of the first golf club between a center of the shaft and the first golf club head with the first accelerometer axis and the circuit board axis parallel to a club shaft axis, and releasable from the shaft of the first golf club for transfer to a second golf club;

a wireless transmitter mounted on said circuit board with the linear accelerometer and connected to the linear accelerometer to receive signals generated by the first linear accelerometer and transmit the signals through an antenna connected to the wireless transmitter; and

a wireless receiver spaced from said circuit board and the shaft upon which said circuit board is mounted and wherein the wireless receiver receives the signals from the wireless transmitter.

2. An acceleration monitor assembly for measuring acceleration forces on a first golf club head during the swing of the golf club, as set forth in claim 1, including a protective circuit board cover which protects the circuit board, the at least one power supply battery, the linear accelerometer and the wireless transmitter.

3. An acceleration monitor assembly for measuring acceleration forces on a first golf club head during the swing of the first golf club, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the protective circuit board cover also encircles the shaft.

4. An acceleration monitor assembly for measuring acceleration forces on a first golf club head during the swing of the first golf club, as set forth in claim 1, including a second linear accelerometer mounted on said circuit board, having a second accelerometer axis that is perpendicular to the first accelerometer axis, and that is connected to the wireless transmitter and sends signals generated by the second linear accelerometer through the wireless transmitter to the wireless receiver.

5. An acceleration monitor assembly for measuring acceleration forces on a first golf club head during the swing of the first golf club, as set forth in claim 4, including a third linear accelerometer mounted on said circuit board, having a third accelerometer axis that is perpendicular to the first accelerometer axis and that is perpendicular to the second accelerometer axis, and that is connected to the wireless transmitter and sends signals generated by the third linear accelerometer through the wireless transmitter to the wireless receiver.

6. An acceleration monitor assembly for measuring acceleration forces on a first golf club head during the swing of the first golf club, as set forth in claim 5, including a signal storage computer connected to the wireless receiver that receives and stores signals sent by the wireless transmitter.