Patent Application
20080076593
In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:
a and 3b show cross-sectional views of shafts of golf clubs with a protective or decorative wrap applied in accordance with the present invention;
a is a bottom view of the putter-type golf club in
The present invention is directed at golf clubs that are customized by having a protective or decorative wrap applied to at least a portion of the club head body or shaft. Several embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below.
In one embodiment, the present invention is directed at golf clubs that are customized by having a protective or decorative wrap applied to a portion of the clubs. The golf club comprises a shaft, a club head body portion, and a hitting face. The wrap can be a heat-activated shrink wrap film or a pressure-activated adhesive film, but is most preferably a shrink wrap film, and it is pre-printed with a graphic or decal before application to the club. Alternatively, the protective or decorative wrap is a pressure activated adhesive wrap. In one embodiment, the wrap is applied to a portion of the club head body, and in another embodiment, the wrap is applied to at least a portion of the shaft. It is also possible to apply the wrap to both the club head body and the shaft. The wrap may also be covered with a luster overlaminate layer, which acts to provide ultraviolet protection for the graphic that is printed on the wrap. In another embodiment, the wrap is simply colored with one or more colors. In yet another embodiment, the wrap comprises an extra layer, and a holographic image is printed on the extra layer.
In another embodiment, the present invention is directed at golf clubs that are customized by having a protective or decorative wrap applied to a portion of the shaft of the clubs. In this embodiment, the protective or decorative wrap is embedded with polymer fibers such as Kevlar® so as to alter the strength and stiffness of the shaft. The amount of polymers embedded in the wraps may vary according to the users' desired club characteristics, and users can apply the wrap(s) to different portions of the shaft in order to adjust various points of flexibility. The fibers can be chopped fibers or can run along the entire length of the wrap.
In yet another embodiment, the present invention features golf clubs wherein a protective or decorative wrap is applied to a portion of the club head. In this embodiment, the protective or decorative wrap is preferably embedded with high density fillers such as tungsten at selected portions thereof. Placement of the wrap, which may come in any number of sizes, with the high density areas on selected parts of the club head, such as the sole, allows users to adjust the moment of inertia and the center of gravity of the club head, thereby changing a golf ball's flight path. Additionally, the protective or decorative wrap may be impregnated with a low-friction polymer such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), commercially available as Teflon® from DuPont. When applied the sole of the club head, such a wrap may provide further protection and reduced friction in addition to added weight.
Another embodiment of the invention is directed at a method of customizing clubs by applying a protective or decorative wrap to a portion of the club in accordance with the invention. A golf club having a shaft, club head body portion, and hitting face is provided. The protective wrap, preferably a shrink-wrap film or adhesive film as discussed above, is applied to a portion of the golf club, and then is cured to the portion of the club by an additional step. In one embodiment, the wrap comprises a pressure-activated adhesive and the curing is done by a process of applying pressure to the wrap. Alternatively, the wrap comprises a heat-activated adhesive, and the curing is done by a process of applying heat to the wrap. In other embodiments of the invention, the method further comprises an intermediate step wherein the wrap is pre-printed with a decal, logo, or graphic, preferably with an inkjet printer, before it is applied to the golf club. The wrap utilized may even be an opaque color or colors. In some embodiments, the wrap may be applied to any portion of the shaft, the club head body excluding the hitting face, or any combination thereof. In another embodiment, the method comprises applying a luster overlaminate layer over the protective wrap, preferably for ultraviolet light ray protection.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Furthermore, wrap 20 may be impregnated with fibers or fillers such as polycrystalline alumina, boron, silicon carbide, glass, graphite, etc., in order to provide strength or rigidity to certain area(s) of shaft 16 beneath wrap 20. Preferably, a fiber such as Kevlar is embedded within wrap 20. Once applied to the proper area(s) of shaft 16, wrap 20 can be used to adjust the flexibility and performance of shaft 16, and therefore golf club 10. Because wrap 20 is removable, users can customize the flex properties of golf club 10 at will. The fibers can be chopped or may run along the entire length of the wrap, and the impregnated wrap 20 can cover the entire shaft or portions thereof. The thickness of wrap 20 can also be adjusted to change the flexibility of the shaft.
Wrap 20 may also be impregnated with high-density fillers, such as tungsten, preferably when wrap 20 is added to the club head. By adding the high-density fillers to portion(s) of wrap 20, users may adjust the properties of club head body 12, such as moment of inertia and center of gravity. For example, a wrap 20 impregnated with a high-density filler on portions thereof that is applied to crown portion 17 of club head body 12 would shift the center of gravity up vertically, resulting in a lower trajectory shot. Contrariwise, applying wrap 20 to sole area 13 would shift the center of gravity lower in club head body 12, resulting in a higher trajectory. Preferably, wrap 20 could be designed to contain areas with or without fillers, or even filler gradients to adjust the properties of club head body 12.
a and 3b both show cross-sectional views of shafts of golf clubs in accordance with the present invention. In
A rear view of a putter-type club in accordance with the present invention is shown in
While it is apparent that the illustrative embodiments of the invention disclosed herein fulfill the objectives stated above, it is appreciated that numerous modifications and other embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art. Such modifications include that the protective or decorative wraps may comprise different materials known in the area, the graphics or colors may be different, the wraps may be applied to different parts of the club head or shaft, etc. The decorative or protective wrap can also be applied on the entire shaft from the hosel to the grip and can be applied on the entire club head, except the hitting face. Therefore, it will be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and embodiments, which would come within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
