Claims
- 1. A tubular structural member comprising a tube having a longitudinal axis, a flexural axis, and a stiff axis, where the flexural axis and the stiff axis extend radially away from the longitudinal axis and the tube has a flexural resistance that is greatest in a direction parallel to the flexural axis.
- 2. The tubular structural member of claim 1, further comprising a tube wall having an outer diameter that is tapered along the longitudinal axis.
- 3. The tubular structural member of claim 1, wherein the tube has an outer diameter that varies so that a maximum tube outer diameter occurs where the tube wall intersects with the flexural axis.
- 4. The tubular structural member of claim 1, wherein the tube has a tube wall that comprises a high flexural resistance material and a low flexural resistance material arranged so that the composite flexural resistance of the tubular structural member is greatest in a direction parallel to the flexural axis.
- 5. The tubular structural member of claim 1, wherein the tube has a tube wall that is shaped so that the tube has a wall thickness that is greatest where the tube wall intersects with the flexural axis and where the wall thickness is least in a direction parallel to the stiff axis.
- 6. The tubular structural member of claim 1, wherein the tube has a tube wall, the tube wall comprising at least two materials, the at least two materials each having a different flexural stiffness, the at least two materials arranged to comprise the tubular structural member that the tubular structural member has a flexural stiffness that greatest in a direction parallel to the flexural axis.
- 7. The tubular structural member of claim 1, wherein the tube has a tube wall having a step down point and a large tube section and a small tube section, where the large tube section has an outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of the small tube section, and the small tube section and large tube section meet at the step down point.
- 8. The tubular structural member of claim 1, wherein the tube has a large end, a small end, a tube wall having at least one step down point and at least two tube sections, the at least two tube sections each have an outer diameter, the at least two tube sections arranged consecutively along the longitudinal axis so that the outer diameters of each of the at least two tube sections decrease from the large diameter end to the small diameter end, and the at least two tube sections meet at the at least one step down point.
- 9. The tubular structural member of claim 5, wherein the tube wall has a polygon shape.
- 10. The tubular structural member of claim 1, wherein the tube is shaped to have an elongated spine.
- 11. The tubular structural member of claim 3, wherein the tube is shaped to have an elongated spine.
- 12. The tubular structural member of claim 1, further comprising a tube wall having an outer diameter, and a device having a longitudinal axis and a cavity along the device longitudinal axis having an inner diameter that matches the tube wall outer diameter along the longitudinal axis of the tubular rod, where the tubular structural member is inserted into the cavity.
- 13. The tubular structural member of claim 2, further comprising a device having a longitudinal axis and a cavity having an inner diameter that matches the tube wall outer diameter along the tube longitudinal axis, where the tubular structural member is inserted into the cavity.
- 14. The device of claim 12, further comprising a bending plane and a longitudinal plane.
- 15. The device of claim 12, wherein the tubular structural flexural axis is aligned radially within the device so as to provide the device with flexural resistance along the bending plane.
- 16. The device of claim 15, wherein the tubular structural member is fixed in the cavity so as to maintain the alignment between the device bending plane and the tube flexural axis.
- 17. The device of claim 16, wherein the tubular structural member is fixed within the cavity by an adhesive.
- 18. The device of claim 1, wherein the tube has a tube wall, the tube wall is grooved, so that the flexural resistance of the tube is greatest in a direction parallel to the flexural axis.
- 19. The device of claim 15, wherein the tubular structural member is housed within the cavity, and the tubular structural member can rotate about the tube longitudinal axis so as to vary the flexural resistance of the device.
- 20. The device of claim 19, further comprising a locking device that allows the tubular structural member to rotate unless locked, the locked locking device maintains the radial alignment between the device bending plane and the tube flexural axis.
- 21. The tubular structural member of claim 1, wherein the tube is filled with a non-structural foam.
- 22. The tubular structural member of claim 1, wherein the tube has a tube wall, the tube wall is slotted, is greatest in a direction parallel to the flexural axis.
- 23. A device having a longitudinal axis and stiffness along the longitudinal axis comprising at least two tubular structural members, at least two cavities, where the at least two tubular structural members comprise a tube having a longitudinal axis, a flexural axis, and a stiff axis, where the flexural axis and the stiff axis extend radially away from the longitudinal axis and the tube has a flexural resistance that is greatest in a direction parallel to the direction of the flexural axis, the at least two tubular structural members are each inserted into the at least two cavities, the at least two cavities are arranged along the longitudinal axis of the device so as to be equilaterally displaced radially from the longitudinal axis of the device, the at least two tubular structural members orientated with respect to each other so as to affect the stiffness of the device.
- 24. The tubular structural member of claim 13, wherein the cavity has at least one indentation extending radially outward and the tubular structural member has at least one protrusion extending radially outward, so that the at least one protrusion and at least one indentation are located at the same point along the longitudinal axis of the tubular structural member.
- 25. The tubular structural member of claim 13, wherein the tapered cavity has at least one protrusion extending radially inward and the tapered tubular structural member has at least one indentation radially inward, so that the at least one protrusion and at least one indentation are located at the same point along the longitudinal axis of the shaft.
- 26. A method for manufacturing a tubular structural member that has a flexural resistance that is greater on one side of the tubular structural member, comprising the steps of:
shaping a tube along a longitudinal axis of the tube so as to remove material along the length of the tube so that the flexural resistance of the tube is greatest along a flexural axis and least along a stiff axis.
- 27. A method for manufacturing a tapered tubular structural member, comprising the steps of:
shaping a tapered tube along a longitudinal axis of the tube so as to remove material along the length of the tapered tube so that the flexural resistance of the tube is greatest along a flexural axis and least along a stiff axis.
- 28. A method for manufacturing sports equipment that has a flexural resistance along a bending plane, comprising the steps of:
Creating a cavity along the longitudinal axis of the sports equipment having an inner diameter that matches the outer diameter of a tubular structural member, shaping the tubular structural member along the longitudinal axis of the tubular rod so that the flexural resistance of the tubular structural member is greatest along a flexural axis and least along a stiff axis, and inserting the tubular structural member into the cavity.
- 29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of fixing the tubular structural member within the cavity at a certain angle so as to set the flexural resistance along the bending plane.
Parent Case Info
[0001] We claim priority under 35 USC 119. This application is based on Provisional Application No. 60/352,296 filed on Jan. 28, 2002.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60352296 |
Jan 2002 |
US |