The invention generally relates to methods for making golf club parts that are multi-colored, each having a unique appearance.
Golf clubs need to come in different colors to be most useful. Some golfers require a dark-colored club to minimize bright reflections on sunny days while needing a bright colored club for visibility on dark days. Some corporate customers need clubs of a certain color in order to comply with internal branding policies. In some cases, a club manufacturer will act as a licensee providing clubs in “college colors” to campus retailers and alumni foundations.
Unfortunately, designing a good golf club and then manufacturing it in different colors is actually both quite tricky and quite expensive. For one thing, clubs are made up of a number of different parts. The parts can all be different materials and can be made in different ways by different entities. Not only does the manufacturer have to order or make a gross of red crowns, red soles, red shafts, red grips, as well as a gross of green crowns, green soles, etc.—a list that gets quite long—real-world market conditions have expensive consequences. For example, if the green clubs don't sell, then the manufacturer is left with a gross of green club heads, a gross of green shafts, and a gross of green grips, for example. Thus there are real limits to flexibility when a manufacturer tries to fill contracts for colored clubs. It is very difficult to be nimble in responding to ever-evolving market demands.
The invention provides methods for making golf club parts that have multiple colors so that each part will match a club that features one of the multiple colors. A pattern of multi-colored molding pellets can be arranged in a club part compression mold. By varying the arrangement, the sizes of the pellets, or the color combinations, batches are made in which all of the parts have the same colors and each part is unique. For example, a batch of golf club grip parts or cavity inserts that include a mixture of colors can be used for clubs that are being offered each in one of those colors. If, for example, a manufacturer wants to offer a line of drivers, some of which have a blue crown, some of which have a red crown, and some of which have an orange crown, then the manufacturer can obtain a plurality of grip parts that each include blue, red, and orange. Only a single style of grip need be ordered and it will match all of the drivers. Additionally, the methods disclosed herein give each part a unique appearance, which offers a golfer additional functional benefits. It is understood that people relate to objects through their unique appearance and thus to take a portion of a golf club product that has previously not been given a distinguishing appearance and to give each part a unique appearance assists a golfer in using his clubs. A golfer may grow familiar, for example, with the particular appearance of the grip of his favorite iron. This makes picking up the correct iron out on the course easy and intuitive. Additionally, golfers show a monetary demand for customized golf clubs and a part according to the invention satisfies that requirement in that each piece can be made to have a unique appearance out of all the pieces in a set. Thus, through the use of methods of the invention, a manufacturer can offer golf clubs in different colors without all of the costs and difficulties associated with procuring the right numbers of all of the different parts in the various colors.
In certain aspects, the invention provides a method of making a part by determining a plurality of colors that will each appear on the same component of one of a plurality of golf clubs; obtaining a molding material of each of the colors; making an arrangement of the molding materials for each of the colors all together in each of a plurality of molds; and molding the molding materials with the plurality of molds to produce a plurality of parts.
In some embodiments, the part may be made to further include a customized aspect. For example, the included colors may be chosen as part of a custom order, or the part may be made with an indicia such as text or a logo. For example, a part molded according to methods described herein may be molded or post-processed to include initials, symbols, sayings, etc. A sports team may have its mascot molded into a part or a corporation may have its logo molded into a part. Patterns or indicia may be custom ordered using, for example, an on-line customization and ordering interface.
The molding may be compression molding. The materials can include a plurality of pellets, preferably rubber, of each color. Unique appearances can be augmented by varying the size of the pellets throughout the process, by uniquely arranging the pellets throughout the process, or both.
In some embodiments, the method is useful for making an end cap for a golf club grip. Preferably at least 12 or more (e.g., at least 15 or more) are made, to provide for a golfer's set. More, such as 50 or more (e.g., 144 or more) can be made as a full production run. Whatever number is made, they can all have substantially the same dimensions, and each can have a unique appearance. The unique appearance of each part can be provided by a plurality of colored areas on a surface of the part, each colored area being bounded by an irregular perimeter.
In certain embodiments, the method is useful for making an insert for a cavity-back iron or a back plate of an iron medallion. Such a part may attenuate vibration and would make for a better fit in the back cavity due to the plasticity of the material. Such a part maybe combined with other back plate materials such as, for example, metal, plastic, leather, wood, pearl, marble, etc. The molding methods described herein can be used to create areas with visibly irregular borders and it may be found that such a design is suited for integration with materials that have an otherwise irregular or organic appearance such as leather or wood, due to the fact that the irregular borders of the piece molded according to methods of the present invention may conceal otherwise poor fit between organic and inorganic materials attributable to the micro-irregularities inherent in organic materials. Thus a molding method of the present invention may provide an unexpected utilitarian benefit by creating a process that allows organic materials (leather, wood, pearl, etc.) to be included in golf products otherwise manufactured with inorganic materials (metal, molded plastics, etc.)
In related aspects, the invention provides a plurality of parts for a golf club in which all of the parts have substantially the same shape, dimensions, material, and colors appearing on a surface and each of the parts has a unique pattern of the colors. The part may be a golf club grip or a piece for a golf club grip such as an end cap. In some embodiments, each part comprises at least three colors and all of the parts comprises at least the three colors. For example, each part may have at least four colors, the four colors being in common among all of the parts. The unique pattern of each part may include a plurality of areas with irregular perimeters. The irregular perimeter of each of the plurality of areas defines a surface area unique to that area among the plurality of areas of that part.
The parts can be made of rubber, plastic, or any other moldable material. The color can appear not just on the surface, thus making the appearance of the parts more wear-resistant that prior art parts. For example, the color may extend into a material of the part. The color can in- fact extend throughout the part.
Aspects of the invention provide a set of parts for a golf club. The parts may be end caps for golf club grips, all having substantially the same shape and dimensions, and rubber material. The set can have at least 12 such part (i.e., to cover a golfer's driver, woods, hybrids, and irons) and preferably 14 or 15 to cover an entire set. At least two colors appear on an outside surface of each part. Further, the at least two colors appear on the outside surface as a unique plurality of areas with irregular perimeters. If made by the molding process disclosed, the color appearing on the outside surface will extend through the rubber material to an inside surface.
Preferably, the end caps are made by a method that includes obtaining a molding material of each of the at least three colors; making an arrangement of the molding materials for each of the colors all together in each of a plurality of molds; molding the molding materials with the plurality of molds to produce a plurality of parts.
The invention provides systems and methods by which a single process can be used to make a plurality of parts that are all made by the same process and that are each unique. Processes and methods of the invention can be used to produce any suitable component of a golf club such as, for example, a grip, an underlisting for a grip, an outer sleeve for an underlisted grip, an end cap for a grip, or a combination thereof. The parts are particularly useful on golf clubs that have a colored surface, particularly where one line of like-styled golf clubs includes clubs with different colors on the surface. Since a part made according to the methods disclosed herein can itself have a surface that is colored, the part can match the golf club. Since each part from a plurality of such parts can have a multi-colored surface, each part will match a golf club, even where the golf clubs have different colors.
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Club parts, such as end cap 105, made according to methods of the invention provide an additional benefit in that each part has a unique appearance. In some embodiments, the colored areas on the part define different shape such as irregular, or semi-random, shapes. The irregular, unique patterns of color on each part can be provided by the methods described and disclosed herein.
In some embodiments, the part will be molded and the molding material will include a plurality of colored pellets 175. A unique appearance of each part to be made can be made more apparent by mixing 159 different sizes of the pellets. For example, if a single part is to be molded from about seven pellets, placing a smaller blue pellet adjacent to a larger red pellet in one mold will exaggerate the differences in colored areas on the finished part, particularly where another mold may contain a larger blue pellet adjacent to a smaller red pellet.
The pellets 175 are arranged 163 and a final appearance of a product will relate back to that arrangement. Further exaggeration of the apparentness of the uniqueness of each part can be accomplished by varying 167 the arrangement of pellets from part to part or from batch to batch.
The arranged pellets are placed 171 in a mold and molded 173 to produce the final part. Molding generally employs a pre-formed mold defining the shape of the final part. A method of forming a mold for a golf club grip is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,659 to Wallace, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. Those methods of forming a mold can be used to form a mold for an end cap of a grip. The part can be molded by a variety of molding methods that include injection molding and compression molding. The choice of molding method will depend upon factors such as the finish desired, the number of components required, or costs. In general, one or more pieces of uncured rubber is placed between two halves of a heated mold. The mold is closed in a press under a pressure of around 14 MPa and the rubber is forced into the shape of the cavity. The rubber gains heat by conduction from the mold surfaces and “cures”. When the rubber has cured, the mold can be opened and the part removed.
Direct injection molding can use a continuous strip of molding material. A variety of processes are used to produce material suitable for molding. Uncured material can be produced in sheets or materials can be extruded through a die. Extrusions may be cut to required lengths as they emerge from the die. This process can be accurately controlled to produce blanks of precise volume for compression molding. Machines can be manually fed or fed automatically. Automatically-fed multi-color molding machines are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,214 to Min, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 8,153,045 to Boor, the contents of which are incorporated by reference.
In certain embodiments, parts such as end cap 105 are made by compression molding. Compression molding includes applying an optimum amount of heat energy for a certain amount of time. Heating is done by an appropriate technique and force is applied so that the molding material takes the proper shape. The mold may be designed for rapid cooling after the material has been compressed into the mold. Details of the process may be referenced in Peters, S.T., Ed., 1997 HANDBOOK OF COMPOSITES (2ND EDITION), Springer-Verlag (Heidelberg) 1140 pages, and in Isayev, 1987, INJECTION AND COMPRESSION MOLDING FUNDAMENTALS (PLASTICS ENGINEERING), Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, N.Y., 704 pages, the contents of each of which are incorporated by reference. In certain embodiments, compression molding uses a molding material such as a bulk molding compound (BMC) in the form of pellets.
Pellets 175 are molded by positioning them in a mold cavity. Heated platens are closed by a hydraulic ram. Bulk molding compound (BMC) (e.g., pellets 175) or sheet molding compound (SMC), are conformed to the mold form by the applied pressure and heated until the curing reaction occurs. The mold is then cooled and the part removed. Materials may be loaded into the mold either in the form of pellets or sheet, or the mold may be loaded from a plastic extruder. Materials are heated above their melting points, formed and cooled. Preferably, the molding material and the heat are distributed evenly. Each described step is optional and may be omitted, varied, or modified to optimize the process.
To achieve desired properties, the material of pellets 175 (e.g., rubber) be combined with a range of additives. The additives in a rubber compound may vary from 2-3% to over 60% by weight and may include one or more curatives (to cross-link polymers, e.g., sulphur); accelerators (to vary the speed and timing of the curing reaction); reinforcing fillers (e.g., carbon black or a silica); fillers (to modulate the bulk of compound, e.g., clays); pigments; plasticizers; anti-oxidants; anti-ozonants; or other process aids. Rubber pellets are available from suppliers such as Windrow Inc. (Burton, Ohio). Once the pellets 175 are obtained, they are made into an arrangement for each part, such as for each end cap 105.
The part made by methods described herein may be an insert for a cavity-back iron or a back-plate of an iron medallion (i.e., useful for vibration dampening). Such a part maybe combined with other materials such as, for example, metal, plastic, leather, wood, pearl, marble, or others. Parts may include visual designs with irregular shapes and it may be found that such a design is suited for integration with materials that have an otherwise irregular appearance to allow for more relaxed manufacturing tolerances when those materials are to be used. Thus a molding method of the present invention may provide an unexpected utilitarian benefit by creating a process that allows organic materials (leather, wood, pearl, etc.) to be included in golf products otherwise manufactured with inorganic materials (such as metal or molded plastics).
Where the part is an end cap, one of skill in the art will recognize that molding can be used to prepare different styles of end cap for use with different styles of grip. Any style of end cap can be made, including ones that are integrated with an overall grip as well as ones that are attached to a grip after being made.
A golf club part may include a customized aspect. For example, the included colors may be chosen as part of a custom order, or the part may be made with an indicia such as text or a logo. A part molded according to methods described herein may be molded or post-processed to include initials, symbols, sayings, or other such material. Patterns or indicia may be custom ordered using, for example, an on-line customization and ordering interface. In certain aspects, the invention provides systems and methods for providing a customized golf club part. Systems and methods include using a server computer comprising a processor coupled to a non-tangible memory to receive order information from a customer. The received order information preferably pertains to the use of certain colors or materials for a yet un-made golf club part. Materials are obtained that satisfy the order information and used in a molding process described herein. The server computer is used to receive, store, and queue customer orders. In some embodiments, the server computer will obtain a large number of customer orders (e.g., >100, possibly >500) and will organize those orders into batches according to molding materials called for by each order. Thus—for example—all of the orders that require red, white, and blue pellets of molding material will be queued for product for first. In certain embodiments, the server computer will queue the batches so that each batch has some property in common with the batch that precedes it, the batch that follows it, or both. For example, after a red, white, and blue batch, the server computer may send all through all the orders calling for red, white, and green. Then the server computer may send through all orders calling for red, green, and yellow. Then the server computer may send through all the orders calling for red, yellow, and black. The preceding example may be used, for example, where a golf company is producing a run of parts with various national colors and the represented nations may be, in order, U.S.A., France, Italy, Jamaica, Germany. Thus the server computer accomplishes significant time and effort savings on the production floor, as only one variable needs be changed between runs. Order information can be received from a customer through the customer's use of a client computer (e.g., a laptop, desktop, or tablet computer). In general, any computer will include at least processor, at least one tangible, non-transitory memory device, and at least one input/output device, all communicatively coupled by, e.g., a bus. A processor can be any chip such as one of those sold by Intel or AMD. A memory device may include RAM, ROM, or both, and can be, for example, a solid-state hard drive (SSD), flash memory, a disk drive, or other memory. Input/output devices include monitors, keyboards, pointers (e.g., a mouse), Wi-Fi cards, network interface cards, cell modems, radio antenna, or others. Computer can share information via communications networks that include the internet, cellular phone networks, local area networks, others, or a combination thereof, as will be apparent to one of skill in the art.
As used herein, the word “or” means “and or or”, sometimes seen or referred to as “and/or”, unless indicated otherwise.
References and citations to other documents, such as patents, patent applications, patent publications, journals, books, papers, web contents, have been made throughout this disclosure. All such documents are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
Various modifications of the invention and many further embodiments thereof, in addition to those shown and described herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the full contents of this document, including references to the scientific and patent literature cited herein. The subject matter herein contains important information, exemplification and guidance that can be adapted to the practice of this invention in its various embodiments and equivalents thereof.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/764,167, field Feb. 13, 2013, the contents of which are incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61764167 | Feb 2013 | US |