Filament (e.g., Fiber, Etc.) Or Sheet Wrapped About Shaft Longitudinal Axis Patents (Class 473/319)
  • Patent number: 11938688
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a laminate including two or more layers of a composite layer including a fiber substrate and a cured product of a thermosetting resin composition, the two or more layers of the composite layer including one or more layer of a composite layer (X) and one or more layer of a composite layer (Y), the composite layer (X) being a layer including a first fiber substrate constituted by first glass fibers, the composite layer (Y) being a layer including a second fiber substrate constituted by second glass fibers, and the second glass fibers having a higher tensile elastic modulus at 25° C. than the first glass fibers, a printed wiring board including the laminate, a semiconductor package, and a method for producing a laminate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: RESONAC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noriaki Murakami, Ryoichi Uchimura, Masahisa Ose, Kenichi Ohhashi
  • Patent number: 11840964
    Abstract: A shaft component, which in particular can be connected or is connected to the input or output side of a gear box in a gas turbine engine, in particular an aircraft engine, wherein the shaft component has at least two regions comprising fiber reinforced plastic, with fibers in the at least two regions differing in their composition, their geometric properties, their density, their radial position, their axial position and/or in their fiber orientation in the shaft component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Fiona Halliday, Mark Spruce
  • Patent number: 11786188
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises means for engaging a patient platform. The means comprises at least one layer of laminar sheeting of radiolucent material. At least one anatomical support member which comprises at least one layer of laminar sheeting of radiolucent material. At least one articulating joint unit is in engagement with the at least one of anatomical support member. The at least one articulating joint unit comprise at least one layer of laminar sheeting of radiolucent material with a primarily non-metallic connector at a central pivot point. The at least one articulating joint unit is positionable in at least a vertical and horizontal orientations enabling positioning of portions of an anatomy in three dimensions along x, y, and z axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Inventor: Michael Campagna
  • Patent number: 11752407
    Abstract: A golf club shaft system and golf club shaft possessing unique characteristics including flexural and torsional rigidity profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: BREAKTHROUGH GOLF TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Byron H. Adams, Blair M. Philip, Jeffrey T. Halstead, Robert E. Stephens, Trever M. Napier
  • Patent number: 11744612
    Abstract: A guard for providing a cut-resistant pathway through a body orifice or incision to circumferentially protect tissue at the margin is provided. The guard is made of flexible, cut-resistant mesh material having a plurality of interwoven thermosetting filaments. The guard has a central lumen and at least one flared end. The flared end, which serves to anchor the guard in the body opening, is deformable into a reduced configuration to facilitate its insertion and removal. The layer of mesh stretches laterally to increase the diameter of the central lumen. The flexibility and expandability of the guard allows the guard to conform to body openings of different sizes. The guard may include a drawstring to cinch the flared distal end from the proximal end. The guard is thermoset with the flared distal end that is biased to spring back to its normal, undeformed configuration when released from a deformed configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Medical Resources Corporation
    Inventors: Alexandra Do, Boun Pravong, Serene Wachli
  • Patent number: 11608846
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing a putter with a bi-material shaft is disclosed herein. The putter comprises a putter head, the bi-material shaft, a mass member and a grip. The bi-material shaft comprises a body with a tip end and a butt end. The body comprises a metal section extending from the tip end to a connection point, and a composite section extending from the butt end to the connection point. The mass member is positioned within an opening at the butt end of the shaft. Mass from the shaft is transferred to the club head and the mass member in the butt end of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp
    Inventors: Grace Hohn, Norm Smith, Augustin W. Rollinson
  • Patent number: 11248641
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing a putter with a bi-material shaft is disclosed herein. The putter comprises a putter head, the bi-material shaft, a mass member and a grip. The bi-material shaft comprises a body with a tip end and a butt end. The body comprises a metal section extending from the tip end to a connection point, and a composite section extending from the butt end to the connection point. The mass member is positioned within an opening at the butt end of the shaft. Mass from the shaft is transferred to the club head and the mass member in the butt end of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Grace Hohn, Norm Smith, Augustin W. Rollinson
  • Patent number: 11123618
    Abstract: A golf club 2 includes a head 4, a shaft 6, and a grip 8. The club 2 has a forward club flex of greater than or equal to 170 mm. The forward club flex is measured for a golf club in the completed state. The weight of the head is denoted by Wh, and the weight of the club is denoted by Wc. Wh/Wc is greater than or equal to 0.72. With the golf club 2, a force acting on the player's body during a swing can be reduced. The golf club 2 can stabilize swing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naruhiro Mizutani, Seiji Hayase, Kenji Takasu, Takashi Nakano, Daisuke Kohno
  • Patent number: 11040257
    Abstract: A golf club includes a head; a shaft; and a grip. The head has a weight Wh of greater than or equal to 195 g. The golf club has a club length Lc of greater than or equal to 45.0 inches. The golf club has a club weight Wc of greater than or equal to 295 g. The golf club has a swing moment of inertia Isw of less than or equal to 5470×103 (g·cm2). The swing moment of inertia Isw (g·cm2) is calculated by the following formula (1): Isw=Wc×(Lg+40)2+Ic??(1), where Wc represents the club weight (g), Lg represents a distance (cm) in an axial direction between a butt end of the grip and a center of gravity of the golf club, and Ic represents a moment of inertia (g·cm2) of the golf club about the center of gravity of the golf club.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakamura, Masahiko Ueda, Wataru Kimizuka
  • Patent number: 11007412
    Abstract: A shaft includes a plurality of fiber reinforced layers. The fiber reinforced layers include a plurality of hoop layers and a plurality of straight layers. The straight layers include at least one full length straight layer. At least two of the hoop layers and at least two of the straight layers constitute an alternate lamination of the hoop layers and the straight layers. The hoop layers may include a first butt partial hoop layer and a second butt partial hoop layer that is longer in an axial direction than the first butt partial hoop layer. The first butt partial hoop layer may have a weight per unit area of greater than that of the second butt partial hoop layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Takasu
  • Patent number: 11000743
    Abstract: A golf club shaft includes a tip end, a butt end, a first anisotropic portion that is twisted in a first direction in conjunction with a bending of the golf club shaft at a circumferential bending position, and a second anisotropic portion that is twisted in a second direction in conjunction with the bending. The second anisotropic portion is located on a tip end side relative to the first anisotropic portion. The second direction is opposite to the first direction. In the shaft, the twist accompanied by the bending in the first anisotropic portion can be offset by the twist accompanied by the bending in the second anisotropic portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Hirotaka Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10632355
    Abstract: A golf club 2 includes a head 4, a shaft 6, and a grip 8. The club 2 has a forward club flex of greater than or equal to 170 mm. The forward club flex is measured for a golf club in the completed state. The weight of the head is denoted by Wh, and the weight of the club is denoted by Wc. Wh/Wc is greater than or equal to 0.72. With the golf club 2, a force acting on the player's body during a swing can be reduced. The golf club 2 can stabilize swing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naruhiro Mizutani, Seiji Hayase, Kenji Takasu, Takashi Nakano, Daisuke Kohno
  • Patent number: 10420995
    Abstract: A shaft 6 has a forward flex of equal to or longer than 130 mm and equal to or shorter than 178 mm. When the forward flex is represented by f1, and a backward flex is represented by f2, f2/(f1+f2) is equal to or greater than 0.46 and equal to or less than 0.50. When a distance between a butt end Bt and a center of gravity Gs of the shaft is represented by L (centimeter), and a weight of the shaft is represented by Ws (kilogram), a butt end GLL is calculated by the following formula: butt end GLL=Ws×L×L, wherein the butt end GLL (kg·cm2) is equal to or less than 110 kg·cm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Takasu, Takashi Nakano
  • Patent number: 10391373
    Abstract: A golf club and/or shaft with improved weighting characteristic is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention discloses to a golf club and/or shaft wherein the improved weighting distribution stems from an increase in the mass of the golf club and/or shaft at a specific distance away from the butt end or proximal end of the golf club to help increase the feel and minimize the dispersion of the golf shot by fine tuning the pull and or draw tendencies of a golf shot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Dustin A. Barksdale, Donald S. Bone
  • Patent number: 10220278
    Abstract: A golf club 2 includes a head 4, a shaft 6, and a grip 8. The club 2 has a forward club flex of greater than or equal to 170 mm. The forward club flex is measured for a golf club in the completed state. The weight of the head is denoted by Wh, and the weight of the club is denoted by Wc. Wh/Wc is greater than or equal to 0.72. With the golf club 2, a force acting on the player's body during a swing can be reduced. The golf club 2 can stabilize swing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naruhiro Mizutani, Seiji Hayase, Kenji Takasu, Takashi Nakano, Daisuke Kohno
  • Patent number: 10208176
    Abstract: Pre-impregnated composite material (prepreg) that can be cured/molded to form aerospace composite parts. The prepreg includes carbon reinforcing fibers and an uncured resin matrix. The resin matrix includes an epoxy component that is a combination of a hydrocarbon epoxy novolac resin and a trifunctional epoxy resin and a tetrafunctional epoxy resin. The resin matrix includes polyethersulfone as a toughening agent and a thermoplastic particle component that includes a mixture of polyamide particles and polyimide particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: HEXCEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gordon Emmerson, Yen-Seine Wang, Jessica Leandro
  • Patent number: 10022603
    Abstract: A golf club shaft and a golf club using such a golf club shaft are achieved, wherein the golf club shaft is capable of suppressing variations of various parameters at impact by reducing the difference in rigidity between the layers of the shaft body. The golf club shaft includes full-length bias prepregs provided only as a plurality of pairs thereof and as full-length layers that extend over an entire length of the shaft body, wherein fiber directions of each pair of the full-length bias prepregs are inclined at an angle within a range of 22 degrees through 28 degrees relative to a longitudinal direction of the shaft body, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIKURA RUBBER LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Wakabayashi, Yoshihito Kogawa
  • Patent number: 9878225
    Abstract: A golf club shaft formed by winding prepregs, made of reinforced fibers impregnated with a thermosetting resin, into layers and thermally curing the prepregs. The golf club shaft includes a 90-degree prepreg, a fiber direction of which is orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the golf club shaft and which is provided on each of an inner layer side and an outer layer side, and the golf club shaft satisfies the following condition: 2.0?D2/D1?4.0, wherein D1 designates a thickness of the inner-layer-side 90-degree prepreg, and D2 designates a thickness of the outer-layer-side 90-degree prepreg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIKURA RUBBER LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihito Kogawa, Masaki Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 9840058
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel fiber-reinforced epoxy resin material having improved strength. The fiber-reinforced epoxy resin material of the present invention comprises a cured product of an epoxy resin composition and a reinforcing fiber, wherein the epoxy resin composition comprises a novolac type epoxy resin as an epoxy resin component, and the cured product of the epoxy resin composition has a swelling ratio in a range from 20 mass % to 44 mass % in methyl ethyl ketone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Hiromasa Tsunashima, Yasuo Naito, Kazuyoshi Shiga
  • Patent number: 9713753
    Abstract: A shaft 6 includes at least two hoop layers s3 and s8, at least one bias layer, and at least one straight layer. An interposition layer other than the hoop layer is present between every opposing hoop layers. An average thickness of the opposing hoop layers is defined as t, and a total thickness of the interposition layer is defined as T. The shaft 6 satisfies the following formula (1): T/t?1.9??(1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
    Inventor: Hirotaka Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9566485
    Abstract: A shaft 6 includes full length layers provided wholly in a longitudinal direction of the shaft, and a tip end partial layer provided on a tip part of the shaft. The full length layers include a bias layer and a straight layer. The tip end partial layer includes an inner glass fiber reinforced layer. When a full length of the shaft is defined as Ls, and a distance between a tip end of the shaft and a center of gravity G of the shaft is defined as Lg, a ratio (Lg/Ls) is equal to or greater than 0.52 and equal to or less than 0.65. A weight of the shaft is equal to or less than 65 g. Preferably, the inner glass fiber reinforced layer is positioned inside the bias layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hasegawa, Kiyofumi Matsunaga, Takeshi Shimauchi
  • Patent number: 9387378
    Abstract: A golf club shaft which satisfies strength and is lightweight is provided by the present invention. This golf club shaft comprises one or more fiber-reinforced resin layers, and is characterized by satisfying the following relationship (1), wherein x [mm] is the displacement in a cantilever bending test, M [g] is the mass of the golf club shaft, and L [mm] is the length thereof, and by satisfying the following strength standard values [1]-[4]: M×(L/1168)<49.66 e?0.0015x (relationship 1); [1] the three-point bending strength at T-90 (the position 90 mm apart from the smaller-diameter end) is 800 N or higher; [2] the three-point bending strength at T-175 (the position 175 mm apart from the smaller-diameter end) is 400 N or higher; [3] the three-point bending strength at T-525 (the position 525 mm apart from the smaller-diameter end) is 400 N or higher; and [4] the three-point bending strength at B-175 (the position 175 mm apart from the larger-diameter end) is 400 N or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Shimono, Takashi Kaneko, Masahiro Kishi
  • Patent number: 9216326
    Abstract: A golf club comprises a shaft, a club head, and a connection assembly that allows the shaft to be easily disconnected from the club head. In particular embodiments, a sleeve including a top portion, a middle portion connected to the top portion is described. The middle portion includes a thin wall thickness. A bottom portion is connected to the middle portion including a plurality of engaging surfaces. A central longitudinal axis and an offset angle offset from the central longitudinal axis is described. The offset angle allows a maximum loft change of about 0.5 degrees to about 4.0 degrees. The total weight of the sleeve is less than 9 g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd P. Beach, Nathan T. Sargent, Kraig Alan Willett, Joseph Henry Hoffman
  • Patent number: 9211454
    Abstract: Provided is a golf club shaft. When a distance from a front end of the shaft to a center of gravity of the shaft is LG and when a full length of the shaft is LS, 0.54?LG/LS?0.65 is satisfied. A shaft weight is not larger than 55 g, and a torque value is not higher than 6.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
    Inventor: Kiyofumi Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 9199136
    Abstract: A golf club shaft having a weight distribution such that the balance point percentage is less than or equal to 44.50%. The weight distribution of the shaft allows for an increase in length and/or club head weight of a golf club while having a reduced impact on the swing weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Scott A. Rice, Donald S. Bone, Dustin A. Barksdale
  • Patent number: 9039542
    Abstract: Provided is a golf club having a head disposed at a front end of a shaft and a grip disposed at a back end of the shaft. A club weight is not larger than 290 g. A product of a ratio (head weight/club weight) of a head weight to the club weight, and a ratio (LG/LS) of a distance LG from the front end of the shaft to a center of gravity of the shaft to a full length LS of the shaft, is not smaller than 0.365.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakamura, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Takashi Nakano
  • Patent number: 9033816
    Abstract: Disclosed a hybrid golf shaft in which one or more aramid fiber containing prepregs (H) are laminated in a length section of 5 cm or more of the whole length of the golf shaft, and three or more carbon fiber prepregs (C) are laminated in a length section of 50 cm or more of the whole length of the golf shaft. The golf shaft is configured in that aramid prepregs (H1) or hybrid prepregs (H2) with excellent impact absorbability are arranged in a length section of 5 to 50 cm from a thin end of the golf shaft or along the whole length (L) in an axial direction of the golf shaft, to thereby effectively reduce the number of vibrations in the golf shaft when the golf ball is hit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC
    Inventors: Tae Kyoung Min, Tae Hwan Ahn, Eun Jung Cho, Jong Hyun Pack, Jae Soo Choi
  • Patent number: 8998743
    Abstract: Provided is a golf club having a head disposed at a front end of a shaft and a grip disposed at a back end of the shaft. A club weight is not larger than 290 g, and a ratio (head weight/club weight) of a head weight to a club weight is not lower than 0.67 but not higher than 0.72. Furthermore, a grip weight is not smaller than 27 g but not larger than 45 g, and when a distance from the front end of the shaft to a center of gravity the shaft is LG and when a full length of the shaft is LS, 0.54?LG/LS?0.65 is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakamura, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Takashi Nakano
  • Publication number: 20150094160
    Abstract: A shaft 6 includes a plurality of fiber reinforced resin layers s1 to s10. The plurality of layers include a first straight layer s1 in which a 0°-compression strength is the minimum and a second straight layer s9 in which a 0°-compression strength is the maximum. A specific tip part Tx which is a region between a tip end Tp and a position separated by 100 mm from the tip end Tp satisfies the following (a) to (c): (a) the first straight layer forms a innermost layer; (b) the second straight layer is arranged outside a central position in a thickness direction; and (c) when a 0°-compression strength of the first straight layer is defined as Cmin and a 0°-compression strength of the second straight layer is defined as Cmax, a difference (Cmax?Cmin) is equal to or greater than 550 MPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka NAKAMURA, Hiroshi HASEGAWA
  • Patent number: 8979666
    Abstract: In a shaft 6, a shaft full length is defined as Ls, and a distance between a tip end of the shaft and a center of gravity G of the shaft is defined as Lg. Lg/Ls is 0.52 or greater and 0.65 or less. A shaft weight is equal to or less than 52 g. Preferably, the shaft 6 has butt partial layers a5 and a6. When a point separated by 250 mm from a butt end Bt is defined as P2; a range from the point P2 to the butt end Bt is defined as a specific butt range; the total weight of the butt partial layers a5 and a6 existing in the specific butt range is Wa gram; and a weight of the shaft in the specific butt range is defined as Wb gram, Wa/Wb is preferably equal to or greater than 0.4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hasegawa, Takashi Nakano, Yasushi Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 8961331
    Abstract: A shaft 6 has a plurality of full length layers s2, s3, and s6 to s9. The full length layers have full length bias layers s2 and s3, and full length straight layers s6, s8, and s9. The full length straight layers s6, s8, s9 located outside the full length bias layers s2 and s3 include a novolac-containing layer. In the novolac-containing layer, a content Rn of the novolac type epoxy resin is 3% by mass or greater and 19% by mass or less. If an average specific gravity of the novolac-containing layers constituting the full length straight layers is defined as S1, and an average specific gravity of the full length bias layers and inside of the full length bias layers is defined as S2, the specific gravity S1 is greater than the specific gravity S2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Shiga, Yasuo Naito
  • Publication number: 20150038254
    Abstract: A shaft 6 is formed by a plurality of prepreg sheets s1, s2, s3, s4, s5, s6, s7, s8 and s9. These prepreg sheets include full length sheets and partial sheets partially provided in the axial direction of the shaft. The full length sheets include a full length hoop sheet s7. The partial sheets include glass fiber reinforced sheets s1, s4. In the shaft 6, a volume ratio Vf of the hoop layer in a specific tip part Tx is equal to or greater than 2.5% and less than 10%. The shaft 6 is lightweight and has a high degree of design freedom of a position of a center of gravity. The shaft 6 is excellent in strength of a tip part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventor: Hirotaka NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20150038255
    Abstract: A shaft 6 includes bias layers and straight layers. The bias layers include full length bias layers s1, s2, and butt partial bias layers s3, s4 arranged at a butt end side of the shaft. The straight layers include full length straight layers s7, s9, a tip partial straight layer arranged at a tip side of the shaft, and a butt partial straight layer arranged at a butt end side of the shaft. The tip partial straight layer includes a tip low-elastic layer s6. The butt partial straight layer includes a butt low-elastic layer s8. A low-elastic layer means a layer in which an elastic modulus of a reinforcing fiber is equal to or less than 20 ton/mm2. A shaft length Ls is equal to or less than 41 inches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventor: Hiroshi HASEGAWA
  • Patent number: 8936515
    Abstract: A golf club shaft is manufactured using a plurality of prepreg sheets a1 to a8. The plurality of prepreg sheets a1 to a8 includes full length sheets a2 to a7 disposed all over in a shaft axis direction and partial sheets a1 and a8 partially disposed in the shaft axis direction. The number of plies is substantially an integer in all the full length sheets a2 to a7. The full length sheets a2 to a7 include four or more bias sheets a2 to a5. Circumferential winding start positions of the bias sheets a2 to a5 are dispersed in four or more positions. Preferably, the circumferential winding start positions of the full length sheets a2 to a7 are dispersed in five or more positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Tatsuya Yashiki
  • Patent number: 8936516
    Abstract: A section where the tip side partial bias layer exists in an axis direction of the shaft is defined as a section T; a section where the back end side partial bias layer exists in the axis direction of the shaft is defined as a section B; and a shaft section inserted into a hosel of a head in the axis direction of the shaft is defined as a section H. A part of the section T overlaps with the section H. An overlapping section TB in which the section T overlaps with the section B exists. The whole overlapping section TB is located on a back end Bt side of the shaft from the section H. A center position Px of the overlapping section TB is located on a tip side of the shaft from a center position Pc of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Yashiki
  • Patent number: 8915796
    Abstract: A golf club shaft has a tip end to which a golf club head is attached and a butt end to which a grip is attached, wherein the shaft is composed of a fiber reinforced resin having a fiber layer, the fiber layer contains a bias layer having bias fibers oriented at an angle with respect to an axial direction of the shaft, the bias layer includes a tip-side bias layer extending from the tip end toward the butt end and having a butt-side end terminating without reaching the butt end and a butt-side bias layer extending from the butt end toward the tip end and having a tip-side end terminating without reaching the tip end, and bias fibers in the tip-side bias layer has a tensile elastic modulus smaller than that of bias fibers of the butt-side bias layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd
    Inventor: Tatsuya Yashiki
  • Patent number: 8858358
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a tubular body made from a novel fiber-reinforced epoxy resin material having improved strength. A tubular body made of a fiber-reinforced epoxy resin material according to the present invention is a tubular body made of a fiber-reinforced epoxy resin material comprising a cured product of an epoxy resin composition and a reinforcing fiber. The cured product of the epoxy resin composition has a swelling ratio of 20% by mass to 42.5% by mass in methyl ethyl ketone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Shiga, Yasuo Naito
  • Patent number: 8852021
    Abstract: A golf club shaft in which the isotropy of the prepregs configuring a torsion rigidity holding layer is high and in which sufficient torsional rigidity can be secured with fewer plies of fewer prepregs. The golf club shaft includes a torsional rigidity holding layer made of a thermosetting resin which contains reinforced fibers extending obliquely to a longitudinal direction of the shaft. The torsional rigidity holding layer includes a multilayer set prepreg, in which at least two layers of prepregs made of reinforced fibers are impregnated with a thermosetting resin. A plurality of prepregs in the multilayer set prepreg include reinforced fibers extending in mutually different directions. The multilayer set prepreg is continuously wound by at least two turns with the plurality of prepregs layered on each other. A golf club uses the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Fujikura Rubber Ltd.
    Inventors: Norio Matsumoto, Takato Nakamura, Masaki Wakabayashi, Tomonobu Kanno
  • Patent number: 8845452
    Abstract: A golf club shaft has the bending rigidity distribution and the torsional rigidity distribution satisfying the following three relational formulas: 1) S2/S1?2.5, wherein an average inclination of the bending rigidity in an interval from 400 mm to 700 mm from the front end of the shaft is defined as S1 and an average inclination of the bending rigidity in an interval from 800 mm to 950 mm from the front end of the shaft is defined as S2; 2) 1.0<EI/GI(mid)<1.5, wherein an average of the ratio of the bending rigidity with respect to the torsional rigidity in an interval from 300 mm to 700 mm from the front end of the shaft is defined as EI/GI(mid); and 3) EI/GI(900)?1.75, wherein the ratio of the bending rigidity with respect to the torsional rigidity at a position 900 mm from the front end of the shaft is defined as EI/GI(900).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Fumiaki Sato
  • Patent number: 8827829
    Abstract: A shaft 6 has a plurality of layers a1 to a10. The layers include a bias layer in which an absolute angle ?a of a fiber to a shaft axis line is 10 degrees or greater and 70 degrees or less, and a hoop layer in which the angle ?a is equal to or greater than 80 degrees. The layers include a full length layer disposed all over in an axis direction of the shaft, and a partial layer partially disposed in the axis direction of the shaft. The partial layer includes back end reinforcing bias layers a4 and a6, and a backend reinforcing hoop layer a5. In the shaft 6, a torsional rigidity value GIt at a point separated by 300 mm from a butt end is 3.5×106 (kgf·mm2/deg) or greater and 5.0×106 (kgf·mm2/deg) or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Nakano
  • Publication number: 20140221122
    Abstract: Embodiments of the subject invention relate to a method and apparatus for providing a golf club shaft that has coupling between one or more bending modes and one or more twisting modes of deformation. In a specific embodiment, bending the shaft along a central longitudinal axis of the shaft in a plane of bending results in twisting of the shaft about the same central longitudinal axis of the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
    Inventors: Peter G. Ifju, Jarrod Mark Bonsmann, David A. Jenkins
  • Patent number: 8777772
    Abstract: A golf club shaft extending from a tip end to a butt end and made of fiber reinforced resin, comprises a weight being in a range of from 30 to 55 g, a whole length LS between the tip end and the butt end, a center of gravity of the shaft located with a distance LG from the tip end, a ratio of the distance LG to the whole length LS being in a range of from 0.54 to 0.65, a tip end portion which has a length of 300 mm from the tip end toward the butt end, the tip end portion including fibers including a pitch based carbon fiber and a PAN based carbon fiber, and said fibers in the tip end portion comprising, in weight, the pitch based carbon fiber of from 15 to 25% and the PAN based carbon fiber of from 85 to 75%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hasegawa, Takashi Nakano
  • Patent number: 8734268
    Abstract: A golf club shaft has a length of a shaft of 1050 mm to 1170 mm and a sum of flexural rigidities at positions 150 mm, 200 mm and 250 mm from a front end of the shaft of A1, a sum of flexural rigidities at positions 400 mm, 450 mm and 500 mm from the front end of the shaft of A2 and a sum of flexural rigidities at positions 650 mm, 700 mm and 750 mm from the front end of the shaft of A3, distribution of flexural rigidities is 1.70?A3/A2 and 0.60?A1/A3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Fumiaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20140106895
    Abstract: A shaft 6 includes full length layers provided wholly in a longitudinal direction of the shaft, and a tip end partial layer provided on a tip part of the shaft. The full length layers include a bias layer and a straight layer. The tip end partial layer includes an inner glass fiber reinforced layer. When a full length of the shaft is defined as Ls, and a distance between a tip end of the shaft and a center of gravity G of the shaft is defined as Lg, a ratio (Lg/Ls) is equal to or greater than 0.52 and equal to or less than 0.65. A weight of the shaft is equal to or less than 65 g. Preferably, the inner glass fiber reinforced layer is positioned inside the bias layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi HASEGAWA, Kiyofumi MATSUNAGA, Takeshi SHIMAUCHI
  • Patent number: 8602908
    Abstract: A shaft of the present invention has a tip reinforcing layer. A prepreg s9 for the tip reinforcing layer has a portion having a larger circumferential direction width Ws toward a tip side. The prepreg s9 for the tip reinforcing layer has a thickness Pt of 0.06 mm or greater and 0.12 mm or less. An edge Ds of the tip reinforcing layer extends in an axial direction of the shaft while circulating in a circumferential direction of the shaft. An average value Ha of the five heights h11 to h15 is equal to or less than 0.03 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20130324288
    Abstract: A shaft 6 has a plurality of full length layers s2, s3, and s6 to s9. The full length layers have full length bias layers s2 and s3, and full length straight layers s6, s8, and s9. The full length straight layers s6, s8, s9 located outside the full length bias layers s2 and s3 include a novolac-containing layer. In the novolac-containing layer, a content Rn of the novolac type epoxy resin is 3% by mass or greater and 19% by mass or less. If an average specific gravity of the novolac-containing layers constituting the full length straight layers is defined as S1, and an average specific gravity of the full length bias layers and inside of the full length bias layers is defined as S2, the specific gravity S1 is greater than the specific gravity S2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi SHIGA, Yasuo NAITO
  • Publication number: 20130267344
    Abstract: Disclosed a hybrid golf shaft in which one or more aramid fiber containing prepregs (H) are laminated in a length section of 5 cm or more of the whole length of the golf shaft, and three or more carbon fiber prepregs (C) are laminated in a length section of 50 cm or more of the whole length of the golf shaft. The golf shaft is configured in that aramid prepregs (H1) or hybrid prepregs (H2) with excellent impact absorbability are arranged in a length section of 5 to 50 cm from a thin end of the golf shaft or along the whole length (L) in an axial direction of the golf shaft, to thereby effectively reduce the number of vibrations in the golf shaft when the golf ball is hit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Tae Kyoung Min, Tae Hwan Ahn, Eun Jung Cho, Jong Hyun Pack, Jae Soo Choi
  • Publication number: 20130260911
    Abstract: A golf club shaft is formed by curing wound fiber-containing prepregs and has a tip side and a butt side. In an embodiment, the prepregs include pitch-based carbon fiber-containing prepregs with a low elastic modulus, which are wound on the tip side, and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based carbon fiber-containing prepregs, which are wound in an outermost layer on the tip side. In another embodiment, the prepregs include low-elasticity carbon fiber-containing prepregs wound on the tip side, and high-elasticity carbon fiber-containing prepregs wound on the butt side. In yet another embodiment, the prepregs include low-elasticity carbon-containing prepregs, which are wound on the butt side, and high elasticity carbon-containing prepregs, which are wound on the tip side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE SPORTS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiromasa ITO
  • Patent number: 8535175
    Abstract: A shaft 6 includes a textile layer. The textile layer has a biaxial textile 20 composed of warps and wefts. The warp is oriented substantially parallel to an axial direction of the shaft. The weft is oriented substantially perpendicularly to the axial direction of the shaft. When a tensile elastic modulus of the warp is defined as ET (tf/mm2) and a tensile elastic modulus of the weft is defined as EY (tf/mm2), the tensile elastic modulus ET is smaller than the tensile elastic modulus EY. Preferably, the warp is a PAN carbon fiber and the weft is a pitch carbon fiber. Preferably, when a tensile strength of the warp is defined as ST (kgf/mm2) and a tensile strength of the weft is defined as SY (kgf/mm2), the tensile strength ST is greater than the tensile strength SY.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Masatoshi Kato
  • Publication number: 20130231201
    Abstract: Provided is a golf club shaft. When a distance from a front end of the shaft to a center of gravity of the shaft is LG and when a full length of the shaft is LS, 0.54?LG/LS?0.65 is satisfied. A shaft weight is not larger than 55 g, and a torque value is not higher than 6.5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
    Inventor: Kiyofumi MATSUNAGA