Patents by Inventor Masanori Yabu

Masanori Yabu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8142300
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a torque applied from a golf player to a golf club during a swing is analyzed in a time-series manner. A DLT method is suitable as a determination procedure. Preferably, a link model is used in this analysis. Preferably, the three-dimensional coordinate of the mark provided at a position that corresponds to the link model is determined by a DLT method. Preferable analysis method includes: modeling using a golf club, and at least a part of a golf player who grips a grip member of the golf club to provide a link model in which the golf club is connected with the golf player via a joint; and analyzing the torque that acts on the joint is analyzed during the swing in a time-series manner. This joint is positioned in the vicinity of the grip member. This analysis can be applied to a method of diagnosing a swing, a method of selecting a golf club, and a method of designing a golf club.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignees: A School Corporation Kansai University, SRI Sports Limited
    Inventors: Takuzo Iwatsubo, Keiji Moriyama, Masanori Yabu, Masahide Onuki
  • Patent number: 7621035
    Abstract: A golf club head which comprises a face, a crown, a sole, a sidewall extending from the periphery of the sole towards the crown excluding the face, and a neck to be fixed to a shaft, and the head is formed by welding together a face member for the face, a crown member for the crown and a walled sole member for forming at least the sole and the sidewall, wherein the walled sole member is made by monoblock casting, and the face member and the crown member are each made by plastic deformation processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu
  • Publication number: 20090005188
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a torque applied from a golf player to a golf club during a swing is analyzed in a time-series manner. A DLT method is suitable as a determination procedure. Preferably, a link model is used in this analysis. Preferably, the three-dimensional coordinate of the mark provided at a position that corresponds to the link model is determined by a DLT method. Preferable analysis method includes: modeling using a golf club, and at least a part of a golf player who grips a grip member of the golf club to provide a link model in which the golf club is connected with the golf player via a joint; and analyzing the torque that acts on the joint is analyzed during the swing in a time-series manner. This joint is positioned in the vicinity of the grip member. This analysis can be applied to a method of diagnosing a swing, a method of selecting a golf club, and a method of designing a golf club.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicants: A School Corporation Kansai University, SRI Sports Limited
    Inventors: Takuzo Iwatsubo, Keiji Moriyama, Masanori Yabu, Masahide Onuki
  • Patent number: 7371187
    Abstract: Three moments of inertia M1, M2, and M3 (g·cm 2) about three axes defined in a golf putter are defined in a manner to provide a weight balance satisfying the expressions {(M1?M2)<12000} and {M1>M2>M3}.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventors: Keiji Moriyama, Masanori Yabu
  • Patent number: 7097572
    Abstract: A hollow metal club head comprises a face portion whose front surface defines the club face, and a turnback wall extending backward from the circumferential edge of the face portion, wherein a head volume is in a range of not less than 440 cc, a height of the club face is in a range of from 55 to 85 mm, and a surface area of the club face is in a range of from 4000 to 6500 sq. mm. In a front end zone of the turnback wall and a peripheral zone of the face portion which are adjacent to each other through a junction between the turnback wall and the face portion, the ratio Rf/Rh of a zone rigidity Rf=(Ef×tf3) of the peripheral zone to a zone rigidity Rh=(Eh×th3) of the front end zone is in a range of from 4.0 to 12.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu
  • Patent number: 7051416
    Abstract: A golf club head comprises a hollow body having a cavity, a plurality of rib-like walls provided on the inner surface of the hollow body so as to extend backward from a position near the face portion, and a sound bar disposed behind the face portion so as to extend along the back face of the face portion. A method of making a golf club head comprises making a wax model of the hollow main body having an opening, wherein in order to prevent deformation of the wax model during making a casting mold, the wax model is provided with a brace which extends across the opening and protruding walls which are disposed on the inner surface of the wax model and extend backwards from the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu
  • Publication number: 20060058116
    Abstract: A golf club head which comprises a face, a crown, a sole, a sidewall extending from the periphery of the sole towards the crown excluding the face, and a neck to be fixed to a shaft, and the head is formed by welding together a face member for the face, a crown member for the crown and a walled sole member for forming at least the sole and the sidewall, wherein the walled sole member is made by monoblock casting, and the face member and the crown member are each made by plastic deformation processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu
  • Patent number: 6991559
    Abstract: A golf club head comprises a face plate having a back face and a front face forming a club face for hitting a ball; a clubhead main body to which the face plate is attached, the clubhead main body comprising a sole portion and a backside wall portion, the backside wall portion extending upward from the sole portion, leaving a space from said back face; and an insert made of an elastic material and interposed between the back face of the face plate and the backside wall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu
  • Patent number: 6989506
    Abstract: A golf club head includes two metal parts which are connected each other by welding their opposite surfaces. A method of making the golf club head constitutes: making the two metal parts, wherein at least one of them is provided with a small protrusion along the surface to be welded; and laser welding the opposite surfaces by applying a laser beam to at least the protrusion so that the molten material of the protrusion penetrates into a gap between the opposite surfaces to connect the two metal parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu
  • Publication number: 20050239573
    Abstract: Three moments of inertia M1, M2, and M3 (g·cm 2) about three axes defined in a golf putter are defined in a manner to provide a weight balance satisfying the expressions {(M1?M2)<12000} and {M1>M2>M3}.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2005
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Inventors: Keiji Moriyama, Masanori Yabu
  • Patent number: 6932719
    Abstract: A head (5) comprises a body (9), a face (11), a neck (13) and a crown (15). The crown (15) includes an outer plate (21) and an inner plate (23). The outer plate (21) and the inner plate (23) are opposed to each other with a gap provided therebetween. The outer plate (21) and the inner plate (23) are formed of a titanium alloy. The inner plate (23) has a projection (25). The upper end of the projection (25) abuts on the lower surface of the outer plate (21). The projection (25) and the outer plate (21) are bonded to each other by a spot welding method. The outer plate (21) and the inner plate (23) have thicknesses of 0.1 mm to 0.6 mm, respectively. The head (5) has a volume of 300 cm3 or more. A portion between the outer plate (21) and the inner plate (23) maybe filled with a synthetic resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu
  • Publication number: 20050108865
    Abstract: A golf club head comprises a hollow body having a cavity, a plurality of rib-like walls provided on the inner surface of the hollow body so as to extend backward from a position near the face portion, and a sound bar disposed behind the face portion so as to extend along the back face of the face portion. A method of making a golf club head comprises making a wax model of the hollow main body having an opening, wherein in order to prevent deformation of the wax model during making a casting mold, the wax model is provided with a brace which extends across the opening and protruding walls which are disposed on the inner surface of the wax model and extend backwards from the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2005
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu
  • Patent number: 6875126
    Abstract: A golf club head containing a hollow main frame and a face plate; the hollow main frame is composed of a main body and a crown plate welded to the main body, the main body containing a hosel part, a sole part and a side part extending upwards from the periphery of the sole part except for a front edge of the sole part thereby providing an open top and an open front, and the crown plate covers said open top, whereby the main frame has an opening on the front thereof. The face plate is welded to the main frame to cover the front opening of the main frame; the face plate includes a face part defining a clubface, and a flange part extending backward from at least the upper edge of the face part; the main frame further including eaves extending from an upper edge of the opening to the inside of the flange part, wherein the thickness of crown plate is in the range of 0.3 to 1.5 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu
  • Patent number: 6852038
    Abstract: A golf club head comprises a hollow body having a cavity, a plurality of rib-like walls provided on the inner surface of the hollow body so as to extend backward from a position near the face portion, and a sound bar disposed behind the face portion so as to extend along the back face of the face portion. A method of making a golf club head comprises making a wax model of the hollow main body having an opening, wherein in order to prevent deformation of the wax model during making a casting mold, the wax model is provided with a brace which extends across the opening and protruding walls which are disposed on the inner surface of the wax model and extend backwards from the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu
  • Publication number: 20040185962
    Abstract: A hollow metal club head comprises a face portion whose front surface defines the club face, and a turnback wall extending backward from the circumferential edge of the face portion, wherein a head volume is in a range of not less than 440 cc, a height of the club face is in a range of from 55 to 85 mm, and a surface area of the club face is in a range of from 4000 to 6500 sq.mm. In a front end zone of the turnback wall and a peripheral zone of the face portion which are adjacent to each other through a junction between the turnback wall and the face portion, the ratio Rf/Rh of a zone rigidity Rf (=Ef×tf3) of the peripheral zone to a zone rigidity Rh (=Eh×th3) of the front end zone is in a range of from 4.0 to 12.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu
  • Publication number: 20040152539
    Abstract: A head (5) comprises a body (9), a face (11), a neck (13) and a crown (15). The crown (15) includes an outer plate (21) and an inner plate (23). The outer plate (21) and the inner plate (23) are opposed to each other with a gap provided therebetween. The outer plate (21) and the inner plate (23) are formed of a titanium alloy. The inner plate (23) has a projection (25). The upper end of the projection (25) abuts on the lower surface of the outer plate (21). The projection (25) and the outer plate (21) are bonded to each other by a spot welding method. The outer plate (21) and the inner plate (23) have thicknesses of 0.1 mm to 0.6 mm, respectively. The head (5) has a volume of 300 cm3 or more. A portion between the outer plate (21) and the inner plate (23) maybe filled with a synthetic resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu
  • Publication number: 20040045943
    Abstract: A golf club head comprises two metal parts which are connected each other by welding their opposite surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2003
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu
  • Publication number: 20030228928
    Abstract: A golf club head comprises a face plate having a back face and a front face forming a club face for hitting a ball; a clubhead main body to which the face plate is attached, the clubhead main body comprising a sole portion and a backside wall portion, the backside wall portion extending upward from the sole portion, leaving a space from said back face; and an insert made of an elastic material and interposed between the back face of the face plate and the backside wall portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu
  • Patent number: 6645087
    Abstract: A metallic golf club head is provided on the inner surface of the crown portion and/or the inner surface of the sole portion with resonance controlling lines for improving ball hitting sounds, the resonance controlling lines protrude from the inner surface and extend substantially normally to the face portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu
  • Publication number: 20030119603
    Abstract: A golf club head comprises a hollow main frame and a face plate; the hollow main frame is composed of a main body and a crown plate welded to the main body, wherein the main body comprises a hosel part, a sole part and a side part extending upwards from the periphery of the sole part except for a front edge of the sole part thereby having an open top and an open front, and the crown plate covers said open top whereby the main frame has an opening on the front thereof; the face plate is welded to the main frame to cover the front opening the main frame; the face plate comprises a face part defining a clubface, and a flange part extending backward from at least an upper edge of the face part; the main frame further comprises an eaves extending from an upper edge of said opening to the inside of said flange part; and the thickness of crown plate is in a range of from 0.3 to 1.5 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventor: Masanori Yabu