METHOD OF APPLYING A COVER TO A GOLF CLUB SHAFT

Abstract

A method of applying a cover to a shaft of a golf club includes fitting the cover onto the golf club such that a shaft of the club passes through a sleeve of heat-shrinkable material adapted to fit around an exposed portion of the shaft, positioning the cover such that the sleeve is substantially in register with the exposed portion of the shaft, and applying heat to the sleeve to cause the sleeve to shrink onto the exposed portion of the shaft.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to golf clubs.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Golf club shafts are conventionally made from metal, typically stainless steel, or carbon fibre based composite material, commonly referred to as graphite. The shaft is subject to wear and tear and metal shafts in particular are susceptible to rust. It is desirable therefore to provide a cover for protecting the shafts during use.

It would also be desirable to provide means for allowing indicia and/or decoration to be applied to the shaft of a golf club.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first aspect of the invention provides a method of applying a cover to a shaft of a golf club, the golf club comprising a head provided at a first end of the shaft; and a grip provided at a second end of the shaft, an exposed portion of the shaft being defined between said head and said grip, said cover comprising a sleeve of heat-shrinkable material adapted to fit around said exposed portion of the shaft, the method comprising:

fitting said cover onto said golf club such that said shaft passes through said sleeve;

positioning said cover such that said sleeve is substantially in register with said exposed portion of the shaft; and

applying heat to said sleeve to cause said sleeve to shrink onto said exposed portion of the shaft.

Preferably, at least part of said exposed portion of the shaft is heated prior to said step of applying heat to said sleeve.

Typically, a hosel and/or a ferrule is provided on the club head, the shaft being connected to the head at the hosel, and the method may include positioning the cover so that it surrounds at least part of the hosel and/or ferrule. Optionally, heat is first applied to said sleeve at or near the hosel and/or ferrule, and subsequently to the remainder of the sleeve.

Preferably, the method includes applying, during heating of the sleeve, tension to the sleeve in a direction longitudinal of the sleeve.

Preferably, the method includes suspending, during heating of the sleeve, the club by the sleeve.

Preferably, the method includes positioning the sleeve so that it surrounds an in use lower end of the grip.

The sleeve is typically formed from heat shrinkable plastics, for example polyethylene terephthalate.

A second aspect of the invention provides a cover for a shaft of a golf club, the golf club comprising a head provided at a first end of the shaft; and a grip provided at a second end of the shaft, an exposed portion of the shaft being defined between said head and said grip, said cover comprising a sleeve of heat-shrinkable material adapted to fit around said exposed portion of the shaft.

Further advantageous aspects of the invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of an embodiment of the invention and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention is now described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings and which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a typical golf club;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cover for application to the shaft of the golf club;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a guide for assisting the application of the cover to the golf club shaft; and

FIG. 4 shows a user held heat gun applying heat to a cover fitted to a golf club shaft.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows, generally indicated as 10, a typical golf club. The golf club 10 comprises a shaft 12 having a club head 14 at one end and a grip 16 at the other end. The grip 16 is usually fitted over the end of the shaft 12 and is typically made from rubber. The head 14 comprises a hosel 18 for receiving the end of the shaft 12. A ferrule 20, which is typically made of plastics, may be provided around the shaft 12 adjacent the hosel 18. The head 14 may take a variety of different shapes and sizes depending on the intended use for the club 10. The head 14 is typically formed from metal, wood or a carbon based composite material.

The shaft 12 is usually formed from metal, or a composite material, especially a carbon fibre based composite material commonly referred to as graphite. A portion 22 of the shaft 12 extending between the in-use lower end of the grip 16 and the in-use upper end of the ferrule 20 (or the hosel 18 if the ferrule 20 is not present) is exposed.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown, generally indicated as 30, a cover for the shaft 12, and in particular for the exposed portion 22 of the shaft 12. The cover 30 comprises a sleeve 32 of heat-shrinkable material. Preferably, the heat shrinkable material comprises a heat shrinkable plastics. The preferred plastics is polyethylene terephtalate (PET), although alternative plastics or thermoplastic material may be used, for example polyvinylchloride (PVC) or polyolefin. The heat shrinkable material preferably has a shrinkage rate in the transverse direction (TD) of approximately 75% or higher.

The sleeve 32 is open ended and may be formed by any convenient method, for example wrapping a sheet of suitable material on itself and welding or seaming its edges together to form a tube. The length of the sleeve 32 is approximately the same as the length of a typical shaft 12, and in particular the typical length of the exposed portion 22 of the shaft 12. The length of the sleeve 32 may be less than, substantially as long as, or longer than the length of the exposed shaft portion 22, as is described in more detail hereinafter. Alternatively, the sleeve 32 may be dimensioned to cover only part of the exposed portion 22 of the shaft.

The width, or diameter, of the sleeve 32 is preferably substantially the same as the width or diameter as the butt 17 of the grip 16. In particular, it is preferred that the width or diameter of the sleeve 32 is just wide enough to allow it to be slipped over the butt 17. Making the width of the sleeve 32 just wide enough to allow it to be fitted over the end 17 of the club 10 is preferred since the wider the sleeve is, the more difficult it is to shrink it neatly onto the shaft 12.

Referring to FIG. 3, advantageously a guide 40 is provided to assist the initial fitting of the sleeve 32 onto the shaft 12 of the club 10. The guide 40 may be tapered, as illustrated, having a first, relatively wide, end 42 and a second, relatively narrow, end 44. The wide end 42 is adapted to fit on to the butt 17 of the club 10. The narrow end 44 is narrower than the width of the sleeve 32. With the wide end 42 of the guide 40 fitted on to the butt 17, the sleeve 32 may readily be slipped on to the shaft 12 over the guide 40, the guide 40 helping to feed the sleeve 32 on to the grip 16 and thereafter on to the exposed shaft portion 22. The guide may take any other suitable form. For example it need not be tapered and may alternatively have a relatively round end and a relatively flat end. The guide 40 optionally has oppositely disposed fold lines (not shown) running longitudinally along its sides to allow it to be flat packed when not in use. By way of example the guide 40 may take the shape of a truncated cone.

The preferred method of applying the sleeve 32 to the shaft 12 is now described. Firstly, if necessary, the sleeve 32 is cut so that its length is slightly longer than the exposed portion 22 of the shaft 12 and in particular so that, when fitted to the club 10, it covers all or part of the ferrule 20, or all or part of the hosel 18, if the ferrule 20 is not present. In addition, it is preferred that the length of the sleeve 32 is such that it also covers the in use lower end of the grip 16.

The sleeve 32 is fitted onto the shaft 12 of the club 10 via the butt end 17 of the grip 16 using, if necessary, the guide 40. The sleeve 32 is passed along the length of the shaft 12 until it surrounds the exposed portion 22 of the shaft 12. As indicated above, when the sleeve 32 is correctly positioned, its ends also surround, respectively, all or part of the ferrule 20/hosel 18, and preferably also lower end of the grip 16.

Before applying heat to the sleeve 32, it is advantageous to pre-heat all or part of the exposed section 22 of the shaft 12 and, preferably also, the ferrule 20 (when present) and/or the hosel 18. Typically, it is sufficient to pre-heat only the in use lower part of the exposed shaft 22, for example the in use lower third or half of the exposed portion 22. Advantageously, the pre-heating is performed after the sleeve 32 has been partly fitted over the shaft 12 so that the pre-heated portion of the shaft does not cool unduly while the sleeve 32 is being fitted. Heat may be applied to the club 10 and the sleeve 32 using any conventional heating device, for example a heat gun 50 or hairdryer. Preferably, the heating device should have an electrical power of at least 2 KWs.

After the pre-heating, the sleeve 32 is pulled down over the exposed portion 32 of the shaft 12 until it at least partly covers the ferrule 20/hosel 18 as applicable.

With the sleeve 32 correctly positioned, heat is then applied to the external surface of the sleeve 32 in the region of the hosel 18/ferrule 20 and typically also the adjacent region of the exposed shaft 22. The heat is applied all around the club 10 until the in use lower part of the sleeve 32 shrinks on to the ferrule 20/hosel 18, and typically also onto the adjacent portion of the shaft 12. The act of shrinking the lower end of the sleeve 32 on to the hosel 18/ferrule 20 provides grip for the subsequent stages of the application process.

Heat is applied along the length of the shaft 12 until the sleeve 32 has been shrunk on to the exposed portion 32 of the shaft 12 and, preferably, also on to the in use lower end of the grip 16. The typical application process involves applying heat in stages to the sleeve 32 starting at its in use bottom and working towards its in use top. Typically, this is achieved by holding the nozzle of the heat gun 50 close enough to the sleeve 32 to shrink, for example, 2 to 3 centimetres at a time. It may be necessary to apply heat around the sleeve 32, or at least on opposite sides of the shaft/sleeve assembly to ensure that the sleeve 32 shrinks fully on to the shaft 12. Alternatively, depending on the nature of the heating device, the entire sleeve 32 may be heat shrunk at once.

In order to keep the sleeve 32 taut, it is preferred to support the club's weight by holding the sleeve 32, conveniently adjacent its in use top end. This creates tension in the sleeve 32 in a longitudinal direction, i.e. along its length, to prevent it from collapsing under its own weight in the region being heated. The action of applying tension allows the sleeve 32 to stretch (typically by around 10%) during the remainder of the heating process. It will be understood that the tension can be applied in other ways, for example clamping the head 14 of the club and applying a pulling force to the sleeve 32.

Optionally, the in use lower end of the grip 16 can be rolled back so that the in use upper end of the sleeve 32, when shrunk, is located under the in use lower end of the grip 16. Otherwise, the end portion of the sleeve 32 which overlaps with the grip 16 can be removed using a knife (not shown). Similarly, the end of the sleeve 32 which overlaps with the hosel 18/ferrule 20 can be removed using a knife or other suitable implement.

Preferably, the ends of the shrunken sleeve 32 which has been cut, are heated to ensure that they shrink properly on to the shaft 12.

In the foregoing description, the sleeve 32 is shrunk onto the hosel end of the shaft first, and then shrunk onto the rest of the exposed portion of the shaft in a direction towards the grip. Alternatively, the sleeve 32 may be shrunk onto the grip, or grip end of the shaft first, and then shrunk onto the rest of the exposed portion of the shaft in a direction towards the hosel. Alternatively still, the shrinking process may begin at an intermediate part of the sleeve 32.

The sleeve 32 can easily be removed from the shaft by cutting it with a knife, or other implement, and pulling it off the shaft 12. Since the sleeve 32 holds itself in position on the shaft portion 22 by the grip caused by the shrink-wrapping process, there is no adhesive and the sleeve 32 is easy to remove.

It is intended that the sleeve 32 remains in place during use of the club, i.e. during play, storage and transport. The external surface of the sleeve may carry indicia (not shown) such as for example colours, patterns or designs which may be decorative in effect and/or may be promotional in nature.

Typically, before heating the sleeves are in the region of 760 mm long. A typical sleeve 32 weighs approximately 4 grams.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein which may be modified or varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A method of applying a cover to a shaft of a golf club, the golf club comprising a head provided at a first end of the shaft; and a grip provided at a second end of the shaft, an exposed portion of the shaft being defined between said head and said grip, said cover comprising a sleeve of heat-shrinkable material adapted to fit around said exposed portion of the shaft, the method comprising:

fitting said cover onto said golf club such that said shaft passes through said sleeve;

positioning said cover such that said sleeve is substantially in register with said exposed portion of the shaft; and

applying heat to said sleeve to cause said sleeve to shrink onto said exposed portion of the shaft.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further including heating at least part of said exposed portion of the shaft prior to said step of applying heat to said sleeve.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a hosel is provided on the club head, the shaft being connected to the head at the hosel, and wherein the method includes positioning the cover so that it surrounds at least part of the hosel.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, further including first applying heat to said sleeve at the hosel, and subsequently applying heat to the remainder of the sleeve.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a ferrule is provided on an end of the exposed portion of the shaft adjacent the club head, and wherein the method includes positioning the cover so that it surrounds at least part of the ferrule.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 whereby including first applying heat to said sleeve at the ferrule and subsequently applying heat to the remainder of the sleeve.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, where the method includes applying, during heating of the sleeve, tension to the sleeve in a direction longitudinal of the sleeve.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, the method including suspending, during heating of the sleeve, the club by the sleeve.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 including positioning the sleeve so that it surrounds an in use lower end of the grip.

10. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the sleeve is dimensioned to cover, when substantially in register with said exposed portion of the shaft, said exposed portion of the shaft and at least part of said hosel.

11. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sleeve is dimensioned to cover, when substantially in register with said exposed portion of the shaft, said exposed portion of the shaft and at least part of said ferrule.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve is dimensioned to cover, when substantially in register with said exposed portion of the shaft, an in use lower end of said grip.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve is formed from heat shrinkable plastics.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said sleeve is formed from polyethylene terephthalate.

15. A cover for a shaft of a golf club, the golf club comprising a head provided at a first end of the shaft; and a grip provided at a second end of the shaft, an exposed portion of the shaft being defined between said head and said grip, said cover comprising a sleeve of heat-shrinkable material adapted to fit around said exposed portion of the shaft.

16. A cover as claimed in claim 15, wherein the sleeve is dimensioned to cover, when substantially in register with said exposed portion of the shaft, said exposed portion of the shaft and at least part of said hosel.

17. A cover as claimed in claim 15, wherein the sleeve is dimensioned to cover, when substantially in register with said exposed portion of the shaft, at least part of said ferrule.

18. A cover as claimed in claim 15, wherein the sleeve is dimensioned to cover, when substantially in register with said exposed portion of the shaft, an in use lower end of said grip.

19. A cover as claimed in claim 15, wherein the sleeve is formed from heat shrinkable plastics.

20. A cover as claimed in claim 15, wherein said sleeve is formed from polyethylene terephthalate.