Abstract
A flexible grip for a golf club having in one version a groove with an acute angle undercut grove in either or both the inner and outer surface to improve gripability. In another version, either or both of the inner and outer surface may be textured with peaks and valleys with radius less than 0.2 mm. In another version, either or both of the inner and outer surfaces may have a textured surface with raised portions having a height less than 0.3 mm. In another version, either or both the inner and outer surface may have a microtexture with raised portions having a transverse section width not greater than 0.3 mm with a height about 2 multiples of the transverse section width. In another version, the wall of the grip has voids or hollow spaces for improved cushioning for the user's grip.
Claims
1. A flexible grip for the shaft of a golf club comprising: (a) a tubular member formed of elastomeric material having an open end and a substantially closed end distal the open end; (b) a microtexture formed on one of (i) the exterior surface, (ii) the interior surface, and (iii) the interior and exterior surfaces having raised portions not greater than 0.3 mm in transverse section width with a height in the range 2-5 multiples of the width.
2. The grip of claim 1, wherein the textured portion has a plurality of raised peaks and valleys having a radius less than 0.3 mm.
3. The grip of claim 1, wherein the raised portions are spaced a distance in the range 2-5 multiples of the transverse section width.
4. The grip of claim 1, wherein the textured portion is formed on one of (i) the interior surface, (ii) the outer surface and (iii) the interior surface and the outer surface.
5. The grip of claim 1, wherein the textured portion has a plurality of raised peaks and valleys having a radius in the range 0.02 mm to 0.2 mm.
6. A flexible grip for the shaft of a golf club comprising: (a) a tubular member formed of elastomeric material having an open end and a substantially closed end distal the open end; (b) a closed void formed in the tubular member intermediate the inner and outer periphery thereof for providing cushioning upon gripping by the user.
7. The grip of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of axially spaced voids.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a flexible grip as employed in the prior art;
[0019] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along section indicating lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing raised portions;
[0022] FIG. 5 is a cross-section of one version of a grip of the present disclosure illustrating the undercut voids of a groove formed therein;
[0023] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another version with portions broken away to shown V-shaped grooves as employed in a prior art grip;
[0024] FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 of another version of the grip of the present disclosure illustrating the undercut side walls of the grooves;
[0025] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another version of the grip of the present disclosure showing textured portion in the form of raised peaks having a radiused apex;
[0026] FIG. 9 is a cross-section taken through the longitudinal axis of another version of the grip of the present disclosure employing grooves on the inner periphery having undercut side walls;
[0027] FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 and shows another version of the grip of the present disclosure having closed voids or spaces formed within the wall of the tubular member; and
[0028] FIG. 11 is a portion of a transverse cross-section of another version of the grip of the present disclosure showing a groove in a textured portion having a groove with parallel sides angled with respect to the outer surface such that one outer side wall edge forms an acute angle with the outer surface.
[0029] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a portion of a surface of a grip showing a microtexture of raised portions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] Referring to FIG. 5, a portion of one version of the flexible grip disclosed herein is illustrated in cross-section taken transverse to the length thereof, and indicated generally at 10 and is of the type formed of a tubular member 11 having an open end (not shown) and a substantially closed end (not shown). A portion of a transverse cross-section is shown and has the outer surface 12 thereof having a textured portion comprising a groove 14 having the sides 16, 18 thereof forming oppositely disposed acute angles at the outer edge with the surface 12 of the grip. Thus, upon the user gripping the elastomeric grip 10, the acute angle edges of the undercut groove sides are permitted to be flexed somewhat inwardly to provide localized “cushioning” deformation and improved surface contact with the user's hands; and, the acute angle edge also provides greater gripping in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the implement and particularly, in the case of a golf club grip.
[0031] FIG. 7 shows another version of the flexible grip of the present disclosure indicated generally at 20 and employs undercut groove 22 at a bias angle or having a spiral or helical configuration on the grip with the side walls 24, 26 thereof undercut, thereby providing enhanced localized “cushioning” or compressibility and improving gripping of the club by the user.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 8, another version of the flexible grip of the present disclosure is indicated generally at 30 and has a textured portion comprising a plurality of adjacent raised peaks and valleys formed on the outer surface of a tubular member 31 and having the apexes thereof denoted by reference numeral 32 formed to a radius to give improved gripability. The height of the adjacent peaks in the direction radially with respect to the tubular member may be varied if desired. In the present practice, it has been found satisfactory to have the radius of the peaks and valley in the range of 0.02 to 0.2 mm. It will be understood that the adjacent peaks may have different heights to enhance gripability.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 9, another version of the flexible grip of the present disclosure is indicated generally at 50 and has the tubular member 52 thereof formed having a plurality of longitudinally spaced annular or spiral wrapped grooves shown in two different widths 54, 56 formed on the inner periphery 62 thereof for engaging the handle of the implement such as a golf club shaft. The grooves 54, 56, have the sides 58, 60 respectively thereof undercut and inclined so as to each form an acute angle with the inner periphery 62 of the tubular member. The grooves 54, 56 thus provide improved “cushioning” or compressibility in the radial direction in localized regions longitudinally of the grip for improving the surface contact of the grip of the user's hand.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 10, another version of the flexible grip of the present disclosure is indicated generally at 70 and has the tubular member 72 formed of elastomeric material with longitudinally spaced enclosed voids or spaces, or pockets formed in a longitudinally extending row intermediate the inner and the outer periphery as denoted by reference numeral 74. The spaces 74 or voids thus provide localized thinning of the wall of the tubular member 72 to permit improved localized “cushioning” or compression in the radial direction to thereby increase the surface contact area with the user's hand and improve gripping.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 11, another version of the grip of the present disclosure is indicated generally at 80 and comprises a tubular member 81 having a textured portion on the outer surface 82 thereof including at least one groove 84 having the sides 86, 88 thereof disposed in parallel arrangement and angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the grip and having one of the oppositely disposed outer edges 86 forming an acute angle with the outer surface of the grip at its outer edge. The side 86 of the groove is intended to be disposed oriented on the surface of the grip such that the angled outer edge of side 86 is directed toward the club head of the golf club grip to enhance gripping by the user's hand. The angled side 86 also provides improved compressibility and localized deformation or “cushioning” thereabout upon the user gripping the club to improve the surface contact area.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 12, another version of the grip texture indicated generally at 40 is shown having a microtexture on a surface thereof where each raised portion indicated typically at 42 is a cylinder of diameter less than 0.3 mm and a height in proportion to the diameter, ranging from 2× to 5× the diameter. The spacing between the cylinders is approximately 2×-5× the diameter of the cylinders. This microtexture may vary in diameter, height, and spacing. The microtexture may be on the exterior surface of the grip, the interior surface of the grip, or both.
[0037] In the present practice, it has been found expeditious to form the various versions of the elastomeric grip described hereinabove by either laser machining or additive manufacturing (AM), also known as “3-D printing” employing progressively depositing incremental layers of the elastomeric material. This process can achieve heretofore unobtainable radii of as small as 0.2 mm and particularly lends itself to the formation of the versions having undercut grooves and enclosed voids or hollow spaces as shown in FIGS. 7, 10, 11, and 12.
[0038] The elastomeric grip of the present disclosure provides versions for localized improved “cushioning” compressibility or deformation in a radial direction, particularly for golf club grips, by utilizing undercut depressions to form textured portions on the outer surface of the grip. Another version provides improved localized “cushioning” and compressibility by providing undercut grooves on the inner periphery which contacts the handle of the implement or golf club shaft.
[0039] The tooling may also be produced by laser machining or additive manufacturing, e.g., “3-D printing”. Either method is capable of the resolution needed to produce the microtexture or the undercuts in the tooling.
[0040] The exemplary embodiment has been described and illustrated with reference to the drawings. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the exemplary embodiment be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
