Patent Publication Number: US-7582023-B2

Title: Connecting structure of a shaft and a grip member of a golf club

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the invention 
   The present invention relates to a connecting structure of a shaft and a grip member of a golf club, more particularly one, which enables the shaft and the grip member to be firmly coupled together without the possibility of one turning relative to the other to reduce the accuracy of the flying direction of a golf ball when the golf club hits against the golf ball. 
   2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
   A common golf club has a grip member secured around a tail portion of the shaft, which is easy to hold, and will absorb the shock against the golfer&#39;s hands when the golf club hits against a golf ball. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,768 teaches a golf club structure, wherein a grip member is directly placed around a shaft without any fastening means to prevent both from turning relative to each other. Therefore, it is possible for the shaft to turn relative to the grip member to reduce the accuracy of the flying direction of a golf ball when the golf club hits against the golf ball. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,958 taught another golf club structure, wherein a metallic ring is buried in a grip member, and the grip member is positioned around and fastened to a shaft with a bolt being passed through a hole of the grip member and a hole of the metallic, and tightly pressed against the shaft to prevent the shaft from turning relative to the grip member. However, because both and the shaft and the bolt are made of metallic materials, and the tail end of the bolt and the shaft have a smooth surface, it is still possible for the shaft to turn relative to the grip member when the golf club hits against a golf ball. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is a main object of the present invention to provide an improvement on a connecting structure of a shaft and a grip member of a golf club, which will prevent the shaft from turning relative to the grip member to reduce the accuracy of the flying direction of a golf ball when the golf club hits against the golf ball. 
   A golf club according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a shaft, a grip member positioned around a tail portion of the shaft, an expanding component positioned in the tail portion of the shaft, and a fastening component. The grip member has a holding room to receive the tail portion of shaft. The expanding component is made of rubber, and has an axial central hole, and a rugged outer side. The fastening component has a head part, and screw threads, and is inserted in the axial hole of the expanding component, with the head part being pressed against the grip member; thus, the rugged outer side of the expanding component is expanded, and tightly pressed against the inner side of the tail portion of the shaft, and in turn the grip member and the shaft are fastened together. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the present invention, 
       FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the present invention, 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged sectional view of the present invention, taken before the fastening component is passed into the shaft, 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged sectional view of the present invention, taken after the fastening component is passed into the shaft, and 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged sectional view of another embodiment. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a preferred embodiment of a golf club of the present invention includes a shaft  1 , an expanding component  2 , a grip member  3 , and a fastening component  4 . 
   The shaft  1  has an inner hollowness  11 , and an opening  12  on a tail portion thereof, which is in open communication with the inner hollowness  11 . 
   The expanding component  2  is made of soft plastic materials or rubber materials, and positioned in the tail portion of the shaft  1 . The expanding component  2  has several spaced apart annular raised portions  212  and depressions  211  on an outer surrounding side  21  thereof; the annular raised portions  212  exist between the depressions  211 , and the depressions  211  exist between the annular raised portions  212 . The expanding component  2  has a central hole  22  extending in an axial direction thereof. 
   The grip member  3  is positioned around the tail portion of the shaft  1 . The grip member  3  has a holding room  31  therein to hold the tail portion of the shaft  1 ; the holding room  31  has an opening  311  facing the shaft  1  for the tail portion of the shaft  1  to pass through. 
   The fastening component  4  is inserted in the central hole  22  of the expanding component  2 . The fastening component  4  has a head part  42  and a rod part  41  with a threaded portion  43 . The rod part  41  of the fastening component  4  has a greater diameter than the central hole  22  of the expanding component  2 . And, the diameter of the head part  42  is greater than the diameter of the holding room  31  of the grip member  3 . 
   In assembly, referring to.  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  5 , first the expanding component  2  is positioned into the inner hollowness  11  of the shaft  1  through the opening  12 , and the shaft  1  is passed into the holding room  31  of the grip member  3  from the tail portion thereof. Then, the fastening component  4  is inserted into the central hole  22  of the expanding component  2 , with the head part  42  of the fastening component  4  being tightly pressed against the grip member  3 ; the depressions  211  and the annular raised portions  212  of the expanding component  2  will expand and change shape, and in turn the rugged outer surrounding side  21  will be tightly pressed against the inner side of the tail portion of the shaft  1  because the expanding component  2  is made of rubber materials, and because the rod part  41  of the fastening component  4  has a greater diameter than the central hole  22  of the expanding component  2 . Thus, the grip member  3  and the shaft  1  are fastened together. 
   The expanding component  2  will return to its original size, and no longer be tightly pressed against the inner side of the tail portion of the shaft  1  as soon as the fastening component  4  is loosened, and separated from the expanding component  2 ; thus, the grip member  3  can be separated from the shaft  1 . Therefore, it is relatively easy to replace the grip member  3  with a new one. 
   Furthermore, a metallic strengthening element  32  is buried in a tail end of the grip member  3  to increase the strength of the tail end of the grip member  3 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ; thus, there will be much less risk of the grip member  3  getting damaged when the grip member  3  is subjected to external force in use/while the fastening component  4  is passed into the expanding component  2 . 
   From the above description, it can be seen that the golf club structure of the present invention has the following advantages: 
   The golf club is relatively easy to assemble; the grip member is securely joined to the shaft of the golf club with the expanding component being expanded by means of the fastening component in order for the rugged outer surrounding side to be tightly pressed against the inner side of the shaft, and with the head part of the fastening component being tightly pressed against the grip member. 
   The expanding component will no longer be tightly pressed against the inner side of the tail portion of the shaft, and in turn the grip member can be separated from the shaft as soon as the fastening component is separated from the expanding component. Therefore, the grip member can be replaced with a new one very easily.