Vibration-absorbing structure for golf club shaft

Abstract

A golf club shaft includes a shaft having a tubular wall delimiting an interior space. The shaft includes a first end coupled with a head and a second end coupled with a grip. A light vibration-absorbing member is mounted in the interior space of the shaft. At least a portion of the light vibration-absorbing member is in contact with the tubular wall for absorbing vibration that results from striking a golf ball and that is transmitted from the head to the shaft.

1 . A golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure, comprising: 
 a shaft including a tubular wall delimiting an interior space, the shaft including a first end adapted to be coupled with a head and a second end adapted to be coupled with a grip; and    a light vibration-absorbing member mounted in the interior space of the shaft, at least a portion of the light vibration-absorbing member being in contact with the tubular wall for absorbing vibration that results from striking a golf ball and that is transmitted from the head to the shaft.    
   
   
       2 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the light vibration-absorbing member is made of foaming synthetic resin.  
   
   
       3 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the light vibration-absorbing member is made of a material selected from a group consisting of rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, polyurethane, nylon, polypropylene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyethylene terephthalate, vinyl chloride, and high molecular vibration-absorbing material.  
   
   
       4 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the light vibration-absorbing member is integrally formed in the whole interior space of the shaft by injection molding.  
   
   
       5 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the light vibration-absorbing member fills the whole interior space of the shaft.  
   
   
       6 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the light vibration-absorbing member includes a hollow portion.  
   
   
       7 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 6 , further including another light vibration-absorbing member mounted in the hollow portion, said another light vibration-absorbing member being made of a material different from that of the light vibration-absorbing member, providing different damping coefficients for obtaining a composite vibration-absorbing effect.  
   
   
       8 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 6 , further including another light vibration-absorbing member mounted in the hollow portion, said another light vibration-absorbing member and the light vibration-absorbing member being made of the same material yet filled in the interior space in different compactnesses, providing different damping coefficients for obtaining a composite vibration-absorbing effect.  
   
   
       9 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 6 , further including a plurality of protrusions on an inner periphery of the hollow portion for distributing the vibration.  
   
   
       10 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 6 , further including a plurality of recessed portions on an inner periphery of the hollow portion for distributing the vibration.  
   
   
       11 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the hollow portion includes a wavy or threaded inner periphery for distributing the vibration.  
   
   
       12 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the light vibration-absorbing member includes a plurality of protruded sections in contact with the tubular wall and a plurality of recessed buffering sections not in contact with the tubular wall, and wherein the protruded sections and the recessed buffering sections are alternatively disposed, providing a multi-stage vibration-absorbing effect.  
   
   
       13 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the light vibration-absorbing member is a pre-formed column inserted into the interior space of the shaft and fixed to the tubular wall by adhesive.  
   
   
       14 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the column is adjacent to the head.  
   
   
       15 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the shaft includes a plurality of columns of light vibration-absorbing members mounted in the interior space, providing different damping coefficients for obtaining a composite vibration-absorbing effect.  
   
   
       16 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the columns are made of different materials.  
   
   
       17 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the columns are made of the same material yet filled in the interior space in different compactnesses.  
   
   
       18 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein two of the columns adjacent to each other are spaced by a spacer, providing a multi-stage vibration-absorbing effect.  
   
   
       19 . A golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure, comprising: 
 a shaft including a tubular wall delimiting an interior space; and    a plurality of light vibration-absorbing members mounted in the interior space of the shaft, the light vibration-absorbing members absorbing vibration that results from striking a golf ball and that is transmitted from a head coupled to an end of the shaft to the shaft.    
   
   
       20 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the light vibration-absorbing members are spaced from one another.  
   
   
       21 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the light vibration-absorbing members are in contact with one another.  
   
   
       22 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the light vibration-absorbing members are fixed in the interior space by adhesive.  
   
   
       23 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein at least one the light vibration-absorbing members includes a hollow portion.  
   
   
       24 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 23 , further including a plurality of protrusions formed on an inner periphery of the hollow portion for distributing the vibration.  
   
   
       25 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the hollow portion includes a wavy inner periphery for distributing the vibration.  
   
   
       26 . The golf club shaft with a vibration-absorbing structure as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the hollow portion includes a threaded inner periphery for distributing the vibration.