Golf Club with Interchangeable Head-Shaft Connection

Abstract

A golf club ( 20 ) having a club head ( 22 ) with an interchangeable shaft ( 40 ) is disclosed herein. The golf club ( 20 ) includes a tube ( 44, 144 ) mounted in the club head ( 22 ), and a sleeve ( 46, 146 ) mounted on a tip end ( 50 ) of the shaft ( 40 ). The tube ( 44, 144 ) includes a tapered portion ( 60, 160 ) and a rotation prevention portion ( 62, 162 ). The sleeve ( 46, 146 ) has a frustoconical portion ( 72, 172 ) and a keyed portion ( 74, 174 ) that are respectively received in the tapered portion ( 60, 160 ) and the rotation prevention portion ( 62, 162 ) of the tube ( 44, 144 ). The golf club ( 20 ) further includes a mechanical fastener ( 48, 148 ) for removably securing the shaft ( 40 ) to the club head ( 22 ).

1 . A golf club comprising: 
 a club head;    a tube mounted in the club head, the tube having an upper end with an inner diameter larger than an inner diameter at a lower end of the tube, the tube including a tapered portion and a rotation prevention portion, the rotation prevention portion defining a keyway having a non-circular configuration;    a shaft removably coupled to the club head;    a sleeve mounted on a tip end of the shaft and disposed between the shaft and the tube, a lower section of the sleeve including a frustoconical portion, a keyed portion and a lower end of the sleeve, the frustoconical portion extending along at least one eighth of the length of the lower section, the frustoconical portion being received in the tapered portion of the tube, the keyed portion being received in the rotation prevention portion of the tube, the keyed portion having an external configuration complementary to that of the keyway to prevent rotation of the shaft relative to the club head; and    a mechanical fastener removably securing the sleeve to the tube.    
   
   
       2 . The golf club according to  claim 1 , wherein the tip end of the shaft extends into the club head.  
   
   
       3 . The golf club according to  claim 1 , wherein the tip end of the shaft does not extend into the club head.  
   
   
       4 . The golf club according to  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve has an opening formed in an upper end thereof for receiving the tip end of the shaft, the sleeve including a plurality of features extending into the opening to help center the shaft in the sleeve.  
   
   
       5 . The golf club according to  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of features are selected from the group consisting of ribs, bumps and crimps.  
   
   
       6 . The golf club according to  claim 1 , wherein the shaft includes at least one feature provided about the circumference of the shaft proximate the tip end, the at least one feature facilitating centering of the shaft in an opening formed in an upper end of the sleeve.  
   
   
       7 . The golf club according to  claim 6 , wherein the at least one feature is selected from the group consisting of a circumferential strip, bumps and tapered axial strips.  
   
   
       8 . The golf club according to  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical fastener is a nut having external threads, and an upper portion of the tube has internal threads for engaging the external threads of the nut.  
   
   
       9 . The golf club according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower end of the tube is open and aligned with an opening in a sole portion of the club head, and wherein the mechanical fastener is a socket screw having external threads, and a lower portion of the sleeve has internal threads for engaging the external threads of the socket screw, the socket screw being inserted into the opening in the sole portion of the club head.  
   
   
       10 . The golf club according to  claim 9 , further comprising an O-ring disposed about the external threads of the socket to prevent the socket screw from disengaging from the tube.  
   
   
       11 . The golf club according to  claim 9 , further comprising a cap covering the opening in the sole portion of the club head.  
   
   
       12 . The golf club according to  claim 11 , wherein the cap includes a flap and a hinge.  
   
   
       13 . The golf club according to  claim 1 , further comprising an adapter sleeve disposed between the tube and the sleeve to increase the length of the golf club.  
   
   
       14 . The golf club according to  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve has an opening formed in an upper end thereof for receiving the tip end of the shaft, the opening having an axis that is off-angle from an axis of the lower section of the sleeve by an angle in the range of 1° and 5°.  
   
   
       15 . A golf club comprising: 
 a club head;    a tube mounted in the club head, the tube being composed of a metallic material and having an upper end with an inner diameter larger than an inner diameter at a lower end of the tube, the tube including a tapered portion and a rotation prevention portion, the rotation prevention portion being located below the tapered portion and defining a keyway having a non-circular configuration;    a shaft removably coupled to the club head;    a sleeve mounted on the tip end of the shaft and disposed between the shaft and the tube, the sleeve being composed of a metallic material, a lower section of the sleeve including a frustoconical portion, a keyed portion and a lower end of the sleeve, the frustoconical portion extending along at least one sixth of the length of the lower section, the frustoconical portion being received in the tapered portion of the tube, the keyed portion being received in the rotation prevention portion of the tube, the keyed portion having an external configuration complementary to that of the keyway to prevent rotation of the shaft relative to the club head; and    a mechanical fastener removably securing the sleeve to the tube.    
   
   
       16 . The golf club according to  claim 15 , wherein the tube and the sleeve are both composed of aluminum alloy materials.  
   
   
       17 . The golf club according to  claim 15 , wherein the tube and the sleeve are both composed of titanium alloy materials.  
   
   
       18 . The golf club according to  claim 15 , wherein the tube and the sleeve are composed of dissimilar metallic materials, and one of the tube and the sleeve is coated to prevent galvanic corrosion.  
   
   
       19 . The golf club according to  claim 15 , wherein the tip end of the shaft extends into the club head.  
   
   
       20 . The golf club according to  claim 15 , wherein the sleeve has an opening formed in an upper end thereof for receiving the tip end of the shaft, the sleeve including a plurality of features extending into the opening to help center the shaft in the sleeve.  
   
   
       21 . The golf club according to  claim 15 , wherein the shaft includes at least one feature provided about the circumference of the shaft proximate the tip end, the at least one feature facilitating centering of the shaft in an opening formed in an upper end of the sleeve.  
   
   
       22 . The golf club according to  claim 15 , wherein the mechanical fastener is a nut having external threads, and an upper portion of the tube has internal threads for engaging the external threads of the nut.  
   
   
       23 . The golf club according to  claim 15 , wherein the lower end of the tube is open and aligns with an opening in a sole portion of the club head, the mechanical fastener is a socket screw having external threads, and a lower portion of the sleeve has internal threads for engaging the external threads of the socket screw, the socket screw being inserted into the opening in the sole portion of the club head.  
   
   
       24 . The golf club according to  claim 23 , further comprising a cap covering the opening in the sole portion of the club head.  
   
   
       25 . The golf club according to  claim 15 , further comprising an adapter sleeve disposed between the tube and the sleeve to increase the length of the golf club.  
   
   
       26 . The golf club according to  claim 15 , wherein the sleeve has an opening formed in an upper end thereof for receiving the tip end of the shaft, the opening having an axis that is off-angle from an axis of the lower section of the sleeve by an angle in the range of 1° and 5°.