Golf club grip

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a golf club grip with the look and feel of jelly or other aesthetically pleasing substances. More particularly, the grip is fabricated using a silicone rubber composition comprising polydimethylsiloxane, which provides the grip with a soft feel. In an innovative aspect of the present invention, an iterative method is used to add color pigments to the silicone rubber composition so that the grip's color matches the aesthetically pleasing colors of common substances such as jelly. In yet another aspect of the invention, the grip is translucent, allowing indicia to be formed underneath its outer surface.

1 . A golf club grip comprising:
 a polyorganosiloxane polymer, and   one or more color pigments;   
     wherein said golf club grip has a CIELAB L value between about 25 to 75, a CIELAB a value between about −30 to +30, and a CIELAB b value between about −30 to +30. 
   
   
       2 . The golf grip of  claim 1  wherein the polyorganosiloxane polymer is polydimethylsiloxane. 
   
   
       3 . The golf club grip of  claim 1  comprising x-chromaticity coordinates between about 0.2 to 0.5 and y-chromaticity coordinates between about 0.15 to 0.45 as defined by the 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram, and wherein no x-chromaticity coordinate or y-chromaticity coordinate corresponds to white light. 
   
   
       4 . The golf club grip of  claim 1  wherein the CIELAB L value=32.9, the CIELAB a value=−2.6, and the CIELAB b value=−19. 
   
   
       5 . The golf club grip of  claim 1  comprising a durometer between about 20 to 70 on the Shore A hardness scale. 
   
   
       6 . The golf club grip of  claim 5  comprising a durometer between about 40 to 60 on the Shore A hardness scale. 
   
   
       7 . The golf club grip of  claim 6  comprising a durometer of about 53 on the Shore A hardness scale. 
   
   
       8 . A method of manufacturing a golf club grip comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a sample substance;   b. measuring spectral data of the sample substance;   c. fabricating a prototype of the golf club grip with a polyorganosiloxane polymer and one or more color pigments;   d. measuring spectral data of the prototype;   e. determining if the prototype has color space values comparable to the sample substance's color space values; and   f. fabricating at least one golf club grip if the color of the prototype is comparable to the sample substance's color, else repeating steps (a) to (e).   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the spectral data is measured using a spectrophotometer or a calorimeter. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein step e) comprises determining if the prototype has color space values ±3% from the color space values of the sample substance. 
   
   
       11 . A golf club grip manufactured according to the method of  claim 8 . 
   
   
       12 . The golf club grip according to  claim 11  wherein the polyorganosiloxane polymer is polydimethylsiloxane. 
   
   
       13 . The golf club grip according to  claim 11  wherein the golf club grip has a CIELAB L value between about 25 to 75, a CIELAB a value between about −30 to +30, and a CIELAB b value between about −30 to +30. 
   
   
       14 . The golf club grip of  claim 13  wherein the CIELAB L value=32.9, the CIELAB a value=−2.6, and the CIELAB b value=−19. 
   
   
       15 . The golf club grip of  claim 11  comprising x-chromaticity coordinates between about 0.2 to 0.5 and y-chromaticity coordinates between about 0.15 to 0.45 as defined by the 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram, and wherein no x-chromaticity coordinate or y-chromaticity coordinate corresponds to white light. 
   
   
       16 . The golf club grip of  claim 11  comprising a durometer between 20 to 70 on the Shore A hardness scale. 
   
   
       17 . The golf club grip of  claim 16  comprising a durometer between 40 to 60 on the Shore A hardness scale. 
   
   
       18 . The golf club grip of  claim 17  comprising a durometer of 53 on the Shore A hardness scale.