Interchangeable shaft for a golf club

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 . An interchangeable shaft for connection to a golf club head, the interchangeable shaft comprising:
 a shaft body having a tip end; and   a sleeve mounted on the tip end of the shaft body, the sleeve having a lower section, the lower section 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;   wherein the sleeve is adapted to be mounted in a tube in the golf club head, such that the frustoconical portion of the sleeve is adapted to be received in a tapered portion of the tube, and the keyed portion of the sleeve is adapted to be received in a rotation prevention portion of the tube to prevent rotation of the shaft relative to the golf club head;   wherein the shaft body 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 body in an opening formed in an upper end of the sleeve.   
   
   
       2 . The interchangeable shaft according to  claim 1  wherein the tip end of the shaft body is adapted to extend into the golf club head. 
   
   
       3 . The interchangeable shaft according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one feature is selected from the group consisting of a circumferential strip, bumps and tapered axial strips. 
   
   
       4 . The interchangeable shaft according to  claim 1  further comprising an adapter sleeve mounted on the sleeve, the adapter sleeve adapted to be disposed in the tube of the golf club head to increase the length of a golf club. 
   
   
       5 . The interchangeable shaft according to  claim 1  wherein the sleeve has an opening formed in an upper end thereof for receiving the tip end of the shaft body, 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°. 
   
   
       6 . The interchangeable shaft according to  claim 1  wherein the sleeve is composed of a metal material. 
   
   
       7 . The interchangeable shaft according to  claim 6  wherein the sleeve is composed of an aluminum alloy. 
   
   
       8 . The interchangeable shaft according to  claim 6  wherein the sleeve is composed of a titanium alloy.