The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 26, 1998
Filed:
May. 21, 1996
Todd Beach, San Diego, CA (US);
Jean-Luc Veux, Carlsbad, CA (US);
Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc., Carlsbad, CA (US);
Abstract
The invention is directed to a golf club shaft and to a process for manufacturing same. The golf club shaft is made of a fiber- and resin-base composite material, the shaft including, along a part of its length, a neck portion in which a ring is inserted, such ring being made of a material having a density higher than the density of the composite material and the ring having a first end portion and a second end portion each having an inner surface in contact with the surface of the neck portion which flares out gradually up to the ends of the ring. The process includes the steps of positioning a bladder made of an extensible and impervious material on an elongated mandrel; covering the mandrel with fibers impregnated with a resin so as to obtain a wound fibrous complex; fitting the complex with the ring; positioning the complex provided with the ring in a mold whose cavity defines the final shape of the shaft to be produced; and performing the molding operation by heating and by application of a pressurized fluid inside the bladder, in order to form the neck portion against the inner surface of the ring and to obtain the compaction of the complex against the mold cavity outside of the neck portion.