US20110059809A1

US20110059809A1 - Caddy rite golf club kit

Info

Publication number: US20110059809A1
Application number: US12/806,077
Authority: US
Inventors: James M. Guest; Roland E. Lowrey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-08-14
Filing date: 2010-08-04
Publication date: 2011-03-10

Abstract

The Caddy Rite Golf Club Kit consists of a single golf club that has an interchanging connection system located where the club head connects with the club shaft at the club head hosel thereby allowing any golf club head to be interchanged with the golf club shaft. The interchanging connection system is a two piece connector consisting of a male portion that is inserted and bonded into the club shaft lower end and a mating female portion that is inserted and bonded into the top of the hosel of a golf club head. Any golf club head or set of golf club heads modified with the female portion of the connector can be attached to a golf club shaft that has been modified to include the male portion of the connector. The interchange of one club head with another can be accomplished in less than fifteen seconds while the golfer is moving to advance his/her ball. The Kit consists of one club shaft and a typical number of club heads (4 iron, 5 iron, 6 iron, 7 iron, 8 iron, 9 iron, putter, sand wedge, pitching wedge, a #1 driver, and a #3 driver).

Description

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

- U.S. Pat. No. 7,651,407 B2 January 2010 Tsai et al. . . . 473/306
- U.S. Pat. No. 7,621,821 B2 November 2009 Tsai et al. . . . 473/306
- U.S. Pat. No. 7,618,329 B2 November 2009 Brady . . . 473/288
- U.S. Pat. No. 7,611,422 B2 November 2009 Hocknell et al. . . . 473/307
- U.S. Pat. No. 7,601,075 B2 October 2009 Cole et al. . . . 473/288
- U.S. Pat. No. 7,578,749 B2 August 2009 Hocknell et al. . . . 473/288
- U.S. Pat. No. 7,566,279 B2 July 2009 Nakashima . . . 473/288
- U.S. Pat. No. 7,344,449 B2 Mar. 18, 2008 Hocknell et al. . . . 473/288
- U.S. Pat. No. 7,038,529 B2 Aug. 1, 2006 Cackett et al. . . . 473/288
- U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,442 A Jul. 18, 1995 Walker . . . 473/288

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 61/274,231, filed Aug. 14, 2009, and is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf club kit that consists of fourteen different configured golf club heads that have the female portion of a connector inserted and bonded into place in the hosels in the club heads and a single golf club shaft that has the mating male portion of the connector inserted and bonded into place in the club shaft lower end thereby enabling the golf club shaft to be connected to the hosel of any golf club head that has the female connector installed, the two golf club sections forming a single golf club. The simple two piece connector allows the golfer to interchange the said club head with a different configured club head for the purpose of advancing the golf ball down the golf course.
2. Related Art
Golfers, especially professional golfers, like to customize their golf clubs to be able to come up with the optimum golf club construction to fit their swing, the purpose being that the customized club will help improve their golf game. The prior related art represents various patented configurations for interchanging golf club heads and shafts primarily for use in customizing the golfer's clubs. Manufacturers use these various design for having a way to attach/detach a club head to/from a club shaft thereby allowing golfers to experiment with different combinations of golf club heads with golf club shafts. Golfers choose the type and length of their golf club shaft(s) and different club heads with different loft angles to ultimately end up withtpersonal customized golf clubs. Their final club configurations are then manufactured generally without the interchanging capability feature. The interchangability feature would only be needed in the event that the golfer wanted the ability to be able to replace a broken shaft or club head rather than replace the whole golf club. Golfers who play golf in accordance with the PGA or LPGA rules would only use clubs with an interchangability capability if the clubs were approved for use by these two organizations. Also, most serious golfers use golf clubs that have a different club length depending on the club head to be used to advance the golf ball down the golf course. They would not want to use a set of golf clubs that had the same club shaft length. Finally, the cost of a set of clubs with the interchangability feature would be very expensive to manufacture because of the interchangability design and the number of piece parts required for the interchangeable system. This said cost would then be passed on to the golfer making the retail price of the clubs three to four times more expensive than a standard set of golf clubs.
The present invention has several advantages over the prior related art. First and foremost, the interchangability system consists of only two pieces. The said golf kit consists of a single golf club shaft to which any golf iron, putter, or driver head can be attached in a matter of a few seconds, the exchange of the club head can be made while the golfer is advancing the ball down the golf course. The said Kit is easily stored, easy to transport, and is significantly less expensive that a standard set of clubs or a set of clubs that include the prior art interchangability features. The said Kit weighs about sixteen (16) pounds with a back pack whereas a standard set of clubs weighs anywhere from thirty five (35) to forty five (45) pounds or more.
The present invention is meant for use by the non-professional golfer who is not strictly playing by PGA or LPGA rules and regulations. The present invention is meant to target the golfer who just wants to play a game of golf on the weekends or while on vacation or a golfer who is just leaning the game. The Caddy Rite Golf Kit is good for young children learning to play as the said Kit can be easily carried in a back pack. Also, as the child grows, only the golf club shaft needs to be replaced or an extension added to the club shaft to increase the shaft length to compensate for the child's growth.
The golfer, especially seniors and young children, need not carry a bulky, heavy golf bag full of several standard golf clubs as the said kit is meant to be carried in a back pack, especially one designed specifically to carry the said Kit. A golf cart or a hand cart is not needed thereby reducing the cost for the golfer to play golf at any local golf course.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A detailed description of the invention is given below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

The Golf Club Kit Design

The Caddy Rite Golf Club Kit is comprised of a single Golf Club Shaft 2 and a set of standard configured Golf Club Heads 4 (the 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 irons, the pitching wedge, putter, and the sand wedge metal drivers and woods) the said Club Shaft 2 and said Club Heads 4, FIG. 4, having been modified to include the Interchanging Connector 6, FIG. 1, consisting of a Male Portion 7, FIG. 2, and a Female Portion 8 as shown in FIG. 3. The said Golf Club Shaft 2 is a standard titanium or steel shaft of a length between 32 inches to 42 inches with a Handle Grip 3 at the upper end of the said Golf Shaft 2. The Male Portion 7 of the Interchanging Connector 6 is inserted and bonded into place at the lower end of the said Golf Club Shaft 2 as shown in FIG. 4. The spline of the said Male Portion 7 extends approximately ⅜ inches beyond the lower end of the said Club Shaft 2. The said spline has external ¼×20 left hand threads (for right handed golfers) or right hand threads (for left hand golfers) so that it can be screwed into the mating Female Portion 8 of the Interchanging Connector 6. The left hand threads help to lock the Club Head 4 and Club Shaft 2 together so that they do not loosen when the Golf Club 1 is used by a right handed golfer. The right hand threads help to lock the Club Head 4 and Club Shaft 2 together so that they do not loosen when the Golf Club 1 is used by a left handed golfer. The Female Portion 8 of the Interchanging Connector 6 is inserted and bonded into place into a standard Club Head Hosel 5 portion of the Golf Club Heads 4. The said Female Portion 8 has a hole bored in the center with tapered mating left hand or right hand threads, as shown for left handed threads in FIG. 2, for mating with the Male Portion 7 of the Interchanging Connector 6. This section of the Female Portion 7 of the Interchanging Connector 6 sets just inside the Club Head Hosel 5. The Interchanging Connector 6 feature allows the golfer to remove and re-attach any Golf Club Head 4 to the Golf Shaft 2 in a matter of a few short seconds. When assembled, the Golf Club 1 looks and can be used by any golfer just like any other typical standard golf club. The modified Golf Club Shaft 2 can be used with any modified Golf Club Heads 4. There is no need for a separate golf club shaft for each Club Head 4 thereby eliminating the weight associated with carrying additional club shafts.
The Caddy Right Golf Kit can be easily carried in a specially designed Back Pack made just for this said Kit. The Caddy Right Golf Kit also weighs several pounds less that a standard set of golf clubs being carried or transported in a typical golf bag or hand pulled golf cart. The said Kit weighs approximately sixteen (16) pounds whereas a full set of standard golf clubs carried in a golf bag weighs thirty five (35) pounds or more.
Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4:
FIG. 1 shows the assembly of the Inchanging Connector 6.
FIG. 2 shows the Male Portion 7 of the Inchanging Connector 6.
FIG. 3 shows the Female Portion 8 of the Interchanging Connector 6.
FIG. 4 shows the Male Portion 7 and the Female Portions 8 of the Interchanging Connector 6 inserted into the lower end of the Golf Club Shaft 2 and the Golf Club Head Hosel 5. The Figure also shows the Golf Club 1 assembled with the Interchanging Connector 6 and a typical Club Head 4 iron and Golf Club Shaft Grip 3.

Claims

1. A golf club comprised of a two piece Interchanging Connector 6 mechanism that connects a Golf Club Head 4 and a Golf Club Shaft 2 together.

2. A Golf Club Shaft 2 without a Golf Club Head 4 wherein the lower end of the said Club Shaft has an accommodation space for insertion of the Male Portion 7 of the Interchanging Connector 6 as claimed in claim 1 and said Male Portion 7 is bonded by epoxy to the inter wall of the Golf Club Shaft 2.

3. A set of Golf Club Heads 4 (the 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 irons, the pitching wedge, putter, and the sand wedge, metal drivers and woods) wherein the Hosels 5 have an accommodation space for the insertion of the Female Portions 8 of the Interchanging Connector 6 as claimed in claim 1 that are inserted and bonded by epoxy to the inter wall of the Hosel 5.

4. A Golf Club 1 as claimed in claim 1 that the said Golf Club Shaft 2 can be unscrewed from the Golf Club Head 4 at the Hosel 5 and a different Golf Club Head 4 configuration screwed on to the lower Golf Club Shaft 2 end.

5. A Golf Club Shaft 2 and a set of Golf Club Heads 4 as claimed in claims 1 through 4 that comprise a golf club set for use by any and all non-professional golfers of all ages for any non-professional golf game play.

6. A golf club set as claimed in claims 1 through 5 that is non bulky in size and easy to store and transport anywhere.

7. A golf club set as claimed in claims 1 through 4 that is light weight because the set only requires the use of one Golf Club Shaft 2 that has been modified with the Male Portion 7 of the Interchanging Connector.

8. A golf club set as claimed in claims 1 through 6 that by designed can be used by children, the physically challenged, and seniors who have limited ability to carry and transport a complete set of standard golf clubs.

9. A golf club set as claimed in claims 1 through 5 that can be easily stored at home, in a vehicle, a motor home or while travelling on an airplane because it requires less space to store and because it can be easily compacted into a small back pack or small suitcase as opposed to a standard set of clubs that need to be stored in a typical golf bag that is bulky and takes up a lot of room.

10. A golf club set as claimed in claims 1 through 5 that allows a golfer to interchange or exchanges Golf Club Heads 4 with the Golf Club Shaft 2 in a very few seconds while transitioning the club greens during play.

11. A golf club set as claimed in claims 1 through 5 that weighs only sixteen (16) pounds.

12. A golf club set as claimed in claims 1 through 5 that is inexpensive to manufacture and purchase in comparison to a standard typical set of clubs or a set of clubs that include interchangablility features of prior art of a golf club shaft with a golf club head.

13. A golf club set as claimed in claims 1 through 5 that can be transported with minimal effort by a child or senior citizen.