Golf putter with length-adjustable shaft

Abstract

The present invention relates to a golf putter with a length-adjustable shaft, and the purpose of the present invention is to make it possible to achieve a stable stroke at a more comfortable address position by adjusting the shaft length according to the physical condition or putting habits of a golfer, and maintain a locking state while easily adjusting the shaft length without using a separate tool. To this end, according to a shaft unit (200) of the "length-adjustable golf putter" according to the present invention, an upper shaft (220) having an upper grip (222) can move in the longitudinal direction from a lower shaft (210) provided with a lower grip (212), and the position of the upper shaft (220) can be selectively locked by a collet base (230) and an operating knob (250). Accordingly, the golfer can achieve a stable stroke at a more comfortable address position by adjusting the overall length of the shaft unit (200) by him- or herself according to physical condition and putting habits. In particular, a plurality of collet arms (236) can be tightened or loosened, by rotating the operating knob (250) forward or backward by a preset angle, to lock or unlock the position of the upper shaft (220) and thereby easily adjust the length of the shaft unit (200) without using a separate tool.

Description

Golf putter with adjustable shaft length

[0001] The present invention relates to a golf putter; more specifically, to a "golf putter with adjustable shaft length" that can implement a stable stroke at a more comfortable address by adjusting the shaft length according to the golfer's physical condition, putting habits, or putting distance.

[0002] Generally, golf clubs used in golf are classified into drivers, woods, irons, wedges, and putters according to their purpose. When playing golf, an appropriate golf club is selected and used by considering the distance and terrain required to send the golf ball to the target location.

[0003] A golf putter is used to place a golf ball on the green into the hole. The clubhead is located at the bottom of the shaft. Golfers use the clubhead's face to strike the golf ball, thereby achieving a putt. Putting requires a precise, stable swing, considering the distance to the hole, the condition of the green's grass, and the topography of the putter. The distance and direction of the ball are determined by aim and the strength of the stroke, requiring extensive practice to achieve the desired distance and direction. Therefore, practicing with a putter tailored to each golfer's individual body type and movement characteristics is crucial for achieving maximum effectiveness and improving skill.

[0004] A typical golf putter consists of a metal pipe shaft of a predetermined length, a rubber grip at the top of the shaft, and a clubhead at the bottom of the shaft for striking the golf ball. If a shaft of the wrong length is used, the sweet spot will be reduced, leading to reduced forgiveness and directionality. Furthermore, depending on the putting address, the heel or toe of the clubhead may lift.

[0005] However, conventional golf putters are typically manufactured with shafts ranging from 32 to 34 inches (33 to 34 inches for men, 32 to 33 inches for women). This means that putters are designed to have a specific length, regardless of a golfer's physical condition or putting habits, limiting their ability to provide a comfortable address position for everyone.

[0006] The present invention is intended to solve these problems; the purpose of the present invention is to provide a "golf putter with adjustable shaft length" that can implement a stable stroke at a more comfortable address by adjusting the shaft length according to the golfer's physical condition or putting habits.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a golf putter with adjustable shaft length that can easily adjust the shaft length and maintain it in a locked state without a separate tool.

[0008] In order to achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides a golf putter having a club head having a face formed on the front surface to hit a golf ball, and a shaft unit mounted at the lower end of the club head and extended to a predetermined length.

[0009] The above shaft unit; is made of a metal pipe having a circular cross-section, has a shaft-receiving groove formed longitudinally inside, and has a lower shaft on which the club head is mounted at the lower end; is made of a metal pipe having a polygonal cross-section, has a lower end accommodated in the shaft-receiving groove of the lower shaft and is arranged to be able to move up and down in the longitudinal direction, and has an upper grip made of a cushion material wrapped around the upper end; A sliding guide in the shape of a pipe, which extends downward from the center portion in the shape of an outward flange and is fitted into the inner side of the upper end of the lower shaft and is connected therewith, and has polygonal holes bored longitudinally corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the upper shaft so that the lower end of the upper shaft can be moved longitudinally while being in close contact with it; a fixed guide which is formed to extend downward in a cylindrical shape from the center portion and surrounds the upper end of the lower shaft in which the sliding guide is fitted, and the upper end of the lower shaft is fixed via a fixing pin at the upper end; a plurality of collet arms which are formed to branch out at regular intervals from the upper portion of the central portion and surround the periphery of the upper shaft and have a gradient protrusion formed at the upper end that increases in thickness from the bottom to the top; a collet base made of a synthetic resin material having a plurality of first inclined surfaces which are provided circumferentially along the lower end of the collet arms and are inclined at a predetermined angle; a stopper which is provided at the lowest end of the upper shaft that penetrates the sliding guide of the collet base and prevents the upper shaft from being separated from the sliding guide; A tapered fitting ring formed in the shape of a tapered tube whose diameter gradually increases from the top to the bottom, arranged to surround the upper part of the lower shaft, and having the upper part inserted and coupled to the inner side of the lower part of the fixed guide to prevent play in the lower shaft; A lower grip made of a cushion material that surrounds the upper part of the lower shaft where the collet base and the tapered fitting ring are combined;The collet base is characterized by having an operating knob that is coupled to surround the outer surface of the collet arms and is capable of rotating in a forward or reverse direction, and has a plurality of second inclined surfaces that slide while contacting the first inclined surfaces of the collet base on the lower inner wall, and has a tapered hole whose inner diameter expands from bottom to top while receiving the upper portions of the collet arms of the collet base, so that when rotating in a forward direction, the second inclined surfaces rise while contacting the first inclined surface of the collet base, and at the same time, elastically deform the upper portions of the collet arms received in the tapered hole inwardly to compress the upper shaft, thereby locking the position of the upper shaft, and when rotating in a reverse direction, the second inclined surfaces descend while contacting the first inclined surface of the collet base, and at the same time, release the pressure on the upper shaft while freeing the upper portions of the collet arms in the tapered hole, thereby releasing the locked state of the upper shaft.

[0010] In addition, the present invention is characterized in that; the tapered fitting ring has a cut portion formed in the longitudinal direction; the inner wall of the lowermost portion of the fixed guide of the collet base is formed as a tapered wall surface whose inner diameter gradually decreases from bottom to top; and the tapered fitting ring is deformed to press against the upper end of the lower shaft, thereby forcibly fitting.

[0011] According to the "golf putter with adjustable shaft length" of the present invention having the above-described configuration, an upper shaft having an upper grip can move longitudinally within a lower shaft having a lower grip, and the position of the upper shaft can be selectively locked via a collet base and an operating knob. Therefore, a golfer can adjust the overall length of the shaft unit on his / her own according to his / her physical condition or putting habits, thereby achieving a stable stroke at a more comfortable address position, which has the advantage of being able to easily adjust the length of the shaft unit without a separate tool by tightening or loosening a plurality of collet arms by rotating the operating knob forward or backward by a predetermined angle, thereby locking or unlocking the position of the upper shaft. In addition, the upper shaft made of a metal pipe has the advantage of not generating operating noise during its sliding movement by moving while closely contacting the inside of a sliding guide of a collet base made of a synthetic resin material. And even if the upper shaft moves and its length changes, the upper grip direction of the upper shaft remains the same, so the upper grip and lower grip always maintain a sense of unity.

[0012] In addition, according to the "golf putter with adjustable shaft length" of the present invention; the collet base can be firmly assembled to the upper part of the lower shaft through the fixed guide of the collet base and the taper fitting ring. In particular, as the taper fitting ring is deformed to press against the upper part of the upper shaft and is forcibly fitted into the lowermost inner wall (taper wall surface) of the fixed guide, there is an effect of more firmly fixing the collet base and the upper part of the lower shaft.

[0013] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a golf putter according to the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the shaft unit of a golf putter according to the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the connection structure of a shaft unit according to the present invention.

[0016] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the collet base, the operating knob, and the taper fitting ring extracted from the shaft unit according to the present invention.

[0017] Figure 5 is an exploded view showing the cross-sectional structure of the collet base and the taper fitting ring in the shaft unit according to the present invention.

[0018] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the joint structure of a collet base and a taper fitting ring in a shaft unit according to the present invention.

[0019] Figure 7 schematically shows the locking state of the upper shaft in the shaft unit according to the present invention.

[0020] Figure 8 schematically shows the unlocked state of the upper shaft in the shaft unit according to the present invention.

[0021] Figure 9 shows a state in which the length of the shaft unit in a golf putter according to the present invention is reduced to the maximum.

[0022] Fig. 10 shows a state in which the length of the shaft unit is extended in a golf putter according to the present invention.

[0023] *Description of drawing symbols*

[0024] 100..club head 110..face 200..shaft unit

[0025] 210..Lower shaft 211..Shaft-receiving groove 212..Lower grip

[0026] 220..Upper shaft 221..Stopper 222..Upper grip

[0027] 230..Collet base 231..Central part 232..Sliding guide

[0028] 233..Fixed guide 234..Tapered wall 235..Fixed pin

[0029] 236..Collit Aim 237..Gapbeolgi 238..First slope

[0030] 240..Tapered fitting ring 241..Cutting part 250..Operating knob

[0031] 251..2nd slope 252..Taper hole

[0032] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. {For reference, in the description of the present invention, terms such as front, rear, both ends, left, right, upper, lower, horizontal, front and rear, etc. are used to distinguish relative positions or directions, and do not imply absolute positions or directions.}

[0033] The golf putter according to the present invention is capable of implementing a stable stroke at a more comfortable address by automatically adjusting the shaft length according to the physical condition or putting habits of the golfer; as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it has a club head (100) having a face surface (110) formed on the front surface to hit a golf ball, and a shaft unit (200) mounted at the bottom of the club head (100) and capable of adjusting the overall length.

[0034] The club head (100) is made of a weight having a predetermined weight (usually 300 to 400 g), and the front face surface (110) for striking a golf ball is formed with a loft angle of approximately 3 to 4 degrees. The loft angle of the face surface (110) of the club head (100) is an angle indicating the degree to which the face surface (110) is lying with respect to the bottom surface of the club head (100) and a vertical line, and is typically used from 3 degrees to as high as 8 degrees.

[0035] And the shaft unit (200) is configured to be adjustable in length, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, it has a lower shaft (210) with a club head (100) mounted at the bottom, an upper shaft (220) that is movably accommodated at the upper end of the lower shaft (210), a collet base (230) for selectively fixing the position of the upper shaft (220), and an operating knob (250).

[0036] The lower shaft (210) is made of a metal pipe with a circular cross-section, and a club head (100) is mounted on the lower end thereof. In addition, a shaft-receiving groove (211) is formed longitudinally inside the lower shaft (210).

[0037] The upper shaft (220) is made of a metal pipe with a polygonal cross-section, and its lower end penetrates the collet base (230) and is received in the shaft-receiving groove (211) of the lower shaft (210), thereby being arranged to be able to move up and down in the longitudinal direction. The upper shaft (220) has a polygonal cross-section so that it can slide while penetrating in the longitudinal direction while in close contact with the inner surface of the sliding guide (232) of the collet base (230) described later. Accordingly, the upper shaft (220) can move only in the longitudinal direction without rotating while in close contact with the inner surface of the sliding guide (232) of the collet base (230) (see the arrow direction in FIG. 3). In addition, a protruding stopper (221) is provided at the lowest end of the upper shaft (220) to prevent it from being separated from the sliding guide (232) of the collet base (230), and an upper grip (222) made of cushion material is wrapped around the upper end of the upper shaft (220).

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the collet base (230) is injection-molded with a synthetic resin material; it is defined by a sliding guide (232) that extends downward from a central portion (231) in the form of an outward flange and is fitted and coupled to the upper portion of the lower shaft (210), a fixed guide (233) that is coupled to surround the upper portion of the lower shaft (210), a collet arm (236) that branches off from the upper portion of the central portion (231), and a plurality of first inclined surfaces (238) provided along the lower portions of the collet arms (236).

[0039] The sliding guide (232) is a part that is inserted and joined to the inner side of the upper part of the lower shaft (210), and is formed in the shape of a pipe with polygonal holes perforated in the longitudinal direction corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the upper shaft (220) so that the lower part of the upper shaft (220) can move longitudinally while being in close contact with it. Accordingly, the upper shaft (220) moves only in the longitudinal direction while being in close contact with the inner surface of the sliding guide (232) of the collet base (230) formed in a square shape, thereby making the locking of the upper shaft (220) more solid, and the direction of the upper grip (222) is maintained as is, so that it always forms a sense of unity with the lower grip (212) described later.

[0040] The fixed guide (233) is provided to extend downward in a cylindrical shape from the center of the collet base (230), and surrounds the upper end of the lower shaft (210) into which the sliding guide (232) is fitted. In addition, the upper end of the lower shaft (210) is firmly fixed at the upper end of the fixed guide (233) through the fixed pin (235), thereby forming the collet base (230) and the lower shaft (210) into one. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a tapered fitting ring (240) is arranged at the lower end of the fixed guide (233) to prevent play in the lower shaft (210). The tapered fitting ring (240) is formed in the shape of a tapered tube whose diameter gradually increases from the top to the bottom, and is arranged to surround the upper end of the lower shaft (210), and the upper end is inserted and coupled to the inner side of the lower end of the fixed guide (233). In an embodiment of the present invention, a tapered fitting ring (240) is provided with a longitudinal cut portion (241), and the inner wall of the lowermost portion of the fixed guide (233) is formed of a tapered wall surface (234) whose inner diameter gradually decreases from bottom to top. Accordingly, the tapered fitting ring (240) is deformed to press against the upper end of the lower shaft (210) and is forcibly fitted into the tapered wall surface (234) of the fixed guide (233) (see arrow direction in FIG. 6).

[0041] The collet arm (236) is configured to branch out at regular intervals (in the embodiment of the present invention, four are configured to form 90-degree intervals) from the upper center of the collet base (230) so as to be tightly attached while wrapping around the outer surface of the multi-angled upper shaft (220), and a gradient protrusion (237) is formed on the upper end thereof, the thickness of which increases from the bottom to the top.

[0042] And a plurality of first inclined surfaces (238) are provided in a circumferential direction along the lower portions of the collet arms (236) and are inclined at a predetermined angle.

[0043] In addition, a lower grip (212) made of a cushion material that surrounds the outer surface of the collet base (230) and the taper fitting ring (240) is provided on the upper side of the lower shaft (210). Therefore, the taper fitting ring (240) fitted to the lower side of the fixed guide (233) of the collet base (230) does not separate unless artificial force is applied, and thus the collet base (230) and the lower shaft (210) are maintained in a solid assembled state.

[0044] Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, and 6; the operating knob (250) is coupled to surround the outer surface of the collet arms (236) of the collet base (230) so as to enable forward or reverse rotation operation, and depending on the direction of rotation, the collet arms (236) are tightened or loosened to press the upper shaft (220), thereby locking or unlocking the position of the upper shaft (220). To this end, a plurality of second inclined surfaces (251) that slide while contacting the first inclined surfaces (238) of the collet base (230) are provided on the lower inner wall of the operating knob (250), and the upper inner wall of the operating knob (250) is formed of a tapered hole (252) whose inner diameter expands from bottom to top while accommodating the upper portion of the collet arms (236) of the collet base (230). Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 7, when the operating knob (250) is rotated in the forward direction (arrow A direction), the second inclined surfaces (251) come into contact with the first inclined surface (238) of the collet base (230) and rise, and at the same time, the upper portions (237, inclined projections) of the collet arms (236) accommodated in the taper hole (252) are elastically deformed inward, thereby compressing the upper shaft (220), thereby locking the position of the upper shaft (220) (see arrow direction in FIG. 7). On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 8; When the operating knob (250) is rotated in the reverse direction (arrow B direction), the second inclined surfaces (251) descend while contacting the first inclined surface (238) of the collet base (230), and at the same time, the upper portion (237, inclined projection) of the collet arms (236) is freed in the taper hole (252), thereby releasing the pressure on the upper shaft (220) and releasing the locked state of the upper shaft (220) (see the arrow direction of FIG. 8). It is preferable that the forward / reverse rotation angle of the operating knob (250) be set within 90 degrees for the convenience of operation. In addition, it is preferable that the exterior of the operating knob (250) be naturally linked with the collet base (230) and the lower grip (212) to have a sense of unity.

[0045] Next, the use of the 'golf putter with adjustable shaft length' according to the present invention configured as described above and the resulting operational effects will be described.

[0046] First, in the golf putter according to the present invention, when the upper shaft (220) is lowered until the upper grip (222) of the upper shaft (220) comes into contact with the operating knob (250) and the operating knob (250) is rotated in the forward direction by a predetermined angle to tighten, the overall length of the shaft unit (200) is adjusted to the shortest. In this state, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the lower grip (212) and the upper grip (222) are connected with the operating knob (250) in between to form one large grip, which can be held with both hands together, and can be used in the form of a typical 'short putter'. {Typically, a putter with a short overall shaft length (aka short putter) is known to be advantageous for long putting with a long putting distance.}

[0047] Meanwhile, if the golfer releases the operating knob (250) by rotating it in the reverse direction by a predetermined angle, the collet base (230) can release the pressure on the upper shaft (220). In this state, the golfer pulls out the upper shaft (220) from the lower shaft (210) by a predetermined length depending on his / her physical condition or putting habits, and then rotates the operating knob (250) in the forward direction by a predetermined angle. Accordingly, the lower portion of the upper shaft (220) comes out significantly from the shaft-receiving groove (211) of the lower shaft (210) and is then maintained in a locked state by the collet arms (236) of the collet base (230). In this state, as shown in Fig. 10, the lower grip (212) and the upper grip (222) are significantly spaced apart and maintained as two separate grip forms, and can be used in the form of a typical 'long putter (broomstick putter)' that can be held with both hands separated. {Typically, a long putter with a long shaft length is known to be advantageous for short putting with a short putting distance of about 1 to 3 m, as putting is done in a standing posture that suppresses the head-up.}

[0048] In this way, in the golf putter according to the present invention, the upper shaft (220) can be locked or unlocked by adjusting the length in the vertical direction through the collet base (230) and the operating knob (250). Therefore, the golfer can make a putting motion by adjusting the overall length of the shaft unit (200) to be shorter (short putter) or longer (long putter) depending on the putting distance after placing the golf ball on the green, thereby making a stable stroke at a more comfortable address. In particular, the locking state of the upper shaft (220) can be maintained or unlocked by the forward and reverse rotation operation of the operating knob (250) without a separate tool, making it convenient to use.

[0049] The present invention can be widely used in the field of a "golf putter with adjustable shaft length" that enables a golfer to achieve a stable stroke at a more comfortable address by adjusting the shaft length according to the golfer's physical condition, putting habits, or putting distance.

Claims

1. A golf putter having a club head (100) having a face surface (110) formed on the front surface to hit a golf ball, and a shaft unit (200) mounted on the lower portion of the club head (100) and extended to a predetermined length; The above shaft unit (200) is; A lower shaft (210) manufactured from a metal pipe with a circular cross-section, having a shaft-receiving groove (211) formed longitudinally inside, and having the club head (100) mounted on the lower part; The upper shaft (220) is manufactured with a metal pipe having a polygonal cross-section, and the lower part is accommodated in the shaft-accommodating groove (211) of the lower shaft (210) so as to be movable in the vertical longitudinal direction, and the upper part is covered with an upper grip (222) made of cushion material; A sliding guide (232) in the shape of a pipe that extends downward from the central portion (231) in the shape of an outward flange and is fitted into the inner side of the upper portion of the lower shaft (210) and is formed with polygonal holes that correspond to the cross-sectional shape of the upper shaft (220) in the longitudinal direction so that the lower portion of the upper shaft (220) can be moved longitudinally while being in close contact with the lower portion of the upper shaft (220), a fixed guide (233) that is formed to extend downward in a cylindrical shape from the central portion (231) and surround the upper portion of the lower shaft (210) in which the sliding guide (232) is fitted, and the upper portion of the lower shaft (210) is fixed through a fixed pin (235) at the upper portion, and a plurality of collet arms (236) that are formed to branch out at regular intervals from the upper portion of the central portion (231) and surround the outer portion of the upper shaft (220) and have a gradient protrusion (237) formed at the upper portion that becomes thicker from the bottom to the top, A collet base (230) made of synthetic resin material having a plurality of first inclined surfaces (238) arranged in a circumferential direction along the lower part of the collet arms (236) and inclined at a predetermined angle; A stopper (221) provided at the lowest end of the upper shaft (220) that penetrates the sliding guide (232) of the collet base (230) to prevent the upper shaft (220) from being detached from the sliding guide (232); A tapered fitting ring (240) formed in the shape of a tapered tube whose diameter gradually increases from the top to the bottom, arranged to surround the upper part of the lower shaft (210), and inserted and connected at the upper part to the inner side of the lower part of the fixed guide (233) to prevent play in the lower shaft (210); A lower grip (212) made of cushion material that surrounds the upper part of the lower shaft (210) to which the collet base (230) and the taper fitting ring (240) are combined; The collet arms (236) of the collet base (230) are connected to surround the outer surface so as to enable forward or reverse rotation operation, and a plurality of second inclined surfaces (251) are provided on the lower inner wall to slide while contacting the first inclined surfaces (238) of the collet base (230), and the upper inner wall is formed of a tapered hole (252) whose inner diameter expands from bottom to top while receiving the upper end of the collet arm (236) of the collet base (230), so that when the second inclined surfaces (251) are in contact with the first inclined surface (238) of the collet base (230), they rise, and at the same time, the upper end of the collet arms (236) received in the tapered hole (252) elastically deforms inward, thereby compressing the upper shaft (220), thereby locking the position of the upper shaft (220), and when the reverse rotation is performed, A golf putter with adjustable shaft length, characterized in that it comprises an operating knob (250) that releases the locking state of the upper shaft (220) by releasing the pressure on the upper shaft (220) while simultaneously lowering the upper portions of the collet arms (236) in the taper hole (252) while the second inclined surfaces (251) come into contact with the first inclined surface (238) of the collet base (230).

2. In paragraph 1, The above tapered fitting ring (240) is provided with a cut portion (241) in the longitudinal direction; The inner wall of the lowermost part of the fixed guide (233) of the above collet base (230) is made of a tapered wall surface (234) whose inner diameter gradually decreases from bottom to top; A golf putter with adjustable shaft length, characterized in that the above-mentioned taper fitting ring (240) is deformed to press the upper end of the lower shaft (210) and is forcibly fitted.

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