BACKGROUND

[0001] There are many forms of grips available for grasping devices including tools, such as hammers and shovels, and sports equipment, such as tennis rackets, squash rackets, racquetball rackets, and golf clubs. Grips provide shock absorbing properties, provide resistance to torque, and make it easier for a user to maintain control of the device, including providing a firm grasp with little to no slippage.

[0002] The more consistent and repetitive a golfer can position their hands on the grip of a golf club, the more consistent the alignment with the golf club head and therefore a more consistent hit to the golf ball. Golf grips may incorporate a variety of technologies to assist a golfer in positioning their hands. For example, golf grips may have lines or other markings painted on the grip surface to guide hand placement. The Professional Golf Association (PGA) rules do allow a raised rib, referred to as a reminder rib. The reminder rib can be used to assist the golfer in consistent hand placement to promote enhanced control and the potential to shoot lower scores. Thus, there continues to be a need for improved reminder ribs to enable a golfer to more easily align the golf grip for better repetition in the golf game.

BRIEF SUMMARY

[0003] Golf club grips with reminder ribs are provided. The described golf club grip designs provide improved reminder ribs that protrude without having to be inserted onto a shaft of a golf club. The non-circularity caused by the protruding reminder rib can provide an easily detectable hand alignment mechanism - even when not on a shaft of the golf club.

[0004] A golf club grip with reminder rib can include a hollow main body having an inner diameter configured to fit to a shaft, where the hollow main body comprises a protruding feature that extends along a length of the hollow main body, wherein the protruding feature protrudes from an outer surface of the hollow main body without requiring the shaft to be inserted in the hollow main body. Indeed, the hollow main body can engage directly to the shaft and the region having the protruding feature can be flush with the surrounding grip core within the hollow main body.

[0005] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIGs. 1A-1D illustrate views of a golf club grip with reminder rib. FIG. 1A illustrates a side view of the golf club grip; FIG. IB shows a top side view of the golf club grip; FIG. 1C shows a cross-sectional view of the side view of the golf club grip with shaft shown separately; and FIG. ID shows a cross sectional view bisecting line A- A’ of FIG. 1A.

[0007] FIGs. 2A and 2B illustrate example implementations of a protruding feature within a main body of a grip.

[0008] FIGs. 3A and 3B illustrate example implementations of a protruding feature monolithic with a main body of a grip.

[0009] FIGs. 4A-4C show perspective and cross-sectional views of a rounded protruding feature for a grip

[0010] FIGs. 5A-5C show perspective and cross-sectional views of a triangular protruding feature for a grip.

[0011] FIGs. 6A and 6B show perspective and cross-sectional views of a trapezoidal protruding feature for a grip.

[0012] FIGs. 7A-7C show perspective and cross-sectional views of a square protruding feature for a grip.

[0013] FIGs. 8A-8C show perspective and cross-sectional views of a narrow rounded protruding feature for a grip.

[0014] FIGs. 9A-9C show perspective and cross-sectional views of a two-tiered rounded protruding feature for a grip.

[0015] FIGs. 10A-10C show perspective and cross-sectional views of a two-tiered boxed protruding feature for a grip.

[0016] FIG. 11 illustrates a grip with multiple beads for a second tier of a protruding feature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Golf club grips with reminder ribs are provided. The described golf club grip designs provide improved reminder ribs that protrude without having to be inserted onto a shaft of a golf club. The non-circularity caused by the protruding reminder rib can provide an easily detectable hand alignment mechanism - even when not on a shaft of the golf club.

[0018] Current designs of reminder ribs tend lead to inconsistencies in rib height dependent on shaft size, layers of tape, etc. The result is that such designs are limited in their effectiveness when in the hands of the player. Some players struggle to feel the reminder at all. Advantageously, the reminder ribs presented herein measure consistently regardless of shaft size and layers of tape, providing a more prominent feel while still conforming to PGA and United States Golf Association (USGA) requirements.

[0019] FIGs. 1A-1D illustrate views of a golf club grip with reminder rib. FIG. 1A illustrates a side view of the golf club grip; FIG. IB shows a top side view of the golf club grip; FIG. 1C shows a cross-sectional view of the side view of the golf club grip with shaft shown separately; and FIG. ID shows a cross sectional view bisecting line A- A’ of FIG. 1A.

[0020] Referring to FIGs. 1A-1C, a flexible grip 100 includes a main body 110 and an end cap 120 at the distal end of the main body 110. The main body 110 can have a slightly frustoconical shape. The main body has a protruding feature 115 that extends along a length of the main body 110, providing a reminder rib. The end cap 120 can include a through hole 125 that allows air to escape during install.

[0021] The main body 110 can also be referred to as a hollow main body as the main body 110 has a hollow core with an interior surface 130 that couples to a shaft 140 of a golf club. The inner diameter of the main body 110 is configured to fit to the shaft 140 of a golf club such that when the grip 100 is installed at the butt end 145 of the shaft 140 of a golf club, the core size (inside diameter) of the grip 100 is sized to correspond to the butt diameter of the shaft 140 (by matching or making intentionally oversize or undersize).

[0022] Advantageously, according to embodiments described herein, the protruding feature 115 protrudes from an outer surface 150 of the main body 110 without requiring the shaft 140 to be inserted in the main body 110.

[0023] The protrusion of the protruding feature 115 may extend lengthwise in a substantially straight line on the outside of the main body 110 a desired distance, for example, ranging from approximately 7 to 8 ³ /4 inches for a standard grip, which may be substantially the full length of the body of the grip 100. To maintain conformance with PGA rules, the protruding feature 115 protrudes above an outer diameter of the main body 110 by about 0.040 inches (e.g., about 1 mm). The protruding feature 115 is a distinct region within the main body 110 (see e.g., FIGs. 2A and 2B). However, in some cases, the protruding feature 115 may be monolithic with the rest of the main body 110 (see e.g., FIGs. 3A and 3B).

[0024] The outer surface of the grip area may include a design, color, and/or texture on all or part or even none of the protruding feature 115, which can be similar to or distinct from the rest of the outer surface adjacent the protruding feature 115. In some cases, the outer surface 150 of the main body 110 can include a groove (see e.g., groove 410 shown in FIG. 4B) around the protruding feature 115. The groove may be of any length, width, or depth as desired. As one example, the groove may have a depth ranging from approximately 0.3 mm to approximately 2.0 mm. The groove can run the entire perimeter, a portion of the perimeter, or just the length of the protruding feature 115. For example, the grip can include a first groove (not shown) in the outer surface of the main body 110 adjacent a first side of the protruding feature 115 and a second groove (not shown) in the outer surface of the main body 110 adjacent a second side of the protruding feature 115. The groove can be used to assist with the protruding feature 115 being more pronounced on the exterior surface of the grip 100.

[0025] The protruding feature 115 can have a variety of geometry, structure, or shape that may vary or be consistent along the length of the main body 110. Indeed, the protruding feature 115 can have a variety of cross-sectional shapes. Examples of various designs are shown in FIGs. 4A-4C, 5A-5C, 6A, 6B, 7A-7C, 8A-8C, 9A-9C, 10A-10C, and 11

[0026] In some cases, the protruding feature 115 is formed of an elastomeric material having a durometer hardness greater than that of other parts of the hollow main body 110. In the present practice, it has been found satisfactory to form the region of the protruding feature 115 of elastomeric material having a durometer hardness of between 45 Shore A to 90 Shore A. In some cases, protruding feature 115 is formed of elastomeric material having a durometer hardness of between 60 Shore A and 90 Shore A. In some cases, protruding feature 115 is formed of elastomeric material having a durometer hardness of at least 80 Shore A. In the present practice, it has been found satisfactory to form the other parts of the main body 110 of elastomeric material having a durometer hardness in the range 30-60 on the Shore A scale. In some cases, the other parts of the main body 110 is formed of elastomeric material having a durometer hardness in the range of 34 to 35 Shore A.

[0027] In some cases, the entirety of the main body 110 (including the protruding feature 115) is formed of a same elastomeric material (and hardness); and a wrap of a different material than the main body 110 is applied that is fitted about the outer surface 150 of the main body 110.

[0028] As mentioned above, the protruding feature 115 may be a distinct region within the main body 110. FIGs. 2A and 2B illustrate example implementations of a protruding feature within a main body of a grip. Referring to FIG. 2A, a region 210 (in the main body 220) of the protruding feature 230 is formed of an elastomeric material having a durometer hardness greater than that of other parts of the hollow main body 220. The elastomeric material of the region 210 of the protruding feature extends to the inner diameter (ID) of the hollow main body 220, forming a rib section of the hollow main body 220. In the illustrative example, the protruding feature 230 includes a two-tiered structure, with a first tier 232 that protrudes a first height from an outer surface 225 of the main body 220 and a second tier 234 that protrudes a second height from the first tier 232, where the first height and the second height can be made no greater 0.040 inches to conform to regulations. Also included in the illustrative example are grooves 236 (e.g., providing a first groove and a second groove) adjacent the sides of the protruding feature 230. Accordingly, it should be understood that while the cross-sections shown in FIGs. 4C, 5C, 6B, 7C, 8C, 9C, 10C, and 11 do not expressly illustrate a distinct region corresponding to region 210, those protruding features can be implemented similarly to that shown in FIG. 2A with the protruding feature being part of a distinct region within the main body that extends to the inner diameter of the hollow main body.

[0029] Advantageously, according to certain implementations, the rib section (region 210) is flush with a surrounding inner diameter (e.g., surrounding surface 240) of the hollow main body 220. The flush configuration enables greater control of protrusion height. In an alternative implementation, such as shown in FIG. 2B, a rib section 250 includes an internalfacing protrusion 260 that protrudes from a surrounding inner diameter (e.g., surrounding surface 240) of the hollow main body 220. The internal-facing protrusion 260 can be used to provide additional height to the protruding feature after the grip is fitted to a shaft.

[0030] As also mentioned above with respect to FIGs. 1A-1D, in some cases, the protruding feature 115 may be monolithic with the rest of the main body 110. FIGs. 3A and 3B illustrate example implementations of a protruding feature monolithic with a main body of a grip. Such a golf grip can further include a wrap of a different material than the main body that is fitted about the outer surface of the main body. It should of course be understood that it is possible to apply a wrap to implementations of the protruding feature of different elastomeric material, for example, as described with respect to FIG. 2A.

[0031] As illustrated in FIG. 3A, a grip 300 can include a wrap 310 that abuts a protruding feature 320 of a main body 330 such that the protruding feature 320 extends above an outer surface 315 of the wrap 310. For implementations having such a wrap, the original height of the protruding feature can be higher than 0.040 inches so long as the difference in height between the outer surface of the wrap and a top of the protruding feature is about 0.040 inches to ensure that the grip conforms to regulations.

[0032] As illustrated in FIG. 3B, a grip 340 can include a wrap 350 that covers the protruding feature 320 of the main body 330. When the wrap covers the protruding feature, a seam (not shown) of the wrap can be aligned at the protruding feature 320 such that the seam provides additional texture and/or height. For implementations having such a wrap, the combined height of the seam and the protruding feature can be maintained no higher than 0.040 inches from the outer surface (e.g., outer surface 355) of the wrap (e.g., wrap 350).

[0033] As mentioned above, a protruding feature can have a variety of geometry, structure, or shape. FIGs. 4A-4C show perspective and cross-sectional views of a rounded protruding feature for a grip. Referring to FIG. 4C, a grip 400 with protruding feature 405 can have a rounded cross-section in a full round shape. The grip 400 can also include a groove 410.

[0034] FIGs. 5A-5C show perspective and cross-sectional views of a triangular protruding feature for a grip. Referring to FIG. 5C, a grip 500 with protruding feature 505 can have a triangular cross-section, forming a V-shape.

[0035] FIGs. 6A and 6B show perspective and cross-sectional views of a trapezoidal protruding feature for a grip. Referring to FIG. 6B, a grip 600 with protruding feature 605 can have a trapezoid cross-section. The draft angle can be, for example, 25 degrees. In some cases, the corners of the trapezoid can be eased, reducing the sharp edges.

[0036] FIGs. 7A-7C show perspective and cross-sectional views of a square protruding feature for a grip. Referring to FIG. 7C, a grip 700 with protruding feature 705 can have a full box cross-section.

[0037] FIGs. 8A-8C show perspective and cross-sectional views of a narrow rounded protruding feature for a grip. Referring to FIG. 8C, a grip 800 with protruding feature 805 can have a cross-section with a full bead shape.

[0038] In some cases, the protruding feature has a two-tiered protrusion, where a second tier of the two-tiered protrusion protrudes from the first tier of the two-tiered protrusion, where both the first tier and the second tier protrude from the outer surface of the hollow main body without requiring the shaft to be inserted in the hollow main body. Here, the combined height of the first tier and the second tier protrudes above an outer diameter of the surrounding grip body by about 0.040 inches.

[0039] FIGs. 9A-9C show perspective and cross-sectional views of a two-tiered rounded protruding feature for a grip. Referring to FIG. 9C, a grip 900 can have a two-tiered protrusion 910 where the first tier 912 has a rounded cross-section, forming a rounded box, and the second tier 914 is a bead line.

[0040] FIGs. 10A-10C show perspective and cross-sectional views of a two-tiered boxed protruding feature for a grip. Referring to FIG. 10C, a grip 1000 can have a two-tiered protrusion 1010 where the first tier 1012 has a box cross-section, forming a sharp box, and the second tier 1014 is a bead line. [0041] As can be seen in FIGs. 9A-9C and 10A-10C, a second tier can be a single bead along a length of the first tier. However, in some cases, the second tier is formed of at least two beads along a length of the first tier. FIG. 11 illustrates a grip with multiple beads for a second tier of a protruding feature. Referring to FIG. 11, two beads 1100 are shown on a boxed protruding feature 1110 for a grip 1120.

[0042] Although the subj ect matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims and other equivalent features and acts are intended to be within the scope of the claims.