Golf club capable of being disassembled

Abstract

A disconnectable golf club, comprising an upper section, and a lower section, which are secured together by means of a connector, one comprising a female part, the other a male part, and which includes one or more detents, and detent seats, that are constantly biased into engagement, to afford an interconnection of the golf club together, when assembled, but allows for prompt and remote disconnection, through the depression of a the detent or a control rod connected to the detent, when the golf club sections are to be separated, or a different club head is to be installed for usage and application for driving or putting of a golf ball.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A golf club adapted for disassembly, the golf club comprising: 
 a. an upper shaft portion having a proximal end and a distal end, the upper shaft portion having a cavity at its proximal end;    b. a lower shaft portion having a proximal end and a distal end, the lower shaft portion having a cavity at its proximal end and a club head at its distal end;    c. a connector having an exposed end and a captured end, the captured end at one of the proximal end of the upper shaft portion or the proximal end of the lower shaft portion; and    d. a movable detent associated with the connector; wherein the cavities in the proximal ends of the upper and lower shaft portions are sized to receive the connector; the exposed end of the connector releasably engages a side wall of one of the cavities, and the captured end of the connector fixedly engages the other cavity, to releasably connect the upper shaft portion to the lower shaft portion; and the detent actuates the release of the connector to disconnect the upper shaft portion from the lower shaft portion.    
     
     
         2 . The golf club as in  claim 1 , and further comprising a plurality of lower shaft portions, each capable of having different lengths and different club heads, each being selectably and releasably connectable to the same upper shaft portion.  
     
     
         3 . The golf club as in  claim 2 , and further comprising a depression that mates with the detent; wherein the detent is located along the side of the exposed end of the connector and comprises a ball bearing that forcibly engages in a radial manner with the depression.  
     
     
         4 . The golf club as in  claim 3 , and further comprising a spring and a rod, both within the connector, the rod having a beveled surface abutting the detent; wherein the spring applies pressure against the rod such that the rod's beveled surface applies radial pressure against the detent to constrain the detent in the depression; and wherein the axial movement of the rod releases the detent from the depression.  
     
     
         5 . The golf club as in  claim 4 , wherein the rod extends from the connector through the upper shaft portion, thereat providing a depressible button mechanism to engage and release the detent.  
     
     
         6 . The golf club as in  claim 5 , and further comprising a sleeve having holes sized to accommodate the detent; wherein the sleeve is fixedly attached to the inner surface of the proximal end of the lower shaft portion; and wherein the exposed end of the connector is sized to fit snugly within the sleeve.  
     
     
         7 . The golf club as in  claim 2 , and further comprising two axially movable opposing bodies within the connector, the first distal and the second proximal; wherein the detent comprises the outer edge of a compressible plug located between the two bodies that, upon compression between the two bodies, expands radially against the inner surface of the cavity in the proximal end of the lower shaft portion.  
     
     
         8 . The golf club as in  claim 7 , and further comprising a spring; wherein the spring maintains the movable opposing bodies in compression against one another, thereby maintaining the detent in a compressed state.  
     
     
         9 . The golf club as in  claim 8 , and further comprising a rod that extends from the connector through the upper shaft portion, thereat providing a depressible button mechanism; wherein the axial movement of the rod separates the movable opposing bodies apart from one another to release the compression on the detent.  
     
     
         10 . The golf club as in  claim 9 , wherein the distal opposing body is fixedly attached to the rod, the rod is free to move axially through the proximal opposing body, and the spring applies pressure the rod to pull the distal opposing body toward the proximal opposing body.  
     
     
         11 . The golf club as in  claim 10 , wherein the detent is an annular compressible washer.  
     
     
         12 . The golf club as in  claim 10 , wherein the detent is an bushing made of an elastic material such as rubber.  
     
     
         13 . The golf club as in  claim 7 , and further comprising a helical inner channel in the lower body along the rod and a knob on the rod within the channel; wherein the rod rotates within the lower body and the knob travels within the helical channel with the rotation of the rod, such that twisting the rod exerts upward pressure through the knob against the channel within the lower body to force the lower body toward the upper body to compress the detent.  
     
     
         14 . The golf club as in  claim 2 , wherein the detent is a depressible button positioned along the side of the connector and projects radially from the connector, said button providing a tactile and visual indicator of proper engagement between the upper and lower shaft portions.  
     
     
         15 . The golf club as in  claim 14 , and further comprising a hole sized to receive the depressible button and positioned along the side of one of the proximal end of the upper shaft portion or the proximal end of the lower shaft potion, wherein the depressible button projects through the hole upon engagement of the connector.  
     
     
         16 . The golf club as in  claim 15 , wherein the side walls of the depressible button taper inwardly as they radiate away from the connector, the depressible button being thereby self-aligning and self-adjusting within the hole upon engagement of the connector.  
     
     
         17 . The golf club as in  claim 16 , and further comprising a spring that exerts a force against the button that directs the button radially away from the connector and forces the button into the hole; wherein the action of the button engaging in the hole creates an audio indicator of proper engagement between the upper and lower shaft portions.  
     
     
         18 . The golf club as in  claim 17 , and further comprising a sleeve having a hole sized to accommodate the detent; wherein the sleeve is fixedly attached to the inner surface of the proximal end of the lower shaft portion, and wherein the exposed end of the connector is sized to fit snugly within the sleeve.