Vibration dampening material and method of making same

Abstract

A material adapted to regulate vibration by distributing and partially dissipating vibration exerted thereon.

1 . A golf club grip, comprising: 
 a grip body having a generally tubular shape configured to cover a portion of a golf club shaft, the grip body being formed by a reinforced elastomer material that regulates and dissipates vibration, the grip body defining a first direction, tangential to an outer surface of the grip body, and a second direction, generally perpendicular to the outer surface of the grip body, the reinforced elastomer material comprising:    first and second elastomer layers; and    a reinforcement layer disposed between and generally separating the first and second elastomer layers, the reinforcement layer comprising a cloth layer formed of a plurality of woven high tensile fibrous material, the plurality of woven high tensile fibrous material being connected to the first and second elastomer layers generally uniformly throughout to provide substantially complete coverage between the first and second elastomer layers, the cloth layer being generally compliant only in the second direction so as to be generally non energy storing in the second direction, wherein the high tensile fibrous material generally distributes impact energy parallel to the first direction and into the first and second elastomer layers.    
   
   
       2 . The golf club grip of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement layer is generally coextensive with the grip body.  
   
   
       3 . The golf club grip of  claim 2 , wherein the reinforcement layer is generally parallel to the outer surface of the grip body.  
   
   
       4 . The golf club grip of  claim 1 , wherein the cloth layer generally separates the first and second elastomer layers and generally provides uniform coverage therebetween.  
   
   
       5 . The golf club grip of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second elastomer layers are formed by thermoset elastomer.  
   
   
       6 . The golf club grip of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement layer consists only of the cloth layer.  
   
   
       7 . The golf club grip of  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement layer substantially prevents the grip body from elongating in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the golf club shaft when dissipating impact vibration.  
   
   
       8 . The golf club grip of  claim 1 , wherein the cloth layer is generally interlocked in and generally held in position by the first and second elastomer layers.  
   
   
       9 . The golf club grip of  claim 1 , wherein the cloth layer is generally embedded in and generally held in position by the first and second elastomer layers.  
   
   
       10 . The golf club grip of  claim 1 , wherein the cloth layer is generally held in position by the first and second elastomer layers to prevent sliding movement therebetween in the first direction.  
   
   
       11 . A golf club grip, comprising: 
 a grip body having a generally tubular shape configured to cover a portion of a golf club shaft, the grip body being formed by a reinforced elastomer material that regulates and dissipates vibration, the grip body defining a first direction, tangential to an outer surface of the grip body, and a second direction, generally perpendicular to the outer surface of the grip body, the reinforced elastomer material comprising:    first and second elastomer layers; and    a reinforcement layer disposed between and generally separating the first and second elastomer layers, the reinforcement layer comprising a cloth layer formed of fiberglass, the fiberglass being connected to the first and second elastomer layers generally uniformly throughout to provide substantially complete coverage between the first and second elastomer layers, the cloth layer being generally compliant only in the second direction so as to be generally non energy storing in the second direction, wherein the fiberglass generally distributes impact energy parallel to the first direction and into the first and second elastomer layers.    
   
   
       12 . The golf club grip of  claim 11 , wherein the reinforcement layer is generally coextensive with the grip body.  
   
   
       13 . The golf club grip of  claim 12 , wherein the reinforcement layer is generally parallel to the first major surface.  
   
   
       14 . The golf club grip of  claim 11 , wherein the cloth layer generally separates the first and second elastomer layers and generally provides uniform coverage therebetween.  
   
   
       15 . The golf club grip of  claim 11 , wherein the reinforcement layer substantially prevents the grip body from elongating in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the golf club shaft when dissipating impact vibration.  
   
   
       16 . The golf club grip of  claim 11 , wherein the reinforcement layer consists only of the cloth layer.  
   
   
       17 . The golf club grip of  claim 11 , wherein the cloth layer is generally interlocked in and generally held in position by the first and second elastomer layers.  
   
   
       18 . The golf club grip of  claim 11 , wherein the cloth layer is generally embedded in and generally held in position by the first and second elastomer layers.  
   
   
       19 . The golf club grip of  claim 1 , wherein the cloth layer is generally held in position by the first and second elastomer layers to prevent sliding movement therebetween in the first direction.  
   
   
       20 . A golf club grip, comprising: 
 a grip body having a generally tubular shape configured to cover a portion of a golf club shaft, the grip body being formed by a reinforced elastomer material that regulates and dissipates vibration, the grip body defining a first direction, tangential to an outer surface of the grip body, and a second direction, generally perpendicular to the outer surface of the grip body, the reinforced elastomer material comprising:    first and second elastomer layers; and    a reinforcement layer disposed between and generally separating the first and second elastomer layers, the reinforcement layer being generally coextensive with the grip body, the reinforcement layer consisting of a single cloth layer formed of a plurality of woven high tensile fibrous material, the plurality of woven high tensile fibrous material being connected to the first and second elastomer layers generally uniformly throughout to provide substantially complete coverage between the first and second elastomer layers, the reinforcement layer substantially prevents the grip body from elongating in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the golf club shaft when dissipating vibration, the cloth layer being generally compliant only in the second direction so as to be generally non energy storing in the second direction, wherein the high tensile fibrous material is generally interlocked in and held in position by the first and second elastomer layers so that the high tensile fibrous material generally distributes impact energy parallel to the first direction and into the first and second elastomer layers.