Interchangeable golf club grip and grip assembly

Abstract

A grip assembly for a golf club is adapted to be removably attached to the upper portion of a golf club shaft. This grip assembly includes a sleeve that is adapted to fit over the upper portion of the shaft and a grip portion that is adapted to provide a gripping surface for a golfer. The assembly also includes an upper mechanism for removably securing the top end of the sleeve to the golf club shaft and a lower mechanism for removably securing the bottom end of the sleeve to the golf club shaft by applying a radially-directed compression force to the sleeve on the shaft.

1 . A grip assembly for a golf club that is adapted to be removably attached to the upper portion of a golf club shaft, said grip assembly comprising:
 (a) a sleeve that is adapted to fit over the upper portion of the shaft, said sleeve having:
 (i) a top end; 
 (ii) a bottom end; 
   (b) a grip portion that is adapted to provide a gripping surface for a golfer;   (c) an upper mechanism for removably securing the top end of the sleeve to the golf club shaft;   (d) a lower mechanism for removably securing the bottom end of the sleeve to the golf club shaft by applying a radially-directed compression force to the sleeve on the shaft.   
     
     
         2 . The grip assembly of  claim 1  wherein the grip portion is integrally combined with at least a portion of the sleeve. 
     
     
         3 . The grip assembly of  claim 1  wherein the upper mechanism for removably securing the top end of the sleeve to the golf club shaft applies a radially-directed compression force to the sleeve on the shaft. 
     
     
         4 . The grip assembly of  claim 1  which includes an overcap that is adapted to modify the balance of the golf club to which the grip assembly is attached. 
     
     
         5 . The grip assembly of  claim 4  which includes an overcap that is adapted to receive any of a plurality of differently weighted washers. 
     
     
         6 . The grip assembly of  claim 1  wherein the lower mechanism for removably securing the bottom end of the sleeve to the golf club shaft comprises:
 (a) external threading on the bottom end of the sleeve; 
 (ii) a nut that is adapted to fit over the golf club shaft and is provided with internal threading that is adapted to mate with the external threading on the bottom end of the sleeve. 
 
     
     
         7 . The grip assembly of  claim 1  wherein the lower mechanism for removably securing the bottom end of the sleeve to the golf club shaft is selected from the group consisting of clamps, elastomeric bands and O-rings. 
     
     
         8 . The grip assembly of  claim 1  wherein;
 (a) the sleeve has a central axis; 
 (b) the grip portion has a grip axis that is not coincident with the central axis of the sleeve. 
 
     
     
         9 . The grip assembly of  claim 8  wherein the grip axis is offset from the central axis by an angle within the range of 0.5° to 6.0°. 
     
     
         10 . The grip assembly of  claim 8  wherein the grip assembly is adapted to be rotationally positioned on the shaft in various orientations, each of which is selected to modify the lie angle and/or the loft angle of the club head that is attached to the shaft. 
     
     
         11 . The grip assembly of  claim 1  wherein the grip portion comprises a layer of mesh fabric having a surface that is coated with particles selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide and aluminum oxide particles. 
     
     
         12 . The grip assembly of  claim 1  wherein the grip portion comprises a plurality of materials, each of which:
 (a) has a density that is different from that of the other materials; 
 (b) comprises a different part of the grip portion. 
 
     
     
         13 . The grip assembly of  claim 12  wherein the grip portion comprises:
 (a) a first material of a first density D 1  that occupies a radial portion R 1  comprising at least about 90° of the circumference of the grip portion; 
 (b) a second material of a second density D 2 , which second density D 2  is different from D 1 , wherein the second material occupies a radial portion R 2  comprising 360°-R 1  of the circumference of the grip portion. 
 
     
     
         14 . The grip assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sleeve has an outer surface that includes a surface feature which is adapted to assist in preventing the grip portion from moving with respect to the sleeve when the grip portion and sleeve are assembled together. 
     
     
         15 . The grip assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sleeve has an outwardly extending lip at the bottom end. 
     
     
         16 . The grip assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sleeve has a slit at the bottom end. 
     
     
         17 . The grip assembly of  claim 16  wherein the slit comprises a tapered opening that is wider at the bottom of the slit than at the top of the slit. 
     
     
         18 . The grip assembly of  claim 16  wherein the slit extends from the bottom end of the sleeve to the top end of the sleeve. 
     
     
         19 . The grip assembly of  claim 1  wherein the upper mechanism for removably securing the top end of the sleeve to the golf club shaft comprises:
 (a) a threaded fastener; 
 (b) a cap that is attached to the sleeve and has a hole through which the threaded fastener may pass; 
 (c) an expansion member that:
 (i) is adapted to fit in the top end of the golf club shaft; 
 (ii) has a central hole that is threaded to receive the threaded fastener; 
 (iii) is adapted to expand radially outwardly when the threaded fastener is advanced into the central hole. 
 
 
     
     
         20 . The grip assembly of  claim 19  wherein the expansion member is flexible and includes an integral nut. 
     
     
         21 . The grip assembly of  claim 19  wherein the expansion member includes a plurality of expansion slots. 
     
     
         22 . The grip assembly of  claim 19  wherein the threaded fastener is provided with a relief opening. 
     
     
         23 . The grip assembly of  claim 19  wherein a plurality of interchangeable caps are provided, each of which has a different weight. 
     
     
         24 . The grip assembly of  claim 1 :
 (a) which is adapted to be removably attached to the upper portion of a golf club shaft having a detent feature;   (b) wherein the upper mechanism for removably securing the top end of the sleeve to the golf club shaft includes a plurality of components, at least one of which includes a detent feature that cooperates with the detent feature on the golf club shaft to form a detent mechanism that is adapted to prevent movement of the sleeve with respect to the golf club shaft.   
     
     
         25 . The grip assembly of  claim 24  wherein:
 (a) the detent feature in the upper portion of the golf club shaft comprises a slot; 
 (b) the detent feature of a component of the upper mechanism for removably securing the top end of the sleeve to the golf club shaft comprises a radially extending projection that is adapted to be received in the slot in the upper portion of the golf club shaft in order to prevent the sleeve from rotating with respect to the shaft. 
 
     
     
         26 . The grip assembly of  claim 1  wherein the upper mechanism for removably securing the top end of the sleeve to the golf club shaft comprises:
 (a) a threaded fastener; 
 (b) a cap that is attached to the sleeve and has a hole through which the threaded fastener may pass; 
 (c) an upper shaft component that:
 (i) is adapted to be secured within the top end of the golf club shaft; 
 (ii) has a hole that is threaded to receive the threaded fastener; 
 
 wherein the cap and the upper shaft component together comprise a detent mechanism that is adapted to prevent movement of the sleeve with respect to the golf club shaft when the threaded fastener is threaded into the hole in the upper shaft component. 
 
     
     
         27 . The grip assembly of  claim 26  which includes a reinforcing cap to provide additional strength to the detent mechanism. 
     
     
         28 . The grip assembly of  claim 26  wherein the grip portion is integrally combined with at least a portion of the sleeve and includes an integral cap comprising a portion of a detent mechanism that is adapted to engage a cooperative portion of a detent mechanism on the upper shaft component. 
     
     
         29 . The grip assembly of  claim 26  wherein the detent mechanism comprises detent features on the cap and the upper shaft component that are configured for complementary mating so that such mating of the cap and the upper shaft component will prevent the sleeve from rotating with respect to the shaft. 
     
     
         30 . The grip assembly of  claim 26  wherein:
 (a) the cap includes a detent feature comprising a radially extending projection; 
 (b) the upper shaft component includes a detent feature comprising a slot; 
 wherein the radially extending projection of the cap is adapted to be received in the slot of the upper shaft component to comprise a detent mechanism that is adapted to prevent movement of the sleeve with respect to the golf club shaft when the threaded fastener is threaded into the hole in the upper shaft component. 
 
     
     
         31 . The grip assembly of  claim 30  which includes clocking markings associated with the detent features that may be aligned to facilitate removably securing the top end of the sleeve to the golf club shaft. 
     
     
         32 . The grip assembly of  claim 26  wherein the detent features on each of the cap and the upper shaft component comprise a series of adjacent angled detent surfaces that are arranged to intersect at peak lines and valley lines. 
     
     
         33 . The grip assembly of  claim 32  wherein:
 (a) the sleeve has a longitudinal axis; 
 (b) the peak lines and valley lines are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. 
 
     
     
         34 . The grip assembly of  claim 32  wherein:
 (a) each pair of adjacent detent surfaces on the cap that intersect at a peak line form an angle θ; 
 (b) each pair of adjacent detent surfaces on the cap that intersect at a valley line form the angle φ that is equal to 180°−θ; 
 (c) each pair of adjacent detent surfaces on the upper shaft component that intersect at a valley line form an angle θ; 
 (d) each pair of adjacent detent surfaces on the upper shaft component that intersect at a peak line form the angle φ that is equal to 180°−θ; 
 
     
     
         35 . The grip assembly of  claim 32  wherein:
 (a) the angle θ between each pair of adjacent detent surfaces on the cap that intersect at a peak line is within the range of about 45° to about 150°; 
 (b) the angle θ between each pair of adjacent detent surfaces on the upper shaft component that intersect at a valley line is within the range of about 45° to about 150°.