Title:

Training golf putter having a warning device

United States Patent Application 20020160847

Kind Code:

A1

Abstract:

A training putter comprises a game rod and a warning device. The game rod has a shaft of a hollow tubular body made of an elastic and electrically conductive material. The warning device comprises a conductive rod, a buzzer, and a battery. The conductive rod is a metal rod and is provided with one or more insulation members. The conductive rod is disposed in the shaft such that the conductive rod is not in contact with the shaft. The conductive rod has a contact portion capable of making contact with the inner wall of the shaft at the time when the shaft is curved. The buzzer and the battery are fastened with the game rod such that the buzzer, the battery, the conductive rod, and the shaft form a loop at such time when the shaft is curved.

Inventors:

Wu, Hsi-hsien (Taichung Hsien, TW)

Application Number:

09/842094

Publication Date:

10/31/2002

Filing Date:

04/26/2001

Export Citation:

Click for automatic bibliography generation

Assignee:

WU HSI-HSIEN

Primary Class:

473/221

International Classes:

A63B69/36; (IPC1-7): A63B69/36

View Patent Images:

Download PDF 20020160847

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Primary Examiner:

LEGESSE, NINI F

Attorney, Agent or Firm:

Browdy and Neimark, PLLC (Washington, DC, US)

Claims:

What is claimed is:

1. A training putter comprising: a game rod having a shaft of a hollow tubular body which is made of an elastic and electrically conductive material; a warning device comprising a conductive rod, a buzzer, and a battery, said conductive rod being a metal rod in which one or more insulation members are disposed to unable said conductive rod to make contact with said shaft, said conductive rod having a contact portion capable of making contact with the inner wall of said shaft at such time when said shaft is curved, said buzzer and said battery being disposed on said game rod such that said buzzer, said battery, said conductive rod, and said shaft form a complete circuit at the time when said shaft is curved.

2. The training putter as defined in claim 1, wherein said shaft is made of an elastic and electrically conductive material containing carbon fiber.

3. The training putter as defined in claim 1, wherein said game rod further comprises a game head fastened with a bottom end of said shaft, and a grip fastened with a top end of said shaft.

4. The training putter as defined in claim 3, wherein said game head is made of a metal material.

5. The training putter as defined in claim 4, wherein said shaft and said game head are connected such that they are electrically conductive.

6. The training putter as defined in claim 5, wherein said game head has a connection portion which is provided with a fitting hole extending along the longitudinal direction thereof; wherein the bottom end of said shaft is fitted into said fitting hole of said connection portion of said game head, thereby making said game head and said shaft electrically conductive.

7. The training putter as defined in claim 1, wherein said conductive rod is provided with three annular insulation members and is disposed in said shaft from the top end of said shaft such that said insulation members are in contact with the inner wall of said shaft, and that a bottom end of said conductive rod is jutted out of the bottom end of said shaft, said insulation members serving to insulate said conductive rod and said shaft, said conductive rod provided at a top end with a contact portion capable of making contact with the inner wall of said shaft at such time when said shaft is curved.

8. The training putter as defined in claim 5, wherein said warning device further comprises a battery mount which is disposed on said game head; wherein said battery and said buzzer are disposed on said battery mount.

9. The training putter as defined in claim 8, wherein said battery mount is provided with a battery receiving cell which is provided in two opposite walls with a positive conductive piece and a negative conductive piece, which are connected respectively with the positive pole and the negative pole of said battery; wherein said buzzer has a positive input end connected to said conductive rod, and a negative input end connected to said negative conductive piece; wherein said battery, said game head, said shaft, said conductive rod, and said buzzer form a loop at such time when said conductive rod and said shaft are in contact with each other, thereby causing said buzzer to make a buzzing sound as a warning signal.

Description:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a golf putter, and more particularly to a training putter with a warning device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The golfing posture of a golfer is an important factor determining the outcome of the golf game. Take the putter as an example. As a golf ball has reached the putting green, the golf ball is not far away from the hole. In an attempt to roll the ball into the hole, the golfer mush exercise an appropriate force and a body stability such that the shoulder and the arm joints act as the swiveling fulcrums, and that both arms and the putter form an integral body to move in a pendular manner to roll the ball along a predetermined track into the hole.

[0003] In the course of putting, the golfer's hands and hips may take part in the action subconsciously, thereby resulting in a change in the angle of the wrist joint or the elbow joint. Such angular change results in the instability of the stroking and the rolling of the golf ball. Both professional and amateur golfers need a constant training to improve their putting posture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a training putter with a warning device capable of buzzing to remind a golfer of his or her improper putting posture.

[0005] In keeping with the principle of the present invention, the foregoing objective of the present invention is attained by a training putter, which comprises a game rod and a warning device. The game rod has a hollow shaft which is made of an elastic and electrically conductive material. The warning device comprises a conductive rod, a buzzer, and a battery. The conductive rod is a metal rod and is provided therein with one or more insulating members for separating the conductive rod from the shaft. The conductive rod has a contact portion, which comes in contact with the inner wall of the shaft at such time when the shaft is curved. The buzzer and the battery are securely mounted on the game rod such that they form a conductive loop at the time when the conductive rod and the shaft come in contact with each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0007] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view taken along a line 3-3 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0009] FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 to show by means of the dotted line the curved state of the shaft.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] As shown in FIGS. 1-3, a training putter 1 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a game rod 10 and a warning device 20.

[0011] The game rod 10 comprises a shaft 11, a game head 12, and a grip 13. The shaft 11 is a hollow tubular body made of an elastic and electrically conductive material containing carbon fiber. The shaft 11 is of a tapered construction. The game head 12 is made of a metal material and has a connection portion 121 which is provided with a fitting hole 122 extending along the longitudinal direction thereof. The bottom end of the shaft 11 is fitted into the fitting hole 122, thereby making the game head 12 and the shaft 11 electrically conductive. The grip 13 is made of a rubber material and is fastened with the top end of the shaft 11.

[0012] The warning device comprises a conductive rod 21 which is made of copper and has an outer diameter smaller than the bottom end inner diameter of the shaft 11. The conductive rod 21 is provided with three annular insulation members 22, which are disposed in the shaft 11 from the top end of the shaft 11 such that the outer walls of the three insulation members 22 are in contact with the inner wall of the shaft 11, and that the conductive rod 21 is located in the shaft 11, and further that the bottom end of the conductive rod 21 is jutted out of the bottom end of the shaft 11. The top end of the conductive rod 21 forms a contact portion, which comes in contact with the inner wall of the shaft 11 at the time when the shaft 11 is curved by an external force. A battery mount 23 is located in a recessed portion of the game head 12 and is provided with a battery receiving cell 231 which is provided in two opposite walls with a positive conductive piece 232 and a negative conductive piece 233. The positive conductive piece 232 is jutted out of the bottom of the battery receiving cell 231 to be connected to the game head 12. A buzzer 24 is mounted on the battery mounted 23 and is provided with a positive input end 241 and a negative input end 242 which is connected to the negative conductive piece 233. The positive input end 241 is connected to the conductive rod 21. A battery 25 is disposed in the cell 231 such that the positive and the negative poles are respectively connected with the positive and the negative conductive pieces 232 and 233. When the shaft 11 and the conductive rod 21 are in contact with each other, the battery 25, the game head 12, the shaft 11, the conductive rod 21, and the buzzer 24 form a loop, thereby enabling the buzzer 24 to make a buzzing sound as a warning signal.

[0013] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the training putter 1 of the present invention is used for putting in a pendular manner. If both arms of a golfer and the training putter 1 are kept in a linear state, the application force exerting on the training putter 1 is stabilized to prevent the curving of the shaft 11. As a result, the shaft 11 and the conductive rod 21 are not in contact with each other. The battery 25, the game head 12, the shaft 11, the conductive rod 21, and the buzzer 24 remain in a circuit-breaking state. The buzzer 24 remains silent.

[0014] In the event that the wrists and the hips of the golfer move improperly to result in formation of another swiveling fulcrum by the elbow joint or the wrist joint. As a result, the grip 13 forms a new thrust point, which is responsible for a velocity difference that exists in the grip 13 and the game head 12 and causes the elastic shaft 11 to curve. The shaft 11 and the conductive rod 21 are in contact with each other so that the battery 25, the game head 12, the shaft 11, the conductive rod 21, and the buzzer 24 form a complete circuit. The buzzer 24 makes a buzzing sound as a warning signal to remind the golfer of his or her improper putting posture.

[0015] The embodiment of the present invention described above is to be regarded in all respects as being merely illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without deviating from the spirit thereof. The present invention is therefore to be limited only by the scopes of the following claims.

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