Vibration-damping device for an instrument having a shaft and a striking head

Claim 2

A golf club comprising: a striking head having a hosel extending therefrom; a shaft having a first end fixed within said hosel, a second end terminated by a grip and a length L; and vibration damping means fixed on said shaft at a position about 1/3 L from said striking head, said vibration damping means comprising a viscoelastic layer, having a thickness of 0.2 to 3.0 mm, fixed to an outer surface of said shaft and a rigid tubular sleeve fixed to said viscoelastic layer to thereby constrain said viscoelastic layer.

Claim 3

The golf club of claim 3, wherein said viscoelastic layer has a damping coefficient at ambient temperature between 0.4 to 1.2.

Claim 4

The golf club of claim 2, wherein said viscoelastic layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of butyl rubbers, synthetic elastomers, alone, as a mixture or filled.

Claim 5

The golf club of claim 1, wherein said viscoelastic layer has an adhesive coated on inner and outer surfaces thereof to fix said inner surface to said shaft and said outer surface to said rigid tubular sleeve.

Claim 6

The golf club of claim 4, wherein said viscoelastic layer is formed from a superposition of elementary layers.

Claim 7

The golf club of claim 1, wherein said rigid tubular sleeve has an elastic modulus E greater than 10,000 MPa, a thickness between 0.1 and 3 mm, and comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloys, aluminum-chromium-zinc alloys, laminated thermosetting materials reinforced with glass or carbon fibers and thermoplastic materials reinforced with glass or carbon fibers.

Claim 8

The golf club of claim 1, wherein said vibration damping means is slidable temporarily along said shaft and then fixed along said shaft at a point of maximum disturbance of a vibration antinode region.

Claim 9

The golf club of claim 1, wherein said shaft includes an annular recess for receiving therein said vibration damping means.

Claim 10

A golf club comprising a striking head having a hosel extending therefrom, a shaft connected at one end to said hosel and having a grip at an other end thereof, wherein the shaft comprises along its length between the hosel and the grip vibration damping means consists of a rigid tubular sleeve, coaxial to the shaft, connected to the shaft by a viscoelastic layer constrained by the sleeve on the shaft, said viscoelastic layer having a thickness of 0.2 to 3.0 mm.

Claim 11

A golf club comprising a striking head having a hosel extending therefrom, a shaft connected at one end to said hosel and having a grip at an other end thereof, wherein the shaft comprises along its length between the hosel and the grip vibration damping means consists of a rigid tubular sleeve, coaxial to the shaft, connected to the shaft by a viscoelastic layer constrained by the sleeve on the shaft, said viscoelastic layer having a thickness of 0.2 to 3.0 mm.

Claim 12

The golf club of claim 9, wherein said viscoelastic layer has a damping coefficient at ambient temperature between 0.4 to 1.2.

Claim 13

The golf club of claim 10, wherein said viscoelastic layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of butyl rubbers, synthetic elastomers, alone, as a mixture or filled.

Claim 14

The golf club of claim 9, wherein said viscoelastic layer has an adhesive coated on inner and outer surfaces thereof to fix said inner surface to said shaft and said outer surface to said rigid tubular sleeve.

Claim 15

The golf club of claim 12, wherein said viscoelastic layer is formed from a superposition of elementary layers.

Claim 16

The golf club of claim 9, wherein said rigid tubular sleeve has an elastic modulus E greater than 10,000 MPa, a thickness between 0.1 and 3 mm, and comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloys, aluminum-chromium-zinc alloys, laminated thermosetting materials reinforced with glass or carbon fibers and thermoplastic materials reinforced with glass or carbon fibers.

Claim 17

The golf club of claim 9, wherein said vibration damping means is slidable temporarily along said shaft and then fixed along said shaft at a point of maximum disturbance of a vibration antinode region.

Claim 18

The golf club of claim 9, wherein said shaft includes an annular recess for receiving therein said vibration damping means.

Claim 19

A golf club comprising: a striking head having a hosel extending therefrom; a shaft having a first end fixed within said hosel, a second end terminated by a grip and a length L; and vibration damping means fixed on said shaft at a position about 1/3 L from said striking head, said vibration damping means comprising a viscoelastic layer, fixed to an outer surface of said shaft and a rigid tubular sleeve fixed to said viscoelastic layer to thereby constrain said viscoelastic layer, wherein said viscoelastic layer has a thickness of 0.2 to 3.0 mm, a damping coefficient at ambient temperature between 0.4 and 1.2, and an adhesive coated on inner and outer surfaces thereof to fix said inner surface to said shaft and said outer surface to said rigid tubular sleeve, and said rigid tubular sleeve has an elastic modulus E greater than 10,000 MPa, a thickness between 0.1 and 3 mm, and comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloys, aluminum-chromium-zinc alloys, laminated thermosetting materials reinforced with glass or carbon fibers and thermoplastic materials reinforced with glass or carbon fibers.

Claim 20

A golf club comprising: a striking head having a hosel extending therefrom; a shaft having a first end fixed within said hosel, a second end terminated by a grip and a length L; and vibration damping means fixed on said shaft at a position about 1/3 L from said striking head, said vibration damping means comprising a viscoelastic layer, fixed to an outer surface of said shaft and a rigid tubular sleeve fixed to said viscoelastic layer to thereby constrain said viscoelastic layer, wherein said viscoelastic layer has a thickness of 0.2 to 3.0 mm, a damping coefficient at ambient temperature between 0.4 and 1.2, and an adhesive coated on inner and outer surfaces thereof to fix said inner surface to said shaft and said outer surface to said rigid tubular sleeve, and said rigid tubular sleeve has an elastic modulus E greater than 10,000 MPa, a thickness between 0.1 and 3 mm, and comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloys, aluminum-chromium-zinc alloys, laminated thermosetting materials reinforced with glass or carbon fibers and thermoplastic materials reinforced with glass or carbon fibers.

Claim 21

The golf club of claim 17, wherein said viscoelastic layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of butyl rubbers, synthetic elastomers, alone, as a mixture or filled.

Claim 22

The golf club of claim 17, wherein said viscoelastic layer is formed from a superposition of elementary layers.

Claim 23

The golf club of claim 17, wherein said vibration damping means is slidable temporarily along said shaft and then fixed along said shaft at a point of maximum disturbance of a vibration antinode region.

Claim 24

The golf club of claim 17, wherein said shaft includes an annular recess for receiving therein said vibration damping means.