SHAFTS WITH REINFORCING LAYER FOR SPORTING GOODS AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE
Disclosed herein are composite shafts for sporting goods, such as archery arrows, golf clubs, and rifles, which include a reinforcing layer to improve the performance of the sporting goods.
1 . A hollow golf club shaft, comprising:
a plurality of fiber-reinforced resin layers; and
one or more reinforcing layers comprising a woven metal mesh, each reinforcing layer spanning a circumference of the golf club shaft,
wherein the woven metal mesh comprises stainless steel, nickel, titanium, copper, aluminum, magnesium, or an alloy thereof, and
wherein the woven metal mesh has at least 150×150 wires per square inch.
2 . The shaft of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing layer(s) are located in the butt section of the golf club shaft, the mid section of the golf club shaft, or the tip section of the golf club shaft.
3 . The shaft of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing layer(s) extend along the full length of the golf shaft.
4 . The shaft of claim 1 , wherein the woven metal mesh is positioned on the golf club shaft at a zero- and ninety-degree wire orientation, where the zero-degree wires are in line with a longitudinal axis of the golf shaft, and the ninety-degree wires are oriented perpendicular thereto.
5 . The shaft of claim 1 , wherein the woven metal mesh comprises wire having a diameter of about 0.001 inches to about 0.008 inches.
6 . The shaft of claim 1 , wherein the woven metal mesh comprises wire having a diameter less than or equal to 0.001 inches.
7 . The shaft of claim 1 , wherein the woven metal mesh has a plain weave, Dutch weave, twilled weave, twilled Dutch weave, reverse Dutch weave, or five heddle weave.
8 . The shaft of claim 1 , wherein the woven metal mesh is impregnated with a resin.
9 . The shaft of claim 1 , wherein the woven metal mesh is annealed.
10 . The shaft of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of fiber-reinforced resin layers comprises a carbon fiber.
11 . A method of manufacturing a reinforced shaft for a golf club, comprising:
wrapping a plurality of fiber-reinforced resin layers around a mandrel; and
wrapping one or more reinforcing layers around at least one of the plurality of fiber-reinforced resin layers,
wherein the reinforcing layer(s) comprise a woven metal mesh and span a circumference of the golf club shaft,
wherein the woven metal mesh comprises stainless steel, nickel, titanium, copper, aluminum, magnesium, or an alloy thereof, and
wherein the woven metal mesh has at least 150×150 wires per square inch.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the reinforcing layer(s) are located in the butt section of the golf club shaft, the mid section of the golf club shaft, or the tip section of the golf club shaft.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the reinforcing layer(s) extend along the full length of the golf shaft.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the woven metal mesh is positioned on the golf club shaft at a zero- and ninety-degree wire orientation, where the zero-degree wires are in line with a longitudinal axis of the golf shaft, and the ninety-degree wires are oriented perpendicular thereto.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the woven metal mesh comprises wire having a diameter of about 0.001 inches to about 0.008 inches.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the woven metal mesh comprises wire having a diameter less than or equal to 0.001 inches.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the woven metal mesh has a plain weave, Dutch weave, twilled weave, twilled Dutch weave, reverse Dutch weave, or five heddle weave.
18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the woven metal mesh is impregnated with a resin.
19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the woven metal mesh is annealed.
20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the plurality of fiber-reinforced resin layers comprises a carbon fiber.