Golf clubs and methods to manufacture golf clubs

• US 10,286,268 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2017
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Original Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Inventors: Parsons, Robert R., Schweigert, Bradley D., Nicolette, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US15/824,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20180078830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 473287-292, 473316-323, 473324-350
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0479 Wedge-type clubs, details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/10 Non-metallic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

Embodiments of golf clubs and methods to manufacture golf clubs are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club may include a golf club head having an interior cavity and a shaft attached to the golf club head. At least a portion of the shaft may be filled with an elastic polymer material, and the interior cavity may be at least partially filled with an elastic polymer material. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising:

a golf club head comprising;

a body portion comprising a first material, the body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a front portion, a back portion, a top portion, a sole portion, and an interior cavity, a height of the interior cavity being greater than or equal to 50% of a height of the body portion, and a maximum distance between the front portion and the back portion being substantially less than a maximum distance between the top portion and the sole portion;

a port located farther from the heel portion than the toe portion; and

a weight portion comprising a second material different from the first material, the weight portion located below a horizontal midplane of the body portion at a different location than the port and farther from the heel portion than the toe portion;

a shaft coupled to the body portion, the shaft including a sleeve portion surrounding at least a portion of an exterior of the shaft,

wherein the shaft is at least partially filled with a first polymer material,

wherein the interior cavity is at least partially filled with a second polymer material, and

wherein the sleeve portion is constructed from a third polymer material.

2. A golf club as defined in claim 1, wherein the port is connected to the interior cavity, and wherein the interior cavity is at least partially filled with the second polymer material from the port.

3. A golf club as defined in claim 1, wherein the first polymer material or the second polymer material is an elastic polymer material.

4. A golf club as defined in claim 1, wherein the first material comprises a material having a tensile strength greater than or equal to 600 Megapascal (600 million N/m²).

5. A golf club as defined in claim 1, wherein the first material comprises a material having a yield strength greater than or equal to 500 Megapascal (500 million N/m²).

6. A golf club as defined in claim 1 further comprising a screw configured to be inserted into the port.

7. A golf club as defined in claim 1, wherein the first polymer material and the second polymer material comprise the same material.

8. A golf club as defined in claim 1 further comprising another weight portion located farther from the toe portion than the heel portion.

9. A golf club comprising:

a golf club head comprising;

a body portion comprising a material having a first density, the body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a front portion, a back portion, a top portion, a sole portion, and an interior cavity, a maximum distance between the front portion and the back portion being substantially less than a maximum distance between the top portion and the sole portion;

a port located farther from the heel portion than the toe portion, the port connected to the interior cavity; and

a weight portion comprising a material having a second density greater than the first density, the weight portion located below a horizontal midplane of the body portion and at a different location than the port; and

a shaft coupled to the body portion, the shaft having a first end and a second end,

wherein the shaft is at least partially filled with a first polymer material, and

wherein the interior cavity is at least partially filled with a second polymer material from the port, and

wherein the shaft includes a sleeve portion surrounding at least a portion of the shaft between the first end and the second end, the sleeve portion being constructed from a third polymer material.

10. A golf club as defined in claim 9, wherein the first polymer material or the second polymer material is an elastic polymer material.

11. A golf club as defined in claim 9, wherein the first density comprises a density greater than or equal to 7 g/cm³.

12. A golf club as defined in claim 9, wherein the first polymer material and the second polymer material comprise the same material.

13. A golf club as defined in claim 9, wherein a portion at or proximate to the first end of the shaft is at least partially filled with the first polymer material.

14. A golf club as defined in claim 9 further comprising a screw configured to be inserted into the port.

15. A golf club as defined in claim 9 further comprising another weight portion located farther from the toe portion than the heel portion.

16. A golf club comprising:

a golf club head comprising;

a body portion comprising a first material, the body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a front portion, a back portion, and an interior cavity, a maximum distance between the front portion and the back portion being substantially less than a maximum distance between the top portion and the sole portion; and

a port located at or proximate to the toe portion and connected to the interior cavity;

a face portion having a thickness of less than or equal to about 1.9 millimeters (0.075 inch);

a mass portion comprising a second material different from the first material, the mass portion being located at or proximate to the toe portion and at a different location than the port; and

a shaft coupled to the body portion, the shaft having a first end portion and a second end portion,

wherein the shaft is partially or entirely filled with a first filler material,

wherein the interior cavity is partially or entirely filled with a second filler material from the port, and

wherein the shaft includes a sleeve portion surrounding at least a portion of the shaft between the first end portion and the second end portion, the sleeve portion being constructed from a third polymer material.

17. A golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein the first filler material and the second filler material comprise the same material.

18. A golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein at least ten (10) inches of the first end portion of the shaft is partially or entirely filled with the first filler material.

19. A golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein the second material comprises a non-metal material.

20. A golf club head as defined in claim 16 further comprising another mass portion located farther from the toe portion than the heel portion.