Metalwood type golf clubhead having expanded sections extending the ball-striking clubface

• US 20030228931A1
• Filed: 06/11/2002
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anthony J. Antonious
• Original Assignee: Anthony J. Antonious
• Inventors: Antonious, Anthony J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,855,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/327
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A metalwood type golf clubhead including a clubhead body having a toe, heel, upper crown surface, bottom sole surface, side surfaces, rear surface and ball-striking clubface having at least one raised, elongated, aerodynamically shaped reinforcing and stabilizing member extending outwardly from the clubhead body and having at least one frontal ball-striking surface coincident with the ball-striking clubface. The structure provides improved weight distribution for better balance, additional strength and stability to clubhead and provides more effective aerodynamic surfaces to increase clubhead speed.

Claims

1. A wood type golf clubhead including a clubhead body with a toe, heel, upper crown surface, bottom sole surface, side wall surfaces, rear wall surface and ball-striking clubface, wherein the improvement comprises:

a reinforcing and stabilizing member extending outwardly from said side and rear wall surfaces to form outermost perimeter weighting of said clubhead and providing smooth profile, aerodynamic surfaces to said clubhead;

said reinforcing and stabilizing member being located on said side and rear wall surfaces, between said top crown surface and said bottom sole.

2. The clubhead of claim 1 wherein said reinforcing and stabilizing member is located approximately midway between said top crown surface and said bottom sole separating said side and said rear surfaces into upper wall and lower wall surfaces.

3. The clubhead of claim 1 wherein said reinforcing and stabilizing member includes front ball-striking surfaces coincident with and parallel to said ball-striking clubface and extends around the entire outer side wall and rear surfaces of said clubhead from said heel to said toe.

4. The clubhead of claim 1 wherein said reinforcing and stabilizing member has a parabolic outer surface.

5. The clubhead of claim 1 further including a secondary upper surface adjacent said top crown surface.

6. The clubhead of claim 1 further including an aerodynamic surface between said side and rear wall surfaces and said bottom sole surface.

7. The clubhead of claim 1 wherein said reinforcing and stabilizing member is integrally formed with said clubhead body and has a variable thickness.

8. The clubhead of claim 2 wherein said reinforcing and stabilizing member has a thickness greater than the thickness of said clubhead body.

14. The wood type golf clubhead of claim 1 further including another aerodynamically shaped reinforcing and stabilizing member extending outwardly and rearwardly from said bottom sole and having a front ball-striking face coincident with said ball-striking clubface, thereby expanding said ball-striking clubface at a lower section thereof.

15. The wood type golf clubhead of claim 14 being further defined by said another aerodynamically shaped reinforcing and stabilizing member extending partway between said ball-striking clubface and said rear surface.

16. The wood type golf clubhead of claim 14 being further defined by said another aerodynamically shaped reinforcing and stabilizing member extending between said ball-striking clubface and said rear surface.

17. The wood type golf clubhead of claim 1 further including another aerodynamically shaped reinforcing and stabilizing member extending outwardly from said bottom sole and having a front ball-striking face coincident with and perpendicular to said ball-striking clubface, thereby expanding said ball-striking clubface at a lower section thereof.

18. The wood type golf clubhead of claim 17 being further defined by said another aerodynamically shaped reinforcing and stabilizing member extending partway between said ball-striking clubface and said rear surface.

19. The wood type golf clubhead of claim 17 being further defined by said another aerodynamically shaped reinforcing and stabilizing member extending between said ball-striking clubface and said rear surface.

20. The clubhead of claim 1 further including an upper level aerodynamically shaped surface on said top crown surface.

21. The clubhead of claim 20 further including side walls on said tier defining a space between said top crown surface and said upper level surface.

22. The clubhead of claim 1 wherein said top crown surface is reduced in overall size having a lesser area than an upper surrounding surface of adjacent said reinforcing and stabilizing member.

9. A wood type golf clubhead including a clubhead body having a shell with a toe, heel, upper crown surface, bottom sole surface, side surfaces, rear surface and ball-striking clubface, wherein the improvement comprises:

means on said side surfaces expanding outer perimeter weighting and providing improved low profile aerodynamics to said clubhead, said means including a raised, elongated, aerodynamically shaped reinforcing and stabilizing member extending outwardly from said side surfaces and said rear surface;

said member having a first front ball-striking surface located at said toe area and a second front ball-striking surface located at said heel area, said first and second front ball-striking surface being coincident with and parallel to said ball-striking clubface;

said member extending around the entire side surfaces and rear surface of said clubhead; and

, said reinforcing and stabilizing member located approximately midway between said top crown surface and said bottom sole surface.

10. The clubhead of claim 9 wherein said reinforcing and stabilizing member is integrally formed with said clubhead shell and has a variable thickness.

11. The clubhead of claim 10 wherein said reinforcing and stabilizing member has a thickness greater than the thickness of said shell.

12. A wood type golf clubhead including a clubhead body having a shell with a toe, heel, top crown surface, bottom sole, side surfaces, rear surface and ball-striking clubface with a bulge and roll surface configuration, wherein the improvement comprises:

reinforcing and stabilizing means on said side surfaces for, expanding perimeter weighting and providing improved and more effective low profile aerodynamics to said clubhead;

said means including at least one raised, elongated, aerodynamically shaped member extending outwardly from said side surfaces and rear surface, said member having a first front ball-striking face at said toe section and a second front ball-striking face at said heel section of clubface, said first and second ball-striking front faces being parallel to and coincident with and expanding said ball-striking clubface;

said aerodynamically shaped member extending around and beyond the side surfaces, to form the outermost periphery of said clubhead;

said member being located on said side surfaces approximately midway between said top crown surface and said bottom sole; and

, a secondary upper surface on said adjacent top crown surface.

13. A wood type golf clubhead including a clubhead body having a shell with a toe, heel, top crown surface, bottom sole, side surfaces, rear surface and ball-striking clubface with a bulge and roll surface configuration, wherein the improvement comprises:

reinforcing and stabilizing means on said side surfaces for adding reinforcement and stabilizing to said clubhead, expanding perimeter weighting and providing improved low profile and more effective aerodynamics, said means including at least one raised, elongated, aerodynamically shaped member extending outwardly from said side surfaces, said member having at least one front ball-striking face being parallel to and coincident with and expanding said ball-striking clubface;

said member extending around the side and rear periphery of said clubhead; and

said aerodynamically shaped member being located midway on said side surfaces of said clubhead body.

23. A wood type golf clubhead including a clubhead body with a toe, heel, upper surface, bottom sole surface;

side wall surfaces;

rear wall surface and ball-striking clubface, wherein the improvement comprises;

a reinforcing and stabilizing member extending upwardly from said upper surface to form a raised uppermost top crown providing a smooth, aerodynamic top crown profile;

said reinforcing and stabilizing member having a front edge adjacent said ball-striking clubface;

side walls generally perpendicular to said ball-striking clubface and a rear edge adjacent said rear wall surface; and

a second reinforcing and stabilizing member extending outwardly from said side and rear wall surfaces to form outermost perimeter weighting of said clubhead and providing smooth profile, aerodynamic surfaces to said clubhead;

said member having frontal ball-striking face surfaces parallel to and coincident with said ball-striking clubface and expanding said ball-striking clubface in a heel to toe direction;

said reinforcing and stabilizing member being located on said side and rear wall surfaces, between said top crown surface and said bottom sole.

28. The clubhead of claim 23 further including side walls between said reinforcing and stabilizing member extending upwardly from said upper surface and said second reinforcing and stabilizing member extending outwardly from said side and rear wall surfaces;

said side walls having an upper edge sloped to coincide with an upper edge of the ball-striking clubface and including side walls tapered toward said clubface and coinciding with an upper edge of the aerodynamically shaped reinforcing and stabilizing member and said upper edge of said clubface.

29. The clubhead of claim 23 wherein the front of said reinforcing and stabilizing member extending upwardly from said upper surface includes a sloped aerodynamic surface between said ball striking clubface and said upper surface.

24. A wood type golf clubhead including a clubhead body with a toe, heel, upper surface, bottom sole surface;

side wall surfaces;

rear wall surface and ball-striking clubface, wherein the improvement comprises;

a reinforcing and stabilizing member extending upwardly from said upper surface of said clubhead;

providing a smooth profile, aerodynamic top crown;

said reinforcing and stabilizing member having side walls generally perpendicular to said ball-striking clubface, a rear edge and a front ball striking surface coincident with an upper portion of said ball-striking clubface, thereby upwardly expanding an upper section of said ball-striking clubface; and

a second reinforcing and stabilizing member extending outwardly from said side and rear wall surfaces to form outermost perimeter weighting of said clubhead and providing smooth profile, aerodynamic surfaces to said clubhead;

said member having frontal ball-striking surfaces parallel to and coincident with toe and heel sections of said ball-striking clubface and expanding said ball-striking clubface in a heel to toe direction;

said reinforcing and stabilizing member being located on said side and rear wall surfaces, between said top crown surface and said bottom sole.

25. The clubhead of claim 24 wherein said rear edge terminates at said rear wall surface.

26. The clubhead of claim 24 wherein said rear edge is curved and terminates short of said rear wall surface.

27. A wood type golf clubhead including a clubhead body with a toe, heel, upper surface, bottom sole surface;

side wall surfaces;

rear wall surface and ball-striking clubface, wherein the improvement comprises;

a first reinforcing and stabilizing member extending upwardly from said upper surface to form uppermost weighting of said clubhead and providing a smooth profile, aerodynamic top crown;

said reinforcing and stabilizing member having side walls generally perpendicular to said ball-striking clubface, a rear edge and a front ball striking surface coincident with and forming an addition above an upper portion of said ball-striking clubface, thereby upwardly expanding the hitting area of said ball-striking clubface;

a second reinforcing and stabilizing member extending outwardly from said side and rear wall surfaces to form outermost perimeter weighting of said clubhead and providing smooth profile, aerodynamic surfaces to said clubhead;

said reinforcing and stabilizing member being located on said side and rear wall surfaces, between said top crown surface and said bottom sole;

said member having frontal ball-striking surfaces parallel to and coincident with said ball-striking clubface and expanding said ball-striking clubface in a heel to toe direction;

said member extending around the side and rear periphery of said clubhead; and

, an upper shelf surface located between said first and second reinforcing and stabilizing members.

30. The clubhead of claim 27 wherein said second reinforcing and stabilizing member is located midway on said side surfaces of said clubhead body.