Golf club

• US 20040176183A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: K.K. Endo Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: K.K. Endo Seisakusho
• Inventors: Tsurumaki, Masaei
• Application Number:
  US10/739,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20040176183A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club enables a golf ball to be hit farther without a decrease in ball traveling distance even if it is struck at a lower point on the club head face. A driver club head includes a face having a hitting surface, a sole forming the bottom of the head, etc. The sole is modified for improvement by providing an elastically deformable area having a recessed or projected configuration at a position of the sole closer to the face. The deformable area includes a bent portion formed at the lower end of the face. A bend is formed between the bent portion and the sole at an obtuse angle. The sole is provided with a recess or a projection to lower the rigidity of the sole. Thus, repulsion is enhanced to increase the ball traveling distance even if the ball is struck at a lower point on the face.

Claims

1. A golf club having a metallic hollow golf club head, said golf club comprising:

a face member disposed at a front of said club head and having a hitting surface for hitting a golf ball; and

a head body member constituting a remaining part of said club head, said head body member including;

a sole forming a bottom of said club head;

a crown forming a top of said club head;

a toe forming a forepart of said club head;

a heel forming a rear part of said club head;

a back positioned opposite said face member to form a back part of said club head; and

a hosel to which a club shaft is connected;

wherein a deformable area that is elastically deformable in response to hitting of the golf ball on said hitting surface is provided at a joint between a lower end of said face member and said sole.

2. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein said deformable area includes a lower end portion of said face member that is bent at an angle not less than 90 degrees to form a bent portion, said sole being joined to said bent portion, said sole being convexly projected toward the top of said club head in a section taken along a vertical plane containing a line perpendicular to said hitting surface.

3. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein said deformable area includes a lower end portion of said face member that is bent at an angle not less than 90 degrees to form a bent portion, said sole being jointed to said bent portion, said sole being convexly projected away from the top of said club head in a section taken along a vertical plane containing a line perpendicular to said hitting surface.

4. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein said deformable area includes a lower end portion of said face member that is bent at an angle not less than 90 degrees to form a bent portion, said sole being joined to said bent portion, said sole being provided with at least one hole.

5. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein said deformable area includes a lower end portion of said face member that is bent at an angle not less than 90 degrees to form a bent portion, said sole being joined to said bent portion, said sole having a part thereof replaced with a thin plate.

6. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein said deformable area includes a lower end portion of said face member that is bent at an angle not less than 90 degrees to form a bent portion, said sole being joined to said bent portion, said sole being divided into two portions at a part thereof, said two portions being displaceable relative to each other.

7. A golf club according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said sole in said deformable area has a smaller plate thickness than that of said bent portion.

8. A golf club according to claim 2, wherein a part of said sole in said deformable area forms an arch-shaped groove.

9. A golf club according to claim 2, wherein a portion of said sole that is joined to said bent portion in said deformable area forms a groove having a surface approximately parallel to said hitting surface.

10. A golf club according to claim 7, wherein said deformable area has a gentle bend G formed by intersection of a line S₁ tangent to a surface of said face member with a line S₂ tangent to said bent portion, said bend G having an angle α

not less than 90 degrees, and a gentle bend H formed by intersection of said tangent line S₂ with a line S₃ tangent to a surface of said sole, said bend H having an angle α

₁ not less than 90 degrees.

11. A golf club according to claim 10, wherein said deformable area has at least one arch-shaped groove provided in a surface of said sole near said bend H, and wherein a gentle bend J is formed by intersection of a line S₄ tangent to said groove with said tangent line S₂, said bend J having an angle α

₂ not less than 90 degrees, and a gentle bend K is formed by intersection of a line S₅ tangent to said groove with said tangent line S₃₁ said bend K having an angle α

₃ not less than 90 degrees, wherein said bend G, said bend J and said bend K form a continuous gently curved line.

12. A golf club according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the angle α

of said bend G is not less than 90 degrees and not more than 135 degrees, preferably not less than 90 degrees and not more than 120 degrees.