PUTTER-TYPE GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH AN INSERT

• US 20050054462A1
• Filed: 05/19/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Breier, Joshua G., Rollinson, Augustin W., Byrne, Wayne H., Guard, John G., Hettinger, Ronald K., Dewanjee, Pijush K., Reyes, Herbert, Oldknow, Andrew, Lang, Robert R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,048,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/332
• 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a golf club head with an insert having a face plate is disclosed herein. The insert is disposed in a recess of the club head in which the recess has a depth that is greater than the thickness of the insert. The insert preferably has a plurality of tabs on its perimeter to engage the recess walls to allow the insert to essentially float within the recess. An adhesive is preferably disposed between the rear wall of the recess and an interior surface of the insert. Further, an adhesive is applied between the plurality of tabs, and preferably over the exterior surface of each of the plurality of tabs.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a club head body having a front face with a recess therein;

an insert disposed within the recess, the insert comprising a body with an exterior surface, an interior surface and a perimeter defining the thickness of the body, the exterior surface of the insert having an indented portion, the insert composed of a polymer material;

a face plate attached to the indented portion of the exterior surface of the insert, the face plate composed of a material having a density greater than the density of the polymer material, the face plate covering less than 90% of the exterior surface of the insert.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of tabs is disposed a predetermined distance apart from each other and the golf club head further comprises an epoxy disposed between each of the plurality of tabs.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 further comprising means for attaching the insert within the recess of the body.

4. The golf club head according to claim 3 wherein the attachment means is an epoxy adhesive applied to the interior surface of the insert.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of tabs is compressible, and each of the plurality of tabs has a straight portion and a curved portion, the straight portion disposed between the curved portion and the perimeter, and the curved portion extending further than the straight portion to define an undercut between the curved portion and the perimeter.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the polymer material is a selected from the group consisting of 4.4′

-diphenylmethane diisocyanate-polyester thermoplastic polyurethanes and para-phenylene diisocyanate-polyether thermoplastic polyurethane.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of tabs is compressible, and each of the plurality of tabs is a substantially hemispherical body projecting from the perimeter and spaced a predetermined distance apart from each other.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the face plate is composed of a metal selected from the group consisting of steel alloys, steel, titanium, titanium alloys, amorphous metals, aluminum, aluminum alloys, magnesium, magnesium alloys and bonze.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the face plate is composed of a polymer material selected from the group consisting of polycarbonates, polyamides, polyesters, and ABS materials.

10. A putter club head comprising:

a club head body comprising a front face, a toe to one side of the front face and a heel to the other side of the front face, and a sole, the front face having a recess therein, the recess defined by a frontal recess wall and an edge wall substantially perpendicular to the frontal recess wall, the edge wall defining the depth and area of the recess;

an insert disposed within the recess, the insert comprising a body with an exterior surface, an interior surface and a perimeter defining the thickness of the body, the perimeter having a plurality of integral tabs extending therefrom that engage the edge wall of the club head body, each of the plurality of integral tabs spaced a predetermined distance from each other thereby defining openings between the integral tabs, the exterior surface of the insert having an indented portion, the insert composed of a thermoplastic polyurethane material; and

a face plate attached to the indented portion of the exterior surface of the insert, the face plate composed of a stainless steel alloy, the face plate covering less than 90% of the exterior surface of the insert.

11. The putter-type golf club head according to claim 19 wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane material is a selected from the group consisting of 4.4′

-diphenylmethane diisocyanate-polyester thermoplasctic polyurethanes and a para-phenylene diisocyanate-polyether thermoplastic polyurethane.