Iron type golf club head with low profile tuning port

• US 20070225084A1
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Douglas, Schweigert, Bradley
• Application Number:
  US11/805,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20070225084A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/324
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• 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

Abstract

An iron type golf club head includes a body having a front face arranged for impact with a golf ball, a back face, a heel portion and toe portion. A hosel is connected to the heel portion of the body. A perimeter weighting element protrudes rearwardly from the front face and defines a primary cavity in the back face of the body. The perimeter weighting element includes a top rail and a sole which extend between the body heel and toe portions along an upper portion and a lower portion, respectively, of the body. An interior wall extends from a first end connected to the perimeter weighting element adjacent the body heel portion through the primary cavity between the top rail and the sole to a second end connected to the perimeter weighting element adjacent the body toe portion to define an elongated secondary cavity or tuning port within the primary cavity. The interior wall is integrally formed on a bottom surface of the primary cavity and extends from the bottom surface of the primary cavity in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hosel. This orientation of the interior wall provides the secondary cavity, i.e. the tuning port, with a low profile while also moving the center of gravity of the club head lower and farther away from the front face.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a front surface to impact a golf ball, a rear surface substantially parallel to the front surface, a heel portion, and a toe portion;

a hosel coupled to the heel portion of the body;

a perimeter weight behind a perimeter of the front face and extending in a direction from the rear surface away from the front surface and defining a primary cavity, wherein the primary cavity comprises a lower inner surface and an upper inner surface; and

an interior wall extending along the rear surface from a first end at the heel portion to a second end at the toe portion and between the lower inner surface and the upper inner surface and defining a secondary cavity between the interior wall and a portion of the lower inner surface of the perimeter weight, wherein the secondary cavity comprises a secondary cavity upper surface, a secondary cavity lower surface, and a secondary cavity rear surface,

wherein;

the interior wall comprises a height, and

the height increases continuously from the first end to the second end.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the secondary cavity comprises a secondary cavity width, and

the secondary cavity width varies from the first end to the second end.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein:

the secondary cavity width increases from the first end to a maximum at a center of the secondary cavity, and

the secondary cavity width decreases from the maximum at the center of the secondary cavity to the second end.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the secondary cavity rear surface is substantially normal to a reference ground plane when the golf club head is at an address position.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the secondary cavity upper is oval-shaped.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the lower inner surface comprises a height that varies from the heel portion to the toe portion, and

the height of the lower inner surface is greatest at the toe portion.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a weight adjustment member substantially complimentary in shape to the secondary cavity and configured to occupy the secondary cavity.

8. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a front surface comprising a loft angle, a first rear surface substantially parallel to the front surface, and a heel portion opposite a toe portion;

a hosel coupled to the heel portion of the body;

a perimeter weight behind a perimeter of the front surface and defining a first cavity; and

an interior wall within the first cavity and extending along the first rear surface from a first end at the heel portion to a second end at the toe portion and defining an oval-shaped second cavity, the oval-shaped second cavity further comprising a second rear surface, wherein an angle between the first rear surface and the interior wall comprises a complimentary angle to the loft angle.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein:

the interior wall comprises a height, and

the height increases continuously from the first end to the second end.

10. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein:

the oval-shaped second cavity comprises a second cavity width, and

the second cavity width varies from the first end to the second end.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein:

the oval-shaped second cavity width increases from the first end to a maximum at a center of the oval-shaped second cavity, and

the oval-shaped second cavity width decreases from the maximum at the center of the second cavity to the second end.

12. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the second rear surface is substantially normal to a reference ground plane when the golf club head is at an address position.

13. A method for manufacturing a golf club head comprising:

forming a body comprising a front surface to impact a golf ball, a rear surface substantially parallel to the front surface, a heel portion, and a toe portion;

providing a perimeter weight behind a perimeter of the front face and extending in a direction from the rear surface away from the front surface and defining a primary cavity, wherein the primary cavity comprises a lower inner surface and an upper inner surface; and

forming an interior wall integrally with the body, the interior wall extending along the rear surface from a first end at the heel portion to a second end at the toe portion and between the lower inner surface and the upper inner surface and defining a secondary cavity between the interior wall and a portion of the lower inner surface of the perimeter weight, wherein the secondary cavity comprises a secondary cavity upper surface, a secondary cavity lower surface, and a secondary cavity rear surface,

wherein;

the interior wall comprises a height, and

the height increases continuously from the first end to the second end.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the interior wall further comprises:

providing the secondary cavity width to increase from the first end to a maximum at a center of the secondary cavity, and providing the secondary cavity width to decrease from the maximum at the center of the secondary cavity to the second end.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein defining the secondary cavity further comprises:

providing the secondary cavity rear surface substantially normal to a reference ground plane when the golf club head is at an address position.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the interior wall further comprises:

defining the secondary cavity to be oval-shaped.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the interior wall further comprises forming the interior wall to extend from the rear surface in a direction substantially parallel to a reference ground plane when the golf club head is at an address position.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprises determining a weight adjustment.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprises selecting a weight adjustment member based on determining the weight adjustment, the weight adjustment member comprising a weight at a size to occupy the secondary cavity.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprises inserting and affixing the weight adjustment member within the secondary cavity.