GOLF CLUB HEAD

• US 20100184527A1
• Filed: 01/20/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Wahl, Bret H., Ines, Marni D., Demkowski, Paul M., Nunez, Robert, Toulon, Sean, Price, Bill, Miraflor, Jose
• Granted Patent: US 8,328,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/251
• 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 53/04 Heads
• 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 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3685 Putters or attachments on putters, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence

Abstract

A golf club head is provided having a club body having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, and a heel portion. The club head also having a central portion connected with the front portion. A frame is connected with the central portion configured to provide a lightweight crown portion being located above an offset plane.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a club body including a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, and a heel portion;

a central portion connected with the front portion;

a frame connected with the central portion configured to provide at least one gap between the central portion and the frame, wherein the at least one gap is a circular shape configured to represent a ball outline; and

a cup alignment indicia located near the at least one gap, the cup alignment indicia having a center point located toward the rear portion along a Y-axis.

2. A golf club head, comprising:

a club body including a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, and a heel portion forming a two-piece construction;

a central portion connected with the front portion and extending primarily in an XY-plane toward the rear portion; and

a rim having a peripheral contour and being connected with the central portion in at least two locations, wherein a substantial portion of the central portion is contained within the rim across the XY-plane.

3. A golf club head, comprising:

a club body including a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, and a heel portion forming a two-piece construction;

a central portion connected with the front portion, the central portion being comprised of aluminum and having a central portion weight ratio of about 0.20-0.50; and

a frame enclosing a substantial portion of the central portion within an XY-plane, wherein the central portion is connected with the frame.

4. A golf club putter head, comprising:

a club body including a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, and a central portion, the central portion connected with the front portion and extending primarily in an XY-plane toward the rear portion;

the club body further comprising a club body frame and a rim having a peripheral contour, wherein a substantial portion of the central portion is contained within the rim across the XY-plane; and

a lightweight crown being located within the central portion and attached to the club body frame, the lightweight crown being located above an offset plane, the offset plane being located at 2 mm above a horizontal origin XY-plane when the club head is in a square lofted position at address.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the lightweight crown is comprised of an injection molded material.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the lightweight crown includes a polymer material.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the lightweight crown weighs between about 5 g and about 35 g.

8. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the lightweight crown includes a plate attached to a top surface of the lightweight crown.

9. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the lightweight crown includes a recess for receiving a fastening member to attach the lightweight crown portion to the club body frame.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein a plate is attached to a top surface of the lightweight crown to cover the recess.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the plate weighs between about 3 g and about 10 g.

12. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the moment inertia of the club head about a CG x-axis is between about 1,000 g·

cm² and about 10,000 g·

cm².

13. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the moment of inertia of the club head about a CG z-axis is between about 2,000 g·

cm² and about 14,000 g·

cm².

14. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the moment of inertia of the club head about a CG y-axis is between about 1,000 g·

cm² and about 10,000 g·

cm².

15. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the CGx location is between about −

5.0 mm and about 5.0 mm, the CGy location is between about 30 mm and about 50 mm and the CGz location is between about 9 mm and about 15 mm.

16. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the inner portion weight ratio is between about 0.15 and about 0.25.

17. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the footprint ratio is between about 0.70 and about 0.90.

18. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the total weight of the club head is between about 300 g and about 400 g.

19. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the effective footprint is between about 8,000 mm² and about 10,000 mm².

20. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the actual footprint is between about 6,000 mm² and about 8,500 mm².