GOLF CLUB WITH MULTI-COMPONENT CONSTRUCTION

• US 20110256954A1
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cobra Golf Company (Puma SE)
• Original Assignee: Cobra Golf Company (Puma SE)
• Inventors: Soracco, Peter L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,734,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/328
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/026 loft angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• 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 53/06 adjustable
• 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

A golf club head with multi-component construction. The golf club head includes heel and toe portions that generally provide ground contacting surfaces and a raised central region. A center of gravity of the club is located outside of an envelope defined by the outer surface of the club head below the raised central region.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a crown body including a heel portion and a toe portion;

a heel body extending downward from the heel portion of the crown;

a toe body extending downward from the toe portion of the crown;

a sole surface comprising a lower surface of the heel body, a lower surface of the toe body, and a raised central sole surface of the club head extending between the heel and toe bodies; and

a face body including a ball striking surface, the face body extending forward from the crown body, the heel body, the toe body, and the raised central sole surface, the raised central sole surface not forming a part of the face body;

wherein the heel body, the toe body, the raised central sole surface, and the face body combine to define a central cavity underneath the club head openly exposed downward,

wherein a center of gravity of the golf club head is disposed within the central cavity between the heel body and the toe body, and

wherein an axis of percussion extends through the face body, and through the central cavity below the raised central sole surface, without intersecting the raised central sole surface, the raised central sole surface being located substantially above the axis of percussion.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least one of the heel body and the toe body has portion having a maximum lateral dimension in a heel to toe direction that is spaced from the body.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the heel body and the toe body are separate components and the toe body is spaced laterally, in a heel to toe direction, from the heel body.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the heel body and the toe body are coupled by a sole body and the toe body is spaced laterally, in a heel to toe direction, from the heel body by the sole body, the sole body including the raised, central sole surface.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the sole body is spaced vertically from a central portion of the crown body.

6-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A golf club head, comprising:

a crown body including a heel portion and a toe portion;

a heel body extending downward from the heel portion of the crown;

a toe body extending downward from the toe portion of the crown;

a face body including a ball striking surface;

a hinge that couples the face body to a second body member; and

a hinge locking mechanism,

wherein the hinge locking mechanism is configured to retain the face body in a plurality of different predetermined angular orientations relative to the second body member, and

wherein the second body member is one of the crown body, the heel body, and the toe body.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the hinge locking mechanism includes a tab extending from the face body that is slidably received in a tab cavity in at least one of the heel body and the toe body.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the hinge locking mechanism includes a pin that intersects the tab cavity and the tab and is configured to prevent relative motion between the tab and the tab cavity.

14. The club head of claim 11, wherein the hinge couples the face body to the crown body and defines an axis of rotation that extends in a heel to toe direction so that it is configured to provide a loft angle change.

15. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the hinge couples the face body to one of the heel body and the toe body and defines a vertical axis of rotation that extends in a crown to sole direction so that it is configured to provide a face angle change.

16. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein an axis of percussion does not intersect a raised central portion of a sole surface of the club head.

17. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein at least one of the heel body and the toe body has a portion having a maximum lateral dimension in a heel to toe direction that is spaced from the face body.

18. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the heel body and the toe body are separate components and the toe body is spaced laterally, in a heel to toe direction, from the heel body by a central portion of the crown.

19-20. -20. (canceled)