Multi-Component Golf Club Wedge

• US 20170095708A1
• Filed: 05/02/2016
• Published: 04/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Ripp, Patrick, Herr, Brian, Nivanh, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 10,780,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0479 Wedge-type clubs, details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/08 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-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

An iron-type golf club head assembly kit including a club head main body, a first sole component, and a second sole component interchangeably associable with the main body. When the first sole component is associated with the main body, the main body and the first sole component form a first club head comprising a sole surface having a first parting line, formed between the first sole component and the main body, and a first sole contour. When the second sole component is associated with the main body, the main body and the second sole component form a second club head comprising a second sole surface having a second parting line, formed between the second sole component and the main body, and a second sole contour that differs from the first sole contour.

Claims

1. An iron-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position relative to a virtual ground plane, comprises:

a main body comprising;

a topline;

a sole in generally opposed relation to the topline, at least a portion of the sole resting on the ground plane when the golf club head is in the reference position;

a striking face extending between the topline and the sole;

a rear face in generally opposed relation to the striking face;

a rear cavity extending from the rear face toward the striking face; and

a sole cavity extending into the sole;

at least one rear plate removably secured within the rear cavity along a first axis;

at least one sole plate removably secured within the sole cavity;

a center of gravity vertically spaced from the virtual ground plane by between 13.5 mm and 16.0 mm.

2. The iron-type golf club head recited in claim 1, wherein:

when the club head is in a first state such that a first one of the at least one rear plate is secured to the rear cavity and a first one of the at least one sole plate is secured to the sole cavity, the center of gravity is vertically spaced from the ground plane by approximately 13.6 mm; and

when the club head is in a second state such that a second one of the at least one rear plate is secured to the rear cavity and a second one of the at least one sole plate is secured to the sole cavity, the center of gravity is vertically spaced from the ground plane by approximately 15.9 mm.

3. The iron-type golf club head recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the at least one rear plate includes a first pair of opposed faces which are substantially parallel to each other to define a substantially uniform rear plate thickness therebetween; and

the at least one sole plate includes a second pair of opposed faces which are substantially parallel to each other to define a substantially uniform sole plate thickness therebetween.

4. The iron-type golf club head recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the at least one rear plate includes a pair of opposed faces which are non-parallel to each other to define a variable rear plate thickness therebetween; and

the at least one sole plate includes a pair of opposed faces which are non-parallel to each other to define a variable sole plate thickness therebetween.

5. The iron-type golf club head recited in claim 4, wherein at least one of the rear plate thickness and the sole plate thickness vary in a vertical direction when the club head is in the reference position.

6. The iron-type club head recited in claim 4, wherein at least one of the rear plate thickness and the sole plate thickness vary in the heel to toe direction when the club head is in the reference position.

7. The iron-type club head recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a rear plate fastener configured to couple the at least one rear plate to the main body; and

a sole plate fastener configured to couple the at least one sole plate to the main body.

8. The iron-type club head recited in claim 7, wherein at least one of the rear plate fastener and the sole plate fastener include a threaded screw member.

9. The iron-type club head recited in claim 7, wherein at least one of the rear plate fastener and the sole plate fastener include a magnet.

10. The iron-type club head recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one rear plate and the at least one sole plate are formed from tungsten.

11. An iron-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:

a main body including;

a striking face having a face center and a leading edge, the striking face being generally parallel to a virtual striking face plane;

a rear surface opposite the striking face; and

a hosel defining a hosel axis;

a rear component removably securable to the rear surface of the main body;

a sole component removably securable to the main body in spaced relation to the rear component; and

a sole surface formed by the main body and the sole component, the sole surface having a sole contour and a parting line formed between the sole component and the main body, such that, in a virtual central vertical plane passing through the face center and perpendicular to the virtual striking face plane, the parting line is spaced rearwardly from the striking face by a horizontal distance D5 that is no less than 0.35 in.

12. The iron-type golf club head recited in claim 11, wherein:

at least a portion of the sole surface resides on a ground plane when the club head is in the reference position; and

the main body, the rear component and the sole component are collectively configured to define a center of gravity spaced from the ground plane by between 13.50-16.00 mm.

13. The iron-type golf club head recited in claim 11, wherein the parting line, when measured in a direction perpendicular to the striking face, is spaced rearward from the striking face by a distance D1 and the club head has a maximum depth D2 such that D1/D2 is no less than 0.50.

14. The iron-type golf club head recited in claim 13, wherein D1/D2 is no less than 0.70.

15. The iron-type golf club head of claim 13, wherein, in the virtual central vertical plane, and measured in the direction perpendicular to the virtual striking face plane:

(a) the sole component further comprises a forward-most point defining a sole component forward plane parallel to the striking face plane and a rearward-most point defining a sole component rearward plane parallel to the striking face plane;

(b) a plane passing through the first parting line and parallel to the striking face plane is rearwardly spaced from the sole component forward plane by a distance D3; and

(c) the sole component rearward plane is rearwardly spaced from the sole component forward plane by a distance D4 such that D3/D4 is no less than 0.30.

16. The iron-type golf club recited in claim 11, further comprising a loft angle no less than 38°

.

17. The iron-type golf club head of claim 11, wherein D5 is between about 0.40 in and 0.70 in.

18. The iron-type golf club head of claim 11, wherein, in the virtual central vertical plane, the sole surface further comprises a sole surface horizontal length D6 such that D5/D6 is no less than 0.50.

19. The iron-type golf club head of claim 18, wherein D5/D6 is no less than 0.60.

20. The iron-type golf club head of claim 11, further comprising:

a virtual vertical hosel plane that includes the hosel axis; and

a screw configured to secure the sole component to the main body, the screw having a screw head and a screw shaft defining a screw shaft axis that intersects the virtual hosel plane at a screw shaft angle of between about 75° and

about 110°

.