Golf driver club head

• US 4,444,392 A
• Filed: 07/16/1982
• Issued: 04/24/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Greenirons Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Clovis R. Duclos
• Inventors: Duclos, Clovis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US06/398,970
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 E, 273/167 H, 273/77 A, 273/169, 273/171, 273/172, 273/170, 273/167 A
• US Class Current: 473/290
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/006 Surfaces specially adapted for reducing air resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/50 with through-holes A63B60/18 takes precedence; for stringing purposes A63B49/00

Abstract

An improved driver club head for the game of golf including an internal cavity which communicates with a shaped slot in the rear of the head to provide a short-term dynamic alleviation of the base aerodynamic drag of the head when it is being swung. The head can be manufactured from traditional materials such as wood, but in its preferred embodiments, it is constructed from metal or composite materials.

Claims

1. A golf driver head having:

a closed front impact surface adapted for striking a golf ball;

a hosel adjacent one side of said front impact surface for engagement with a golf club shaft;

a rear surface;

an interior cavity isolated from said closed front impact surface; and

a slot communicating said interior cavity through said rear surface whereby air entrapped within said internal cavity can flow through said slot to any area of reduced pressure adjacent said rear surface.

2. The golf driver head defined in claim 1 wherein said slot has a relative narrow end adjacent said hosel and a relatively wide end spaced from said hosel.

3. The golf driver head defined in claim 1 wherein said interior cavity has a sloped interior fron surface adjacent said hosel so that a triangular solid volume is defined between said front impact surface and said sloped interior front surface.

4. The golf driver head defined in claim 1 wherein said head is contructed from moldable material.

5. The golf driver head defined in claim 4 wherein said head is constructed from:

first and second molded metal pieces, said first piece including said hosel, said slot, said front impact surface and a top opening above said interior cavity, and said second piece being shaped to nest in said top opening; and

a weld bead connecting said first and second metal pieces.

6. The golf driver head defined in claim 1 wherein said interior cavity has a volume that is at least one half the volume of the head.

7. A golf driver head set of at least two different heads, each head in said set having:

a closed front impact surface adapted for striking a golf ball, said front impact surface having a loft angle which is different for each head in said set;

a hosel adjacent one side of said front impact surface for engagement with a golf club shaft;

a rear surface;

an interior cavity aerodynamically isolated from said closed front impact surface; and

a slot communicating said interior cavity through said rear surface.

8. The golf driver head set defined in claim 7 wherein each of said slots has a relative narrow end adjacent said hosel and a relatively wide end spaced from hosel.

9. The golf driver head set defined in claim 7 wherein each of said interior cavities defines different volumes so that heads having higher loft angles have smaller defined cavity volumes.