Hollow metal golf club head

• US 4,602,787 A
• Filed: 01/02/1985
• Issued: 07/29/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ryobi Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ryobi Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Sugioka, Yasuhiro, Kobayashi, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US06/688,321
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 H, 273/169, 273/171, 273/172, 273/173, 273/174, 273/167 F, 273/167 A, 273/168
• US Class Current: 473/338
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• 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

Abstract

The sole plate of a hollow metal golf club head includes a pair of V-shaped reinforcing ribs having their spaced apart ends engaging the rear surface of the striking face. The inner ends of the V-shaped ribs engage the front side of a protrusion on the sole plate, and the rear side of the protrusion engages a hollow weight chamber. Another reinforcing rib connects the weight chamber to the rear wall of the club head. A threaded bolt passes through an aperture in the protrusion on the sole plate, and is threaded into the upper portion of the club head, thereby fastening the sole plate thereto.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a thin-wall, hollow main body made of metal and having a face portion and a bottom portion, said bottom portion being provided with a bottom opening;

a sole plate made of metal and secured to said main body for closing said bottom opening in the main body and having a protrusion attached to an inner surface of said sole plate; and

a pair of reinforcing ribs formed in a V-shape on the inner surface of said sole plate, said ribs being connected at the base of said V-shape to said sole plate protrusion, and at the open end of said V-shape engaging the inner surface of the face portion of said main body.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 which comprises another reinforcing rib on an inner surface of said sole plate and extending in a direction opposite to said V-shaped ribs to engage the inner surface of said main body.

3. The golf club head according to claim 2, further comprising a hollow weight container attached to the inner surface of said sole plate and engaging said sole plate protrusion on a side opposite that engaged by the V-shaped reinforcing ribs, wherein said another reinforcing rib is engaged between said hollow weight container and the inner surface of the main body.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein said sole plate protrusion comprises a boss secured to said sole plate, and said golf club head further comprises a bolt extending through said boss and threaded to the inner surface of said main body.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1 which further comprises an inclined shaft connector at one side of said main body.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1, further comprising a hollow weight container attached to the inner surface of said sole plate and engaging said sole plate protrusion on a side opposite that engaged by the V-shaped reinforcing ribs.