Club-head

• US 4,708,347 A
• Filed: 04/22/1986
• Issued: 11/24/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maruman Golf Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Maruman Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US06/854,626
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 273/169, 273/171, 273/172, 273/173, 273/174, 273/78, 273/167 J, 273/167 A, 273/177 J
• US Class Current: 473/338
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A club-head for a golf club includes a hitting portion (11) and a hosel portion (12). The hitting portion (11) comprises a main body (13) made of a fiber-reinforced plastic. A metal sold member (14) is integrally fixed to the under surface of the main body (13). A weight member (18) made of a heavy material such as a heavy metal and formed separately from the sole member (14) is inserted into the main body (13). The weight member (18) is rigidly connected to the sole member (14) by means of connecting members (19) formed separately from at least one of the sole member (14) and the weight member (18).

Claims

1. A club-head for a golf club, including a hitting portion having a front surface for striking a golf ball, a back surface, a sole surface, a top edge and heel and toe ends, and a hosel portion extending obliquely upward from said heel end of said hitting portion, said hitting portion comprising:

a main body made of fiber-reinforced plastic for defining at least said front and back surfaces of said hitting portion;

a metal sole member integrally fixed at an upper surface thereof to said main body along the underside of said main body for defining said sole surface of said hitting portion;

a weight member made of heavy material and arranged in said main body behind said front surface of said hitting portion and formed separately from said sole member, said weight member having a top edge and front, back and bottom surfaces, said top edge of said weight member being located in the vicinity of said top edge of said hitting portion, said bottom surface of said weight member being located apart from said upper surface of said metal sole member so that a part of said main body is disposed between said weight member and said metal sole member, said front surface of said weight member extending substantially in parallel to said front surface of said hitting portion so that said main body has substantially a constant thickness between said front surface of said hitting portion and said front surface of said weight member;

at least one or more connecting members, rigidly connecting said weight member with said metal sole member, formed separately from at least one of said sole member and weight member and extending between said bottom surface of said weight member and said upper surface of said metal sole member through said main body.

2. A club-head according to claim 1, wherein said connecting members are fitted at the opposite ends thereof into holes or grooves formed in said weight member and sole member, respectively.

3. A club-head according to claim 1, wherein said connecting members are formed integrally at one end thereof with one of said weight member and said sole member, and the other end thereof is fitted into holes or grooves formed in another one of said weight member and said sole member.

4. A club-head according to claim 1, wherein said connecting members are screws extending through said sole member and screwed into threaded holes formed in said weight member.

5. A club-head according to claim 1, wherein said sole member is formed with a ridge extending along the upper surface thereof between said heel and toe ends of said hitting portion.

6. A club-head according to claim 1, wherein said weight member is positioned in the interior of said main body so as to be covered by said main body.

7. A club-head according to claim 1, wherein said weight member is partially exposed outside said main body so as to define a part of said back surface of said hitting portion.

8. A club-head according to claim 1, wherein said hosel portion comprises a metal core which is formed integrally with said sole member, and an outer cover made of fiber-reinforced plastic and which surrounds said metal core and is formed integrally with said main body of said hitting portion.