Golf club head

• US 4,754,974 A
• Filed: 01/30/1987
• Issued: 07/05/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maruman Golf Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Maruman Golf Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US07/008,887
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 E, 273/164, 273/167 A, 273/167 R, 273/169, 273/170, 273/171, 273/172
• US Class Current: 473/327
• 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• 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 53/047 iron-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 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A head of a golf club comprises a head body having a face portion, for hitting a golf ball, and a back portion. A surface structure for producing a turbulent boundary layer in the air on the outer surface of the head body is provided on the outer surface substantially throughout a region from the periphery of the face portion of the head body to the back portion of the head body. The surface structure may include a plurality of fine grooves or a plurality of fine fibers erected on the outer surface of the head body.

Claims

1. A head of a golf club comprising:

a head body having

a face portion for hitting a golf ball; and

a remaining surface portion other than said face portion, said remaining surface portion being provided with a plurality of elongated shallow grooves grooves, each of said grooves having a longitudinal length much shorter than a width of said head along the direction perpendicular to said face portion and each being outwardly curved along the axis thereof, said grooves being perpendicular to said face portion and in rows parallel to said face portion such that adjacent are directly connected each other.

2. A head according to claim 1, wherein said remaining surface portion comprises a plurality of grooves arranged substantially throughout a region from the periphery of said face portion to the back portion of said head body.

3. A head according to claim 2, wherein each of said grooves has a V-shaped cross section.

4. A head according to claim 2, wherein each of said grooves has a convex curve from the center thereof to both ends thereof.