Golf club

• US 5,190,289 A
• Filed: 03/14/1991
• Issued: 03/02/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mizuno Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mizuno Corporation
• Inventors: Nagai, Masao, Pininfarina, Paolo
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US07/669,721
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167-175, 273/77 R, 273/77 A, 273/193 R, 273/194 R, 273/80 R-80.9, 273/DIG. 7, 273/DIG. 23, 273/164, D21/214-220
• 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 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 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

Abstract

A golf club is composed of a head, a shaft, a grip and the like, and includes a roughened surface portion capable of reducing the value of air resistance by forming a turbulent boundary layer around the head when a golfer swings. The golf club, the roughened surface portion is annularly formed in a peripheral portion of the face portion of the head a neck portion and a socket portion of the head and/or at least a portion of the shaft adjacent to the head.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising a head including a sole portion, a crown portion, a heel portion, a toe portion, a face portion and a back portion, a shaft and a grip,

the ratio of the width from the heel portion to the toe portion, the thickness of the sole portion to the crown portion and the depth from the face portion to the back portion being substantially 2:

1;

1.6;

said head having a substantially rectangular shape; and

a roughened surface portion having a predetermined width and a surface roughness and being capable of reducing the value of air resistance by forming a turbulent boundary layer around said head when said golf club is swung and being is annularly formed on a peripheral portion of said face portion of said head, wherein the width of said annular roughened surface portion on said peripheral portion of said face portion of said head is between 10 mm and 30 mm with the remainder of said head being substantially void of any surface roughness.

2. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein a top edge portion has a curvature radius of 60 mm to 80 mm, the crown portion has a curvature radius of 90 mm to 110 mm, and the sole portion has a curvature radius of 140 mm to 200 mm.

3. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein the surface roughness of said roughened surface portion is between 50μ

and 300μ

.

4. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein the surface roughness of said roughened surface portion is between 80μ

and 200μ

.

5. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein the surface roughness of said roughened surface portion is substantially 100μ

.

6. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein the surface roughness of said roughened surface portion is gradually changed from rough to fine.

7. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein the surface roughness of said roughened surface portion is gradually changed from fine to rough.

8. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein said roughened surface portion comprises a granular material having a surface roughness of 50μ

or more.

9. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein said roughened surface portion is manufactured by integrally forming a granular material with a synthetic resin.

10. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein said roughened surface portion is manufactured by integrally forming a granular material with a coating.

11. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein said roughened surface portion is formed by a roughening process selected from the group consisting of plating, ion plating, chemical vacuum deposition, physical vacuum deposition, honing, etching and dimple forming.

12. A golf club comprising a head including a sole portion, a crown portion, a heel portion, a toe portion, a face portion and a back portion, a shaft and a grip,

the ratio of the width from the heel portion to the toe portion, the thickness of the sole to the crown portion and the depth from the face portion to the back portion being substantially 2:

1;

1.6,

said head having a substantially rectangular shape; and

a roughened surface portion capable of reducing the value of air resistance by forming a turbulent boundary layer around said head when said golf club is swung and being annularly formed on a peripheral portion of said face portion of said head, wherein the surface roughness of the roughened surface portion is gradually changed from rough to fine in a direction generally extending from said peripheral portion to said back portion.

13. A golf club comprising a head including a sole portion, a crown portion, a heel portion, a toe portion, a face portion and a back portion, a shaft and a grip,

the ratio of the width from the heel portion to the toe portion, the thickness of the sole to the crown portion and the depth from the face portion to the back portion being substantially 2:

1;

1.6,

said head having a substantially rectangular shape; and

a roughened surface portion capable of reducing the value of air resistance by forming a turbulent boundary layer around said head when said golf club is swung and being annularly formed on a peripheral portion of said face portion of said head, wherein the surface roughness of the roughened surface portion is gradually changed from fine to rough in a direction generally extending from said peripheral portion to said back portion.