Golf club head

• US 5,213,329 A
• Filed: 09/17/1991
• Issued: 05/25/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Onozato, Atsushi, Hayashi, Tetsuo, Okumoto, Takaharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US07/760,905
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167-175, 273/164.1, 273/77 R, 273/77 A, 273/193 R, 273/194 R, 273/183 D
• US Class Current: 473/328
• 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 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• 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

A golf club head having a main body made of synthetic resin as a main material and a sole plate of metal material molded integrally with the club head main body. The sole plate has an its bottom surface at least one projection formed independently of the sole plate and fixed thereto so that it extends in a back and forth direction relative to the direction of swing of the club.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising a club head main body made of a synthetic resin material and a sole plate made of a metal material molded integrally therewith, said sole plate having a front end and a back end relative to the direction of swing of the golf club head and a bottom surface, at least one elongated groove in the bottom surface of the sole plate extending in said swing direction between said front and back ends, said groove having a width and a length, and at least one separate, elongated projection member independent of said sole plate securable in said groove so as to extend in said swing direction, said projection member having a width and length similar to that of said groove and a substantially uniform thickness such that an upper part of said projection member extends outwardly beyond said bottom surface of said sole plate, the cross section of said upper part of said projection member being shaped substantially in the form of a triangle end having a slanted surface on an end thereof adjacent to the front end of said sole plate and facing said direction of swing.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said projection member is formed of a fiber reinforced metal that is lighter than the metal material of the sole plate.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein said fiber reinforced metal is either aluminum or an aluminum alloy reinforced with whiskers.

4. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein said fiber reinforced metal is either aluminum or an aluminum alloy reinforced with carbon fibers.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said projection member is formed of either aluminum or an aluminum alloy reinforced with ceramic powder.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said projection member is formed of a plastic material.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the metal material of said sole plate is of a metal selected from the group consisting of an aluminum alloy, a copper alloy, a titanium alloy and stainless steel.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, including a plurality of separate projection members secured in a plurality of corresponding grooves in the bottom surface of the sole plate.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said golf club head is a wood-type golf club head.