Perimeter weighted golf clubs

• US 5,419,560 A
• Filed: 03/15/1994
• Issued: 05/30/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey V. Bamber
• Inventors: Bamber, Jeffrey V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US08/213,622
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 273/169, 273/167 F, 273/170, 273/171, 273/172
• US Class Current: 473/350
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• 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 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform 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

Abstract

Improved perimeter weighted golf clubs are disclosed. The perimeter weighted golf clubs of the present invention are provided with improved structures for distributing the weight at the perimeter of the club head. In one embodiment, the club head has a club face with a hitting surface and a thinned portion outboard of the hitting surface which connects the hitting surface and the weighted perimeter of the club head. In another embodiment, the club head has a tubular frame which surrounds and supports at least a portion of the hitting surface.

Claims

1. A perimeter weighted golf club comprising a club head having a club face which includes a hitting surface, a toe portion, a heel portion, and a sole portion extending generally between said heel portion and said toe portion, a weighted perimeter portion which forms at least a portion of the perimeter of said club head, and a spacer which connects at least a portion of said weighted perimeter portion to said hitting surface, wherein said hitting surface has a thickness and said spacer has a thickness which is less than that of said hitting surface so that there is a thinned section of said club head between said hitting surface and said weighted perimeter portion.

2. The golf club of claim 1 wherein said thinned section is positioned between said hitting surface and said toe portion.

3. The golf club of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said thinned section is reinforced.

4. The golf club of claim 1 wherein said hitting surface defines a plane and at least a portion of said weighted perimeter portion is positioned forward of the plane of said hitting surface.

5. A golf club head having a club face which includes a hitting surface, a heel portion, a toe portion, and a sole portion extending generally between said heel portion and said toe portion, a frame that supports said hitting surface and that is located outboard of at least a portion of said hitting surface, wherein at least a portion of said frame is tubular.

6. The golf club head of claim 5 wherein said tubular portion of said frame is flattened.

7. The golf club head of claim 5 wherein said tubular portion of said frame also forms at least part of a hosel for said golf club head.

8. The golf club head of claim 5 wherein at least part of said tubular portion of said frame is reinforced.

9. The golf club head of claim 8 wherein said reinforced part of said tubular frame is thickened.

10. The golf club head of claim 5 wherein at least part of the tubular portion of said frame is hollow.

11. The golf club head of claim 5 wherein said hitting surface comprises a top portion, a bottom or sole portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion, and said tubular portion of said frame is disposed adjacent at least said top portion of said hitting surface.

12. The golf club head of claim 5 wherein said hitting surface comprises a top portion, a bottom or sole portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion, and said tubular portion of said frame is disposed adjacent at least said bottom portion of said hitting surface.

13. The golf club head of claim 5 wherein said hitting surface comprises a top portion, a bottom or sole portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion, and said tubular portion of said frame is disposed adjacent at least said toe portion of said hitting surface.

14. The golf club head of claim 5 wherein said hitting surface comprises a top portion, a bottom or sole portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion, and said tubular portion of said frame is disposed adjacent at least said heel portion of said hitting surface.

15. The golf club head of claim 5 wherein said tubular frame surrounds at least a portion of said hitting surface.

16. The golf club head of claim 15 wherein said tubular frame surrounds said entire hitting surface.

17. An iron-type golf club head comprising a club face having a loft of greater than or equal to about 17 degrees which includes a hitting surface, a heel portion, a toe portion, a sole portion extending generally between said heel portion and said toe portion, and an extension beyond said hitting surface along at least part of said toe portion that is positioned forward of said hitting surface.

18. The golf club head of claim 17 wherein said extension comprises a weighted portion of said club head.

19. The golf club head of claim 17 further comprising a spacer which connects said extension beyond said hitting surface to at least a portion of said hitting surface wherein said hitting surface and said spacer each have a thickness, and said spacer has a thickness which is less than that of at least a portion of said hitting surface so that there is a thinned section of said club head between said hitting surface and said extension beyond said hitting surface.

20. The golf club of claim 17 wherein said sole portion comprises a leading edge, said leading edge being comprised of a portion of said hitting surface and a portion of said extension beyond said hitting surface, and said leading edge forms a continuous concave curve from said heel portion to said toe portion.

21. A perimeter weighted golf club head having a club face which includes a hitting surface, a heel portion, a toe portion, and a sole portion extending generally between said heel portion and said toe portion, a weighted perimeter portion which forms at least a portion of the perimeter of said club head, and a spacer which connects at least a portion of said weighted perimeter portion to said hitting surface, wherein said hitting surface has a thickness and said spacer has a thickness which is less than that of at least a portion of said hitting surface so that there is a thinned section of said club head between at least a part of said hitting surface and said weighted perimeter portion.

22. The golf club head of claim 21 wherein at least a portion of said spacer is flush with said hitting surface.

23. The golf club head of claim 21 wherein said spacer is offset rearwardly from said hitting surface.

24. The golf club head of claim 21 wherein said spacer has a width and the width of said spacer varies at locations disposed around different portions of said hitting surface.

25. The golf club head of claim 21 wherein at least a portion of said thinned section is reinforced with reinforcing members that are radially disposed with respect to said hitting surface.

26. A perimeter weighted golf club head having a club face which includes a hitting surface, a heel portion, a toe portion, and a sole portion extending generally between said heel portion and said toe portion, a weighted perimeter portion which forms at least a portion of the perimeter of said club head, and a spacer which connects at least a portion of said weighted perimeter portion to said hitting surface, said hitting surface having a thickness, and said spacer having a width and a thickness, wherein the width of at least a portion of said spacer is greater than or equal to about 1/8 inch and the thickness of said spacer is less than that of at least a portion of said hitting surface so that there is a thinned section of said club head between at least a part of said hitting surface and said weighted perimeter portion.

27. A perimeter weighted golf club head having a club face which includes a hitting surface, a heel portion, a toe portion, and a sole portion extending generally between said heel portion and said toe portion, a weighted perimeter portion which forms at least a portion of the perimeter of said club head, and a spacer which connects at least a portion of said weighted perimeter portion to said hitting surface, said hitting surface having a thickness, and said spacer having a width and a thickness, wherein the width of at least a portion of said spacer is greater than or equal to about 1/4 inch and the thickness of said spacer is less than that of at least a portion of said hitting surface so that there is a thinned section of said club head between at least part of said hitting surface and said weighted perimeter portion.

28. The golf club head of claim 27 wherein at least a portion of said spacer has a width of greater than or equal to about 1/2 inch.

29. The golf club head of claim 27 wherein at least a portion of said spacer has a width of greater than or equal to about 3/4 inch.

30. The golf club head of claim 27 wherein at least a portion of said spacer has a width of greater than or equal to about 1 inch.

31. A golf club head having a club face which includes a hitting surface, a heel portion, a toe portion, and a sole portion extending generally between said heel portion and said toe portion, a frame that supports said hitting surface and that is located outboard of at least a portion of said hitting surface, wherein at least a portion of said frame defines at least a part of a tubular structure.

32. A golf club head according to claim 31 which is an iron wherein said portion of said frame has a cross section that defines an arc comprised of straight segments, curvilinear segments, or both, and said arc subtends an angle of greater than about 270 degrees.

33. A golf club head according to claim 31 which is a "metal" wood.