Golf club heads with face plates of varying specific gravity

• US 5,423,535 A
• Filed: 03/15/1994
• Issued: 06/13/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dunlop Slazenger 1902 Limited (Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company)
• Inventors: Shaw, Michael, Machin, Brian F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Steven B.
• Application Number:
  US08/213,667
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 J, 273/77 A, 273/78, 273/173, 273/167 H, 273/169, 273/167 F
• US Class Current: 473/291
• 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 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• 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

In a set of golf iron heads, at least part of the striking face of each head is of a material selected for characteristics desired for the particular iron in the set, and at least some of the heads are multi-component heads in which at least part of the striking face area of the head comprises at least one face-piece component of material having at least one characteristic different from the rest of the head.

There is also provided a multi-component golf iron head in which at least part of the striking face area of the head comprises at least one face-piece component, the face-piece component being: (a) of material selected for its surface friction and/or flexural modulus characteristics affecting the spin behavior of golf balls when struck by the head, and/or (b) of specific gravity and/or geometric configuration selected to contribute to the desired weight distribution in the head.

Claims

1. A set of golf iron heads, a part of a striking face of each head of said set being of a specific gravity selected for the particular iron in the set, said heads each being a multi-component head in which said part of said striking face of the head comprises a face-piece component of a material having said specific gravity different from the specific gravity of the rest of the head, wherein said heads are each provided with said face-piece component whose specific gravity increases through the set from long-distance irons to short-distance irons.

2. The set of golf iron heads according to claim 1, wherein said heads are each provided with said face-piece component of specific gravity lower than that of the rest of the head.

3. The set of golf iron heads in accordance with claim 1, wherein a rear surface of said face-piece component is spaced from a main body portion of said head to form a cavity between said face-piece component and said main body portion.

4. The set of golf club iron heads in accordance with claim 1 wherein said face-piece component is provided with a rear surface defining in part a cavity in a back portion of said club head.

5. A set of iron-type golf club heads, wherein each iron of said set comprises:

a main body portion, and

a discrete face-piece fixed to said main body portion, said face-piece being of a material having selected specific gravity substantially different from the specific gravity of said main body portion,

said materials, and thereby said specific gravity, of said face-pieces being each different from other of said face-pieces,

the material of the face-piece of a longest iron of said set having a lowest specific gravity, and

the materials of said face-pieces of said other irons having respective specific gravities increasing to a shortest iron of said set.