Open rail metal wood golf clubhead

• US 5,464,217 A
• Filed: 12/21/1993
• Issued: 11/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shenoha, James L., Scheie, Carl E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US08/171,212
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 273/169, 273/170, 273/171, 273/167 E, 273/167 F, 273/167 H
• US Class Current: 473/350
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf clubhead includes a front face, a top crown, and a plurality of rails which extend rearwardly from the face and downwardly from the crown. The open structure provided by the rails permit weight to be distributed high in the toe portion and low in the heel portion of the clubhead.

Claims

1. A golf clubhead comprising:

a front face having a toe portion, a heel portion, a bottom portion, and a top portion,

a crown joined to the top portion of the face and extending rearwardly therefrom,

a plurality of rails which are joined to the face and the crown and which extend rearwardly from the sole portion of the face and downwardly from the crown to provide a plurality of recesses behind the face and between the rails, the rails being constructed and arranged to permit weight of the clubhead to be positioned in the upper portion of the toe portion and the lower portion of the heel portion,

the clubhead including a rear portion and a bottom portion, the recesses extending to the rear portion and to the bottom portion to provide openings in the rear portion and the bottom portion between the rails.

2. The clubhead of claim 1 including a toe wall joined to the toe portion of the face and to the crown.

3. The clubhead of claim 1 including a heel wall joined to the heel portion of the face and to the crown.

4. The clubhead of claim 1 in which the clubhead is formed integrally by casting.

5. The clubhead of claim 1 in which the clubhead is formed integrally by investing casting.

6. The clubhead of claim 1 in which the clubhead is formed integrally by die casting.

7. The clubhead of claim 1 in which the face is thicker in the toe portion of the face than in the middle of the face.

8. The clubhead of claim 1 in which the face is thicker in the heel portion of the face than in the middle of the face.

9. The clubhead of claim 1 in which one of the rails extends from the toe portion of the face and another of the rails extends from a portion of the face between the toe and heel portions, said one rail being thicker than said other rail.

10. The clubhead of claim 1 in which one of the rails extends from the heel portion of the face and another of the rails extends from a portion of the face between the toe and heel portions, said one rail being thicker than said other rail.

11. A golf clubhead comprising:

a front face having a toe portion, a heel portion, a bottom portion, and a top portion,

a crown joined to the top portion of the face and extending rearwardly therefrom,

a plurality of rails which are joined to the face and the crown and which extend rearwardly from the sole portion of the face and downwardly from the crown to provide a plurality of recesses behind the face and between the rails, the rails being constructed and arranged to permit weight of the clubhead to be positioned in the upper portion of the toe portion and the lower portion of the heel portion,

the crown including top and bottom surfaces, the bottom surface being provided with a plurality of bores which do not extend to the top surface to remove weight from selected portions of the crown.

12. A golf clubhead comprising:

a front face having a toe portion, a heel portion, a bottom portion, and a top portion,

a crown joined to the top portion of the face and extending rearwardly therefrom,

a plurality of rails which are joined to the face and the crown and which extend rearwardly from the sole portion of the face and downwardly from the crown to provide a plurality of recesses behind the face and between the rails, the rails being constructed and arranged to permit weight of the clubhead to be positioned in the upper portion of the toe portion and the lower portion of the heel portions,

at least one of the rails being provided with an opening to remove weight from a portion of said one rail.

13. A golf clubhead comprising:

a front face having a toe portion, a heel portion, a bottom portion, and a top portion,

a crown joined to the top portion of the face and extending rearwardly therefrom,

a plurality of rails which are joined to the face and the crown and which extend rearwardly from the sole portion of the face and downwardly from the crown to provide a plurality of recesses behind the face and between the rails, the rails being constructed and arranged to permit weight of the clubhead to be positioned in the upper portion of the toe portion and the lower portion of the heel portion,

the crown including a top surface which is provided with a plurality of grooves which extend rearwardly from adjacent the face to remove weight from selected portions of the crown.

14. A golf clubhead comprising:

a front face having a toe portion, a heel portion, a bottom portion, and a top portion,

a crown joined to the top portion of the face and extending rearwardly therefrom,

a plurality of rails which are joined to the face and the crown and which extend rearwardly from the sole portion of the face and downwardly from the crown to provide a plurality of recesses behind the face and between the rails, the rails being constructed and arranged to permit weight of the clubhead to be positioned in the upper portion of the tow portion and the lower portion of the heel portion,

the thickness of the face at one of the recesses being different than the thickness of the face at another of the recesses.

15. The clubhead of claim 14 in which the clubhead is provided with recesses in the toe portion, the heel portion, and in an intermediate portion between the toe and heel portions, the thickness of the face at the toe recess being greater than the thickness of the face at the intermediate recess.

16. The clubhead of claim 14 in which the clubhead is provided with recesses in the toe portion, the heel portion, and in an intermediate portion between the toe and heel portions, the thickness of the face at the heel recess being greater than the thickness of the face at the intermediate recess.

17. The clubhead of claim 14 in which the clubhead is provided with recesses in the toe portion, the heel portion, and in an intermediate portion between the toe and heel portions, the thickness of the face at the toe and heel recesses being greater than the thickness of the face at the intermediate recess.