Metal wood golf club with variable faceplate thickness

• US 5,474,296 A
• Filed: 05/31/1994
• Issued: 12/12/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Helmstetter, Richard C., Schmidt, Glenn H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Steven B.
• Application Number:
  US08/251,176
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 R, 273/167 F-167 H, 273/173, 273/169, 273/78, 273/167 A-167 E, 273/167 J-172, 273/175
• US Class Current: 473/346
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A metallic, golf club head having a hollow interior, comprising a ball-striking front wall and the head having walls at the top, bottom, rear, heel and toe of the head; the front wall having variable thickness.

Claims

1. A golf club head having a heel, a toe and a front wall, and comprising:

a) said front wall having variable thickness between the heel and toe,

b) said front wall additionally having a locally rearwardly thickened and bulging portion extending toward the heel from a mid-region of the front wall,

c) there being a hosel tube defining a cylinder projected proximate the heel, said tube projecting within the head and integrated with the heel,

d) said front wall having decreasing thickness in a direction generally toward the front side of said projected cylinder, within the head.

6. The head of claim 1 wherein said hosel tube is integral with the head and located within the interior thereof and proximate said variable thickness front wall.

9. The head of claim 6 wherein the dendrites, hosel tube within the head interior, and said variable thickness front wall all comprise part of a single metallic casting.

2. A metallic golf club head having a hollow interior, comprising

a) a ball-striking front wall, and the head having walls at the top, bottom, rear, heel, and toe of the head, said head having a shaft receiving tube interiorly of the head and proximate the heel, the shaft connected to the tube,

b) said front wall having variable thickness in regions between the heel and toe to transmit golf striking impact forces from the head front wall to said top wall without cracking or buckling of said front wall or top wall,

c) said front wall also having an additional locally rearwardly thickened and bulging portion which extends in a direction toward the heel from a mid-region of the front wall,

d) said tube defining a cylinder projecting proximate the heel,

e) said varible thickness decreasing in a direction generally toward the front side of said cylinder.

3. The head of claim 2 wherein said variable thickness is measured in vertical planes normal to said front wall and spaced apart between said toe and heel.

4. The head of claim 2 wherein said thickness also locally decreases from a mid-region of said front wall in a direction toward said toe.

5. The head of claim 2 wherein said thickness also decreases locally from a mid-region of said front wall in a direction toward said heel.

7. The head of claim 2 wherein said variable thickness exists at locations proximate a merging interconnection of said front wall and said top wall.

8. The head of claim 2 including

c) a first group of narrow, metallic, shock wave distributing dendrites extending from proximate said variable thickness front wall generally rearwardly adjacent the underside of the top wall and integral therewith,

d) the dendrites spaced apart by amounts greater than their widths.

10. The head of claim 8 wherein the front wall also has local thickness substantially greater than the thickness of the top wall, and said dendrites of the first group merge with the inner side of said variable thickness front wall.

11. The head of claim 2 including a group of narrow metallic dendrites which are integral with said rear wall and extend downwardly at the inner side of said rear wall.

12. The head of claim 8 including a second group of narrow metallic dendrites which are integral with said rear wall and extend downwardly at the inner side of said rear wall.

13. The head of claim 12 wherein the dendrites of the second group are located further from the front wall than the dendrites of the first group.

15. The head of claim 2 wherein said front wall has substantially minimum thickness proximate the toe.

16. The head of claim 2 wherein said front wall has substantially minimum thickness proximate the heel.

17. The head of claim 2 wherein the front wall locally rearwardly thickened portion extends toward a peripheral region of the front wall.

14. A metallic golf club head having a hollow interior, comprising

a) a ball-striking front wall, and the head having walls at the top, bottom, rear, heel, and toe of the head, said head having a shaft receiving tube interiorly of the head and proximate the heel,

b) said front wall having variable thickness between the heel and toe to transmit ball striking impact forces from the head front wall to said top wall without cracking or buckling of said front wall or top wall,

c) said variable thickness in upper regions of said front wall decreasing from an upper mid-region in a direction toward said toe and from said upper mid-region in a direction toward said heel and directly forwardly of said tube, said upper mid-region being defined by an upper region of said front wall about mid-way between the toe and heel,

d) said tube integral with the head and located within the interior thereof proximate said heel wall and proximate said variable thickness front wall and said variable thickness existing at locations proximate a merging connection of said front wall and said top wall,

e) said variable thickness decreasing in a direction generally toward the front side of said tube.

18. A metallic golf club head having a hollow interior and comprising

a) a ball-striking, upright front wall, and the head having walls at the top, bottom, rear, heel, and toe of the head,

b) there being a hosel tube which is within the head and proximate the heel, and said front wall having a locally rearwardly thickened portion extending closely toward the tube,

c) said front wall also having variable thickness between the heel and toe, said variable thickness decreasing in a direction toward the heel and toward the forward side of said hosel tube,

d) said hosel tube integrated with the head, which supports the tube along its length and at said heel wall.

19. The head of claim 18 wherein said front wall has a locally thickened portion that projects into the hollow interior of the head.

21. The head of claim 18 wherein said front wall has a locally thickened portion having upright width which progressively increases toward the periphery of the front wall near the heel.

22. The head of claim 19 wherein said thickened portion is rearwardly generally dome-shaped in upright planes which extend rearwardly.

23. The head of claim 18 wherein said front wall has decreasing thickness in a direction from said mid-region toward said toe.

24. The head of claim 18 wherein said front wall has decreasing thickness in a direction from said mid-region toward said heel, and at locations offset from said locally thickened portion.

25. The head of claim 23 wherein said front wall has decreasing thickness in a direction from said mid-region toward said heel, and at locations offset from said locally thickened portion.

26. The head of claim 18 wherein said mid-region of the front wall is near the center of the front wall and at the rear side thereof.

27. The head of claim 18 wherein said mid-region is about half way between the toe and heel, and about half way between the top and bottom walls of the head.

32. The improvement of claim 18 wherein said locally thickened portion flares generally toward said tube.

33. The improvement of claim 18 wherein said locally thickened portion is rearwardly generally dome-shaped in upright planes which extend rearwardly.

34. The improvement of claim 18 wherein said front wall has decreasing thickness in a direction from a front wall mid-region toward said toe portion.

35. The improvement of claim 34 wherein said front wall has decreasing thickness in a direction from a front wall mid-region toward said heel portion.

36. The improvement of claim 34 wherein said front wall has decreasing thickness in a direction from said mid-region toward said heel portion.

20. In a golf club, of the type including a head and a shaft with a first end, a portion of the shaft proximate said first end being attached to a head, the head comprising a hollow metal shell having a ball striking front wall having a striking surface, a top wall portion, a bottom portion, a toe portion, and a heel wall furthest from said toe portion, said top wall portion being substantially continuous from said toe portion to said heel portion, the improvement comprising:

a) a substantially continuous hollow, metallic tube extending lengthwise along a shell wall from the shell top portion toward the shell bottom portion, said tube being integral with and terminating proximate said metal shell top portion and having a bore,

b) the tube bore receiving said shaft portion,

c) the shaft periphery, connected to the tube bore, and the tube bore having an upper end terminating proximate said shell top portion,

d) the tube integrated with said shell wall so that the shell supports the tube along its length, and at said heel portion, and whereby metal otherwise required for the tube is used in the shell at locations between the tube and said toe portion,

e) said front wall having variable thickness between the heel portion and the toe portion, said variable thickness decreasing in a direction toward the toe and in a direction toward the heel, and generally toward the forward side of said tube.

28. In a golf club, of the type including a head and a shaft with a first end, a portion of the shaft proximate said first end being attached to a head, the head comprising a hollow metal shell having a ball striking front wall having a striking surface, a top wall, a bottom wall, a toe portion, and a heel portion furthest from said toe portion, the improvement comprising:

a) a substantially continuous hollow, metallic, hosel tube extending within said metal shell at the heel portion from the shell top wall toward the shell bottom wall, said tube being integral with and terminating proximate said metal shell top wall, and having a bore, said heel portion including a heel wall merged with a rearwardmost extent of said tube,

b) the tube bore receiving a portion of the first end of the shaft, and there being means connecting the shaft periphery to the tube bore,

c) said front wall having variable thickness between said toe portion and said heel portion, said variable thickness decreasing in a direction toward the toe, and in a direction toward the heel and toward the forward side of said tube.

29. A method of attaching a metal golf club head to a shaft, comprising the steps of:

a) providing metal golf club head with a top surface, a bottom surface, a front wall having a ball-striking surface with an uppermost extent, a rear surface, a heel portion, a toe portion, and a substantially continuous hollow tube extending between the top surface and the bottom surface near the heel portion, said tube being formed to have an upper end terminating proximate the level of said uppermost extent of said striking surface, and proximate an uppermost extent of said heel end,

b) forming said front wall to have variable thickness between said toe portion and said heel portion proximate said tube,

c) and inserting the lower end of the shaft into the tube with an adhesive material applied between the exterior surface of the shaft and the interior wall of the tube, the shaft being inserted so that the lower end of the shaft extends proximate said bottom surface,

d) said front wall variable thickness also provided to decrease in a direction toward said tube.

30. The method of claim 29 including forming said front wall to have a locally thickened portion that extends from a mid-region of the front wall generally toward the front wall periphery.

31. The method of claim 30 including connecting said tube with said locally thickened portion of the front wall.