Hollow club head with welded hosel

• US 5,556,097 A
• Filed: 12/20/1994
• Issued: 09/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Endo Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Endo Seisakusho
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Kenji, Endo, Eimatsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pierce, William M.
• Application Number:
  US08/359,418
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 273/77 R, 273/167 H, 273/167 K, 273/80.2, 273/80.3, 273/80.4, 273/80.5, 273/80.6, 273/80.8
• US Class Current: 473/309
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head having a metallic and hollow head body, of which the volume is capable of being enlarged without decreasing the connection strength of a shaft. A hosel is formed thicker at its lower end than at its upper end, while a lower end of a shaft is provided evenly relative to a lower end of the hosel, or otherwise, protrudes slightly downward relative to the same. Thus, a length of the shaft can be saved without decreasing the connection strength of the same to the head body. In another embodiment of the invention, a collar is preformed at an intermediate portion of the hosel, thereby improving the connection strength of the hosel and shaft to the head body, and at the same time, metallic cladding will be unnecessary in manufacturing a golf club head, thereby improving its productivity.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising a shaft, a metallic and hollow head body, and a hosel member combined with a heel side of the head body for connecting said shaft thereto, said golf club head integrally formed from a plurality of metallic crusts including a face crust, an upper crust, a side-peripheral crust and a sole crust,

said upper crust formed with an arc-shaped cutting on one side;

the hosel member having a truncated cone-like configuration tapered radially outwardly toward a lower end defining a peripheral side wall along its outer periphery, said peripheral side wall smoothly connected to the arc-shaped cutting by abutting against a side edge thereof, having a thickness equal to the upper crust and forming a part thereof, said hosel member being formed thicker at its lower end, as compared to its upper end, for joining an upper side of the head body thereto; and

a lower end of the shaft being provided evenly relative to the lower end of the hosel member, or otherwise, protrudes slightly downward relative to the same.

2. A golf club comprising a shaft, a metallic and hollow head body, and a hosel member combined with a heel side of the head body for connecting said shaft thereto, said golf club head integrally formed from a plurality of metallic crusts including a face crust, an upper crust, a side-peripheral crust and a sole crust,

said upper crust formed with an arc-shaped cutting on one side;

the hosel member having a truncated cone-like configuration tapered radially outwardly toward a lower end defining a peripheral side wall along its outer periphery, said peripheral side wall smoothly connected to the arc-shaped cutting by abutting against a side edge thereof, having a thickness equal to the upper crust and forming a part thereof, said hosel member being formed thicker at its lower end for joining an upper side of the head body thereto than at its upper end;

a lower end of the shaft being provided so as to protrude slightly downward relative to the lower end of the hosel member; and

a reinforcing member provided between the lower end of the shaft and an inner surface of the head body, said reinforcing member being ring-shaped, having an outer edge secured to the upper crust and the side-peripheral crust, respectively, allowing the lower end of the shaft to be inserted into its center.

3. A wood golf club head having a metallic and hollow head body, comprising:

a face member;

a lower crust member having an aperture thereabove, the lower crust member being container-shaped when combined with the face member;

an approximately tabular upper crust member to be secured to an upper portion of the lower crust member covering the same, said upper crust member having a cutting at its heel side;

a pipe-like hosel member passing through the cutting, of which the distal end is located inside the lower crust member to be welded to the lower and upper crust members, said hosel member having an integral forged collar tapered radially outwardly toward a lower end defining a peripheral side wall along its outer periphery, said peripheral side wall smoothly connected to the cutting by abutting against a side edge thereof at its intermediate position to be fitted into the cutting, and then welded to an arc periphery thereof, thus allowing a curved surface of an outer surface of the collar to define a continuous and smooth concave surface between an upper surface of the upper crust member and an upper cylindrical portion of the hosel member.

4. A wood golf club head according to claim 3, wherein said collar is integrally forged beforehand at the intermediate position of the hosel member.

5. A wood golf club head according to claim 3, wherein said hosel member has a lower end secured to an inner surface of said sole with the same having an extension toward the toe.