Golf club head with attached selected swing weight composite

• US 5,588,923 A
• Filed: 04/06/1995
• Issued: 12/31/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1992
• 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): ANDERSON, CHARLES WENDELL
• Application Number:
  US08/414,552
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 H, 273/167 J
• US Class Current: 473/340
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/021 the shaft axis being forwardly offset relative to the striking face of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

In combination a golf club head having a front wall, the front wall having a rear side, and a composite adhered to the rear side, the composite including a selected swing weight adjusting intermediary layer, and a non-metallic rearwardly facing layer providing identification graphics which are rearwardly visible.

Claims

1. In combination:

a) a golf club head having a front wall, said front wall having a rear side,

b) and a composite adhered to said rear side, said composite including;

i) a selected swing weight adjusting intermediary layer, and

ii) a non-metallic rearwardly facing layer providing identification graphics which are rearwardly visible.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said intermediary layer is a selected weight carrying flexible tape.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said rearwardly facing layer is thin and consists of flexible plastic material.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said composite includes a protective transparent layer rearwardly overlying said graphics.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said graphics define a medallion.

6. The golf club head of claim 5 wherein said composite structure has an enlarged central portion and two wings projecting oppositely generally toward the toe and heel respectively of the head.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said rearwardly facing layer providing said graphics includes a Mylar sheet.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said swing weight adjusting intermediary layer includes flexible adhesive material.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said swing weight adjusting intermediary layer includes metallic particles dispersed in or on said flexible adhesive material.

10. The combination of claim 1 wherein said golf club head is a golf iron head.

11. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein said undercut recess extends about said composite means.

12. The combination of claim 1 wherein said rear side of the front wall is defined by a thin plastic layer having interstices to which said intermediary layer becomes bonded.

13. A golf club head having a body defining a heel, toe, top wall, sole defining a bottom wall, and a front wall defining an upwardly and rearwardly inclined front face, and comprising

a) said body defining a forwardly extending main recess located rearwardly of said front wall,

b) and said body also defining an undercut recess located directly rearwardly of said front wall and extending outwardly from said main recess toward at least one of the following:

i) said top wall

ii) said bottom wall

iii) said toe

iv) said heel,

c) and composite structure on the rear side of said front wall and located forwardly of said main recess for providing swing weight adjustment.

14. The club head of claim 13 wherein said composite structure is openly exposed to said recesses.

15. The golf club head of claim 13 wherein said composite structure has a periphery, and said front wall has a shallow re-entrant recess at said rear side receiving said composite structure, closely adjacent said periphery.

16. The golf club head of claim 13 wherein said undercut recess extends outwardly from said main recess and adjacent said front wall in spaced relation to said composite structure toward at least two of the following:

i) said top wall

ii) said bottom wall

iii) said toe

iv) said heel.

17. The club head of claim 13 wherein said undercut recess extends outwardly from said main recess and adjacent said front wall in spaced relation to said composite structure toward at least three of the following:

i) said top wall

ii) said bottom wall

iii) said toe

iv) said heel.

18. The golf club head of claim 13 wherein said undercut recess extends outwardly from said main recess and in spaced relation to said composite structure toward all four of the following:

i) said top wall

ii) said bottom wall

iii) said toe

iv) said heel.

19. The golf club head of claim 18 wherein said undercut recess extends in a loop that is generally parallel to the inclined front face.

20. The golf club head of claim 18 wherein said undercut recess extends outwardly toward said top wall and toward said bottom wall, the depth of the undercut recess toward said top wall being lesser than the depth of said undercut recess toward said bottom wall.

21. The golf club head of claim 13 wherein said head has rearward projection with upward thickening between said bottom wall and said main recess.

22. The golf club head of claim 21 wherein said head has rearward projection with downward thickening between said top wall and said main recess.

23. The golf club head of claim 21 wherein said body is a one-piece casting, and defines an iron golf club head.

24. The golf club head of claim 21 wherein said rearward projection from the undercut recess has substantially greater overall rearward dimension than vertical thickness dimension.

25. The golf club head of claim 13 wherein said head has rearward projection with downward thickening between said top wall and said main recess.

26. The golf club head of claim 25 wherein said rearward projection from the undercut recess has substantially greater overall rearward dimension than vertical thickness dimension.

27. The golf club head of claim 13 wherein said body is metallic.

28. The golf club head of claim 13 wherein said body consists of a metallic casting.

29. The golf club head of claim 13 wherein said undercut recess projects outwardly to an extent w₁, and has front to rear thickness t₁, where 0.5t₁ <

w₁ <

1.5t₁.

30. The golf club head of claim 13 including indicia on the composite structure and facing said main recess.

31. For combination with a golf club head having a front wall, said front wall having a rear side, the improvement comprising a composite adapted to strongly adhere to said rear side, said composite including:

i) a selected swing weight adjusting intermediary layer, and

ii) a non-metallic rearwardly facing layer providing identification graphics which are rearwardly visible.

32. The improvement of claim 31 wherein said graphics define a medallion.

33. The improvement of claim 31 wherein said swing weight adjusting intermediary layer includes metallic particles dispersed in or on said flexible adhesive material.