Golf club heads

• US 5,772,526 A
• Filed: 12/30/1992
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maruman & Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Maruman Golf Kabushikikaisha
• Inventors: Hano, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Steven B.
• Application Number:
  US08/743,112
• Time in Patent Office: 2,008 Days
• Field of Search: 473/305, 473/306, 473/307, 473/308, 473/309, 473/310, 473/311, 473/312, 473/313, 473/314, 473/315, 473/327, 473/328, 473/334, 473/349, 473/350, 473/246, 473/247, 473/248
• US Class Current: 473/314
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

This invention provides golf club heads wherein a distance between the point of gravity center (O) of a head and the longitudinal axis of a club shaft is made longer, so that an axial moment of inertia about the shaft is greater. The golf club heads have advantageous effects that owing to great axial moment of inertia about the shaft, their ball-striking faces can be impacted against a ball without deviating upon swinging, and even when a ball is hit with a spot outside a sweet spot, the directional behavior and driving distance of the struck ball are improved.

Claims

1. A wood type golf club head comprising:

a toe located at a front of said head;

a sole located at a bottom of said head;

a heel located at a rear of said head;

a ball-striking face located in a central position of said head between said toe and said heel, said ball-striking face having front and rear sides; and

a neck leading from said heel to a shaft of a golf club to which said head is to be connected, wherein a point, at which a center of gravity of said head is located, is positioned on said rear side of said ball-striking face, and a length of an imaginary perpendicular line which is drawn from said point at which said center of gravity of said head is located to a longitudinal axis of said shaft of said golf club to which said head is connected, is at least 35 mm.

2. The wood type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a distance between a plane S1, which is perpendicular to said ball-striking face and which extends along said longitudinal axis of said shaft of said golf club to which said head is connected, and a plane S2, which extends through an edge of said ball-striking face, is at least 5 mm so that an edge, which is close to said longitudinal axis of said shaft of said golf club to which said head is connected and which is parallel to said plane S1, is limited by a distance from said longitudinal axis of said shaft of said golf club to which said head is connected, and said sole is not positioned on an extension of said longitudinal axis of said shaft of said golf club to which said head is connected.

3. The wood type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a portion of said neck, which is bent and which projects to said heel, is provided on said heel, and a projecting angle of said neck is smaller than a lie angle of said head.

4. The wood type golf club head according to claim 2, wherein a portion of said neck, which is bent and which projects to said heel, is provided on said heel, and a projecting angle of said neck is smaller than a lie angle of said head.

5. The wood type golf club head according to claim 2, wherein a cutting plane S3, which is encompassed by said toe and said heel of said head of said golf club and which horizontally crosses at a position having a height of at least 16 mm from said sole, is perpendicular to said ball-striking face and does not intersect said plane S1, which is perpendicular to said ball-striking face and which extends along said longitudinal axis of said shaft of said golf club to which said head is connected.

6. The wood type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a distance between intersecting points of any one of a plane and a curved surface S4, which is perpendicular to said ball-striking face and which passes through a center line of said neck with said longitudinal axis of said shaft of said golf club to which said head is connected, and with said ball-striking face, is at least 5 mm.

7. The wood type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a recess is defined at any one of an upper and lower part of said neck.

8. The wood type golf club head according to claim 3, wherein a recess is defined at any one of an upper and lower part of said neck.

9. The wood type golf club head according to claim 4, wherein a recess is defined at any one of an upper and lower part of said neck.

10. The wood type golf club head according to claim 2, wherein a distance between said plane S1 and a plane S5, which touches said toe of said head and which is parallel to said plane S1, is at least 85 mm.

11. The wood type golf club head according to claim 4, wherein a distance between said plane S1 and a plane S5, which touches said toe of said head and which is parallel to said plane S1, is at least 85 mm.

12. The wood type golf club head according to claim 5, wherein a distance between said plane S1 and a plane S5, which touches said toe of said head and which is parallel to said plane S1, is at least 85 mm.

13. The wood type golf club head according to claim 8, wherein a distance between said plane S1 and a plane S5, which touches said toe of said head and which is parallel to said plane S1, is at least 85 mm.

14. The wood type golf club head according to claim 9, wherein a distance between said plane S1 and a plane S5, which touches said toe of said head and which is parallel to said plane S1, is at least 85 mm.