Golf club having enlarged head design formed from rigid mesh material

• US 5,772,529 A
• Filed: 04/28/1997
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Future Golf, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Future Golf, Inc.
• Inventors: Ruth, Thomas L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US08/845,880
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 473/329, 473/330, 473/332, 473/331, 473/219, 473/226, 473/223, 473/228, 473/524, 473/327, 473/559, 473/560, 473/561, 473/562, 473/563, 473/528, 473/507, 473/513, 473/514, 473/515, 473/509, 473/409
• US Class Current: 473/327
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club having a hollow body clubhead with a metal mesh clubface and a metal mesh top-of-clubhead design. The design conforms to the shapes of a wood and iron and allows the club to be larger in size and weight than traditional golf club designs. The weight is controlled by modifying the amount of material forming the clubhead. The clubface hitting area for both the wood and iron is increased. The hollow-body allows air to flow through the clubhead, thus reduces air resistance and stabilizes the clubface during the club swing. The speed of the clubhead at impact increases, produces straighter flight of golf ball, and increase the distance the golf ball travels once hit. The design of the clubhead facilitates using a balance of different metals, by example, stainless steel, or other metal alloy. The design facilitates the force of the air to be directed against the inside bottom of the sole to provide better contact with a golf ball and reduce topped shots. The design has less surface contact with the golf ball, and hence there is less spin on the ball, and thus a less tendency to slice, or hook the golf ball. The mesh structure geometry prevents damage to the golf ball, and may be any suitable geometric shape, such as a octagon. The mesh clubface structure complies with the PGA'"'"'s groove depth requirements of not exceeding 0.200 inches.

Claims

1. A golf club apparatus said apparatus comprising:

a hollow clubhead frame, said frame having a first window structure, said first window structure delineating a first flange structure for receiving a clubface structure, a clubface structure comprising a first mesh structure having openings sized for facilitating entry of air, and being sized and shaped to conform and attach to said first flange structure;

a second window structure, said second window structure delineating a second flange structure for receiving an exhaust clubhead structure, an exhaust clubhead structure comprising a second mesh structure having openings sized for exhausting air, and being sized and shaped to conform and attach to said second flange structure; and

said clubhead frame being constructed from metallic material selected from a group consisting of aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium.

2. A golf club apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein:

said golf club apparatus comprises a wood golf club.

3. A golf club apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein:

said golf club apparatus comprises an iron golf club.

4. A golf club apparatus as described in claim 2, wherein:

said clubface structure and said exhaust clubhead structure being constructed from metallic material selected from a group consisting of aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium.

5. A golf club apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein:

said golf club apparatus comprises a wood golf club.

6. A golf club apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein:

said golf club apparatus comprises an iron golf club.

7. A golf club apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

a hollow clubhead frame, said frame having a first window structure and a second window structure, said first window structure delineating a first flange structure for receiving a clubface structure, said second window structure delineating a second flange structure for receiving an exhaust clubhead structure;

a clubface structure comprising a first mesh structure having openings sized for facilitating entry of air, and being sized and shaped to conform and attach to said first flange structure; and

an exhaust clubhead structure comprising a second mesh structure having openings sized for exhausting air, and being sized and shaped to conform and attach to said second flange structure,

said clubhead frame, said clubface structure, said exhaust clubhead structure being constructed from metallic material selected from a group consisting of aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium.

8. A golf club apparatus as described in claim 7, wherein:

said golf club apparatus comprises a wood golf club.

9. A golf club apparatus as described in claim 7, wherein:

said golf club apparatus comprises an iron golf club.

10. A golf club apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

a hollow clubhead frame, said frame having a first window structure and a second window structure, said first window structure delineating a first flange structure for receiving a clubface structure, said second window structure delineating a second flange structure for receiving an exhaust clubhead structure;

a clubface structure comprising a first mesh structure having openings sized for facilitating entry of air, and being sized and shaped to conform and attach to said first flange structure, said first mesh structure comprising a first mesh material arrangement formed such that a depth dimension associated with a mesh opening is less than or equal to a regulatory depth dimension for grooves on a clubface; and

an exhaust clubhead structure comprising a second mesh structure having openings sized for exhausting air, and being sized and shaped to conform and attach to said second flange structure,

said clubhead frame, said clubface structure, said exhaust clubhead structure being constructed from metallic material selected from a group consisting of aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium.

11. A golf club apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein:

said first mesh structure being a plurality of offset horizontal strip members geometrically shaped using a design selected from a group of geometric designs consisting of square, rectangular, circular and octagon designs.

12. A golf club apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein:

said golf club apparatus comprises a wood golf club.

13. A golf club apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein:

said golf club apparatus comprises an iron golf club.

14. A golf club apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein:

said first mesh material arrangement comprises a three plane mesh arrangement including a first plane consisting of a set of vertical mesh members, a second plane consisting of a first set of horizontal mesh members, and third plane consisting of a second set of horizontal mesh members, said first, second, and third planes being interconnected via periphery structure.

15. A golf club apparatus as described in claim 14, wherein:

said second mesh structure comprises a second mesh material arrangement configured as a two plane mesh arrangement including a first plane consisting of a set of vertical mesh members, and a second plane consisting of a set of horizontal mesh members, said first and second planes being interconnected via periphery structure.

16. A golf club apparatus as described in claim 15, wherein:

said first mesh material arrangement being formed having cross mesh members geometrically shaped using a design selected from a group of geometric designs consisting of square, rectangular, circular and octagon designs; and

said golf club apparatus comprises a wood golf club.

17. A golf club apparatus as described in claim 15, wherein:

said first mesh structure being formed having cross mesh members geometrically shaped using a design selected from a group of geometric designs consisting of square, rectangular, circular and octagon designs; and

said golf club apparatus comprises an iron golf club.

18. A method for enlarging a clubhead on a golf club, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a hollow clubhead frame, said frame having a first window structure and a second window structure, said first window structure delineating a first flange structure for receiving a clubface structure, said second window structure delineating a second flange structure for receiving an exhaust clubhead structure;

(b) providing a clubface structure comprising a first mesh structure having openings sized for facilitating entry of air, and being sized and shaped to conform and attach to said first flange structure, said first mesh structure comprising a first mesh material arrangement formed such that a depth dimension associated with a mesh opening is less than or equal to a regulatory depth dimension for grooves on a clubface;

(c) providing an exhaust clubhead structure comprising a second mesh structure having openings sized for exhausting air, and being sized and shaped to conform and attach to said second flange structure; and

(d) forming said clubhead frame, said clubface structure, said exhaust clubhead structure from metallic material selected from a group consisting of aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium.