Golf putter head with low density insert

• US 5,842,935 A
• Filed: 07/17/1997
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Nelson, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US08/896,151
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 473/305, 473/313, 473/325, 473/327, 473/328, 473/329, 473/330, 473/332, 473/334, 473/335, 473/336, 473/337, 473/338, 473/339, 473/340, 473/341, 473/342, 473/345, 473/346, 473/347, 473/349, 473/350
• US Class Current: 473/342
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence

Abstract

A golf putter head includes a low density insert disposed in a cavity formed in a body. The insert has a front face arranged for impacting a golf ball, and the body has a heel end portion, a toe end portion, a bottom portion and a back portion which define a generally horseshoe shaped mass that partially surrounds the insert. The heel end portion of the body includes a boss projecting therefrom toward the body toe end portion, and a bore located in the boss receives a lower end of a shaft. The insert is preferably formed of polyurethane with a Shore D hardness of 65. The volume of the insert is greater than the volume of the body while the weight of the insert is less than the weight of the body.

Claims

1. A golf putter head comprising:

a body formed of a first material having a first density, said body having a cavity formed therein, said body having a volume and a weight;

an insert disposed in said cavity in said body, said insert being formed of a second material having a second density that is substantially lower than said first density;

said insert having a volume that is greater than the volume of said body and a weight that is less than the weight of said body;

said body including a thickened heel end portion, a thickened toe end portion, a thin walled bottom portion and a thin walled back portion which define in combination a generally horseshoe shaped mass partially surrounding said insert; and

said body heel end portion further including a boss projecting therefrom into said cavity in a direction toward said toe end portion, and a bore being located in said boss for receiving a lower end of a shaft.

2. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein said insert has a front face arranged for impact with a golf ball.

3. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein said second density is 6.5 to 8.5 times lower than said first density.

4. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein said first material is a metal, and wherein said second material is an elastomer.

5. The golf putter head of claim 1, and wherein said insert comprises a recess for receiving said boss.

6. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein said second material is polyurethane with a Shore D hardness of 65.

7. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein:

said body and said insert together have a total volume and a total weight;

the volume of said insert is more than 50% of said total volume; and

the weight of said insert is less than 50% of said total weight.