Golf club head

• US 5,935,020 A
• Filed: 09/16/1998
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tom Stites & Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Taylor, Michael G., Stites, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIEN T
• Application Number:
  US09/154,252
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/345, 473/349, 473/290, 473/291, 473/292
• US Class Current: 473/345
• 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

A driver type, hollow-bodied golf club head in which multiple parameters are controlled to be within defined ranges of values to enhance the performance and playability of the club. The parameters which are controlled include the club head'"'"'s maximum dimensions, the position of the center-of-gravity, the size of striking face, and the position of the shaft attachment point.

Claims

1. A driver-type hollow-body golf club head comprising:

a heel;

a surface located adjacent an upper portion of said heel and defining a circular bore for receiving one end of an elongated shaft, a centerline of said bore being spaced a radial distance (BP) from an outermost position on said heel;

a toe located substantially opposite said heel and spaced from said centerline of said bore;

a substantially planar face having a forwardmost position, a face length (FL) extending between said heel and said toe, and a face height (FH) substantially transverse to said face length;

wherein said substantially planar face lies along a first plane which intersects a second plane, which is coextensive with said centerline of said bore, at an acute left angle;

a crown having a proximate crown portion connected to said face, a distal crown portion opposite said proximate crown portion, a first intermediate crown portion and an opposing second intermediate crown portion, each of said first and second intermediate crown portions having an outermost part and being connected to each of said proximate and distal crown portions, said outermost parts of said first and second intermediate crown portions being spaced by a head length (HL), and said distal crown portion being positioned opposite said face and being spaced from said forwardmost position on said face by a head breadth (BR);

a sole opposite said crown, and having a lowest portion spaced from an uppermost position on said crown by a head height (CH), said sole having a proximate sole portion connected to said face, a distal sole portion opposite said proximate portion, a first intermediate sole portion and a second intermediate sole portion each said first and second intermediate sole portion being connected to each of said proximate and said distal sole portions; and

a peripheral surface interposed said crown and said sole and connected to each of said distal and intermediate crown portions;

each of said distal and intermediate sole portions and said face;

wherein;

said club head length (HL) is greater than about 4.25 inches and less than about 4.50 inches;

said club head breadth (BR) is greater than about 4.15 inches and less than about 4.45 inches; and

the difference (HL-BR) between said club head length (HL) and said club head breadth (BR) is less than about 0.25 inch and greater than about 0 inch.

2. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said radial distance (BP) is greater than about 0.525 inch and less than about 0.625 inch.

3. A golf club head according to claim 2, wherein:

said club head has a center of gravity spaced greater than about 0.25 inch and less than about 0.85 inch from said lowest portion of said sole, spaced greater than about 1.65 inch and less than about 2.12 inches from said outermost position on said heel, and spaced greater than about 1.15 inches and less than about 2.65 inches from an outermost position on said face.

4. A golf club head according to claim 3, wherein:

said club head height (CH) is greater than about 1.85 inches and less than about 2.10 inches; and

said face height (FH) is greater than about 1.75 inches and less than about 2.00 inches.

5. A golf club head according to claim 4, wherein:

said face length (FL) is greater than about 3.45 inches and less than about 4.00 inches.

6. A golf club head according to claim 3, wherein:

said face length (FL) is greater than about 3.45 inches and less than about 4.00 inches.

7. A golf club head according to claim 2, wherein:

said club head height (CH) is greater than about 1.85 inches and less than about 2.10 inches; and

said face height (FH) is greater than about 1.75 inches and less than about 2.00 inches.

8. A golf club head according to claim 7, wherein:

said face length (FL) is greater than about 3.45 inches and less than about 4.00 inches.

9. A golf club head according to claim 2, wherein:

said face length (FL) is greater than about 3.45 inches and less than about 4.00 inches.

10. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said club head has a center of gravity spaced greater than about 0.25 inch and less than about 0.85 inches from said lowest portion of said sole, spaced greater than about 1.65 inches and less than about 2.12 inches from said outermost position on said heel, and spaced greater than about 1.15 inches and less than about 2.65 inches from said forwardmost position of said face.

11. A golf club head according to claim 10, wherein:

said club head height (CH) is greater than about 1.85 inches and less than about 2.10 inches; and

said face height (FH) is greater than about 1.75 inches and less than about 2.00 inches.

12. A golf club head according to claim 11, wherein:

said face length (FL) is greater than about 3.45 inches and less than about 4.00 inches.

13. A golf club head according to claim 10, wherein:

said face length (FL) is greater than about 3.45 inches and less than about 4.00 inches.

14. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said club head height (CH) is greater than about 1.85 inches and less than about 2.10 inches; and

said face height (FH) is greater than about 1.75 inches and less than about 2.00 inches.

15. A golf club head according to claim 14, wherein:

said face length (FL) is greater than about 3.45 inches and less than about 4.00 inches.

16. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said face length (FL) is greater than about 3.45 inches and less than about 4.00 inches.

17. An improved, hollow-bodied, drive-type golf club head comprising:

a crown having a crown toe area, a crown heel area, a crown front area, a crown rear area, and a hosel positioned in said crown heel area for securing a shaft;

a sole opposing said crown, having a substantially planar sole portion positioned coplanar with a plane defined by a lateral and longitudinal direction, and further having a sole toe area, a sole heel area, a sole front area and a sole rear area;

a substantially planar striking face extending between and connected to said crown front area and said sole front area, and having a substantially linear portion extending in a longitudinal direction;

a peripheral belt interposed said crown and sole, connected to opposing ends of said face, and extending between and connected to oppositely disposed said crown toe area and said sole toe area;

said crown heel area and sole heel area; and

said crown rear area and said sole rear area;

wherein the club head has a length measured by a longitudinal distance between a first outermost point on said crown toe area and a second outermost point on said crown heel area, the length being greater than about 4.25 inches and less than about 4.50 inches;

wherein, the club head has a breadth measured by the lateral distance between a forward most point on said face and an rearmost point on said crown rear area, the breadth being greater than about 4.15 inches and less than about 4.45 inches, and wherein the difference between the length and breadth is greater than about 0 inch and less than about 0.25 inch.

18. The improved, hollow-bodied driver type golf club head according to claim 17, wherein the club head has a height measured by the vertical distance between said sole planar portion and an uppermost point on said crown, the height being greater than about 1.85 inches and less than 2.10 inches, and wherein the club head has a face height measured by the vertical distance between said sole planar portion and a highest point on said face, the face height being greater than about 1.75 inches and less than about 2.00 inches.

19. An improved, hollow-bodied driver type golf club head according to claim 17, wherein the radial distance from a hosel centerline to said second outermost point on said crown heel area is greater than about 0.525 inch and less than about 0.625 inch.

20. An improved, hollow-bodied driver type golf club head according to claim 17 having a face length measured by the longitudinal distance between a face toe point and a face heel point, the face length being greater than about 3.45 inches and less than about 4.00 inches.

21. An improved driver type golf club head according to claim 17, wherein the club head'"'"'s center of gravity is positioned:

a vertical distance of greater than about 0.85 inches and less than about 0.25 inches above said sole planar portion;

a longitudinal distance of greater than about 1.65 inches and less than 2.12 inches extending from said second outermost point on said crown heel area towards said crown toe area; and

a lateral distance of greater than about 1.15 inches and less than about 2.65 inches extending from said forwardmost point on said face towards said toe.