Hollow, metallic golf club head with relieved sole and dendritic structure

• US 6,027,416 A
• Filed: 12/09/1997
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Schmidt, Glenn H., Helmstetter, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce, William M.
• Application Number:
  US08/987,586
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 473/305, 473/327, 473/328, 473/345, 473/346
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown 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 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• 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 golf club head comprising toe and heel portions, a front wall defining a ball-striking face, and top and bottom walls, the bottom wall characterized as having a medial ridge, and as forming two shallow recesses, one recess between the ridge and the heel portion, and the other recess between the ridge and the toe portion, the recesses everywhere spaced rearwardly from the front wall, the one recess having an arcuate peripheral edge generally convex toward the heel portion, and the other recess having an arcuate peripheral edge generally convex toward the toe portion.

Claims

1. In a golf club head having a shell and defining top, bottom, front, rear, toe, and heel walls, and a shell interior, the combination comprising:

a) said bottom wall having upwardly recessed wall extents,

b) said bottom wall also having a downward facing medial ridge, said recessed wall extents including a first and a second recessed extent on opposite sides of said medial ridge,

c) said head having a shaft-receiving tube that extends within said shell interior, said head bottom wall having a bore through in alignment with said tube.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first and second recessed extents are dished.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first and said second recessed extents are spaced rearwardly from said front wall.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said tube is integrally connected with said head bottom wall.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said head bottom wall has a sloping surface sloping away from said ridge, said bore through intersecting said sloping surface.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said ridge diverges in a direction toward said front wall.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said ridge diverges in two forwardly and oppositely diverging extents, one of said diverging extents diverging in a direction toward said bore through.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said medial ridge extends generally forward.

9. A golf club head comprising a shell having toe and heel portions, a front wall defining a ball-striking face, and top and bottom walls, said bottom wall characterized as having a medial ridge, and as forming a first and a second shallow recess, said first shallow recess between said medial ridge and said heel portion, and said second shallow recess between said medial ridge and said toe portion, said first and said second recesses everywhere spaced rearwardly from said front wall, said medial ridge defining medial ridge side walls merging with said first and said second recesses, there being a bore through having intersection with said bottom wall.

10. The golf club head of claim 9 wherein said medial ridge diverges toward said ball-striking face.

11. A golf club head comprising a shell having heel and toe portions, a front wall defining a ball-striking face, and top and bottom walls, said bottom wall having a medial ridge and a first and a second recess, said first recess between said medial ridge and said toe portion and said second recess between said medial ridge and said heel portion, said first and said second recesses everywhere spaced rearwardly from said front wall, said medial ridge defining medial ridge side walls merging with said first and said second recesses, there being a bore intersecting said top wall and said bottom wall, said bore being defined by a substantially continuous hollow tube integral with said shell heel portion.

12. A golf club head comprising:

a) a main shell portion having a front wall defining a ball-striking face, a top wall, a bottom corner portion, there being a bore intersecting said top wall and said bottom corner portion, said bore for receiving a shaft, and

b) a soleplate having heel and toe portions, a medial ridge, a first recess between said medial ridge and said toe portion, and a second recess between said medial ridge and said heel portion, said first and said second recesses everywhere spaced rearwardly from said front wall, said soleplate being welded to said main shell portion and, with said bottom corner portion, forming the sole of said golf club head.