Iron-type golf club head

• US 6,077,173 A
• Filed: 12/12/1997
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tom Stites & Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Stites, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US08/989,817
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/350, 473/290, D21/747, D21/748, D21/749
• US Class Current: 473/334
• 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 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• 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

The present invention provides an iron-type golf club head having a bridge member across a cavity on its rear surface, which member influences the trajectory of a golf ball struck by the club head. By altering the bridge member orientation across the cavity on the rear surface, the club head can be made to propel a ball in various directions. Thus, the trajectory of golf balls struck by the club head can be high, low, rightward, leftward, or combinations thereof.

Claims

1. An iron-type golf club head having a solid metal body comprising:

a face defined by a substantially flat first plane and including a golf-ball-striking surface with a center portion, said face having an opposing rear surface;

a heel having an upwardly extending hosel for receiving one end of an elongated shaft;

a toe opposite and taller in height than said heel, said face being interposed said toe and said heel;

a sole interposed said heel and said toe and disposed below said face;

a top-line interposed said heel and said toe and superposed said sole and said face;

a back defined by a second plane which is inclined relative to the first plane defining said face, said back being opposite said face and having a single open stepped cavity extending toward said face and covering a majority of said back, said cavity having a first larger portion adjacent said toe and a second smaller portion adjacent said heel;

a peripheral belt surrounding the cavity of said back and including a toe perimeter portion, a heel perimeter portion, a sole perimeter portion, a top-line perimeter portion and junction perimeter portions interposed adjacent ones of said toe, heel, sole and top-line perimeter portions, wherein a majority of the weight of the club head is disposed within said peripheral belt; and

a single bridge member superposed a portion of said cavity, spaced away from said rear surface of said face and disposed along the second plane defining said back, said bridge member comprising a first end attached to one of said top-line, heel, toe, sole and junction perimeter portions and a second end attached to one of said top-line, heel, toe, sole and junction perimeter portions;

whereby the trajectory of a ball struck by the center of the golf-ball-striking surface of the face is influenced by the location of the bridge member.

2. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein said bridge member comprises a first metal and a second metal.

3. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 2, wherein the density of said first metal is lower than the density of said second metal.

4. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 2, wherein said first metal is disposed adjacent said first end of said bridge member and said second metal is disposed adjacent said second end of said bridge member.

5. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 2, wherein at least a portion of said second metal is surrounded by said first metal.

6. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 2, wherein said first metal and said second metal are substantially coextensive.

7. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the weight of said bridge member is about 8-20% of the total weight of said club head.

8. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein said first and second ends of said bridge member are attached to said top-line perimeter portion.

9. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein said first and second ends of said bridge member are attached to said sole perimeter portion.

10. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein said first end of said bridge member is attached to said top-line perimeter portion and said second end of said bridge member is attached to any one of said toe, sole, heel and junction perimeter portions.

11. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein said first end of said bridge member is attached to said sole perimeter portion and said second end of said bridge member is attached to any one of said toe, heel and junction perimeter portions.

12. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein said first end of said bridge member is attached to said heel perimeter portion and said second end of said bridge member is attached to any one of said toe and junction perimeter portions.

13. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein said first end of said bridge member is attached to said toe perimeter portion and said second end of said bridge member is attached to any one of said junction perimeter portions.

14. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein said first end of said bridge member is attached to one of said junction perimeter portions and said second end of said bridge member is attached to a different one of said junction perimeter portions.

15. An iron-type golf club head having a solid metal body comprising:

a face defined by a substantially flat first plane and including a golf-ball-striking surface with a center portion, said face having an opposing rear surface;

a heel having an upwardly extending hosel for receiving one end of an elongated shaft;

a toe opposite and taller in height than said heel, said face being interposed said toe and said heel;

a sole interposed said heel and said toe and disposed below said face;

a top-line interposed said heel and said toe and superposed said sole and said face;

a back defined by a second plane which is inclined relative to the first plane defining said face, said back being opposite said face and having a single open cavity extending toward said face and covering a majority of said back, said cavity having a first larger portion adjacent said toe and a second smaller portion adjacent said heel;

a peripheral belt surrounding the cavity of said back and including a toe perimeter portion, a heel perimeter portion, a sole perimeter portion, a top-line perimeter portion and junction perimeter portions interposed adjacent ones of said toe, heel, sole and top-line perimeter portions, wherein a majority of the weight of the club head is disposed within said peripheral belt; and

a single bridge member superposed a portion of said cavity, spaced away from said rear surface of said face and disposed along the second plane defining said back, said bridge member comprising a first end attached to one of said top-line, heel, toe, sole and junction perimeter portions and a second end attached to one of said top-line, heel, toe, sole and junction perimeter portions;

wherein the cavity of said back has a central portion with progressively increasing depth extending toward said face and a peripheral portion with a shallower depth extending toward said face; and

whereby the trajectory of a ball struck by the center of the golf-ball-striking surface of the face is influenced by the location of the bridge member.

16. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 15, wherein said peripheral portion of said cavity is delimited by said central portion of said cavity.

17. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 15, wherein said peripheral portion of said cavity has a substantially constant depth.

18. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 15, wherein said bridge member comprises a first metal and a second metal.

19. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 18, wherein the density of said first metal is lower than the density of said second metal.

20. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 18, wherein said first metal is disposed adjacent said first end of said bridge member and said second metal is disposed adjacent said second end of said bridge member.

21. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 18, wherein at least a portion of said second metal is surrounded by said first metal.

22. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 18, wherein said first metal and said second metal are substantially coextensive.

23. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 15, wherein the weight of said bridge member is about 8-20% of the total weight of said club head.

24. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 15, wherein said first and second ends of said bridge member are attached to said top-line perimeter portion.

25. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 15, wherein said first and second ends of said bridge member are attached to said sole perimeter portion.

26. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 15, wherein said first end of said bridge member is attached to said top-line perimeter portion and said second end of said bridge member is attached to any one of said toe, sole, heel and junction perimeter portions.

27. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 15, wherein said first end of said bridge member is attached to said sole perimeter portion and said second end of said bridge member is attached to any one of said toe, heel and junction perimeter portions.

28. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 15, wherein said first end of said bridge member is attached to said heel perimeter portion and said second end of said bridge member is attached to any one of said toe and junction perimeter portions.

29. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 15, wherein said first end of said bridge member is attached to said toe perimeter portion and said second end of said bridge member is attached to any one of said junction perimeter portions.

30. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 15, wherein said first end of said bridge member is attached to one of said junction perimeter portions and said second end of said bridge member is attached to a different one of said junction perimeter portions.