Metallic hollow golf club head

• US 6,203,448 B1
• Filed: 01/11/2000
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US09/481,323
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/334, 473/335, 473/336, 473/337, 473/338, 473/339, 473/343, 473/344, 473/345, 473/346, 473/349, 473/341, 473/256, 473/291
• US Class Current: 473/338
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A metallic hollow golf club head comprising a sole plate molded from a light metal and formed with a fitting hole, and a weight of a heavy metal press-fitted into the fitting hole and fixed solidly to the sole plate. Also disclosed is a metallic hollow golf club head comprising a sole plate molded from a light metal and formed with a fitting hole, and a weighted structure comprising a weight of a heavy metal press-fitted into a ring-shaped spacer of the same light metal as the sole plate, the weighted structure being fitted into the fitting hole, and the ring-shaped spacer and the sole plate being welded together. Also disclosed is metallic hollow golf club head comprising a sole plate molded from a light metal and formed with a fitting hole, and a weighted structure comprising a weight of a heavy metal wrapped with a belt-shaped spacer of the same light metal as the sole plate, the weighted structure being fitted into the fitting hole, and the belt-shaped spacer and the sole plate being welded together.

Claims

1. A metallic hollow golf club head comprising a sole plate molded from a light metal and formed with a fitting hole, and a weighted structure comprising a weight of a heavy metal press-fitted into a ring-shaped spacer of the same light metal as said sole plate, said weighted structure being fitted into said fitting hole, and said ring-shaped spacer and said sole plate being welded together.

2. A metallic hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said fitting hole is a concave portion with a bottom provided on the inner surface of said sole plate.

3. A metallic hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said fitting hole is a through hole provided on said sole plate.

4. A metallic hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said light metal is a metal selected from groups of titanium and titanium alloy.

5. A metallic hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said heavy metal is a metal having specific gravity of 10 or more selected from among tungsten, tantalum, brass, copper, copper alloy, gold and platinum.