Golf club

• US 6,206,789 B1
• Filed: 06/28/1999
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: K.K. Endo Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: K.K. Endo Seisakusho
• Inventors: Takeda, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chapman, Jeanette
• Assistant Examiner(s): VARMA, SNEH K
• Application Number:
  US09/340,308
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 473/345, 473/346, 473/349, 473/332-339
• US Class Current: 473/335
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club such as so-called metal wood, enabling a separate balance weight to be joined easily and firmly to a head body made of titanium or titanium alloy. A receiving base 22 made of titanium or titanium alloy is provided between a balance weight 21 and a body shell member 18 which forms the head body. The balance weight 21 is joined to the receiving base 22 by caulking, then the receiving base 22 is welded to the inside face of the body shell member 18. Thus, in welding the balance weight 21 to the body shell member 18, there is no longer any limitation to the material of the balance weight 21. In a preferred form of the invention, the balance weight 21 is caulked to the receiving body by pressing the balance weight 21 into a recess 24 formed in the receiving base 22, with a claw portion 25 formed in the receiving base 22 cutting into the balance weight 21.

Claims

1. A golf club incorporating a hollow head having a shaft connected to one side and a face on a front, wherein said head comprises:

a head body formed of titanium or titanium alloy;

a balance weight fixed to an inside of said head body, said balance weight being formed of a material which is softer than that of said head body, and whose specific gravity is different from that of said head body; and

a receiving base formed of titanium or titanium alloy which is provided between said head body and said balance weight, said receiving base having a proximal end face which is so formed that it substantially conforms to an inside surface of the head body; and

wherein said receiving base is joined to said head body by a weld between the proximal end face of the receiving base and the inside surface of the head body, while said receiving base is formed with a claw portion and joined to said balance weight by caulk, said claw portion cutting into said balance weight.

2. A golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specific gravity of the material for said balance weight is larger than that of said head body.

3. A golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein a recess is formed in said receiving base, wherein said balance weight is pressed into said recess, and wherein the balance weight and the receiving body are joined to each other by caulk.

4. A golf club as claimed in claim 3, wherein a claw portion is formed in an inside top periphery of said recess, said claw portion being allowed to cut into an outside periphery of said balance weight.

5. A golf club as claimed in claim 3, wherein said receiving base is formed into a shape of a truncated pyramid which tapers from a proximal end face thereof to an opposite distal end.

6. A golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein a recess is formed in said balance weight, wherein said receiving base is pressed into the recess, and wherein said balance weight is joined to said receiving base by caulk.

7. A golf club as claimed in claim 6, wherein a claw portion is formed in a top periphery of the receiving base, so that said claw portion is allowed to cut into said balance weight within said recess.

8. A golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein said balance weight is formed of one of copper, beryllium-copper alloy, tungsten alloy, iron, stainless steel and lead.