Golf club and weighting system

• US 6,210,290 B1
• Filed: 06/11/1999
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Erickson, Joel B., Guard, John G., DiMarco, Thomas J., Dooley, James F., Pimentel, M. Grace Hohn
• Primary Examiner(s): Chapman, Jeanette
• Assistant Examiner(s): VARMA, SNEH K
• Application Number:
  US09/330,292
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 473/349, 473/350, 473/342, 473/343, 473/346, 473/549, 473/300, 156/86, 156/187, 156/450, 156/195, 156/293, 156/428, 427/285, 427/385.5, 427/389.9, 427/393.4, 29/235, 29/252, 29/458, 29/460, 29/514, 29/33.5, 29/33 Q
• US Class Current: 473/345
• 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53535 including means to vibrate work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53657 to apply or remove a resilient article [e.g., tube, sleeve, etc.]

Abstract

A golf club head having a defined internal cavity, and a golf club head containing a bi-material weight having a nonhomogeneous structure. A method to add the bi-material weight to the golf club entails heating, vibration and cooling to produce the nonhomogeneous structure.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a front surface, a rear surface, a toe region, a heel region, a top surface and a bottom surface, the rear surface forming a first cavity,

a front wall, a rear wall, a ceiling wall and a floor wall defining a second cavity having a gap between the ceiling wall and the floor wall, wherein the gap decreases to a first minimum in the toe region and decreases to a second minimum in the heel region.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the ceiling wall is between the top surface and the bottom surface.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the gap reaches a maximum at approximately the mid-point between the toe region and the heel region.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the first cavity is adjacent the rear surface.

5. An iron golf club head comprising:

a front surface, a rear surface, a toe region, a heel region, a top surface and a bottom surface, the rear surface forming a first cavity,

a front wall, a rear wall, a ceiling wall and a bottom wall defining a second cavity adjacent the bottom surface, and

a bi-metal material disposed within the second cavity, wherein the bi-metal material comprises a plurality of tungsten alloy spheres to form a discontinuous phase, and a bismuth-tin solder to form a continuous phase, and

an undercut recess located directly rearwardly of the rear surface to intersect the first cavity and extending outwardly from the first cavity toward the top surface, the bottom surface, the toe region and the heel region.