Golf club head with an insert on the striking surface

• US 6,231,458 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1998
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Cameron, Don T., Slivnik, August L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Mark S.
• Application Number:
  US09/220,083
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 473/332, 473/342, 273/78
• US Class Current: 473/332
• 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 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• 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: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A golf club head has a strike face and an opposite back face portion. The strike face defines a recess having a bottom surface and a side wall surface extending between the bottom surface and the strike face. An insert is disposed within the recess. The insert has a peripheral edge spaced from the side wall surface to define a peripheral groove. A vibration dampening material is disposed within the groove.

Claims

1. A golf club head having a toe and an opposite heel, a sole portion and an opposite top portion, a forwardly facing exposed strike face and an opposite rearwardly facing exposed back face portion, comprising:

a) a recess defined in the strike face, said recess having a bottom surface spaced from the back face portion and a side wall surface extending between the bottom surface and the strike face;

b) an insert located in the recess, said insert having a peripheral edge spaced from the side wall surface to form a peripheral groove and a first vibration dampening material located in the peripheral groove, the insert further including a back face having at least one portion of the back face in contact with the bottom surface of the recess, the insert further includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion is a flange and extends radially outwardly from the second portion, and the first portion is in contact with a portion of the side wall surface and the second portion includes the peripheral edge, and the flange further defines at least one notch; and

c) a plurality of apertures extending from said back face portion toward the recess and a second vibration dampening material located in at least one of said apertures.

2. A golf club head having a toe and an opposite heel, a sole portion and an opposite top portion, a forwardly facing exposed strike face and an opposite rearwardly facing exposed back face portion, comprising:

a) a recess defined in the strike face, said recess having a bottom surface spaced from the back face portion and a side wall surface extending between the bottom surface and the strike face;

b) an insert located in the recess, said insert forming a first portion of the strike face, the insert including a first portion that contacts the side wall surface of the recess, and the insert further includes a back face and the back face is spaced from said bottom surface of the recess to define a gap; and

c) a vibration dampening material extending continuously from the strike face to the back face portion through the gap, the vibration dampening material forming a second portion of the strike face.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, further including a plurality of apertures extending from said back face portion to the recess, wherein at least one of the apertures has the vibration dampening material located therein.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the the recess has a bottom surface spaced from the back face portion and a side wall surface extending between the bottom surface and the strike face;

the insert has a peripheral edge spaced from the side wall surface to form a peripheral groove, the peripheral groove, gap and at least one aperture are in fluid communication so that the vibration dampening material extends therethrough.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the vibration dampening material in the peripheral groove is a first portion of the vibration dampening material, the vibration damping material in the at least one aperture is a second portion of the vibration dampening material, and the vibration dampening material in the gap is a third portion of the vibration dampening material, and the first and second portions are the same.

6. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the second and third vibration dampening material are the same.

7. A golf club head having a toe and an opposite heel, a sole portion and an opposite top portion, a forwardly facing exposed strike face and an opposite rearwardly facing exposed back face portion, comprising:

a) a recess defined in the strike face, said recess having a bottom surface spaced from the back face portion and a side wall surface extending between the bottom surface and the strike face;

b) an insert located in the recess, said insert having a peripheral edge spaced from the side wall surface to form a peripheral groove, and a first vibration dampening material located in the peripheral groove, the insert further including a back face having at least one portion of the back face in contact with the bottom surface of the recess;

c) a plurality of apertures extending from said back face portion toward the recess and a second vibration dampening material located in at least one of said apertures; and

d) a fastening means that extends through at least one of said apertures to connect said insert to said back face portion.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the back face of the insert further includes a plurality of cavities that are aligned to be complementary with said plurality of apertures.

9. A golf club head having a toe and an opposite heel, a sole portion and an opposite top portion, a forwardly facing strike face and an opposite rearwardly facing back face portion, comprising:

a) a recess defined in the strike face, said recess having a bottom surface spaced from the back face portion and a side wall surface extending between the bottom surface and the strike face;

b) a metal insert located in the strike face, said insert having an exposed front face flush with said strike face and a back face engaging the club head, a central portion of the back face is in contact with the bottom surface of the recess;

c) a plurality of apertures extending into said back face portion;

d) a vibration dampening material located in at least one of said apertures; and

e) said insert and vibration dampening material being of different materials.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the apertures extend to the bottom surface of the recess.

11. A golf club head having a toe and an opposite heel, a sole portion and an opposite top portion, a forwardly facing exposed strike face and an opposite rearwardly facing exposed back face portion, comprising:

a) a recess defined in the strike face, said recess having a bottom surface spaced from the back face portion and a side wall surface extending between the bottom surface and the strike face;

b) an insert located in the recess said insert having a peripheral edge spaced from the side wall surface to form a peripheral groove, and a first vibration dampening material located in the peripheral groove, the insert further including a back face having a first portion in contact with the bottom surface of the recess and a second portion; and

c) a plurality of apertures extending from said back face second portion toward the recess and a second vibration dampening material located in at least one of said apertures, and the second portion is in contact with the second vibration dampening material.