Golf clubs and golf club sets

• US 6,315,678 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1998
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aneeging Sports Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Aneeging Sports Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Teramoto, Seiichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chapman, Jeanette
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US09/206,804
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 473/290, 473/291, 473/287, 473/288, 473/289, 473/345, 473/346, 473/349, 473/350, 473/324, 473/327, 473/328
• US Class Current: 473/291
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/00 Golf clubs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/026 loft angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/10 Non-metallic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand

Abstract

Golf clubs and golf club sets which include weights which control the effective loft angles of the club head. Weights positioned adjacent the top of the club heads between the face and bottom focus the mass of the club head to improve striking force or power imparted to a ball upon impact. Weights positioned adjacent the face of the club heads between the bottom and top create moments of inertia which effect the loft angle of the club faces when a ball is struck by the clubs. These two types of weight positions can be combined together.

Claims

1. A golf club set comprising:

a plurality of progressively numbered golf clubs, each of which includes a head having a face, a bottom, a top which extends between the face and the bottom, and opposed sides, the faces of the heads having progressively increasing loft angles which correspond to the progressive numbers of the clubs,

each of the clubs including an elongated weighted structure projecting inwardly from an inner surface of the head and located adjacent the face thereof between the bottom and top and positioned nearer the top than the bottom for smaller club numbers and nearer the top for larger club numbers,

each of the heads of the clubs further includes another elongate weighted structure projecting inwardly from the inner surface of the head and located adjacent the top thereof between the face and the bottom and positioned nearer the bottom for smaller club numbers and nearer the face for larger club numbers.

2. A golf club set according to claim 1, wherein the clubs comprise woods.

3. A golf club set comprising:

a plurality of progressively numbered golf clubs, each of which includes a head having a face, a bottom, a top which extends between the face and the bottom, and opposed sides, the faces of the heads having progressively increasing loft angles which correspond to the progressive numbers of the clubs,

each of the heads of the clubs including an elongate weighted structure projecting inwardly from an inner surface of the head and located adjacent the top thereof between the face and the bottom and positioned nearer the bottom for smaller club numbers and nearer the face for larger club numbers.

4. A golf club set according to claim 3, wherein each of the heads further includes another elongate weighted structure projecting inwardly from the inner surface of the head and located adjacent the face thereof between the bottom and top and positioned nearer the top for smaller club numbers and nearer the bottom for larger club numbers.

5. A golf club set according to claim 4, wherein the face of the head includes a loft angle, and wherein as the face is provided with a greater loft angle, the weighted structure adjacent the top is positioned closer to the face and the weighted structure adjacent the face is positioned closer to the bottom.

6. A golf club set according to claim 4, wherein the mass of the weighted structure adjacent the top is decreased as the weighted structure is positioned closer to the face and the mass of the weighted structure adjacent the face is increased as the weighted structure is positioned closer to the bottom.

7. A golf club comprising:

a head having a face, a bottom, a top which extends between the face and the bottom, and opposed sides, the face of the head including a loft angle of not more than 20 degrees;

an elongate weighted structure projecting inwardly from an inner surface of the head and provided adjacent the top which provides a focal change in the mass of the head from an unweighted focal position; and

another elongate weighted structure projecting inwardly from an inner surface of the head and provided adjacent the face which provides a moment of inertia when the face strikes a ball,

the mass of the weighted structure adjacent the top is less than the mass of the weighted structure adjacent the face, and the weighted structure adjacent the top is positioned closer to the bottom and the weighted structure adjacent the face is positioned closer to the top.

8. A golf club comprising:

a head having a face, a bottom, a top which extends between the face and the bottom, and opposed sides, the face of the club including a loft angle of not less than 50 degrees;

an elongate weighted structure projecting inwardly from an inner surface of the head and provided adjacent the top which provides a focal change in the mass of the head from an unweighted focal position; and

another elongate weighted structure projecting inwardly from an inner surface of the head and provided adjacent the face which provides a moment of inertia when the face strikes a ball,

the mass of the weighted structure adjacent the top is larger than the mass of the weighted structure adjacent the face and the weighted structure adjacent the top is positioned closer to the face and the weighted structure adjacent the face is positioned closer to the bottom.

9. A golf club comprising:

a shaft;

a head having a mass, a face, a bottom, a top which extends between the face and the bottom, the face of the head including a loft angle of not more than 20 degrees; and

a single elongate weighted structure projecting inwardly from an inner surface of the head and located adjacent the top of the head between and apart from the face and the bottom thereof and positioned so as to change a focus of the mass from an unweighted focal point, the weighted structure being positioned closer to the bottom than the face.