Golf club head

• US 6,554,722 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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, Cleveland, Roger, Rollinson, Augustin W., Williams, Luke R., Helmstetter, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Thanh P
• Application Number:
  US09/683,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20020115503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 473/345, 473/347, 473/348, 473/350, 473/335, 473/334
• US Class Current: 473/334
• 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 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness 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 53/0487 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 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

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

Claims

1. An iron-type golf club head comprising:

a front wall having a face surface and a rear surface;

a top wall extending rearward from a top end of the front wall;

a bottom wall extending rearward from a bottom end of the front wall;

a heel wall extending rearward from a heel end of the front wall;

a toe wall extending rearward from a toe end of the front wall;

an external rear cavity defined by the rear surface of the front wall, the top wall,

the bottom wall, the heel wall and the toe wall;

an aft wall extending upward from an aft end of the bottom wall, the aft wall

covering a portion of the external cavity;

an internal cavity within the aft wall;

a weighting member within the internal cavity;

wherein the front wall has a thickness that varies from 0.060 inch to 0.190 inch with the upper toe quadrant of the front wall the thinnest portion of the front wall.

2. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the internal cavity is defined by a portion of the front wall, a portion of the bottom wall, a portion of the aft wall and a ceiling wall.

3. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the weighting member is a bi-metal material comprising tungsten alloy spheres and a bismuth-tin solder.

4. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 further comprising an undercut recess located within one of the bottom wall, top wall, heel wall and toe wall.

5. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 further comprising an undercut recess located within two of the bottom wall, top wall, heel wall and toe wall.

6. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 further comprising an undercut recess located within each of the bottom, wall, top wall, heel wall and toe wall.

7. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 further comprising a medallion disposed on the rear surface of the front wall.

8. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the aft wall has an apex and descends in height from the apex toward the heel wall and the toe wall.

9. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 further comprising a hosel, the top of the hosel being lower than a toe end of the front wall when in address position.

10. A golf club comprising:

a front wall having a face surface and a rear surface,

a top wall extending rearward from a top end of the front wall,

a bottom wall extending rearward from a bottom end of the front wall,

a heel wall extending rearward from a heel end of the front wall,

a toe wall extending rearward from a toe end of the front wall,

an external rear cavity defined by the rear surface of the front wall, the top wall, the bottom wall, the heel wall and the toe wall,

a weighting member within the golf club head, and

a hosel having a bore therein, the top of the hosel being lower than a toe end of the front wall when the golf club is in the address position,

wherein the front wall has a thickness that varies from 0.060 inch to 0.190 inch with the upper toe quadrant of the front wall the thinnest portion of the front wall; and

a shaft having a tip end disposed within the bore of the hosel.

11. An iron-type golf club head comprising:

a front wall having a face surface and a rear surface;

a top wall extending rearward from a top end of the front wall;

a bottom wall extending rearward from a bottom end of the front wall;

a heel wall extending rearward from a heel end of the front wall;

a toe wall extending rearward from a toe end of the front wall;

an external rear cavity defined by the rear surface of the front wall, the top wall, the bottom wall, the heel wall and the toe wall;

an aft wall extending upward from an aft end of the bottom wall, the aft wall covering a portion of the external cavity;

an internal cavity within the aft wall;

a bi-metal weighting material comprising tungsten alloy spheres and a bismuth-tin solder, the bi-metal weighting material within the internal cavity;

wherein the front wall has a thickness that varies from 0.060 inch to 0.190 inch with the upper toe quadrant of the front wall the thinnest portion of the front wall.