Golf club head with filled cavity

• US 6,729,971 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ceramixgolf Com
• Original Assignee: Ceramixgolf Com
• Inventors: Caldwell, Bruce G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US10/219,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20040033846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/332, 473/329, 473/345, 473/346, 473/331, 473/338, 473/326, 473/349, 473/409, 273/DIG.15
• US Class Current: 473/324
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• 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 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/15 Cork

Abstract

A golf club head has a hollow body with a front, striking face, a rear face, an upper face, a heel and a toe, and an open lower end, the body having an internal cavity. At least one filler member of solid cork or synthetic cork material cut to match the shape and dimensions of at least part of the cavity is positioned in the cavity, and a sole plate is secured over the open lower end of the body.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow body having a front, striking face, a rear face, an upper wall, a heel and a toe, and an open lower end, the body having an internal cavity of predetermined shape and dimensions;

the body having a single internal dividing wall extending across the cavity which divides the cavity into two chambers;

a sole plate secured over the open lower end of the body;

two filler members, each filler member comprising one piece of solid, natural cork cut to match the shape and dimensions of at least part of a respective chamber; and

each filler member being placed in a respective chamber and substantially completely filling the chamber.

2. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow body having a front, striking face, a rear face, an upper wall, a heel and a toe, and an open lower end, the body having an internal cavity of predetermined shape and dimensions;

at least one filler member comprising one piece of solid, natural cork cut to match the shape and dimensions of at least part of the cavity, the filler member or members being positioned in said cavity so as to substantially fill the cavity;

a sole plate secured over the open lower end of the body; and

the cavity having an inner wall, a plurality of hollow posts in the inner wall extending from the upper wall to the open lower end of the body, each post having a bore which has an open end at the lower end of the body, the sole plate having posts positioned for engagement in said bores when the sole plate is secured to the lower end of the body.

3. The golf club head as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the filler member fills less than 100% of the cavity, and the remainder of the cavity is filled with a foam material.

4. The head as claimed in claim 2, wherein there are at least two separate filler members each comprising one piece of solid, natural cork material in the cavity, the filler members together substantially filling the cavity.

5. The head as claimed in claim 2, wherein the filler member has at least one projection for fitting between two of the posts to substantially fill a gap between the posts.

6. A method of assembling a golf club head, comprising the steps of:

taking a hollow body having a front, striking face, a rear face, an upper face, a heel, and a toe, and an open lower end, the body having an internal cavity of predetermined shape and dimensions, the body having an internal dividing wall dividing the cavity into two chambers only;

cutting two filler members from solid natural cork material, each filler member being cut in one piece to a predetermined shape and dimensions substantially matching the shape and dimensions of a respective one of said chambers;

inserting the two filler members into the respective chambers such that the filler members substantially completely fill the respective chambers; and

securing the sole plate over the open lower end of the body.