Golf club head

• US 6,783,465 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2002
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsunaga, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US10/244,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20030114244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/327, 473/328, 473/330, 473/331, 473/345, 473/346, 473/349, 473/350, 473/332, 473/329
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A hollow golf club head made of metal has a face portion made of a titanium alloy, a crown portion, a sole portion, a toe-side side portion, a back-side side portion, a heel-side side portion, and a hosel portion. Grooves are provided in the crown portion so as to extend in the direction connecting the heel side and the toe side. Ribs are provided in the sole portion so as to extend in the direction connecting the face portion and the back-side side portion.

Claims

1. A hollow golf club head made of metal, the golf club comprising:

a face portion;

a sole portion;

a toe-side side portion;

a heel-side side portion;

a back-side side portion;

a crown portion; and

a hosel portion,

wherein a plurality of grooves are defined in the crown portion to extend from the toe-side side portion toward the heel-side side portion, wherein the plurality of the grooves are provided on an interior of the hollow club head.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the grooves are formed in substantially straight lines.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the grooves are formed in curved lines and are bent to bulge toward the back-side side portion.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a highest portion of the crown portion excluding the hosel portion is located between two of the grooves.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the crown portion except for the grooves has thickness in a range of from 0.5 mm to 1.2 mm.

6. The golf club head according to claim 5, wherein each of the grooves has depth in a range of from 25% to 60% of the thickness of the crown portion.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein each of the grooves has width in a range of from 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein each of the grooves has length in a range of from 50% to 95% of a width of the golf club head in a direction including both ends of the grooves.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the grooves is present within a range of 40 mm from the face portion.

10. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a number of grooves is in a range of 1 to 15.

11. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein ribs are provided on the sole portion to extend from the face portion toward the back-side side portion.

12. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein the ribs are in parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the face portion.

13. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein the ribs are provided radially so that each distance between the ribs increases as the ribs go away from the face portion.

14. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein the sole portion excluding the ribs has thickness in a range of from 1 mm to 2 mm.

15. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein each of the ribs has height in a range of from 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

16. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein a base portion of each of ribs has width in a range of from 2 mm to 10 mm.

17. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein each of the ribs has length in a range of from 40% to 100% of a length of the sole portion in a front/rear direction including both ends of each of ribs.

18. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein a number of the ribs is in a range of from 1 to 10.

19. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein the ribs are provided on an interior of the hollow club head.

20. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein salient portions are provided on a bottom surface of the sole portion to extend from the face portion toward the back-side side portion.

21. The golf club head according to claim 20, wherein the salient portions are provided on an interior of the hollow club head.

22. A hollow golf club head made of metal, the golf club comprising:

a face portion;

a sole portion;

a toe-side side portion;

a heel-side side portion;

a back-side side portion;

a crown portion; and

a hosel portion,

wherein a plurality of grooves are defined in the crown portion to extend from the toe-side side portion toward the heel-side side portion, wherein the grooves are formed in curved lines and are bent to bulge toward the back-side side portion.

23. A hollow golf club head made of metal, the golf club comprising:

a face portion;

a sole portion;

a toe-side side portion;

a heel-side side portion;

a back-side side portion;

a crown portion; and

a hosel portion,

wherein a plurality of grooves are defined in the crown portion to extend from the toe-side side portion toward the heel-side side portion,

further wherein ribs are provided on the sole portion to extend from the face portion toward the back-side side portion.

24. The golf club head according to claim 23, wherein the ribs are in parallel to each other and are substantially perpendicular to the face portion.

25. The golf club head according to claim 23, wherein the ribs are provided radially so that each distance between the ribs increases as the ribs go away from the face portion.

26. A hollow golf club head made of metal, the golf club comprising:

a face portion;

a sole portion;

a toe-side side portion;

a heel-side side portion;

a back-side side portion;

a crown portion; and

a hosel portion,

wherein a plurality of grooves are defined in the crown portion to extend from the toe-side side portion toward the heel-side side portion, and

further wherein salient portions are provided on a bottom surface of the sole portion to extend from the face portion toward the back-side side portion.