Golf club head including alignment device

• US 7,226,362 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Geometrix Golf Co.
• Original Assignee: Geometrix Golf Co.
• Inventors: Schell, Daniel, Hoff, Richard E., Stein, Allan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/020,071
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 473/253, 473/254, 473/240, 473/241, 473/238, 473/249, 473/250, 473/251, 473/252, 473/231, 333/34, D21742-746, D21/751, 273/DIG.14
• US Class Current: 473/238
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3685 Putters or attachments on putters, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence

Abstract

A golf club head includes a transparent cylinder with a sight on top and target on the bottom for indicating to the golfer when the club head is level and on line. An exemplary sight includes a centered disk surrounded by concentric rings; some rings being transparent. The target includes a larger central disk sounded by concentric rings of contrasting color or pattern. At the preferred club orientation, the center of the sight is vertically aligned with the center of the target and the vertical sight picture includes at least four concentric colored or patterned rings. In a second embodiment, the sight and target each include a swing stripe in the swing direction. The relative location of the sight and target centers and swing stripes show the golfer the position of the club head relative to the ball and aid in swing smoothness.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a ball striking face having a predetermined ball-striking location thereon for striking a ball;

said face defining a plane having a predetermined preferred vertical orientation and;

a bottom;

a top;

alignment means comprising;

an alignment device comprising;

a sight having a center and comprising

a first centered figure having a perimeter and a color or pattern;

a first concentric ring surrounding said first centered figure;

said first concentric ring being transparent;

a second concentric ring having a pattern or color and an inside perimeter radially outwardly spaced from the perimeter of said first centered figure and an outside perimeter; and

a third concentric ring surrounding said second concentric ring;

said third concentric ring being transparent; and

a target disposed below said sight and separated therefrom by a transparent medium;

said target having a center and comprising;

a second centered figure having a perimeter larger than the perimeter of said first centered figure and distinguishable in color or pattern from said first centered figure; and

a fourth concentric ring having an inside perimeter smaller than said inside perimeter of said second concentric ring and an outside perimeter larger than said outside perimeter of said second concentric ring and distinguishable in color or pattern from said second concentric ring; and

attaching means for attaching said alignment device to said head such that said striking face is at the preferred vertical orientation when the center of said sight is vertically aligned with the center of said target such that the resulting vertical sight picture includes at least four concentric colored or patterned rings.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

said alignment means includes;

a rod having a top and a bottom wherein said sight is disposed on said top of said rod.

3. The golf club head of claim 2 wherein:

said attachment means includes;

a cavity in said top of said head for receiving said rod.

4. A golf club head comprising:

a ball striking face having a predetermined ball-striking location thereon for striking a ball;

said face defining a plane having a predetermined preferred vertical orientation for striking a ball;

said head having a horizontal plane with said face in the preferred vertical orientation;

a heel;

a toe;

the heel-toe direction defining the lateral direction;

a bottom;

a top; and

a back opposite said face;

the front-back direction defining the swing direction; and

alignment means comprising;

an alignment device comprising;

a sight including;

a center indicator; and

a swing stripe having a length in the swing direction and having a lateral width and

a target disposed vertically below said sight and separated therefrom by a transparent medium;

said target including;

a center indicator; and

a swing stripe having a length in the swing direction and having a lateral width wider than the width of said swing stripe of said sight and distinguishable in color or pattern from said swing stripe of said sight; and

attachment means for attaching said alignment device to said head such that said striking face is at the preferred vertical orientation when the center of said sight is vertically aligned with the center of said target such that the resulting vertical sight picture includes said swing stripe of said sight being laterally bordered by equal widths of said swing stripe of said target.

5. The golf club head of claim 4 wherein:

said sight includes a lateral stripe orthogonal to said swing stripe of said sight;

said lateral stripe of said sight having a length in the lateral direction and a width; and

said target includes a lateral stripe orthogonal to said swing stripe of said target;

said lateral stripe of said target having a length in the lateral direction and a width.

6. The golf club head of claim 5 wherein:

said lateral stripe of said sight or a projection thereof crosses said swing stripe of said sight at the center of said sight; and

said lateral stripe of said target or a projection crosses said swing stripe of said target at the center of said target.

7. A golf club head comprising:

a ball striking face having a predetermined ball-striking location thereon for striking a ball;

said face defining a plane having a predetermined preferred vertical orientation for striking a ball;

said head having a horizontal plane with said face in the preferred vertical orientation;

a heel;

a toe;

the heel-toe direction defining the lateral direction;

a bottom;

a top; and

a back opposite said face;

the front-back direction defining the swing direction; and

alignment means comprising;

an alignment device comprising;

a sight having a center and comprising

a first centered figure having a perimeter and a color or pattern;

a swing stripe having a length in the swing direction and having a lateral width and

a target disposed vertically below said sight and separated therefrom by a transparent medium;

said target having a center and comprising;

a second centered figure having a perimeter larger than the perimeter of said first centered figure and distinguishable in color or pattern from said first centered figure; and

a swing stripe having a length in the swing direction and having a lateral width wider than the width of said swing stripe of said sight and distinguishable in color or pattern from said swing stripe of said sight; and

attachment means for attaching said alignment device to said head such that said striking face is at the preferred vertical orientation when the center of said sight is vertically aligned with the center of said target such that the resulting vertical sight picture includes said first centered figure surrounded by a ring of said second centered figure and includes said swing stripe of said sight being laterally bordered by equal widths of said swing stripe of said target.

8. The golf club head of claim 7 wherein:

said alignment means includes;

a rod having a top and a bottom wherein said sight is disposed on said top of said rod.

9. The golf club head of claim 7 wherein:

said attachment means includes;

a cavity in said top of said head for receiving said rod.

10. The golf club head of claim 7 wherein:

said sight includes a lateral stripe orthogonal to said swing stripe of said sight;

said lateral stripe of said sight having a length in the lateral direction and a width; and

said target includes a lateral stripe orthogonal to said swing stripe of said target;

said lateral stripe of said target having a length in the lateral direction and a width.