Golf club head

• US 7,281,985 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2004
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Galloway, J. Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US10/711,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20060046869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 473345-346, 473/349, 473305-315, 473/288, 473244-248
• US Class Current: 473/246
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• 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 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

The golf club head (20) of the present invention allows for the face angle, lie angle, loft angle and shaft diameter of the golf club to be customized to a golfer. The golf club head (20) of the present invention is able to accomplish this by providing a major body (22) and a minor body (23) having a crown section (24) and hosel section (25). The minor bodies (23) have different hosel section (25) orientations thereby allowing for different face angles, loft angle, lie angles and shaft diameters of the golf club (19).

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a major body comprising a sole section, a striking plate section and a ribbon, the major body composed of a metal material, the major body having a plurality of apertures with threaded bores;

a minor body comprising a crown section and a hosel section, the minor body removably attached to the major body, the hosel section oriented relative to the crown section to determine the lie angle and the face angle of the golf club head, wherein the minor body is composed of a non-metal material and the crown section and the hosel section are formed as a single component, the crown section having a thickness ranging from 0.020 inch to 0.150 inch, the minor body comprising a plurality of tabs extending downward, each of the plurality of tabs having a threaded bore and aligned with an aperture of the plurality of apertures of the major body;

a plurality of threaded screws for removably securing the minor body to the major body;

wherein the major body has a mass ranging from 100 grams to 200 grams, and the minor body has a mass ranging from 20 grams to 100 grams;

wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 300 cubic centimeters to 500 cubic centimeters and a hollow interior.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the crown section has an exterior surface and an interior surface, and the hosel section extends downward from the interior surface of the crown section.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the crown section has an exterior surface and an interior surface, and the hosel section extends upward from the exterior surface of the crown section.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the minor body is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, plies of pre-preg, polyurethane, polyamide, ionomer and polybutadiene.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the major body is composed of a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, titanium alloy, steel, steel alloys, magnesium, magnesium alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys.

6. A golf club head comprising:

a major body comprising a sole section, a striking plate section and a ribbon, the major body having a plurality of apertures with threaded bores;

a plurality of minor bodies, each of the plurality of minor bodies comprising a crown section and a hosel section, the hosel section of each of the plurality of minor bodies having a different orientation relative to the crown section, the hosel section oriented relative to the crown section to determine the lie angle and the face angle of the golf club head, the crown section having a thickness ranging from 0.020 inch to 0.150 inch, each of the plurality of minor bodies comprising a plurality of tabs extending downward, each of the plurality of tabs having a threaded bore and aligned with an aperture of the plurality of apertures of the major body;

a plurality of threaded screws for removably securing the minor body to the major body;

wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 300 cubic centimeters to 500 cubic centimeters and a hollow interior.

7. The golf club head according to claim 6 wherein the plurality of minor bodies comprises a first minor body and a second minor body, the first minor body having a hosel section oriented relative to the crown section to provide a golf club head with a lie angle of fifty-six degrees and a face angle of zero degree, the second minor body having a hosel section oriented relative to the crown section to provide a golf club head with a lie angle of sixty degrees and a face angle of zero degree.

8. The golf club head according to claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of minor bodies is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, plies of pre-preg, polyurethane, polyamide, ionomer and polybutadiene.

9. The golf club head according to claim 6 wherein the major body is composed of a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, titanium alloy, steel, steel alloys, magnesium, magnesium alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys.

10. The golf club head according to claim 6 wherein the major body has a mass ranging from 100 grams to 200 grams, and the minor body has a mass ranging from 20 grams to 100 grams.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a major body comprising a sole section, a striking plate section and a ribbon, the major body composed of a titanium alloy material and having a mass ranging from 100 grams to 200 grams, the major body having a plurality of apertures with threaded bores;

a minor body comprising a crown section and a hosel section, the minor body attached to the major body, the hosel section oriented relative to the crown section to determine the lie angle and the face angle of the golf club head, the minor body composed of a polymer material and having a mass ranging from 20 grams to 100 grams, the crown section having a thickness ranging from 0.020 inch to 0.150 inch, the minor body comprising a plurality of tabs extending downward, each of the plurality of tabs having a threaded bore and aligned with an aperture of the plurality of apertures of the major body;

wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 250 cubic centimeters to 500 cubic centimeters, a hollow interior, and a mass ranging from 185 grams to 215 grams, and the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution ranging from 0.80 to 0.87.

12. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the golf club head has the moment of inertia, Izz, about the Z axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head ranging from 2700 g-cm² to 4000 g-cm².