Golf club head with gas cushion

• US 7,281,989 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fusheng Precision Co., Ltd
• Original Assignee: FU Sheng Industrial Company Limited (Cooperative Valiant APO Global UA)
• Inventors: Hou, Wen-Ching, Chen, Yu-Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Eugene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunter; Alvin A
• Application Number:
  US11/344,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20060128497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/326
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0495 moving on impact, slidable, spring or otherwise elastically biased
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• 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 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A golf club head includes a body, a striking plate engaged with the body and including a front side for striking a golf ball, and at least one gas cushion mounted in the body and behind the striking plate. The gas cushion includes a bladder defining a gas chamber. The bladder is made of an elastomeric material. The gas chamber is filled with at least a gas to provide said at least one gas cushion with compressibility.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body, a striking plate being engaged with the body and including a front side for striking a golf ball and a rear side; and

at least one gas cushion mounted in the body and behind the striking plate, said at least one gas cushion including a bladder defining a gas chamber, the bladder being made of an elastomeric material, the gas chamber being filled with at least a gas to provide said at least one gas cushion with compressibility,

wherein the body is an iron club head body including a back cavity and a compartment, the back cavity exposing the rear side of the striking plate, said at least one gas cushion being received in the compartment,

wherein the compartment has a rearward-facing opening, the rear side of the striking plate delimiting the compartment, a portion of said at least one gas cushion being in intimate contact with the rear side of the striking plate, and

wherein a surface of the gas cushion is exposed through the rearward-facing opening.

2. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one gas cushion is in intimate contact with the rear side of the striking plate at a location opposite to a sweet spot of the striking plate.

3. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one gas cushion is in intimate contact with the rear side of the striking plate at a location opposite to a residual vibration concentrating area.

4. A golf club head comprising:

a body, a striking plate being engaged with the body and including a front side for striking a golf ball and a rear side; and

at least one gas cushion mounted in the body and behind the striking plate, said at least one gas cushion including a bladder defining a gas chamber, the bladder being made of an elastomeric material, the gas chamber being filled with at least a gas to provide said at least one gas cushion with compressibility,

wherein the body is an iron club head body including a back cavity and a compartment, the back cavity exposing the rear side of the striking plate, said at least one gas cushion being received in the compartment, and

wherein the compartment has a rearward-facing opening and is not communicated with the back cavity and not delimited by the rear side of the striking plate such that said at least one gas cushion is not in direct contact with the rear side of the striking plate.