Golf club

• US 7,294,064 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2006
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: K.K. Endo Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: K.K. Endo Seisakusho
• Inventors: Ando, Takayuki, Kobayashi, Katsuhiro, Tsurumaki, Masaei
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/482,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20070021234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type

Abstract

In a driver golf head (1) comprising a face (4) having a hitting surface, a sole (3) forming a lower portion, and a crown (5) forming an upper portion, the sole (3) is improved. The sole (3) in the position close to the face (4) was formed into an elastically deformable recess-projection shape, and part of the face (4) was formed into a projecting shape and integrated with the sole (3) to increase rigidity. Using a configuration with increased rigidity and decreased rigidity between the face (4) and sole to obtain an elastically deformable portion and providing a high-rigidity body (12) increased the repulsion force in the lower portion of the face and extended the traveling distance of the golf ball.

Claims

1. A golf club having a hollow golf club head, said golf club comprising:

a metallic face portion disposed at a front of said hollow golf club head and having a hitting surface for hitting a golf ball; and

a body portion constituting a remaining part thereof, said body portion comprising;

a metallic sole forming a lower portion of said hollow golf club head;

a crown forming an upper portion of said hollow golf club head;

a toe forming a forepart of said hollow golf club head;

a heel forming a rear part of said hollow golf club head;

a back positioned opposite said metallic face portion to form a back part of said hollow golf club head; and

a hosel to which a shaft is connected,

wherein said golf club further comprises;

an elastically deformable portion which is formed in said metallic sole portion in the vicinity of the end portion of said metallic face portion and has a structure that can be deformed elastically in response to said hitting, wherein the plate thickness of said metallic sole portion is thinner than the plate thickness of said metallic face portion; and

a high-rigidity portion which is disposed in said metallic sole portion on the side of said back of said elastically deformable portion for increasing the rigidity of said disposed portion and for restoring elastic deformation with repulsion force close to explosiveness,

wherein said elastically deformable portion is disposed in an area where the lower portion of said metallic face portion and said metallic sole are joined, and

Young'"'"'s modulus of material which makes said high rigidity portion is lower than Young'"'"'s modulus of other material which comprises said metallic sole portion.

2. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein said elastically deformable portion comprises different members from other members which comprise said metallic sole portion.

3. The golf club according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said high-rigidity portion is a high-rigidity body which is disposed in the form of a plurality of sections.