Golf club head with gas cushion

• US 7,326,127 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• 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: Chen, Yu-Hong, Hou, Wen-Ching
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Eugene
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US10/865,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20050266931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 473/326, 473/332, 473/333, 473/346
• 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 including a striking plate being engaged therewith, the body further including a front side and a rear side, the body being constructed from an iron club head body including a back cavity and an unsealed compartment, the back cavity exposing the rear side of the striking plate, the body further including a club weight member extending upward from a bottom thereof, the unsealed compartment being defined between the club weight member and the rear side of the striking plate; 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 clastomeric material, the gas chamber being filled with a gas to provide said at least one gas cushion with compressibility, said at least one gas cushion being received in the unsealed compartment of the body and conforming to the shape of the compartment;

said compartment has an upward-facing opening and communicated with the back cavity, said at least one gas cushion being in intimate contact with the rear side of the striking plate.

2. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastomeric material of the bladder is selected from the group including rubber, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomers, and high-molecular elastomeric resins.

3. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastomeric material has a hardness between Shore A 40 and Shore D 40.

4. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gas chamber in the bladder is sealed and has a pressure not lower than atmosphere.

5. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gas chamber is sealed and further contains liquid.

6. The golf club head as claimed in claim 5, wherein the liquid is selected from the group including water, oil, gel-like fluid, non-corrosive water solution, organic solution, mixed solution, and viscous solution.

7. 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.

8. 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.