Golf club head weight reinforcement

• US 7,419,441 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2005
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Willett, Kraig A., Lorentzen, John F., Saliba, Allan C., Hoffman, Joseph H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/065,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20050209021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473290-292
• US Class Current: 473/334
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• 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 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A wood-type golf club head is described that includes a body including one or more walls defining an interior cavity and multiple weight ports formed in the body. At least one weight is configured to be retained at least partially within at least one of the weight ports. One or more fins or ribs are secured to each of the weight ports and to another structural member of the golf club head.

Claims

1. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a body comprising one or more walls defining an interior cavity;

a plurality of weight ports formed in the body; and

at least one weight configured to be retained at least partially within at least one of the weight ports; and

a plurality of ribs secured to the weight ports and to at least one of the one or more walls, wherein at least one of the ribs is secured to each of the weight ports;

wherein the body comprises a face plate positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, of the golf club head, and a skirt positioned around a periphery of the golf club head between the sole and the crown, and

wherein a horizontal axis of a rib of the plurality of ribs forms a non-zero angle relative to a horizontal axis along the face plate.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the non-zero angle is about forty-five degrees.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a height axis along the rib perpendicular to the horizontal axis along the rib is substantially parallel to a height axis along the face plate that is perpendicular to the horizontal axis along the face plate.

4. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a body comprising one or more walls defining an interior cavity;

a plurality of weight ports formed in the body; and

at least one weight configured to be retained at least partially within at least one of the weight ports; and

a plurality of ribs secured to the weight ports and to at least one of the one or more walls, wherein at least one of the ribs is secured to each of the weight ports;

wherein the body comprises a face plate positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head, and a skirt positioned around a periphery of the golf club head between the sole and the crown,

wherein the weight ports comprise a first weight port proximate a toe portion of the golf cub head, and a second weight port proximate a heel portion of the golf club head,

wherein the one or more ribs comprise a first rib secured to the first weight port and a second rib secured to the second weight port,

wherein the first and second weight ports are formed in the sole,

wherein the first rib extends at least about 3 mm above an intersection between the first weight port and the first rib, and

wherein the second rib extends at least about 3 mm above an intersection between the second weight port and the second rib.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the first rib extends at least about 5 mm above the intersection between the first weight port and the first rib, and the second rib extends at least about 5 mm above the intersection between the second weight port and the second rib.

6. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a body comprising one or more walls defining an interior cavity;

a plurality of weight ports formed in the body; and

at least one weight configured to be retained at least partially within at least one of the weight ports; and

a plurality of ribs secured to the weight ports and to at least one of the one or more walls, wherein at least one of the ribs is secured to each of the weight ports;

wherein the weight ports comprise a weight port having a cantilevered portion and the one or more ribs comprise a rib secured to the cantilevered portion.

7. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising one or more walls defining an interior cavity;

a plurality of weight ports each comprising a cantilevered portion at least partially within the cavity, wherein each cantilevered portion comprises a base mounted to at least one of the one or more walls, and the cantilevered portion extends a cantilevered length from the base;

at least one weight configured to be retained at least partially within at least one of the weight ports; and

one or more ribs each secured to the cantilevered portion of one of the weight ports and to another structural member of the golf club head, wherein at least one of the one or more ribs is secured to each of the weight ports.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the one or more ribs comprise a first rib that is secured to the cantilevered portion of a first weight port of the plurality of weight ports in a region extending to a point on the cantilevered portion of the first weight port that is at least about twenty percent of the cantilevered length from the base of the cantilevered portion of the first weight port.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the point is at least about eighty percent of the cantilevered length from the base.

10. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the first rib extends along the cantilevered portion of the first weighted assembly from the base to the point.

11. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the weight ports comprise first and second weight ports, and the one or more ribs comprise a rib extending from the first weight port to the second weight port.

12. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the one or more walls comprise a face plate positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head, and a skirt positioned around a periphery of the golf club head between the sole and the crown.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein a first rib of the one or more ribs is secured to the sole.

14. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein a first rib of the one or more ribs is secured to the crown.

15. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein a first rib of the one or more ribs is secured to the skirt.

16. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the one or more ribs comprise a plurality of ribs secured to each of the weight ports.

17. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein a first mode of vibration of the head is greater than about 3400 Hz.

18. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising one or more walls defining an interior cavity;

at least one weight port comprising a cantilevered portion at least partially within the cavity, wherein the cantilevered portion comprises a base mounted to at least one of the one or more walls, and the cantilevered portion extends a cantilevered length from the base;

at least one weight configured to be retained at least partially within the at least one weight port; and

at least one rib secured to the cantilevered portion of the at least one weight port and to another structural member of the golf club head.