Muscle back, with insert, iron type golf club head

• US 7,563,176 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Roger Cleveland Golf Company Incorporated (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Wolfe, Kevin A., Roberts, Douglas E., Harman, Todd D., Beck, Christopher J., Newsome, Brent L., Radcliffe, Nathaniel J., Wallans, Michael J., Garner, Trent E., Stone, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/976,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20080058120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473288-292, D21742-752, D21/759
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• 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 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A muscle-back iron golf club head includes a blade-like upper mass, a muscle-like lower mass, a planar front surface, a top surface, a sole surface, a heel surface, a toe surface, and a rear surface having a first contour. A recess is in the rear surface, the recess having a first portion in the blade-like upper mass and a second portion in the muscle-like lower mass. An insert may be provided in the recess, and such insert may substantially fill the recess and may include a back surface having a second contour which is different from the first contour of the club head rear surface.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a striking face;

a rear surface generally opposite the striking face; and

an insert in the rear surface, the insert comprising;

a resilient body; and

a captive member comprising an anterior surface facing away from the striking face, a perimeter wall, and a posterior surface facing toward the striking face, the anterior surface being partially bounded by the resilient body, wherein the resilient body partially overlaps onto the anterior surface, the posterior surface being spaced apart from the rear surface of the striking face.

2. A golf club head comprising:

a front surface;

a rear surface generally opposite the front surface, the rear surface comprising a contoured muscle portion and a blade portion having a substantially constant thickness;

a recess in at least one of the contoured muscle portion and the blade portion;

an insert located at least partially in the recess, the insert comprising at least one opening; and

a captive member located in the opening and comprising an anterior surface facing away from the front surface, a perimeter wall, and a posterior surface facing toward the front surface, the anterior surface being partially bounded by the insert wherein the insert partially overlaps onto the anterior surface, the posterior surface being spaced apart from the rear surface.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the captive member comprises a translucent material.

4. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the insert comprises a material having a durometer hardness in the range from about 25 shore A to about 95 shore A.

5. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the recess defines a generally planar shape parallel to the front surface, the generally planar shape being substantially symmetrical about a first axis and about a second axis, the first and the second axes being mutually perpendicular, parallel to the front surface, and centered on an imaginary line orthogonal to the front surface and containing the geometric center of the front surface.

6. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the recess is at least in part in the blade portion and comprises a depth that is less than about half the thickness of the blade portion.

7. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the captive member comprises a first color and the insert comprises a second color, the first color being different than the second color.

8. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein, the insert protrudes from the rear surface.

9. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the volume of the insert is greater than the volume of the recess.

10. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the insert provides vibration attenuation.

11. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein at least one of the insert and the captive member has a lower specific gravity than the golf club head.

12. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the specific gravity of the insert is between about 0.9 and about 3.0.

13. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the insert comprises at least one of a polymer, a reinforced plastic, and a low density metal.

14. A golf club head comprising:

a front surface;

a rear surface generally opposite the front surface, the rear surface comprising a contoured muscle portion and a blade portion having substantially constant thickness;

a recess located in at least one of the contoured muscle portion and the blade portion;

an insert comprising a first discrete component and a second discrete component, at least one of the first discrete component and the second discrete component comprising at least one opening;

the second discrete component comprising an anterior surface facing away from the front surface, a perimeter wall, and a posterior surface facing toward the front surface, the anterior surface being partially bounded by the first discrete component, wherein the first discrete component partially overlaps onto the anterior surface, the posterior surface being spaced apart from the rear surface.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the first discrete component and the second discrete component comprise the same material.

16. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the first discrete component protrudes from the rear surface.

17. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein at least the first discrete component provides vibration attenuation.

18. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the recess comprises a perimeter wall, the perimeter wall comprising a step.