Golf club head with concave insert

• US 7,658,686 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cobra Golf Company (Puma SE)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Soracco, Peter L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/110,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20060240910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473/292
• US Class Current: 473/342
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A hollow golf club head with a concave portion is disclosed and claimed. The club head includes a metallic portion and a light weight portion, which may be formed of plastic, composite, or the like. The concave portion allows the club designer to make a club head having very thin portions while still maintaining the requisite structural integrity. Convex bulges may optionally be provided to house weight inserts to enhance the playing characteristics of the golf club.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a plurality of body members cooperatively defining an interior volume;

said plurality of body members including a first body member having a sole portion and a face portion, the face portion including score lines; and

said plurality of body members including a second body member coupled to said first body member, said second body member comprising a skirt portion having a plurality of concave indentations extending into said interior volume and a convex bulge extending generally away from said interior volume, wherein the plurality of concave indentations displaces a volume of at least 10 cubic centimeters, and are configured and dimensioned to allow the skirt to withstand stress longitudinally and transversely, and wherein the convex bulge furthers comprises an insert positioned therein having a mass from 1 gram to 50 grams.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

said first body member comprises a first material having a first density; and

said second body member comprises a second material having a second density less than said first density.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein:

said first body member comprises a metallic material; and

said second body member comprises a light-weight metal alloy, a plastic, or a composite material.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

said first body member comprises a first material having a first thickness; and

said second body member comprises a second material having a second thickness less than said first thickness.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein:

said first thickness is from 0.03 inch to 0.05 inch; and

said second thickness is from 0.015 inch to 0.025 inch.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a sole insert coupled to said first body member at said sole portion and a face insert coupled to said first body member at said face portion.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of concave indentations is located on a toe portion of said skirt, substantially opposite a shaft attachment portion of the club head.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of concave indentations is substantially unfilled.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of concave indentations is visible from the exterior of the golf club head.

10. A golf club head, comprising:

a plurality of body members cooperatively defining an interior volume;

said plurality of body members including a first body member having a sole portion and a face portion, the face portion including score lines; and

said plurality of body members including a second body member coupled to said first body member, said second body member comprising a skirt portion having a plurality of concave indentations extending into said interior volume and displacing a volume of at least 10 cubic centimeters;

wherein said second body member further comprises;

a first convex bulge extending generally away from said interior volume, wherein said first convex bulge comprises a first insert; and

a second convex bulge extending generally away from said interior volume, wherein second convex bulge comprises a second insert;

and wherein the plurality of concave indentations is configured and dimensioned to withstand stress longitudinally and transversely.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein said first convex bulge is located on a heel side of the club head and said second convex bulge is located on a toe side of the club head.

12. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein said first and second inserts are weight inserts, each of said inserts having a mass from 1 gram to 50 grams.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein said first weight insert has a greater mass than said second weight insert.

14. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein said second weight insert has a greater mass than said first weight insert.

15. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein:

said first weight insert has a first mass; and

said second weight insert has a second mass substantially equal to said first mass.

16. A golf club head, comprising:

a first body member having a face and an attachment perimeter, the face including score lines; and

a second body member coupled to said first body member along said attachment perimeter to define a club head interior volume;

wherein said second body member includes a plurality of concave indentations extending into said interior volume and a convex bulge extending generally away from said interior volume, wherein said concave indentations displace a volume of at least 10 cubic centimeters and are selectively positioned to withstand stress transversely and longitudinally, and wherein the convex bulge further comprises an insert positioned therein.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein said insert is a weight insert having a mass from 1 gram to 50 grams.

18. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein:

said attachment perimeter contains a step defining two attachment surfaces; and

said second body member is coupled to said first body member along both of said attachment surfaces.

19. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein:

said first body member includes a majority of a sole of the club head; and

said second body member includes a majority of a crown of the club head.

20. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein:

said first body member comprises a metallic material; and

said second body member comprises a plastic or composite material.

21. The golf club head of claim 16, further including a face insert coupled to said first body member.

22. A golf club head, comprising:

a plurality of body members cooperatively defining an interior volume, wherein the plurality of body members comprises;

a first body member having a sole portion and a face portion, wherein the face portion comprises an insert and score lines, and wherein the sole portion comprises a sole insert; and

a second body member coupled to the first body member, wherein the second body member comprises a skirt portion comprising a plurality of concave indentations extending into said interior volume and displacing a volume of at least 10 cubic centimeters, and wherein the plurality of concave indentations are configured and dimensioned to allow the skirt to withstand stress longitudinally and transversely.

23. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the first body member comprises a majority of a sole of the club head and the second body member comprises a majority of a crown of the club head.

24. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the first body member comprises a metallic material and the second body member comprises a plastic or composite material.

25. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the face portion comprises a face insert.

26. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the sole portion comprises a sole insert.

27. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the second body member further comprises a convex bulge extending generally away from the interior volume.