Extreme weighted hybrid and other wood-type golf clubs and golf club heads

• US 7,785,212 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Lukasiewicz, Robert Jr., Boyd, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/031,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20090209364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473/256
• US Class Current: 473/332
• 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 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

Wood-type golf club heads include: (a) a club head body member defining an interior chamber; (b) a weight system engaged with a rear perimeter portion of the club head body member; and (c) a connection system connecting the weight system with the club head body (e.g., with the rear of the ball striking face portion). The club heads further may include one or more damping members in the interior chamber to alter the sound and/or otherwise attenuate a vibrational response of the club head. The damping members may extend between the ball striking face and the weight system, and optionally may engage the connection system. The damping member(s) may constitute a foam material compressed within the interior chamber of the club head. Methods of making such golf club head structures also are described.

Claims

1. A wood-type golf club head, comprising:

a club head body member defining an interior chamber, the club head body member including a ball striking face portion, a crown portion, and a sole portion;

a weight system engaged with the club head body member and provided at a perimeter portion of the club head body member at a location rearward of the ball striking face portion;

a damping member at least partially located within the interior chamber and extending between the ball striking face portion and the weight system; and

a connection system extending from or through the weight system in a direction toward and at least partially through the interior chamber and toward the ball striking face portion of the club head body member, wherein the connection system includes a first connection element extending through the interior chamber and engaging the weight system with the ball striking face portion and a second connection element extending through the interior chamber and engaging the weight system with the ball striking face portion.

2. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the club head body member includes a ball striking face member and a separate crown member, wherein the ball striking face member forms at least part of the ball striking face portion and the crown member forms at least part of the crown portion, wherein the crown member is engaged with the ball striking face member.

3. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the club head body member includes a ball striking face member and a separate crown member, wherein the ball striking face member forms at least part of the ball striking face portion and the crown member forms at least part of the crown portion, wherein the crown member is engaged with the weight system.

4. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the club head body member includes a ball striking face member, a separate crown member, and a separate sole member.

5. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the club head body member includes a ball striking face member and an aft body member, wherein the ball striking face member forms at least part of the ball striking face portion and the aft body member forms at least part of the crown portion and the sole portion.

6. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the damping member attenuates at least some vibration resulting from contact between a golf ball and the ball striking face portion.

7. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the damping member is engaged with at least the first connection element.

8. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second damping member at least partially located within the interior chamber and extending between the ball striking face portion and the weight system.

9. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 8, wherein the first damping member is engaged with the first connection element and the second damping member is engaged with the second connection element.

10. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the club head body member is a hybrid club structure.

11. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the club head body member is a fairway wood club structure.

12. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the club head body member is a driver structure.

13. A wood-type golf club head, comprising:

a face member including a ball striking face, wherein an interior portion of the face member includes at least a portion of a fastener system, wherein the fastener system includes a first fastener element and a second fastener element;

a body member engaged with the face member, wherein the body member includes at least a crown portion, wherein the face member and the body member at least in part define an interior chamber;

a weight system provided along at least some part of a rear perimeter portion of the golf club head;

a damping element provided at least partially within the interior chamber; and

a connection system extending from or through the weight system to the face member, the connection system engaging the fastener system, wherein the connection system includes a first connection element engaging the first fastener element and a second connection element engaging the second fastener element.

14. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 13, wherein the damping element engages at least one of the first connection element or the first fastener element.

15. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 13, wherein the golf club head further includes a second damping element provided at least partially within the interior chamber.

16. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 15, wherein the first damping element engages at least one of the first connection element or the first fastener element and the second damping element engages at least one of the second connection element or the second fastener element.

17. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 13, wherein the club head body member is a hybrid club structure.

18. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 13, wherein the club head body member is a fairway wood club structure.

19. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 13, wherein the club head body member is a driver structure.

20. A wood-type golf club, comprising:

a wood-type golf club head including;

a club head body member defining an interior chamber, the club head body member including a ball striking face portion, a crown portion, and a sole portion,

a weight system engaged with the club head body member and provided at a perimeter portion of the club head body member at a location rearward of the ball striking face portion,

a damping member at least partially located within the interior chamber and extending between the ball striking face portion and the weight system, and

a connection system extending from or through the weight system in a direction toward and at least partially through the interior chamber and toward the ball striking face portion of the club head body member, wherein the connection system includes a first connection element extending through the interior chamber and engaging the weight system with the ball striking face portion and a second connection element extending through the interior chamber and engaging the weight system with the ball striking face portion; and

a shaft member engaged with the golf club head.

21. A wood-type golf club, comprising:

a golf club head including;

a face member including a ball striking face, wherein an interior portion of the face member includes at least a portion of a fastener system, wherein the fastener system includes a first fastener element and a second fastener element,

a body member engaged with the face member, wherein the body member includes at least a crown portion, wherein the face member and the body member at least in part define an interior chamber,

a weight system provided along at least some part of a rear perimeter portion of the golf club head,

a damping element provided at least partially within the interior chamber, and

a connection system extending from or through the weight system to the face member, the connection system engaging the fastener system, wherein the connection system includes a first connection element engaging the first fastener element and a second connection element engaging the second fastener element; and

a shaft member engaged with the golf club head.