Metal wood club

• US 7,824,277 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Harvell, Christopher D., Burnett, Michael Scott, Murphy, Stephen S., Callinan, Daniel S., Bennett, Thomas Orrin, Meyer, Jeffrey W.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US11/560,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20070149310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 473/314, 473/328, 473/345, 473337-338
• US Class Current: 473/328
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• 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 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/04 Movable ballast means A63B15/005 takes precedence

Abstract

A golf club head is provided with a body that has an address position with a zero degree bounce portion on the sole and a center sole position with a multi-relief surface of the sole having a negative bounce portion. The negative bounce portion may comprise a negative 0.5 to a negative 4.0 degree surface. In one embodiment, the multi-relief surface may comprise the negative bounce portion and a cutaway portion extending to the back of the sole, which may have a depth of about 0.05 to 0.5 inch from a regular sole surface. In another embodiment, the golf club head includes a weight system to adjust the center of gravity. In one embodiment, the weight system is a tube having a weight at one end that may be inserted into the golf club head to move the center of gravity at least forward and backward within 6 mm and up and down within 6 mm. Preferably, the tube is angled downward toward the face by at least 3 degrees.

Claims

1. A golf club head, the club head comprising:

a body having a face, a sole, a crown and a skirt joining the face, sole and crown, the body having a heel end and a toe end,

wherein the body has an address position further comprises;

a zero degree bounce portion on the sole adjacent to the face of the body,

a center sole position with a negative bounce portion at least partially adjacent to the rear of the zero degree bounce portion of the sole,

a cutaway portion at least partially adjacent to the rear of the negative bounce portion of the sole

wherein the cutaway portion has a different bounce angle than the bounce angle of the negative bounce portion, wherein the negative bounce portion has a constant angle, and wherein the cutaway portion forms a depression in the sole of the golf club head.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the negative bounce portion comprises a negative 0.5 to a negative 4.0 degree surface.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the negative bounce portion comprises at least a negative 2.0 degree surface.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the cutaway portion has a depth of about 0.05 to 0.5 inch.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the negative bounce portion is generally triangular.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the negative bounce portion is located on the sole at a distance of about 0.1 to 1.0 inch from the face of the club head.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the negative bounce portion is located on the sole at a distance of about 0.35 to 0.65 inches from the face of the club head.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the negative bounce portion has a constant angle.

9. A golf club head, the club head comprising:

a body having a face, a sole, a crown and a skirt joining the face, sole and crown, the body having a heel end and a toe end,

wherein the body has an address position that further comprises;

a zero degree bounce portion on the sole adjacent to the face of the body having a substantially curved surface spanning from the heel to the toe,

a negative bounce portion at least partially adjacent to the rear of the zero degree bounce portion of the sole having a substantially flat surface wherein the negative bounce portion has a constant angle, and

a cutaway portion at least partially adjacent to the rear of the negative bounce portion of the sole having a substantially curved surface spanning from the heel to the toe wherein the cutaway portion forms a depression in the sole of the golf club head and has a different bounce angle than the bounce angle of the negative bounce portion.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the negative bounce portion is generally triangular.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the triangular shape of the negative bounce portion forms an angle φ

of about 35 to 50 degrees.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the triangular shape of the negative bounce portion forms an angle φ

of about 38 to 44 degrees.

13. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the cutaway portion has a depth of about 0.05 to 0.5 inch.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the negative bounce portion comprises at least a negative 2.0 degree surface.