Forged iron head and golf club having the same

• US 7,867,105 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lime Global Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Seok Jin Moon
• Inventors: Moon, Seok Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/345,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20090298615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473/314, D21747-749
• US Class Current: 473/314
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A forged iron head for a golf club has a face for hitting a golf ball, a top and a sole extending to upper and lower parts of a rear side of the face, a heel and a toe disposed between the sole and the top, a cavity disposed in the rear side of the face and surrounded by the sole, the top, the heel and the toe and a hosel coupled with a shaft extending from a first side of the face and having a handle part to be gripped by a player. The head comprises a hollow part with an opening formed from the sole toward a first side of the cavity, and a sole cover which closes the opening. The formation of the hollow part lowers the centroid of the iron head, thereby improving flight distances and direction of a golf ball.

Claims

1. A forged iron head for use in a golf club, the head comprising:

a face having a surface for hitting a golf ball,

a top and a sole extending to an upper part and a lower part of a rear side of the face, respectively,

a heel and a toe disposed between the sole and the top and extending to the rear side of the face,

a cavity disposed in the rear side of the face and surrounded by the sole, the top, the heel and the toe,

a hosel coupled with a shaft extending from a first side of the face and having a handle part to be gripped by a player;

a hollow part which has an opening formed from the sole toward a first side of the cavity, wherein the hollow part is formed by milling a first volume of material having a first weight from the forged iron head; and

a sole cover which closes the opening, wherein the sole cover has a second weight as much as the first weight,

wherein the sole cover has a second volume smaller than the first volume;

the sole cover has a density higher than the density of the sole or the face;

the hollow part has an irregular depth when measured from the sole;

the hollow part has a depth which increases linearly before decreasing linearly in a direction away from the hosel; and

the hollow part has a width larger than a distance from the face surface to the cavity, wherein the width is measured in a direction orthogonal to the face surface.

2. The forged iron head according to claim 1, wherein the face, top, sole, heel, toe, and hosel are formed of wrought iron.

3. The forged iron head according to claim 1, wherein the hollow part has a depth such that a distance from the cavity to the hollow part is substantially constant over the area of the hollow part.

4. The forged iron head according to claim 1, wherein the sole cover is formed of a material having higher density than a material of the face.

5. The forged iron head according to claim 4, further comprising:

a stepped part formed to be adjacent to the opening of the hollow part and to couple with an edge of the sole cover.

6. The forged iron head according to claim 1, further comprising:

a projection formed in a central part of the hollow part; and

wherein the sole cover contacts with an end of the projection.

7. The forged iron head according to claim 6, wherein the projection is a partition wall that partitions the hollow part into two hollow parts, and wherein the sole cover contacts with the end of the partition wall such that the two hollow parts are closed by the sole cover.

8. The forged iron head according to claim 1, wherein the sole cover is formed of a material having higher density than a material of the sole.

9. A golf club which has a forged iron head, the golf club comprising:

a handle part which is provided to be gripped by a player;

a shaft whose upper side is coupled with the handle part;

a forged head comprising;

a face having a surface for hitting a golf ball,

a top and a sole extending to an upper part and a lower part of a rear side of the face, respectively,

a heel and a toe disposed between the sole and the top and extending to the rear side of the face,

a cavity disposed in the rear side of the face and surrounded by the sole, the top, the heel and the toe,

a hosel coupled with the shaft extending from a first side of the face and having the handle part;

a hollow part which has an opening formed from the sole toward a first side of the cavity;

a projection formed in a central part of the hollow part; and

a sole cover which closes the opening and contacts with an end of the projection such that the projection acts as a stopper and a hollow cavity is formed around the projection in the hollow part.

10. The golf club according to claim 9, wherein the projection is a partition wall that partitions the hollow part into two hollow parts, and wherein the sole cover contacts with the end of the partition wall such that the two hollow parts are closed by the sole cover.

11. The golf club according to claim 9, wherein an angle of the hosel with respect to the lower part of the face and an angle of the hosel with respect to the face surface comply with predetermined standards.