Golf club head with insert having indicia therein

• US 7,959,519 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clear Golf LLC
• Original Assignee: Clear Golf LLC
• Inventors: Zielke, Donovan, Twibell, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/130,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20080312006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 473219-256, 473324-350, 473/286, D21736-746, 273/DIG.14
• US Class Current: 473/249
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3685 Putters or attachments on putters, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/00 Advertising on or in specific articles, e.g. ashtrays, letter-boxes on or in vehicles G09F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/0066 on sports articles, e.g. golf clubs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/14 Transparent

Abstract

A golf club head having an insert forming a window through the golf club head is described. The golf club head has upper and lower surfaces. The golf club head includes a body with a heel, a toe, a front portion with a striking face, and a back portion. The front portion of the body forms a striking face. The body includes an aperture extending from the upper surface to the lower surface and extending from the front portion to an inside portion of the back portion. An insert is secured within the aperture. An indicia within the insert is visible from the upper and lower surfaces of the golf club head.

Claims

1. A golf club head having upper and lower surfaces, comprising:

a body defined as having a heel, a toe, a front portion with a defined striking face, and a back portion;

an aperture in the body extending from the upper surface to the lower surface and extending from the front portion to an inside portion of the back portion;

an insert secured within the aperture;

the insert comprises a flange portion that forms a bottom surface of the insert, and the insert comprise an aperture portion, which is smaller in diameter or size than the flange portion, wherein the aperture portion is integral to the flange portion;

an indicia within the insert that is visible from the upper and lower surfaces of the golf club head; and

the front portion of the body forms the defined striking face.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a backside arc portion extends from the heel to the toe and from the front portion to the back portion.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body encircles the insert.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a lower body defining a lower body aperture and an upper body defining an upper body aperture.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the upper body forms the defined striking face.

6. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the upper body and the lower body are joined together and secure the insert.

7. The club head of claim 1, wherein the insert is of a transparent or semi transparent material.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the insert substantially fills the aperture.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body is of a material selected from one or more of the following, bismuth metal, bismuth oxide, or bismuth trioxide.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the indicia comprises an image of a logo, word, letter, number, design, trademark, brand, corporate name, writings, phrases, or combinations thereof.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the indicia comprises a two dimensional image of a golf ball, a three dimensional image of a golf ball, a straight line, or combination thereof.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the indicia comprises an image on both an upper surface of the indicia and on a bottom surface of the indicia.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the image is the same on both on the upper surface and on the bottom surface of the indicia.

14. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein a first image is on the upper surface and a second image is on the bottom surface of the indicia, and the second image is different from the first image.

15. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the indicia is embedded in the insert.

16. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a lower body defining a lower body aperture and an upper body defining an upper body aperture;

wherein the aperture portion of the insert is inserted into the upper body aperture and the flange portion rests against a shelf portion in the upper body aperture, and a joining of the lower body to the upper body secures the insert in a fixed position in the golf club head.

17. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defined as having a heel, a toe, a front portion with a defined striking face, a back portion, an upper surface, and a lower surface;

an opening in the body extending though the body from the upper surface to the lower surface of body;

an insert made from a transparent or semi-transparent plastic material secured within the opening, the insert comprises a flange portion that forms a bottom surface of the insert, and the insert comprise an aperture portion, which is smaller in diameter or size than the flange portion, wherein the aperture portion is integral to the flange portion;

wherein the insert substantially fills the opening, and an indicia is embedded in the insert that is visible from the upper and lower surfaces of the body.

18. A golf club head, comprising:

an upper body comprising a striking face, a heel portion and a toe portion;

the upper body defining an upper body aperture;

a lower body forming a part of a bottom surface of the golf club head;

the lower body defining a lower body aperture;

a transparent or semi-transparent insert comprising an indicia;

the insert comprises a flange portion that forms a bottom surface of the insert, and the insert comprise an aperture portion, which is smaller in diameter or size than the flange portion, wherein the aperture portion is integral to the flange portion; and

the lower body joinable to the upper body to secure the insert within the lower body aperture and the upper body aperture.