Golf club assembly and golf club with suspended face plate

• US 8,092,318 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2009
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Oldknow, Andrew G. V., Rahrig, Donald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/577,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20110086722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/329
• 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 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• 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 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A golf club head includes a body member having a front surface, a major recess formed in the front surface, and a plurality of minor recess formed in a surface of the major recess. A face plate includes a front surface, a rear surface, and a plurality of projections extending outwardly from the rear surface. The face plate is received in the major recess, and each projection is received in a corresponding minor recess. A layer of resilient material may be disposed between each projection and the corresponding minor recess.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body member having a front surface, a major recess formed in the front surface, and a plurality of minor recesses formed in a surface of the major recess; and

a face plate having a front surface, a rear surface, a peripheral edge, and a plurality of projections extending outwardly from the rear surface, the peripheral edge of the face plate being spaced from the body member and defining a gap about the entire peripheral edge between the face plate and the body member, the face plate being received in the major recess, and each projection being received in a corresponding minor recess, the rear surface being spaced from a front surface of the major recess to form a spacing therebetween, the spacing being free of material other than the projections.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a tip of each projection is in direct contact with the body member.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the projections and minor recesses are cone shaped.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the front surface of the face plate is flush with the front surface of the body member.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a layer of resilient material disposed between each projection and the corresponding minor recess.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, further comprising an additional layer of resilient material positioned between a peripheral edge of the face plate and the major recess.

7. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the resilient material is urethane.

8. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the resilient material is an elastomer.

9. A golf club head comprising:

a body member having a front surface, a major recess formed in the front surface, and a plurality of recesses formed in a surface of the major recess;

a face plate having a front surface, a rear surface, a peripheral edge, and a plurality of projections extending outwardly from the rear surface, the face plate being received in the major recess, each projection being received in a corresponding minor recess with a tip of each projection being in direct contact with the body member, and the rear surface and peripheral edge of the face plate being spaced from the body member, the rear surface being spaced from a front surface of the major recess to form a spacing therebetween, the spacing being free of material other than the projections; and

a first layer of resilient material disposed between each projection and the corresponding minor recess, and a second layer of resilient material being disposed between the peripheral edge of the face plate and the body member.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the resilient material is urethane.

11. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the resilient material is an elastomer.

12. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the projections and minor recesses are cone shaped.

13. A golf club assembly comprising:

a shaft; and

a club head secured to a first end of the shaft and comprising;

a body member having a front surface, a major recess formed in the front surface, and a plurality of minor recesses formed in a surface of the major recess;

a face plate having a front surface, a rear surface, a peripheral edge, and a plurality of projections extending outwardly from the rear surface, the peripheral edge of the face plate being spaced from the body member and defining a gap about the entire peripheral edge between the face plate and the body member, the face plate being received in the major recess, and each projection being received in a corresponding minor recess, the rear surface being spaced from a front surface of the major recess to form a spacing therebetween, the spacing being free of material other than the projections; and

a layer of resilient material disposed between each projection and the corresponding minor recess.

14. The golf club assembly of claim 13, wherein a tip of each projection is in direct contact with the body member.

15. The golf club assembly of claim 13, wherein the projections and minor recesses are cone shaped.

16. The golf club assembly of claim 13, wherein the front surface of the face plate is flush with the front surface of the body member.

17. The golf club assembly of claim 13, further comprising an additional layer of resilient material positioned between a peripheral edge of the face plate and the major recess.

18. The golf club assembly of claim 13, wherein the resilient material is urethane.

19. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the resilient material is an elastomer.