Golf club head with concave insert

• US 8,226,499 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cobra Golf Company (Puma SE)
• Original Assignee: Cobra Golf Company (Puma SE)
• Inventors: Soracco, Peter L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US13/185,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20110275455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/334
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-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

A hollow golf club head with a concave portion is disclosed and claimed. The club head includes a metallic portion and a light weight portion, which may be formed of plastic, composite, or the like. The concave portion allows the club designer to make a club head having very thin portions while still maintaining the requisite structural integrity. Convex bulges may optionally be provided to house weight inserts to enhance the playing characteristics of the golf club.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising a plurality of body members cooperatively defining an interior volume, wherein the plurality of body members comprise:

a first body member comprising a portion of a crown of the club head, the entire ball striking face of the club head, and a portion of a sole of the club head;

a second body member comprising a portion of the crown of the club head, and a portion of sole of the club head, the second body member attached to the first body member along an attachment perimeter along the club head;

wherein the first body member is comprised of a metallic material, and the second body member is comprised of a material lighter in density than the metallic material of the first body member; and

wherein the second body member comprises at least one weight insert, and at least one empty concave indentation extending towards the interior volume and not visible to a golfer at address.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the at least one weight insert has a mass between 1 gram and 50 grams.

3. The golf club of claim 1 wherein the second body member further comprises a convex bulge that extends generally away from the interior volume.

4. The golf club of claim 3, wherein the weight insert is inside of the convex bulge.

5. The golf club of claim 3 wherein the second body member further comprises a second convex bulge that extend generally away from the interior volume.

6. The golf club of claim 5, wherein the convex bulge is on a heel side and the second convex bulge is on a toe side of the club head.

7. The golf club of claim 5, wherein the weight insert is in the convex bulge, and further wherein the second body member comprises a second weight insert in the second convex bulge.

8. The golf club of claim 7, wherein a mass of the weight insert is different from a mass of the second weight insert.

9. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the second body member further comprises a second weight insert.

10. The golf club of claim 9, wherein a mass of the second weight insert is greater than a mass of the first weight insert.

11. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the concave indentation displaces at least 25 cubic centimeters of the interior volume.

12. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the attachment perimeter comprises a step defining two attachment surfaces.

13. A golf club head comprising a plurality of body members cooperatively defining an interior volume, wherein the plurality of body members comprise:

a first body member comprising a portion of a crown of the club head, the entire ball striking face of the club head, and a portion of a sole of the club head;

a second body member comprising a portion of the crown of the club head, a portion of a skirt of the club head, and a portion of sole of the club head, the second body member attached to the first body member along an attachment perimeter along the club head;

wherein the first body member is comprised of a metallic material, and the second body member is comprised of a material lighter in density than the metallic material of the first body member; and

wherein the second body member comprises;

at least one concave indentation extending towards the interior volume and displacing at least 10 cubic centimeters of an interior volume of the club head;

a convex bulge that extends generally away from the interior volume; and

at least one weight insert inside of the convex bulge and not visible from outside of the club head.

14. The golf club of claim 13 wherein the concave indentation is not visible to a golfer at address.

15. The golf club of claim 13, wherein the second body member further comprises a plurality of convex bulges.

16. The golf club of claim 15, wherein one of the plurality of convex bulges is on a heel side of the club head and one of the plurality of convex bulges is on a toe side of the club head.

17. The golf club of claim 16 wherein the second body member comprises:

a weight insert having a mass inside of the heel side convex bulge; and

a second weight insert having a second mass inside of the toe side convex bulge, and wherein one of the mass and the second mass is greater than the other.

18. The golf club of claim 13, wherein the concave indentation is empty and further comprising an additional empty concave indentation.

19. The golf club of claim 18, wherein the concave indentations are of uniform size.

20. The golf club of claim 18, wherein the concave indentations are of varying size.