Golf club with optimum moments of inertia in the vertical and hosel axes

• US 8,333,668 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: De La Cruz, Noah, Golden, Charles E., Morin, John
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US13/238,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20120058839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 473305-350
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A hollow golf club is provided having an outer shell and an inner frame. The outer shell comprises one or more lightweight members. The inner frame fits within a smaller envelope and sits on the sole of the club head. One or more weights are located either on or within the inner frame to optimize the moment of inertia of the club head about both the vertical axis running through the center of gravity or geometric center of the club head, referred to as the “y-axis,” and the axis running through the center of the shaft of the golf club, referred to as the “hosel axis.” The ratio of moment of inertia of the club head about the y-axis to moment of inertia of the club head about the hosel axis is preferably 0.55. More preferably, this ratio is 0.75.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising a shaft and a club head,

wherein the club head comprises a y-axis running the in the vertical direction through the geometric center of the golf club head and a hosel axis running parallel to the center of the shaft and through a hosel base,

wherein the ratio of the MOI (y-axis) to the MOI (hosel axis) is greater than about 0.55, wherein a hitting face and a toe-skirt wing of the club head form a hitting cup and an inner bridge connects a hosel to the toe-skirt wing to support the toe-skirt wing,

wherein the MOI (y-axis) is equal to or greater than about 450 kg·

mm².

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the inner bridge comprises a spring.

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the inner bridge is concave relative to the hitting face.

4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the MOI (hosel axis) is equal to or less than about 800 kg·

mm².

5. The golf club of claim 4, wherein the MOI (hosel axis) is equal to or less than about 710 kg·

mm².

6. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the MOI (y-axis) is equal to or greater than about 470 kg·

mm².

7. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the MOI (y-axis) to the MOI (hosel axis) is greater than about 0.75.

8. The golf club of claim 7, wherein the ratio of the MOI (y-axis) to the MOI (hosel axis) is greater than about 1.0.

9. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the volume of the club head is between about 420 cc and about 460 cc.

10. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the inner frame of the club head fits within an envelope of about 4.5 inches×

4.5 inches×

2.8 inches.

11. The golf club of claim 10, wherein the inner frame of the club head fits within an envelope of about 4.0 inches×

4.0 inches×

2.8 inches.

12. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the MOI (y-axis) is between about 470 kg·

mm² and about 600 kg·

mm² and wherein the MOI (hosel axis) is between about 600 kg·

mm² and about 725 kg·

mm².

13. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the MOI (y-axis) is between about 545 kg·

mm² and about 600 kg·

mm² and wherein the MOI (hosel axis) is between about 600 kg·

mm² and about 725 kg·

mm².

14. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the golf club is constructed from multiple materials.