Extreme weighted hybrid and other wood-type golf clubs and golf club heads

• US 8,337,326 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2012
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Lukasiewicz, Robert Jr., Boyd, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US13/442,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20120196697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 260 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473/256, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/332
• 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 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-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

Wood-type golf club heads include: (a) a club head body member defining an interior chamber; (b) a weight system engaged with a rear perimeter portion of the club head body member; and (c) a connection system connecting the weight system with the club head body (e.g., with the rear of the ball striking face portion). The club heads further may include one or more damping members in the interior chamber to alter the sound and/or otherwise attenuate a vibrational response of the club head. The damping members may extend between the ball striking face and the weight system, and optionally may engage the connection system. The damping member(s) may constitute a foam material compressed within the interior chamber of the club head. Methods of making such golf club head structures also are described.

Claims

1. A wood-type golf club head, comprising:

a club head body member defining an interior chamber;

a weight system engaged with the club head body member and provided at and extending along a perimeter portion of the club head body member, wherein the weight system is sized, shaped, and/or weighted to selectively provide weight at various locations along the club head body member;

a damping member at least partially located within the interior chamber and extending between the club head body member and the weight system; and

a connection system extending from or through the weight system in a direction toward and at least partially through the interior chamber, the connection system engaging the weight system with the club head body member.

2. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the damping member is engaged with the connection system.

3. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the damping member attenuates at least some vibration resulting from contact between a golf ball and the club head body member.

4. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the connection system includes a first connection element extending through the interior chamber and engaging the weight system with the club head body member and a second connection element extending through the interior chamber and engaging the weight system with the club head body member.

5. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the weight system includes a first weight element and a second weight element separate from the first weight element.

6. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the club head body member is a hybrid club structure.

7. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the club head body member is a fairway wood club structure.

8. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the club head body member is a driver structure.

9. A wood-type golf club head, comprising:

a club head body member defining an interior chamber;

a weight system engaged with the club head body member and provided at and extending along a perimeter portion of the club head body member, wherein the weight system forms an exterior-most surface of the club head body member, wherein the weight system is sized, shaped, and/or weighted to selectively provide weight at various locations along the club head body member; and

a connection system extending through the weight system in a direction toward and at least partially through the interior chamber, wherein the connection system includes a first connection element extending through the interior chamber and engaging the weight system with the club head body member and a second connection element extending through the interior chamber and engaging the weight system with the club head body member.

10. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 9, further comprising:

a damping member at least partially located within the interior chamber and extending between the club head body member and the weight system.

11. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 10, wherein the damping member is engaged with the connection system.

12. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 10, wherein the damping member attenuates at least some vibration resulting from contact between a golf ball and the club head body member.

13. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 9, wherein the weight system includes a first weight element and a second weight element separate from the first weight element.

14. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 13, wherein the connection system includes a first connection element extending through the interior chamber and engaging the first weight element with the club head body member and a second connection element extending through the interior chamber and engaging the second weight element with the club head body member.

15. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 9, wherein the club head body member is a hybrid club structure.

16. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 9, wherein the club head body member is a fairway wood club structure.

17. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 9, wherein the club head body member is a driver structure.

18. A wood-type golf club head, comprising:

a face member that includes at least a portion of a fastener system;

a body member engaged with the face member;

a weight system provided and extending along at least some part of a rear perimeter portion of the golf club head, wherein the weight system forms an exterior most surface on the golf club head; and

a connection system extending from or through the weight system to the face member, the connection system engaging the fastener system, wherein the fastener system includes a first fastener element and a second fastener element, and wherein the connection system includes a first connection element engaging the first fastener element and a second connection element engaging the second fastener element,

wherein the face member and the body member at least in part define an interior chamber, wherein the golf club head further includes a damping element provided at least partially within the interior chamber.

19. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 18, wherein the damping element engages at least one of the connection system or the fastener system.

20. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 18, wherein the damping member attenuates at least some vibration resulting from contact between a golf ball and the face member.

21. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 18, wherein the body member is a hybrid club structure.

22. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 18, wherein the body member is a fairway wood club structure.

23. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 18, wherein the body member is a driver structure.

24. A wood-type golf club head, comprising:

a face member that includes at least a portion of a fastener system;

a body member engaged with the face member, wherein the face member and the body member define an interior chamber;

a weight system provided and extending along at least some part of a rear perimeter portion of the golf club head, wherein the weight system is sized, shaped, and/or weighted to selectively provide weight at various locations along the golf club head; and

a connection system extending through the weight system to the face member, the connection system engaging the fastener system,

wherein the fastener system includes a first fastener element and a second fastener element, and wherein the connection system includes a first connection element engaging the first fastener element and a second connection element engaging the second fastener element.

25. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 24 further comprising:

a damping element provided at least partially within the interior chamber.

26. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 25, wherein the damping member attenuates at least some vibration resulting from contact between a golf ball and the face member.

27. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 25, wherein the damping element engages at least one of the connection system or the fastener system.

28. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 24, wherein the body member is a hybrid club structure.

29. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 24, wherein the body member is a fairway wood club structure.

30. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 24, wherein the body member is a driver structure.