Golf club with a support bracket

• US 8,353,784 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Boyd, Robert, Oldknow, Andrew G. V., Liber, Adam D.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/624,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20110124433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/334
• 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 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• 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 cavity back golf club and golf club head having one or more support brackets is disclosed. Each support bracket includes a first portion engaged with the rear surface of the striking face, a second portion engaged with the perimeter weighting member, and a third portion that is curved. The one or more of the support brackets are engaged with a rear surface of a striking face and a perimeter weight member of the golf club head. The one or more support brackets are at least partially located in a rear cavity of the golf club head. The support brackets provide structural integrity to a thin striking face on the golf club head. Additionally, a discretionary weight is engaged with the at least one of the support brackets at the toe portion of the golf club head.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a striking face providing a front surface for engaging a golf ball and a rear surface opposite the front surface, wherein at least 50% of an overall surface of the striking face has a thickness from the front surface to the rear surface of no greater than 0.1 inches;

a perimeter weighting member extending rearward from the striking face and around at least a majority of a circumference of the striking face, wherein the perimeter weighting member at least partially defines a rear cavity in the golf club head;

a plurality of support brackets at least partially located in the rear cavity, wherein at least one of the plurality of support brackets has a first portion engaged to the rear surface of the striking face, a second portion engaged to the perimeter weighting member and a third portion connecting the first and second portion; and

at least one discretionary weight engaged with at least one support bracket, wherein the at least one discretionary weight is located within a weight port defined in the at least one support bracket.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of support brackets includes at least one upper support bracket engaged to the perimeter weighting member at a top portion of the club head.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of support brackets includes at least one lower support bracket engaged to the perimeter weighting member at a sole portion of the club head.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, further comprising at least one discretionary weight engaged with at least one lower support bracket.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of support brackets includes at least one pair of support brackets, wherein the pair of support brackets includes an upper support bracket and a lower support bracket, wherein the upper support bracket is engaged to the perimeter weighting member at a top portion of the club head and the lower support bracket is engaged to the perimeter weighting member at a sole portion of the club head.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of support brackets includes two pairs of support brackets, wherein each pair of support brackets includes an upper support bracket and a lower support bracket, wherein the upper support brackets are engaged to the perimeter weighting member at a top portion of the club head and the lower support brackets are engaged to the perimeter weighting member at a sole portion of the club head.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one discretionary weight is at least 4 grams.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one discretionary weight is within a range of 5 grams to 40 grams.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the third portion is a concavely curved surface, such that the curved surface curves inward toward the striking face and the perimeter weighting member.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the curved surface is equivalent to an arc of a circle with a radius.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein a ratio of a height of the striking face to the radius is within a range of 0.75 to 5.

12. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein a ratio of a height of the striking face to the radius is approximately 1.

13. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein a ratio of a height of the striking face to the radius is approximately 3.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the support brackets are made of a material selected from the group consisting of:

aluminum, magnesium, beryllium, titanium, aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, beryllium alloys, titanium alloys, thermoplastic polymers, thermosetting polymers, carbon-fiber reinforced composite materials, and glass-fiber reinforced materials.

15. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the at least one discretionary weight is made of a material selected from the group consisting essentially of lead, tungsten, lead alloys, tungsten alloys, and polymeric materials.

16. An iron-type golf club, comprising:

a shaft;

a grip attached to the shaft; and

a golf club head configured to engage with the shaft, wherein the golf club head further includes;

a striking face providing a front surface for engaging a golf ball and a rear surface opposite the front surface, wherein at least 50% of an overall surface of the striking face has a thickness from the front surface to the rear surface of no greater than 0.1 inches;

a perimeter weighting member extending rearward from the striking face and around at least a majority of a circumference of the striking face, wherein the perimeter weighting member at least partially defines a rear cavity in the golf club head;

a plurality of support brackets at least partially located in the rear cavity, wherein at least one of the plurality of support brackets has a first portion engaged to the rear surface of the striking face, a second portion engaged to the perimeter weighting member and a third portion connecting the first and second portion; and

at least one discretionary weight engaged with at least one support bracket, wherein the at least one discretionary weight is located within a weight port defined in the at least one support bracket.

17. The golf club of claim 16, wherein the plurality of support brackets includes at least one upper support bracket engaged to the perimeter weighting member at a top portion of the club head.

18. The golf club of claim 16, wherein the plurality of support brackets includes at least one lower support bracket engaged to the perimeter weighting member at a sole portion of the club head.

19. The golf club of claim 18, further comprising at least one discretionary weight engaged with at least one lower support bracket.

20. The golf club of claim 16, wherein the plurality of support brackets includes at least one pair of support brackets, wherein the pair of support brackets includes an upper support bracket and a lower support bracket, wherein the upper support bracket is engaged to the perimeter weighting member at a top portion of the club head and the lower support bracket is engaged to the perimeter weighting member at a sole portion of the club head.

21. The golf club of claim 16, wherein the plurality of support brackets includes two pairs of support brackets, wherein each pair of support brackets includes an upper support bracket and a lower support bracket, wherein the upper support brackets are engaged to the perimeter weighting member at a top portion of the club head and the lower support brackets are engaged to the perimeter weighting member at a sole portion of the club head.

22. The golf club of claim 16, wherein the at least one discretionary weight is at least 4 grams.

23. The golf club of claim 16, wherein the at least one discretionary weight is within a range of 5 grams to 40 grams.

24. The golf club of claim 16, wherein the third portion is a concavely curved surface, such that the curved surface curves inward toward the striking face and the perimeter weighting member.

25. The golf club of claim 24, wherein the curved surface is equivalent to an arc of a circle with a radius.

26. The golf club of claim 25, wherein a ratio of a height of the striking face to the radius is within a range of 0.75 to 5.

27. The golf club head of claim 25, wherein a ratio of a height of the striking face to the radius is approximately 1.

28. The golf club head of claim 25, wherein a ratio of a height of the striking face to the radius is approximately 3.

29. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the plurality of support brackets are made of a material selected from the group consisting of:

aluminum, magnesium, beryllium, titanium, aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, beryllium alloys, titanium alloys, thermoplastic polymers, thermosetting polymers, carbon-fiber reinforced composite materials, and glass-fiber reinforced materials.

30. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the at least one discretionary weight is made of a material selected from the group consisting essentially of lead, tungsten, lead alloys, tungsten alloys, and polymeric materials.