Golf club with a reinforcing structure

• US 8,506,423 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Oldknow, Andrew G. V., Stites, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/624,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20110124432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/346
• 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 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand

Abstract

A cavity back golf club and golf club head having a reinforcing member is disclosed. The reinforcing member includes a connecting member, a first truss member, and a second truss member. The reinforcing member is engaged with a rear surface of a striking face of the golf club head and is at least partially located in a rear cavity of the golf club head. The reinforcing member provides structural integrity to a thin striking face on the golf club head. Additionally, a discretionary weight is engaged with a perimeter weight member 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; and

a reinforcing structure at least partially located in the rear cavity, wherein the reinforcing structure includes a first truss member, a second truss member and a connecting member that connects the first truss member and the second truss member, wherein the first and second truss members extend from an upper portion of the perimeter weighting member to the connecting member that is located closer to a sole edge of the striking face than to a top edge of the striking face, and further wherein the first truss member includes a first pair of beams connected by a first cross-beam, wherein the first pair of beams extend from the connection member to the upper portion of the perimeter weighting member and the second truss member includes a second pair of beams connected by a second cross-beam, wherein the second pair of beams extend from the connection member to the upper portion of the perimeter weighting member.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising:

a discretionary weight engaged with the perimeter weighting member.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the discretionary weight is located at a toe portion of the golf club head.

4. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the discretionary weight is at least 4 grams.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein when the golf club head is soled and in a ball address orientation on a horizontal surface, the golf club head center of mass is less than 0.6 inches above the horizontal surface.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the connecting member is located between the center of mass and the striking face and less than 0.5 inches above the horizontal surface.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing structure is engaged with the rear surface of the striking face.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the truss members each have at least one opening defined therein.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the truss members are made of a material selected from the group consisting of:

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

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the discretionary weight is made of a material selected from the group consisting of lead, tungsten, lead alloys, tungsten alloys, other metal materials that include lead, other metal materials that include tungsten, polymeric materials that include lead, and polymeric materials that include tungsten.

11. An iron-type golf club, comprising:

a shaft;

a grip attached to the shaft; and

a golf club head configured to receive 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; and

a reinforcing structure at least partially located in the rear cavity, wherein the reinforcing structure includes a first truss member, a second truss member and a connecting member that connects the first truss member and the second truss member, wherein the first and second truss members extend from an upper portion of the perimeter weighting member to the connecting member that is located closer to a sole edge of the striking face than to a top edge of the striking face, and further wherein the first truss member includes a first pair of beams connected by a first cross-beam, wherein the first pair of beams extend from the connection member to the upper portion of the perimeter weighting member and the second truss member includes a second pair of beams connected by a second cross-beam, wherein the second pair of beams extend from the connection member to the upper portion of the perimeter weighting member.

12. The golf club of claim 11, further comprising:

a discretionary weight engaged with the perimeter weighting member.

13. The golf club of claim 12, wherein the discretionary weight is located at a toe portion of the golf club head.

14. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the discretionary weight is at least 4 grams.

15. The golf club of claim 11, wherein when the golf club head is soled and in a ball address orientation on a horizontal surface, the golf club head center of mass is less than 0.6 inches above the horizontal surface.

16. The golf club of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the connecting member is located between the center of mass and the striking face and less than 0.5 inches above the horizontal surface.

17. The golf club of claim 11, wherein the reinforcing structure is engaged with the rear surface of the striking face.

18. The golf club of claim 11, wherein the truss members each have at least one opening defined therein.

19. The golf club of claim 11, wherein the truss members are made of a material selected from the group consisting of:

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

20. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the discretionary weight is made of a material selected from the group consisting of lead, tungsten, lead alloys, tungsten alloys, other metal materials that include lead, other metal materials that include tungsten, polymeric materials that include lead, and polymeric materials that include tungsten.

21. An iron-type golf club, comprising:

a shaft;

a grip attached to the shaft; and

a golf club head configured to receive 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;

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 discretionary weight engaged with the perimeter weighting member; and

a reinforcing structure at least partially located in the rear cavity, wherein the reinforcing structure includes a truss member, wherein the truss member extends from an upper portion of the perimeter weighting member to a lower portion of the perimeter weighting member, and further wherein the truss member includes a pair of beams connected by at least one cross-beam, wherein the pair of beams extend from the lower portion of the perimeter weighting member to the upper portion of the perimeter weighting member.

22. An iron-type golf club, comprising:

a shaft;

a grip attached to the shaft; and

a golf club head configured to receive 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;

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 discretionary weight engaged with the perimeter weighting member; and

a reinforcing structure at least partially located in the rear cavity, wherein the reinforcing structure includes a first truss member and a second truss member, wherein the first and second truss members extend from an upper portion of the perimeter weighting member to a lower portion of the perimeter weighting member, and further wherein the first truss member includes a first pair of beams connected by a first cross-beam, wherein the first pair of beams extend from the connection member to the upper portion of the perimeter weighting member and the second truss member includes a second pair of beams connected by a second cross-beam, wherein the second pair of beams extend from the lower portion of the perimeter weighting member to the upper portion of the perimeter weighting member.