Golf club head

• US 8,523,705 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2006
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cobra Golf Company (Puma SE)
• Original Assignee: Cobra Golf Company (Puma SE)
• Inventors: Breier, Joshua G., Soracco, Peter L., Rice, Scott A., Haralson, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/591,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20070054751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,497 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 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• 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 60/54 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. The metallic portion of the club head may take on the appearance of a frame, into which several light-weight inserts are positioned. These light-weight inserts may be positioned in the crown, skirt, and sole of the club head. The club head may be formed by co-molding, eliminating the need for welding or adhesives, freeing mass to be used in more beneficial ways. The club head may be large to increase playability and forgiveness.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body comprising a first material with a first density, the body having a striking face, a sole, a crown, a heel, and a toe, said striking face having a width measured in a heel-toe direction and a height measured in a sole-crown direction, said striking face having a surface area greater than 40 cm², said width divided by said height defining an aspect ratio that is greater than 1.5,

wherein at least a majority of the sole consists of the first material and further wherein the sole comprises

a heel weight located on a heel side of the club, a toe weight located on a toe side the club, each of the heel and toe weights having a second density greater than the first density, and

a plurality of sole inserts, each insert comprising a panel of a light-weight material covering an opening through the first material and non-threadably affixed to the first material at an attachment perimeter extending at least partly around the edge of the covered opening, such that each of sole inserts provides a portion of the sole and cooperates with the remainder of the sole and body to define an interior volume of the club head, wherein the light-weight material has a density less than the first density.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said area is greater than 45 cm².

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said area is greater than 50 cm².

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said aspect ratio is greater than 1.7.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said crown has a surface area greater than 100 cm².

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the crown further comprises an insert formed of a material selected from a group consisting of composites, polypropylenes, Kevlar, magnesium, thermoplastics, plastics, and low density metal alloys.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the light-weight material is selected from the group consisting of composites, plastics, and low density metal alloys.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the heel and toe weights each have a mass from 2 grams to 35 grams.

9. The club head of claim 1, further comprising an intermediate weight positioned between the heel and toe weights on the sole, the intermediate weight having a mass between 2 and 35 grams.

10. The club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sole inserts comprises two sole inserts, one located adjacent the heel weight, and the other located adjacent the toe weight.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a first material with a first density, the body having a striking face, a sole, and a crown, said striking face having a surface area greater than 40 cm², the club head having a center of gravity located a distance of approximately 1 inch or less above said sole,

wherein a majority of the sole consists of the first material and further wherein the sole comprises

a heel weight located on a heel side of the club, a toe weight located on a toe side the club, each of the heel and toe weights having a second density greater than the first density, and

a plurality of sole inserts, each insert comprising a panel of light-weight material covering an opening through the first material and non-threadably affixed to the first material at an attachment perimeter extending at least partly around the edge of the covered opening, such that each of sole inserts provides a portion of the sole and cooperates with the remainder of the sole and body to define an interior volume of the club head, wherein the light-weight material has a density less than the first density.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein said area is greater than 45 cm².

13. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein said striking face has an aspect ratio greater than 1.5.

14. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the club head has a volume greater than 400 cm³.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein said volume is greater than 425 cm³.

16. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein said crown has a surface area greater than 100 cm².

17. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein a distance measured substantially at a center of the club head from a crown-face intersection to a rear edge of said crown is greater than 4 inches.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein said distance is greater than 4.25 inches.

19. The club head of claim 11, further comprising an intermediate weight positioned between the heel and toe weights on the sole, the intermediate weight having a mass between 2 and 35 grams.

20. The club head of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sole inserts comprises two sole inserts, one located adjacent the heel weight, and the other located adjacent the toe weight.

21. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a first material having a first density, the body having a striking face, a crown, a sole, a heel, a toe, and a rear, the striking face having a width measured in a heel-toe direction, the head having a depth measured in a face-rear direction of 4.5 to 5 inches, the striking face having a surface area greater than 40 cm²,

wherein at least a majority of the sole consists of the first material and further wherein the sole comprises

a heel weight located on a heel side of the club, a toe weight located on a toe side the club, each of the heel and toe weights having a second density greater than the first density, and

a plurality of sole inserts, each insert comprising a panel of light-weight material covering an opening through the first material and non-threadably affixed to the first material at an attachment perimeter extending at least partly around the edge of the covered opening, such that each of sole inserts provides a portion of the sole and cooperates with the remainder of the sole and body to define an interior volume of the club head, wherein the light-weight material has a density less than the first density.

22. The club head of claim 21, wherein said depth is within 0.25 inch of said width.

23. The club head of claim 21, wherein:

said depth is from 4.5 to 5 inches; and

said width is 4.5 to 5 inches.

24. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein said area is greater than 45 cm².

25. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein said striking face has a height measured in a sole-crown direction from 2.5 to 2.8 inches.

26. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein said crown has a surface area greater than 100 cm².

27. The club head of claim 21, further comprising an intermediate weight positioned between the heel and toe weights on the sole, the intermediate weight having a mass between 2 and 35 grams.

28. The club head of claim 21, wherein the plurality of sole inserts comprises two sole inserts, one located adjacent the heel weight, and the other located adjacent the toe weight.