Putter heads and putters including polymeric material as part of the ball striking face
First Claim
1. A putter head, comprising:
- a putter body including a ball striking face member made of a first material having a first hardness characteristic, wherein a plurality of independent and separated openings are defined in the ball striking face member, and wherein at least some of the independent and separated openings extend across a central portion of the ball striking face member; and
a second material provided to at least partially fill the plurality of openings, wherein the second material has a second hardness characteristic that is softer than the first hardness characteristic, and wherein the material making up the ball striking face member between adjacent openings and the second material exposed in at least some of the openings extend across the central portion of the ball striking face member and provide a ball striking surface of the putter head that contacts a ball when struck by the putter head,wherein a plurality of grooves are defined in the ball striking surface of the putter head, wherein the plurality of grooves extend across the central portion of the ball striking face member and are formed in at least one of;
(a) the material making up the ball striking face member between adjacent openings and (b) the second material exposed in the openings in the ball striking face member, wherein at least one of the grooves has a first edge that constitutes the first material and a second edge opposite the first edge that constitutes the second material.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Putters include a putter body having a ball striking face member made of a material having a first hardness characteristic. A cavity is defined in the putter body behind the ball striking face member, and plural openings are defined in the ball striking face member extending rearward with respect to the ball striking face member and into the cavity. A polymeric material at least partially fills the openings and the cavity, wherein the polymeric material has a second hardness characteristic that is softer than the first hardness characteristic. The ball striking face member and the polymeric material exposed in at least some of the openings provide a ball striking surface of the putter. The ball striking surface may include grooves or scorelines to affect the launch angle, spin, and/or roll of the ball during a putt. Methods for making such putter devices also are described.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A putter head, comprising:
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a putter body including a ball striking face member made of a first material having a first hardness characteristic, wherein a plurality of independent and separated openings are defined in the ball striking face member, and wherein at least some of the independent and separated openings extend across a central portion of the ball striking face member; and a second material provided to at least partially fill the plurality of openings, wherein the second material has a second hardness characteristic that is softer than the first hardness characteristic, and wherein the material making up the ball striking face member between adjacent openings and the second material exposed in at least some of the openings extend across the central portion of the ball striking face member and provide a ball striking surface of the putter head that contacts a ball when struck by the putter head, wherein a plurality of grooves are defined in the ball striking surface of the putter head, wherein the plurality of grooves extend across the central portion of the ball striking face member and are formed in at least one of;
(a) the material making up the ball striking face member between adjacent openings and (b) the second material exposed in the openings in the ball striking face member, wherein at least one of the grooves has a first edge that constitutes the first material and a second edge opposite the first edge that constitutes the second material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A putter head, comprising:
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a putter body including a ball striking face member made of a material having a first hardness characteristic, wherein a cavity is defined in the putter body behind the ball striking face member, wherein a plurality of independent and separated openings are defined in the ball striking face member, the independent and separated openings extending rearward with respect to the ball striking face member so as to open into the cavity, and wherein at least one of the plurality of independent and separated openings extends rearward from the ball striking surface at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the ball striking surface; and a polymeric material provided to at least partially fill the plurality of openings and the cavity, wherein the polymeric material has a second hardness characteristic that is softer than the first hardness characteristic, and wherein the ball striking face member and the polymeric material exposed in at least some of the openings provide a ball striking surface of the putter head. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A putter head, comprising:
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a putter body including a ball striking face member made of a first material, wherein a plurality of independent and separated openings are defined in the ball striking face member, and wherein at least some of the plurality of independent and separated openings extend rearward from the ball striking surface at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the ball striking surface, wherein a cavity is defined in the putter body behind the ball striking face member, wherein the independent and separated openings extend rearward with respect to the ball striking face member so as to open into the cavity; and a second material provided to at least partially fill the plurality of openings, and wherein the ball striking face member and the second material exposed in at least some of the openings provide a ball striking surface of the putter head. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A putter head, comprising:
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a putter body having a main body portion and a separate ball striking face portion, the ball striking face portion including a ball striking face member made of a first material, wherein a plurality of independent and separated openings are defined in the ball striking face member, and wherein at least some of the independent and separated openings extend across a central portion of the ball striking face member, wherein a cavity is defined in the main body portion behind the ball striking face member, and wherein the independent and separated openings extend rearward with respect to the ball striking face member and open into the cavity when the ball striking face portion is connected to the main body portion; and a second material provided to at least partially fill the plurality of openings, and wherein the material making up the ball striking face member between adjacent openings and the second material exposed in at least some of the openings extend across the central portion of the ball striking face member and provide a ball striking surface of the putter head that contacts a ball when struck by the putter head, wherein a plurality of grooves are defined in the ball striking surface of the putter head, wherein the plurality of grooves extend across the central portion of the ball striking face member and are formed in at least one of;
(a) the material making up the ball striking face member between adjacent openings and (b) the second material exposed in the openings in the ball striking face member, and wherein the ball striking face portion is connected to the main body portion. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A putter head, comprising:
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a putter body having a main body portion and a separate ball striking face portion, the ball striking face portion including a ball striking face member made of a first material, wherein a plurality of independent and separated openings are defined in the ball striking face member, and wherein at least some of the independent and separated openings extend across a central portion of the ball striking face member, wherein a cavity is defined in a rear portion of the ball striking face portion behind the ball striking face member, and wherein the independent and separated openings extend rearward with respect to the ball striking face member and open into the cavity; and a second material provided to at least partially fill the plurality of openings, and wherein the material making up the ball striking face member between adjacent openings and the second material exposed in at least some of the openings extend across the central portion of the ball striking face member and provide a ball striking surface of the putter head that contacts a ball when struck by the putter head, wherein a plurality of grooves are defined in the ball striking surface of the putter head, wherein the plurality of grooves extend across the central portion of the ball striking face member and are formed in at least one of;
(a) the material making up the ball striking face member between adjacent openings and (b) the second material exposed in the openings in the ball striking face member, and wherein the ball striking face portion is connected to the main body portion.
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39. A putter head, comprising:
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a putter body having a main body portion and a separate ball striking face portion, the ball striking face portion including a ball striking face member made of a first material, wherein a plurality of independent and separated openings are defined in the ball striking face member, and wherein at least some of the independent and separated openings extend across a central portion of the ball striking face member, wherein a cavity is cooperatively defined in the main body portion and a rear portion of the ball striking face portion behind the ball striking face member, and wherein the independent and separated openings extend rearward with respect to the ball striking face member and open into the cavity when the ball striking face portion is connected to the main body portion; and a second material provided to at least partially fill the plurality of openings, and wherein the material making up the ball striking face member between adjacent openings and the second material exposed in at least some of the openings extend across the central portion of the ball striking face member and provide a ball striking surface of the putter head that contacts a ball when struck by the putter head, wherein a plurality of grooves are defined in the ball striking surface of the putter head, wherein the plurality of grooves extend across the central portion of the ball striking face member and are formed in at least one of;
(a) the material making up the ball striking face member between adjacent openings and (b) the second material exposed in the openings in the ball striking face member, and wherein the ball striking face portion is connected to the main body portion.
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40. A putter head, comprising:
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a putter body having a main body portion and a separate ball striking face portion, the ball striking face portion including a ball striking face member made of a first material, wherein a plurality of independent and separated openings are defined in the ball striking face member, and wherein at least some of the independent and separated openings extend across a central portion of the ball striking face member; and a second material provided to at least partially fill the plurality of openings, and wherein the material making up the ball striking face member between adjacent openings and the second material exposed in at least some of the openings extend across the central portion of the ball striking face member and provide a ball striking surface of the putter head that contacts a ball when struck by the putter head, wherein a plurality of grooves are defined in the ball striking surface of the putter head, wherein the plurality of grooves extend across the central portion of the ball striking face member and are formed in at least one of;
(a) the material making up the ball striking face member between adjacent openings and (b) the second material exposed in the openings in the ball striking face member, wherein the ball striking face portion is connected to the main body portion, and wherein at least some of the plurality of grooves are defined in the second material exposed in at least some of the openings in the ball striking face member.
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41. A putter head, comprising:
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a putter body having a main body portion and a separate ball striking face portion, the ball striking face portion including a ball striking face member made of a first material, wherein a plurality of independent and separated openings are defined in the ball striking face member, and wherein at least some of the independent and separated openings extend across a central portion of the ball striking face member; and a second material provided to at least partially fill the plurality of openings, and wherein the material making up the ball striking face member between adjacent openings and the second material exposed in at least some of the openings extend across the central portion of the ball striking face member and provide a ball striking surface of the putter head that contacts a ball when struck by the putter head, wherein a plurality of grooves are defined in the ball striking surface of the putter head, wherein the plurality of grooves extend across the central portion of the ball striking face member and are formed in at least one of;
(a) the material making up the ball striking face member between adjacent openings and (b) the second material exposed in the openings in the ball striking face member, wherein the ball striking face portion is connected to the main body portion, and wherein the plurality of grooves are defined both in the material making up the ball striking face member and in the second material exposed in at least some of the openings in the ball striking face member.
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Specification