Metal wood golf club head having externally protruding weights

• US 8,617,000 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Ferguson, Gentry, Yamane, Keisuke, Hettinger, Ronald K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US13/173,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20130005504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 473334-339, 473/349, 473/350
• US Class Current: 473/335
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole 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

Abstract

A metal wood golf club with externally protruding weights that improves the performance of a golf club head is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention discloses a metal wood type golf club head that is capable of pushing the boundaries of performance all while maintaining the size and shape of a classic pear shaped golf club.

Claims

1. A metal wood golf club head comprising:

a body portion forming a natural contour of said golf club head;

a sole portion near a bottom of said golf club head; and

a weight placed near a sole portion of said golf club head;

wherein said weight is invisible from a top view from an address position; and

wherein said golf club head has a MOIy to Front to Back Distance Ratio of greater than about 838 g-cm;

said MOIy to Front to Back Distance Ratio defined is a MOIy of said golf club head divided by a front to back distance of said golf club head.

2. The metal wood golf club head of claim 1, wherein said MOIy to Front to Back Distance Ratio is greater than about 396 g-cm.

3. The metal wood golf club head of claim 2, where said MOIy to Front to Back Distance Ratio is greater than about 409 g-cm.

4. The metal wood golf club head of claim 1, wherein said golf club head has a mass of less than about 200 grams.

5. The metal wood golf club head of claim 4, wherein said mass of said golf club head is less than about 195 grams.

6. The metal wood golf club head of claim 5, wherein said mass of said golf club head is less than about 190 grams.

7. The metal wood golf club head of claim 1, wherein a first material used to form said body portion has a first density of between about 4.0 g/cc and about 5.0 g/cc.

8. The metal wood golf club head of claim 7, wherein said first density is about 4.5 g/cc.

9. The metal wood golf club head of claim 8, wherein said first material is titanium.

10. The metal wood golf club head of claim 7, wherein a second material used to form said weight has a second density that is greater than said first density.

11. The metal wood golf club head of claim 10, wherein said second density is greater than about 9.0 g/cc.

12. The metal wood golf club head of claim 11, wherein said second density is greater than about 10.0 g/cc.

13. The metal wood golf club head of claim 12, wherein said second material is tungsten.

14. The metal wood golf club head of claim 1, wherein a placement of said weight is constrained by an inner concentric circle and an outer concentric circle viewed from a two dimensional projection taken from a heel view of said golf club head;

said inner concentric circle has a radius of 89.4 mm with a center located 33.1 mm backwards along the z axis and 19.3 mm upward along the y-axis from a center of gravity of said golf club head;

said outer concentric circle has a radius of 94.8 mm with a center located 33.1 mm backward along the z axis and 19.3 mm upward along the y-axis from said center of gravity of said golf club head.

15. A metal wood golf club head comprising:

a body portion forming a natural contour of said golf club head;

a sole portion near a bottom of said golf club head; and

a weight placed outside said natural contour of said golf club head;

wherein wherein said natural contour is defined by an inner concentric circle and an outer concentric circle viewed from a two dimensional projection taken from a heel view of said golf club head;

said inner concentric circle has a radius of 89.4 mm with a center located 33.1 mm backwards along the z axis and 19.3 mm upward along the y-axis from a center of gravity of said golf club head;

said outer concentric circle has a radius of 94.8 mm with a center located 33.1 mm backward along the z axis and 19.3 mm upward along the y-axis from said center of gravity of said golf club head; and

wherein said weight is invisible from a top view from an address position.

16. The metal wood golf club head of claim 15, wherein said golf club head has a mass of less than about 195 grams.

17. The metal wood golf club head of claim 16, wherein said golf club head has a MOIy to Front to Back Distance Ratio of greater than about 838 g-cm;

said MOIy to Front to Back Distance Ratio defined is the MOIy of said golf club head divided by a front to back distance of said golf club head.

18. The metal wood golf club head of claim 15, wherein a first material used to form said body portion has a first density of between about 4.0 g/cc and about 5.0 g/cc and a second material used to form said weight has a second density that is greater than about 9.0 g/cc.

19. The metal wood golf club head of claim 18, wherein said first material is titanium.

20. The metal wood golf club head of claim 19, wherein said second material is tungsten.