Golf clubs and golf club heads

• US 8,747,245 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2013
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Franklin, David N., Stites, John T., Rahrig, Donald S., Snyder, Jeremy N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US13/863,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20130225308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473251-256
• US Class Current: 473/251
• 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 53/007 Putters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• 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 60/54 with means for damping vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49993 Filling of opening

Abstract

Golf clubs and golf club heads, such as putter heads, may include a putter body and an insert forming a ball striking face and engaged with the putter body. Portions of the insert may be formed of a metal material, while portions of the insert may be formed of a polymer material. The insert may include a base portion having grooves or openings formed therein. This base may be joined with another material (such as a polymer backing material) to form the insert, wherein the backing material at least partially fills the grooves or openings. In some arrangements, the backing material of the insert may be visible at the top and/or bottom surfaces of the putter structures. Methods for making such putter devices are also described.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe end, and a heel end;

a rim member extending around a portion of a perimeter of the front portion of the body to define a recess in the front portion of the body, wherein the rim member extends from at least a portion of a bottom of the body to at least a portion of a top of the body; and

a ball striking plate affixed to the front portion of the body, the ball striking plate including;

a face layer having a face surface and a rear surface, the face surface forming at least a portion of a ball striking surface of the golf club head, and

a backing layer positioned between the face layer and the body and affixed to the rear surface of the face layer and to the front portion of the body,

wherein the backing layer is exposed at an exterior of the golf club head at a gap in the rim member.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the backing layer is exposed at a top of the golf club head between the face layer and the body.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the backing layer is exposed at a top and at a bottom of the golf club head between the face layer and the body.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the backing layer is exposed at a bottom of the golf club head between the face layer and the body.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face layer is constructed from a metal material.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the backing layer is constructed from a polymer material.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face layer is constructed from a metal material and the backing layer is constructed from a polymer material.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head is a putter head.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the backing layer exposed at the top surface of the golf club head provides an alignment aid for the golf club head.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the gap in the rim member constitutes the only gap in the rim member around the perimeter of the front portion of the body.

25. A golf club, comprising:

a golf club head according to claim 1; and

a shaft engaged with the golf club head.

11. A golf club, comprising:

a body having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe end, and a heel end;

a rim member extending around a portion of a perimeter of the front portion of the body to define a recess in the front portion of the body, wherein the rim member includes a gap located at a bottom of the body; and

a ball striking plate affixed to the front portion of the body, the ball striking plate including;

a face layer having a face surface and a rear surface, the face surface forming at least a portion of a ball striking surface of the golf club head, and

a backing layer positioned between the face layer and the body and affixed to the rear surface of the face layer and to the front portion of the body,

wherein the backing layer is exposed at an exterior bottom of the golf club head at the gap in the rim member.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the face layer is constructed from a metal material.

13. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the backing layer is constructed from a polymer material.

14. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the face layer is constructed from a metal material and the backing layer is constructed from a polymer material.

15. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the gap in the rim member constitutes the only gap in the rim member around the perimeter of the front portion of the body.

16. A golf club head, comprising:

a body having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe end, and a heel end;

a rim member extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the front portion of the body to define a recess in the front portion of the body, wherein the rim member includes a first gap located at a bottom of the body and a second gap located at the top of the body;

a ball striking plate affixed to the front portion of the body, the ball striking plate including;

a face layer having a face surface and a rear surface, the face surface forming at least a portion of a ball striking surface of the golf club head, and

a backing layer positioned between the face layer and the body and affixed to the rear surface of the face layer and to the front portion of the body,

wherein the backing layer is exposed at an exterior bottom of the golf club head at the first gap in the rim member and the backing layer is exposed at an exterior top of the golf club head at the second gap in the rim member.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the face layer is constructed from a metal material.

18. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the backing layer is constructed from a polymer material.

19. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the face layer is constructed from a metal material and the backing layer is constructed from a polymer material.

20. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the golf club head is a putter head.

21. The golf club head of claim 20, wherein the backing layer exposed at the top surface of the golf club head provides an alignment aid for the golf club head.

22. A golf club head, comprising:

a body having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe end, and a heel end;

a rim member formed as part of the body, and extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the front portion of the body to define a recess in the front portion of the body, wherein the rim member extends from at least a portion of a bottom of the body to at least a portion of a top of the body; and

a ball striking plate affixed to the front portion of the body, the ball striking plate including;

a face layer having a face surface and a rear surface, the face surface forming at least a portion of a ball striking surface of the golf club head, and

a backing layer positioned between the face layer and the body and affixed to the rear surface of the face layer and to the front portion of the body,

and wherein the backing layer is exposed at an exterior of the golf club head.

23. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the face layer is constructed from a metal material and the backing layer is constructed from a polymer material.

24. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the golf club head is a putter head, and wherein the backing layer exposed at the top surface of the golf club head provides an alignment aid for the golf club head.