Weighted golf club head

• US 8,926,448 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Ivanova, Irina, Erickson, Joel B., Rice, Bradley C., DeMille, Brandon D., Dawson, Patrick, Watson, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US13/788,173
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473/256
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0495 moving on impact, slidable, spring or otherwise elastically biased
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head having a center of gravity located at a point close to the face and the sole is disclosed herein. In particular, the golf club head comprises a hollow body including a weight lip and face component, and the weight lip extends from the sole inside the body towards the face component without making contact with the face component. The golf club head is preferably a wood-type or hybrid-type golf club head. In other embodiments, the golf club head comprises a weight bar disposed within the hollow body proximate the face component, and the weight bar bridges at least a portion of the sole. The weight bar may be movable within the hollow body to allow for center of gravity adjustment.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a crown, a sole, a heel side, a toe side, and a hollow interior;

a weight bar comprising a first end and a second end; and

a face component,

wherein the weight bar is disposed within the hollow interior proximate the face component,

wherein the weight bar has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of triangular, parallelogram, and trapezoidal, and

wherein the weight bar bridges the entire sole.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head is selected from the group consisting of a fairway-type head, a driver-type head, a hybrid-type head, and an iron-type head.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight bar is rotatably connected to the body.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the weight bar comprises a pin portion and a weight portion, wherein the pin portion comprises a heel side end and a toe side end, and wherein the weight portion is asymmetrically disposed on the pin portion.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the pin portion and the weight portion are not integrally formed.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a support structure comprising a hosel, a crown opening, a face opening, and a sole opening.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the support structure is composed of a material having a density lower than steel, wherein the crown is composed of a composite material, wherein the sole is composed of a material having a density greater than or equal to steel, and wherein the face component is a face insert.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the sole is brazed to the support structure.

9. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the support structure is composed of a material having a density greater than or equal to steel, wherein the crown is composed of a composite material, and wherein the face component is a face insert.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight bar is substantially linear.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a crown, a sole, a heel side, a toe side, and a hollow interior;

a weight bar comprising a first end and a second end; and

a face component,

wherein the weight bar is disposed within the hollow interior proximate the face component,

wherein the weight bar has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of triangular, parallelogram, and trapezoidal, and

wherein the first end is connected to a heel side of the sole, and wherein the second end is connected to a toe side of the sole.

12. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a crown, a sole, a hosel, a cavity, a frontal opening, and a protrusion; and

a face component comprising a striking face covering the frontal opening,

wherein the protrusion is located within the cavity proximate the frontal opening and extends upwards from the sole and towards the face component without touching the striking face,

wherein the protrusion extends from a heel side of the body to a toe side of the body and does not comprise any hollow regions,

wherein the protrusion comprises an upper weight portion composed of a first material having a first density and a lower support portion composed of a second material having a second density, and

wherein the first density is greater than the second density.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the protrusion is composed of a steel material and a tungsten material.

14. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the upper weight portion has a parallelogram-shaped cross-section.

15. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a crown, a sole, a hosel, a cavity, a frontal opening, and a protrusion; and

a face component comprising a striking face covering the frontal opening,

wherein the protrusion is located within the cavity proximate the frontal opening and extends upwards from the sole and towards the face component without touching the striking face,

wherein the protrusion extends from a heel side of the body to a toe side of the body and does not comprise any hollow regions,

wherein the crown is composed of a composite material,

wherein the sole is composed of a material having a density greater than steel,

wherein the remainder of the body is composed of a material having a density lighter than steel, and

wherein the face is composed of a steel material.

16. A fairway wood-type golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a crown, a sole, a hosel, a cavity, a frontal opening, and a protrusion; and

a metal face component comprising a striking face and a return portion,

wherein the protrusion is located within the cavity proximate the frontal opening and extends upwards from the sole and towards the face component without touching the striking face,

wherein the protrusion extends from a heel side of the body to a toe side of the body and does not comprise any hollow regions,

wherein the protrusion comprises an upper weight portion and a lower support portion, and

wherein the return portion extends only from a crown side of the striking face.

17. The fairway wood-type golf club head of claim 16, wherein the crown is composed of a composite material, wherein the sole is composed of a material having a density greater than steel, wherein the remainder of the body is composed of a material having a density lighter than steel, and wherein the face is composed of a steel material.

18. The fairway wood-type golf club head of claim 17, wherein the sole is brazed to the body, wherein the upper weight portion is composed of a tungsten material, and wherein the lower support portion is composed of a material having a lower density than the tungsten material.

19. The fairway wood-type golf club head of claim 17, wherein the face component is formed.