Golf club assembly and golf club with sole plate

• US 8,998,746 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2012
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Boyd, Robert, Oldknow, Andrew G. V., Brown, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US13/532,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20120289359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/332
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A body member has a face plate and a first engaging member. A sole plate has a second engaging member, the first and second engaging members being interlocked with one another. A layer of resilient material is disposed between the first engaging member and the second engaging member.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body member;

a sole plate positioned beneath and spaced from the body member, a rear end of the sole plate being free of and extending rearwardly from the body member such that a top surface, a bottom surface, and a rear surface of the rear end are exposed to an exterior of the golf club head;

a layer of resilient material disposed between the body member and the sole plate, the resilient material serving to suspend the sole plate from the body member; and

wherein the resilient material includes a substantially vertical portion that extends downwardly from a substantially horizontal portion that extends rearwardly.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the resilient material is urethane.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the resilient material is an elastomer.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body member is a cavity-backed member.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a weight of the sole plate is between approximately 12% and approximately 30% of a weight of the golf club head.

6. The golf club head of claimer 1, wherein the resilient material is a continuous piece of material.

7. A golf club head comprising:

a body member,

a sole plate positioned beneath and spaced from the body member, and

a resilient material disposed between the body member and the sole plate configured to allow the sole plate to vibrate in a manner to cancel some of the vibrations of the body member when striking a golf ball;

wherein the resilient material includes a substantially vertical portion that extends downwardly from a substantially horizontal portion that extends rearwardly.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the resilient material secures the soleplate to the body member.

9. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein a weight of the sole plate is between approximately 12% and 30% of a total weight of the golf club head.

10. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein a total golf club head weight is between 200 and 330 grams.

11. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the resilient material is a continuous piece of material.

12. The golf club head of claim 7 wherein the body member includes a first vertical engaging surface and a first horizontal engaging surface, wherein the first vertical engaging surface and the first horizontal engaging surface are adjacent to one another;

and

wherein the sole plate includes a second vertical engaging surface and a second horizontal engaging surface, wherein the second vertical engaging surface and the second horizontal engaging surface are adjacent to one another;

wherein the substantially vertical portion of the resilient material is disposed between the first vertical engaging surface and the second vertical engaging surface and the substantially horizontal portion of the resilient layer is disposed between the first horizontal engaging surface and the second engaging horizontal surface.

13. The golf club head of claim 12 wherein the first vertical engaging surface is substantially parallel to the second vertical engaging surface;

and

wherein the first horizontal engaging surface is substantially parallel to the second engaging horizontal surface.

14. The golf club head of claim 12 wherein the first vertical engaging surface and the second vertical engaging surface are substantially perpendicular to a bottom surface of the golf club head;

and

wherein the first horizontal surface and the second horizontal surface are substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the golf club head.

15. A golf club head comprising:

a body member containing a face, a hosel, and at least a first engaging surface and a second engaging surface,

wherein the first and second engaging surfaces of the body member are adjacent to one another;

a sole plate positioned beneath and spaced from the body member, containing at least a first and a second engaging surface, a rear end of the sole plate extending rearwardly from the body member such that at least a portion of a top surface, a bottom surface, and a rear surface of the rear end are exposed to an exterior of the golf club head,

wherein the first and second engaging surfaces of the sole plate are adjacent to one another; and

a layer of resilient material disposed between the first and the second engaging surfaces of the body member and first and the second engaging surfaces of the sole plate, the resilient material serving to suspend the sole plate from the body member; and

wherein the resilient material includes a substantially vertical portion that extends downwardly from a substantially horizontal portion that extends rearwardly.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the resilient material is a continuous piece of material.