Putter heads and putters

• US 9,022,876 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2011
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Snyder, Jeremy N., Martin, Jason P., Jonsson, Carl A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US13/305,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20120220386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 473251-254, 473244-246, 473340-341, D21736-746
• 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 53/04 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 53/0441 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 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/08 with special arrangements for obtaining a variable impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/50 with through-holes A63B60/18 takes precedence; for stringing purposes A63B49/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

Putter heads include a ball striking head body member and a rear body member. In some putter heads, the ball striking head body member includes a rearwardly extending body support having an opening defined therein, and the rear body member extends through this opening. In other putter heads, the rear body member includes a forwardly projecting platform that includes an alignment aid thereon. In still other putter heads, the ball striking head body member includes rearward extending arms at the heel and toe sides that extend rearward at an angle to a location outside the heel and toe edges, respectively, of the ball striking face. Additionally, the rear body member of other putter heads have a first end engaged at a heel side of the ball striking head body member and a free second end that is not engaged with any portion of the putter head.

Claims

1. A putter head, comprising:

a ball striking head body member including a rearwardly extending body support having an opening defined therein; and

a rear body member having a first end engaged at a toe side of the ball striking head body member, a second end engaged at a heel side of the ball striking head body member, and a central portion between the first end and the second end extending through the opening in the ball striking head body member;

wherein the ball striking head body member includes a first rearward extending arm at the heel side and a second rearward extending arm at the toe side, and wherein the rear body member is engaged with the first rearward extending arm and the second rearward extending arm; and

wherein the rear body member is releasably engaged with the first and second rearward extending arms.

2. A putter head according to claim 1, wherein the first rearward extending arm includes:

(a) a first portion extending rearwardly and substantially perpendicular to a ball striking face of the ball striking head body member and (b) a second portion extending rearward from the first portion at an angle to a location outside a heel edge of the ball striking face; and

wherein the second rearward extending arm includes;

(a) a first portion extending rearwardly and substantially perpendicular to the ball striking face and (b) a second portion extending rearward from the first portion of the second rearward extending arm at an angle to a location outside a toe edge of the ball striking face, wherein the rear body member is engaged with the second portions of the first and second rearward extending arms.

3. A putter head according to claim 1, wherein a first open space is defined between the ball striking head body member and the rear body member on a heel side of the rearwardly extending body support, and wherein a second open space is defined between the ball striking head body member and the rear body member on a toe side of the rearwardly extending body support.

4. A putter head according to claim 1, wherein the rear body member includes a rubberized tungsten material.

5. A putter head according to claim 1, wherein, the rear body member is releasably engaged with the first and second rearward extending arms via a first fastener that extends through the first rearward extending arm and via a second fastener that extends through the second rearward extending arm.

6. A putter head according to claim 1, wherein, one of the ball striking head member or the rear body member include at least one weight port.

7. A putter head according to claim 1, wherein the putter head has an overall breadth dimension B in a front-to-rear direction and a depth of a center of gravity in the front-to-rear direction D_CG, wherein a ratio of D_CG/B is at least 0.425.

8. A putter head according to claim 7, wherein the ratio of D_CG/B is at least 0.48.

9. A putter head according to claim 7, wherein the ratio of D_CG/B is at least 0.52.

10. A putter head, comprising:

a ball striking head body member; and

a rear body member having a first end engaged at a toe side of the ball striking head body member, a second end engaged at a heel side of the ball striking head body member, and a central portion between the first end and the second end, wherein the central portion includes a forwardly projecting platform that includes an alignment aid thereon;

wherein the ball striking head body member includes a first rearward extending arm at the heel side and a second rearward extending arm at the toe side, and wherein the rear body member is engaged with the first rearward extending arm and the second rearward extending arm; and

wherein the rear body member is releasably engaged with the first and second rearward extending arms.

11. A putter head according to claim 10, wherein the ball striking head body member includes a rearward projecting platform that includes an alignment aid thereon, wherein the alignment aid of the central portion of the rear body member aligns with the alignment aid of the rearward projecting platform of the ball striking head body member.

12. A putter head according to claim 11, wherein the alignment aid on the forwardly projecting platform includes a projection, wherein the alignment aid on the rearward projecting platform includes a notch, and wherein the projection aligns with the notch.

13. A putter head according to claim 10, wherein the alignment aid includes a raised triangular element on the forwardly projecting platform.

14. A putter head according to claim 10, wherein the first rearward extending arm extends rearwardly from a ball striking face of the ball striking head body member at an angle to a location outside a heel edge of the ball striking face, and wherein the second rearward extending arm extends rearwardly from the ball striking face at an angle to a location outside a toe edge of the ball striking face.

15. A putter head according to claim 10, wherein an open space is defined between the ball striking head body member and the rear body member.

16. A putter head according to claim 10, wherein the rear body member includes a rubberized tungsten material.

17. A putter head according to claim 10, wherein, the rear body member is releasably engaged with the first and second rearward extending arms via a first fastener that extends through the first rearward extending arm and via a second fastener that extends through the second rearward extending arm.

18. A putter head according to claim 10, wherein, one of the ball striking head member or the rear body member include at least one weight port.

19. A putter head according to claim 10, wherein the putter head has an overall breadth dimension B in a front-to-rear direction and a depth of a center of gravity in the front-to-rear direction D_CG, wherein a ratio of D_CG/B is at least 0.425.

20. A putter head according to claim 19, wherein the ratio of D_CG/B is at least 0.48.

21. A putter head according to claim 19, wherein the ratio of D_CG/B is at least 0.52.

22. A putter head, comprising:

a ball striking head body member including;

(a) a first rearward extending arm at a heel side of the ball striking head body member, wherein the first rearward extending arm extends rearwardly from a ball striking face of the ball striking head body member at an angle to a location outside a heel edge of the ball striking face, and (b) a second rearward extending arm at a toe side of the ball striking head body member, wherein the second rearward extending arm extends rearwardly from the ball striking face at an angle to a location outside a toe edge of the ball striking face;

a rear body member having a first end engaged with the first rearward extending arm and a second end engaged with the second rearward extending arm, wherein the rear body member includes a rubberized tungsten material; and

wherein the rear body member is releasably engaged with the first and second rearward extending arms.

23. A putter head according to claim 22, wherein the rear body member additionally includes a stainless steel material.

24. A putter head according to claim 22, wherein the first rearward extending arm includes a first weight member engaged with it and the second rearward extending arm includes a second weight member engaged with it.

25. A putter head according to claim 22, wherein an open space is defined between the ball striking head body member and the rear body member.

26. A putter head according to claim 22, wherein, the rear body member is releasably engaged with the first and second rearward extending arms via a first fastener that extends through the first rearward extending arm and via a second fastener that extends through the second rearward extending arm.

27. A putter head according to claim 22, wherein, one of the ball striking head member or the rear body member include at least one weight port.

28. A putter head according to claim 22, wherein the putter head has an overall breadth dimension B in a front-to-rear direction and a depth of a center of gravity in the front-to-rear direction D_CG, wherein a ratio of D_CG/B is at least 0.425.

29. A putter head according to claim 28, wherein the ratio of D_CG/B is at least 0.48.

30. A putter head according to claim 28, wherein the ratio of D_CG/B is at least 0.52.