Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 9,199,140 B1
• Filed: 02/06/2015
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Original Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Inventors: Schweigert, Bradley D., Nicolette, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US14/615,606
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 473/338, 473/335, 473/336, 473/341, 473/345, 473/344
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a body portion and a plurality of weight portions. The plurality of weight portions may include a first set of weight portions and a second set of weight portions. Each weight portion of the first set of weight portions may be associated with a first mass, and each weight portion of the second set of weight portions may be associated with a second mass that is less than the first mass. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a plurality of weight portions having a first set of weight portions and a second set of weight portions, each weight portion of the first set of weight portions being associated with a first mass, and each weight portion of the second set of weight portions being associated with a second mass less than the first mass; and

a body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a bottom portion having an outer surface associated with an outer surface curve, a skirt portion between the top and bottom portion, and a weight port region located at or proximate to the bottom and skirts portions, the weight port region having a plurality of weight ports along a periphery of the weight port region with each weight port configured to receive at least one weight portion of the plurality of weight portions, the plurality of weight ports including a first set of weight ports proximate to the front portion and extending between the toe portion and the heel portion, and a second set of weight ports proximate to the rear portion, each of the first set of weight ports and the second set of weight ports including at least three adjacent weight ports being substantially similarly spaced apart,

wherein each weight port of the plurality of weight ports is associated with a port diameter and a port axis perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a plane tangent to the outer surface curve at an intersection of the port axis and the outer surface curve,

wherein each weight port of the at least three adjacent weight ports of the first set of weight ports is separated from an adjacent weight port of the first set of weight ports by less than or equal to the port diameter of any weight port of the first set of weight ports,

wherein each weight port of the at least three adjacent weight ports of the second set of weight ports is separated from an adjacent weight port of the second set of weight ports by less than or equal to the port diameter of any weight port of the second set of weight ports, and

wherein the at least three adjacent weight ports of the first set of weight ports and the second set of weight ports are arranged on a curved path extending on the bottom portion.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of weight ports comprises weight ports extending proximate to the toe portion and the heel portion along a path defining a loop with the first set of weight ports and the second set of weight ports.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein plurality of weight ports comprises weight ports extending more than 50% of a maximum distance between the toe and heel portions across the bottom portion.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of weight ports comprises at least one weight port having a cylindrical shape.

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the first set of weight ports is associated with the first set of weight portions and the second set of weight ports is associated with the second set of weight portions.

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the first set of weight ports is associated with the first set of weight portions and the second set of weight ports is associated with the second set of weight portions, wherein the total number of weight ports in the first set is less than or equal to the total number of weight ports in the second set.

7. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of weight ports comprises sixteen weight ports.

8. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the weight port region comprises a D-shape region.

9. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the first set of weight portions comprises at least one weight portion made of a tungsten-based material, and wherein the second set of weight portions comprises at least one weight portion made of an aluminum-based material.

10. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the golf club head comprises at least one of a driver-type golf club head, a fairway wood-type golf club head, or a hybrid-type golf club head.

11. A driver-type golf club head comprising:

a plurality of weight portions; and

a body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a bottom portion having an outer surface associated with an outer surface curve, a skirt portion between the top and bottom portion, and a weight port region located at or proximate to the bottom and skirts portions, the weight port region having a plurality of weight ports along a periphery of the weight port region with each weight port being configured to receive at least one weight portion of the plurality weight portions,

wherein each weight port of the plurality of weight ports is associated with a port diameter and a port axis perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the outer surface curve,

wherein two adjacent weight ports of the plurality weight ports are separated by less than or equal to the port diameter of any weight port of the two adjacent weight ports,

wherein the plurality of weight ports include a first set of weight ports that are substantially similarly spaced apart and extend along a curved path between the toe portion and the front portion and between the front portion and the heel portion across the bottom portion more than 50% of a maximum distance between the toe and heel portions, and

wherein the plurality of weight ports include a second set of weight ports that are substantially similarly spaced apart and extend along a curved path between the toe portion and the rear portion and between the rear portion and the heel portion across the bottom portion more than 50% of a maximum distance between the toe and heel portions.

12. A driver-type golf club head as defined in claim 11, wherein the first set of weight ports and the second set of weight ports define a loop on the weight port region.

13. A driver-type golf club head as defined in claim 11, wherein the plurality of weight ports comprises at least one weight port having a cylindrical shape.

14. A driver-type golf club head as defined in claim 11, wherein the first set of weight ports is associated with a first set of weight portions of the plurality of weight portions and the second set of weight ports is associated with a second set of weight portions of the plurality of weight portions, wherein the total number of weight ports in the first set of weight ports is less than or equal to the total number of weight ports in the second set of weight ports.

15. A driver-type golf club head as defined in claim 11, wherein the first set of weight ports is associated with a first set of weight portions of the plurality of weight portions and the second set of weight ports associated with a second set of weight portions of the plurality of weight portions, wherein each weight portion of the first set of weight portions is associated with a first mass, and each weight portion of the second set of weight portions is associated with a second mass less than the first mass.