Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 9,233,283 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2015
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Original Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Inventors: Schweigert, Bradley D.
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNIS, MICHAEL DAVID
• Application Number:
  US14/686,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20150306476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 273 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/065 for putters
• 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 with a toe portion, a heel portion, a rear portion, a front portion with a strike face, a sole portion, and a top portion with a plurality of weight ports. The body portion may define a periphery of the golf club head. The golf club head may also include a plurality of weight portions with each weight portion disposed in one weight port of the plurality of weight ports. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a rear portion, a front portion with a strike face, a sole portion, and a top portion with a plurality of weight ports, the body portion defining a periphery of the golf club head;

a plurality of weight portions with each weight portion disposed in one weight port of the plurality of weight ports; and

a visual guide portion extending between the front and rear portions to provide a visual guide to strike a golf ball with the strike face, the visual guide portion having a first guide portion formed by a first set of weight ports of the plurality of weight ports located less than 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) from the periphery at or proximate to the toe portion, and a second guide portion formed by a second set of weight ports of the plurality of weight ports located less than 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) from the periphery at or proximate to the heel portion,

wherein each weight port of the plurality of weight ports is associated with a port diameter,

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

wherein the back wall portion comprises at least one weight port of the plurality of weight ports.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the back wall portion comprises a third set of weight ports of the plurality of weight ports and a fourth set of weight ports of the plurality of weight ports, wherein the third set of weight ports and the fourth set of weight ports extend between the top portion and the sole portion, wherein the weight ports of the third set of weight ports extend between the heel portion and the toe portion, and wherein the weight ports of the fourth set of weight ports extend between the heel portion and the toe portion.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the distance comprises a distance less than 50% of the port diameter.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second guide portions comprises a length less than 50% of a maximum length between the front and rear portions.

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second guide

portions are separated by a distance greater than 1.68 inches (42.67 mm) and less than or equal to 4.25 inches (107.95 mm).

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the visual guide portion comprises a third guide portion extending between the front and rear portions, the third guide portion being formed by a third set of weight ports of the plurality of weight ports located substantially equidistant from the first and second guide portions.

7. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the visual guide portion comprises at least one of a colored line portion, a raised line portion, a recessed line portion, a laser-etched line portion, a solid line portion, a dashed line portion, a dotted line portion, or two or more weight ports of the plurality of weight ports.

8. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the body portion is made of a first material and the plurality of weight portions is made of a second material, and wherein the first and second materials are different from each other.

9. A putter-type club head comprising:

a body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a back portion with a back wall portion comprising a plurality of weight ports, a front portion with a strike face, a top portion, and a sole portion, the body portion defining a periphery of the golf club head;

a plurality of weight portions with each weight portion disposed in one weight port of the plurality of weight ports; and

a visual guide portion extending between the front and back portions to provide a visual guide to strike a golf ball with the strike face, the visual guide portion having a first guide portion formed by a first set of weight ports of the plurality of weight ports and located proximate to the toe portion, a second guide portion formed by a second set of weight ports of the plurality of weight ports and located proximate to the heel portion and being substantially parallel to the first guide portion, and a third guide portion extending between the front and rear portions and located substantially equidistant from the first and second guide portions,

wherein each weight port of the plurality of weight ports is associated with a port diameter, and

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

10. A putter-type club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the third guide portion comprises at least one of a colored line portion, a raised line portion, a recessed line portion, a laser-etched line portion, a solid line portion, a dashed line portion, or a dotted line portion.

11. A putter-type club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the first guide portion is located less than 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) from the periphery and the second guide portion is located less than 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) from the periphery.

12. A putter-type club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the visual guide portion comprises a length of at least 0.5 inch (12.7 mm).

13. A putter-type club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the first and second guide portions are separated by a distance greater than 1.68 inches (42.67 mm) and less than or equal to 4.25 inches (107.95 mm).

14. A putter-type club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the back wall portion comprises a first set of weight ports of the plurality of weight ports and a second set of weight ports of the plurality of weight ports, wherein the first set of weight ports and the second set of weight ports extend between the top portion and the sole portion, wherein the weight ports of the first set of weight ports extend between the heel portion and the toe portion, and wherein the weight ports of the second set of weight ports extend between the heel portion and the toe portion.

15. A putter-type club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the third guide portion is formed by a third set of weight ports of the plurality of weight ports.

16. A golf club head comprising:

a body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a rear portion, a front portion with a strike face, a sole portion, and a top portion with a plurality of weight ports, the body portion defining a periphery of the golf club head;

a plurality of weight portions with each weight portion disposed in one weight port of the plurality of weight ports; and

a visual guide portion extending between the front and rear portions to provide a visual guide to strike a golf ball with the strike face, the visual guide portion having a first guide portion formed by a first set of weight ports of the plurality of weight ports located less than 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) from the periphery at or proximate to the toe portion, and a second guide portion formed by a second set of weight ports of the plurality of weight ports located less than 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) from the periphery at or proximate to the heel portion,

a third set of weight ports of the plurality of weight ports and a fourth set of weight ports of the plurality of weight ports, wherein the third set of weight ports and the fourth set of weight ports extend between the top portion and the sole portion, wherein the weight ports of the third set of weight ports extend between the heel portion and the toe portion, and wherein the weight ports of the fourth set of weight ports extend between the heel portion and the toe portion,

wherein each weight port of the plurality of weight ports is associated with a port diameter, and

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

17. A golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein the distance comprises a distance less than 50% of the port diameter.

18. A golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein each of the first and second guide portions comprises a length less than 50% of a maximum length between the front and rear portions.

19. A golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein the first and second guide portions are separated by a distance greater than 1.68 inches (42.67 mm) and less than or equal to 4.25 inches (107.95 mm).

20. A golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein the visual guide portion comprises a third guide portion extending between the front and rear portions, the third guide portion located substantially equidistant from the first and second guide portions.