Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 9,352,197 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Original Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Inventors: Parsons, Robert R., Schweigert, Bradley D., Nicolette, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US14/667,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20160059090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 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 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 body portion may include 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, and a weight port region located at or proximate to the bottom portion. 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, and a weight port region located at or proximate to the bottom portion, 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,

wherein the plurality of weight ports comprises a first set of weight ports substantially similarly spaced apart and configured in a first arc extending from a region proximate to the toe portion to a region proximate to the heel portion, and a second set of weight ports substantially similarly spaced apart and configured in a second arc extending between the toe and heel portions.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the total number of weight ports in the first set of weight ports is greater than or equal to the total number of weight ports in the second set of weight ports.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein each weight port of the plurality of weight ports is associated with a port diameter, and wherein the first arc and the second arc are separated along the periphery of the bottom portion by a distance being greater than or equal to the port diameter of any of the weight ports of the plurality of weight ports.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, 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 two adjacent weight ports of the first set of weight ports are separated by less than or equal to the port diameter of any weight port of the two adjacent weight ports of the first set of weight ports, and wherein two adjacent weight ports of the second set of weight ports are separated by less than or equal to the port diameter of any weight port of the two adjacent weight ports of the second set of weight ports.

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the golf club head comprises a volume less than 430 cubic centimeters.

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the golf club head comprises a mass ranging from 100 grams to 350 grams.

7. A 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, and a weight port region located at or proximate to the bottom portion, 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;

wherein the plurality of weight ports comprises a first set of weight ports extending in a first arc from a region proximate to the toe portion toward a region proximate to the front portion and extending from the region proximate to the front portion to a region proximate to the heel portion, and a second set of weight ports extending in a second arc across the bottom portion, and

wherein the weight ports of the 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.

8. A golf club head as defined in claim 7, wherein the plurality of weight portions comprises 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 the first set of weight ports, and each weight portion of the second set of weight portions being associated with a second mass and the second set of weight ports, wherein the first mass is greater than the second mass.

9. A golf club head as defined in claim 7, wherein each weight port of the plurality of weight ports is associated with a port diameter, and wherein the first arc and the second arc are separated along the periphery of the bottom portion by a distance being greater than or equal to the port diameter of any of the weight ports of the plurality of weight ports.

10. A golf club head as defined in claim 7, wherein the total number of weight ports in the first set of weight ports is greater than or equal to the total number of weight ports in the second set of weight ports.

11. A golf club head as defined in claim 7, 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 two adjacent weight ports of the first set of weight ports are separated by less than or equal to the port diameter of any weight port of the two adjacent weight ports of the first set of weight ports, and wherein two adjacent weight ports of the second set of weight ports are separated by less than or equal to the port diameter of any weight port of the two adjacent weight ports of the second set of weight ports.

12. A golf club head as defined in claim 7, wherein the golf club head comprises a volume of less than 430 cubic centimeter.

13. A golf club head as defined in claim 7, wherein the golf club head comprises a mass ranging from 100 grams to 350 grams.

14. A fairway wood-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, and a weight port region located at or proximate to the bottom portion, 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,

wherein the plurality of weight ports comprises a first set of weight ports substantially similarly spaced apart and extending from a region proximate to the heel portion to a region proximate to the toe portion in a generally C-shaped first arc being concave relative to the front portion, and

wherein the plurality of weight ports comprises a second set of weight ports substantially similarly spaced apart and extending between the heel portion and the toe portion in a generally C-shaped second arc being concave relative to the rear portion.

15. A fairway wood-type golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein each weight port of the plurality of weight ports is associated with a port diameter, and wherein the first C-shaped arc and the second C-shaped arc are separated along the periphery of the bottom portion by a distance being greater than or equal to the port diameter of any of the weight ports of the plurality of weight ports.

16. A fairway wood-type golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the plurality of weight portions comprises 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 the first set of weight ports, and each weight portion of the second set of weight portions being associated with a second mass and the second set of weight ports, wherein the first mass is greater than the second mass.

17. A fairway wood-type golf club head as defined in claim 14, 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 two adjacent weight ports of the first set of weight ports are separated by less than or equal to the port diameter of any weight port of the two adjacent weight ports of the first set of weight ports, and wherein two adjacent weight ports of the second set of weight ports are separated by less than or equal to the port diameter of any weight port of the two adjacent weight ports of the second set of weight ports.

18. A fairway wood-type golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the weight ports of the 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.

19. A fairway wood-type golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the golf club head comprises a volume of less than 430 cubic centimeters.

20. A fairway wood-type golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the golf club head comprises a mass ranging from 100 grams to 350 grams.