Weighted iron set

• US 9,750,993 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Ritchie, Ryan J. A., Ines, Marni, Hebreo, Jonathan, Franz, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US14/964,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20160243413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• 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 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type

Abstract

The present invention is direct to a set of golf clubs comprising long irons, mid-irons and short irons. The invention contemplates the use of titanium or steel for the main body portion and significant tungsten weight members coupled to at least the toe via a mechanical fastener.

Claims

1. A set of golf clubs comprising at least a first club head having a loft between about 15 and 25 degrees, a second club head having a loft of between about 26 and 35 degrees, and a third club head having a loft of about 36 degrees or greater, wherein:

the first, second and third club heads each comprise a heel, a toe, a topline, a sole, a hosel and a front face having a face center, each club head having a club head mass that is different than the previous club head by at least 5 grams, and wherein at least one of the club heads includes a weight member formed of tungsten and coupled to the toe that comprises 15%-25% of the club head mass;

wherein the weight member is coupled to the golf club via a mechanical fastener to form a portion of a back surface, a toe surface and a sole surface; and

wherein the club includes an indentation having a conical collar and a wall having an angle of between about 10 degrees and 60 degrees surrounding a portion of the weight member such that the weight member is press fit into the indentation when the mechanical fastener is tightened.

2. The set of golf clubs of claim 1, wherein the club includes a bottom surface and an adhesive tape is juxtaposed the bottom surface and the weight member.

3. The set of golf clubs of claim 1, wherein the club and the weight member form a paint fill edge that surrounds a weight member perimeter.

4. A set of golf clubs comprising at least a first club head having a loft between about 15 and 25 degrees, a second club head having a loft of between about 26 and 35 degrees, and a third club head having a loft of about 36 degrees or greater, wherein:

the first, second and third club heads each comprise a solid volume, a heel, a toe, a topline, a sole, a hosel and a front face having a face center, wherein at least one of the club heads has an overall club head mass and is comprised of a steel body member and a steel face insert that together comprise less than 75 percent of the overall club head mass and is further comprised of at least a toe weight member formed of tungsten, wherein the weight member comprises between 15% and 25% of the club head mass and is coupled to the body member by a mechanical fastener such that the weight member forms a portion of a sole surface, a toe surface and a back surface; and

wherein the club includes an indentation having a conical collar and a wall having an angle of between about 10 degrees and 60 degrees surrounding a portion of the weight member such that the weight member is press fit into the indentation when the mechanical fastener is tightened.

5. A set of golf clubs comprising at least a first golf club, a second golf club, and a third golf club, wherein:

the first, second and third golf clubs are each comprising a heel, a toe, an upper surface, a lower surface, a hosel and a front face having a face center, and

the first golf club further comprising a first loft angle (LA₁) of between 15 and 25 degrees and a first blade length, a first hosel length and a first scoreline width, and a first tungsten toe weight member,

wherein the first tungsten toe weight member is coupled to the golf club via a first mechanical fastener to form a portion of a back surface, a toe surface and a sole surface; and

wherein the first club includes a first indentation having a first conical collar and a first wall having an angle of between about 10 degrees and 60 degrees surrounding a portion of the first tungsten toe weight member such that the first tungsten toe weight member is press fit into the first indentation when the first mechanical fastener is tightened;

the second golf club comprising a second loft angle (LA₂) of between 26 and 35 degrees and a second blade length, a second hosel length and a second scoreline width, and a second tungsten toe weight member,

wherein the second tungsten toe weight member is coupled to the golf club via a second mechanical fastener to form a portion of a back surface, a toe surface and a sole surface; and

wherein the second club includes a second indentation having a second conical collar and a second wall having an angle of between about 10 degrees and 60 degrees surrounding a portion of the second tungsten toe weight member such that the second tungsten toe weight member is press fit into the second indentation when the second mechanical fastener is tightened; and

the third golf club comprising a third loft angle (LA₃) of 36 degrees or greater and a third blade length, a third hosel length and a third scoreline width, and a third tungsten toe weight member,

wherein the third tungsten toe weight member is coupled to the third golf club via a third mechanical fastener to form a portion of a back surface, a toe surface and a sole surface; and

wherein the third club includes a third indentation having a third conical collar and a third wall having an angle of between about 10 degrees and 60 degrees surrounding a portion of the third tungsten toe weight member such that the third tungsten toe weight member is press fit into the third indentation when the third mechanical fastener is tightened;

wherein the second tungsten toe weight member has greater mass than the first tungsten toe weight member and the third tungsten toe weight member has greater mass than the second tungsten toe weight member.