Putter-type golf club head

• US 10,456,637 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Becktor, Mika, Dolezel, Keith, Trahan, Nick, Seagram, Phillip C., Herr, Brian, Brunski, Jeff, Sheldon, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Alvin A
• Application Number:
  US15/813,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20180071596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• 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 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3682 Visual means not attached to the body for aligning, positioning the trainee's head or for detecting head movement, e.g. by parallax

Abstract

A putter-type golf club head is disclosed. When oriented in a reference position, the putter-type golf club head comprises a blade member and a central elongate member in communication with, and extending rearwardly from, the blade member. The blade member extends in a heel-to-toe direction and has a striking wall defining a substantially planar striking surface, and an upper surface of the central elongate member comprises at least one generally square-shaped alignment element.

Claims

1. A putter-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:

a main body comprising a blade member extending in a heel-to-toe direction and having a striking wall defining a substantially planar striking surface, and a central elongate member in communication with, and extending rearwardly from, the blade member, the central elongate member having an upper surface;

wherein;

the main body is formed of plural discrete components including a sole portion comprising a first material and a top portion comprising a second material different from the first material, the sole portion being recessed in its entirety from the upper surface of the central elongate member;

the upper surface of the central elongate member comprises at least one generally square-shaped alignment element; and

the first material comprises a first density and the second material comprises a second density that is less than the first density.

2. The putter-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the sole portion is secured to the top portion by a mechanical fastener.

3. The putter-type golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a resilient material sandwiched between the sole portion and the top portion.

4. The putter-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises stainless steel and the second material comprises aluminum.

5. The putter-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first material is harder than the second material.

6. The putter-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the main body is substantially T-shaped.

7. The putter-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the central elongate member further comprises a width, in the heel-to-toe direction, that is greater than a diameter of a golf ball; and

the at least one alignment element comprises a width, in the heel-to-toe direction, that is slightly less than the diameter of the golf ball.

8. The putter-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the club head is face-balanced.

9. A putter-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:

a blade member extending in a heel-to-toe direction and having a striking wall defining a substantially planar striking surface;

a central elongate member in communication with, and extending rearwardly from, the blade member, the central elongate member comprising an upper surface having at least one generally square-shaped alignment element;

a cantilevered heel arm extending rearward from a heel-ward portion of the blade member; and

a cantilevered toe arm extending rearward from a toe-ward portion of the blade member,

wherein at least one of the heel arm and the toe arm tapers in thickness in the front-to-rear direction.

10. The putter-type golf club head of claim 9, further comprising:

a heel-ward gap defined between the heel arm and the central elongate member, the heel-ward gap having a first bend; and

a toe-ward gap defined between the toe arm and the central elongate member, the toe-ward gap having a second bend.

11. The putter-type golf club head of claim 9, wherein the at least one generally square-shaped alignment element comprises at least two generally square-shaped alignment elements.

12. The putter-type golf club head of claim 9, wherein:

the central elongate member further comprises a width, in the heel-to-toe direction, that is greater than a diameter of a golf ball; and

the at least one alignment element comprises a width, in the heel-to-toe direction, that is slightly less than the diameter of the golf ball.

13. The putter-type golf club head of claim 9, wherein the club head is face-balanced.

14. A putter-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:

a blade member extending in a heel-to-toe direction and having a striking wall defining a substantially planar striking surface;

a central elongate member in communication with, and extending rearwardly from, the blade member, the central elongate member comprising an upper surface having at least one generally square-shaped alignment element;

a cantilevered heel arm secured to a rear portion of the central elongate member and projecting heel-wardly and forwardly of the rear portion; and

a cantilevered toe arm secured to a toe-ward side of the rear portion of the central elongate member and projecting toe-wardly and forwardly of the rear portion,

wherein the heel arm and the toe arm are formed in a unitary sole portion, the central elongate member is formed in a unitary top portion discrete from the sole portion, and the sole portion is mechanically coupled to the top portion.

15. The putter-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein the at least one generally square-shaped alignment element comprises at least two generally square-shaped alignment elements.

16. The putter-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein:

the central elongate member further comprises a width, in the heel-to-toe direction, that is greater than a diameter of a golf ball; and

the at least one alignment element comprises a width, in the heel-to-toe direction, that is slightly less than the diameter of the golf ball.

17. The putter-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein the club head is face-balanced.