Golf club head

• US 6,171,204 B1
• Filed: 03/04/1999
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Frederick B. Starry
• Original Assignee: Frederick B. Starry
• Inventors: Starry, Frederick B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US09/262,202
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 473/333, 473/334, 473/335, 473/336, 473/337, 473/338, 473/339, 473/256, 473/329, 473/324, 473/350
• US Class Current: 473/333
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0495 moving on impact, slidable, spring or otherwise elastically biased
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/08 with special arrangements for obtaining a variable impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head for increasing the distance a golf ball travels after being struck with the golf club head. The golf club head includes a body with a striking face and a back face. The body has a cavity therein that has a forwards face adjacent the striking face of the body and a rearwards face adjacent the back face of the body. A block is disposed in the cavity of the body. The block has opposite first and second faces. The first face of the block faces the forwards face of the cavity and the second face of the block faces the rearwards face of the cavity. The block is biased towards the rearwards face of the cavity so that the block is biased to a position where the first face of the block is spaced apart from the forwards face of the cavity.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body having a striking face and a back face;

said body having a cavity therein, said cavity having a forwards face adjacent said striking face of said body and a rearwards face adjacent said back face of said body;

a block being disposed in said cavity of said body, said block having opposite first and second faces, said first face of said block facing said forwards face of said cavity, said second face of said block facing said rearwards face of said cavity;

said block being biased towards said rearwards face of said cavity so that said block is biased to a position where said first face of said block is spaced apart from said forwards face of said cavity;

wherein swinging of said body such that said striking face of said body strikes an object with a predetermined amount of force moves said block towards said striking face of said body until said first face of said block strikes said forwards face of said cavity;

wherein a spring biases said block towards said rearwards face of said cavity;

wherein said spring is disposed in said cavity of said body between said rearwards face of said cavity and said second face of said block, and wherein said spring is coupled to said second face of said block;

a tension ring being disposed in said cavity of said body, said tension ring being positioned between said rearwards face of said cavity and said spring, and wherein said spring is coupled to said tension ring; and

wherein said tension ring has a threaded interior circumference defining a threaded central hole through said tension ring wherein said body has a bore extending between said back face of said body and said rearwards face of said cavity, wherein said tension ring is positioned adjacent said bore of said body such that said bore of said body and said central hole of said tension ring are coaxial with one another, wherein a tension adjuster is provided having a turning head portion and a threaded portion, wherein said tension adjuster is extended through said bore of said body, wherein said tension adjuster is rotatable mounted in said bore of said body to permit rotation of said tension adjuster about an axis of said bore, and wherein said threaded portion of said tension adjuster is extended into said cavity of said body and threadably inserted through said central hole of said tension ring.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein rotation of said tension adjuster in a first direction advances said tension ring on said threaded portion of said tension adjuster towards said forwards face of said cavity, and wherein rotation of said tension adjuster in a second direction opposite said first direction advances said tension ring on said threaded portion of said tension adjuster towards said rearwards face of said cavity.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said turning head portion of said tension adjuster faces outwardly from said back face of said body.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein said turning head portion of said tension adjuster has an annular outer side, said outer side of said turning head portion having a plurality of groove therein.

5. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein said back face of said body has an annular recess about said bore of said body, wherein said turning head portion of said tension adjuster is located in said recess of said back face of said body, wherein said turning head portion has an outer face, and wherein said outer face of said turning head portion has a slot therein.

6. A golf club head, comprising:

a body having a generally flat striking face and a rounded back face;

said body having a generally rectangular box-shaped cavity therein, said cavity having a forwards face adjacent said striking face of said body and a rearwards face adjacent said back face of said body;

a generally rectangular block being disposed in said cavity of said body, said block having opposite first and second faces, said first face of said block facing said forwards face of said cavity, said second face of said block facing said rearwards face of said cavity;

said block being biased towards said rearwards face of said cavity so that said block is biased to a position where said first face of said block is spaced apart from said forwards face of said cavity;

wherein swinging of said body such that said striking face of said body strikes an object with a predetermined amount of force moves said block towards said striking face of said body until said first face of said block strikes said forwards face of said cavity;

wherein a spring biases said block towards said rearwards face of said cavity;

said spring being disposed in said cavity of said body between said rearwards face of said cavity and said second face of said block;

said spring being coupled to said second face of said block;

a tension ring being disposed in said cavity of said body, said tension ring being positioned between said rearwards face of said cavity and said spring;

said spring being coupled to said tension ring;

said tension ring having a threaded interior circumference defining a threaded central hole through said tension ring;

said body having a bore extending between said back face of said body and said rearwards face of said cavity;

said tension ring being positioned adjacent said bore of said body such that said bore of said body and said central hole of said tension ring are coaxial with one another;

a tension adjuster having a turning head portion and a threaded portion;

said tension adjuster being extended through said bore of said body, said tension adjuster being rotatably mounted in said bore of said body to permit rotation of said tension adjuster about an axis of said bore;

said threaded portion of said tension adjuster being extended into said cavity of said body and threadably inserted through said central hole of said tension ring;

wherein rotation of said tension adjuster in a first direction advances said tension ring on said threaded portion of said tension adjuster towards said forwards face of said cavity, wherein rotation of said tension adjuster in a second direction opposite said first direction advances said tension ring on said threaded portion of said tension adjuster towards said rearwards face of said cavity;

said turning head portion of said tension adjuster facing outwardly from said back face of said body;

said back face of said body having an annular recess about said bore of said body, said turning head portion of said tension adjuster being located in said recess of said back face of said body;

said turning head portion having an outer face; and

said outer face of said turning head portion having a slot therein.

7. A golf club head, comprising:

a body having a striking face and a back face;

said body having a cavity therein, said cavity having a forwards face adjacent said striking face of said body and a rearwards face adjacent said back face of said body;

a block being disposed in said cavity of said body, said block having opposite first and second faces, said first face of said block facing said forwards face of said cavity, said second face of said block facing said rearwards face of said cavity;

said block being biased towards said rearwards face of said cavity so that said block is biased to a position where said first face of said block is spaced apart from said forwards face of said cavity;

wherein swinging of said body such that said striking face of said body strikes an object with a predetermined amount of force moves said block towards said striking face of said body until said first face of said block strikes said forwards face of said cavity;

wherein a magnet biases said block towards said rearwards face of said cavity;

wherein said magnet is disposed in said cavity of said body between said rearwards face of said cavity and said second face said block, wherein said magnet has a front face facing said second face of said block and a back face facing said rearwards face of said cavity; and

wherein said back face of said magnet has a threaded hole into said magnet, wherein said body has a bore extending between said back face of said body and said rearwards face of said cavity, wherein said back face of said magnet is positioned adjacent said bore of said body such that said bore of said body and said threaded hole of said magnet are coaxial with one another, wherein a tension adjuster is provided having a turning head portion and a threaded portion, wherein said tension adjuster is extended through said bore of said body, wherein said tension adjuster is rotatably mounted in said bore of said body to permit rotation of said tension adjuster about an axis of said bore, wherein said threaded portion of said tension adjuster is threadably inserted through said threaded hole of said magnet into said magnet, wherein rotation of said tension adjuster in a first direction advances said magnet on said threaded portion of said tension adjuster towards said forwards face of said cavity, and wherein rotation of said tension adjuster in a second direction opposite said first direction advances said magnet on said threaded portion of said tension adjuster towards said rearwards face of said cavity.