Golf club face flexure control system

• US 6,354,961 B1
• Filed: 06/24/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Vardon Golf Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Allen, Dillis V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chapman, Jeanette
• Assistant Examiner(s): VARMA, SNEH K
• Application Number:
  US09/344,172
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 473/329, 473/345, 473/346, 473/290, 473/291, 473/332, 473/327, 473/326
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A line of golf clubs tailored to the swing speed of the golfer. The basic principles of the present invention can be applied to a single club, but optimally these principles are applied to a plurality of different club heads designed to the specific speed range of the golfer; namely, 50 to 65 mph, 66 to 80 mph, 81 to 95 mph, 96 to 105 mph, and 106 to 140 mph. Maximum ball exit speed from the club head is achieved from club face deflection in each of these ranges near the maximum at which the face wall reaches its permanent elastic deformation. To achieve these principles, the face wall firstly is designed so that the face wall modulus of elasticity increases from a low modulus for the low swing speed range to progressively higher moduli for the higher swing speed ranges. Face modulus can be altered by a variety of a techniques including face wall thinning and face wall reinforcement or a combination of both. In each of the swing speed ranges, the face has a first modulus of elasticity determined by the face itself and after the face deflects to a predetermined value, the face modulus is significantly increased by a stationary power piston that is impacted by the back of the face wall. The power piston impacts the rear of the face wall in each of the clubs within the swing speed range for that specific club. That is, in the low speed, 50 to 60 mph club, the face wall will impact the piston below 65 mph. Where exactly that impact occurs depends upon the design criteria of the club head designer.

Claims

1. A golf club head designed to augment ball exit velocity, comprising:

a club head body having a face wall, a generally rearwardly extending perimeter wall about at least a portion of the face wall, the face wall being relatively thin to maximize face deflection and face energy applied to the ball without exceeding the elastic limit of the face, said face thickness being selected so the face has a first low modulus of elasticity in a first lower portion in a lower swing speed range, and means in the club head body including the face wall for providing the face wall with a second higher modulus of elasticity in a second higher swing speed range, said means in the club head for providing the face wall with a second higher modulus of elasticity in a second speed range including a socket formed on the face wall and a shaft extending forwardly from the rear of the club head carrying a piston slidable in the socket, said piston being spaced from a bottom of the socket, the spacing between the piston and the bottom of the socket determining the face displacement at which the modulus of elasticity of the face increases.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the socket is formed integrally with the face wall, and flexible seal means between the piston and the socket to reduce vibration.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 2, and means to release air pressure between the piston and socket.

4. A line of golf clubs production customized for golfers'"'"' swing speeds, comprising:

a plurality of golf club heads having similar shapes and weights, a plurality of shafts connected to the club heads, each of said club heads having a ball striking face wall and a perimeter wall that extends rearwardly from at least a portion of the face wall, said line of clubs being constructed so that modulus of elasticity of the face walls in each of a plurality of discrete swing speed ranges increases as the swing speed ranges increase, said face modulus of elasticity being low in a lower portion of each of the speed ranges to provide increased face wall deflection near the elastic limit of the face wall in each swing speed range, and means to increase the modulus of elasticity in each club in the line in an upper portion of each of the swing speed ranges, said means to increase the modulus of elasticity in each club so the line including a power piston fixed to the rear of the club head and slidable in a socket on the ball striking face.