Putter head

• US 6,506,125 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2001
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Rollinson, Augustin W., Cleveland, Roger, Byrne, Wayne H., Tang, Larry G., Williams, Luke R., Helmstetter, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US09/683,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20020034986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/334, 473/335, 473/336, 473/337, 473/338, 473/339, 473/342, 473/340, 473/341, 473/327, 473/328, 473/329, 473/330, 473/331, 473/349, 473/251, 473/252, 473/253, 473/254, 473/255, 473/256, 473/242, 473/249, D21/736-746, D21/759
• US Class Current: 473/242
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• 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 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/50 with through-holes A63B60/18 takes precedence; for stringing purposes A63B49/00

Abstract

A putter-type club head (20) having a central aperture (32) with a rearward center of gravity is disclosed herein. The putter-type club head (20) has a body (22) that is preferably composed of stainless steel. The body (22) has a face portion (24), a crown portion (26), a sole portion (28) and an aft-mass portion (30). The face portion (24), the crown portion (26), the sole portion (28) and the aft-mass portion (30) define the central aperture (32). The crown portion (26) extends rearward from the face portion (24) over the aft-mass portion (30). The central aperture (32) separates the crown portion (26) from the sole portion (28) and the face portion (24) from the aft-mass portion (30). The crown portion (26) has an alignment means (40) thereon for aiming a golf ball during putting.

Claims

1. A putter-type club head comprising:

a body having a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion and an aft-mass portion, wherein the face portion, the crown portion, the sole portion and the aft-mass portion define a central aperture through the body having a heel end opening and a toe end opening, wherein the crown portion extends rearward from the face portion to over the aft-mass portion, wherein the sole portion extends from the face portion to the aft-mass portion, wherein the central aperture separates the crown portion from the sole portion and the face portion from the aft-mass portion, and wherein the center of gravity of the putter-type club head is within the central aperture.

2. The putter-type club head according to claim 1 wherein the aft-mass portion ranges from 10 to 30 volume percent of the body and ranges from 25 to 75 weight percent of the body.

3. The putter-type club head according to claim 1 wherein the distance from an internal surface of the crown portion to an internal surface of the sole portion ranges from 0.01 inch to 1.50 inches.

4. The putter-type club head according to claim 1 wherein the distance from an internal surface of the face portion to an internal surface of the aft-mass portion ranges from 1.0 inch to 3.50 inches.

5. The putter-type club head according to claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of recesses on an external surface of the crown portion, each of the plurality of recesses having a circular shape with a diameter ranging from 1.62 inches to 1.70 inches;

a plurality of circular inserts, each of the plurality of circular inserts disposed within a corresponding recess of the plurality of recesses.

6. The putter-type club head according to claim 5 wherein each of the plurality of circular inserts is composed of a thermosetting polyurethane material, and each of the plurality of circular inserts has a white color.

7. The putter-type club head according to claim 1 wherein the body is composed of stainless steel.

8. The putter-type club head according to claim 1 further comprising a cylindrical rod extending upward from the crown portion.

9. The putter-type club head according to claim 1 wherein the body is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, titanium, titanium alloy, bronze and carbon steel.

10. A putter-type club head comprising:

a body having a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion and an aft-ma portion, wherein the face portion, the crown portion, the sole portion and the aft-mass portion define a central aperture through the body having a heel end opening and a toe end opening, wherein the crown portion extends rearward from the face portion to over the aft-mass portion, wherein the sole portion extends from the face portion to the aft-mass portion, wherein the central aperture separates the crown portion from the sole portion and the face portion from the aft-mass portion, and wherein the face portion has an external surface with a recess therein;

a plurality of recesses on an external surface of the crown portion, each of the plurality of recesses having a circular shape with a diameter ranging from 1.62 inches to 1.70 inches;

a plurality of circular inserts, each of the plurality of circular inserts disposed within a corresponding recess of the plurality of recesses; and

a face insert disposed within the recess of the face portion.

11. The putter-type club head according to claim 10 wherein the face insert is composed of a thermosetting polyurethane material.

12. The putter-type club head according to claim 10 further comprising a cylindrical rod extending upward from the crown portion.

13. The putter-type club head according to claim 10 wherein the center of gravity of the putter-type club head is located within the central aperture.

14. A putter-type club head comprising:

a face portion having an external surface and an internal surface;

a sole portion extending rearward from the face portion and having a semi-circular shape;

an aft-mass portion disposed at a rearward end of the sole portion, the aft mass portion having 10 to 30 volume percent of the putter-type club head and from 25 to 75 weight percent of the putter-type club head;

a crown portion extending rearward from the face portion, the crown portion having a central elongated section extending over the aft-mass portion and a forward section having a width from a heel end of the face portion to a toe end of the face portion, the forward section having a width greater than a width of the central elongated portion; and

an alignment means disposed on an external surface of the crown portion;

wherein the face portion, the crown portion, the sole portion and the aft-mass portion define a central aperture through the body having a heel end opening and a toe end opening.

15. The putter-type club head according to claim 14 wherein the alignment means is a plurality of circles.

16. The putter type-club head according to claim 14 wherein the alignment means is a white strip.