Hollow golf club

• US 6,533,679 B1
• Filed: 04/06/2000
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Gilbert, Peter J., McCabe, Terrill R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunter, Alvin A.
• Application Number:
  US09/544,670
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 473/334-340, 473/341, 473/345, 473/326
• US Class Current: 473/335
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A golf club head, wherein the head comprises a front striking face, a back plate, a toe wall, a heel wall, and a sole plate, configured to form an interior cavity; a hosel and a bore for receiving a shaft; at least one chamber formed inside the interior cavity by a plurality of wall members and one of the front striking face, back plate, toe wall, heel wall, and sole plate; a weight member disposed within the chamber; and a filler material juxtaposed the weight member and the wall members forming the cavity such that the weight member is isolated from the wall members and is securely held within the chamber.

Claims

1. A golf club head, wherein the head comprises:

a front striking face, a back plate, a toe wall, a heel wall, and a sole plate, configured to form an interior cavity;

a hosel and a bore for receiving a shaft;

at least one substantially closed chamber formed inside the interior cavity by a plurality of wall members and one of the front striking face, back plate, toe wall, heel wall, and sole plate;

a weight member disposed within the chamber; and

a filler material juxtaposed the weight member and the wall members forming the cavity such that the weight member is isolated from at least one of the wall members and is securely held within the chamber.

2. The club head of claim 1, wherein the chamber is attached to the sole plate, and wherein the chamber includes side walls and a lid to close the chamber and enclose the weight member and the filler material.

3. The club head of claim 2, wherein the chamber is further attached to at least one of the front striking face, back plate, toe wall, or heel wall.

4. The club head of claim 1, wherein the weight member is of unitary construction.

5. The club head of claim 1, wherein the weight member has a horizontal cross-section that is substantially rectangular and a vertical cross-section that is substantially square.

6. The club head of claim 1, wherein the weight member has an inhomogeneous longitudinal thickness.

7. The club head of claim 1, wherein the weight member has a mass of between about 55 grams and about 110 grams.

8. The club head of claim 1, wherein the club head has a first mass and the weight member has a second mass that is between about 25% and 50% of the first mass.

9. The club head of claim 1, wherein the weight member is symmetrically disposed within the chamber.

10. The club head of claim 1, wherein the weight member is isolated from all of the wall members by a plurality of supports.

11. The club head of claim 1, wherein the weight member comprises tungsten, copper, molybdenum, lead, alloys thereof, and mixtures thereof.

12. The club head of claim 1, wherein the weight member comprises a plurality of weight member parts.

13. The club head of claim 12, wherein the weight member parts each have different densities.

14. The club head of claim 1, wherein the sole plate has at least one aperture for receiving a plug.

15. The club head of claim 14, wherein the aperture is threaded.

16. The club head of claim 1, wherein the chamber has a first volume and the weight member has a second volume that is greater than about 50% of the first volume.

17. The club head of claim 16, wherein the second volume is greater than about 80% of the first volume.

18. The club head of claim 1, wherein the filler material is selected from the group consisting of adhesive, glue, caulking material, thermosetting or thermoplastic resins, epoxy, and mixtures thereof.

19. The club head of claim 18, wherein the filler material is epoxy.

20. A metal-wood club head, wherein the head comprises:

a front striking face, a back plate, a toe wall, a heel wall, a sole plate, a crown, and an arcuate skirt, configured to form an interior cavity;

a hosel and a bore for receiving a shaft;

at least one chamber formed inside the interior cavity by a plurality of wall members and one of the front striking face, back plate, toe wall, heel wall, sole plate, crown, and arcuate skirt;

a weight member disposed within the chamber; and

a filler material juxtaposed the weight member and the wall members forming the cavity such that the weight member is isolated from at least one of the wall members and is securely held within the chamber.