Iron club with captive third piece

• US 6,688,989 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2002
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cobra Golf Company (Puma SE)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Best, Christopher B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US10/132,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20030203768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/325, 473/326, 473/327, 473/328, 473/329, 473/330, 473/331, 473/332, 473/333, 473/334, 473/335, 473/336, 473/337, 473/338, 473/339, 473/340, 473/341, 473/342, 473/343, 473/344, 473/345, 473/346, 473/347, 473/348, 473/349, 473/350, 473/290, 473/291, 473/292
• US Class Current: 473/332
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A golf club with improved vibration damping and weight distribution, the golf club comprising a shaft and a head comprising a body portion having a front portion and a back portion, wherein the body portion defines an upper aperture and a lower aperture extending through the body portion communicating with the front portion and the back portion.

Claims

1. A golf club with improved vibration damping and weight distribution, the golf club comprising:

a shaft;

a head comprising a body portion having a front portion and a back portion;

the body portion defines an upper aperture and a lower aperture, both apertures extending through the body portion communicating with the front portion and the back portion;

the front portion defining a front cavity therein; and

the front portion defines a third cavity disposed within the front cavity below the upper aperture, and wherein the third cavity encompasses a recessed rim surrounding an entire front portion of the lower aperture.

2. The golf club of claim 1 wherein the third cavity extends laterally across substantially the entire lower portion of the body portion for eliminating material and weight generally from central portions of the club head.

3. A golf club with improved vibration damping and weight distribution, the golf club comprising:

a shaft

a head comprising a body portion having a front portion and a back portion;

the body portion defines an upper aperture and a lower aperture, both apertures extending through the body portion communicating with the front portion and the back portion;

the back portion defining a back cavity therein; and

a vibration damping and acoustic attenuating member occupies essentially the entire lower aperture and a portion of the back cavity.

4. The golf club of claim 3, wherein the body comprises a strike face insert and the front portion further defines a third cavity disposed within the front face below the upper aperture, and wherein the third cavity encompasses a recessed rim surrounding an entire front portion of the lower aperture, the vibration damping and acoustic attenuating member is disposed immediately adjacent to a rear surface of the strike face insert and the recessed rim, occupying essentially the entire third cavity, the entire lower aperture and a portion of the back cavity.

5. The golf club of claim 3, wherein the vibration damping and acoustic attenuating member has a shear modulus of at least about 1 MPa over a temperature range of from about 10°

C. to about 40°

C. and a frequency range of from about 50 Hz to about 5000 Hz.

6. The golf club of claim 5, wherein the shear modulus is at least about 2 MPa.

7. The golf club of claim 3, wherein the vibration damping and acoustic attenuating member has a loss factor of at least about 0.05 over a temperature range of from about 10°

C. to about 40°

C. and a frequency range of from about 50 Hz to about 5000 Hz.

8. The golf club of claim 7, wherein the loss factor is at least about 0.1.

9. The golf club of claim 3, wherein the vibration damping and acoustic attenuating member is made from a material selected from a group consisting of viscoelastic elastomers;

vinyl copolymers with or without inorganic fillers;

polyvinyl acetate with or without mineral fillers such as barium sulfate;

acrylics;

polyesters;

polyurethanes;

polyethers;

polyamides;

polybutadienes;

polystyrenes;

polyisoprenes;

polyethylenes;

polyolefins;

styrene/isoprene block copolymers;

metallized polyesters;

metallized acrylics;

epoxies;

epoxy and graphite composites;

natural and synthetic rubbers;

piezoelectric ceramics;

thermoset and thermoplastic rubbers;

foamed polymers;

ionomers;

low-density fiber glass;

bitumen;

air bladders;

liquid bladders;

acoustic absorbing materials;

Helmholtz resonators;

or a mixture thereof.

10. The golf club of claim 3, wherein the vibration damping and acoustic attenuating member comprises a low-density granular material selected from a group consisting of perlite;

vermiculite;

polyethylene beads;

glass microspheres;

expanded polystyrene;

nylon flock;

ceramics;

polymeric elastomers;

rubbers;

dendritic particles;

or a mixture thereof.

11. The golf club of claim 3, wherein the vibration damping and acoustic attenuating member comprises a plurality of layers and a plurality of materials.

12. The golf club of claim 3, wherein the vibration damping and acoustic attenuating member further contains a weight member therein having a specific gravity greater than the body portion.

13. The golf club of claim 3, wherein an indicia is scribed on a back surface of the vibration damping and acoustic attenuating member.

14. A golf club of the iron type with improved vibration damping and weight distribution, the golf club comprising:

a shaft; and

a head having a body, a strike face insert and a vibration damping and acoustic attenuating member;

wherein the body has a back cavity, a front cavity having a third cavity formed therein, an upper aperture formed therethrough communicating the back cavity and the front cavity, and a lower aperture formed therethrough communicating the back cavity and the third cavity;

wherein the strike face insert is disposed within the front cavity adjacent to the upper aperture and the third cavity;

wherein the vibration damping and acoustic attenuating member is disposed immediately adjacent to a rear surface of the strike face insert, occupying the entire third cavity, the entire lower aperture and a portion of the back cavity; and

wherein the strike face insert comprises a material having a strength-to-weight ratio greater than that of a material forming the body.