Putter-type club head

• US 7,147,569 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Cleveland, Roger, Rollinson, Augustin W., Tang, Larry G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US10/904,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20060094522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 473251-254, 473324-350, 473/249, D21736-746, D21/759
• US Class Current: 473/249
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• 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 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• 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 body (22) and a peripheral mass belt (23) is disclosed herein. The putter-type club head (20) has a body (22) that is preferably composed of an aluminum alloy. The body (22) preferably has a face portion (24), a crown portion (26), a sole portion (28) and a column portion (30). The face portion (24), the crown portion (26), the sole portion (28) and the peripheral mass belt (23) define a central aperture (32). The crown portion (26) extends rearward from the face portion (24). The central aperture (32) separates the crown portion (26) from the sole portion (28) and the face portion (24) from the central mass portion (80). The crown portion (26) preferably has an alignment means (40) thereon for aiming a golf ball during putting which preferably comprises three circular inserts (40a–c).

Claims

1. A putter-type club head comprising:

a body having a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion and a column portion, the crown portion extending rearward from the face portion to cover the column portion, the sole portion extending rearward from the face portion; and

a peripheral mass belt attached to the body, the peripheral mass belt having a central mass portion, a heel arc member extending outward from the central mass portion and a toe arc member extending outward from the central mass member;

wherein the face portion, the crown portion, the sole portion and the central mass portion of the peripheral mass belt define a central aperture through the body having a heel end opening and a toe end opening, and the central aperture separates the crown portion from the sole portion and the face portion from the central mass portion;

wherein the body has a length, L, from the face portion to the rearward most end of the peripheral mass belt ranging from 3.0 inches to 6.0 inches.

2. 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.

3. The putter-type club head according to claim 1 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.

4. A putter-type club head comprising:

a face portion having a recess with a face insert disposed therein;

a sole portion extending rearward from the face portion, the sole portion having an internal surface and an external surface;

a crown portion extending rearward from the face portion, the crown portion having a central elongated section and a forward section, the forward section having a width from a heel end of the face portion to a toe end of the face portion from between 3.0 inches to 6.0 inches, the forward section having a width greater than a width of the central elongated portion;

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

a peripheral mass belt attached to the body, the peripheral mass belt having a central mass portion, a heel arc member extending outward from the central mass portion and a toe arc member extending outward from the central mass member;

wherein the putter-type club head has a length, L, from the face portion to the rearward most end of the peripheral mass belt ranging from 3.0 inches to 6.0 inches.

5. The putter-type club head according to claim 4 wherein the center of gravity of the club head is located from between 0.25 inch to 1.0 inch upward from the external surface of the sole portion.

6. The putter-type club head according to claim 4 wherein the center of gravity of the club head is located 1.50 inches to 3.5 inches rearward from the external surface of the face portion.

7. The putter-type club head according to claim 4 wherein the alignment means is composed of three circular inserts.

8. The putter-type club head according to claim 7 wherein the three circular inserts are composed of a thermosetting polyurethane.

9. The putter-type club head according to claim 7 wherein the three circular inserts have equal diameters.

10. A putter-type club head comprising:

a body having a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion and a column portion, the crown portion extending rearward from the face portion to cover the column portion, the sole portion extending rearward from the face portion; and

a peripheral mass belt attached to the body, the peripheral mass belt having a central mass portion, a heel arc member extending outward from the central mass portion and a toe arc member extending outward from the central mass member;

wherein the putter-type club head has a length, L, from the face portion to the rearward most end of the peripheral mass belt ranging from 3.0 inches to 6.0 inches.

11. The putter-type club head according to claim 10 wherein the peripheral mass belt ranges from 20 to 50 volume percent of the putter-type club head and ranges from 40 to 60 weight percent of the body.

12. The putter-type club head according to claim 10 wherein the peripheral mass belt is composed of stainless steel.

13. A putter-type club head comprising:

a body having a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion and a column portion, the crown portion extending rearward from the face portion to cover the column portion, the sole portion extending rearward from the face portion, the crown portion having an alignment means comprising three circular inserts; and

a peripheral mass belt attached to the body, the peripheral mass belt having a central mass portion, a heel arc member extending outward from the central mass portion and a toe arc member extending outward from the central mass member;

wherein the peripheral mass belt has a mass ranging from 100 grams to 180 grams.

14. A putter-type club head comprising:

a body having a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion and a column portion, the crown portion extending rearward from the face portion to cover the column portion, the sole portion extending rearward from face portion, the crown portion having an alignment means comprising three circular inserts; and

a peripheral mass belt attached to the body, the peripheral mass belt having a central mass portion, a heel arc member extending outward from the central mass portion and a toe arc member extending outward from the central mass member;

wherein the heel arc member and the body form a heel space and the toe arc member and the body form a toe space.

15. The putter-type club head according to claim 14 wherein the body is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloy, magnesium, magnesium alloy, titanium and titanium alloy.

16. The putter-type club head according to claim 14 wherein the body is composed of a material having a density ranging from 0.90 g/cm³ to 6.0 g/cm³.

17. The putter-type club head according to claim 14 wherein the peripheral mass belt is composed of a material having a density ranging from 7.00 g/cm³ to 10.0 g/cm³.

18. A putter-type club head comprising:

a body composed of an aluminum material having a density ranging from 2.0 g/cm³ to 3.0 g/cm³, a body having a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion and a column portion, the crown portion extending rearward from the face portion to cover the column portion, the sole portion extending rearward from the face portion, the crown portion having an alignment means comprising three circular inserts; and

a peripheral mass belt attached to the body, the peripheral mass belt having a central mass portion, a heel arc member extending outward from the central mass portion and a toe arc member extending outward from the central mass member, the peripheral mass belt composed of a material having a density ranging from 6.0 g/cm³ to 20.0 g/cm³.