Golf club head

• US 7,175,541 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2004
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FU Sheng Industrial Company Limited (Cooperative Valiant APO Global UA)
• Original Assignee: FU Sheng Industrial Company Limited (Cooperative Valiant APO Global UA)
• Inventors: Lo, Lai-Fa
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US10/894,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20060019768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 273/DIG.14
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/14 Transparent

Abstract

A golf club head includes a body and at least one transparent cover. The body includes a striking face for striking golf balls and a hosel for coupling with a shaft. The body includes a crown in which at least one opening is defined. A perimeter delimiting the opening includes a stepped portion. The transparent cover is securely mounted to the opening of the crown. The transparent cover is made of a transparent material having a specific gravity smaller than 1.5 g/cm³ for reducing a weight of the crown of the golf club head and for shifting a center of gravity of the golf club head downward and rearward.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a metal body including a striking face for striking golf balls and a hosel adapted to couple with a shaft, the body including a crown, at least one opening being defined in the crown, a perimeter delimiting the opening including a stepped portion, said opening extending from the crown to a sole of the body to provide a sidewall gap; and

at least one nonmetal transparent cover securely mounted to said at least one opening of the crown, said at least one transparent cover having a downward-bent extension extended from the crown to the sole, said downward-bent extension covering said sidewall gap of the body, the transparent cover being made of a transparent material having a specific gravity smaller than 1.5 g/cm3 for reducing a weight of the crown of the golf club head and for shifting a center of gravity of the golf club head downward and rearward.

2. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, with the body further including at least one chamber in a rear portion of a sole of the body, and with at least one weight member being mounted in said at least one chamber.

3. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, with said at least one opening extending from the crown toward a toe of the body.

4. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, with said at least one opening extending from the crown toward a heel of the body.

5. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, with said at least one transparent cover being made of one of crystalline engineering plastic and non-crystalline engineering plastic.

6. The golf club head as claimed in claim 5, with the transparent cover being made of a material selected from the group comprising polyetherimide (PEI), polyethersulfone (PES), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyphthalamide (PPA), polyetherketone (PEK), and polyether ether ketone (PEEK).

7. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, with the body including a compartment delimited by an inner wall, with a marking area being provided on the inner wall.

8. The golf club head as claimed in claim 7, with the marking area being formed by one of ink printing, water jet engraving, mechanical engraving, laser engraving, sanding, sticking, and integral casting.

9. The golf club head as claimed in claim 7, with the body further including at least one chamber in a rear portion of a sole of the body, and with at least one weight member being mounted in said at least one chamber.

10. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, with said at least one transparent cover including an inner face, and with a marking area being provided on the inner face of said at least one transparent cover.

11. The golf club head as claimed in claim 10, with the marking area being formed by one of ink printing, laser engraving, sanding, sticking, and integral molding injection.

12. The golf club head as claimed in claim 10, with the body further including at least one chamber in a rear portion of a sole of the body, and with at least one weight member being mounted in said at least one chamber.

13. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, with said at least one opening including an extension rib extending from the stepped portion.

14. The golf club head as claimed in claim 13, with a marking area being provided on an outer face of the extension rib.

15. The golf club head as claimed in claim 14, with the marking area being formed by one of ink printing, water jet engraving, mechanical engraving, laser engraving, sanding, sticking, and integral casting.

16. The golf club head as claimed in claim 13, with the body further including at least one chamber in a rear portion of a sole of the body, and with at least one weight member being mounted in said at least one chamber.

17. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, with said at least one transparent cover having a color.

18. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, with said at least one transparent cover being concave when viewed from an interior of the at least one transparent cover.

19. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, with said at least one transparent cover being concave when viewed from an interior of the at least one transparent cover.