Golf club head with three-dimensional alignment aid and method of manufacture

• US 7,803,066 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Sanchez, Richard R., Solheim, John A., Souza, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter; Alvin A
• Application Number:
  US12/164,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20090270198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 473251-253, 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/340
• 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 53/0433 with special sole 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 53/0487 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: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49988 Metal casting

Abstract

A golf club head has a front wall member and a rear wall member joined by a pair of arms that extend rearward from the from the heel and toe ends of the front wall member. An arcuate wall formed in the rear wall member provides an alignment aid. The club may have a protrusion extending above the top rail. The protrusion may have an arcuate surface that corresponds to the arcuate wall formed in the rear member to enhance alignment of the golf club head. The club head may include a transverse alignment aid to assist the user with proper eye position and lie of the club head when addressing the golf ball.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a front wall member having a heel end and a toe end defining a horizontal width dimension, a sole and a top rail defining a vertical height dimension, a rear surface and a substantially planar front surface arranged for impacting a golf ball;

a first arm extending generally rearward from the toe end of said front wall member, said first arm having a forward portion and a rear portion;

a second arm extending generally rearward from the heel end of said front wall member, said second arm having a forward portion and a rear portion, said first arm being longer than said second arm such that a line drawn tangent to the rear portions of said first and second arms intersects a line drawn tangent to the front wall member at an angle of less than 10 degrees; and

a rear wall member joining the rear portions of the first and second arms, said rear wall member comprising an upright flange having forward and a rear surface and a vertical height greater than its thickness, the rear surface of said rear wall member comprising a central rearwardly concave rear portion and the forward surface of said rear wall member comprising a central forwardly convex forward portion.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

said upright flange has an upwardly convex upper surface.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein:

said front wall member, said first arm, said second arm and said rear wall member collectively define an opening that extends through the golf club head.

4. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein:

the rear surface of said front wall member further comprises a central rearwardly concave rear portion that cooperates with the rearwardly concave rear portion of the rear wall member to form an alignment aid oriented along a central front-to-rear axis of said golf club head.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein:

the rearwardly concave rear portion of said front wall member and the rearwardly concave rear portion of said rear wall member each have a radius of between 0.80 and 1.25 inches.

6. The golf club head of claim 2, further comprising:

an upper rod member oriented perpendicular to the planar front surface of said golf club head and extending between the forwardly convex portion of said rear wall member and the rearwardly concave portion of said front wall member.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, further comprising:

a first lower rod member, said first lower rod member extending between the rear surface of said front wall member and the forward surface of said rear wall, said first lower rod member being oriented parallel to, and displaced laterally and vertically downward from said upper rod member to form a transverse alignment aid.

8. The golf club head of claim 2, further comprising:

first and second lower rod members each extending between the rear surface of said front wall member and the forward surface of said rear wall member.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein:

said first and second lower rod members are parallel.

10. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein:

said front wall member includes a centrally located protrusion that extends above the top rail of said front wall member.

11. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein:

the rear portions of said first and second arms each comprises a rearwardly convex protuberance extending rearwardly beyond the rear wall member.

12. A golf club head comprising:

a front wall member having a heel end and a toe end defining a horizontal width dimension, a sole and a top rail defining a vertical height dimension, a rear surface and a substantially planar front surface arranged for impacting a golf ball, the front wall member including a centrally located protrusion having an upwardly convex upper surface that extends above the top rail of the front wall member;

a first arm extending generally rearward from the toe end of the front wall member, the first arm having a forward portion and a rear portion;

a second arm extending generally rearward from the heel end of the front wall member, the second arm having a forward portion and a rear portion; and

a rear wall member joining the rear portions of the first and second arms, the rear wall member comprising an upright flange having forward and a rear surface and a vertical height greater than its thickness, the rear surface of the rear wall member comprising a central rearwardly concave rear portion and the forward surface of said rear wall member comprising a central forwardly convex forward portion, the upright flange also having an upwardly convex upper surface.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein:

the centrally located protrusion extends no more than 0.75 inches above the top rail of said front wall member.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein:

the centrally located protrusion extends about 0.25 inches above the top rail of said front wall member.

15. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein:

the centrally located protrusion has a forwardly convex front surface that cooperates with the rearwardly concave rear portion of the rear wall member to form an alignment aid oriented along a central front-to-rear axis of said golf club head.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein:

the forwardly convex front surface of the centrally located protrusion has a radius substantially equal to the radius of the rearwardly concave rear portion of the rear wall member.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein:

the upright flange of the rear wall member extends to substantially the same height as the centrally located protrusion.

18. A method of forming a golf club head comprising:

forming a front wall member having a heel end and a toe end defining a horizontal width dimension, a sole and a top rail defining a vertical height dimension, a rear surface and a substantially planar front surface arranged for impacting a golf ball;

forming a first arm extending generally rearward from the toe end of said front wall member, said first arm having a forward portion and a rear portion;

forming a second arm extending generally rearward from the heel end of said front wall member, said second arm having a forward portion and a rear portion, said first arm being longer than said second arm such that a line drawn tangent to the rear portions of said first and second arms intersects a line drawn tangent to the front wall member at an angle of less than 10 degrees; and

forming a rear wall member joining the rear portions of the first and second arms, said rear wall member comprising an upright flange having forward and a rear surface and a vertical height greater than its thickness, the rear surface of said rear wall member comprising a central rearwardly concave rear portion and the forward surface of said rear wall member comprising a central forwardly convex forward portion.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

forming the upright flange to have an upwardly convex upper surface.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

forming a protrusion that extends above the center of the top rail of the front wall member.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the protrusion extends about 0.25 inch above the top rail of the front wall member.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the protrusion has a forwardly convex front surface that cooperates with the rearwardly concave rear portion of the rear wall member to form an alignment aid oriented along a central front-to-rear axis of said golf club head.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the protrusion extends no more than 0.75 inch above the top rail of the front wall member.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

forming a transverse alignment aid extending from the front wall member to the rear wall member along a front-to-rear axis of said club head.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the transverse alignment aid comprises an upper rod member and a lower rod member, the lower rod member being oriented parallel to and displaced laterally and vertically downward from the upper rod member.