CN108525238B

CN108525238B - Putter with built-in boresight and sole plate

Info

Publication number: CN108525238B
Application number: CN201810309773.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 唐·T·卡梅隆
Original assignee: Acushnet Co
Current assignee: Acushnet Co
Priority date: 2013-09-19
Filing date: 2014-09-19
Publication date: 2020-03-17
Anticipated expiration: 2034-09-19
Also published as: JP2015058358A; CN104436577B; JP6193424B2; JP5980864B2; JP2016128013A; CN108525238A; CN104436577A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a putter having a shaft with a striking face, an upper surface visible to a player when in a putting position, and a sole plate bonded to a bottom surface of the shaft. The upper surface includes at least one aperture and the sole plate includes a cross-hair protrusion extending into the aperture to form a cross-hair visible to a player on the putter.

Description

Putter with built-in boresight and sole plate

The application is a divisional application of Chinese patent application with the invention name of ' push rod with built-in aiming line and bottom plate ', application number of ' 201410482108.9 ', application date of ' 2014, 09, 19.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a golf club, and more particularly, to a golf putter having a shaft and a hairline formed by a sole plate.

Background

There are many different forms and processes for making golf club heads, such as metal-wood, ironware (including wedges), multi-function-or blood-mixed-or special types of clubs and putters. These types have a prescribed function and a general structure. The present invention relates generally to putters, which are commonly used to hit golf balls and to have a rolling path on the green of a golf course.

There are many types of push rods, including knife-type push rods, hammer-type push rods, weight-weighted (heel-to-toe) push rods, and T-line type push rods. Different types of push rods have different advantages. For example, T-line putters typically have a body member that extends rearwardly from the face. This helps the golfer to assume the intended course of the shot and may provide improved mechanical properties. Some weight distribution putters are designed for maximum moment of inertia so that the putter resists rotation when the ball is struck at a location offset from the center of the face.

Putters are also governed by golf rules established by the USGA. The rules include heel-toe size, front-to-back size, neck length, face angle, shaft inclination, and the putter cannot be substantially different from the usual and traditional forms.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention is directed to a putter consisting of a shaft and a striking surface. The shaft includes a socket (hosel) or neck that is coupled to the shaft and the handle. The stick body also includes an upper surface behind a striking surface that is visible to the player when the putter is in the putting position. The sole plate is bonded to the underside of the stick body and may be used to form part of a putter having different densities and/or colors. The stick body further includes at least one aperture on an upper surface and the base plate includes a hairline protrusion extending into the aperture to form a hairline visible to a player on the putter. Preferably, the aperture and cross-hair protrusion extend along the upper surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the striking face. In one embodiment, the aperture and the cross-hair protrusion are aligned so that an extension of the cross-hair protrusion may intersect the center of the striking face. In another embodiment, the putter is made up of a plurality of substantially mutually parallel holes and spaced apart at a distance of about 0.5 inches to 2.0 inches, the cross-hair protrusions forming parallel cross-hairs that are equally spaced about the center of the face.

In a preferred embodiment, the cross-hair protrusion from the base extends through the aperture in the stem at a distance between 0.01 inches and 0.5 inches. By extending the cross-hair protrusion above the upper surface of the shaft, the cross-hair protrusion can be used to ensure proper positioning of the eye across the putter as it is pushed.

Preferably, the body of the pushrod is formed from a first material, such as stainless steel, having a first density of about 7g/cc to 8g/cc, and the base is formed from a second material, such as aluminum, having a second density of about 2.5g/cc to 3g/cc, the second density being less than 80% of the first density. More preferably, the second density is less than 50% of the first density.

In another preferred embodiment, the push rod is formed from a rod body made of aluminum. These rams are typically larger hammer type rams and should have a first density of about 2.5g/cc to 3.0 g/cc. In these putters, the sole plate may be formed of a second material, such as stainless steel, which has a density that is greater than 120% of the density of the rod body. The bottom plate may be formed so that the density thereof is more than 200% of the density of the rod body.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the body of the putter may include two spaced apart holes parallel to each other and perpendicular to the striking face with the corresponding cross-hair protrusion. The putter may also preferably be formed with two orthogonal cross-hair protrusions, a first cross-hair protrusion perpendicular to the face and a second cross-hair protrusion parallel to the face. Preferably, the first and second cross-hair protrusions form a T-shaped cross-hair. The second cross-hair protrusion is preferably spaced from the face by a distance equal to or greater than 1/2 stroke face length. Further, the first cross-hair protrusion is about equal to or longer than the second cross-hair protrusion.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the sole plate is L-shaped and forms a portion of the striking face of the putter as well as the sole. Preferably, the L-shaped base plate is coupled to the putter body by a plurality of fasteners on the bottom of the putter and the back of the putter.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the putter comprises a surface member defining a striking face and having: a first substantially vertical rear surface opposite the striking face, and a second substantially horizontal rear surface extending between the striking face and the first rear surface, the heel and the toe. A lever member is coupled to the first rear surface and extends rearwardly away from the striking face. The shaft member includes at least one hole through the upper surface. The base plate is bonded to the shaft member at least on the bottom surface and includes a line-of-sight protrusion extending therefrom and through the hole in the shaft member. The stem member and the cross-hair protrusion are preferably different colors. For example, the rod member may be formed to have a color selected from the group consisting of silver and black and the base plate and the hairline protrusion may be formed to have a red color.

The present invention is also directed to a putter comprising a striking face member, an upper surface behind the striking face member, the upper surface being visible to a player when the putter is in a putting position, and a sole plate coupled to a bottom surface of the putter body. In this embodiment, the stick body includes at least one hole on an upper surface and the sole plate includes a plurality of lines of sight through the hole, the latter being visible to the player in the putting position. Preferably, the shank is comprised of a plurality of spaced apart shank portions extending rearwardly from the rear face of the striking face member, and the apertures extend between the spaced apart shanks. More preferably, the upper surface of the stick body between the stick body members comprises an aperture and the base plate comprises at least two cross-hairs: the heel side hairline and the toe side hairline are spaced apart by a distance of about 0.5 inches to 2.0 inches.

Another embodiment of a putter according to the invention is a putter including a face member defining a striking face and having toe and heel side cross-hairs and a hole for receiving an axle. The shaft is configured to have a lower portion with a lower axis and an upper portion configured to have an upper axis. Preferably, the lower axis extends in a forward direction from the upper surface and in a heel direction from the upper surface, and the upper axis extends in the heel direction. More preferably, the lower axis extends from the upper surface in a forward direction at an angle of between 10 and 15 degrees to the vertical and from the upper surface in a heel direction at an angle of between 2 and 5 degrees to the vertical. When the putter is in the putting position, the lower portion of the shaft is aligned with the heel side hairline.

Drawings

The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a top perspective view of the push rod of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a bottom perspective view of the putter of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the putter of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a top perspective view of another putter of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a rear view of the putter of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of the putter of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 shows a top view of another embodiment of the putter of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a front view of another embodiment of the putter of the present invention;

FIG. 9 shows a bottom view of the putter of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 shows a top view of another embodiment of the putter of the present invention;

FIG. 11 shows a bottom perspective view of another embodiment of the putter of the present invention;

FIG. 12 shows a top view of the putter of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 shows a heel side view of the putter of FIG. 11; and

fig. 14 shows a front view of the putter of fig. 11.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1-3, the present invention is directed to a putter 10. The putter comprises a striking face portion 14 for striking a golf ball during a stroke. The push rod in this embodiment includes a socket 12 coupled to the shaft and the grip, as is known in the art. The shank portion 16 extends rearwardly from the rear face of the striking face member. In this embodiment, the body member 16 includes a central portion 30, a peripheral portion 32, and an extension portion 34.

The putter 10 further includes a bottom plate member 20 forming a portion of the putter face 18. The sole member 20 is coupled to the shank member 16 by a plurality of fasteners 22 located on the bottom surface 18. The push rod further includes a plurality of weight members 36. The weight members 36 are preferably located near the heel and toe portions and at the front and rear of the putter to increase the moment of inertia of the putter 10.

The putter 10 also includes a plurality of cross-hairs 24 to assist the player in aligning the set stroke path. The cross-hair 24 is comprised of a plurality of holes in the stick body 16 and a plurality of cross-hair protrusions 24 extending through the holes from the base plate 20 to the upper surface of the putter 10. As shown in FIG. 3, it is preferred that the cross-hair protrusion extend to the stemA distance d of between 0.01 inch and 0.5 inch above the upper surface of body 16₃. The rod 16 has a first thickness d₂And the bottom plate 20 has a thickness d₁. Preferably, the extension distance d of the cross-hair protrusion₃Less than the thickness d of the rod body₂And is smaller than the thickness d of the base plate₁. By extending the cross-hair protrusion 24 above the upper surface of the stick body 16, the cross-hair protrusion may help the player confirm their proper putting location. For example, indicia such as indentations or paint (paint) may be located on the upper surface of the stick body 16 adjacent the aperture, the protrusions disguising the indicia when the player is not in the proper putting position.

In this embodiment, the cross-hair protrusions 24 are parallel to each other and are positioned to extend perpendicular to the striking face. Preferably, the cross-hair protrusions are spaced apart by a distance of 0.5 inches to 2.0 inches and more preferably by a distance of about 1.0 inch. In another preferred embodiment, the cross-hair protrusions 24 are spaced apart by a distance of about 1.6 inches corresponding to the width of a golf ball. The cross-hair protrusions 24 are preferably equally spaced about the center of the striking face or impact location.

Referring to fig. 4-6, a second embodiment of the present invention includes a putter head 100, the putter head 100 including a neck 112 for connecting the shaft and the grip. The putter also includes a striking surface 114 for striking a golf ball during a stroke. An upper surface 116 extends rearwardly from the striking surface 114 and is visible to the golfer in the putting position. Also visible on the putter 100 is a cross-hair 124 that extends rearwardly from the center of the striking face 114 and is perpendicular to the striking face 114.

As shown in more detail in fig. 5, the cross-hair 124 preferably extends to the height of the upper surface 116 or above the upper surface 116. As with the previous embodiments, the cross-hair 124 is part of the base plate 120. As shown in FIG. 6, a base plate 120 is secured to the bottom surface 118 of the putter 100 by a plurality of fasteners 122.

In the preferred embodiment, the upper surface 116 is preferably one color such as gray or black and the cross-hair 124 is a different, contrasting color such as red. In most preferred embodiments, the upper surface of the putter is formed of steel and has a specific gravity of about 7g/cc to 8g/cc, and the base plate 120 and cross hair 124 are formed of anodized aluminum having a specific gravity of about 2.5g/cc to 3g/cc and are red or other contrasting colors. For example, if the upper surface 116 is black, the cross-hair 124 may be red, white, silver, or other bright colors. If the upper surface 116 is gray, the cross-hair 124 may be red, white, black, or other contrasting color. In a preferred embodiment, golfers may select the color of the sole plate 120 and the line of sight 124 in order to personalize their putts.

Referring to fig. 7, the push rod 200 includes a face 214 and a socket 220. The upper surface 216 extends rearwardly from the face 214 and includes apertures that intersect corresponding cross-hairs 224 and 226.

Cross-hairs

224 and 226 are perpendicular to each other forming a T-shaped cross-hair, with first portion 224 perpendicular to face 214 and second portion 226 parallel to face 214. Preferably, the length of the second portion 226 is more or less greater than or equal to 1/2 of the wedge-shaped length. Further, the first portion 224 preferably extends from the center of the face 214.

Referring to fig. 8 and 9, another preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a push rod 300. In this embodiment, the sole plate 320 forms a portion of the bottom surface 318 of the putter 300 and a portion of the striking surface 314. In this embodiment, the face and sole plate may be formed of aluminum and weight members may be added under the sole plate or in the toe and heel regions to increase the moment of inertia of the club head. Preferably, the weight member is formed of tungsten or other material having a specific gravity of about 14g/cc or greater. By way of example, each formed weight member may weigh up to 20 to 50 grams.

Referring to FIG. 10, another preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a putter 400 having a striking surface 414. The push rod includes cross-hairs 424 and 426 that are integral with the baseplate and extend through holes in the upper surface 416. The plurality of

cross hairs

424 and 426 are perpendicular to the face 414 and parallel to the face 414, respectively. In this embodiment, the

crosshairs

424 and 426 together form a cross. The socket 420 is used to connect the push rod 400 to a shaft and a grip (not shown).

Referring to fig. 11-14, another preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a push rod 500. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 520 forms a portion of the bottom surface 518 of the push rod 500. The putter includes a striking face portion 514 for striking a golf ball during a stroke. A plurality of spaced apart shaft portions 504 extend rearwardly from the rear surface of the striking face member 514.

In this embodiment, the sole plate 520 may be formed of aluminum or steel and the weight members 536 may be juxtaposed to add portions of the sole plate 520 and the heel 506 and toe 508. Preferably, the weight member is composed of tungsten or other material having a specific gravity greater than or equal to about 14 g/cc. By way of example, each formed weight member may weigh up to 20 to 50 grams. The floor member 520 is coupled to the push rod 500 by a plurality of fasteners 516 located on a bottom surface 518. The weight member 536 is preferably located near the heel 506 and toe 508 and in front of the putter proximate the face 514 and equidistant from the face center 515 to increase the moment of inertia of the putter 500.

Referring to fig. 12, putter 500 also includes a plurality of crosshairs 524 to help the player align the set stroke path. A cross-hair 524 is formed by aligning the base plate 520 adjacent to the spaced apart shaft portion 504 and is thereby created within the bore 502. In this embodiment, it is preferred that the line of sight 524 be maintained a distance of 0.01 inches to 0.5 inches below the upper surface of the body member 204.

The pushrod of this embodiment further comprises a rod having a bore axis B_AThe bore 512 receiving the lower portion of the shaft. Preferably, the edge of the aperture 512 furthest from the heel 506 is substantially aligned with the line of sight 524 closest to the heel 506. To further improve alignment, bore axis B_AThe forming is as follows: when the bore axis extends from the upper surface into the putter, an angle of 10 to 15 degrees is formed in the front-to-rear direction and an angle of 2 to 5 degrees is formed in the heel-to-toe direction. As shown in fig. 13 and 14, the shaft 600 is inserted into the hole 512. The shaft has a shaft portion axis LSP with a lower shaft portion_SA Lower shaft portion 602 and USP with an upper shaft portion axis_SAThe upper shaft portion 604. The lower shaft portion axis LSP_SAAnd bore axis B_AAre collinear and, therefore, form an angle α of 10 to 15 degrees with the vertical in a rear-to-front direction from the putter₁To make an offsetAnd forms an angle α of between 92 and 95 degrees with the horizontal plane₂Such that the lower shaft portion is inclined rearwardly toward the heel in the heel-to-toe direction to align with the player's line of sight of the heel side hairline 524. More preferably, the lower shaft portion axis LSP_SAAnd bore axis B_ACollinear and forming an angle α of 13 degrees with the vertical₁And an angle α of 3 degrees from vertical or 93 degrees from horizontal as shown₂. Upper shaft portion axis USP as known in the art_SAShaped to produce a bar angle α of between 68 and 73 degrees from horizontal₃. The height H of the lower shaft portion may be adjusted to be less than or equal to a height such that the upper shaft portion axis USP_SAIntersecting an axis that includes the face center 515 and the center of gravity CG of the putter to balance the putter face. Preferably, the height H of the lower shaft portion is less than the height H of the upper shaft portion axis USP_SAA height intersecting an axis including the face center 515 and the center of gravity CG of the putter such that the putter face is unbalanced and the toe of the putter hangs down.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the line of sight may be made in other forms such as a flower or other object and still benefit from the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention should not be limited by the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents. Moreover, while certain advantages of the invention have been described herein, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with particular embodiments of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

Except in the operating examples, or where otherwise explicitly indicated, all numerical ranges, amounts, values and percentages may be read as if prefaced by the word "about", even if the term "about" does not appear with the value, amount or range. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. All numerical values, however, inherently contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. Further, when numerical ranges of different ranges are set forth herein, it is contemplated that any combination of these values, inclusive of the recited values, may be used.

Claims

1. A putter, comprising:

a shaft including a socket or neck coupled to the shaft and the grip, a striking surface, and an upper surface behind the striking surface, the upper surface being visible to a player when in a putting position; and

a base plate coupled to a bottom surface of the rod body by a fastener,

wherein the shaft includes at least one aperture on the upper surface, the sole plate includes a cross-hair protrusion extending into the aperture to form a cross-hair on the putter that is visible to a player in a putting position, the sole plate being formed of a material having a density greater than a density of a material forming the shaft, the sole plate forming a portion of a bottom surface of the putter and a portion of a striking surface.

2. The putter of claim 1, wherein the hole extends along the upper surface substantially perpendicular to the striking face.

3. A putter according to claim 1, wherein the shank includes a plurality of substantially parallel apertures in the upper surface and spaced apart by a distance of about 0.5 inches to 2.0 inches, and the base plate includes a corresponding plurality of cross-hair protrusions extending into the apertures.

4. The putter of claim 1, wherein the cross-hair protrusion extends through the hole a distance of 0.01 to 0.5 inches.

5. A putter, comprising:

a putter shaft having a striking face member with an upper surface behind the striking face member visible to a player when in a putting position; and

a base plate coupled to a bottom surface of the rod body by a fastener,

wherein the shaft includes at least one aperture in the upper surface, the sole plate includes a plurality of cross-hairs that are visible to a player through the aperture when in a putting position, the sole plate being formed of a material having a density greater than a density of a material forming the shaft, the sole plate forming a portion of a bottom surface of the putter and a portion of a striking surface.

6. A putter, comprising: a face member defining a striking face and having an upper surface, the face member including an aperture on the upper surface;

a sole plate coupled to the bottom surface of the face member by fasteners, the sole plate including a toe side hairline and a heel side hairline visible to a player through the aperture when in a putting position, the sole plate being formed of a material having a density greater than a material forming the face member, the sole plate forming a portion of the bottom surface and a portion of the striking face of the putter, and

a bore for receiving a shaft of a drill bit,

wherein the shaft is configured to have a lower portion with a lower axis and an upper portion with an upper axis, the lower axis extending from the upper surface in a forward direction and in a heel direction, and the upper axis extending in a heel direction.

7. A putter according to claim 6, wherein the lower axis extends from the upper surface in a forward direction at an angle of between 10 and 15 degrees to the vertical and from the upper surface in a heel direction at an angle of between 2 and 5 degrees to the vertical.

8. The putter of claim 7, wherein the lower portion of the shaft is aligned with the heel side cross-hair when the putter is in a putting position.