WO1999048564A2

WO1999048564A2 - Improved golf club head

Info

Publication number: WO1999048564A2
Application number: PCT/US1999/002229
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mario Cesario; Gary Moles; Mark C. Myrhum
Original assignee: Mchenry Metals Golf Corp.
Priority date: 1998-01-29
Filing date: 1999-01-29
Publication date: 1999-09-30
Also published as: AU2655099A

Abstract

An improved golf club head comprising: a head body including a crown region, a sole region, a heel region and a toe region, said head body including a region having greater density than at least a portion of the remainder of said head body connected to said sole region thereof and disposed to provide substantially sole weighting.

Description

IMPROVED GOLF CLUB HEAD

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention pertains and relates to golf club heads and improvements

therein.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

In recent years the game of golf has experienced an enormous increase in popularity, both as a spectator sport and as recreation. This phenomenon has been accompanied by distinct improvements in golf-related technology,

particularly with respect to golf clubs. These have been improved by the use of advanced "space-age" materials which provide a harder surface for striking the

ball and by reconfiguration of the club head itself. Such reconfiguration has had

the purpose of producing a more "forgiving" club head, by means of positioning

the center of gravity rearwardly away from the striking surface thereby reducing

the torque resulting from off-center striking of the ball.

Thus, heads of golf club woods have become increasingly perimeter-

weighted to achieve the objective of the forgiving club head. As a result the size and volume of heads, particularly of woods, has substantially increased.

This increase has proceeded to the point where woods are becoming cumbersome, awkward to use and difficult to employ in particular lies, including

the tee position. This applies to drivers as well as fairway woods. With respect to fairway woods, large and bulky heads present a particular problem from thick

rough and tight lies.

In addition, various different materials and configurations for the club

head striking structure have been employed with varying degrees of success but generally with a philosophy of "one size fits all" whereby the proficiency of the striker is not taken fully into account.

Therefore, there has been a felt but unfulfilled need for a golf club wood head, for drivers and fairway woods, with a configuration which provides a forgiving club improving the performance of the golfer with relative compactness of the club.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An improved golf club wood head comprises a head body and region in

the sole and back of the head body having greater density than at least some of the remainder of the head body, for providing sole and/or back weighting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a top view of a golf club head in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view, partially broken away, of a golf club head in

accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3 is a front view of a golf club head in accordance with the invention; Fig. 4 is a bottom view of a golf club head in accordance with the

invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, in substantially actual size, of part of a golf

club head in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 6 is a top view of a golf club head in accordance with the invention depicting an alternative embodiment thereof;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view along the line 7-7 of the club head of Fig.;

Fig. 8 is a bottom view of a club head in accordance with the invention

depicting a further alternative embodiment thereof; and

Fig. 9 is a bottom view of a golf club in accordance with the invention depicting yet another alternative embodiment thereof with the invention depicting yet another alternative embodiment thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in Figs. 1-5, a golf club head 10 in accordance with the

invention comprises a head body 12 with a skirt region 13, heel region 14, a toe

region 16, a back 17, a striking face 18, and a sole region 19. Attached to club

head 10 is a hosel 20 for affixation to a shaft (not shown).

A region 24 of greater density than the remainder of club head 10 is in the

form of a recessed weighting member comprising an insert 26. Insert 26 comprises a pair of elongated segments 28a, 28b with a third member 30 depicted as generally transverse to segments 28a, 28b. As depicted, insert 26

is disposed in a recess 32 defined in sole 19 of club body 12 extending forward toward face 18 around a mid-line of the transverse dimension of club head 12

from back region 17 toward face 18. A pair of peripheral recesses 33a, 33b are defined on the heel side and toe side of sole 19, respectively.

As best seen in Fig. 4, insert 26 is secured to club head 12 by screws 34 together with an epoxy chemical bond or other conventional means, not shown.

This prevents loosening and vibration of insert 26 upon the severe stresses arising from striking a golf ball with club head 12. Insert 26 defines screwholes 35 and is press-fitted into recess 28 in alignment with screw holes 35 defined in club head 10. Insert 26 may be substantially co-planar with sole 19 or may extend slightly below sole 19.

Insert 26 is composed of material denser than the surrounding material in

club head 10. It has been found that desirable materials to be used for insert 26 comprise one or more of the following in combination or individually: copper, tungsten, brass, lead, steel, and titanium, as well as alloys thereof. Insert 26 may be manufactured by any of the following methods: casting, forging, milling,

powder metal, and metal injection molding.

Insert 26 is depicted as integral for sake of particularity; however, this element may be manufactured and/or installed in separate components.

Provision of insert 26 in the manner and location depicted and described affords desirable sole and back weighting aiding in ball striking and control. In

particular applications, such weighting is employable in connecting with fairway woods for which such weighting aids in ball-striking producing desirable highly-

lofted trajectory lifting the ball out of and over such lies as rough, high grass and the like. Such weighting, of course, may also be advantageously employed in drivers as well as fairway woods.

In addition to providing sole and back-weighting, employment of regions of greater density as discussed and depicted herein provides for enhanced flexibility of golf club design and in particular for tailoring the configuration and weighting of clubs to conform to the different levels of proficiency of users of golf clubs. It is well known that the more proficient the golfer, the greater the tendency to strike the ball squarely and thus the less the need to provide substantial weighting for the purpose of moving rearwardly the center of gravity of the club head. Thus, for relatively proficient ball strikers, insert 26 in accordance with the invention may be placed somewhat closer to the club face or may be less heavy than for less proficient ball strikers.

In particular applications and embodiments of the invention, the structure of the region of greater density, may be differently positioned or of a different shape (less curved, or more curved, with lesser or greater length and angular extent, or of different configuration).

As depicted in Figs. 6, 7, showing an alternative embodiment, a region of greater density in a club head 40 comprises an Insert 42 of the same general configuration as in the embodiment of Figs. 1-5. In the alternative embodiment, insert 42 is disposed in interior 44 of club 40. Insert 42 is secured to the inside of sole 46 of club head 40 in the same manner as described in connection with the embodiment of Figs. 1-5, with the exception that no recess is required for

accommodating insert 42. Insert 42 extends between a heel region 48 and a face 50 of club head 40. Insert 42 is fabricated of the same materials as

described in connection with the first embodiment.

A further alternative embodiment is depicted in Fig. 8. In this embodiment, a club head 60 includes a club body 62 with a face 64, rear section 66, heel 68, toe 70 and sole 72. Sole 72 defines a pair of recesses 74,76

generally symmetrically disposed around the mid-line between face 64 and rear

section 66. In a third recess 78, an insert 80 is secured. Insert 80 comprises an elongated segment 82 and transverse segment 84 disposed in recess 78. Insert 80 is secured to sole 72 in the same manner as discussed in connection with the embodiment of Figs. 1-5. In the same manner as stated for the first embodiment, insert 80 is composed of dense material relative to the remainder of the club head.

Referring now to Fig. 9, a further alternative embodiment of the invention

is depicted therein. A golf club head 90 includes a main body portion 92, a face

94, a rear section 96, a heel 98, a toe 100 and a sole 101.

Sole 101 defines a pair of peripheral recesses 102, 104. Also defined by sole 101 is a third recess 105 which includes a pair of curvilinear sections 106,

108 disposed generally symmetrically around the mid-line between face 94 and rear section 96.

Disposed within recess 105 is a weighting member in the form of an insert 109. Insert 109 comprises a pair of elongated curvilinear segments 110, 112 disposed within recess sections 106, 108, respectively, together with a

transverse segment 114. Insert 109 is secured to club body 92 in the same manner as described in connection with the first embodiment and is composed of the same material as provided in the first embodiment.

Particular embodiments of the invention are depicted and described hereinabove. The invention is defined by the claims to be submitted subsequently according to law, and to be interpreted in light of the specification and drawings.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

Claim 1. An improved golf club head comprising:

A head body including a crown region, a sole region a heel region and a toe region, said head body including a region having greater density than at least a portion of the remainder of said head body connected to said sole region thereof and disposed to provide substantially sole weighting.

Claim 2. The invention as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said region of greater density comprises at least one weighting member.

Claim 3. The invention as set forth in Claim 2 wherein said weighting member is at least partially composed of material denser than the material in at least a portion of the remainder of said head body.

Claim 4. The invention as set forth in Claim 3 wherein said weighting member is securable to said head body by mechanical means.

Claim 5. The invention as set forth in Claim 3 wherein said weighting member is securable to said head body by an adhesive such as epoxy.

Claim 6. The invention as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said region of greater density provides heel- weighting.

Claim 7. The invention as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said region of greater density is disposed at least partially within said head body.

Claim 8. The invention as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said region of greater density is at least partially disposed outside said head body.

Claim 9. The invention as set forth in Claim 3 wherein said weighting member is disposed at least partially in said sole region of said head body.

Claim 10. The invention as set forth in Claim 3 wherein said weighting member is disposed at least partially in said heel region of said head body.

Claim 11. The invention as set forth in Claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said region of greater density is generally circular in cross-section.

Claim 12. The invention as set forth in Claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said region of greater density comprises at least one section extending generally longitudinally between said toe region and said heel region of said body.

Claim 13. The invention as set forth in Claim 2 wherein said weighting member comprises a heel section for securing in the heel region of said head body and at least one second section extending generally longitudinally between said toe region and said heel region of said head body.

Claim 14. The invention as set forth in Claim 3 wherein said weighting member includes at least two of said second sections generally parallel to one another.

Claim 15. The invention as set forth in Claim 2 wherein said weighting member is composed of material selected from at least one of the following: copper, tungsten brass, lead, steel, titanium, and alloys thereof.

Claim 16. The invention as set forth in Claim 2 wherein said weighting member is manufactured by any of the following methods: casting, forging, milling, power metal, and metal injection molding.

Claim 17. The invention as set forth in Claim 13 wherein said at least one second section is generally rectilinear.

Claim 18. The invention as set forth in Claim 13 wherein said second section is generally arcuate.

Claim 19. The invention as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said region of greater density has greater density than substantially all of the remainder of said head body.

Claim 20. The invention as set forth in Claim 2 wherein said sole region defines at least one recess and wherein said weighting member is at least partially disposed in said at least one recess.