Patent Application
20120202617
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf club head having a composite sole or composite body patch with one or more weight ports to house one or more removable weights. More specifically, the present invention relates to a golf club head having a composite sole or composite body patch with integrally formed weight ports and a removable, metal weight insert.
2. Description of the Related Art
As driver golf club heads have increased in volume to greater than 300 cubic centimeters, their moments of inertia have also increased, providing greater forgiveness for off-center hits. The conventional method for enlargement of golf club heads was to maximize the spatial distribution of mass in all three orthogonal orientations. Although this approach was effective in increasing the moments of inertia of the golf club heads, it also resulted in the center of gravity of the golf club head being positioned substantially rearward from the front face of the golf club head.
As the center of gravity is positioned further rearward from the front face, deleterious effects result for shots struck off-center from the sweet spot of the golf club head. Increased gear effect is the main cause of the deleterious effects. For heel-ward or toe-ward off-center hits, the increased gear effect can cause increased side-spin, which increases dispersion, reduces distance and reduces robustness of ball flight. For off-center hits above the sweet spot, the increased gear effect causes reduced backspin, which can cause an undesirable trajectory having insufficient carry length or time of flight, which in turn can result in reduced distance and reduced robustness.
In addition, the same conventional golf club head designs are limited with regard to the maximum face area, both physical and practical limitations. The physical limitation is due to the golf club head having insufficient mass to both increase the length and width of the golf club head and also to increase the face size without exceeding the upper range of the preferred total golf club head mass. Such mass distributions are dependent on minimum wall thickness values required to achieve acceptable in-service durability.
The practical limitation is that as the face size is increased, hit locations in certain regions around the face perimeter will yield an unsatisfactory ball flight due to the above-mentioned deleterious effects, which are accentuated for larger faces. The deleterious effects increase in a non-linear manner as the distance from the face center increases. Thus the incremental face area gained by increasing face size will be subject to more extreme deleterious effects. This limits the practical length of the club, because probable hit distribution across the surface of the face broadens as the club length increases. As a result, a longer club will yield a larger percentage of hits in the perimeter regions of the face where the deleterious effects occur. This offsets the otherwise beneficial effect of increased head speed. As club length increases, head speed increases up to a length of approximately 52 inches, at which point aerodynamic and biomechanical effects offset the length effect.
Further, conventional head designs having a center of gravity positioned substantially rearward from the face are subject to significant dynamic loft effects, which can be undesirable. Dynamic loft increases with head speed, so that golfers with higher head speeds experience more dynamic loft than those with slower swing speeds. This is opposite of what is desired as higher head speeds generally require less loft, otherwise excess backspin will be generated, which negatively affects trajectory and performance.
Currently, golf club heads made of metal, composite, or other material are produced with a specific weight which is fixed once the golf club head is finished. The fixed weight of the golf club head determines the center of gravity and moment of inertia. After the golf club head is finished, there exists a small amount of weight which needs to be adjusted. This small amount of weight is called the swing weight. Presently, if the swing weight needs to be adjusted, to alter the center of gravity and/or moment of inertia, the fixed weight must be changed, which requires the manufacture of a new golf club head.
One invention that addresses a golf club head with an improved moment of inertia and center of gravity is U.S. Pat. No. 7,559,851 issued to Cackett et al. for Golf Club Head with High Moment of Inertia. This patent discloses a golf club head with a moment of inertia, Izz, about the center of gravity of the golf club head that exceeds 5000 grams-centimeters squared.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,066 to Belmont which discloses a wooden golf club head having removably inserted weight adjustment members. The members are parallel to a central vertical axis running from the face section to the rear section of the club head and perpendicular to the crown to toe axis. The weight adjustment members may be held in place by the use of capsules filled with polyurethane resin, which can also be used to form the faceplate. The capsules have openings on a rear surface of the club head with covers to provide access to adjust the weight means.
Yet another example is U.S. Pat. No. 2,750,194 to Clark which discloses a wooden golf club head with weight adjustment means. The golf club head includes a tray member with sides and bottom for holding the weight adjustment preferably cast or formed integrally with the heel plate. The heel plate with attached weight member is inserted into the head of the golf club via an opening.
Although the prior art has disclosed many variations of golf club heads with weight adjustment means, the prior art has failed to provide a club head with both a superior material construction and a high-performance weighting configuration.
It is the object of this invention to adjust the swing weight of the golf club head externally, without having to manufacture or purchase a new golf club head. A golfer using the present invention will be able to adjust the center of gravity and moment of inertia to best suit his or her playing needs. The golf club head has external weights positioned at specific locations on the golf club head body to improve the center of gravity and moment of inertia characteristics. The weights to be inserted into the cavities of the golf club head all may be of the same size and shape, however will vary in density. This allows for the weights to be interchangeable depending on the golfer's individual needs. The aft-body of the golf club head is preferably composed of a composite material with recessed cavities to engage the weights. Alternatively, the aft-body comprises a cutout covered by a body patch composed of composite material having one or more recessed cavities to engage the weights.
One aspect of the invention is a golf club head comprising a face component, a crown, and a composite sole having exterior and interior surfaces, wherein the composite sole includes at least one weight port. In another embodiment of the invention, the weight port comprises a composite component and a metal component. In yet a further embodiment of the invention, the metal component is affixed to the interior surface of the composite sole. In a further embodiment of the invention, the golf club head comprises a weight insert, wherein the weight insert is affixed to the weight port with a screw. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the weight insert is composed of a metal material. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the screw is composed of a metal material. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the weight port has a conical shape and the weight insert has a shape that fits within the weight port. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the weight insert has a conical shape.
Another aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising a metal face component, a crown, a composite sole, and a metal weight insert having a conical shape, wherein the composite sole has at least one, integrally formed weight port, wherein the weight port is conical in shape, wherein the weight port has a metal screw receiving component, and wherein the weight insert is affixed to the weight port with a metal screw. In another embodiment, the metal screw receiving component is threaded. In yet another embodiment, the metal screw attaches to the metal screw receiving component and thereby secures the weight insert in the weight port. In a further embodiment, the face component is composed of titanium. In another embodiment, the crown is composed of titanium. In yet another embodiment, the crown is composed of composite material. In another embodiment, the sole has at least three integrally formed weight ports and at least three metal weight inserts. In another embodiment, the golf club is a driver. In yet another embodiment, the golf club is a fairway wood.
Another aspect of the present invention is a wood-type golf club head comprising a metal face component comprising a striking surface and a face extension, an aft body comprising a crown, a sole, an interior surface, an exterior surface, and a cutout portion, and a composite body patch comprising an interior surface, an exterior surface, and at least one, integrally formed weight port, wherein the weight port comprises a composite component and a metal boss, and wherein the composite body patch is affixed to the aft body and covers the cutout portion. In some embodiments, the metal boss may be affixed to the interior surface of the composite body patch. In other embodiments, the metal boss may be affixed to the exterior surface of the composite body patch. In another embodiment, the aft body may further comprise a ledge surrounding the cutout portion, and a portion of the interior surface of the composite body patch may be affixed to the exterior surface of the ledge with an adhesive. In some embodiments, the composite body patch may further comprise a ledge, and the exterior surface of the ledge may be affixed to the interior surface of the aft body with an adhesive. This embodiment may further comprise a weight insert affixed to the weight port with a screw. The weight port may have a conical shape and the weight insert may have a shape that fits within the weight port. In an alternative embodiment, the present invention may further comprise a weight screw comprising a head portion and a screw portion, which may have a weight of at least 1 gram and no more than 20 grams. This embodiment may be a driver having a volume of 400 to 500 cubic centimeters.
Another aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising a metal face component, an aft body comprising a crown, a sole, and a cutout portion, a composite body patch, a threaded boss composed of a metal material, and a weight screw, wherein the composite body patch comprises an exterior surface, an interior surface, and at least one, integrally formed weight port, wherein the threaded boss is affixed to the at least one weight port with an adhesive, wherein the composite body patch is affixed to the aft body with an adhesive and covers the cutout portion, and wherein the golf club head has a volume of 400 to 500 cubic centimeters. The cutout portion may be located on a toe section of the aft body. In some embodiments, the face component and the aft body may be composed of a titanium alloy. In other embodiments, the crown may be composed of a composite material, the sole may be composed of a metal alloy, and the cutout may be located on the sole. The aft body may in some embodiments comprise at least one integrally formed weight port. In other embodiments, the composite body patch may have an asymmetrical shape. In yet another embodiment, the aft body may further comprise a ledge surrounding the cutout portion, and the interior surface of the composite body patch may be affixed to the exterior surface of the ledge. In an alternative embodiment, the composite body patch may comprise a ledge, and the external surface of the ledge may be affixed to the interior surface of the aft body.
Another aspect of the present invention is a driver-type golf club head comprising a face component comprising a striking surface and a return portion, the face component composed of a titanium alloy, an aft body comprising a toe side, a heel side, a crown, a sole, and a cutout portion, the aft body composed of a titanium alloy, a composite body patch comprising an exterior surface, an interior surface, a ledge, and at least one, integrally formed weight port, a threaded boss composed of a metal material, and a weight screw comprising threads sized to fit within the threaded boss, wherein the threaded boss is affixed to the weight port, wherein an exterior surface of the ledge is affixed to the interior surface of the aft body with an adhesive material such that the composite patch fully covers the cutout portion, and wherein the golf club head has a mass of 180 grams to 215 grams. In some embodiments, the cutout portion may be located in the sole proximate a toe side of the golf club head.
Having briefly described the present invention, the above and further objects, features and advantages thereof will be recognized by those skilled in the pertinent art from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention is generally directed to a golf club head with one or more weight ports that are formed in a composite sole or a composite sole patch and house removable weight inserts. In the preferred embodiments, the one or more weight ports are integrally formed in the sole or body patch.
Views of the preferred embodiment of the present invention are shown in
In the preferred embodiment shown in
At least part of each weight port 80, 82, 84 is integrally formed in the composite sole 64. As shown in
The screw-receiving region 105 may also, in an embodiment shown in
As shown in
In the preferred embodiment, the weight ports 80, 82, 84 are shaped to receive a conical weight. Also in the preferred embodiment, the weight 200 is conical in shape with a central aperture 205 for receiving a screw 210, as shown in
The weight 200 preferably ranges in mass between 1 grams and 40 grams, more preferably between 10 grams and 30 grams, and most preferably 15 grams to 25 grams. More specifically, if the weight 200 is chosen for insertion in the toe-section 68 weight port 80, the weight 200 preferably ranges in mass between 5 grams and 25 grams, more preferably between 6 grams and 20 grams, and most preferably 6 grams to 16 grams. More specifically, if the weight 200 is chosen for insertion in the heel section 66 weight port 84, the weight 200 preferably ranges in mass between 10 grams and 40 grams, more preferably between 10 grams and 30 grams, and most preferably 12 grams to 29 grams. More specifically, if the weight 200 is chosen for insertion in the rear section 75 weight port 82, the weight 200 preferably ranges in mass between 10 grams and 40 grams, more preferably between 15 grams and 30 grams, and most preferably 23 grams.
Other embodiments of the present invention are shown in
As shown in
The composite body patch 300 shown in
As shown in
In the embodiment shown in
The embodiment shown in
The embodiment shown in
Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in
In the embodiment shown in these Figures, the body 145 comprises a first shallow recess 163 on the crown portion 162 and a second shallow recess 165 on the sole portion 164. Thin weights 190, 192 are disposed within these recesses 163, 165, secured with screws (not shown), and concealed with covers 194, 196 that preferably are formed from the same material as the body patches 180, 185. The weights 190, 192 may be removable to permit a golfer to adjust overall weighting of the golf club head 140, and may further be exchanged for other weights having different material compositions and densities. In an alternative embodiment, however, the weights 190, 192 are permanently retained within the recesses 163, 165, which can be achieved by bonding the covers 194, 196 to the golf club body 145.
In other embodiments, the face component 30 and crown 62 may be made from cast or forged metals or from composite materials, and may be formed integrally or pieced together. In yet other embodiments, the face component 30 and crown 62 each may be composed of different materials. The golf club of the present invention may also have material compositions such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,244,976, 6,332,847, 6,386,990, 6,406,378, 6,440,008, 6,471,604, 6,491,592, 6,527,650, 6,565,452, 6,575,845, 6,478,692, 6,582,323, 6,508,978, 6,592,466, 6,602,149, 6,607,452, 6,612,398, 6,663,504, 6,669,578, 6,739,982, 6,758,763, 6,860,824, 6,994,637, 7,025,692, 7,070,517, 7,112,148, 7,118,493, 7,121,957, 7,125,344, 7,128,661, 7,163,470, 7,226,366, 7,252,600, 7,258,631, 7,314,418, 7,320,646, 7,387,577, 7,396,296, 7,402,112, 7,407,448, 7,413,520, 7,431,667, 7,438,647, 7,455,598, 7,476,161, 7,491,134, 7,497,787, 7,549,935, 7,578,751, 7,717,807, 7,749,096, and 7,749,097, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety herein.
The golf club head of the present invention may be constructed to take various shapes, including traditional, square, rectangular, or triangular. In some embodiments, the golf club head of the present invention takes shapes such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,163,468, 7,166,038, 7,169,060, 7,278,927, 7,291,075, 7,306,527, 7,311,613, 7,390,269, 7,407,448, 7,410,428, 7,413,520, 7,413,519, 7,419,440, 7,455,598, 7,476,161, 7,494,424, 7,578,751, 7,588,501, 7,591,737, and 7,749,096, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety herein.
The golf club head of the present invention may also have variable face thickness, such as the thickness patterns disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,163,682, 5,318,300, 5,474,296, 5,830,084, 5,971,868, 6,007,432, 6,338,683, 6,354,962, 6,368,234, 6,398,666, 6,413,169, 6,428,426, 6,435,977, 6,623,377, 6,997,821, 7,014,570, 7,101,289, 7,137,907, 7,144,334, 7,258,626, 7,422,528, 7,448,960, 7,713,140, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated in its entirety herein. The golf club of the present invention may also have the variable face thickness patterns disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20100178997, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety herein.
Another aspect of the golf club head 40 of the present invention is directed a golf club head 40 that has a high coefficient of restitution for greater distance of a golf ball hit with the golf club head of the present invention. The coefficient of restitution (also referred to herein as “COR”) is determined by the following equation:
wherein U1 is the club head velocity prior to impact; U2 is the golf ball velocity prior to impact which is zero; v1 is the club head velocity just after separation of the golf ball from the face of the club head; v2 is the golf ball velocity just after separation of the golf ball from the face of the club head; and e is the coefficient of restitution between the golf ball and the club face.
The values of e are limited between zero and 1.0 for systems with no energy addition. The coefficient of restitution, e, for a material such as a soft clay or putty would be near zero, while for a perfectly elastic material, where no energy is lost as a result of deformation, the value of e would be 1.0. The golf club head 40 preferably has a coefficient of restitution ranging from 0.80 to 0.94, as measured under conventional test conditions.
The coefficient of restitution of the club head 40 of the present invention under standard USGA test conditions with a given ball preferably ranges from approximately 0.80 to 0.94, more preferably ranges from 0.82 to 0.89 and is most preferably 0.86.
As defined in Golf Club Design, Fitting, Alteration & Repair, 4th Edition, by Ralph Maltby, the center of gravity, or center of mass, of the golf club head 40 is a point inside of the club head determined by the vertical intersection of two or more points where the club head balances when suspended. A more thorough explanation of this definition of the center of gravity is provided in Golf Club Design, Fitting, Alteration & Repair.
The center of gravity and the moment of inertia of a golf club head 40 are preferably measured using a test frame (XT, YT, ZT), and then transformed to a head frame (XH, YH, ZH). The center of gravity of a golf club head 40 may be obtained using a center of gravity table having two weight scales thereon, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,452, entitled High Moment Of Inertia Composite Golf Club, and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. If a shaft is present, it is removed and replaced with a hosel cube that has a multitude of faces normal to the axes of the golf club head. Given the weight of the golf club head 40, the scales allow one to determine the weight distribution of the golf club head when the golf club head 40 is placed on both scales simultaneously and weighed along a particular direction, the X, Y or Z direction.
In general, the moment of inertia, Izz, about the Z axis for the golf club head 40 of the present invention is preferably greater than 3000 g-cm2 , and more preferably greater than 3500 g-cm2. The moment of inertia, Iyy, about the Y axis for the golf club head 40 of the present invention is preferably in the range from 2000 g-cm2 to 4000 g-cm2, more preferably from 2300 g-cm2 to 3800 g-cm2. The moment of inertia, Ixx, about the X axis for the golf club head 40 of the present invention is preferably in the range from 1500 g-cm2 to 3800 g-cm2, more preferably from 1600 g-cm2 to 3100 g-cm2.
From the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention and will readily understand that while the present invention has been described in association with a preferred embodiment thereof, and other embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, numerous changes, modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is intended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in the following appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined in the following appended claims.
The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/363,551, filed on Feb. 1, 2012, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/248,855, filed on Sep. 29, 2011, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/388,124, filed on Sep. 30, 2010, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/940,371, filed on Nov. 5, 2010, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/286,971, filed on Dec. 16, 2009, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61388124 | Sep 2010 | US | |
| 61286971 | Dec 2009 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13363551 | Feb 2012 | US |
| Child | 13451887 | US | |
| Parent | 13248855 | Sep 2011 | US |
| Child | 13363551 | US | |
| Parent | 12940371 | Nov 2010 | US |
| Child | 13248855 | US |
