The disclosure pertains to the field of golf club heads and more particularly, but not exclusively, to putter-type golf club heads.
Golf is a game in which a player, using many types of clubs, hits a ball into each hole or cup on a golf course in the lowest possible number of strokes. When a golf club face contacts a golf ball off-center, the club head can twist about the center of gravity causing the golf ball to travel in an unintended direction. Moreover, the club head twisting can cause the ball to skid across a surface rather than roll forward in a smooth manner.
A putter-type golf club is generally used from a very close distance on a putting green. Putter-type golf clubs are used by a golfer when a great deal of accuracy and precision are required for each shot.
Described below are embodiments of a putter-type golf club head and associated methods in accordance with the invention that tend to increase the consistency and accuracy of ball motion.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a golf club head is provided having a club body including a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, and a heel portion forming a two-piece construction. A central portion is described as being connected with the front portion and extending primarily in an XY-plane toward the rear portion. A rim is disclosed having a peripheral contour and being connected with the central portion in at least two locations. Furthermore, a substantial portion of the central portion is contained within the rim across the XY-plane.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a club body is described including a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, and a heel portion forming a two-piece construction. In addition, a central portion is disclosed connected with the front portion. The central portion is comprised of aluminum and has a central portion weight ratio of about 0.20-0.50. A frame is described enclosing a substantial portion of the central portion within an XY-plane and the central portion is connected with the frame.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a club body including a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, and a heel portion is described. A central portion is connected with the front portion. A frame is connected with the central portion and is configured to provide at least one gap between the central portion and the frame. The gap is a circular shape configured to represent a ball contour or outline, and a cup alignment indicia is located near the gap. The cup alignment indicia has a center point located toward the rear portion along a Y-axis.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a club body is described including a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, and a central portion. The central portion is connected with the front portion and extending primarily in an XY-plane toward the rear portion.
The club body further comprises a club body frame and a rim having a peripheral contour. A substantial portion of the central portion is contained within the rim across the XY-plane. In addition, a lightweight crown is located within the central portion and attached to the club body frame. The lightweight crown is located above an offset plane. The offset plane is located at 2 mm above a horizontal origin XY-plane when the club head is in a square lofted position at address.
In one example, the lightweight crown is comprised of an injection molded material and the lightweight crown includes a polymer material.
In another example, the lightweight crown weighs between about 5 g and about 35 g.
In yet another example, the lightweight crown includes a plate attached to a top surface of the lightweight crown.
In one example, the lightweight crown includes a recess for receiving a fastening member to attach the lightweight crown portion to the club body frame.
In another example, a plate is attached to a top surface of the lightweight crown to cover the recess.
In yet another example, the metallic plate weighs between about 3 g and about 10 g.
In one example, the moment inertia of the club head about a CG x-axis is between about 1,000 g·cm2 and about 10,000 g·cm2.
In another example, the moment of inertia of the club head about a CG z-axis is between about 2,000 g·cm2 and about 14,000 g·cm2.
In yet another example, the moment of inertia of the club head about a CG y-axis is between about 1,000 g·cm2 and about 10,000 g·cm2.
In one example, the CGx location is between about −5.0 mm and about 5.0 mm, the CGy location is between about 30 mm and about 50 mm and the CGz location is between about 9 mm and about 15 mm.
In another example, the inner portion weight ratio is between about 0.15 and about 0.25.
In one example, the footprint ratio is between about 0.70 and about 0.90. In yet another example, the total weight of the club head is between about 300 g and about 400 g.
In one example, the effective footprint is between about 8,000 mm2 and about 10,000 mm2.
In another example, the actual footprint is between about 6,000 mm2 and about 8,500 mm2.
These and other features and aspects of the disclosed technology are set forth below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements.
Various embodiments and aspects of the inventions will be described with reference to details discussed below, and the accompanying drawings will illustrate the various embodiments. The following description and drawings are illustrative of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to provide a concise discussion of embodiments of the present inventions.
Certain terms will be used to address certain sections of the golf club head. For instance, the “heel” of a golf club head generally refers to the section of the golf club head that is closest to a player when the player is addressing the golf club head in a normal playing stance. The “toe” of a golf club head generally refers to the section of the golf club head that is furthest from a player when the player is addressing the golf club head in a normal playing stance. Furthermore, the “front” of the golf club head generally refers to the portion of the golf club head directly adjacent to the striking face of the club head, and the “rear” of the golf club head generally refers to the portion of the club head furthest from the striking face of the club head.
A putter-type golf club twists when striking a golf ball at an off-center portion of the putter head. As the putter head twists around a vertical axis during impact with a golf ball, the golf ball is more likely to travel in a direction other than the direction intended by the golf player. Similarly, as the putter head twists around a horizontal axis upon impact with a golf ball, the golf ball is more likely to skip over the putting green rather than roll smoothly in a straight direction.
When a golf club head twists due to an off-center hit, it twists about an axis that goes through the center of gravity (CG) of the golf club head. In general, a higher moment of inertia (MOI) decreases the amount that a golf club head will twist when a force is applied during a golf stroke. A moment of inertia about an X-axis is defined as Ixx. The Ixx is the moment of inertia about a horizontal axis that runs from the toe to the heel of the golf club and through the CG of the club head. A large lxx prevents the golf club head from tilting about the horizontal X-axis during an off-center hit.
The moment of inertia about the golf club head CG X-axis is calculated by the following equation:
I
CG
=∫(y2+z2)dm
Furthermore, the Izz is the moment of inertia about the Z-axis which is a vertical axis that extends at least from the top of the golf club head to the bottom of the golf club head and through the CG of the golf club head. An increase in Izz decreases the amount the putter head twists with respect to the center line or path of the golf club swing during an off-center hit impacting the club face in a region closer to the heel or toe rather then the center face.
By increasing the amount of mass located in the outer sections of the putter head and moving the CG away from the front face of the putter head, the Izz is substantially increased. Mass arrangements according to this disclosure have provided a putter head with an Izz of greater than 400 kg-mm2 and, in some embodiments, up to 1400 kg-mm2.
A moment of inertia about the golf club head CG Z-axis is calculated by the following equation:
I
CG
=∫(x2+y2)dm
In one embodiment, the club head has a general maximum width dimension (along the X-axis) of about 112 mm, a maximum length dimension (along the Y-axis) of about 94 mm, and a height dimension (along the Z-axis) of about 26 mm. It is understood that these dimensions can be varied to any value in accordance with the Rules of Golf as approved by the United States Golf Association (herein, “USGA”).
In addition,
Furthermore, the central portion 110 includes a pair of laterally outboard weight ports, a heel-side weight port 116b and a toe-side weight port 116a, each of which contains a removable weight 150. A user can remove the weight 150 from either weight port 116a,116b to adjust the feel and/or trajectory of the club head. It is understood that the weight 150 can be a tungsten alloy or any metal alloy or material described herein. In addition, each weight port 116a,116b has a thickened flange portion 154a,154b on either side of the weight ports 116a,116b. In one embodiment, the weight ports 116a,116b are conical in shape where opposite sides of the conical weight ports 116a,116b are attached to the flange portions 154a,154b. In other words, the conical weight ports 116a,116b are embedded in the flange portions 154a,154b and are configured to allow the weights 150 to be inserted or attached to the weight ports 116a,116b. The weights 150 can be threaded for engagement with the weight ports 116a,116b and can weigh about 4 grams or more. It is understood that the weights 150 can be attached by another other known means of attachment.
The putter head 100 further includes a CG 120 having a CG X-axis 122, a CG Z-axis 123, and a CG Y-axis 124. The CG Y-axis 124 extends along the length of the putter from a rear to front direction and passes through the CG 120. In addition, the CG X-axis extends along the width of the putter head from a heel to toe direction and passes through the CG 120. The CG Z-axis extends in a vertical direction along the height of the putter head 100 between a bottom and top portion. As shown in
Furthermore,
In one embodiment, the club head 100 has an Ixx value of about 3868 g·cm2, an Iyy value of about 3387 g·cm2, and an Izz value of about 6782 g·cm2. The unique construction and configuration of the described elements described herein enable the above moment of inertia values to be achieved. A large CGy value will promote more forward roll or spin upon impact with the golf ball. In addition, a higher moment of inertia will produce less twisting of the club head upon impact.
In certain embodiments, the central portion 110 is comprised of an aluminum hollow body having a mass of about 108 g. In addition, the frame 112 is a steel frame having a mass of about 205 g. Upon assembly, the entire mass of the club head including gaskets and weights 150 is about 357.3 g. The “two-piece” construction of an aluminum central portion 110 and a steel frame 112 permit a more rearward CG location and higher moment inertia to be achieved.
In one preferred embodiment, about 77% (footprint about 3,918 mm2) of the central portion 110 is enclosed by the frame 112 while about 32% (footprint about 1,820 mm2) of the central portion 110 is located outside of the frame 112 across an X-Y plane. In other embodiments, about 55-95% of the central portion is contained within the peripheral contours of the rim 114 across an X-Y plane. In one embodiment, the footprint of the central portion 110 is about 5,738 mm2.
The weight distribution of the embodiment shown in
Table 1, as shown below provides various examples of putter head configurations and the related footprint values. The “footprint” is defined as the projected area occupied by the putter head on an X-Y plane. The “Effective Footprint” is defined as the area occupied by the outermost silhouette of the entire putter projected onto an X-Y plane. The “Actual Footprint” is defined as the area occupied by the actual silhouette of the entire putter projected onto an X-Y plane. The “Actual Footprint” excludes any gap areas between a central portion and frame portion. The “Footprint Ratio” is defined as the Actual Footprint divided by the Effective Footprint. The “SS Width” is the striking surface width upon which the ball can contact. The CPWR is defined as the Central Portion Weight Ratio which is a ratio between the central portion and the total weight of the putter head (when the putter head is fully assembled including the central portion). Providing a low CPWR allows the CG location to be desirably positioned. The central portion is defined as any portion located primarily within the frame inner peripheral edge that is not co-formed or co-cast with the rim portion. The central portion can extend between the sole and crown portion of the putter or can be a removably detachable crown portion.
The IPWR is defined as the Inner Portion Weight Ratio which is a ratio between the inner portion of the central portion (located within the frame inner peripheral edge) and the total weight of the putter head (when the putter head is fully assembled). The weight of the inner portion of the central portion located within the inner peripheral edge is divided by the total weight of the putter head. The IPWR highlights the light center portion of the putters described in some of the embodiments.
In certain embodiments, the footprint ratio ranges from 0.70 to 0.90, while maintaining the CG and moment of inertia values described herein. In further embodiments, the CPWR is from 0.20 to 0.50. In one example, the embodiment shown in
The face insert can include grooves for promoting forward roll as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,278,926 and 7,465,240 which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. The face insert 140 can also be made of various materials, such as aluminum or a polymer material, as described in further detail below.
MCBC Material
The polymeric insert of the putters of the present invention may include a multi component blend composition (“MCBC”) prepared by blending together at least three materials, identified as Components A, B, and C. These components may be melt processed to form in-situ, a polymer blend composition incorporating a pseudo-crosslinked polymer network.
The first of these blend components (blend Component A) include block copolymers incorporating a first polymer block having an aromatic vinyl compound, and a second polymer block having an olefinic or conjugated diene compound, including styrenic block copolymers such as styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), styrene-ethylelle-butylene-styrerie (SEBS) and styrene-ethylenelpropylene-styrene (SEPS) Commercial examples include SEPTON marketed by Kuraray Company of Kurashiki, Japan; TOPRENE by Kumho Petrochemical Co., Ltd and KRATON marketed by Kraton Polymers.
The second blend component, Component B, is a monomer, oligomer, prepolymer or polymer that incorporates at least five percent by weight of at least one type of an acidic functional group. Examples of such polymers suitable for use as include, but are not limited to, ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid copolymers and ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid/alkyl (meth)acrylate terpolymers, or ethylene and/or propylene maleic anhydride copolymers and terpolymers. Examples of such polymers which are commercially available include, but are not limited to, the Escor® 5000, 5001, 5020, 5050, 5070, 5100, 5110 and 5200 series of ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers sold by Exxon and the PRIMACOR® 1321, 1410, 1410-XT, 1420, 1430, 2912, 3150, 3330, 3340, 3440, 3460, 4311, 4608 and 5980 series of ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers sold by The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich. and the ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers Nucrel 599, 699, 0903, 0910, 925, 960, 2806, and 2906 ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymers, sold by DuPont. Also included are the bimodal ethylene/carboxylic acid polymers as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,562,906, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. These polymers comprise ethylene/α, β-ethylenically unsaturated C3-8 carboxylic acid high copolymers, particularly ethylene (meth)acrylic acid copolymers and ethylene, alkyl (meth)acrylate, (meth)acrylic acid terpolymers, having a weight average molecular weight, Mw, of about 80,000 to about 500,000 which are melt blended with ethylene/α, β-ethylenically unsaturated C3-8 carboxylic acid copolymers, particularly ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid copolymers having weight average molecular weight, Mw, of about 2,000 to about 30,000.
Component C is a base capable of neutralizing the acidic functional group of Component B and is a base having a metal cation. These metals are from groups IA, IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, IVA, IVB, VA, VB, VIA, VIB, VIM and VIIIB of the periodic table. Examples of these metals include lithium, sodium, magnesium, aluminum, potassium, calcium, manganese, tungsten, titanium, iron, cobalt, nickel, hafnium, copper, zinc, barium, zirconium, and tin. Suitable metal compounds for use as a source of Component C are, for example, metal salts, preferably metal hydroxides, metal oxides, metal carbonates, metal acetates, metal stearates, metal laureates, metal oleates, metal palmitates and the like.
The composition preferably is prepared by mixing the above materials into each other thoroughly, either by using a dispersive mixing mechanism, a distributive mixing mechanism, or a combination of these. As a result of this mixing, the anionic functional group of Component A is dispersed evenly throughout the mixture. Most preferably, Components A and B are melt-mixed together without Component C, with or without the premixing discussed above, to produce a melt-mixture of the two components. Then, Component C separately is mixed into the blend of Components A and B. This mixture is melt-mixed to produce the reaction product. This two-step mixing can be performed in a single process, such as, for example, an extrusion process using a proper barrel length or screw configuration, along with a multiple feeding system.
Additional Polymer Components for the Putter Insert
Other polymeric materials that can be useful for making a putter insert may also be included as either an additional blend component of the modified ionomer composition or as one or more of the components of the putter insert of the present invention. These include, without limitation, synthetic and natural rubbers, thermoset polymers such as other thermoset polyurethanes or thermoset polyureas, as well as thermoplastic polymers including thermoplastic elastomers such as metallocene catalyzed polymer, unimodal ethylene/carboxylic acid copolymers, unimodal ethylene/carboxylic acid/carboxylate terpolymers, bimodal ethylene/carboxylic acid copolymers, bimodal ethylene/carboxylic acid/carboxylate terpolymers, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyureas, polyamides, copolyamides, polyesters, copolyesters, polycarbonates, polyolefins, halogenated (e.g. chlorinated) polyolefins, halogenated polyalkylene compounds, such as halogenated polyethylene [e.g. chlorinated polyethylene (CPE)], polyalkenamer, polyphenylene oxides, polyphenylene sulfides, diallyl phthalate polymers, polyimides, polyvinyl chlorides, polyamide-ionomers, polyurethane-ionomers, polyvinyl alcohols, polyarylates, polyacrylates, polyphenylene ethers, impact-modified polyphenylene ethers, polystyrenes, high impact polystyrenes, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers, styrene-acrylonitriles (SAN), acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylonitriles, styrene-maleic anhydride (S/MA) polymers, styrenic block copolymers including styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene, (SEBS) and styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene (SEPS), styrenic terpolymers, functionalized styrenic block copolymers including hydroxylated, functionalized styrenic copolymers, and terpolymers, cellulosic polymers, liquid crystal polymers (LCP), ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymers (EPDM), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA), ethylene-propylene copolymers, propylene elastomers (such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,525,157, to Kim et al, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety), ethylene vinyl acetates, polyureas, and polysiloxanes and any and all combinations thereof.
PEBAX Material
Thermoplastic elastomers for use within the scope of the present invention include polyester elastomers marketed under the name SKYPEL by SK Chemicals of South Korea or HYTREL from DuPont. Also of use are triblock copolymers marketed under the name HG-252 by Kuraray Corporation of Kurashiki, Japan. These triblock copolymers have at least one polymer block comprising an aromatic vinyl compound and at least one polymer block comprising a conjugated diene compound, and a hydroxyl group at a block copolymer. Also preferred are polyamide elastomers and in particular polyetheramide elastomers. Of these, suitable thermoplastic polyetheramides are chosen from among the family of PEBAX resins, which are available from Elf-Atochem Company.
In addition, a sound-altering material for the putter inserts of the present invention may be selected from any number of materials, including those that have traditionally been used as weight fillers or as processing aids (such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,471, to Kim et al, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). The preferred materials include carbonates, sulfates, glass beads and metal stearates. In particular, carbonates sulfates, and hollow glass beads generally function to dampen the sound of a cover material. In contrast, metal stearates and solid glass beads tend to enhance the sound of the cover material. The preferred sound-altering materials include: zinc stearate supplied by AkroChem of Akron, Ohio; soda-lime glass spheres with a coupling agent, or borosilicate glass spheres with a coupling agent, supplied by Potter Industries, Inc. of Valley Forge, Pa.; and Hubberbrite 3 (barium sulfate having a median particle size 3.2 microns) and Hubberbrite 10 (barium sulfate having a median particle size of 9.0 microns) supplied by JM Huber Corp., Edison, N.J. When glass beads are used as the sound-altering material, any conventional surface treatment may be added to the beads for promoting adhesion between the surface of the glass beads and the base material of the composition. Silanes are particularly useful in these surface treatments.
The polymeric base composition and sound-altering material can be mixed together to form the composition of the present invention, with or without melting them. Dry blending equipment, such as a tumbler mixer, V-blender, or ribbon blender, can be used to mix the compositions. The sound-altering material can be mixed together with the base composition or constituents of the base composition. The sound-altering material also can be added after addition of any of the additional materials discussed above. Materials can be added to the composition using a mill, internal mixer, extruder or combinations of these, with or without application of thermal energy to produce melting. In another method of manufacture of these compositions, the sound-altering material can be premixed with the base composition to produce a concentrate having a high concentration of sound-altering material. Then, this concentrate can be introduced into a composition of base composition urethane and additional materials using dry blending, melt mixing or molding. The additional materials also can be added to a color concentrate, which is then added to the composition to impart a white color to the putter insert.
Depending on the insert material, various amounts of positive forward roll can be achieved. Polymer materials can have a softer feel and a more dampened sound when compared to an aluminum insert. For example, an aluminum putter insert can have 15-25 RPM of positive roll when compared to a PEBAX material which can have about 0-5 RPM of positive roll.
In one embodiment, the alignment indicia 258 includes a centerline that is substantially straight and parallel with a Y-axis 236 and two flanking lines on each side of the centerline. The flanking lines are parallel with the centerline for a substantial portion of the length and then form two arc segments that extend toward the face portion 218. The two arc segments form a quarter-circular shape near the face portion 218 having a radius similar to that of a golf ball for ease of alignment with a golf ball. In addition, the two arc segments are configured to resemble a semi-circle when viewed by the golfer.
As previously described, the putter head includes a CG location 220, a CG X-axis 222, a CG Y-axis 224, and a CG Z-axis 223.
In one embodiment, the club head 200 has a general maximum width dimension of about 93 mm, a maximum length dimension of about 86 mm, and a maximum height dimension of about 25 mm.
In one embodiment, the CG location 220 includes a CGx of about 0.8 mm, a CGy of about 36.2 mm and a CGz of about 13.2 mm.
In one embodiment, the club head 200 has an Ixx value of about 2,989 g·cm2, an Iyy value of about 2,804 g·cm2, and an Izz value of about 5,378 g·cm2.
In certain embodiments, the central portion 210 is comprised of an aluminum hollow body having a mass of about 76 g. In addition, the frame 212 is a steel frame having a mass of about 233 g. Upon assembly, the entire mass of the club head including gaskets and weights 250 is about 347.6 g
In one preferred embodiment, about 73% (footprint about 3,141 mm2) of the central portion 210 is enclosed by the frame 212 while about 27% (footprint about 1,168 mm2) of the central portion 210 is located outside of the frame 212 across an X-Y plane. In other embodiments, about 55-95% of the central portion 210 is contained within the peripheral contours of the rim 214 across an X-Y plane. In one embodiment, the central portion 210 footprint is about 4,309 mm2.
The weight distribution of the embodiment shown in
In one example, the embodiment shown in
Referring to
Furthermore, the third gap 342c defines a circular shape that is immediately adjacent to the arc or cup line 359. The sole portion 360 defines the circular third gap 342c that is located between the arc or cup line 359 and the frame 312. In one embodiment, the diameter of the circular third gap 342c is about 40-42.6 mm.
In some embodiments, the circular third gap 342c is slightly smaller than the diameter of a golf ball so that a user can place the ball on top of the golf head above the circular third gap 342c. In other words, the circular third gap 342c can act as a ball holder so the user can lift the ball from the ground with the putter head 300 without bending over and manually picking up the ball. In other embodiments, the circular third gap 342c is the same diameter as a golf ball to enable the user to better visualize the golf ball hitting the “back of the cup”.
In addition, when the putter head 300 is aligned with the ball 331, a “ball-line-ball” arrangement is visually created for the golfer. The “ball-line-ball” arrangement includes the ball 331, the centerline of the indicia 358, and the third gap 342c. The “ball-line-ball” arrangement better enables the golfer to align the ball 331 with the centerline of the putter head 300. The distance between the third gap 342c and the ball 331 is large enough that a misalignment would easily be recognized by a golfer. In one embodiment, the distance between the center of the ball 331 and the center of the third gap 342c along the Y-axis is about 100 mm.
As previously described, the putter head includes a CG location 320, a CG X-axis 322, a CG Y-axis 324, and a CG Z-axis 323.
In one embodiment, the club head 300 has a general maximum width dimension of about 109 mm, a maximum length dimension of about 104 mm, and a maximum height dimension of about 24 mm.
In one embodiment, the CG location 320 includes a CGx of about 0.8 mm, a CGy of about 36.9 mm and a CGz of about 11.4 mm.
In one embodiment, the club head 300 has an Ixx value of about 3,072 g·cm2, an Iyy value of about 3,476 g·cm2, and an Izz value of about 6,204 g·cm2.
In certain embodiments, the central portion 310 and the frame 312 are comprised of single cast piece having a total mass of about 354.8 g. The embodiment shown in
In one preferred embodiment, about 81% (footprint about 3,530 mm2) of the central portion 310 is enclosed by the frame 312 while about 19% (footprint about 826 mm2) of the central portion 310 is located outside of the frame 312 across an X-Y plane. In other embodiments, about 55-95% of the central portion 310 can be contained within the outer peripheral contours of the rim 314 across an X-Y plane. In one preferred embodiment, the total footprint of the central portion 312 is about 4,356 mm2.
In one embodiment, the putter head 300 shown in
In one embodiment, the height of the frame 312 and central body portion 310 (with respect to the ground) are stepped down or lower than the face portion 318 in the negative Z-direction and thereby effectively lowering the CG.
In one embodiment, the alignment indicia 458 includes a centerline that is substantially straight and parallel with a Y-axis 436 extending primarily along the length of the central portion 410.
As previously described, the putter head includes a CG location 420, a CG X-axis 422, a CG Y-axis 424, and a CG Z-axis 423.
In one embodiment, the club head 400 has a general maximum width dimension of about 97 mm, a maximum length dimension of about 97 mm, and a maximum height dimension of about 25 mm.
In one embodiment, the CG location 420 includes a CGx of about 0.9 mm, a CGy of about 42.3 mm and a CGz of about 12.2 mm.
In one embodiment, the club head 400 has an Ixx value of about 4,227 g·cm2, an Iyy value of about 3,474 g·cm2, and an Izz value of about 7,296 g·cm2.
In certain embodiments, the central portion 410 is comprised of a plastic, polymer, nylon or ABS hollow body having a mass of about 55 g. In addition, the frame 412 is a steel frame having a mass of about 280 g. Upon assembly, the entire mass of the club head including weights 450 is about 353.4 g
In one preferred embodiment, about 100% of the central portion 410 is enclosed by the frame 412 across an X-Y plane. The central weight portion ratio is about 0.16, in one embodiment.
In one embodiment, the central portion 410 is substantially hollow having reinforced ribs or walls inside the central portion. Because, the central portion 410 is a plastic or lightweight material, an advantageous CG location and mass distribution is achieved. In addition, the central portion is configured to provide improved sound dampening upon impact.
As previously described, the putter head includes a CG location, a CG X-axis, a CG Y-axis, and a CG Z-axis as previously defined.
In one embodiment, the club head 400 has a general maximum width dimension of about 100 mm, a maximum length dimension of about 97 mm, and a maximum height dimension of about 25 mm.
In one embodiment, the CG location includes a CGx of between about −5.0 mm and about 5 mm, a CGy of between about 40 mm and 45 mm or about between about 30 mm and 50 mm and a CGz of between about 10 mm and about 13 mm or between about 9 mm and about 15 mm from a ground center point location.
In one embodiment, the club head 500 has an Ixx value of about 3,617 g·cm2 or between about 3,500 g·cm2 and about 3,800 g·cm2, an Iyy value of about 3,117 g·cm2 or between about 3,000 g·cm2 and about 3,500 g·cm2, and an Izz value of about 6,355 g·cm2 or between about 6,000 g·cm2 and about 6,500 g·cm2.
In certain embodiments, the central portion 512 includes a crown 522 comprised of an injection molded plastic material, polymer, nylon or ABS hollow body having a mass of about 19 g or less than 20 g or between about 5 g and 20 g. In other embodiments, the central portion 512 is between about 5 g and about 35 g. In one embodiment, the central portion crown 512 is a single molded ABS plastic piece made of a material having a density less than 4.5 g/cc.
In addition, the body frame 528 is a steel frame having a mass of about 318 g. Upon assembly, the entire mass of the club head including the removable weights is about 352 g or between 340 g and about 360 g or between about 300 g and 400 g.
In one preferred embodiment, about 100% of the central portion 512 is enclosed by the frame rim 524 across an X-Y plane. The central weight portion ratio is about 0.05 as shown in Example 4 of Table 1. The SS Width, Effective Footprint, Actual Footprint, Footprint Ratio, and IPWR are also listed in Example 4 of Table 1.
The lightweight portion 542 is attached to the body frame 528 via an attachment screw or locking mechanism 538 that is inserted into an opening located on the top surface of the lightweight portion 542. The locking mechanism 538 engages with a receiving boss 544 located on the body frame. In one embodiment, the inner bore of the receiving boss 544 is threaded to allow engagement with the locking mechanism 538.
Furthermore, two weights 536,534 are inserted into the weight ports as previously described. A sole plate 532 can be optionally inserted into a pocket in the sole portion 504. A putter insert 530 is inserted into the face portion 518 of the club head.
Furthermore, the lightweight crown portion 600 includes a recess 608 which receives the fastening member on the top of the crown portion 600.
An important advantage of the lightweight crown construction as described above is that a lower CG can be achieved.
In one embodiment, the lightweight crown 710 is entirely located above the offset plane 708 to ensure a lower CG is achieved. In one embodiment, the offset plane is offset a distance, d, from the origin XY-plane by 6 mm. Therefore, the lightweight crown assembly (excluding the fastening member 712) is located primarily above the offset plane 708 by a distance from the origin XY-plane (passing through the center point 706) of 6 mm or greater. In some embodiments, the offset distance, d, from the origin XY-plane can be about 2 mm or greater depending on the lightweight crown 710 construction.
At least one advantage of the embodiments described above is that a lightweight crown portion enables a lower CG and a more desirable effective foot print, actual footprint, inner portion weight ration, central portion weight ratio, and foot print ratio to be achieved while maintaining a light overall club head weight. In addition, a high MOI can be achieved to reduce club head twisting upon impact.
Another advantage of the embodiments described above is that more forward roll is promoted and a lower and farther back center of gravity is achieved. An increase in forward roll decreases the possibility of the golf ball skipping or skidding across the ground surface during use.
Another advantage of the embodiments described above, is that a large moment of inertia construction will reduce the amount of twisting that occurs upon impact about the CG X,Y, and Z-axes. The embodiments described herein provide a weight efficient means to achieve a high MOI putter.
In the embodiments described herein, the Izz can be about 2,000-14,000 g·cm2 and the Ixx and Iyy can be about 1,000-10,000 g·cm2.
Materials
The components of the above described components disclosed in the present specification can be formed from any of various suitable metals, metal alloys, polymers, composites, or various combinations thereof.
In addition to those noted above, some examples of metals and metal alloys that can be used to form the components of the connection assemblies include, without limitation, carbon steels (e.g., 1020 or 8620 carbon steel), stainless steels (e.g., 304 or 410 stainless steel), PH (precipitation-hardenable) alloys (e.g., 17-4, C450, or C455 alloys), titanium alloys (e.g., 3-2.5, 6-4, SP700, 15-3-3-3, 10-2-3, or other alpha/near alpha, alpha-beta, and beta/near beta titanium alloys), aluminum/aluminum alloys (e.g., 3000 series alloys, 5000 series alloys, 6000 series alloys, such as 6061-T6, and 7000 series alloys, such as 7075), magnesium alloys, copper alloys, and nickel alloys.
Some examples of composites that can be used to form the components include, without limitation, glass fiber reinforced polymers (GFRP), carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP), metal matrix composites (MMC), ceramic matrix composites (CMC), and natural composites (e.g., wood composites).
Some examples of polymers that can be used to form the components include, without limitation, thermoplastic materials (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, acrylic, PVC, ABS, polycarbonate, polyurethane, polyphenylene oxide (PPO), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyether block amides, nylon, and engineered thermoplastics), thermosetting materials (e.g., polyurethane, epoxy, and polyester), copolymers, and elastomers (e.g., natural or synthetic rubber, EPDM, and Teflon®).
Whereas the invention has been described in connection with representative embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to those embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to encompass all modifications, alternatives, and equivalents as may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.
In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the disclosed invention may be applied, it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only preferred examples of the invention and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. It will be evident that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/886,273, filed May 28, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/248,190, filed Jan. 15, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/697,291, filed Sep. 6, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/728,928, filed Jun. 2, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/943,496, filed Jul. 16, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/708,785, filed Dec. 7, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/690,861, filed Jan. 20, 2010, which claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/205,647, filed Jan. 21, 2009, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61205647 | Jan 2009 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16886273 | May 2020 | US |
Child | 17107490 | US | |
Parent | 16248190 | Jan 2019 | US |
Child | 16886273 | US | |
Parent | 15697291 | Sep 2017 | US |
Child | 16248190 | US | |
Parent | 14728928 | Jun 2015 | US |
Child | 15697291 | US | |
Parent | 13943496 | Jul 2013 | US |
Child | 14728928 | US | |
Parent | 13708785 | Dec 2012 | US |
Child | 13943496 | US | |
Parent | 12690861 | Jan 2010 | US |
Child | 13708785 | US |