Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf club head with an insert. More specifically, the present invention relates to a putter head with a polymer insert having a face plate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Throughout the history of golf, which dates back to as early as 1457, various techniques have been used to enhance the hitting characteristics of golf club heads. Golf club heads having inserts for the striking portion have been used at least as far back as 1880's when leather face irons were manufactured in Scotland. Golfer's in the 1890's were able to purchase putters with faces composed of gutta percha. More recently, inserts composed of various materials and shapes have been put forth by the creative geniuses of the golf industry to provide golfers with better feel and control of the golf ball.
One example is an ODYSSEY® putter having a STRONOMIC® insert that is disclosed in Magerman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,472 for a Golf Putter Head Having Face Insert And Method Of Forming The Same. The Magerman et al. patent discloses a putter head with a recess into which is poured or inserted a resinous material which cures and is subsequently milled to produce the putter.
Another example is Pond, U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,331 for a Method For Manufacturing Golf Club Head With Integral Inserts that discloses a method for casting a graphite-epoxy composite insert within a recess of a face of a metal club head. The golf club head of the Pond patent is directed at displacing the weight away from the center and increasing the moment of inertia.
Another example is Schmidt et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,997, for a Golf Putter Head With Face Plate Insert Having Heightened Medial Portion, that discloses a putter head with a face plate composed of a non-metallic material such as an elastomer. The overall construction of the putter head of the Schmidt et al. patent is directed at enlarging the sweet spot and improving the peripheral weighting.
Yet another example is found in Baker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,743 for a Putter Having Club Head With A Golf-Ball Engagement Insert And A Shaft Rearwardly Of The Insert which discloses a putter with a center shaft and an insert composed of a thermoplastic polyurethane. Another example is Jepson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,474 for a Golf Club With Polyurethane Insert, which discloses a wood having an insert on its striking face that is composed of a polyurethane formed from a tolylene diisocyanate polyether terminated prepolymer and a curing agent. The hardness of this insert varies from 40 to 75 Shore D, and a Bashore Resiliometer of 17 or above. The polyurethane insert is claimed to impart additional energy to the golf ball during a golf hit.
Chen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,813 for a Golf Club Head discloses a wood composed of stainless steel with a three layer face having a first stainless steel layer, an elastic layer and a second stainless steel layer. The three-layer face does not absorb the hitting force when a golf ball is hit.
Fisher, U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,332, for a Golf Putter Head With A Cushioning Face, discloses a set of golf putters, each having an insert composed of polyurethane with a hardness in the range of 70 Shore A to about 80 Shore D. The rebound factor of each of the inserts is in the range of 12.5% to 50%, and the inserts are formulated to effect a reproducible direct linear relationship between the rebound factor and the distance of the putt.
Yet another example is McGeeney et al, European Patent Application Number 0891790 for a Multiple Density Golf Club Head And Method Of Manufacturing which discloses a putter with a central segment composed of a thermoplastic elastomer or a thermoset polymer. Possible thermoplastic elastomers include styrene co-polymers, co-polyesters, polyurethanes, polyamides, olefins and vulcanates. Possible thermoset polymers include epoxides, polyimides and polyester resins. The central segment has a minimum durometer hardness of Shore D 50. The central segment is bounded by metallic heel and to portions. However, the use of inserts is restrained in order to maintain the integrity of the game of golf.
In this regard, the Rules of Golf, established and interpreted by the United States Golf Association (“USGA”) and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of Saint Andrews, sets forth certain requirements for a golf club head. The requirements for a golf club head are found in Rule 4 and appendix II. A complete description of the Rules of Golf are available on the USGA web page at www.usga.org. Although the Rules of Golf do not expressly state specific parameters for an insert for a putter, the Rules of Golf have been interpreted to establish that an insert for a putter should have a Shore A hardness greater than 87±2%, have a constant thickness, have a thickness of at least 0.125 inches, and not act like a spring.
The prior art is absent a golf club head that has an insert composed of a material that is soft, but above the USGA requirements, and has a sufficient Bayshore rebound to provide a golf ball with the necessary distance to reach the hole. Further, the prior art has failed to provide an insert that may easily attach to the club head body.
One aspect of the present invention is a golf club head including a club head body with an insert and a face plate. The club head body has a front face with a recess therein. The insert is disposed within the recess. The insert includes a body with an exterior surface, an interior surface and a perimeter defining the thickness of the body. The insert is composed of a thermoplastic polyurethane material. The perimeter has a plurality of integral tabs extending therefrom that engage the club head body.
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.
As shown in
The body 54 of the club head 52 is preferably composed of a metallic material such as stainless steel. Other metallic materials include titanium, aluminum, tungsten, zinc, magnesium, and alloys of stainless steel and tungsten. However, those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize that the body 54 may be composed of other materials without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Further, the non-insert portion of the face 56 may be smooth or textured to provide a consistent or non-consistent surface with the exterior surface of the insert. Additionally, the body 54 may be specifically weighted to provide a specific center of gravity and inertial properties for the putter 50.
Referring specifically to
The putter 50 of
The putter 50 of
The putter 50 of
The putter of
The putter 50 of
The inserts 60 of
In a preferred embodiment, the insert 60 is composed of a thermoplastic polyurethane material, preferably an injection moldable thermoplastic polyurethane. Such thermoplastic polyurethanes include 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate-polyester thermoplastic polyurethanes available from BAYER under the brand name TEXIN 250 or TEXIN 255, a para-phenylene diisocyanate-polyether thermoplastic polyurethane available from DUPONT CHEMICALS under the brand name HYLENE, and a 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate-polyester thermoplastic polyurethane available from HUNTSMAN CHEMICAL under the brand name IROGRAN 433.63.
The Shore D hardness of the thermoplastic polyurethane material for the insert 60 preferably ranges from 40 to 70 Shore D, more preferably from 50 to 65 Shore D. The TEXIN 250 thermoplastic polyurethane has a Shore D hardness of approximately 56. The TEXIN 255 thermoplastic polyurethane has a Shore D hardness of approximately 65. The IROGRAN 433.63 thermoplastic polyurethane has a Shore D hardness of approximately 60. The HYLENE thermoplastic polyurethane has a Shore D hardness of approximately 55.
Other polymer materials that may be utilized as the material for the insert 60 include: polymers from Bayer Corporation sold under the TEXIN brand such as TEXIN 4215, TEXIN 4210, TEXIN 270, TEXIN 4210 T2, TEXIN 270 T2, TEXIN 4215 T2 and TEXIN 4215 T3, which are thermoplastic polyurethanes and thermoplastic polyurethane and polycarbonate blends; polymers from BASF corporation such as TERLURAN EGP-7, TERLURAN HI-10, TERLURAN GP-22, which are ABS polymers, ULTRAMID A3HG5, LURANS 778 T1 and LURAN S 778 T/TE T2, which are ABS and polyamide blends, and TRIAX 1120, which is an ABS and polyamide blend; polymers from Du Pont Chemicals such as HYTREL 7246 thermoplastic polyester elastomer and HYLENE 58D polymer and SURLYN ionomers; polymers from GE Polymers such as NORYL PPX/PPX7115 polyphenylene ether and polystryene blend, LEXAN EXL 1330 T2, LEXAN EXL 1330 T3, LEXAN ML 6143/C1000, LEXAN 1330/ML6143, LEXAN ML6143H and LEXAN 1330, which are amorphous thermoplastic polymers, CYCOLOY C1000HF T1, CYCOLOY C1000F T2, CYCOLOY C1000HF T3, CYCOLOY C1000HF T4 AND CYCOLOY C1000HF T5, which are ABS and polycarbonate blends; polymers from Atofina corporation sold under the brands ATOFINA 3429, ATOFINA 3467 and ATOFINA 7823 MZ; polymers from BP Chemical sold under the brand BAREX 210, which is an E acrylonitrile-methyl acrylate copolymer; polymers from Chevron corporation sold under the brands BK-12, KR03 and BK10/NAS90 blend; polymers from Exxon Mobil chemical sold under the brands PP1024E4, PP1043N, PP7033N, PP7032E2T1, PP7032KN and PP7032E2T2; polymers from Huntsman Chemical sold under the brand IROGRAN 113557; polymers from RTP corporation sold under the brands 1299-A 80D w/glass, 1299-B 80D without glass, RTP 4085 and Nylon 6 with nano; and polymers from Uniroyal sold under the brand AN2501750 blend T1, AN2501750 blend T2 and LF750D.
Yet still other materials for the polymer material of the insert 60 include thermosetting polyurethanes such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,831, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The thickness of the insert 60 may vary depending on its application. A preferred thickness for a putter 50 is in the range of 0.125 to 0.500 inch. A preferred range of thickness is 0.188 inch to 0.200 inch. A preferred thickness is 0.198 inch. The thickness of the insert 60 is increased or decreased to influence the feel to the golfer during impact with a golf ball.
The indentation 65 of the insert 60 preferably has a depth of ranging from 0.020 inch to 0.075 inch, more preferably ranging from 0.035 inch to 0.045 inch, and most preferably having a depth of 0.040 inch. The indentation 65 is sized to accommodate the face plate 75.
The face plate 75 is preferably composed of a metal material. Such metal materials include stainless steel, steel, other steel alloys, titanium, titanium alloys, amorphous metals, aluminum, aluminum alloys, magnesium, magnesium alloys, bronze, and other like metal materials. As shown in
The face plate 75 preferably is positioned at the center of the face of the putter 20. The face plate 75 preferably covers less than 90% of the exterior surface of the insert 60, and more preferably less than 60% of the exterior surface of the insert, and most preferably covers between 25% to 50% of the exterior surface of the insert 60.
The face plate 75 is preferably co-molded with the insert 60. Alternatively, the face plate 75 is bonded within the indentation 65 of the insert 60 with an adhesive.
In a preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of tabs 100 is composed of a curved portion 130 and a straight portion 132. The straight portion 132 projects from the perimeter 120 and becomes the curved portion 130. The curved portion 132 engages with the recess edge wall 82 of the recess 58 of the club head 52. An undercut 134 is formed between the curved portion 130 and the perimeter 120 on the exterior surface 122 side of the insert 60. The undercut 134 is cut from the straight portion 132 thereby creating a straight portion 132 that does not extend along the entire width of the perimeter 120. Further, the curved portion 130 does not extend along the entire width of the perimeter 120, terminating just prior to the exterior surface 122. However, the curved portion 130 does extend further than the straight portion 132. The height “h” of the undercut 134 is preferably 0.01 inches, however it may range from 0.005 inches to 0.025 inches. Each of the plurality of tabs 100 is compressible for engagement of the insert 60 into the recess 58 of the club head 52. As described below, an adhesive is filled between the tabs 100 and into the undercuts 134 when the insert 60 is mounted in the recess 58 of the club head 52.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/709,647, filed on May 19, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,048,648, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/500,743, filed on Sep. 5, 2003.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20060199664 A1 | Sep 2006 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60500743 | Sep 2003 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10709647 | May 2004 | US |
Child | 11419445 | US |