Abstract:
A golf club head having a body including a striking surface and a lower portion which couples with one of a plurality of flanges adapted to be fastened to the lower portion of the body. Each flange is configured to have a lower ground engaging surface defining a predetermined bounce angle such that replacing one of the plurality of flanges alters the bounce angle of the head. Preferably, the flange includes a plurality of cavities for receiving interchangeable weights for altering the weight characteristics of the club head.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates in general to golf clubs, and in particular to an iron-type golf club having interchangeable components to alter the characteristics of the club head. 
     Golf clubs generally include a shaft, a hand grip attached to one end of the shaft, and a head attached to the other end of the shaft. The head includes a generally flat striking surface for hitting a golf ball with a relatively high impact force. A golfer generally uses a set of iron-type clubs having varying loft angles. The loft angle is generally defined as the angle between the striking surface and the axis of the shaft or to the horizontal. The golfer selects one of a plurality of iron-type clubs based upon the distance that the golf ball is to be hit and the desired back spin on the ball. For relatively short distances and/or when the golf ball is in a sand environment, a golfer generally selects a club commonly referred to as a wedge. A wedge is generally defined as an iron-type club having a relatively high loft angle. The head of the wedge may also be heavier than the heads of other iron-type clubs. 
     Most wedges, and other iron-type clubs, include a bottom surface which is angled from the ground, commonly referred to as the bounce angle of the club head. The bounce angle can be any desired angle. Generally, long iron-type clubs with low loft angles have a relatively low bounce angle or even a zero bounce angle such that the bottom surface of the club is generally parallel with the ground. Short iron-type clubs, such as wedges, have a relatively high bounce angle. The bounce surface is generally the first portion of the club head which engages the ground, sand, or grass surface of which the golf ball is hit from. Generally, a head with a higher bounce angle is easier to play from soft sand or grass because it will naturally fight the tendency to dig into the ground or sand. In general, the higher the bounce angle, the less the club head will dig into the sand. Instead, the head bounces or glides through the impact area just below the sand&#39;s surface, reducing the likelihood of digging too deep. A club head with less of a bounce angle tends to dig more into the ground, but is generally better for firm ground conditions when digging is more difficult so that the striking surface of the head hits squarely on the ball. Thus, a single integral club head is not always desirable depending on the characteristics of the golf course or based on the desired preference of the user of the club. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a golf club head having a single body and a plurality of interchangeable bottom flanges to alter the bounce angle of the club head. The golf club head has a body which includes a striking surface for contact with a golf ball. The club head also includes a lower portion which couples with one of a plurality of flanges adapted to be fastened to the lower portion of the body. Each flange is configured to have a lower ground engaging surface defining a predetermined bounce angle such that replacing one of the plurality of flanges alters the bounce angle of the head. Preferably, the flange includes a plurality of cavities for receiving interchangeable weights for altering the weight characteristics of the club head. 
    
    
     Various objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is front elevational view of a first embodiment of a club head, in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the club head taken along lines  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the club head taken along lines  3 — 3  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of a replaceable flange for the club head of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 a first embodiment of a golf club head, indicated generally at  10 , in accordance with the present invention. Although the head  10  can be any suitable golf club head arrangement, preferably the head  10  is an iron-type wedge club head. The head  10  is generally a two-piece configuration having a common single main body  12  and one of a plurality of flanges  16 . Note that only one flange  16  is illustrated in FIG.  1 . As will be explained below, the head  10  is designed so that the single main body  12  can be coupled with one of a variety of different flanges, such as the flange  16 ′ illustrated in FIG. 4, to alter the shape, and in particular, the bounce angle of the club head  10 . Preferably, the flanges  16  are removably fastened to the body  12  so that they are interchangeable. However, the head  10  could be configured so that a consumer selects one of the plurality of flanges  16  and permanently attaches a selected flange  16  to the body  12 . 
     The body  12  of the head  10  preferably includes a hosel extension  18  for receiving and fastening a shaft  20  thereto. The shaft  20  can be fastened to the body  12  by any suitable manner. The body  12  also includes a generally flat striking surface  22  for impacting a golf ball. The striking surface  22  can include a textured region, indicated generally by the stippling illustrated in FIG. 1, for improved grip between the striking surface  22  and the golf ball. The body  12  has a rear side  24  which mates with the flange  16 . The rear side  24  can have any desired shape. Preferably, the body  12  includes a plurality of bosses  26  extending from a surface  28  of the rear side  24 . The rear surface  28  can be formed to any shape, such as generally planar. The bosses  26  include a threaded bore  30  formed therein for receiving a threaded fastener  32  to fasten the flange  16  to the body  12 . 
     The flanges  16  are preferably removably fastened to the main body  12 . The flanges  16  can be removably fastened to a lower portion  33  of the main body  12  by any suitable manner. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the flange  16  includes a generally horizontally extending continuous recess  34  formed therein. The bosses  26  of the body  12  are placed within the recess  34  to properly position the flange  16  relative to the body  12 . Note that the cross-sectional shape of the recess  34  is complimentarily to the cross-section shape of the bosses  26 . The is flange  16  includes a plurality of holes  36  formed therein associated with the threaded bores  30  of the body  12  to receive the threaded fasteners  32 . Preferably, the bosses  26  extend downwardly at an angle relative to the surface  28  of the rear side  24 , such at about  45  degrees. This angled relationship of the bosses  26  is preferred over an embodiment where the bosses extend outwardly from the surface  28  in a direction normal to the surface  28  so that a force exerted on a bottom portion  3   8  of the flange is transmitted through the bosses  26  with less shear force acting on the bosses  26 . 
     Although the embodiment of the club head  10  as illustrated in FIG. 1 includes four bosses  26 , the body  12  can be configured with any suitable number of bosses. Alternatively, the body  12  could be configured with a single ledge (not shown) extending across the width of the rear side  24  and positioned within the recess  34 . 
     The golf club head  10  can be any suitable club head, such as an “iron” type club head, and more preferably a “wedge” type club head which has a relatively high loft angle A, as shown in FIG.  2 . Of course, the angle A can be any suitable angle. The loft angle A is generally defined as the angle between the striking surface  14  and the axis of the shaft  13 . The loft angle may also be defined as the angle between the striking surface  14  and a generally horizontal plane, indicated at H in FIG. 2, as the club head  10  is positioned and oriented during normal use. 
     As previously stated, the head  10  is designed so that a plurality of differently shaped flanges  16  can be interchanged to change the characteristics of the head  10 , and in particular to change a bounce angle B of the head, as shown in FIG.  2 . The bounce angle B is generally defined by a lower ground engaging bounce surface  40  formed on the bottom portion  38  of the flange  16  and located generally in the front of the head  10  below the striking surface  22 . The bounce surface  40  is generally formed at the bounce angle B relative to the horizontal. The bounce surface  40  is generally the first portion of the club head  10  which engages the ground, sand, or grass surface of which the golf ball is hit from. The cross-sectional shape of the bounce surface  40  can be relatively flat and planar, as shown in FIG. 2, or formed with a curved shape, as shown in FIG.  4 . It should be understood that the bounce surface  40  can have any desired shape or contour suitable for club head movement in any particular environment. The bounce angle B and B′ are generalizations of the angle the bounce surfaces are relative to the ground. For bounce surfaces which are curvilinear, the bounce angle B is an approximate angle. Note that as best shown in FIG. 1, the flange  16  and the bounce surface  40  generally extend along an entire bottom width W of the club, so that the flange  16  includes all of the ground engaging surfaces of the head  10 . The bottom width W is generally defined as the portion of the head  10  which substantially engages the ground when the club head  10  is used. The lower portion of the main body  12  preferably does not include any ground engaging surfaces. 
     The flange  16  may also include a trailing surface  42  located behind the bounce surface  40  and formed at an angle T relative to the horizontal. The angle T can be any suitable angle. Of course, the flange  16  can be configured without a trailing surface  42  such that the bounce surface  40  generally extends across the entire bottom of the head  10 . 
     Generally, a head with a higher bounce angle is easier to play from soft sand or grass because it will naturally fight the tendency to dig into the ground or sand. In general, the higher the bounce angle, the less the club head will dig into the sand. Instead, the head bounces or glides through the impact area just below the sand&#39;s surface, reducing the likelihood of digging too deep. A club head with less of a bounce angle tends to dig more into the ground, but is generally better for firm ground conditions when digging is more difficult so that the striking surface of the head hits squarely on the ball. Thus, it is sometimes desirable to alter the bounce angle B depending on the characteristics of the golf course. The club head  10  of the present invention includes a common main body  12  which can couple with one of a plurality of differently structured flanges  16 . For example, there is illustrated in FIG. 4, an alternate embodiment of a flange, indicated generally at  16 ′ which has a bounce surface  40 ′ generally formed at a bounce angle B′ which is greater than the bounce angle B of the club head  10 . Note that the cross-sectional shape of the bounce surface  40 ′ is curvilinear in shape. It may also be desirable to alter the bounce angle to the desired preference of the user of the club. For example, a consumer may be able to easily purchase a customized club head by selecting one of the different styles of flanges  16  having a desired bounce angle B and fastening the flange  16  to the common main body  12 . This reduces the manufacturing cost of the golf club head compared to providing many different styles of one-piece integral heads. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the flange  16  includes a striking surface  48  which is preferably flush and co-planar with the striking surface  22  of the body  12 . When the flange  16  is fastened to the body  12 , the striking surfaces  22  and  48  preferably form a single continuous planar surface. 
     The flange  16  preferably includes a plurality of cavities  50  for receiving interchangeable weights  52  to alter the weight characteristics of the head  10 , thereby changing the feel and striking characteristics of the head  10 . For example, the flange  30  or the body  12  can be weighted more heavily on the ends (or front and back) compared to the center to compensate for off-center or mis-hits to help stabilize the head  10  when striking the golf ball. The head  10  can also be selectively weighted to alter the overall weight of the head as desired by the user of the club. Preferably, the cavities  50  are oriented in a generally linear manner across the width of the flange, as shown in FIG.  4 . As shown in FIG. 1, the flange  16  includes three cavities  50 . Of course, any number of cavities  50  and weights  52  can be used. The weights  52  can be secured to the flange  16  by any suitable manner, such as by simple placement within the cavity  50  and trapped between the body  12  and the flange  16 . 
     Preferably, a selection of different weights  52  is initially provided from which suitable weights are selected and positioned within the cavities  50  to obtain the desired feel and striking characteristics of the club head  10 . The weights  52  can be made of any suitable material, such as metal or plastic, and are preferably sized to snugly fit within the cavities  50 . The length of the weights  52  can be less than the depth of the cavity  50 , so that less weight is distributed in the cavity  50 . The remainder of the cavity  50  can then be filled with a relatively light weight plastic plug (not shown) to fill the void of the cavity  50  and to prevent the weight  52  from moving within the cavity  50 . The weights  52  and the cavities  50  can have any size and shape. If desired, the club head  10  could be configured such that cavities (not shown) are formed in the body  12  to receive the weights  52 . 
     In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principle and mode of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in its preferred embodiment. However, it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope.