Patent Publication Number: US-11045699-B2

Title: Putter with replaceable face insert

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/591,481, filed on Oct. 2, 2019, and issued on Sep. 29, 2020, as U.S. Pat. No. 10,786,714, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/290,954, filed on Mar. 3, 2019, and issued on Oct. 8, 2019, as U.S. Pat. No. 10,434,386, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/015,565, filed on Jun. 22, 2018, and issued on May 7, 2019, as U.S. Pat. No. 10,279,231, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/815,093, filed on Nov. 16, 2017, and issued on Jun. 26, 2018, as U.S. Pat. No. 10,004,959, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a golf club head, particularly a putter, with a structure for receiving a replaceable face insert. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Putters typically include face inserts that are permanently bonded within a frontal recess. It is difficult to remove a face insert once it is bonded into the putter head, and doing so risks causing to the face insert itself and the rest of the putter body. There a need, therefore, for a putter with a putter face replacement system that allows a golfer to change the type of face insert without causing damage to the putter. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One aspect of the present invention is a golf club head, and particularly a putter, comprising a structure designed to receive and retain a replaceable face insert. 
     Another aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising a body comprising a front surface, a top portion extending from an upper edge of the front surface, a sole portion extending from a lower edge of the front surface, a first cavity extending into the front surface, a second cavity disposed behind, and in communication with, the first cavity, a sole opening extending through the sole portion and in communication with the second cavity, and a threaded bore extending into an inner surface of the top portion, a face insert comprising a striking portion comprising a striking surface and a rear surface opposite the striking surface, and at least one support ring extending from the rear surface, and a mechanical fastener comprising a head portion, an extension portion, and a threaded portion, wherein the sole opening is encircled by a flange portion, wherein the threaded bore is in communication with the second cavity and is vertically aligned with the sole opening, wherein the striking portion is sized to fit within the first cavity so that the striking surface is approximately flush with a portion of the front surface, wherein the at least one support ring is sized to fit within the second cavity, and wherein when the threaded portion of the mechanical fastener engages the threaded bore, the extension portion of the mechanical fastener extends through the support ring and the head portion abuts the flange portion to reversibly fix the face insert to the body. 
     In some embodiments, the at least one support ring may comprise an upper support ring and a lower support ring, and the upper support ring may be vertically aligned with the lower support ring. In a further embodiment, the golf club head may comprise a bearing, which may be disposed between the upper support ring and the lower support ring, and the extension portion may extend through the bearing. In some embodiments, the bearing may comprise an aluminum alloy and a coating material. In other embodiments, the bearing may be composed of an anodized aluminum alloy at least partially coated with Frelon®. In some embodiments, the golf club head may further comprise a washer, wherein the washer is disposed between the upper support ring and the top portion of the body. 
     In other embodiments, the golf club head may further comprise a sealing gasket extending around a periphery of the striking portion. In still other embodiments, tightening the mechanical fastener within the golf club head puts the fastener in tension between the top portion and the sole portion. In other embodiments, the golf club head may be a putter head. In another embodiment, neither the upper nor the lower support ring may be flush with a periphery edge of the striking portion. In yet another embodiment, the bearing may be retained between the upper and lower support ring via friction locking. In some embodiments, the threaded bore may be encircled by a boss extending from the top portion, and wherein the threaded bore and boss are integrally formed with the top portion. In other embodiments, the golf club head may further comprise a rear wall enclosing a rear side of the second cavity, or at least one weight port in the sole portion. 
     Yet another aspect of the present invention is a putter head comprising a metal body comprising a front surface, a top portion extending from an upper edge of the front surface, a sole portion extending from a lower edge of the front surface, a face cavity extending into the front surface, a heel-side cavity disposed behind, and in communication with, the face cavity, a toe-side cavity disposed behind, and in communication with, the face cavity, a heel-side sole opening extending through the sole portion and in communication with the heel-side cavity, a toe-side sole opening extending through the sole portion and in communication with the toe-side cavity, a heel-side threaded bore extending into an inner surface of the top portion, and a toe-side threaded bore extending into an inner surface of the top portion, a face insert comprising a striking portion comprising a striking surface and a rear surface opposite the striking surface, upper and lower heel-side support rings extending from the rear surface, and upper and lower toe-side support rings extending from the rear surface, first and second mechanical fasteners, each comprising a head portion, an extension portion, and a threaded portion, wherein the heel-side opening is at least partially encircled by a heel-side flange portion, wherein the toe-side opening is at least partially encircled by a toe-side flange portion, wherein the heel-side threaded bore is in communication with the heel-side cavity and is vertically aligned with the heel-side sole opening, wherein the toe-side threaded bore is in communication with the toe-side cavity and is vertically aligned with the toe-side sole opening, wherein the threaded portion of the first mechanical fastener engages the heel side threaded bore, the extension portion of the first mechanical fastener extends through the heel side upper and lower support rings within the heel-side cavity, and the head portion of the first mechanical fastener abuts the heel-side flange portion, and wherein the threaded portion of the second mechanical fastener engages the toe side threaded bore, the extension portion of the second mechanical fastener extends through the toe side upper and lower support rings within the toe-side cavity, and the head portion of the second mechanical fastener abuts the toe-side flange portion. 
     In some embodiments, the body may further comprise a heel-side boss extending from the top portion and at least partially encircling the heel-side threaded bore and a toe-side boss extending from the top portion and at least partially encircling the toe-side boss. In still other embodiments, the body may further comprise a rear wall enclosing at least one of the heel-side and toe-side cavities. In another embodiment, none of the upper and lower support rings are flush with a periphery edge of the striking portion. In a further embodiment, the putter head may further comprise a sealing gasket extending around a periphery of the striking portion. 
     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. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a first embodiment of the putter head of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a partially exploded view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the face insert shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 1  along lines  6 - 6 . 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of the circled portion of the putter head shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of the putter head of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a partially transparent view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a sole perspective view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 8  along lines  11 - 11 . 
         FIG. 12  is an enlarged view of the circled portion of the putter head shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a front perspective, partially transparent view of a third embodiment of the putter head of the present invention. 
         FIG. 14  is a rear elevational view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  is a sole perspective view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 13  along lines  16 - 16 . 
         FIG. 17  is an exploded view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 18  is an alternative face insert pattern for use with the face insert shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 19  is a cross-sectional view of the face insert shown in  FIG. 18  along lines  19 - 19 . 
         FIG. 20  is another face insert pattern for use with the face insert shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 21  is a cross-sectional view of the face insert shown in  FIG. 15  along lines  21 - 21 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a golf club head, and particularly a putter head, with a replaceable face insert. 
     In a first embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 1-7 , the putter head  10  has a body  20  with a heel side  21  proximate a hosel  22 , a toe side  23 , a front surface  24 , a top portion  30  extending rearward from an upper edge  25  of the front surface  24 , a sole portion  40  extending rearward from a lower edge  26  of the front surface  24 , and a rear end  27 . A face cavity  50  extends into the front surface  24  and communicates with a heel-side cavity  52  and a toe-side cavity  54 , each of which is disposed behind the face cavity  50  along a front-to-back x-axis extending perpendicular to the front surface  24 . As shown in the Figures, each of the heel- and toe-side cavities  52 ,  54  has a rear opening facing the rear end  27  of the body  20 , but in an alternative embodiment (an example of which is shown in  FIGS. 13-17 ), a rear wall  55  may enclose the back side of each of these cavities  52 ,  54 . 
     The top portion  30  has a recessed central area  35  sized to receive the front portion of a cover piece  200 . A heel-side top opening  32  extends through the top portion  30  and communicates with the heel-side cavity  52 , and a toe-side top opening  34  extends through the top portion and communicates with the toe-side cavity  54 . The sole portion  40  has a heel-side depression  42  extending into an interior sole surface  45  and aligned with the heel-side top opening  32  along a vertical z-axis extending perpendicular to the x-axis, and a toe-side depression  44  extending into the interior sole surface  45  and aligned with the toe-side top opening  34  along the vertical z-axis. 
     The body  20  engages a face insert  100  having a striking portion  110  with a striking surface  112 , a rear surface  114  opposite the striking surface, and a periphery edge  116  extending approximately perpendicular to, and connecting, the striking and rear surfaces  112 ,  114 . A sealing gasket  120  is affixed to the periphery edge  116  to ensure that there are no frontal gaps in the putter head  10  when the face insert  100  is affixed to the body  20 . The sealing gasket  120  preferably does not make contact with any portion of the striking surface  112 . 
     Cylindrical heel- and toe-side support structures  130 ,  140  extend from the rear surface  114  of the striking portion  110 , each having an elongated through-bore  135 ,  145  extending along the z-axis from upper edges  132 ,  142  to lower edges  134 ,  144  of the support structure  130 ,  140 . The upper edges  132 ,  142  and lower edges  134 ,  144  are preferably flush with the periphery edge  116  of the striking portion  110 , so that the cylindrical support structures  130 ,  140  extend along the entire vertical height H of the striking portion  110 , but in alternative embodiments, the cylindrical support structures  130 ,  140  may not extend along the entire vertical height H. Each elongated through-bore  135 ,  145  includes a linear sleeve bearing  150 ,  155 , which is trapped within the elongated-through bore  135 ,  145  between snap rings  160 ,  162 ,  164 ,  166  that at least partially disposed within circular grooves  131 ,  133 ,  141 ,  143  that are in communication with the elongated through-bores  135 ,  145 . 
     The heel-side support structure  130  is sized to fit within the heel-side cavity  52 , and the toe-side support structure  140  is sized to fit within the toe-side cavity. When these support structures  130 ,  140  are fully disposed within their respective cavities  52 ,  54 , the striking portion  110  is seated within the face cavity  50  so that the striking surface  112  is approximately flush with the front surface  24  of the body and the sealing gasket  120  creates a seal between the face insert  100  and the body  20 . Fully engaging the face insert  100  with the body  20  also causes the elongated through-bore  135  in the heel-side support structure  130  to align with the heel-side top opening  32  and the heel-side depression  42 , and the elongated through-bore  145  in the toe-side support structure  140  to align with the toe-side top opening  34  and the toe-side depression  44 . 
     Once the face insert  100  is disposed within the cavities  50 ,  52 ,  54  of the body  20  as described above, retaining rods  170 ,  180  are used to secure the face insert  100  to the body  20 . The first retaining rod  170  is inserted into the heel-side elongated through-bore  135  through the heel-side top opening  32  so that it extends through the bore  152  in the linear bearing  150  and a lower end  172  abuts the heel-side depression  42 . The second retaining rod  180  is inserted into the toe-side elongated through-bore  145  through the toe-side top opening  34  so that it extends through the bore  157  in the linear bearing  155  and a lower end  182  abuts the toe-side depression  44 . The linear bearings  150 ,  155  help to snugly retain the retaining rods  170 ,  180  within their respective elongated through-bores  135 ,  145 . Each retaining rod  170 ,  180  has tapered upper and lower ends  174 ,  184 ,  182 , which helps to center the retaining rods  170 ,  180 , within their respective, elongated through-bores  135 ,  145 , and to engage the depressions  42 ,  44  in the sole portion  40 . 
     When the retaining rods  170 ,  180  are fully engaged with the face insert  100  and the body  20 , the cover piece  200  is attached to the body  20  to reversibly fix the retaining rods  170 ,  180  in place. The cover piece  200  comprises an external surface  205  with alignment markings  210  and an internal surface  220  with a pair of bosses  222 ,  224 , one extending from a frontal heel side of the cover piece  200 , and the other extending from a frontal toe side of the cover piece  200 . The heel side boss  222  receives the tapered upper end  174  of the first retaining rod  170 , and the toe side boss  224  receives the tapered upper end  184  of the second retaining rod  180 . The cover piece  200  preferably is then reversibly affixed to the body  20  with snap features, temporary adhesive material, and/or mechanical fasteners such as bolts or screws (as shown in  FIGS. 8-12 ); doing so places pressure on the retaining rods  170 ,  180  and holds them, and the face insert  100 , in place within the body  20 . The front portion  215  of the cover piece  200 , which is received by the recessed central area  35  of the top portion  30 , preferably is thinner than the rear portion  217  of the body so that the putter head  10  has a flush upper surface  15 . 
     A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 8-12 . This putter head  10  has most of the same features as the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-7 , but instead of retaining rods  170 ,  180 , the putter head  10  of the preferred embodiment includes a pair of elongated bolts  70 ,  80 , also referred to as mechanical fasteners, which are inserted into the body  20  via the sole portion  40  instead of the top portion  30 . Each bolt  70 ,  80  has a head portion  72 ,  82 , an elongated extension portion  74 ,  84 , and a threaded tip portion  76 ,  86 , while the sole portion  40  comprises a heel-side sole opening  46  surrounded by a heel-side flange portion  47  and a toe-side sole opening  48  surrounded by a toe-side flange portion  49 . 
     The cover piece  200  in this embodiment includes heel- and toe-side threaded internal bores  230 ,  235 , each of which is supported by a raised boss  240 ,  245  extending from the external surface  205  of the cover piece  200 . When the cover piece  200  is properly disposed on the body  20 , the heel-side threaded internal bore  230  vertically aligns with the heel-side opening  46 , and the toe-side threaded internal bore  235  vertically aligns with the toe-side opening  48 . The cover piece  200  in this embodiment also includes first and second through-bores  250 ,  255  at a middle section  214 , through which smaller bolts  90 ,  92  are inserted to engage threaded bores  94 ,  96  located in a middle region  43  of the sole portion  40 . In this way, the cover piece  200  can be reversibly affixed to the body  20 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , when each of the cover piece  200  and the face insert  100  is fully engaged with the body  20 , the bolt  70  is attached to the body  20  by threading the elongated extension portion  74  through the heel-side sole opening  46 , through the elongated through bore  135 , and through the bore  152  in the linear bearing  150 , until the threaded tip portion  76  engages the heel-side threaded internal bore  230  and the head portion  72  abuts an external surface of the heel-side flange portion  47 . The other bolt  80  is attached to the body in the same way, threading the elongated extension portion  84  through the toe-side sole opening  48 , through the elongated through-bore  145 , and through the bore  157  in the linear bearing  155 , until the threaded tip portion  86  engages the toe-side threaded internal bore  235  and the head portion  82  abuts an external surface of the toe-side flange portion  49 . Tightening the bolts  70 ,  80  puts them in tension between the cover piece  200  and the sole portion  40 . 
     In a third, preferred embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 13-17 , the putter head has many of the same features as the second embodiment, except that, instead of a removable cover piece  200 , the putter head  10  comprises a one piece body  20  with heel- and toe-side threaded internal bores  230 ,  235  (which extend entirely through the top portion  30 ) and supporting bosses  240 ,  245  that are integrally formed with the top portion  30  of the body  20 . In this construction, there is no need for separate cover piece  200  to cap off any openings in the top portion  30 , thereby reducing the cost of making the product and the complexity of assembling it. 
     Furthermore, in this preferred embodiment, the face insert  100  does not include elongated support structures  130 ,  140 , but instead includes heel- and toe-side upper and lower support rings  136 ,  138 ,  146 ,  148 , which serve to reduce the overall weight of the face insert  100  compared with the first and second embodiments. Each linear bearing  150 ,  155  in this embodiment fits between an upper and lower pair of support rings  136 ,  138 ,  146 ,  148 , and preferably is retained between them via snapping or friction locking. Washers  122 ,  124  are disposed between the body  20  and each of the upper support rings  136 ,  146  when this embodiment is fully assembled so as to reduce or eliminate vibrations within the assembly. The support rings  136 ,  138 ,  146 ,  148  preferably are not flush with the periphery edge  116  of the striking portion  110  so as to leave space available for the washers  122 ,  124 . 
     The present invention is useful to a golfer because they can select a preferred putter body  20  and a preferred face insert  100  separately from one another. As shown in  FIGS. 1-7 , the face insert  100  of that embodiment includes striking face technology described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,577,484, 9,265,996, 8,915,798, 8,696,492, or 8,684,860, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 8-12 , the face insert  100  includes White Hot striking face technology, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,238,302, 6,273,831, or 6,273,832, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. 
     Some alternative striking surface  112  options are shown in  FIGS. 18-21 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19 , the striking surface  112  comprises a recessed area  300  with a plurality of bulbous bristles  302  extending perpendicular from the recessed base  304 , such that the top edges  303  of the bristles are flush with the rest of the striking surface  112 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 20 and 21 , the striking surface  112  comprises a recessed area  300  filled with an insert  310  made up of rows of hollow, rectangular tubes  312  elongated along the heel-to-toe y axis, each of which can move upon impact with a golf ball independently of other tubes  312 . In still other embodiments, the face insert  100  may comprise the technology disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,776,051, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. 
     Each piece of the putter head  10  preferably is composed of a high strength material, such as titanium alloy or stainless steel, though the linear bearings  150 ,  155  preferably are composed of an anodized aluminum alloy with a Frelon® liner coating. Alternatively, portions of the putter head  10 , such as the hosel  22  or the cover piece  200 , can be formed of a lighter weight material such as aluminum ally, carbon composite, or plastic to reduce the overall weight of the putter head  10  and ensure a low center of gravity. The gasket  120  and washers  122 ,  124  preferably are composed of a polymeric material for damping purposes. The material composition of the different parts of the putter head  10  can, however, be adjusted as desired by the golfer to change the center of gravity location. The putter head  10  may also comprise weight ports  60 ,  65 , as shown in  FIGS. 13-17 , to allow for further adjustability of the center of gravity location. 
     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.