Patent Publication Number: US-6217459-B1

Title: Putter head assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is related to the following design patent applications: Putter Head Assembly, application Ser. No. 29/100,118, now U.S. Pat. No. Des. 430,245; Putter Head Face, application Ser. No. 29/100,117, now U.S. Pat. No. Des. 430,250; and Putter Head Hosel, application Ser. No. 29/100,119, now U.S. Pat. No. Des. 431,063. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional putters include a shaft having a handle at the upper end and putter head assembly at the lower end. The putter head assembly includes a putter head, which typically terminates in a generally vertical putter head face which contacts the ball, and a connecting section called a hosel. The hossel connects the putter head with the lower end of the shaft. Some putter head assemblies do not include the hosel, but rather the bottom or lower end of the shaft is attached directly to the putter head itself. 
     The desire for a putter which may help improve a golfer&#39;s game has generated a great number of innovative putter designs. Regardless of how many new putter designs are developed, they all seem to fall short in some category. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a putter head assembly which combines shape and material selection to provide a putter head which upon contacting the ball provides the golfer with both a metallic feel plus a softness not available with solid metal putter heads. 
     The putter head assembly includes a generally S-shaped hosel having first and second ends. The putter head extends from the second end of the hosel. The hossel and putter head are made as a one-piece unit from a polymer material, typically a thermosetting resin. A golf ball-striking faceplate is mounted to the putter head. These features combine to create a desirable feel to the golfer upon contact with the ball. 
     The polymer material is preferably a thermosetting resin material which permits a certain amount of flexing and give and thus, together with the shape of the hosel, provides the softness of feel upon contact with the ball as is desired. The faceplate is preferably a metal faceplate to provide the desirable metallic feel on initial ball contact. A skid plate is preferably mounted to the lower surface of the putter head both to provide abrasion resistance and to help provide the desired pendulum type action during the putting stroke. While the faceplate and skid plate may be connected, there is preferably a gap, filled with the polymer material, between them over a substantial portion of the lower leading edge of the putter head. The provision of the gap between the faceplate and the skid plate allows the faceplate to be bridged from heel to toe. This separation allows the faceplate&#39;s striking zone (sweet spot) to be free of metal support to enhance the softer feel on contact. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiments have been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is perspective view of a putter head assembly made according to the invention with the lower end of a putter shaft shown in broken lines for environmental purposes; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof; 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevational view thereof; 
     FIG. 4 is a right-side elevational view thereof; 
     FIG. 5 is a left-side elevational view thereof; 
     FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view thereof; 
     FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view thereof; 
     FIGS. 8 and 8A are two views of an alternative embodiment of the assembly of FIG. 1 with the hosel aligned with the faceplate; and 
     FIG. 9 is a further alternative embodiment in which the hosel is a reverse-angle hosel. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a putter head assembly  2  made according to the invention. Assembly  2  includes broadly a generally S-shaped hosel  4  having an upper end  6  attached to the lower end  8  of the putter shaft  10 , a curving central portion  11  and a lower end  12  extending upwardly from a putter head  14 . In addition to hosel  4  and putter head  14 , putter head assembly  2  also includes a faceplate  16 , preferably made of metal, such as stainless steel, copper, or aluminum, which defines a faceplate plane  17 . Central portion  11  extends upwardly and forwardly from lower end  12  to lie generally vertically above faceplate plane  17 . Metal faceplate  16  continues around the periphery  18  of putter head  14  as a metal skirt  20 . Metal skirt  20  continues downwardly to form a metal skid plate  22 . Skid plate  22  defines most or all of the lower or bottom surface of putter head assembly  2 . Faceplate  16  defines the golf ball-contacting surface of putter head assembly  2 . Surfaces  16 ,  22  are joined along a common edge  24 . There is a gap  26  in metal skid plate  22  adjacent to common edge  24 . This provides faceplate  16  with a little more flexibility than faceplate  16  would have if skid plate  22  extended all the way to faceplate  16  at common edge  24 . This small increase in flexibility helps faceplate  16  to deflect slightly on impact with the golf ball, this provides the golfer with a better feel and potentially better control. 
     The generally S-shaped hosel  4  and putter head  14  are made as a one-piece unit of a polymer material. The polymer material is preferably a thermosetting epoxy resin. One such resin can be purchased from South Bay Plastics of Torrence, California as SPB 365A/365B. 
     One of the desirable attributes of putter head assembly  2  is that a desirable softness of feel be provided upon contact with the golf ball. It is believed that this desired softness of feel is in large part provided by the S-shaped hossel and the material from which the hosel and putter head is made. 
     Generally S-shaped hosel  4  could have other generally S-shapes. For example, FIGS. 8 and 8A illustrate a putter head assembly  2 A with a generally S-shaped hosel  4 A which is generally aligned with faceplate  16 . FIG. 9 illustrates a putter head assembly  2 B with a reverse-angle generally S-shaped hosel  4 B. Hossel  4 B may be flush with faceplate  16  as in FIG. 8A or may be offset from faceplate  16  as in FIG.  4 . 
     In lieu of a thermosetting epoxy resin, other appropriate polymer materials including polyester resin, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, acetal, polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, polysulfone resin, fiberglass and vinyl esters could also be used. Also, materials having aligned or randomly-oriented fibers dispersed uniformly or non-uniformly to all or part of hossel  4  and putter head  14  may be suitable for use. While hosel  4  and putter head  14  are solid in the preferred embodiment, they include voids, which may or may not be filled with a foreign material. Skid plate  22  not only provides for scuff resistance, it also helps to provide the desired pendulum-like feel to the putter. Therefore, the thickness of skid plate  22  can be changed to modify the weight and pendulum-like feel for the putter. Heavy metallic plug inserts could also be used to increase or decrease the weight and pendulum effect of the putter. 
     Other modification and variation can be made to the disclosed embodiment without departing from the subject of the invention as defined in the following claims. 
     Any and all patents, applications and printed publications referred to above are incorporated by reference.