Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7588502?dq=5,987,610
Timestamp: 2014-09-02 07:07:54
Document Index: 240288799

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3']

Patent US7588502 - Golf club head - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsA golf club head comprises a main body provided with at least two holes and detachable parts attached to said holes, the detachable parts including a weight member and a damper, the weight member having a specific gravity larger than the main body, the damper having a specific gravity different from...http://www.google.com/patents/US7588502?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7588502 - Golf club headAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7588502 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 11/607,866Publication dateSep 15, 2009Filing dateDec 4, 2006Priority dateDec 26, 2005Fee statusPaidAlso published asUS20070149316Publication number11607866, 607866, US 7588502 B2, US 7588502B2, US-B2-7588502, US7588502 B2, US7588502B2InventorsTakumi NishinoOriginal AssigneeSri Sports LimitedExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (51), Referenced by (11), Classifications (13), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetGolf club headUS 7588502 B2Abstract A golf club head comprises a main body provided with at least two holes and detachable parts attached to said holes, the detachable parts including a weight member and a damper, the weight member having a specific gravity larger than the main body, the damper having a specific gravity different from the weight member and made of elastic material at least partially for absorbing a vibration of the main body, and the damper and the weight member being attached to the holes of the main body so that each position can be exchanged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is made by taking the actual condition mentioned above into consideration, and a main object of the present invention is to provide a golf club head in which a position of a center of gravity of the club head can be independently adjusted, for example, by a user, and which has an excellent ball hitting feeling.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show a standard condition of a golf club head 1 (which may be, hereinafter, referred to simply as �head� or �club head�). The standard condition is a condition in which the club head 1 is placed on a horizontal plane HP with its lie angle and loft angle α. Further, FIGS. 2 and 3 show the club head 1 in a condition of being inclined such that a club face F becomes perpendicular from the standard condition.
In the present embodiment, the head main body 2 is structured as an iron type which includes a face portion 2 a having a club face F for hitting a ball, a sole portion 2 b extending from a lower edge of the club face F toward a back face, a turnup wall 2 c turned up at a rear side of the sole portion 2 b so as to form a gap �i� behind the face portion 2 a, and a hosel portion 2 d provided diagonally upward in a heel H side and to which a shaft (not shown) is installed.
The head main body 2 in accordance with the present embodiment is constituted by a face plate 2A made of a titanium alloy and forming a main portion of the face portion 2 a, and a receiving frame 2B made of a stainless steel and having a front surface to which the face plate 2A is attached. Further, the receiving frame 2B is provided with the sole portion 2 b and the turnup wall 2 c. In the head main body 2 mentioned above, since a weight of the head is distributed much in a peripheral portion of the face surface F, a sweet area is increased, and it is possible to improve a directionality of the hit ball. In this case, both the face plate 2A and receiving flame 2B are firmly attached, for example, by using an adhesion, a so-called �caulking� utilizing a plastic deformation, a pressure insertion utilizing an elastic deformation, a screwing, a welding or two or more joint means. The head main body 2, however, may be structured by a single material.
Further, the head main body 2 is provided with at least two holes 4. In this embodiment, three holes 4 are provided in the turnup wall 2 c. The holes 4 include a toe-side hole 4 t provided in a side closest to a toe T, a heel-side hole 4 h provided in a side closest to a heel H, and at least one, one in the present embodiment intermediate hole 4 c provided therebetween. Each axial center line of each of the hole portions 4 is approximately perpendicular to the turnup wall 2 c, and is approximately in parallel to the horizontal plane HP, as shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5. Further, each of the holes 4 is formed as a through hole passing through the turnup wall 2 c back and forth. In this case, it may be constituted by a hole having an opening only in an outer surface of the turnup wall 2 c. In the present embodiment, each detachable part 3 includes a head part 3A, and a screw part 3B having a smaller outer diameter than the head part 3A and provided with an external thread in an outer surface. In order to install the detachable part 3 to the holes of the head main body 2 detachably, each hole 4 includes a main hole part 4A accommodating the head part 3A of the detachable part 3, and an internal thread 4B extending from the main hole part 4A and engaging with the screw part 3B.
For example, in the case that the weight member 3 a is installed to the toe-side hole 4 t, the center of gravity of the club head 1 is close to the toe side. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a club head having a great center of gravity distance. In this case, the �center of gravity distance� corresponds to the shortest distance from a shaft center line CL of the shaft insertion hole of the hosel portion 2 d to the center of gravity G of the club head, as shown in FIG. 11(B). The club head 1 mentioned above is hard to be returned to an address state at a time of swinging, the hit ball tends to slice (is hard to hook). Accordingly, the club head 1 mentioned above is suitable for the golfer who is worried about the hook ball.
Further, in the case that the weight member 3 a is installed to the intermediate hole 4 c, the center of gravity of the club head is biased to a center and a rear side in the toe and heel direction. In the club head 1 mentioned above, the center of gravity depth becomes larger, and the sweet area is enlarged. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a club in which the direction stability is improved even if the ball hitting points on the face are dispersed. In this case, the �center of gravity depth� is a distance from the center of gravity G of the club head to the sweet spot S along the normal line N, as shown in FIG. 11(A).
Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the leading end 3 t of the protruding portion 7 may be brought into contact with the back surface of the face portion 2 a so as to directly absorb the vibration of the face portion 2 a. Further, since the weight member 3 a does not substantially take part in the vibration damping, the weight member 3 a may be provided with no protruding portion 7.
In order to achieve a secure fixation between the detachable part 3 and the hole 4, a length �m� of the internal thread 4B in an axial direction is preferably not less than 3.0 mm, more preferably not less than 3.5 mm, and further preferably not less than 4.0 mm. In the case that the length m is less than 3.0 mm, the bonding strength between the hole 4 and the detachable part 3 may be lowered. On the other hand, the detachable part 3 has a limitation in its length. Therefore, if the length m is too large, it is hard to form the protruding portion 7 executing the free vibration mentioned above. From this point of view, the length m is preferably not more than 15.0 mm, more preferably not more than 14.0 mm, and further preferably not more than 13.0 mm.
The damper 3 b is inserted toward the gap i from the outer surface of the sole portion 2 b so as to be screwed. Accordingly, the head part 3A is accommodated in such a manner as to be approximately flush with the outer surface of the sole portion 2 b without protruding from the main hole portion 4A of each of the holes 4 h and 4 t. Therefore, even in the case that the sole portion 2 b is in contact with the ground surface, there is not generated a risk that the head part 3A of the damper 3 b is interfered with the ground so as to prevent the swing. Further, the screw part 3B of the damper 3 b includes the protruding portion 7 protruding into the gap i from the holes 4 t and 4 h. In this case, in the embodiment mentioned above, the installed position of the weight member 3 a and the damper 3 b can be appropriately selected at a favorite position in correspondence to each golfer using the club head 1.
Material of weight
Specific gravity p1 of
Number of weight
Weight of weight member
Installed position of
Specific gravity p2 of
Weight of damper (per one)
Height hg [mm]
Length of protruding
Carry [yard]
Total distance [yard]
Ball hitting angle
Backspin amount [rpm]
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CompanyWedge type golf club headUS8550933Jul 29, 2011Oct 8, 2013Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Swing-weight-adjustable golf clubs and clubheadsUS8696283Jan 30, 2013Apr 15, 2014Callaway Golf CompanyWeight screwUS8753227Mar 1, 2012Jun 17, 2014Callaway Golf CompanyGolf club weight screwsUS8758159 *Jun 13, 2013Jun 24, 2014Acushnet CompanyIron golf club head with improved performanceUS20100304890 *Jul 8, 2010Dec 2, 2010Aaron DillWedge type golf club head* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification473/332, 473/337, 473/350International ClassificationA63B53/06, A63B53/04Cooperative ClassificationA63B53/047, A63B53/0487, A63B2053/0416, A63B53/0466, A63B2053/0491, A63B59/0092European ClassificationA63B53/04M, A63B53/04LLegal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionOct 2, 2012FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Dec 4, 2006ASAssignmentOwner name: SRI SPORTS LIMITED, JAPANFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:NISHINO, TAKUMI;REEL/FRAME:018641/0514Effective date: 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