Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US10265590B2/en
Timestamp: 2019-10-16 22:45:36
Document Index: 771632802

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 62', 'Application No. 61', 'Application No. 61', 'Application No. 61', 'Application No. 61', 'Application No. 61', 'Application No. 62', 'Application No. 62', 'Application No. 62']

US10265590B2 - Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads - Google Patents
US10265590B2
US10265590B2 US15/841,022 US201715841022A US10265590B2 US 10265590 B2 US10265590 B2 US 10265590B2 US 201715841022 A US201715841022 A US 201715841022A US 10265590 B2 US10265590 B2 US 10265590B2
US15/841,022
US20180099190A1 (en
2017-12-13 Application filed by Parsons Xtreme Golf LLC filed Critical Parsons Xtreme Golf LLC
2017-12-13 Priority to US15/841,022 priority patent/US10265590B2/en
2018-01-12 Assigned to Parsons Xtreme Golf, LLC reassignment Parsons Xtreme Golf, LLC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: NICOLETTE, MICHAEL R., SCHWEIGERT, BRADLEY D., PARSONS, ROBERT R.
2018-04-12 Publication of US20180099190A1 publication Critical patent/US20180099190A1/en
2019-04-18 Priority claimed from US16/388,645 external-priority patent/US20190247727A1/en
2019-04-23 Publication of US10265590B2 publication Critical patent/US10265590B2/en
239000002861 polymer materials Substances 0 abstract claims description 18
This application is a continuation application of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 15/701,131, filed Sep. 11, 2017, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 15/685,986, filed on Aug. 24, 2017, which is a continuation application of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 15/628,251, filed on Jun. 20, 2017, which is a continuation application of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 15/209,364, filed on Jul. 13, 2016, which is a continuation application of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 14/589,277, filed Jan. 5, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,421,437, which is a continuation application of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 14/513,073, filed Oct. 13, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,961,336, which is a continuation application of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 14/498,603, filed Sep. 26, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,199,143, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/041,538, filed Aug. 25, 2014. U.S. application Ser. No. 15/209,364 is also a continuation application of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 14/618,501, filed Feb. 10, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,427,634, which is a continuation application of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 14/589,277. U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 15/209,364 is also a continuation application of International Application No. PCT/US15/16666, filed Feb. 19, 2015, which claims the benefits of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/942,515, filed Feb. 20, 2014, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/945,560, filed Feb. 27, 2014, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/948,839, filed Mar. 6, 2014, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/952,470, filed Mar. 13, 2014, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/992,555, filed May 13, 2014, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/010,836, filed Jun. 11, 2014, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/011,859, filed Jun. 13, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/032,770, filed Aug. 4, 2014. U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 15/209,364 is also a continuation application of International Application No. PCT/US14/71250, filed Dec. 18, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 14/498,603. The disclosures of the referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference.
FIG. 19 depicts a top view of a weight portion within a weight port associated with the example golf club head of FIG. 1.
The first and second sets of weight portions 120 and 130, respectively, may have similar or different physical properties (e.g., color, shape, size, density, mass, volume, etc.). As a result, the first and second sets of weight portions 120 and 130, respectively, may contribute to the ornamental design of the golf club head 100. In the illustrated example as shown in FIG. 11, each of the weight portions of the first and second sets 120 and 130, respectively, may have a cylindrical shape (e.g., a circular cross section). Alternatively, each of the weight portions of the first set 120 may have a first shape (e.g., a cylindrical shape) whereas each of the weight portions of the second set 130 may have a second shape (e.g., a cubical shape). In another example, the first set of weight portions 120 may include two or more weight portions with different shapes (e.g., the weight portion 121 may be a first shape whereas the weight portion 122 may be a second shape different from the first shape). Likewise, the second set of weight portions 130 may also include two or more weight portions with different shapes (e.g., the weight portion 131 may be a first shape whereas the weight portion 132 may be a second shape different from the first shape). Although the above examples may describe weight portions having a particular shape, the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may include weight portions of other suitable shapes (e.g., a portion of or a whole sphere, cube, cone, cylinder, pyramid, cuboidal, prism, frustum, or other suitable geometric shape). For example, one or more weight portions of the first and second sets of weight portions 120 and 130, respectively, may have a non-cylindrical shape (e.g., a square share or a rectangular shape). As illustrated in FIG. 19, for example, a weight portion (e.g., generally shown as 1920) may have a square cross-section or a rectangular cross-section including a length (e.g., generally shown as 1910). One or more ports described herein (e.g., generally shown as 1420 and 1430 in FIG. 14) may have a shape similar to a shape of a corresponding weight portion. In one example, a port (e.g., generally shown as 1922) may have a non-cylindrical shape with a length (e.g., generally shown as 1911) to receive the non-cylindrical weight portion 1920. The length 1910 may be substantially similar to the length 1911. Further, any two adjacent ports described herein may be separated by less than the length 1911 of any of the two adjacent ports. While the above examples and figures may depict multiple weight portions as a set of weight portions, each set of the first and second sets of weight portions 120 and 130, respectively, may be a single piece of weight portion. In one example, the first set of weight portions 120 may be a single piece of weight portion instead of a series of four separate weight portions. In another example, the second set of weight portions 130 may be a single piece of weight portion instead of a series of seven separate weight portions. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
To lower and/or move the CG of the golf club head 100 further back, weight from the front portion 160 of the golf club head 100 may be removed by using a relatively thinner face portion 162. For example, the first thickness 1510 may be about 0.075 inch (1.905 millimeters) (e.g., T1=0.075 inch). With the support of the back wall portion 1410 to form the interior cavity 700 and filling at least a portion of the interior cavity 700 with an elastic polymer material, the face portion 162 may be relatively thinner (e.g., T1<0.075 inch) without degrading the structural integrity, sound, and/or feel of the golf club head 100. In one example, the first thickness 1510 may be less than or equal to 0.060 inch (1.524 millimeters) (e.g., T1<0.060 inch). In another example, the first thickness 1510 may be less than or equal to 0.040 inch (1.016 millimeters) (e.g., T1<0.040 inch). Based on the type of material(s) used to form the face portion 162 and/or the body portion 110, the face portion 162 may be even thinner with the first thickness 1510 being less than or equal to 0.030 inch (0.762 millimeters) (e.g., T1<0.030 inch). The groove depth 1525 may be greater than or equal to the second thickness 1520 (e.g., Dgroove>T2). In one example, the groove depth 1525 may be about 0.020 inch (0.508 millimeters) (e.g., Dgroove=0.020 inch). Accordingly, the second thickness 1520 may be about 0.010 inch (0.254 millimeters) (e.g., T2=0.010 inch). In another example, the groove depth 1525 may be about 0.015 inch (0.381 millimeters), and the second thickness 1520 may be about 0.015 inch (e.g., Dgroove=T2=0.015 inch). Alternatively, the groove depth 1525 may be less than the second thickness 1520 (e.g., Dgroove<T2). Without the support of the back wall portion 1410 and the elastic polymer material to fill in the interior cavity 700, a golf club head may not be able to withstand multiple impacts by a golf ball on a face portion. In contrast to the golf club head 100 as described herein, a golf club head with a relatively thin face portion but without the support of the back wall portion 1410 and the elastic polymer material to fill in the interior cavity 700 (e.g., a cavity-back golf club head) may produce unpleasant sound (e.g., a tinny sound) and/or feel during impact with a golf ball. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
a body portion having a second material different from the first material, the body portion having a front portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion with a back wall portion, a plurality of ports located on the back wall portion of the back portion, and an interior cavity, at least one port of the plurality of ports being connected to the interior cavity and configured to receive a weight portion of the plurality of weight portions, the interior cavity being partially or entirely filled with a polymer material through the at least one port;
wherein each port of the plurality of ports is associated with a port length;
wherein any two adjacent ports of the plurality of ports are separated by less than the port length of any of the two adjacent ports,
wherein at least one port of the plurality of ports is farther from the top portion than the sole portion, and
wherein at least one weight portion of the plurality of weight portions comprises a screw configured to be readily removable from the at least one port that is connected to the interior cavity to provide access to the interior cavity.
3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the polymer material comprises an elastic polymer material.
4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the front portion comprises a face portion having a thickness of less than or equal to about 1.9 millimeters (0.075 inch).
5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the front portion comprises a face portion having a first thickness and a second thickness less than the first thickness.
6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one port of the plurality of ports is farther from the heel portion than the toe portion.
a body portion coupled to the face portion, the body portion having a front portion, a toe portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion with a back wall portion, and an interior cavity;
a first set of weight portions being associated with a first total mass, the first set of weight portions including at least one weight portion located on the back wall portion of the back portion;
a second set of weight portions being associated with a second total mass being greater than the first total mass, the second set of weight portions including at least one weight portion located on the back wall portion of the back portion,
wherein at least 50% of the polymer material in the interior cavity is located below a horizontal midplane of the body portion,
wherein the opening is configured to receive a weight portion of the first set of weight portions or a weight portion of the second set of weight portions, and
wherein at least one weight portion of the first set of weight portions or the second set of weight portions comprises a screw configured to be readily removable from the opening to provide access to the interior cavity.
8. A golf club head as defined in claim 7, wherein at least one weight portion of the first set of weight portions comprises tungsten.
9. A golf club head as defined in claim 7, wherein at least one weight portion of the second set of weight portions comprises tungsten.
10. A golf club head as defined in claim 7, wherein the polymer material comprises an elastic polymer material.
11. A golf club head as defined in claim 7, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to about 1.9 millimeters (0.075 inch).
12. A golf club head as defined in claim 7, wherein the face portion comprises a first thickness and a second thickness less than the first thickness.
13. A golf club head as defined in claim 7 further comprising at least another opening located at or below the horizontal midplane.
a first portion made of a first material, and associated with a first mass, the first portion having at least one groove, a first surface, a second surface opposite of the first surface, and a width between the first and second surfaces of less than or equal 1.9 millimeters (0.075 inch), and the first portion configured to impact a golf ball;
a second portion made of a second material, associated with a second mass, and coupled to the first portion, the second portion having an interior cavity, a top portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a back portion having a back wall portion, and a heel portion having a hosel portion configured to receive a shaft;
a plurality of third portions associated with a third mass located on the back wall portion of the back portion, and coupled to the second portion, at least one portion of the plurality of third portions being made of a third material;
wherein the interior cavity is partially or entirely filled from the opening with a fourth material different than the first material or the second material, the fourth material being associated with a fourth mass,
wherein the second mass is greater than the fourth mass,
wherein at least one portion of the plurality of third portions is located at or below a horizontal midplane of the second portion, and
wherein at least one portion of the plurality of third portions comprises a screw configured to be readily removable from the opening to provide access to the interior cavity.
15. A golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the first material comprises a material being the same as the second material.
16. A golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the third material comprises a material being the same as the first material or the second material.
17. A golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the fourth material is an elastic polymer material.
18. A golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein portions of the fourth material in the interior cavity comprise a first thickness and a second thickness greater than the first thickness.
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US15/876,877 Continuation-In-Part US20180140910A1 (en) 2014-02-20 2018-01-22 Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads
US15/890,961 Continuation-In-Part US20180169488A1 (en) 2014-02-20 2018-02-07 Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads
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US16/351,143 Continuation-In-Part US20190201758A1 (en) 2014-02-20 2019-03-12 Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads
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Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:PARSONS, ROBERT R.;NICOLETTE, MICHAEL R.;SCHWEIGERT, BRADLEY D.;SIGNING DATES FROM 20141002 TO 20141006;REEL/FRAME:044611/0970