Golf club head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10058748-B2
Application number	US-201615290736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2016
Priority date	Nov 10, 2014
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A putter-type golf club head has a main body and a face component including a first element formed of a resilient material. The putter-type golf club head also has a second element forward of the first element and including a rigid material. The second element is secured directly to the first element. The first element has a thickness that gradually increases toward a sole portion of the club head.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A putter-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:
a striking face having a geometric center and generally co-planar with a virtual striking face plane;
a main body including:
a blade portion having a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, the blade portion having integrally formed therein a forwardly-extending flange having a flange top surface forming a portion of the blade portion top surface, a flange bottom surface and a flange front surface that forms a first portion of the striking face, the flange having a thickness t 1 of no more than 4 mm; and
a rear portion extending rearwardly from the rear surface of the blade portion, the rear portion having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, wherein, in a virtual vertical plane perpendicular to the striking face plane and passing through the geometric center, the rear portion has a thickness t 2 at a first front-to-rear location and thickness t 3 at a second front-to-rear location rearward of the first location such that: (a) t 3 is less than t 2 ; (b) t 2 is between 5 mm and 8 mm; and (c) t 3 is between 3 mm and 5 mm; and

a face component including:
a first insert coupled to the front surface of the blade portion; and
a second insert coupled to the first insert, the second insert forming a second portion of the striking face and at least a portion of a sole of the club head.

2. The putter-type golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the flange extends over the face component such that the flange front surface and a front surface of the second insert are substantially co-planar with the virtual striking face plane.

3. The putter-type golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the first insert has visco-elastic properties.

4. The putter-type golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the first insert comprises a resilient material.

5. The putter-type golf club head of claim 4 , wherein the second insert comprises a metallic material.

6. The putter-type golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the second insert comprises an insert front surface, an insert rear surface opposite the insert front surface, and a rearwardly-extending peripheral wall that extends from the insert rear surface.

7. The putter-type golf club head of claim 6 , wherein the peripheral wall forms a portion of the sole of the club head.

8. A putter-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:
a striking face having a geometric center and generally co-planar with a virtual striking face plane;
a main body including:
a blade portion having a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, the blade portion having integrally formed therein a forwardly-extending flange having a flange top surface forming a portion of the blade portion top surface, a flange bottom surface and a flange front surface that forms a first portion of the striking face; and
a rear portion extending rearwardly from the rear surface of the blade portion, the rear portion having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, wherein, in a virtual vertical plane perpendicular to the striking face plane and passing through the geometric center, the rear portion has a thickness t 2 at a first front-to-rear location and thickness t 3 at a second front-to-rear location rearward of the first location such that t 3 is less than t 2 ; and

a face component situated below the flange, the face component including:
a resilient insert having visco-elastic properties coupled to the front surface of the blade portion; and
a metallic insert coupled to the resilient insert, the metallic insert forming at least a portion of a sole of the club head and a second portion of the striking face such that the first portion and the second portion of the striking face are substantially co-planar with the virtual striking face plane.

9. The putter-type golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the resilient insert comprises a two-sided adhesive tape.

10. The putter-type golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the metallic insert comprises an insert front surface, an insert rear surface opposite the insert front surface, and a rearwardly-extending peripheral wall that extends from the insert rear surface.

11. The putter-type golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the peripheral wall forms at least part of the portion of the sole of the club head.

12. The putter-type golf club head of claim 8 , wherein t 2 is between 5 mm and 8 mm and t 3 is between 3 mm and 5 mm.

13. The putter-type golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the flange has a thickness t 1 of no more than 4 mm.

14. The putter-type golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the resilient insert has a thickness of between 0.2 mm and 1.0 mm.

15. The putter-type golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the resilient insert has a surface area of greater than 200 mm 2 .

16. A putter-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:
a striking face;
a main body including:
a blade portion having a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, the blade portion having integrally formed therein a forwardly-extending flange having a flange top surface forming a portion of the blade portion top surface, a flange bottom surface and a flange front surface that forms a first portion of the striking face; and
a rear portion extending rearwardly from the rear surface of the blade portion, the rear portion having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and

a face component including:
a resilient insert coupled to the front surface of the blade portion; and
a metallic insert coupled to the resilient insert, the metallic insert having an insert top surface, an insert bottom surface opposite the insert top surface, an insert front surface that forms a second portion of the striking face, an insert rear surface opposite the insert front surface, and a rearwardly-extending peripheral wall extending from the insert rear surface that forms a portion of the insert bottom surface, the insert bottom surface forming at least a portion of a sole of the club head.

17. The putter-type golf club head of claim 16 , wherein the first portion and the second portion of the striking face are substantially co-planar with the striking face.

18. The putter-type golf club head of claim 16 , wherein the flange has a thickness t 1 of no more than 4 mm.

19. The putter-type golf club head of claim 16 , wherein the resilient insert has visco-elastic properties.

Assignees

• Dunlop Sports Co Ltd

Inventors

• Dolezel Keith
• Nivanh Dan
• Samson Mitch
• Chen Joseph
• Becktor Mika
• Boyle Michael
• Brekke Dustin
• Weir Bryce
• Seagram Phillip C

Classifications

• A63B60/52

  with slits · CPC title

• A63B53/0487 Primary

  for putters (A63B53/065 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A63B2053/0408

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63B2053/0425

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63B2053/0429

  Human Necessities · mapped topic