Multi-component golf club wedge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10780329-B2
Application number	US-201615144598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2016
Priority date	Oct 6, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

An iron-type golf club head assembly kit including a club head main body, a first sole component, and a second sole component interchangeably associable with the main body. When the first sole component is associated with the main body, the main body and the first sole component form a first club head comprising a sole surface having a first parting line, formed between the first sole component and the main body, and a first sole contour. When the second sole component is associated with the main body, the main body and the second sole component form a second club head comprising a second sole surface having a second parting line, formed between the second sole component and the main body, and a second sole contour that differs from the first sole contour.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An iron-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position relative to a virtual ground plane, comprises:
a main body including:
a striking face having a face center and a leading edge, the striking face being generally parallel to a virtual striking face plane;
a partition extending along opposing the striking face; and
a hosel defining a hosel axis;

a rear component removably securable to the main body by association with a mechanical fastener;
a sole component removably securable to the main body in spaced relation to the rear component, with the partition separating the rear component and the sole component when the rear component and sole component are both secured to the main body, a portion of the sole component contacting the virtual ground plane at a ground contact point when the sole component is secured to the main body and the golf club head is in the reference position; and
a sole surface formed by the main body and the sole component, the sole surface having a sole contour and a parting line formed between the sole component and the main body, such that, in a virtual central vertical plane passing through the face center and perpendicular to the virtual striking face plane, the parting line is spaced rearwardly from the striking face by a horizontal distance D5 that is no less than 0.35 in,
the main body and the sole component defining a take-off angle in a virtual central vertical plane perpendicular to the striking face and passing through the ground contact point, the take-off angle being defined by a line passing through the leading edge and the ground contact point, and the virtual ground plane, the take-off angle being between 40-60 degrees.

2. The iron-type golf club head recited in claim 1 , wherein:
at least a portion of the sole surface resides on the ground plane when the club head is in the reference position; and
the main body, the rear component and the sole component are collectively configured to define a center of gravity spaced from the ground plane by between 13.50-16.00 mm.

3. The iron-type golf club head recited in claim 1 , wherein the parting line, when measured in a direction perpendicular to the striking face, is spaced rearward from the striking face by a distance D1 and the club head has a maximum depth D2 such that D1/D2 is no less than 0.50.

4. The iron-type golf club head recited in claim 3 , wherein D1/D2 is no less than 0.70.

5. The iron-type golf club head of claim 3 , wherein, in the virtual central vertical plane, and measured in the direction perpendicular to the virtual striking face plane:
(a) the sole component further comprises a forward-most point defining a sole component forward plane parallel to the striking face plane and a rearward-most point defining a sole component rearward plane parallel to the striking face plane;
(b) a plane passing through the first parting line and parallel to the striking face plane is rearwardly spaced from the sole component forward plane by a distance D3; and
(c) the sole component rearward plane is rearwardly spaced from the sole component forward plane by a distance D4 such that D3/D4 is no less than 0.30.

6. The iron-type golf club recited in claim 1 , further comprising a loft angle no less than 38°.

7. The iron-type golf club head of claim 1 , wherein D5 is between about 0.40 in and 0.70 in.

8. The iron-type golf club head of claim 1 , wherein, in the virtual central vertical plane, the sole surface further comprises a sole surface horizontal length D6 such that D5/D6 is no less than 0.50.

9. The iron-type golf club head of claim 8 , wherein D5/D6 is no less than 0.60.

10. The iron-type golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising:
a virtual vertical hosel plane that includes the hosel axis; and
a screw configured to secure the sole component to the main body, the screw having a screw head and a screw shaft defining a screw shaft axis that intersects the virtual hosel plane at a screw shaft angle of between about 75° and about 110°.

11. The iron-type golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising an exposed rear surface opposite the striking face, at least a portion of the exposed rear surface being defined by the sole component.

Assignees

• Dunlop Sports Co Ltd
• Sumitomo Rubber Ind

Inventors

• Ripp Patrick
• Herr Brian
• Nivanh Dan

Classifications

• A63B2053/0479

  Wedge-type clubs, details thereof · CPC title

• A63B2209/08

  magnetic · CPC title

• A63B53/047 Primary

  iron-type · CPC title

• A63B60/02

  Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass (A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence) · CPC title

• A63B53/0433

  with special sole configurations · CPC title