Badge for golf club head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9950397-B2
Application number	US-201414560989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2014
Priority date	Dec 17, 2012
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure concerns embodiments of a badge or insert for a golf club head that can eliminate undesired gaps between the insert and the peripheral sidewall of the cavity that receives the insert. In one embodiment, a golf club head comprises a main body comprising a cavity, which defines a central surface and an inner peripheral surface at least partially surrounding the central surface. An insert comprises a central portion and a deflectable portion coupled to and extending along a peripheral edge section of the central portion. The deflectable portion has a shape corresponding to and contacting a corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity. The deflectable portion forms a press-fit engagement with the corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity that retains the deflectable portion in a deflected state relative to the central portion.

First claim

We claim:

1. A golf club head comprising:
a body comprising a face portion defining a striking face of the golf club head and a rear portion opposite the face portion, the rear portion including a cavity formed in an external surface of the rear portion, the cavity defining a rear inner surface substantially opposite the striking face and an inner peripheral surface at least partially surrounding the rear inner surface; and
an insert disposed in the cavity and visible during use of the golf club head, the insert comprising a central portion and a peripheral edge portion coupled to the central portion, the peripheral edge portion comprising a deflectable portion having a shape corresponding to and engaging a corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity, the engagement of the deflectable portion with the corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity causing the deflectable portion to deform to a deflected shape and retaining the deflected shape of the deflectable portion;
wherein the deflectable portion is coupled to the central portion via a hinged connection located at the inner peripheral surface and the deflectable portion is bent relative to the central portion at the hinged connection, wherein the deflectable portion has a greater thickness than the central portion adjacent the hinged connection.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the central portion of the insert is not deformed.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the deflectable portion comprises less than the entire extent of the peripheral portion.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the deflectable portion extends around the entire periphery of the central portion.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the hinged connection comprises a living hinge formed between the deflectable peripheral portion and the central portion.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the deflectable portion comprises an elastomeric material that is elastically deformed into the deflected state by contact with the corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the central portion has an inner surface that is adhesively secured to the rear inner surface of the cavity.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the central portion comprises a peripheral upper edge, a peripheral lower edge, and peripheral heel and toe edges extending between respective ends of the peripheral upper and lower edges, the deflectable portion extending along the peripheral upper edge and at least partially along the peripheral heel and toe edges.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the external surface is an external surface of the club head in an assembled state.

10. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the body is directly attached to a hosel.

11. A golf club head comprising:
a body comprising a face portion defining a striking face of the golf club head and a rear portion opposite the face portion, the rear portion including a cavity formed in an external surface of the rear portion, the cavity defining a rear inner surface substantially opposite the striking face and an inner peripheral surface at least partially surrounding the rear inner surface; and
an insert disposed in the cavity and visible during use of the golf club head, the insert comprising a central portion and a peripheral edge portion coupled to the central portion, the peripheral edge portion comprising a deflectable portion having a shape corresponding to and engaging a corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity, the engagement of the deflectable portion with the corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity causing the deflectable portion to deform to a deflected shape and retaining the deflected shape of the deflectable portion;
wherein the deflectable portion is coupled to the central portion via a hinged connection located at the inner peripheral surface and the deflectable portion is bent relative to the central portion at the hinged connection;
wherein the hinged connection formed by a notch in the insert facing the inner peripheral surface.

12. A golf club head comprising:
a body comprising a face portion defining a striking face of the golf club head and a rear portion opposite the face portion, the rear portion including a cavity formed in an external surface of the rear portion, the cavity defining a rear inner surface substantially opposite the striking face and an inner peripheral surface at least partially surrounding the rear inner surface; and
an insert disposed in the cavity and visible during use of the golf club head, the insert comprising a central portion and a peripheral edge portion coupled to the central portion, the peripheral edge portion comprising a deflectable portion having a shape corresponding to and engaging a corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity, the engagement of the deflectable portion with the corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity causing the deflectable portion to deform to a deflected shape and retaining the deflected shape of the deflectable portion;
wherein the deflectable portion comprises an elastomeric material that is elastically deformed into the deflected state by contact with the corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity
wherein the central portion is comprised entirely of a first material and the deflectable portion is comprised entirely of a second material, the first material being relatively harder than the second material.

13. A golf club head comprising:
a main body comprising a cavity in an external surface thereof, the cavity defining a central surface and an inner peripheral surface at least partially surrounding the central surface; and
an insert disposed in the cavity and visible during use of the golf club head, the insert comprising a central portion and a deflectable portion coupled to and extending along a peripheral edge section of the central portion, the deflectable portion having a shape corresponding to and contacting a corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity, the deflectable portion engaging with the corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity, the engagement of the deflectable portion with the corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity causing the deflectable portion to bend relative to the central portion to a deflected shape along an axis adjacent the inner peripheral surface and retaining the deflected shape of the deflectable portion, wherein the axis is parallel to a striking face of the main body.

14. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein the body comprises a face portion defining the striking face of the club head and a rear portion opposite the face portion, wherein the cavity is formed in a rear surface of the rear portion of the main body and the central surface of the cavity is substantially opposite the striking face.

15. The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein the club head comprises an iron-type club head.

16. A golf club head comprising:
a main body comprising a cavity in an external surface thereof, the cavity defining a central surface and an inner peripheral surface at least partially surrounding the central surface; and
an insert disposed in the cavity and visible during use of the golf club head, the insert comprising a central portion and a deflectable portion coupled to and extending along a peripheral edge section of the central portion, the deflectable portion having

Assignees

• Folck Sheryl
• Taylor Made Golf Co

Inventors

• Taylor Scott
• Folck Scott Edward

Classifications

• A63B2071/0694

  Visual indication, e.g. Indicia · CPC title

• B23P11/02 Primary

  by first expanding and then shrinking or vice versa, e.g. by using pressure fluids; by making force fits · CPC title

• A63B53/047 Primary

  iron-type · CPC title

• A63B43/005

  with adhesive type surfaces, e.g. hook-and-loop type fastener · CPC title

• Y10T29/49945

  by driven force fit · CPC title