Golf clubs and golf club heads

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9956463-B2
Application number	US-201414290393-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2014
Priority date	Nov 30, 2011
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

Ball striking devices, such as golf clubs, have a head that includes a face member including a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a rear side located behind the face, a rear member connected to the rear side of the face member, a first connection member connecting the face member to the rear member, and a resilient material separating the rear member from the face member. The first connection member is directly engaged with the rear member, and the club head further includes a first spacer separating the first connection member from the face member. The first spacer is flexible, and the first connection member indirectly engages the face member by compressing the first spacer against the face member. The resilient material engages the rear member and the face member and is configured to transfer momentum between the face member and the rear member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A golf club head comprising:
a face member including a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a rear side located behind the face;
a rear member connected to the rear side of the face member;
a first connection member connecting the face member to the rear member, wherein the first connection member is directly engaged with the rear member, and wherein the club head further includes a first spacer separating the first connection member from the face member, wherein the first spacer is flexible, and the first connection member indirectly engages the face member by compressing the first spacer against the face member; and
a resilient material separating the rear member from the face member, wherein the resilient material engages the rear member and the face member and is configured to transfer momentum between the face member and the rear member,
wherein the face member comprises a face portion defining at least a portion of the face and a sole portion extending rearward from the face portion and forming at least a portion of a sole of the club head, wherein the rear member is positioned behind the face portion and above the sole portion, and wherein the first connection member connects the sole portion to an underside of the rear member; and
wherein the first connection member has a threaded portion and an enlarged head, wherein the rear member has a threaded receiver on the underside that receives and engages the threaded portion of the first connection member, wherein the face member has an opening in the sole portion and a shoulder surrounding the opening, such that the first connection member extends upwardly through the opening and into the receiver, and wherein the first spacer is positioned around the opening and is engaged between the enlarged head and the shoulder.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising:
an engagement member rigidly engaging the face member and the rear member to form a joint, wherein the engagement member forms a sole area of rigid engagement between the face member and the rear member.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second connection member connecting the face member to the rear member, wherein the second connection member is directly engaged with the rear member, and wherein the club head further includes a second spacer separating the second connection member from the face member, wherein the second spacer is flexible, and the second connection member indirectly engages the face member by compressing the second spacer against the face member.

4. The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the first connection member is positioned in a heel portion of the club head and the second connection member is positioned in a toe portion of the club head.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the face member has a cavity surrounding the opening, the cavity being wider than the opening and defined by a cylindrical projection extending from the face member toward the rear member, wherein the shoulder is defined within the cavity, and wherein the enlarged head of the first connection member and the first spacer are received in the cavity;
the rear member has a channel surrounding the receiver, wherein a portion of the cylindrical projection is received within the channel; and
the resilient material has a portion that is received within the channel and separates the cylindrical projection from the rear member.

6. A golf club head comprising:
a face member including a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a rear side located behind the face, the face member comprising a face portion at least partially defining the face and a sole portion extending rearward from the face portion and forming at least a portion of a sole of the club head, the sole portion having a first opening on a heel side of the club head and a second opening on a toe side of the club head;
a rear member connected to the rear side of the face member, wherein the rear member has first and second receivers located on an underside of the rear member, the first receiver aligned with the first opening and the second receiver aligned with the second opening;
a resilient material separating the rear member from the face member, wherein the resilient material engages the rear member and the face member and is configured to transfer momentum between the face member and the rear member;
a first connection member connecting the face member to the rear member, wherein the first connection member extends upward through the first opening in the face member and into the first receiver, and wherein the first connection member engages the first receiver by complementary threading members; and
a second connection member connecting the face member to the rear member, wherein the second connection member extends upward through the second opening in the face member and into the second receiver, and wherein the second connection member engages the second receiver by complementary threading members,
wherein the first and second connection members each have an enlarged head, wherein the sole portion of the face member further has a first cavity surrounding the first opening, the first cavity being wider than the first opening and defined by a first cylindrical projection extending upwardly from the sole portion toward the rear member, the first cavity including a first shoulder surrounding the first opening and a first side wall extending downward from the first shoulder, wherein the enlarged head of the first connection member is received in the first cavity and engages the first shoulder, and
wherein the sole portion of the face member further has a second cavity surrounding the second opening, the second cavity being wider than the second opening and defined by a second cylindrical projection extending upwardly from the sole portion toward the rear member, the second cavity including a second shoulder surrounding the second opening and a second side wall extending downward from the second shoulder, wherein the enlarged head of the second connection member is received in the second cavity and engages the second shoulder.

7. The golf club head of claim 6 , wherein the first and second connection members are separated from one of the face member and the rear member by a flexible material to prevent rigid engagement with the first and second connection members, the club head further comprising:
an engagement member rigidly engaging the face member and the rear member to form a joint, wherein the engagement member forms a sole point of rigid engagement between the face member and the rear member.

8. The golf club head of claim 6 , further comprising a first flexible spacer positioned around the first opening and being engaged between the enlarged head of the first connection member and the first shoulder, such that the first connection member has a non-rigid engagement with the first shoulder, and a second flexible spacer positioned around the second opening and being engaged between the enlarged head of the second connection member and the second shoulder, such that the second connection member has a non-rigid engagement with the second shoulder.

9. The golf club head of claim 6 , wherein:
the rear member has first and second channels surrounding the first and second receivers, wherein a portion of the first cylindrical projection is received within the first channel and a portion of the second cylindrical projection is received within the second channel; and
the resilient material has portions that are received within the first and second channels and separate the first and second cylindrical projections from the rear member.

1

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Franklin David N
• Kammerer Brian

Classifications

• A63B2053/0495

  moving on impact, slidable, spring or otherwise elastically biased · CPC title

• A63B2071/0694

  Visual indication, e.g. Indicia · CPC title

• A63B2053/045

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63B53/06

  adjustable · CPC title

• A63B53/04

  Heads · CPC title