GB2253567A

GB2253567A - Golf club head

Info

Publication number: GB2253567A
Application number: GB9105121A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kun-Nan Lo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-03-12
Filing date: 1991-03-12
Publication date: 1992-09-16
Also published as: GB9105121D0

Abstract

The golf club head (30) includes a base portion (10) including a seat member (11) having an integral protrusion (12) at the top portion thereof. The protrusion (12) has an elongated groove (132) and a peripheral groove (131) between the protrusion (12) and the seat member (11). An insertion piece (20) is provided in the elongated groove (132) and extends out of the same. A peripheral mass (32) is provided on the seat member (11) and encloses the grooves (132, 131) of the protrusion (12) and the insertion piece (20). <IMAGE>

Description

GOLF CLUB HEAD The invention relates to a golf club head, more particularly to a golf club head having an improved weighting system in order to lower the center of the gravity of said golf club head, and an increased ball striking surface so that a golfer is less likely to miss-hit.

A conventional golf club head is generally made of metal. The density of each metal differs from one to another therefore varying the respective weighting systems, which in turn causes each of the conventional golf club heads to have a different center of gravity.

The striking surface of the conventional golf club heads is limited.

Over the years, many designs and weight configurations relating to a conventional golf club head have been created and/or proposed to improve the efficiency and accuracy of said clubs in hitting a ball, and to allow better control and feel of the golf club head. Attempts at maximizing the striking surface area without affecting the weighting system of a conventional golf club head have also been tried.

Though some of these attempts have resulted in improvements over conventional golf club heads, the newer golf club head designs have limitations in terms of the striking surface area, i.e. the newer golf clubs have a better control, feel and accuracy but the same striking surface area.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a golf club head having a new design which increases the ball striking surface area of the golf club head without affecting the overall weight of the same, and at the same time, providing an improved weighting system in which the center of gravity of the golf club head is lower than that of a conventional golf club head.

Another object is to provide a golf club head made of different components, in which the different components are assembled and later undergo certain processes so as to prevent the golf club head from disintegrating.

According to the present invention, a golf club head includes a seat member and a peripheral mass provided on the seat member and a shaft connected to said seat member and the peripheral mass. The seat member is made of metal and has a protrusion at the top portion of the same. The protrusion has an elongated groove formed therein, as well as a peripheral groove, formed between said protrusion and the seat member.

The elongated groove and the peripheral groove are filled with a composite material. An insertion piece made of lightweight, low density foam is provided on the elongated groove and extends out therefrom. A peripheral mass, made of composite material which includes a resin-impregnated fabric, covers on the seat member to enclose the elongated groove, the peripheral groove and the insertion piece.

Other features and objects of the present invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description, including drawings, all of which show a non-limiting form of the invention, and of which; Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows a partially cross sectional view depicting the seat member of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows the grooves in the seat member of Fig.

2 being filled by a composite material.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the preferred embodiment of Fig. 1 taken along the line 4-4.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, a golf club head (30) of the present invention includes a base portion (10) having a seat member (11) provided with a protrusion (12). The seat member (11) and the protrusion (12) are made of metal and are integrally formed. The protrusion (12) usually has a height not exceeding 17mm.

An elongated groove (132) is formed in the protrusion portion (12) of the seat member (11) and a peripheral groove (131) is formed between the protrusion (12) and the seat member (11). The elongated groove (132) and the peripheral groove (131) are filled by a composite material which includes a resin-impregnated fabric (31), the resin-impregnated fabric (31) being arranged according to a predetermined designs so as to fit tightly stuff therein.

An insertion piece (20) is provided in the elongated groove (132) of the protrusion (12). The insertion piece (20) is made of low density foam which is expandable by heating.

A peripheral mass (32) is provided on the seat member (11) and encloses the insertion piece (20) and the grooves (131,132) tightly stuffing the grooves (131,132) with the resin-impregnated fabric and maintaining the exact position of the insertion piece (20). The peripheral mass (32) is also made of the same composite material which is tightly fit in the above described grooves (131,132). Alternatively, the peripheral mass (32) can also be made of carbon fiber or mixed together with glass fiber in order to make it more rigid, and increase the weight thereof.

After the composing elements are thus assembled, the golf club head of the present invention is placed in a mold, where it undergoes high heat and high pressure processes to make a non-deformable golf club head. During the high heat process, the foam expands within the peripheral mass to integrally formed with the same, so that the golf club head will no longer deform when it cools after being removed from its mold.

In this way, the composite elements will not separate.

This is one of the features of the present invention.

It must be understood that between 75 to 85 percent of the total weight of the golf club head is concentrated between the protrusion (20) and the seat member (11). Therefore the center of gravity of this golf club is lower than that of conventional golf club heads. A golf player can achieve improved control, feel and hitting distance by the use of the gold club of the present invention. Apart from this feature, the surface area of the golf club head is increased due to the lightweight of the peripheral mass. This increased striking surface area ensures that a player will be less likely to miss-hit a ball. The accuracy of hitting a ball is therefore increased.

Claims

I CLAIM:

1. A golf club head including a seat member, a peripheral mass provided on said seat member, and a shaft connected to said seat member and said peripheral mass; wherein the improvement is characterized in that said seat member is made of metal and has a protrusion integrally formed on the top portion of the same, said protrusion having an elongated groove formed therein and a peripheral groove formed between said protrusion and said seat member, said elongated groove and said peripheral groove being filled by a composite material, an inserted piece being made of lightweight, low density foam being provided in said elongated groove and extending out of the same; and said peripheral mass filling said elongated groove, and said peripheral groove and covering said inserted piece to integrally engage the same.

2. A golf club head as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said peripheral mass is made of a composite material including a resin-impregnated fabric.

3. A golf club head substantially as described hereinbefore with reference Figs. 1 to

4.