JPH1066742A - Set of golf club head with vibration damping plaque of same size and shape and golf club head with improved inset/offset hosel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a set of golf club heads having vibration damping plaques of the same size. SOLUTION: In a set of iron golf club heads, each head includes a flat blade member 1 having a front striking face for striking a ball and having a rear face 3 located on the opposite side to the front face; a circumferential weight member 4 formed integrally with at least a part of the outer periphery of the rear face 3 and extending substantially backward from the outer periphery, such that the remaining part of the rear face 3 not covered with the circumferential weight member forms an open recess 5, the side of which is formed by the inner peripheral surface 4a of the circumferential weight member; and a hosel 6 extending from the upper heel part of the head to form a connection with the shaft. The area and shape of the remaining part of the rear face 3 is substantially the same for all the club heads of the set.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Patent Application Nos. 29 / 041,500 and 29/19, filed July 17, 1995.
No. 041,513, and a continuation-in-part of pending US patent application Ser. No. 29 / 048,708 filed Jan. 11, 1996.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Golf club manufacturers have so far studied to produce golf clubs that can be used by all players, from professionals to beginners, so that they can handle off-center or imperfect hits. We have provided a number of designed perimeter weighted clubs. Applicants first provided a golf club with vibration damping material so that players could still enjoy the ball if it hit off-center.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,298, the contents of which are hereby fully incorporated herein by reference, discloses a golf club for attenuating vibration caused by a collision with a golf ball. A vibration damping plaque on one side of the head is disclosed. In order to attenuate such vibration, it is extremely effective to provide the vibration-attenuating plaque on the rear surface of the golf club head. Usually, the plaque is oval,
It is smaller than the total area of the rear surface of the golf club head.

[0004] Applicants have also incorporated a hosel offset from the club head surface and inset from the heel of the club head to prevent the club head from twisting when hitting a golf ball. Golf club heads were offered first.

[0005]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] US Patent No. 5,312,1
The inset / offset hosel disclosed in No. 05 (the contents of this specification are hereby fully disclosed herein) effectively reduces the twist of the club head when hitting a golf ball. It is to reduce. However, since the hosel penetrates into the striking surface of the club head, a part of the hosel comes into contact with the golf ball, causing a so-called shank shot.

[0006] Thus, the above US Patent No. 5,316,298
Features relating to vibration damping described in US Pat.
It can be said that there is room for improvement in the hosel features described in 312,105.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A first object of the present invention is to provide:
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a set of golf club heads (correlated sets) in which each head comprises vibration-damping plaques of the same size. In particular, it is an object of the present invention for each head to have a substantially flat blade member having a front striking surface for striking a golf ball, and a rear surface opposite the front striking surface. An object of the present invention is to provide an iron type golf club head set. A peripheral weight member is integrally formed with at least a portion of the outer periphery of the rear surface and extends substantially rearward from the outer periphery. The remaining portion of the rear surface, which is not covered by the surrounding weight member, forms the bottom of the open recess. The opening recess is substantially surrounded by the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral weight member. A hosel extends from above the heel of the head to connect the head to the shaft. The area and shape of the remaining portion of the rear surface forming the bottom of the open recess is substantially the same for each club head of the set.

[0008] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a golf ball that can be used off-center when hitting a golf ball, as disclosed in US Patent No. 5,312,1.
05 can resist twisting as disclosed in
In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a golf club head that minimizes the contact of a hosel with a golf ball when hit. More specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide a front hitting surface for hitting a golf ball, a rear surface located opposite to the front hitting surface, a toe portion, and a position opposite to the toe portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide an iron type golf club head including a heel portion and a top rail surface projecting rearward from an upper peripheral portion of the front hitting surface and extending between the toe portion and the heel portion. A hosel having a bore for receiving a shaft is offset so that an extension of the axis of the bore intersects the front striking surface or an extension of the surface, and the axis of the bore is aligned with the surface of the heel. Inset so that it is located more inward than. The hosel is substantially upward and forward only from the heel end of the top rail surface so that the hosel does not occupy any portion of the front striking surface and does not interfere with contact between the front striking surface and the golf ball. Extends to.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf club head according to the present invention as viewed from the rear; FIG. 2 is a front view of the golf club head shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a rear view of the golf club head;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line IV; FIG. 5 is a rear view of a golf club head according to another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5.

FIGS. 1 to 4 show one of the club heads of an iron type golf club head set according to the present invention. Each golf club head includes a substantially flat blade member 1 having a front striking surface 2 for striking a golf ball and a rear surface 3 opposite the striking surface 2. The front impact surface 2 and the rear surface 3 are substantially flat. A peripheral weight member 4 is formed integrally with at least a portion of the outer peripheral portion of the rear surface 3 and extends substantially rearward from the rear surface. The boundary between the blade member 1 and the peripheral weight 4 is shown in FIG. 4 by line 10a, both of which are usually integrally molded as a single piece club head. The remaining portion of the rear surface 3 that is not covered by the surrounding weight member 4 forms the bottom of the opening recess 5 surrounded by the inner peripheral surface 4a of the surrounding weight member 4. A hosel 6 extends from an upper heel end 7 of the top rail 10 of the head and is connected to a shaft 8.

The peripheral weight portion 4 is substantially ring-shaped and preferably extends around the entire outer periphery of the rear surface 3, but a portion thereof is removed in order to redistribute the weight of the club head. It is also possible. It is preferable that the rear surface 4b of the peripheral weight member 4 is a flat surface whose entire rear surface is substantially in the same plane, and that an extension surface of the rear surface and an extension surface of the front impact surface 2 intersect. .

The area and shape of the portion of the rear surface 3 that is not covered by the peripheral weight 4 is substantially the same for each club head of the set. The appearance of each club of this set is substantially the same, and the recesses 5 of each club head have the same size and the same shape, but the width of the side of the peripheral weight portion 4, the width of the recess 5 The position in the direction and the thickness of the blade member 1 can be changed for each club head, and the weight can be distributed to various portions of the club head.

For example, when the width of the weight portion 4 is measured in a direction substantially parallel to the blade member 1 and at the same position around each club head, the dimension W in FIG.
Can be different for each club head in the set. The lateral position of the recess 5 with respect to the outer peripheral surface P of the peripheral weight portion 4 at the same position around each club head can also be different in each club head of the set. Due to such a difference in size and position, the weight of the surrounding weight portion 4 is changed according to the loft angle of each club.
It can be shifted to either the top rail, sole, toe or heel of the club head (e.g., 3
Irons are more toe-weighted than 9-irons.)

When the thickness of the blade member 1 is measured between the front hitting surface 2 and the remaining portion of the rear surface 3, that is, the portion not covered by the peripheral weight portion 4, the dimension t in FIG. , Can be varied by each club head in the set to increase or decrease the center weight of the club.

Preferably, the inner peripheral surface 4a of the peripheral weight member 4 smoothly continues to the rear surface 3. The inner peripheral surface 4a may be formed perpendicularly or obtusely to the rear surface 3. FIG. 4 shows that by forming an obtuse angle between the inner peripheral surface 4a and the rear surface 3, the peripheral weight member is separated from the center of gravity of the club head, so that the club can more tolerate off-center shots. It indicates that

FIGS. 5 and 6 show another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the club head shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is provided with a vibration damping plaque 20. FIG. This vibration damping plaque 20 occupies the entire portion of the rear surface 3 that is not covered by the surrounding weight member 4. Since the plaque 20 is provided on the entire effective surface of the rear surface 3, the damping effect of the plaque 20 is maximized. Also, making the plaque larger in this way also provides room for some information, such as a logo, for example.

Also, since the size and shape of the recesses of each club head in the set are the same, the size and shape of the plaque 20 of each club head in the set are the same. Therefore, the plaque used for each club in the set is the same, and the mass production effect of the club is greater and more economical. If it is desired to adjust the final club head weight / mass with this plaque, the mass of each plaque may be different. For example, these plaques can be manufactured in several sets, and a plurality of plaques in each set can have the same mass. Mass production of plaques is also simplified by the fact that each plaque has the same size and shape, and only the mass of the plaque used for all club heads in the set needs to be changed.

The damping effect of the vibration damping plaque is improved by providing the plaque so as to occupy the entire rear surface of the club head. The size and shape of the golf club head, especially the rear surface of the golf club head which is weighted around the periphery or has a recess formed at the rear portion, is different for each different club in the set. Producing large quantities of shaped plaques and then matching them for each club was not practical from a manufacturing point of view. Also, if the plaque needs to be used to determine the final edge weight / mass of the club head, the plaque introduces additional variables in addition to size and shape. That is, additional sets of plaques need to be made and added, and must be individually tailored for each club head.

The basic structure and function of the plaque 20 are as follows:
It is the same as the plaque disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,316,298. FIG. 6 shows that the plaque 20 includes a constraining layer 21 secured to the rear surface 3 via a layer 22 of vibration damping material. Preferably, constraining layer 21 is at least 10,000 MPa, more preferably at least 4 MPa.
0,000 MPa, most preferably 60,000 MPa
Is a rigid plate having a Young's modulus. Materials constituting the constraining layer include, for example, aluminum alloy, aluminum-zinc-magnesium alloy, a laminated heat setting material reinforced with carbon fiber, a laminated heat setting material reinforced with glass fiber, and a thermoplastic material reinforced with carbon fiber. Plastics and thermoplastics reinforced with glass fibers. ZICR
AL ™ is an example of a material that works particularly well as a constraining layer. The thickness of the constraining layer 21 is preferably 0.05 to
It is 2.0 mm, more preferably 0.1 to 1.0 mm, and most preferably 0.30 to 0.85 mm.

[0020] The vibration damping material is preferably a viscoelastic material selected from the group consisting of butyl rubber and synthetic elastomer. The vibration damping material layer 22 made of a viscoelastic material has a thickness of 2.0 mm or less and a thickness of 0.2 to 1.6.
It is preferable to show a specific attenuation coefficient of

Next, the inset / offset hosel 6 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 will be described. Horsel 6
The inset and offset amounts of U.S. Pat.
Equivalent to the hosel disclosed in 2,105.
However, the portion of the hosel according to this patent that extends from the face of the club head extends substantially upward and forward only from the top rail 10 in the hosel 6 of the present invention. More specifically, the top rail 10 is partially
And has a top rail surface 10a extending rearward from the upper periphery of the front hitting surface 2 and extending between the toe portion and the heel portion of the club head. Horsel 6
Extends substantially upward and forward only from the heel end 7 of the top rail surface 10a. According to this configuration, the golf ball can contact any part of the grooved strike zone defined by the plurality of long grooves G extending from the toe to the heel as shown in FIG. Can be. It is preferable that the hosel 6 does not occupy any part of the front striking surface 2 and that the contact between the front striking surface 2 and the golf ball at the time of striking is not hindered at all.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show that the hosel 6 comprises a substantially cylindrical upper segment 6a, in which a bore 11 for receiving the shaft 6 is provided. The upper segment 6a of this hosel 6 terminates at the heel end 7 of the top rail surface 10a. Further, the hosel 6 has a lower segment 6b, and the lower segment 6a integrally connects the upper segment 6a to the club head. Lower segment 6b has a substantially flat front surface 6c. The flat front surface 6c extends downward and rearward from the upper segment 6a and intersects a downward extension of the axis AA (FIG. 2) of the bore 11 of the hosel. The flat front surface 6c is smoothly integrated with the upper peripheral portion of the front impact surface 2 (the upper peripheral portion defines a boundary between the front impact surface 2 and the top rail surface 10a). FIG. 2 shows that the flat front surface 6c has a substantially parabolic shape. As a result, the hosel does not participate in the striking surface 2 at all. Otherwise, contact between the striking surface 2 and the golf ball would be impeded.

[0023]

The present invention facilitates mass production of club heads while maximizing the effect of vibration-damping plaque, and inset without impeding contact between the striking surface of the club head and the golf ball. The conventional inset / offset vibration damping golf club is greatly improved and improved in that the advantage of the design of the offset / offset hosel is utilized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf club head according to the present invention as viewed from the rear.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the golf club head shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the golf club head shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of a golf club head according to another embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 blade member 2 front impact surface 3 rear surface 4 peripheral weight member 4a inner peripheral surface 5 opening recess 6 hosel 6a upper segment 6b lower segment 6c flat front surface 7 upper heel end 8 shaft 10 top rail 10a top rail surface 11 bore 20 vibration Damping plaque 21 Restraining layer 22 Vibration damping material layer

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Roger Cleveland, California, United States 90049 Los Angeles Tiger Tail Road 560 (72) Inventor Daniel Joseph Stone, California 90814 Long Beach Elko, United States・ 4321 (72) Inventor Joseph Remuth Third, California, USA 90802 ・ Long Beach East Third Street ・ 1755 (72) Inventor John W. Goodin United States of America, California 92679 Casa Via Oso 31941

Claims (20)

[Claims] 1. Each of the heads comprises:-a substantially flat blade member having a front striking surface for striking a golf ball and a rear surface opposing the front striking surface; A peripheral weight member formed integrally with at least a portion and extending substantially rearward from the outer peripheral portion, the remaining portion of the rear surface not covered by the peripheral weight member forming an open recess; A peripheral weight member having sides of the open recess formed by the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral weight member; and a hosel extending from an upper heel of the head to form a connection with a shaft. The set of iron golf club heads, wherein the area and shape of the remaining portion of the rear surface is substantially the same for each club head of the set. 2. The set of iron golf club heads according to claim 1, wherein the lateral position of the opening recess with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral weight member at the same position around each club head is different from each club of the set. A set of iron golf club heads characterized by different heads. 3. The set of iron golf club heads according to claim 1, wherein each head has a plaque attached to said surface over substantially the entire remaining portion of said rear surface. A set of iron golf club heads, wherein the area and shape of the plaques are substantially the same for each club head of the set. 4. The set of iron golf club heads according to claim 1, wherein each head includes vibration damping means mounted over and covering the entire surface of said remaining portion of said rear surface; A layer of a viscoelastic material attached to the rear surface, and a rigid plate secured to the layer of the viscoelastic material;
At least one material selected from the group consisting of butyl rubber and synthetic elastomer; said rigid plate comprising an aluminum alloy, aluminum-zinc-
From the group consisting of magnesium alloys, laminated heat setting materials reinforced with carbon fiber, laminated heat setting materials reinforced with glass fiber, thermoplastics reinforced with carbon fiber, and thermoplastics reinforced with glass fiber The rigid plate comprises a Young's modulus of at least 10,000 MPa, and about 0.05
A set of iron golf club heads having a thickness of between about 2.0 mm and about 2.0 mm. 5. The set of iron golf club heads according to claim 1, wherein said peripheral weight member of each head is substantially annular and extends around the entire outer periphery of said rear surface. A set of iron golf club heads. 6. The set of iron golf club heads according to claim 1, wherein the measurement is performed in a direction substantially parallel to the blade member at the same position around each club head. The set of iron golf club heads, wherein the width of the weight portion is different for each club head of the set. 7. The set of iron golf club heads according to claim 1, wherein a thickness between the front striking surface and the rear surface of the blade member of each head is equal to each club head of the set. A set of iron golf club heads, characterized by being different from one another. 8. The set of iron golf club heads according to claim 1, wherein the side of the opening recess of each head with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral weight member at the same position around each club head. A set of iron golf club heads wherein the orientation is different for each club head of the set. 9. The set of iron golf club heads according to claim 1, wherein the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral weight member of each head is substantially perpendicular to the rear surface. A set of iron golf club heads. 10. A set of iron golf club heads, wherein each golf club comprises: the golf club head according to claim 1; and a shaft connected to the hosel of each club head. A set of iron golf club heads comprising: 11. The set of iron golf club heads according to claim 3, wherein each plaque is provided with a vibration damping material. 12. The iron golf club head set according to claim 11, wherein the vibration damping material is a viscoelastic material selected from the group consisting of butyl rubber and a synthetic elastomer. set. 13. The set of iron golf club heads according to claim 3, wherein each plaque comprises a layer of a viscoelastic material attached to said rear surface of each head and a layer of said viscoelastic material of each head. A set of iron golf club heads, comprising: a constraining layer attached. 14. The set of iron golf club heads according to claim 13, wherein said constraining layer comprises a rigid plate having a Young's modulus of at least 10,000 MPa. . 15. The set of iron golf club heads according to claim 13, wherein said constraining layer comprises a rigid plate having a Young's modulus of at least 40,000 MPa. . 16. The set of iron golf club heads according to claim 13, wherein said constraining layer comprises a rigid plate having a Young's modulus of at least 60,000 MPa. . 17. The set of iron golf club heads according to claim 14, wherein the rigid plate has a thickness of about 0.05 to about 2.0 mm. A set of iron golf club heads. 18. The iron golf club head set according to claim 13, wherein the constraining layer is reinforced with an aluminum alloy, an aluminum-zinc-magnesium alloy, a laminated heat setting material reinforced with carbon fibers, and glass fibers. An iron golf club head comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of a laminated heat setting material, a carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic, and a glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic. Set. 19. The iron golf club head set according to claim 13, wherein the layer made of the viscoelastic material has a thickness of 2.0 mm or less, and 0.2 to 1.6.
A set of iron golf club heads, characterized by exhibiting a specific damping coefficient of 20. The set of iron golf club heads according to claim 1, wherein each head has a toe portion, a heel portion opposite to the toe portion, and an upper portion around the front hitting surface. A top rail surface projecting rearward from and extending between the toe portion and the heel portion, wherein the hosel includes a bore for receiving a shaft, the hosel having an extension of an axis of the bore. Offset so as to intersect the front striking surface or an extension of the surface, the hosel being inset such that the axis of the bore is located more inward than the surface of the heel portion; The hosel is substantially upward and forward only from the heel end of the top rail surface so that the hosel does not interfere with the front striking surface at all and does not interfere with contact of the front striking surface with the golf ball. The hosel comprises a substantially cylindrical upper segment and has the bore in the upper segment, the upper segment of the hosel terminating on the heel end of the top rail surface; A lower segment integrally connecting the upper segment to the blade member, the lower segment having a substantially flat and parabolic shaped flat front surface, wherein the flat front surface is A set of iron golf club heads extending downwardly and rearwardly from a segment, intersecting an extension of the axis of the bore of the hosel, and smoothly continuing around a perimeter of the front striking surface.