KR0143754B1 - Hollow metallic golf club head with a wrinkled and protruded structure - Google Patents

Abstract

The golf club head of the present invention comprises a shell having a toe and a heel, a front wall partitioning the hitting surface, and an upper and a bottom wall, which is useful for hitting a golf ball on a grass, the bottom wall being an intermediate It has a ridge 60, a first groove portion 162 is formed between the ridge and the heel portion, and a second groove portion 164 is formed between the ridge and the toe portion, so that two shallow groove portions are formed. And these recesses extend rearward from the front wall, and the ridge extends rearward between the recesses, the first recess having a generally circumferential circumferential edge toward the heel, wherein the second recess The part has a generally convex bow-shaped circumferential edge toward the tow part, and the above-mentioned groove parts also move forward to come into contact with grass moving relatively backwards. Having a rear surface inclined upwardly, causing the bottom wall and the head to move upwards so that flotation force is generated on both opposing surfaces of the ridge, and the grooves are near the front wall which forms the hitting surface. Extends, the head also has a continuous, hollow and metal tube inside the shell from near the heel and the top wall of the shell to the shell bottom wall, the tube having a bore to receive the shaft of the club; The bow is characterized in that it intersects into the shallow groove in the bottom surface which is structurally reinforced by a separate corner structure.

Description

Hollow metal golf club head with corrugated soul and bump structure

1 is a front view of an embodiment of the golf club head of the present invention,

2 is a plan view of the bottom of the first degree head,

3 is a front view of the toe end of the head of FIG.

4 is a front view of the heel end of the first degree head,

5 is a cross-sectional front view of the line 5-5 of FIG. 2,

6 is a sectional front view of the line 6-6 of FIG. 2,

7 is a sectional front view of the line 7-7 of FIG. 2,

8 is a sectional front view of the line 8-8 of FIG.

9 is a perspective view showing the bottom, rear and heel of the golf club of FIG. 1,

10 is a plan view showing the bottom of the head of FIG. 1 before the sole plate is attached;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the sole plate fitted into the bottom opening shown in FIG. 10;

12 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a projection structure,

13 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a projection extending rearward from the head front wall,

14 is a partial cross-sectional view showing protrusions extending rearward and downward adjacent to the upper and rear portions of the head.

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention generally relates to a technique for increasing the size of a metal hollow golf club head (wood) without increasing the head weight. In particular, the present invention prevents deflection of the head front wall and absorbs shock waves on the top, bottom and rear walls. The method relates to the dispersion of ball impact waves from the head face wall.

Large, very thin walled metal golf club heads suffer from cracking and buckling of the metal walls and excessive front wall deflection during ball impact. There is a need to adapt the method of dispersing the shock waves in the metal wood walls in such a way, but by providing a mechanism for blocking, spreading or otherwise altering the shock waves occurring at the hitting surface during impact.

In addition to reducing the dragging force at the bottom wall during the ball, it is also necessary to strengthen the thin bottom wall, or sole plate, of the golf club head.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure which overcomes the above problems and disadvantages. Basically, the improved head of the present invention is characterized by a ball striking front wall, a bottom wall and spaced toe and heel walls, the bottom wall having two shallow recesses, the first recess being adjacent to the heel and the second recess. The portion is adjacent to the toe, the recess is spaced from anywhere from the front wall to the rear, the first recess has an annular circumferential edge that is approximately convex toward the heel and the second recess is approximately convex toward the toe. It has a bow-shaped circumferential edge.

This recess typically has a bottom facing surface that is shallowly concave upward. The bottom facing surface is concave in the front to rear direction and the bottom facing surface is also concave in the direction on the heel and toe.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bottom wall structure that helps to knock out golf balls in bad lie.

Another object is to provide a head with a partially flat and rearwardly branched surface extending at an angle extending rearwardly and upwardly, past the rearward extension of the intermediate ridge and between the posterior extension of the recess. It is. This flat surface merges with the circumference of the concave groove, as shown.

Still another object is to provide a bottom wall partially partitioned with a sole plate having a circumferential edge securely connected to the bounding edge of the opening partitioned by the bottom wall towards the rear of the front wall such that the sole plate seals the opening, The recess is also partially partitioned by the sole plate. In this regard, the sole plate usually partitions the main extension of the shallow recess. The head body also defines a rigid bottom wall corner plate portion that is integral with the shaft support tube structure, the sole plate is also connected to the corner plate portion, and the corner plate portion also defines a portion of one shallow groove portion closest to the head heel portion. Form.

Another object is to provide a first group of narrow metallic shockwave dispersion protrusions extending from the front wall which are generally rearwardly adjacent and integrally formed underneath the shell upper wall, the projections being two shallow recesses. The bottom wall which protrudes toward the groove portion and partitions these yohum portions is concave upward from the projection side.

The second group of projections merges into the rear and lower sides with the rear wall partitioned by a shell that transfers the rear loading to the wall from which the projection picks up the rear loading from the top wall for the front wall collision of the golf ball. The fork is usually provided integrally and spaced apart from the top wall to extend to the rear side. The projections of the second group also project toward two shallow grooves.

The projections are for transmitting, spreading, damping, and releasing impacts resulting from the collision to reduce the shock wave concentration imparted on the joint between the front and top walls. Shock waves are generated by a driver with a head moving at 100 miles per hour, by a high-speed collision between the club head and the golf ball leaving the head 1/2 milliseconds after impact with the club head. The concave wall of the plate also strengthens the structure for rod impact transmission.

Another object is to provide a hosel structure which extends downward into the head interior and forms a shaft receiving opening. This reinforces the junction of the concave sole plate with the heel and the front wall and reduces the hosel weight so that this weight can be used to form the protrusion. In this regard, the present invention allows for a head supply with a larger overall volume compared to other heads of the same weight but without the projecting structure. This structure allows thinning of the head top, toe, bag and heel walls.

Another object is to provide a head bottom wall that controls the relative movement of the turf (during golf swings) to form an upward force or a force acting on the head to reduce drag as the head swings.

The objects and advantages of the present invention as described above will be more fully understood from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a golf club 10 is shown. The club 10 includes a shaft 12 (only the lower part shown) attached to the head 14. The head 14, although made of metal, is in the form of a wood club.

As shown in Figures 5-8, the head consists of a hollow metal shell 16 which is encased in a plastic foam filler 18, which is preferably polyurethane.

The shell 16 is preferably made of stainless steel, which is made by the lost wax casting method known in the art. The shell 16 is formed in two parts by a main part 20 and a sole plate 22 welded around the main part 20.

The main part 20 of the cell has a top face 24, a back face 26 and a face 28 that strikes the ball or the back face 26. This face 28 is inclined with respect to the vertical line by a certain pitch determined by the desired club shape and the amount of loft. The end of the head 14 adjacent to the shaft 12 is usually referred to as heel 30, and the end opposite to heel 30 is called toe 32. As shown in FIG. 2, this face 28 is typically curved from heel 30 to toe 32. The main portion 20 of the shell is integrally formed with the front wall 28a and the heel wall 30a and cast into the same plane as the sole plate 22, and in combination with the sole plate 22 when the two shell portions are welded together. It has a bottom corner portion 34 (shown in FIG. 10) forming a bottom surface or a sole.

Referring to FIG. 5, the heel wall 30a of the shell 16 has a bottom surface or a lower side of the sole at the upper opening 38 of the upper surface 24 through the bottom corner portion 34 of the main portion 20 of the shell. A substantially continuous hollow tube 36 is provided extending into the opening 40. The tube 36 has a substantially uniform inner diameter, the sidewall of which is blocked by an inner orifice 42 leading into the interior of the shell. Orifice 42 provides an inlet for the introduction of foam material 18 into the shell during the fabrication process.

The tube 36 is dimensioned to snugly receive the lower side of the shaft 12. The upper opening 28 is provided with a lip 43 as shown in FIG. 5 to minimize the possibility of breakage of the shaft due to a collision with the edge of the opening. The inner wall portion of the tube 36 extending downward from the upper opening 38 is provided with a groove in the form of an internal thread, or a series of concentric steps 44, provided that the tube is glued for good engagement of the shaft. Provide an adhesive glue lock.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lip 43 is at the end of the rise at the heel end of the head, the height of which is less than or equal to the height of the horizontal plane 200 defined by the highest point of the club head upper surface 24. Almost the same.

The shaft 12 is a hollow tube made of a suitable material. Steel is the most common material, but titanium or graphite-bronze is also used. If the shaft is made of steel, the outside of the shaft is chrome plated to minimize corrosion. The lower end of the shaft fits snugly into the plug 46 to prevent moisture ingress into the shaft. Plug 46 is of a suitable elastic material, such as nylon, epoxy, polyurethane, or delilyn. The plug 46 is held on the shaft by a crimp on the ring of the shaft wall. Crimps also act as glue locks. The locator ring 50, preferably made of glass fiber reinforced nylon, is adhesively bonded to the shaft slightly off the bottom end 52 of the shaft, approximately equal to the length of the tube 36.

The shaft 12 is attached to the head 14 by means of a suitable epoxy adhesive, and the tube 36 is stepped or threaded 44 and the shaft crimp 48 are glued together for good adhesive bonding, as mentioned above. (Plating at the bottom of the shaft ends first). During assembly, the lower end of the shaft is inserted into the tube 36 until the locator ring 50 abuts the lip 43 in the upper tube opening 38. The bottom end 52 of the shaft 12 then extends slightly past the lower tube opening 40. This bottom end 52 is cut and polished to be coplanar with the sole of the head, as shown in the following FIGS. 4 and 5.

The structure described above allows the shaft to be attached to the head without a deck or hosel. As a result, it is the effective mass that contributes substantially all of the head mass to the energy transfer from the player to the ball, with little or no deadweight to reduce the club head speed that can be achieved. By increasing the effective mass of the club head without reducing the speed attainable, energy is more effectively transferred from the player to the ball, resulting in increased flying distance without further player effort.

Moreover, without the hosel, the lower end of the shaft extends through the head and the bottom end 52 of the sharp ends coplanar with the soul. Thus, by removing the hosel, the shaft enters and exits the head in an area partitioned between the top and bottom of the face of the club head, which area is sometimes called the ball control area. By bringing the lower end of the shaft into the control area and extending the shaft into the soul of the club head, the tactile or head feel on the club side is maximized to increase control of the shot and greatly increase the ability of an experienced player to hit the ball. This makes the impact feel more firm, regardless of which side the ball fits on. As the effective mass of the club head increases, the rigid support for the lower end of the shaft supplied by the inner tube 36 which receives the lower end of the shaft further contributes to the enhancement of the head feel.

Moreover, more benefits can be achieved in the manufacturing process by removing the hosel. For example, the mass occupied by the hosel can be redispersed into the club head portion, where it can contribute to the effective mass of the head without increasing the total head mass. Most preferably, this mass can be used to increase the overall size of the club head.

Another advantage of removing the hosel is that the club head can be cooled more uniformly in the mold. By comparison, in the presence of an upper hosel, the hosel and the rest of the club head shell cool at an irregular rate causing distortion, which creates a lack of uniformity in loft, lie and face angle from the club head to the club head.

Golf club according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes the soul form shown in the drawings.

As shown in the figure, the bottom wall forms an intermediate ridge 60 and is characterized by forming a first groove portion between the two groove portions, that is, a second groove portion between the ridge and the heel portion, The recess is spaced rearward from the front wall everywhere, the first recess has an approximately convex circumferential edge towards the heel, and the second recess has an approximately convex circumferential edge towards the toe. An example of this shallow, upwardly concave groove is shown as 162 between ridge 60 and toe 32 and 164 between ridge and heel 30.

The rounded edges of the recess 162 along the annular path are represented by 162a, 162b, 162c and 162d, and the recess 164 also extends along the annular path represented by 164a, 164b, 164c and 164d. The two paths are located at the bottom wall as shown. The maximum depth of each recess recessed downward in the plane including the annular edge path of the recess is less than 1/4 inch, preferably between 1/16 inch and 3/16 inch. (FIGS. 7 and 8) This depth is sufficient to prevent direct frictional contact of the ground with concave inner surfaces 162 'and 164' during club stroke, and if so, the ground contact is center ridge 60 To the lowest extension of

It is limited. In addition, the upper bi-directional recesses of the bottom wall extensions 162 'and 164' forming the recesses provide for the bottom wall strength and the impact loading transmitted to and from the front wall 28 while striking the ball. Add rigidity. The bottom wall thickness is then minimized and the metal is redistributed to enable the provision of larger heads.

Also provided below the rear extension of the ridge is a bottom wall having a partially flat and rearward branched surface extending at an angle extending rearward and upward between rearward extensions of the recess.

In particular, the trailing edge flat portion 56 that is relieved, bent upwardly and flat is upwards from the curved edge 56a and at the center edge of the soul and the rear portion 26 and the sole of the club head. It extends between the trailing edges 58 at the junction between the plates 22. The lowermost bend 56a of the trailing edge flat portion 56 is the lower end of the ridge 60 which splits and extends forward at 60a and 60b to join laterally with the bottom U-shaped edge of the face 28 of the club head. Adjacent to.

The trailing edge flat portion 56 is preferably approximately 180 degrees A relative to the horizontal line. The angle A may be modified by plus or minus about 5 degrees depending on the type of club and the player's preference. The trailing edge flat portion 56 reduces the club head's overall aerodynamic drag to maximize gain or possible speed during the swing, while minimizing club head closing or hooding when the ball is thickened.

Furthermore, with respect to the combination of the bottom wall contour described above, the ridge-lower bend between the concave grooves 162 and 164, front to rear, allows the soul to penetrate the turf so that the concave region 162 The turf is blocked for and 164 to limit penetration according to or in proportion to the unique shape of the soul, the front face having a lower U shape in front of the recess and ridge, as will be apparent in FIGS. 1 and 2. Note that the ridge branches forward in front of the U-shape.

Thus, a badly positioned golf ball must be approached in a certain way in order to hit the ball with a club stroke characterized by the club head soul being flat on the grass, assuming turf as the fluid. Furthermore, the ball is not required to hit the ball in the usual position, and an improved soul-shaped footprint is generated on the turf.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 10 and 11, hosel tube 36 extends downward into the hollow interior of the heel portion of the head and is adapted to receive shaft 12. Thus, the weight of the hosel is concentrated just behind or adjacent to the rear side of the front wall 28 near the heel, contributing to the mass striking the ball of the front wall. In addition, the hosel cylindrical wall reinforces the coupling of the front wall, the bottom wall and the heel wall. See also hosel webbing or filleting 34, which forms the corner plate portion of the bottom wall 22. The corner portion also forms part of the recess of the bottom wall recess 164. FIG. The sole plate is attached to the cell and welds are formed through the corners 99 and 99a and 100 and 100a (see FIGS. 10 and 11).

According to another important aspect of the present invention, the first group or set of narrow metallic protrusions extends downwardly from and integral with the underside 24b of the upper and lower walls 24a and integral with it. Is provided. In this example, the projections 118-123 spaced apart in the transverse direction indicated by arrow 120 are joined into the front wall at the junction with the top wall and the front ends 118a-123 are inside the front wall at the junction with the top wall. It has the front end parts 118a-123a which joined. This is particularly useful for the purpose of dispersing the shock wave resulting from a collision from the front wall to the top wall when the ball is hit high on the front wall. The protrusions are spaced apart, branching at about 1/2 to 3/4 inch intervals, and the rear ends of the protrusions spaced apart transversely.

The vertical dimension d ₃ of the projections is in the range of 0.050 to 0.070 inches and the grooves have approximately opposite convex sides at 125 and 127 concave at 126 and 127 along these lengths (see FIG. 12). In this regard, as mentioned above, the thickness of the front wall is typically substantially thicker than the thickness of other walls, reinforcing it and preventing cracking under high impact rods. Typical wall thicknesses are: 0.120 inches (maximum) for the front wall, 0.050 inches (maximum) except for the local thickness protruding from the sole plate and the front intersection, and 0.030 inches for the top wall. This dimension is below the average thickness allowing for greater head and greater moment of inertia for any gross weight. This in turn results in a larger abandon bonus for balls that are not centered.

Moreover, the shape of the projections 118-123 (see FIG. 13) along the head inner walls along these lengths contributes to the dispersion of shock waves through the upper wall 14. The wall 14 is crowned upwards, ie convex upwards.

Also provided is a second set or group of narrow protrusions adjacent to the underside of the top wall approximately rearwardly and integrally extending therewith, the second set of which also intersects with a second set of protrusions extending approximately downwards. Includes protuberances. The second set of projections is located farther from the head front wall than the first set of projections, and the second set of projections extending laterally are spaced apart or branched in the transverse direction, and the vertical dimension of the second set of projections is It is between 0.050 and 0.100 inches. For example, the five projections 138-142 have a fan shape that extends rearward at different points along a single projection 137 spaced rearwardly from the projections 118-123.

The protrusions 138-142 extend approximately rearward to join the generally curved rear wall 26a of the head, transferring this rear loading to the wall as the protrusion picks up the loading from the top wall 24a. (See Figure 4).

The protrusions 137-142 have the same shape and dimensions as the protrusions 118-123. Thus, they have the same shock wave transmission dispersion function to minimize cracking and buckling of the top wall at its junction 146 with the back wall. The protrusions 137-142 coincide with the top wall shape along these lengths. (See FIG. 14) In addition, the rear end of the projections 137-142 is directed downward below the inner side of the rear wall 26a, for example, as shown at 139a in FIG.

The protrusions protrude roughly towards the upper concave walls 162 'and 164', so that the ball hits the front wall 28 relatively upwards, or the lower side thereof, the two top and bottom walls transmit the impact loading backwards. To be strengthened.

Another important aspect of the present invention is to provide a golf club head in which a metal shell partitions the top, bottom, front, rear toe and heel walls, where:

a) the bottom wall has an upwardly concave wall extension,

b) the upwardly concave wall extension also partitions the downward surface means inclined forwardly and upwardly relative to the head swing path where the bottom wall is in contact with the grass so that the grass moving relatively backwards is inclined with the inclined surface means. In contact, a flotation force is generated that causes the bottom wall and head to move upwards, reducing drag and allowing more kinetic energy to be transferred to the ball.

Moreover, as noted above, the bottom wall also has an intermediate ridge 60 facing downwards extending approximately forward, the concave wall extensions having two concave extensions 162 and 164 located on opposite sides of the ridge. And each of the two concave extensions each partitions a portion of the inclined surface means such that the lifting force at the top causes the lifting force to the upper side where the torsion imparted to the head is suppressed, on the opposite side of the ridge.

Finally, the grass head bottom wall may be formed or cast integrally with the rest of the head as needed, i.e., not necessarily formed separately, but after the rim partitioned by the separately cast head. There is no need to weld. It is formed by a casting or forming process using metal or nonmetallic materials.

The bottom wall of the head and / or the rest may be made of a non-metallic material.

As used herein, the term grass should be understood to include grass, weeds, sand, mud and other water that can be deformed in contact with the bottom wall of the head, as well as grass in a narrow sense.

Claims (18)

In a golf club head comprising a shell having a toe and a heel, a front wall partitioning the batter surface, and a top and bottom wall and useful for hitting a golf ball on the grass, the bottom wall has an intermediate ridge, A first groove portion is formed between the ridge and the heel portion, and a second groove portion is formed between the ridge and the toe portion to form two shallow groove portions, and these groove portions extend rearward from the front wall and the ridge portion Extending toward the rear side between the grooves, the first groove having a generally convex circumferential edge toward the heel, and the grooves have a relatively convex bow-shaped circumferential energy. The recesses are inclined upwards forward to contact the turf moving relatively backwards Having a surface, causing the bottom wall and the head to move upwards so that flotation occurs on both opposing surfaces of the ridge, and the grooves extend up to near the front wall forming the hitting surface, the head being A continuous, hollow and metal tube within the shell from the heel and near the top wall of the shell to the bottom wall of the shell, the tube having a beam to accommodate the shaft of the club, the beam having a separate corner Golf club head, characterized in that intersecting into the shallow groove in the bottom surface that is structurally reinforced by the structure The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate ridge increases in width toward the front side and the front wall and past the front extension of the recess. 2. The bottom wall of claim 1, wherein the bottom wall extends at an angle extending rearward and upward, past the rearward extension of the ridge, and between the rearward extension of the recess, and partially flat and branched to the rearward side. Golf club head, characterized in that having a. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the recess has a surface facing the lower side of the recess that is shallowly concave upward. 2. The bottom wall of claim 1 wherein the bottom wall is partially partitioned by a sole plate whose circumferential edge is firmly connected to the bounding edge of the opening defined by the bottom wall, whereby the sole plate seals the opening, The ridge and the recess is golf club head, characterized in that partly partitioned by the soul plate. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the recess has a surface that joins the opposite side surface of the ridge. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the front wall has a lowermost U-shape in front of the ridge and the recess. 5. The golf club head according to claim 4, wherein the lower surface is concave from the front to the rear. 9. A golf club head according to claim 8, wherein the lower surface is concave between the heel and the tow. 2. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein the bottom wall includes a sole plate connected to a shell rim that defines a bottom opening, wherein the sole plate defines a major extension of the shallow recess. 4. The bottom wall of claim 3 wherein said bottom wall comprises a sole plate peripherally connected to a shell rim that defines a bottom opening, said soul plate which defines a major extension of said shallow recess and is partially flat and rearwardly said ridge. A golf club head, characterized by partitioning a branched surface. 2. The first group of narrow metallic shock wave dispersion protrusions according to claim 1, wherein the first group of narrow metallic shock wave dispersion protrusions are formed adjacent to the bottom of the shell upper wall and are integrally formed from the front wall to the rear side and protrude toward the two shallow recesses. Golf club head comprising a. 13. The rear wall and the rear side of claim 12, formed integrally with the top wall, spaced apart from each other, and partitioned by the shell as picked up the rear loading from the top wall in response to a collision of the golf ball with the front wall. And a second group of protrusions extending rearwardly to join the lower side to transmit rearward loading to the wall and projecting towards the two shallow recesses. The golf club according to claim 13, wherein the projections of each group are spaced in the heel direction from the tow. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, having a rear wall, a) comprising protrusions integrally formed with inner surfaces of the upper and rear walls, and b) the bottom wall is in contact with the recess and integrally with the upper wall. A golf club head, comprising: a plurality of wall portions that protrude toward the protrusions formed and are concave upward. 2. The wall extension of claim 1 wherein a) the bottom wall has an upwardly concave wall extension, and b) the upwardly concave wall extension is inclined forwardly and upwardly with respect to the head swing path where the bottomwall contacts the grass. The downwardly extending surface means partitions the grass moving relatively backwards into contact with the inclined surface means to generate a flotation force that causes the bottom wall and the head to move upwards, and the wall extension concave upwards. A golf club head, which extends near the front wall. 17. The bottom wall of claim 16, wherein the bottom wall also has an intermediate ridge facing generally forward, and wherein the concave wall extension includes two concave extensions, each positioned on an opposite side of the ridge, Each concave extension defines a portion of the inclined surface means, thereby allowing an upward lift to appear on the opposite side of the ridge. In a golf club head comprising a shell having a toe and a heel, a front wall partitioning the batter surface, and a top and bottom wall and useful for hitting a golf ball on the grass, the bottom wall has an intermediate ridge, A first groove portion is formed between the ridge and the heel portion, and a second groove portion is formed between the ridge and the toe portion to form two shallow groove portions, and these groove portions extend from the front wall to the rear side and the first groove portion is formed. The groove has a bow-shaped circumferential edge that is generally convex toward the heel portion, and the second groove has a bow-shaped circumferential edge that is generally convex toward the toe portion, and the groove is also in contact with the grass moving relatively rearward. To have a posterior surface inclined upwards so that the bottom wall and the head move upwards. Floating force is generated on both opposing surfaces of the ridge, the grooves extending near the front wall forming the hitting surface, the head being a shell from the heel and near the upper wall of the shell to the shell bottom wall Has a continuous, hollow, metallic tube therein, the tube having a beam to receive the shaft of the club, the beam opening into the one recessed portion, the bottom wall defining a bottom opening. A sole plate peripherally connected to the shell rim, said soul plate defining a major extension of said shallow recess, said shell forming a bottom wall corner plate section integral with said tube, said soul plate being said corner Connected to the plate zone, wherein the corner plate zone constitutes a part of the shallow recessed portion between the ridge and the heel portion. Golf club head.