KR20030074731A - Set of golf clubs - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a set of iron golf clubs, each club having a head (1) formed at the back of the head by at least one lower wall (7) and an upper wall (13) forming a wall, i.e. a base. The cavity is provided. The upper wall 13 comprises a plurality of faces, namely a back face 16 facing the cavity, a top face 14, a bottom face 15 and side faces 17, 18. According to the present invention, a plurality of clubs in the set are opened to one side of the top wall 13 away from one or more grooves 22, 23 and top 14 and bottom face 15 disposed on the top wall 13. It is characterized in that it comprises a closed opening. In addition, the volume of the grooves in the top wall 13 of the head and / or the position of the grooves varies from club to club and the position of the center of gravity of the head also varies from club to club.

Description

Golf Club Set {SET OF GOLF CLUBS}

Generally, golf clubs whose heads are made of cast or forged metal are known as "irons." The iron heads all have a flat ball surface, the slope of which depends on the number of irons in the set. Thus, low numbers, i.e., irons 1 to 4, known as long irons, have a hitter surface that is not as inclined as vertical as high numbers, i.e. 8, 9 and PW irons, known as short irons.

One of the challenges in improving the quality of the iron is to distribute the weight of the head at a constant circumference around the center of the hitting surface. The larger the center of the hitting surface corresponding to the ideal impact zone, i.e. the sweet spot, the more the weight is distributed around.

This is why a certain number of clubs have already been proposed with heads with back cavities bounded by walls extending rearward behind the batting surface. The cavity can also accommodate various decorative or functional components as a secondary issue.

Among the walls defining the back cavity, the bottom wall forms what is generally called a sole, and the bottom surface of the sole comes into contact with the ground when it is hit. The cavity is also defined by the top wall in his view when the golfer prepares to hit the ball. The cavity is also defined by two side walls, a first wall called a heel is located on the side of the head which is connected to the shaft, and a second wall, generally called a toe, is located on the opposite side. The series of walls that define the cavity is generally referred to as a perimeter.

The circumferential shape of the circumference distributes some of the mass of the head in the circumference, thus widening the sweet spot and increasing accuracy.

Already shaped perimeters have been proposed to increase the mass of the bottom wall forming the sole and, conversely, reduce the mass of the top wall to further improve the mass distribution. Thus, in US Pat. No. 5,048,834, a golf club has been introduced which has a rear wall, the lower wall of the perimeter having a protrusion towards the interior of the cavity, resulting in an increase in the bottom mass of the head. This method increases the weight of the bottom of the head, but has the disadvantage that it hardens the center of the hitting surface, resulting in a reduced sweet spot and simply plain in quality.

U.S. Patent No. 5,437,456 proposes a circumferential wall with a hollow on the back of the spherical surface in the area where it meets the bottom of the cavity. This method reduces the mass of the head in the vicinity of the hit face and offsets some of the mass towards the back of the hit face. The head of the patent also includes slots open on the top and bottom surfaces of the head. The slot significantly separates between the top, bottom and parallel walls. This method has the disadvantage of weakening the circumference due to the presence of the slot. Thus, the separated rear wall tends to vibrate, which may interfere with the golfer. In addition, slots located on the top surface of the head enter the golfer's field of view and visually interfere.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a golf club head that allows the distribution of mass within the periphery with the bottom wall forming the sole, while maintaining a good width of the sweet spot for good quality. It is also important to optimize the distribution of mass for each club in the set.

The present invention relates to golf. The invention relates in particular to the head of an iron golf club. TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates especially to the iron which has a rear cavity part, The shape is a shape which optimizes distribution of mass while maintaining the outstanding hit feeling.

Features and embodiments of the present invention will be described more clearly with reference to the following examples and drawings.

1 shows the back of a golf club head according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II 'of FIG. 1.

3 is a top view of the head of FIG. 1.

4 shows a back of the head according to the second embodiment.

5 shows the back of the head according to the third embodiment.

6 is a right side view of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of FIG. 5.

8A, 8B and 8C show the rear of three heads of one and the same clubset with different numbers.

9A, 9B, and 9C show the back of the three heads of the second clubset.

10A, 10B, and 10C show the back of three heads of a third set of clubs according to the present invention.

The present invention relates to a set of iron golf clubs, wherein the back of each clubhead has a cavity defined by a wall, i.e. at least one lower wall and an upper wall forming a sole.

The top wall has a plurality of faces, namely a back face, a top face, a bottom face facing the cavity and a parallel face.

According to the invention, a number of golf clubs in the set have at least one groove in the upper wall and a head having an opening in a single face of the upper wall away from the upper and lower surfaces.

That is, the top wall defined by the cavity is a cavity to reduce the weight of the top. As a result, the mass distribution in the perimeter defines the bottom wall. The opening weakens the perimeter due to the opening on the single wall.

The grooves formed in the upper wall are opened at various points other than the upper surface so that they are not visible from the golfer's field of view and do not interfere with the preparation and the shot.

Thus, the groove is opened on the back side of the top wall or on the parallel plane of the wall, ie on the parallel plane of the head.

That is, the opening of the groove is made on the rear side or on the parallel side of the head.

When the groove is opened at the parallel plane of the head, it is preferable to open at the parallel plane on the toe side of the head from the viewpoint of manufacture.

The grooves can have a wide variety of shapes when opened on a single side of the top wall. Thus, the groove can extend in the circumferential direction of the top wall. That is, when the groove is open on the back side of the top wall, the groove has a longer length that is more or less parallel to the top wall, or slightly curved if the wall behind is not straight.

When the grooves are made open on the side of the clubhead, they are cavities substantially parallel to the top and bottom surfaces of the top wall and also to the hitting surface, with the substantial thickness of the wall.

In a particular embodiment, the groove may be cylindrical which opens on the back side of the top wall or on its side wall. In this case it can be obtained, for example, by milling, drilling or direct injection.

In order to prevent the grooves from being filled with soil or other materials that change the mass distribution, it is desirable to fill the grooves with low density materials such as polyurethane foam to prevent the ingress of other materials. The material to be filled is chosen to have only a minor effect on the mass distribution.

In an embodiment, the volume of the grooves is preferably between 0.4% and 5% of the head volume. The volume of the groove is considered to mean the volume of material inserted into the groove so that the top wall has a uniform appearance. This corresponds to the volume removed from the top wall and transferred to the bottom wall to lower the center of gravity of the head.

When playing golf, a golfer has a set of irons with different features. There are generally 1 to 4 long irons for long shots, 5 to 7 middle irons, and 8, 9 and PW short irons for precise shots.

According to the invention, the volume of the groove and / or its position inside the top wall varies within the set, so the gravity center position of the head varies from club to club. These geometric features change in the same way in the set.

Thus, in certain embodiments, the distance away from the groove in the hosel is increased or decreased depending on the club number. The distance between the groove and the hosel is the distance from the center of gravity (or gravity) of the set or groove to the axis of the shaft.

Thus, in the first set, the distance increases with club number. In other words, the distance apart from the groove of the club shaft increases from the long iron to the short iron. With this progression, and for a fixed groove volume, the shortest short iron has a smaller inertial mass relative to the shaft axis.

In contrast, in another set, the distance decreases with club number. That is, the distance away from the groove of the club shaft increases from the long iron to the short iron. By this increase, and for a fixed groove volume, the longest long iron will have a gravity center lowered from the hosel compared to the short iron due to the upward slope of the head top wall.

In yet another embodiment, the volume of all grooves increases or decreases with club number. That is, the total volume of the grooves varies between the long iron and the short iron. The change in volume can be specified by changing the depth of the groove or by increasing the hole in the wall where the groove is opened.

If the groove is opened across the side of the head, the groove may have a greater or smaller depth.

In another embodiment of the effect of grooves, the number of grooves decreases with the club number of the set. That is, the number of grooves decreases from the long iron to the short iron.

In another embodiment, the distance that separates the grooves from the top surface of the top wall depends on the club. That is, the grooves are located at different heights in the top wall to change the gravity center position of the head.

As already mentioned, the present invention relates to the head of an iron golf club. In general, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the head 1 comprises a hosel 2 which is connected to the shaft and a hitting surface 3 which hits the ball.

On the back of the head, the head comprises a cavity 4 and its bottom 5 is behind the hitting surface 3. The cavity 4 is defined by a circumference 6 consisting of a number of walls.

In particular, the circumferential portion 6 comprises a lower wall 7 which forms the sole of the head and its bottom surface 8 comes into contact with the ground at the time of hitting. The circumference 6 also includes two side walls 9, 10 with its inner faces 11, 12 facing towards the cavity 4. The circumference 6 also includes an upper wall 13. This top wall 13 has a number of sides, i.e.

A top surface 14 that enters the golfer's field of view when the player is hitting,

A lower face 15 facing the cavity 4 side,

A rear face (16) parallel to the hit face at the rear of the head,

A side surface 17, 18 located at the periphery of the side walls 9, 10.

The upper wall 13 has grooves of one or more cavities in the depth direction thereof.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the grooves 20-23 are open on the back side of the top wall 13. The grooves 20-23 have an elongated shape along the longitudinal direction of the upper wall 13, that is, almost in the horizontal direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, one groove 21 has a width l in the circumferential direction of the upper wall 13 and a height h at right angles to this direction.

The walls 25, 26 of the grooves 21 located opposite each other are almost parallel, or have similar curves. The overall opening shape of the grooves 20-23 has a square, trapezoidal shape or slightly curved end, depending on the tool or mold making it.

In Fig. 2, each groove 20-23 is formed hollow inside the top wall 13 to a depth p of 10 to 90% of the wall thickness e in that region. The combination of the three element widths l, height h and depth p determines the volume of the groove. Depending on the amount of material this is preferably removed, the volume can be adjusted by varying each of the elements l, h and p.

The position and size of each groove 20-23 can be adjusted to optimally lighten the weight of the top wall 13 to adjust the mass distribution in the circumference 6. Thus, for a total weight of 200-300 g of the head, the amount of material removed to form all the cavities is 0.8-2 g.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the four grooved soles shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 but also includes other forms having one to ten grooves.

The shape of the groove is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. That is, the groove 30 also includes the shape shown in FIG. 4, for example a drilled cylindrical shape.

The diameter φ and the number of grooves 30 can be adjusted to the amount of material to be removed from the top wall 13. In addition, the opening of each groove may have an ellipse, a cone or another shape.

Thus, the grooves formed in the upper wall 13 reduce the mass and change the position of the gravity center with respect to the shaft axis 19 and / or with respect to the base 8 of the sole 7. This eventually results in a change in inertia about the shaft axis and increases the force at the time of hitting. The trajectory also improves with a change in height of the center of gravity.

As already mentioned, the grooves can be made in other forms, such as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. Thus, the groove 33 shown in FIG. 5 is laterally opened on the side surface 17 of the upper wall 13. In particular, the opening of the groove 33 is circular when viewed along the axis 35 of the groove. The groove 33 may be manufactured by drilling or milling. This is a good prototype, but other forms can be easily obtained.

The influence by the grooves 33 can be adjusted by changing the volume, ie the amount of material removed from the top wall 13. In particular, the volume of the groove 33 depends on the length L and the opening 34 region, i.e. the diameter. The position of the groove 33 in the top wall can vary somewhat. Thus, the groove 33 can be formed near or away from the bottom surface 15 and the hitting surface 3 of the upper wall 13.

By increasing the length L of the groove 33, the mass of the upper wall 13 is reduced and the center of gravity of the head is thus lowered. Similarly, by increasing the length L, the moment of inertia of the head relative to the shaft axis is reduced.

In practice, the length of the groove 33 is between 10 and 90% of the total length of the top wall 13. Its diameter is 3 mm.

As already mentioned, the grooves vary from club to club within the same set.

Thus, as shown in Figs. 8A, 8B and 8C, the number of grooves is changed in a substantial set. Thus, the head 40 of the second long iron has five grooves 41-45 formed on the upper wall 13. The various grooves have different lengths.

Intermediate Club No. 5 shown in FIG. 8B has three grooves 47, 48, and 49. The grooves 47-49 may be the same as the grooves 41, 42, 43 of Club No. 2, but the number is different.

The center of gravity of the three grooves 47, 48, 49 is in the same position relative to the top wall 13 as the center of gravity of Club No. 2 shown in FIG. 8A. In other words, reducing the number of grooves from irons 2 to 5 only moves gravity centers G40 and G46 upward, ie vertically. The centers of gravity G46 and G40 shown in FIG. 8B are not shown exactly but are shown briefly.

In the same way, club 9 in FIG. 8C has only one groove 51. The groove 51 has a center of gravity at the same position with respect to the top wall 13, such as clubs No. 40 and No. 46. Accordingly, the center of gravity G50 of the head 9 moves slightly perpendicular to the centers of gravity G46 and G40 of the clubs 40 and 46.

Of course, the size and shape of the various grooves 41-45; 47-49; 51 may be the same for a particular club having various or consecutive numbers even within the same set.

9A, 9B and 9C show another embodiment of a set of clubs. Thus, the club 53 shown in Fig. 9A is a long iron as in No. 2. It has a groove 54 located on the heel side of the head. The distance between the axis of the shaft 55 and the center of gravity 56 of the groove 54 is indicated by "d2".

The middle iron 5, in which the head 57 is shown in FIG. 9B, also has the same groove 58 as the groove 54 of the club 2. The distance d5 spaced apart from the gravity center 59 of this groove in the shaft 55 of the shaft is greater than the distance d2 of the second club. The center of gravity G57 of the head 57 is closer to the axis of the shaft than the center of gravity G53 of the second club. In addition, the center of gravity moves upwards because the groove 58 is higher than the groove 54 due to the inclination of the upper wall 13.

In the same way, Club No. 9, in which the head 60 is shown in FIG. 9C, has a groove 61 having the same volume as the grooves 56, 58 of the second and fifth irons. The distance d9 of the center of gravity of the groove 61 from the shaft 55 is larger than the distance d5 of the fifth club. The center of gravity (G60) of the head of Club No. 9 moves horizontally relative to the center of gravity (G57, G53).

Another method of changing the center of gravity location of the various clubs in the set is shown in FIGS. 10A-10C. In particular, the head of the second iron 65 has five grooves 66-70 distributed throughout the top wall of the head 65. In contrast, the club 71 of Club No. 5 also has five grooves 72-76 distributed along the upper wall 13. Each groove 72-76 has a volume that is somewhat smaller than the corresponding groove 66-70 of the head 65. As a result, the total volume of all grooves is smaller for iron 5 than for iron 2. Thus, the center of gravity G65 of club head No. 2 is below the center of gravity G71 of club No. 5.

In the same way, the head 77 of club No. 2 has five grooves 78-82 distributed along the longitudinal direction of the top wall 13. Each groove 78-82 has a smaller volume than the groove of the lower numbered club, which results in a higher position of the center of gravity G77 with respect to the gravity centers G71 and G65 of the lower numbered club. Bring.

Of course, various methods of varying the number, location and volume of each groove may be combined within one and the same set to optimize the change in gravity center of each head.

As mentioned above, the clubhead according to the present invention has the effect of distributing the mass of the head circumference suitable for each club of the same set in order to optimize performance while maintaining the proper head rigidity.

The method of optimizing the mass distribution can be varied in various ways within one and the same set to optimize the performance of each iron.

Claims (13)

In a set of iron golf clubs, Each club has a head 1, the head having a back, the back having a cavity 4 defined by at least one lower wall 7 and an upper wall 13 forming a brush, The top wall has several faces, namely the back face 16, the top face 14, the bottom face 15 facing the cavity side and the side faces 17 and 18, the various clubs of the set having the top wall 13 One or more grooves 20-23 formed in the upper wall 13 and an opening separated from the upper 14 and the lower surface 15 on a single surface of the upper wall 13, and the one or more grooves inside the upper wall 13. Wherein the volume and / or position of the grooves includes a head that varies in each club of the set such that the position of the center of gravity of each head changes. A golf club set according to claim 1, characterized in that the grooves (20-23) are opened on the back (16) of the upper wall (13). The method of claim 1, A groove (33) is a golf club set, characterized in that the opening on the side (17) of the top wall. The method of claim 3, wherein The groove (33) is a golf club set, characterized in that the opening on the side (17) of the upper wall located on the toe side of the head. The method of claim 2, Golf club set, characterized in that the groove (20-23; 33) extends in the circumferential direction of the upper wall. The method of claim 2 or 3, The groove is a golf club set, characterized in that the cylindrical. The method of claim 1, A golf club set, wherein the groove is filled with a low density material such as polyurethane foam. The method of claim 1, A golf club set, wherein the groove volume is between 0.4% and 5% of the head volume. The method of claim 1, And a distance (d2, d5, d9) of the groove (54, 58, 61) from the hosel increases from the long iron with the small number toward the short iron with the large number. The method of claim 1, A golf club set, characterized in that the distance of the groove from the hosel (2) decreases from the long iron with the small number toward the short iron with the large number. The method of claim 1, A golf club set, characterized in that the volume of all grooves (66-70; 72-76; 79-82) decreases from long irons to short irons. The method of claim 1, A golf club set, characterized in that the number of grooves (41-45; 47-49; 51) decreases from the long iron to the short iron. The method of claim 1, A set of golf clubs, characterized in that the spacing of the grooves from the top surface 14 of the top wall 13 depends on the club.