US20040067800A1

US20040067800A1 - Golf club

Info

Publication number: US20040067800A1
Application number: US10/400,416
Authority: US
Inventors: Masayuki Kawano
Original assignee: Aichi Steel Corp
Current assignee: Aichi Steel Corp
Priority date: 2002-10-02
Filing date: 2003-03-28
Publication date: 2004-04-08
Also published as: JP3093176U

Abstract

This invention provides a golf club which enables each golf golfer to finely correct the ball flying tendency from the golf club in hand, considering the golfer's hitting habit or the like, to control hitting ball easily and correctly, and to enjoy playing golf in the most suitable hitting condition.

A golf club comprising a concaveness (3) being provided on an impact area of the face (2 a) of the club head (2), the impact plate (4) as a hitting area being covered and engaged not tightly with an opening area of the concaveness (3), the back side of the said impact plate (4) being supported by a spring material and spring constant adjusting function to change the spring constant or impact resilience of the spring material, and a feature as a combination of bolts inserted into loose connecting holes (5) extending from front to back of the head (2), connecting holes (12) extending in a slanting or up-and-down direction for tightening bolts, and screw holes (7) provided on the impact plate (4) to screw in the tip of the bolt.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a golf club that makes it easier to control an impact resilience and hitting direction of a golf ball according to a golfer's hitting habit, and also control an accurate direction and carry of a golf ball.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Golf is one of sports to play with a tool. There might be a certain restriction on a tool to be used. When officially playing golf in a tournament on the authorized golf courses, the golf club to be used should comprise a structure that conforms to the standards prescribed by PGA (Professional Golfers' Association).

As for a putter mainly used on the green, the above-mentioned standards are not so strictly observed.

A golf score is affected by the quality of a golf tool. Therefore, some golfers try to find their suitable golf clubs or adjust the weight of the golf club by adding lead onto it.

Also, some golfers with a good experience modify their golf clubs with a file or the like as well as the method of adjusting the weight by adding lead (Pb) onto it as indicated above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention has an aim to provide a golfer with a golf club that makes it easier to correct the golfer's hitting habit and to control an accurate direction and carry of a golf ball, and enables the golfer to enjoy exercising ingenuity, Especially beginners can enjoy their holidays and even experienced golfers can participate in golf games with their best conditioned golf clubs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the No. 1 embodiment of the golf club in this invention and an oblique perspective view of the putter head. [0007]
FIG. 2 shows the No. 1 embodiment of the golf club in this invention and a cross-sectional flat view of the head portion [0008]
FIG. 3 shows the No. 1 embodiment of the golf club in this invention and a front view of the head portion without impact plate. [0009]
FIG. 4 shows the No. 2 embodiment of the golf club in this invention and a cross-sectional flat view of the putter head. [0010]
FIG. 5 shows the No. 2 embodiment of the golf club in this invention and a front view of the head without the impact plate. [0011]
FIG. 6 shows the No. 2 embodiment of the golf club in this invention and a cross-sectional side view of the putter head. [0012]
FIG. 7 shows the No. 3 embodiment of the golf club in this invention and a cross-sectional flat view of the putter head. [0013]
FIG. 8 shows the No. 3 embodiment of the golf club in this invention and a cross-sectional side view of the head portion. [0014]
FIG. 9 shows the No. 4 embodiment of the golf club in this invention and a cross-sectional side view of the putter head. [0015]
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the special bolt and special screwdriver in use.[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In order to achieve the above-identified objectives, the golf club disclosed in this invention is characterized in that a concaveness ([0017] 3) is provided on an impact area of face (2 a) of the club head (2), an impact plate (4) as a hitting area is engaged not tightly with the entire opening area of the concaveness (3) with a certain reserve, therein the backside of the said impact plate (4) is supported by a spring with a constant adjusting function to change the spring constant or impact resilience. The aforementioned spring constant adjusting function works with the head (2) in combination of a bolt inserted in an engaging hole (5) extending in a cross direction, connecting hole (12) for tightening the bolt in a slant or up-and-down direction, and screw hole (7) provided on the impact plate (4) to be engaged with the top edge of the bolt, and preferably comprises a function to adjust accordingly the compression degree of the spring material inserted between the impact plate (4) and the concaveness (3) by rotating the bolt (6) in the connecting hole (12) in a slant or up-and-down direction.
The connecting hole ([0018] 12) is set in a slant or up-and-down direction to increase flexibility for adjusting the gravity point of the golf club.
In this invention, the bolt may not be able to be tightened by an ordinary screwdriver since the connecting hole ([0019] 12) is provided in a slant or up-and-down direction. Therefore, special bolt (1 a), a worm gear bolt A (9), a worm gear bolt B (9 a) as well as the ordinary bolt (6) or the like can be used.
Embodiments in this invention are described below in accordance with FIGS. [0020] 1 to 10. The most suitable golf club for this invention is a putter used on the green. The function required for the putter is to control an accurate direction and carry of a golf ball.
As a major part of the golf club (Al) in the embodiment shown in an oblique perspective view FIG. 1, an impact area of the head face ([0021] 2 a) mounted on one edge of the shaft (1) comprises a concaveness (3) as shown in FIG. 2, and the impact plate (4) covering an opening area is flatly engaged but not too tightly with the face (2 a). This impact plate (4) is one of materials for forming a hitting face of the head (2).
The concaveness ([0022] 3) in this embodiment is nearly a cubic shape. To receive the rim of the impact plate (4) as shown in FIG. 3, a step (3 a) is provided around the wall of this concaveness (3). Depth of the step (3 a) is comparatively larger than the thickness of the impact plate (4). An outer rim of the impact plate (4) is tapered toward the step (3 a).
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, two loose engaging holes ([0023] 5, 5) are provided on the bottom area of the concaveness (3) at an even interval so as to reach the bottom of the head (2). Ordinary bolts (6, 6) are inserted from the loose engaging hole located on the edge of the connecting hole (12) on the lower backside of the head (2) toward the inside of the concaveness (3). A strike plate (5 a) for receiving the bolt head is provided between the connecting hole (12) and the loose engaging hole (5).
As shown in FIG. 2, on the other hand, the impact plate ([0024] 4) engaged with the opening face of the concaveness (3) comprises screw holes (7, 7) to receive the tips of the bolts (6, 6) which come out of the engaging holes (5, 5), so that the said bolts (6, 6) should not reach the front side of the impact plate (4).
A rubber ring packing ([0025] 8) as a spring material as shown in FIG. 3, is provided along the bottom periphery of the concaveness (3). The ring packing (8) can be fixed inside the concaveness (3) by using glue or the like if necessary. Thickness of the ring packing (8) is determined such that the head of the ring packing (8) should come a little over the line of the step (3 a) provided in the concaveness (3).
As shown in FIG. 2, the ring packing ([0026] 8) is sandwiched between the bottom of the concaveness (3) and the impact plate (4) in condition where the head (2) of the golf club is completely assembled. Therefore, the impact resilience and spring constant of the ring packing (8) can be changed according to the tightening level of the ordinary bolt (6).
In this invention, a tool to tighten the bolt ([0027] 6) is inserted from the lower back of the head (2). An ordinary screwdriver may not be appropriate to screw the bolt (6) since the connecting hole (12) is not straight. In this case a special bolt (10 a) with a multiple concaveness head and a special screwdriver with round head (10) are preferably used.
A usage of a golf club (A[0028] 1) manufactured as a putter is described here. When shipping the golf club (A1), engaging level of bolts (6, 6) is adjusted such that the surface of the impact plate (4) becomes flat to the face (2 a) of the head (2).
If a golfer is a beginner, he or she generally cannot fully control direction or carry of a golf ball because of his/her own swing pattern. In such a case, it is possible to tilt the surface of the impact plate ([0029] 4) slightly on either side to the face (2) by tightening or loosening one of the two ordinary bolts (6, 6) After such a series of fine control adjustments, a ball-carry tendency of the golf club (Al) can be corrected as the golfer expected.
When the golf club purchased has an excessive repulsion, it is possible to adjust the impact resilience of the ring packing, i.e. the impact resilience of the head ([0030] 2) by loosening or tightening each of the two ordinary bolts (6, 6), and the material of the impact plate can be also changed as described later.
Also, curved lines (not described in drawings) can be provided on the face ([0031] 2 a) or the impact plate (4) or, a removable cover (not described in drawing) or a lead (Pb) plate (not described in drawing) can be engaged to the backside of the head (2).
FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the head ([0032] 2) of the No. 2 embodiment in this invention. FIG. 5 shows a front view of the head (2) without the impact plate (4), and FIG. 6 shows a front view of the head (2) of the golf club (A3) as the No. 3 embodiment in this invention. Controllability of three pieces of ordinary bolts (6) enables the impact plate (4) to be turned from side to side and up and down, thus the rotation of the ball in a traveling direction can be easily controlled.
FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional front view of the head portion of the golf club (A[0033] 3) in the No. 3 embodiment and FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional side view of the head portion of the golf club (A3) in the No. 3 embodiment. A worm gear bolt A (9) or worm gear bolt B (9 a) is used. The rotation of the worm gear can be transferred in a right angle.
FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional side view of the head ([0034] 2) of the golf club (A4) as the No. 4 embodiment in this invention. The golf club (A4) comprises a conical spring (11) as a spring material in which a special bolt (10 a) is inserted into the center hole. Spring constant of the conical spring can be changed according to the engaging level of the special bolt (10 a).
Also, material of the impact plate used in this invention can be selected from soft iron, stainless steel, ceramics such as alumina, ABS resin, carbon fiber epoxy resin complex or the like. [0035]
(Effect of the Invention) [0036]
As clearly described in the above explanation, a golf club mainly used for the putter in this invention has excellent actual effects as described below. [0037]
(a) Impact resilience of the impact area on the club head can be finely or greatly changed according to the hitting pattern or affinity of the golfer. [0038]
(b) Direction of the fly ball can be controlled by finely slanting the impact area from side to side or up and down against the face, [0039]
(c) Besides the direction carry of a golf ball can be also easily controlled by controlling the rotation of the golf ball when hitting the ball. Then the golfer can enjoy the best part of the golf, and [0040]
(d) Repulsion can be freely changed by selecting the impact plate or/and the spring. [0041]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A golf club comprising a concaveness being provided on an impact area of the head face of the golf club, an impact plate as a hitting area being covered and engaged not tightly with an opening area of the said concaveness, the backside of the said impact plate being supported with a spring material therein a spring constant adjusting function to change the spring constant or impact resilience of the spring material, and a feature as a combination of bolts inserted into loose connecting holes extending from front to back of the head, connecting holes extending in a slanting or up-and-down direction for tightening bolts, and screw holes provided on the impact plate to screw in the tip of the bolt.

2. A golf club as described in the aforementioned claim 1, comprising a feature wherein compressing degree can be accordingly adjusted by rotating the bolt in a connecting hole from a slant or up-and-down direction.