U.S. patent application number 09/439807 was filed with the patent office on 2002-05-23 for golf club and club head.
Invention is credited to MARCASE, MICHAEL.
Application Number | 20020061788 09/439807 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23746211 |
Filed Date | 2002-05-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020061788 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MARCASE, MICHAEL |
May 23, 2002 |
GOLF CLUB AND CLUB HEAD
Abstract
A golf club head that includes a hosel and a metal blade. The
metal blade includes a knife-like leading edge at the juncture of
the sole and striking face, a sole with a rounded protrusion, and a
rear face that extends from the sole's protrusion to the trailing
edge of the striking face. The knife-like leading edge allows the
club head to easily cut through high grass behind the golf ball,
thus prohibiting the grass form turning or twisting the club head.
The rounded protrusion of the sole prevents the head from cutting
too deeply into the ground surface.
Inventors: |
MARCASE, MICHAEL; (LONGPORT,
NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DUANE MORRIS, LLP
ATTN: WILLIAM H. MURRAY
ONE LIBERTY PLACE
1650 MARKET STREET
PHILADELPHIA
PA
19103-7396
US
|
Family ID: |
23746211 |
Appl. No.: |
09/439807 |
Filed: |
November 12, 1999 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/324 ;
473/328; 473/336 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 60/00 20151001;
A63B 53/0433 20200801; A63B 53/047 20130101; A63B 2209/00 20130101;
A63B 2053/0491 20130101; A63B 53/04 20130101; A63B 53/0408
20200801; A63B 60/52 20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/324 ;
473/328; 473/336 |
International
Class: |
A63B 053/04 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A golf club head comprising: a hosel located at a heel end to
accommodate a shaft, and a metal blade comprising a striking face,
a sole, and a rear face, the striking face and the sole meeting at
a knife-like leading edge, the sole having a protrusion running
substantially parallel to the leading edge and located at the
juncture of the sole and the rear face, the rear face meeting the
striking face at a trailing edge.
2. The golf club head of claim 1, further including at least one
metal dowel disposed in the metal blade and located substantially
forward of and substantially parallel to an apex of the protrusion
of the sole.
3. The golf club head of claim 1, further including a leading metal
dowel and a trailing metal dowel disposed in the metal blade and
located substantially on each side of an apex of the protrusion of
the sole, the leading metal dowel disposed between the protrusion
of the sole and the leading edge and the trailing metal dowel
disposed between the protrusion of the sole and the trailing
edge.
4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the leading metal dowel
is cylindrical and smaller in diameter than the trailing metal
dowel, the trailing metal dowel also being cylindrical.
5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the leading metal dowel
has a diameter of 0.25 inch or less, and the trailing metal dowel
has a diameter between 0.375 inch and 0.4375 inch.
6. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the metal dowel is
disposed between approximately 0.25 inch from an edge of the metal
blade connected to the hosel of the golf club head and 0.25 inch
from the center of a toe edge of the golf club head opposite the
hosel of the golf club head.
7. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the metal dowel is made
of a metal having a density greater than the density of the metal
from which the metal blade is formed.
8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the metal dowel is made
of lead.
9. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the metal dowel is made
of tungsten.
10. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the metal dowel is made
of steel.
11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the angle between the
striking face and a vertical plane in which the hosel of the golf
club head is positioned in when it is in a substantially upright
address position is between 45.degree. and 60.degree., where the
vertical plane is perpendicular to the ground level horizontal
plane and parallel to the leading edge of the club head.
12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the angle between the
striking face and the sole is between 20.degree. and
30.degree..
13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the knife-like leading
edge is straight.
14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the knife-like leading
edge is serrated.
15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the distance between a
pair of adjacent troughs of the knife-like leading edge is between
0.1875 inch and 0.250 inch.
16. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the
metal blade between the striking face and a planar portion of the
rear face positioned substantially parallel to the striking face is
between 0.8125 inch and 0.875 inch.
17. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a distance from the
leading edge to the trailing edge of the golf club head at a point
where a set of grooves ends toward the toe end of the club head is
between 2.375 inches and 2.5 inches.
18. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the angle at the point
of the leading edge between ground level and the downward most
point of the rounded protrusion of the sole is approximately
10.degree. when the hosel of the golf club head is in a
substantially upright address position in a vertical plane that is
perpendicular to the ground level horizontal plane and parallel to
the leading edge of the golf club head.
19. The golf club head of claim 1, further including a shaft
attached to the hosel and having a handle positioned at an end
opposite the hosel.
20. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the striking face is
abrasive.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an improved golf club head
for use in golf clubs, and more particularly for use in chippers
and wedges.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Historically, golfers have found it difficult to accurately
propel a ball onto the fairway or green from the rough, that grass
typically located adjacent to the fairway or green and
characterized by a longer length of grass. This difficulty occurs
because of the tendency of the club head to turn or twist when it
makes contact with the rough, whether it be high grass or shorter,
wirery grass. Such twisting or turning of the club head prohibits
the striking face of the club head from making solid contact with
the golf ball, often leading to inconsistent and undesired
results.
[0003] Typically, the club heads used for advancing golf balls from
the rough to the fairway or green, such as pitching wedges or
chippers, have blunt, dull or rounded leading edges with relatively
large sole-to-striking face angles. These designs often succumb to
the problem of club head twisting or turning when contact is made
with the rough. This problem can be alleviated by a design that
allows the club head to cut through the grass behind the golf
ball.
[0004] While some club heads have been designed with sharp leading
edges, the design of these club heads is impractical for cutting
through high grass. For example, Clements (U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,768)
shows a club head with a short lip at the leading edge. This club
head, as revealed in the patent, was designed for the purpose of
advancing a ball from sand or water. The purpose and design of the
sharp edge in Clements is to assist in striking the ball by
scooping an obstruction such a water or sand into a slot designed
to funnel the obstruction through to the rear side of the club
head. Clements does not reveal a true knife-like edge with a small
sole-to-striking face angle to facilitate cutting through rough. In
addition, the width of the sole resulting from the angle between
the scooping face and the sole inhibits a grass cutting action.
[0005] Likewise, British Patent No. 1,078,412 shows a cutting edge
as part of the hosel of a golf club head. This edge does not form a
part of the blade of the golf club head. The edge, therefore, does
not foster a cutting action by the striking face as it proceeds
through troublesome rough.
[0006] The current designs for club heads used in advancing balls
from the rough reveal the need for an improved club head that will
provide controlled golf shots from the rough.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] As herein described, the present invention provides for a
golf club head that includes a hosel and a metal blade. The metal
blade includes a knife-like leading edge at the juncture of a sole
and a striking face, a sole with a rounded protrusion, and a rear
face that extends from the sole's protrusion to a trailing edge of
the striking face.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a golf club head in
accordance with the invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a cross section view of the golf club head of FIG.
1 taken along the section line 2-2 of FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a cross section view of one embodiment of the golf
club head in accordance with the invention..
[0011] FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of one embodiment of the
golf club head in accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a golf club head is
designated generally at 10, in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the present invention. The end of the club head where
the hosel 14 is located is referred to as the heel end. The end of
the club head opposite the heel end is referred to as the toe end.
The leading end of the club head is generally the downward most
portion of the club head. The trailing end of the club is generally
the upward most portion of the club head.
[0013] The golf club head includes a hosel 14 and a metal blade 16
and may be attached to a shaft 12 (shown broken to reduce the size
of the figure). The shaft 12 may have a handle portion at one end
(not shown) and be fitted to the hosel 14. The hosel 14 connects
the metal blade 16 to the shaft 12.
[0014] The metal blade 16 comprises a striking face 18, a sole 20
and a rear face 22. The striking face 18 meets the sole 20 at a
knife-like leading edge 24. The striking face 18 is planar and
meets the rear face 22 at a trailing edge 26. The rear face may
extend in an arc 28 from the trailing edge 26 and then become
planar and substantially parallel to the striking face 18. The rear
face 22 meets the sole 20 at a rounded protrusion 30 that runs
substantially parallel to the knife-like leading edge 24 along the
surface of the golf club head opposite the striking face 18.
Beginning at the leading end of the protrusion, the sole 20 is
planar, ultimately meeting the striking face 18 at the knife-like
leading edge 24.
[0015] The metal blade 16 is comprised of a durable metal that can
maintain a hardened edge, for example a hardened steel. A durable
metal will better allow the knife-like leading edge 24 to maintain
its cutting edge through repeated uses.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the metal blade 16 has disposed
within it at least one metal dowel 32 that is located substantially
forward of and substantially parallel to the rounded protrusion 30
of the sole 20. Alternatively, the metal blade 18 may include two
metal dowels 32 disposed in the metal blade 18 and located
substantially on each side of the apex of rounded protrusion 30 of
the sole 20 and substantially parallel to such protrusion 30, with
the leading dowel 32B disposed toward the knife-like leading edge
24 and the trailing dowel 32C disposed toward the trailing edge 26.
In addition, it is preferred that the metal dowels 32 are
cylindrical, with the leading dowel 32B being smaller in diameter
than the trailing dowel 32C. The preferred diameter of the leading
dowel 32B is 0.25 inch or less and the preferred diameter of the
trailing dowel 32C is between 0.375 inch and 0.4375 inch.
Additionally, each metal dowel 32 is embedded approximately 0.25
inch from the center of the edge of the toe end of the club head 10
and 0.25 inch from edge of the metal blade 16 that is attached to
the hosel 14 of the golf club head 10. The metal dowels 32 may be
made from a metal having a density greater than that of the metal
from which the rest of the club head is formed. For example, the
metal dowels 32 could be made from lead, tungsten or steel. The
inclusion, location and density of these metal dowels 32 promote a
desired swing pendulum action.
[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the angle a
between the striking face 18 and the sole 20 is between 20.degree.
and 30.degree.. This narrow angle a, in combination with the
knife-like leading edge 24, permits the club head 10 to cut through
the rough, thereby allowing the striking face 18 to make more solid
and accurate contact with the golf ball.
[0018] The knife-like leading edge 24 may resemble various knife
shapes, such as a straight edge or a serrated edge. An example of a
serrated embodiment is depicted in FIG. 4. In such a serrated
embodiment, a distance between the troughs 34 of the serration is
between approximately 0.1875 inch and 0.250 inch. This serration
can help improve the effectiveness of the knife-like leading edge
24 as it cuts through the rough.
[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the striking angle b between the
striking face 18 and a vertical plane 100 in which the shaft 12 and
hosel 14 of the golf club are positioned when they are in a
substantially upright address position is between 45.degree. and
60.degree., where the vertical plane 100 is perpendicular to the
ground level horizontal plane 110 and parallel to the leading edge
24 of the club head 10. A higher angle b promotes a higher but
shorter shot. A smaller angle b allows for a longer shot but
provides for a lower ball flight trajectory as is well known in the
golf industry.
[0020] In one preferred embodiment, the thickness of the metal
blade 16 between the striking face 18 and the planar portion of the
rear face 22 is between 0.8125 inch and 0.875 inch. In addition,
the length of the club head 10 from the knife-like leading edge 24
to the trailing edge 26 at the line 38 where grooves on the
striking face terminate on the toe end of the club is between 2.375
and 2.5 inches. Also, the distance from the intersection of the
hosel 14 meets the metal blade 16 to the toe end is between 4.00
inches to 4.75 inches.
[0021] The angle c between the ground level 110 and the apex or
downward most point of the rounded protrusion 30 of the sole 20 is
approximately 10.degree. when the shaft 12 and hosel 14 of the golf
club are in a substantially upward address position in the vertical
plane 100 perpendicular to the ground level horizontal plane 110
and parallel to the leading edge 24 of the club head. This
protrusion 30 helps prohibit the knife-like leading edge 24 from
cutting too deeply into the ground by providing a bounce mechanism
as the club head 10 proceeds downward. As the angle b between the
striking face 18 and the above described vertical plane decreases
and the striking face 18 becomes more upright, the distance between
the apex of the rounded protrusion 30 of the sole 20 and the
striking face 18 will necessarily increase to maintain the angle
c.
[0022] Another embodiment of the golf club head is illustrated in
FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the rear face 22A gradually curves
after the arc 28A to meet the protrusion 30A of the sole 20A.
Further, in this embodiment, the protrusion 30A also gradually
curves to form into the planar region of sole 20A. Like other
embodiments, angles a, b, and c are maintained as described above
to insure the leading edge's 24 effectiveness and help prevent the
leading edge 24 from digging too far into the ground during its
downward progression.
[0023] An abrasive coating can also serve as the striking face 18
in one embodiment of the invention. Such a coating may improve spin
on a golf ball struck by the club head 10 by facilitating better
contact between the club head 10 and the golf ball. Spin is a very
desirable result for most wedge shots. Thus, a golfer may enjoy the
added benefit of increased spin along with the advantages of the
invention already described. This abrasive coating may be formed,
for example, by embedding particles of a material such as diamond
into the striking face of the club head.
[0024] Although the invention has been described in terms of
exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the
appended claims should be construed broadly to include other
variants and embodiments of the invention that may be made by those
skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of
equivalents of the invention.
* * * * *