U.S. patent application number 11/104861 was filed with the patent office on 2005-10-20 for putter.
Invention is credited to Cameron, Don T..
Application Number | 20050233829 11/104861 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34700307 |
Filed Date | 2005-10-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050233829 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cameron, Don T. |
October 20, 2005 |
Putter
Abstract
A putter club having a relatively hard face insert supported by
at least one dampening layer is disclosed. The putter club also has
an internal weight positioned in line with the center of gravity of
the club. The putter club has a body and a sole plate wherein the
density of the body is substantially higher than the density of the
sole plate. A vibration dampening system for a golf club is also
disclosed.
Inventors: |
Cameron, Don T.; (Carlsbad,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ACUSHNET COMPANY
333 BRIDGE STREET
P. O. BOX 965
FAIRHAVEN
MA
02719
US
|
Family ID: |
34700307 |
Appl. No.: |
11/104861 |
Filed: |
April 13, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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11104861 |
Apr 13, 2005 |
|
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10704774 |
Nov 10, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
473/340 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 53/0487 20130101;
A63B 53/0416 20200801; A63B 53/0433 20200801; A63B 53/0441
20200801 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/340 |
International
Class: |
A63B 053/04 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A putter comprising a club head having a body comprising a front
portion and a back portion, wherein the front portion has an insert
supported by a dampening layer and the insert has a Brinell
hardness of at least about 150.
2. The putter of claim 1, wherein the Brinell hardness of the
insert is lower than a Brinell hardness of the body by less than
100.
3. The putter of claim 1, wherein a tensile strength of the insert
is higher than a tensile strength of the body.
4. The putter of claim 1, wherein a yield strength of the insert is
higher than a yield strength of the body.
5. The putter of claim 1, wherein the insert has a Brinell hardness
of less than about 200.
6. The putter of claim 2, wherein the difference in Brinell
hardness is at least about 10.
7. The putter of claim 6, wherein the difference in Brinell
hardness is at least about 25.
8. The putter of claim 7, wherein the difference in Brinell
hardness is at least about 50.
9. The putter of claim 1, wherein the back portion comprises a
mallet type extension.
10. The putter of claim 1, further comprising a sole plate
attachable to the body and made from a material with a density
lower than a density of the body.
11. The putter of claim 10, wherein the sole plate is made from a
non-ferrous material.
12. The putter of claim 11, wherein the sole plate is made from
aluminum alloy.
13. The putter of claim 10, wherein the density of the body is at
least about twice the density of the sole plate.
14. The putter of claim 13, wherein the density of the body is at
least about three times the density of the sole plate.
15. The putter of claim 1, further comprising a weight member
positioned within the body such that a center of gravity of the
putter coincides with the weight member.
16. The putter of claim 15, wherein a center of gravity of the
weight member is positioned approximate the center of gravity of
the putter.
17. The putter of claim 1, wherein the dampening layer is located
on a back surface of the insert.
18. The putter of claim 1, further comprising a second dampening
layer visible on the front portion and positioned around the
insert.
19. The putter of claim 1, further comprising a third dampening
layer positioned between a weight member and a sole plate attached
to the body.
20. The putter of claim 19, wherein the third dampening layer
attaches a weight member to the sole plate.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S.
application Ser. No. 10/704,774, filed Nov. 10, 2003.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention generally relates to golf clubs, and more
particularly relates to putter golf clubs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Golf clubs, particularly the clubs used on and around the
greens, have long been developed to improve the touch and feel for
the golfers. Conventional approaches to improve touch and feel
include modifying the grip, the shaft or the strike face of the
clubs. In one example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,458 B1 discloses an
insert on the strike face that affects the rebound of the golf ball
at impact with the strike face. The '458 patent further discloses a
dampening layer located behind the insert that dampens the
vibrations caused by the impact and improves the touch and feel
feedback to the golfers. The amount of feedback can be controlled
by the amount of contact between the face insert and the dampening
layer. To improve touch and feel, the insert is made from a
relatively soft tellurium copper alloy.
[0004] In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,303 B1 discloses a
putter club having a user-replaceable face insert. The insert is
selected to have different weight, texture and hardness. The user
can choose a particular insert for the club to match the club's
putting characteristics to the green's conditions. The insert can
be fabricated from titanium, graphite, polytetrafluoroethylene
(PTFE), copper, brass, plastics, aluminum, carbon steel, stainless
steel among others.
[0005] However, the prior art does not contemplate a putter that
has a striking face with properties that are uniquely different
from other parts of the club.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Hence, the present invention is directed to a putter club
having a face insert.
[0007] The present invention is also directed to a putter club
having a relatively hard face insert supported by at least one
dampening layer.
[0008] The present invention is directed to a system of vibration
dampeners for a golf club.
[0009] The present invention is also directed to a putter club
having an internal weight positioned in line with the center of
gravity of the club.
[0010] The present invention is also directed to a putter club with
a body and a sole plate wherein the density of the body is
substantially higher than the density of the sole plate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the
specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith and in
which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in
the various views:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded front view of the putter in
accordance with the present invention showing the insert and the
putter body;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective back view of the putter in FIG.
1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective bottom view of the putter in FIG.
1;
[0015] FIG. 4 is exploded view of the putter in FIG. 1 showing the
sole plate and the bottom of the putter body; and
[0016] FIG. 5 is a front view of the putter of FIG. 1 showing the
insert and the hitting face.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] Putter club head 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1-5. Club head 10
comprises front 12, back 14, top 16, sole 18, heel 20, toe 22 and
hosel 24. Hosel 24 is attachable to one end of a shaft and a grip
is attached to the shaft at the opposite end. In a preferred
embodiment, club head 10 is a mallet type putter and has face
insert 26 attachable to the club head body, designated collectively
as reference number 28, to form front 12. As shown, insert 26 has a
shape that is substantially the same as front 12 and is dimensioned
to fit inside the perimeter of face 12. A gap 40 is defined on face
12 around insert 26, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The thickness of
insert 26 can be constant, or can vary. As shown, insert 26 is
relatively thick, except in the vicinity of the hosel where insert
26 is thinner. The present invention, however, is not limited to
the size and shape of the insert illustrated and described herein.
Insert 26 can be attached to body 28 by any conventional means,
including welding, threaded fasteners, adhesives, etc., discussed
below. The loft angle of front 12 is preferably about 0.degree. to
about 6.degree., and more preferably about 4.degree..
[0018] As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, top 16 may have any contour,
shape or aesthetic designs. Top 16 comprises front region 32
proximate front 12 and a mallet-shaped extension. The mallet-shaped
extension has concaving top surface 34 surrounded by border region
36. For additional distinctiveness, concaving surface 34 has a
plurality of score lines 38. The present invention, however, is not
limited to mallet putter clubs or to any particular aesthetic
designs.
[0019] Sole plate 18 is preferably made separate from body 28 and
is attached thereto by any conventional means, such as threaded
fasteners, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. As illustrated, body 28
is hollow; however, it is understood that the present invention is
not limited to hollow club heads. Weight 30 is attachable to sole
18 to alter the mass of the club head. In one embodiment, weight 30
is added to club head 10 when the length of the shaft is less than
about 35 inches, and preferably when the shaft length is about 33
inches to about 34 inches. In one embodiment, when the shaft length
is about 35 inches, weight 30 is zero. When the shaft length is
about 34 inches, weight 30 is about 10 grams, and when the shaft
length is about 33 inches, weight 30 is about 20 grams. Sole plate
18 may also include indicia on the outside surface to indicate the
shaft length, as shown in FIG. 3.
[0020] In accordance to one aspect of the present invention, weight
30 is positioned at a location directly behind the center of
gravity of putter 10. When putter 10 strikes a golf ball at its
center of gravity, weight 30 would line up on an imaginary line
connecting the center of gravity of the club to the center of
gravity of the ball. More preferably, the center of gravity of
weight 30 lines up with this imaginary line. In other words, weight
30 is positioned such that it lines up with the center of gravity
of the club in the X, Y and Z directions. Such disposition of
weight 30 advantageously minimizes vibration when the putter
strikes a ball.
[0021] In accordance to another aspect of the present invention,
preferably disposed between insert 26 and body 28 is a first
dampening layer X. Dampening layers in putter golf clubs are fully
disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,458 B1, which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Suitable
dampening materials include any materials, such as polymeric
materials, that posses the appropriate tangent of delta to absorb
vibrations generated by impacts with golf balls and to improve the
touch and feel of the club. Optional screws, as illustrated in FIG.
2, may also be used to attach insert 26 to body 28. These optional
screws can also be used to hold insert 26 tightly against body 28.
Suitable dampening materials include, but are not limited to,
silicone materials, such as Stock No. GE281 from General Electric,
and foamed rubbers or elastomers.
[0022] A second dampening layer Y can be provided in gap 40 between
insert 26 and the rest of face 12 to further dampen vibration.
Preferably, the second dampening layer is made from silicone
material. Furthermore, a third dampening layer Z can be provided
between weight 30 and sole 18, and preferably third dampening layer
Z is made from the same material as the first dampening layer.
[0023] In accordance to one aspect of the present invention, insert
26 is made from a substance that is relatively hard, i.e., having
high hardness measurement. In one example, the insert is made from
a grade 303 stainless steel commercially available from
Monstanstahl AG of Germany (hereinafter SS 303 DE), and the body is
made from other commercial grade 303 annealed stainless steel and
the sole plate is made from commercial grade aluminum alloy 6061.
The tables below summarize the chemical make-up and mechanical
properties of the different parts of club head 10.
1TABLE 1 Chemical Compositions Carbon Chromium Nickel Nitrogen
Sulfur Iron Insert 26 (SS 303 DE) 0.15% 17%-19% 8%-10% -- 0.15%
min. Remaining Body 28 (SS 303) 0.15% 17%-19% 8%-10% 0.15% min
Remaining Copper Silicone Manganese Magnesium Chromium Aluminum
Sole 18 (Aluminum 0.28% 0.6% -- 1.0% 0.20% Remaining alloy
6061)
[0024]
2TABLE 2 Mechanical Properties Tensile Yield Elongation Strength
Strength before Hardness Density (kpsi) (kpsi) break (Brinell)
(lb/in.sup.3) Insert 26 109 71 40% 183 0.289 (SS 303 DE) Body 28
75-90 30-40 35%-50% 262 0.289 (SS 303) Sole 18 8 & 40 18 &
45 25% & 12% 30 & 95 0.098 (Aluminum alloy 6061)
[0025] Brinell hardness is measured by forcing a hard steel or
carbide sphere of a specified diameter under a known applied force
for a known duration of time. The Brinell hardness number is
obtained by dividing the force of the load used in kilogram by the
actual surface area of the indentation caused by the sphere in
square millimeters. The Brinell hardness number, therefore, has a
unit similar to that of pressure. For aluminum and other soft
metals, the applied force used is 500 kg. For the harder irons and
steels, the applied force used is 3000 kg. The time period that the
force is applied is about 10-15 seconds. Preferably, hardness tests
are conducted under the ASTM E-10 standard.
[0026] The mechanical properties listed above for stainless steel
303 represent typical properties for stainless steels 303 that have
been annealed, and the mechanical properties listed for SS 303 DE
are the properties for the stainless steel 303 produced by
Monstanstahl AG, which is the preferred material for insert 26.
Although insert 26 and body 28 can be made from the same material,
e.g., stainless steel 303, insert 26 is softer (lower hardness) but
has higher yield strength and tensile strength than body 28.
[0027] Two sets of numbers are given for aluminum alloy 6061. The
first set corresponds to the annealed alloy and the second set
corresponds to the alloy that had been tempered. Both alloys are
suitable for sole 18. The annealed aluminum alloy 6061 is more
preferred due to its softness for ease of manufacturing.
Additionally, aluminum alloy 6061 has a density that is about 3
times less than the density of stainless steel 303, and when used
in the sole plate can move the center of gravity of the putter
upward to a more desirable position.
[0028] The inventor of the present invention believes that a
combination of a relatively hard hitting face provided by the hard
insert with more than one dampening layer supporting the hard
insert provides the putter with better touch and feel.
[0029] While it is apparent that the illustrative embodiments of
the invention disclosed herein fulfill the objectives stated above,
it is appreciated that numerous modifications and other embodiments
may be devised by those skilled in the art. Therefore, it will be
understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such
modifications and embodiments, which would come within the spirit
and scope of the present invention.
* * * * *