U.S. patent application number 11/432371 was filed with the patent office on 2007-11-15 for golf club head with flexible face.
Invention is credited to Archer C. C. Chen.
Application Number | 20070265111 11/432371 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38685829 |
Filed Date | 2007-11-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070265111 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen; Archer C. C. |
November 15, 2007 |
Golf club head with flexible face
Abstract
A golf club head includes a front member and a rear member. The
rear member has a neck, and the front member has a face and a
flexible portion projected from a top of a back side of the face.
The front member is connected to the rear member to form the golf
club head with the flexible portion as at least a part of a crown
of the golf club head.
Inventors: |
Chen; Archer C. C.;
(Taichung, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BROWDY AND NEIMARK, P.L.L.C.;624 NINTH STREET, NW
SUITE 300
WASHINGTON
DC
20001-5303
US
|
Family ID: |
38685829 |
Appl. No.: |
11/432371 |
Filed: |
May 12, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/345 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 53/0437 20200801;
A63B 53/06 20130101; A63B 2209/00 20130101; A63B 53/0433 20200801;
A63B 53/0466 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/345 |
International
Class: |
A63B 53/00 20060101
A63B053/00 |
Claims
1. A golf club head, comprising a front member and a rear member,
wherein the rear member has a neck, and the front member has a face
and a flexible portion projected from a top of a back side of the
face, and the front member is connected to the rear member by
brazing to form the golf club head with the flexible portion as at
least a part of a crown of the golf club head.
2. The golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the front
member is made of titanium alloy and is made by casting.
3. The golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the front
member has a bore, in which a face plate is fixed to form the
face.
4. The golf club head as defined in claim 2, wherein the flexible
portion of the front member has a thickness less than 1.2 mm.
5. The golf club head as defined in claim 3, wherein the flexible
portion of the front member has a thickness less than 1.2 mm.
6. The golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the front
member and the rear member are provided with a protrusion and a
slot for engagement.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a golf club, and
more particularly to a golf club head, which a face thereof is
leaned backward when it hits a ball.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] In a golf club head, "Loft" is an angle between a face of
the golf club head and a vertical plane. The golf club head with
greater loft will drive the ball higher and shorter, and the ball
runs a shorter distance when it falls to the ground. Such golf club
is superior in ball control. The conventional golf club head
usually has a fixed loft.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide
a golf club head, which a face thereof is leaned backward when it
hit a ball. The face will has a greater loft when it hit the ball
to drive the ball higher, and the restoring force of the face will
drive the ball further.
[0006] According to the objectives of the present invention, a golf
club head includes a front member and a rear member. The rear
member has a neck, and the front member has a face and a flexible
portion projected from a top of a back side of the face. The front
member is connected to the rear member to form the golf club head
with the flexible portion as at least a part of a crown of the golf
club head.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a top view of a first preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a sectional view along 2-2 line of FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a sectional view along 2-2 line of FIG. 1, showing
the face leaned backward; and
[0010] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a second preferred embodiment
of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a golf club head 10 of a
first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a
front member 20 and a rear member 30. The golf club head 10 has a
neck 11 on the rear member 30. The front member 20 has a face 21
and an annular wall 22 on a back side thereof. The wall 22 is
longer a top thereof to form a flexible portion 23. The front
member 20 has a protrusion 24 and the rear member 30 has a slot 34
to engage the protrusion 24, and the front member 20 and the rear
member 30 is connected together by brazing to form the golf club
head 10. The flexible portion 23 forms a whole or a part of a crown
of the golf club head 10. In the present invention, the flexible
portion 23 is only a part of the crown, and the rest of it is
formed by a top portion 33 of the rear member 30. As shown in FIG.
1, the size of the flexible portion 23 may be varied (shown as the
dot lines 1 or b). The front member 20 is preferred made of
titanium, and a thickness of the flexible portion 23 is preferred
less than 1.2 mm, and more preferred less than 1.0 mm. The rear
member 30 may be a single unit or combined by two or more pieces.
The rear member 30 may be made of stainless steel, aluminum alloy,
magnesium alloy, or other suitable materials.
[0012] As shown in FIG. 3, when the golf club head 10 hits a ball,
the impact of the ball exerted on the face 21 will make the
flexible portion 23 flexed, and a top side of the face 21 will lean
backwards. At this time, a loft of the face 21 is raised to drive
the ball higher. After that, the restoring force of the flexible
portion 23 will release to drive the ball further.
[0013] As shown in FIG. 4, a golf club head 40 of the second
preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a front
member 50 and a rear member 60. The front member 50, which is made
of titanium also, has a bore 51, in which a face plate 52 is fixed
by brazing. The face plate 52 is made of .beta.-titanium alloy.
[0014] The advantages of the present invention are listed
hereunder:
[0015] 1. The flexible portion gives the face a greater deformation
that the face of the present invention has a superior
flexibility.
[0016] 2. The loft of the face is greater when it hit the ball that
drives the ball higher.
[0017] 3. The front member has no neck thereon, which may be made
by casting to reduce the cost.
[0018] 4. The golf club head of the present invention has the front
member and the rear member combined by brazing that is contributive
to make the front member by casting. It is hard to have a precise
size when the front member is made by casting, especially there are
many curved portions on the front member. The engagement of the
protrusion and the slot will give a greater tolerance in the sizes
of the front member and the rear member combined.
[0019] 5. The front member is made by titanium, which is a light
metal, to make the flexible portion with a thinner thickness. It
also helps the center of gravity of the golf club head moving to a
lower and rear position.
[0020] The description above is a few preferred embodiments of the
present invention and the equivalence of the present invention is
still in the scope of the claim of the present invention.
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