Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Club or club support
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-11
2001-03-20
Passaniti, Sebastiano (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Club or club support
C473S345000, C473S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203448
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a structure for securing a weight to a metallic hollow golf club head and more particularly to a metallic hollow golf club head in which a weight formed from a different type of metal to a sole plate on the main body of the club head formed from titanium or titanium alloy can be firmly secured thereto.
In recent years, a hollow golf club head consisting of the light metal titanium or titanium alloy has attracted considerable attention due to its superior driving distance capacity. Since this hollow golf club head is made from light metal, a weight consisting of metal having a large specific gravity is secured to the inner surface of the sole plate in order to lower the center of gravity and increase the moment of inertia.
Generally, however, it is difficult to weld together metals of different types, and especially difficult when one of the metals is titanium or a titanium alloy. Consequently, when the sole plate and the weight consist of metals of different types such as in the above-mentioned hollow golf club head, there has been a problem of insufficient strength in the welded joint.
A conventional countermeasure against this problem was disclosed in Japanese patent application Kokai publication No. 6-296716 which proposed a method of securing a weight to the sole plate using a screw. However, this type of securing method has the disadvantage that when the head is used as a golf club head, vibration resulting from striking the ball or making contact with the ground produces unpleasant sounds and causes looseness.
Alternatively, as shown in
FIG. 15
, a securing method has been proposed wherein the weight
4
is fitted to the sole plate
2
by means of a dovetail groove. However, this method has the disadvantage that the high-precision manufacturing processing required is time-consuming and increases costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a metallic hollow golf club head in which a weight formed from metal can be firmly secured to a sole plate formed from a different type of light metal.
In order to achieve the above objective, a metallic hollow golf club head of the present invention comprises a sole plate molded from a light metal and formed with a fitting hole, and a weight of a heavy metal press-fitted into the fitting hole and fixed solidly to the sole plate.
Furthermore, a metallic hollow golf club head of the present invention comprises a sole plate molded from a light metal and formed with a fitting hole, and a weighted structure comprising a weight of a heavy metal press-fitted into a ring-shaped spacer formed of the same light metal as the sole plate, said weighted structure being fitted into the fitting hole, and the ring-shaped spacer and the sole plate being welded together.
Furthermore, a metallic hollow golf club head of the present invention comprises a sole plate molded from a light metal and formed with a fitting hole, and a weighted structure comprising a weight of a heavy metal wrapped with a belt-shaped spacer formed of the same light metal as the sole plate, said weighted structure being fitted into the fitting hole, and the belt-shaped spacer and the sole plate being welded together.
Thus, the weight is press-fitted into the fitting hole provided on the sole plate of a light metal such as titanium and titanium alloy. When necessary, a through hole passing through the weight and the sole plate is provided for inserting and caulking a rivet. Alternatively, the weight structure comprising the weight press-fitted into the ring-shaped spacer or wrapped with the belt shaped spacer of the same light metal as the sole plate is fitted into the fitting hole of the sole plate, and the spacer and the sole plate are welded together. Consequently, the weight can be firmly secured to the sole plate and a low center of gravity and increased moment of inertia can be obtained in the main body of a light metallic head.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4052075 (1977-10-01), Daly
patent: 4795159 (1989-01-01), Nagamoto
patent: 4803023 (1989-02-01), Enomoto et al.
patent: 4824116 (1989-04-01), Nagamoto et al.
patent: 5501459 (1996-03-01), Endo
patent: 5533725 (1996-07-01), Reynolds, Jr.
patent: 5669825 (1997-09-01), Shira
patent: 5720674 (1998-02-01), Galy
patent: 5776011 (1998-07-01), Su et al.
patent: 5935019 (1999-08-01), Yamamoto
patent: 6033321 (2000-03-01), Yamamoto
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Passaniti Sebastiano
The Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd.
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