Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Club or club support
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-06
2001-01-30
Passaniti, Sebastiano (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Club or club support
C473S341000, C473S342000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179727
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a club type instrument for striking a ball and more particularly to a golf club for putting a golf ball.
II. Prior Art
Golf club putters (hereinafter “putters”) of various types are known. Such putters are designed for striking a golf ball along substantially smooth grass portions of golf courses. Since putting often accounts for nearly half of a golfer's total strokes, many specialized types of putters have been disclosed. As the golfer's aim is to minimize the number of strokes, many specialized putters have been designed to maximize the efficiency and accuracy with which a golf club putter engages a golf ball.
Putters with various weighting schemes are known to those skilled in the art. Moreover, putters having substantially rounded engagement surfaces have similarly been disclosed. It is also known to provide a composite insert on the striking face of the putter to give the golf ball a soft feel at the time of engagement.
However, none of the aforementioned inventions or improvements have been done in combination. Moreover, little attention has been paid to the overall geometry of the club face and its optimization. For instance, while a putter with a substantially rounded striking face has been disclosed, its simple club face does not geometrically assure the optimum engagement of a golf ball. Therefore, the need exists to provide a golf club putter having a geometrically optimized club face and also having all of the above-described features.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly described, the present invention comprises a putter including a shaft connected to a uniquely designed putter head. This unique putter head provides a geometrically optimized convex striking surface which ensures a single point of contact when striking a golf ball.
While arounded-face teardrop style putter was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,060 to Wooten (“Wooten”), the Wooten club face does not ensure that a single point of contact will engage a golf ball when struck. The present invention improves upon Wooten by providing a dual radius convex face. In this way the upper portion of the striking surface of the club face has a smaller radius of curvature than the lower portion of the striking club face. Therefore, the intersection of these two radii provides for a single point of contact for a golf ball. Further, the larger radius of curvature on the lower portion of the club striking face ensures that the striking face will disengage the ball as putted more quickly than the putter taught by Wooten. Hence, the golf ball as engaged will not be hampered by unwanted spins provided by the club face. As it is known to those skilled in the art, a golf ball rolls more predictably when struck quickly and by a single point of a striking club. Furthermore, the advantage of a single point of contact is that the ball will tend not to skid before eventually rolling when engaged by the club.
Another problem with the prior art putters is that they do nothing to ensure a single point of contact with a golf ball when the putter itself is not in proper longitudinal and/or angular alignment with respect to the ball and the ground. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bottom surface of the putter is curved as defined by a bottom radius. Likewise, the intersection of the two radii of the club face is curved as defined by a path radius. To optimize the geometry of the club face, the path radius and bottom radius are complementary. Thus, no matter what the orientation angle of the putter during the engagement of the ball, a single point of contact will be ensured.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new putter that ensures a single point of contact with a golf ball.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a putter with a unique putter head having a convex striking face and bottom surface area to ensure a single point of contact with a golf ball when struck.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a putter with all the aforementioned characteristics and a weighting scheme which places weights at the same level as the point of engagement of the golf ball.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a putter with all the aforementioned features and a composite insert to provide a soft point of engagement for a golf ball.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a putter with the aforementioned features which confirms to the United States Golf Association's Rules of Golf.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Jenner & Block
Passaniti Sebastiano
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