Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Practice swingable implement or indicator associated with...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-30
2001-06-12
Passaniti, Sebastiano (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Practice swingable implement or indicator associated with...
C473S251000, C473S340000, C473S342000, C473S349000, C473S332000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244972
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for securing, a core structure within a main putter body structure, secured only by its perimeter in relationship to the striking surface through the interface of the two materials.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Mechanically intrusive fasteners to retain a core insert within a putter body adversely effect the feel, that is, the feedback that a golfer relies on in the use of the putter. The present invention is an improvement over the prior art wherein steps recesses, backing plates, slots, tabs, extensions, pins, rods, screws, or other fasteners or combinations thereof are used as the primary means of core insert retention in a putter body. These mechanisms are stress risers and of unnecessarily complicated design.
In the prior art, Applicant is aware of numerous attempts in the prior art to improve the field of golf clubs generally and putters particularly. As an example, the following United States patents deal with the use of resilient or otherwise different density inserts mountable into the striking face of a golf club: U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,562 issued to Sturm on Nov. 25, 1997,for Soft Impact Putter; U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,132 issued to Fisher on Oct. 7, 1997,for Golf Club Head with Rebound Control Insert; U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,472 issued to Magerman et al on Nov. 19, 1996, for Golf Putter Head Having Face Insert and Method of Forming the Same; U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,510 issued to Schmidt et al on Feb. 25, 1997, for Golf Putter with Face Plate Insert; U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,935 issued to Nelson on Dec. 1, 1998,for Golf Putter Head With Low Density Insert; U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,332 issued to Fisher on Oct. 17, 1995, for Golf Putter Head with a Cushioning Face; U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,212 issued to Cook on Nov. 7, 1995, for Golf Club Putter; U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,093 issued to Rohrer on Jun. 16, 1998, for Golf Putterhead; U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,189 issued to Martin et al on Sep. 15, 1998, for Golf Club Head; U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,747 issued to Fujimura et al on Jul. 18, 1989, for Set of Golf Clubs.
For the reasons better set out below, such inserts are inferior to the full depth elastomeric core insert of the present invention.
Applicant is also aware in the prior art of two United States patents, also disclosing inserts for use in golf club heads wherein the insert is interior to the golf club head, namely: U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,481 issued to Raudman on Oct. 13, 1998, for Golf Putter; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,535 issued to Gee on Jun. 20, 1995, for Polymer Filled Perimeter Weighted Golf Clubs.
Applicant is aware of one United States patent, namely, U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,223 which issued Jul. 26, 1994 to Johnson for a Golf Club Putter and Method of Manufacture, which teaches the use of an insert which extends from the striking face of the putter to the rear face of the putter and is peripherally contained within a peripherally weighted putter head. In particular, the putter head of Johnson is formed by bending a rod of suitable rigid material, such as stainless steel, into a desired head shape thereby defining an enclosed open area into which a striking face insert is installed and permanently held in place with a suitable adhesive filler material such as a polyester fiberglass resin. What is neither taught nor suggested, and which is an object of the present invention to provide, is the mounting of a full depth elastomeric core into a peripherally weighted putter head without the requirement of either adhesive filler material such as taught by Johnson, or other mechanical fastening means such as taught in the above cited prior art.
SUMMARY
In summary the putter head of the present invention has an elastomeric core that provides resonant feedback having an amplitude corresponding to applied force. The putter head includes a peripherally weighted body having a uniform first density. The body has a full depth cavity extending along a first axis from a planar front face of the body to a rear face of the body. The opposite ends of the cavity are exposed on the front and rear faces of the body. The cavity and the first axis are perpendicular to the front face of the body. An elastomeric core is mounted within the cavity so as to completely fill the cavity. The core is mounted solely by frictional adhesive engagement between an outer perimeter surface of the core and a surface of the cavity. The core has a uniform second density and opposite front and rear faces. The front face of the core is coplanar with the front face of the body.
The outer perimeter surface of the core and the surface of the cavity are free from asymmetric irregularities. The second density is substantially less than the first density. For example, the first density may be nine times the second density. The core is, in cross section perpendicular to the first axis, symmetric about orthogonal second and third axes lying in the cross section. The core dampens sound vibration commensurate with an applied force resulting from direct impact of the front face of the core with a golf ball, and redirects the force radially, orthogonal to the first axis, into the peripherally weighted body for transmission of the force by the body as tactile and audible feedback to a user. The feedback has an amplitude corresponding to a magnitude of the transmitted force. The feedback produced by the body after a golf ball impacts the front face of the core indicates the force of the impact independently of the hardness of the composition of the golf ball.
Advantageously, the cavity is elongate along the second axis and the second axis is a longitudinal axis of the body. Further, the cavity may be positioned above a lowermost surface of the body so as to contact a golf ball lying in grass.
In one aspect of the present invention, the diameter of the cavity, measured in a plane containing the second and third axes, may not be constant along the first axis. That is, the core is not merely a truncated cylindrical elastomeric plug but may be a truncated ellipsoid or truncated spheroid (including oblate or prolate), in which cases the diameter of the cavity increases inwardly of the front and rear core faces. In one embodiment the diameter of the cavity is a maximum at a position generally halfway between the front and rear core faces along the first axis. The surface of the cavity may also be formed as a bi-directional wedge shape. In other embodiments, the diameter of the cavity may decrease inwardly of the front and rear faces so as to assist in holing the core in the cavity.
In the case where the core is a truncated ellipsoid or spheroid the surface profile of the front face of the core may be elliptical, round or otherwise generally oval. Thus a surface profile of the front face of the core is symmetric about at least one of the second or third axes. The putter head of claim
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wherein the surface profile is elliptical. In a further aspect of the present invention a long axis of the surface profile is parallel to a long axis of the body.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4749196 (1988-06-01), Podgor
patent: 4848747 (1989-07-01), Fujimura et al.
patent: 5332214 (1994-07-01), Tucker
patent: 5332223 (1994-07-01), Johnson
patent: 5425535 (1995-06-01), Gee
patent: 5458332 (1995-10-01), Fisher
patent: 5464212 (1995-11-01), Cook
patent: 5575472 (1996-11-01), Magerman et al.
patent: 5605510 (1997-02-01), Schmidt et al.
patent: 5674132 (1997-10-01), Fisher
patent: 5690562 (1997-11-01), Sturm
patent: 5718644 (1998-02-01), Donofrio
patent: 5766093 (1998-06-01), Rohrer
patent: 5842935 (1998-12-01), Nelson
patent: 5938543 (1999-08-01), McGeeney
Edwards Antony C.
Passaniti Sebastiano
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