Putter with improved structure and aiming

Abstract

To provide a putter having a line of sight useful for positioning.SOLUTION: Provided is a putter including a body formed by connecting at least three separate components 110, 120, 130. At least two of the components forming a putter body have a line of view visible by a golfer locating at an address position and useful for positioning the putter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to golf clubs, and more particularly to a golf putter having a body constructed from at least three separate pieces and a sight line formed on multiple pieces. [Background technology]

[0002] Golf club heads come in a variety of shapes and constructions, including metal woods, irons (including wedges), utilities or hybrids or specialty types of clubs, and putters. Each of these styles has a predetermined function and general construction. This invention is primarily concerned with putters, which are typically used to strike a golf ball and impart a rolling trajectory onto the green of a course.

[0003] Putters come in a variety of styles, each with different advantages. Putters are also subject to the Rules of Golf as set forth by the USGA. The rules include heel-toe dimensions, front-to-back dimensions, neck length, face angle, lie angle, and that putters must not vary substantially from customary and traditional shapes. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a putter having: a first body member including a striking face and a rear portion extending rearward from the striking face at an address position; a second body member coupled to the first body member below the rear portion of the first body member and rearward of the striking face at the address position; a third body member coupled to the second body member below the second body member at the address position; and a face center plane that passes through a face center of the striking face and is perpendicular to the ground at the address position, wherein the first body member, the second body member, and the third body member are visible to a golfer at the address position.

[0005] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a putter having: a first body member including a striking face surface and a rear portion extending rearwardly from the striking face at an address position; a second body member coupled to the first body member below the rear portion of the first body member and rearwardly of the striking face at the address position; a third body member coupled to the second body member below the second body member at the address position; and a face center plane passing through a face center of the striking face at the address position and perpendicular to a ground, wherein the first body member is made from a first material having a first density, the second body member is made from a second material having a second density, and the third body member is made from a third material having a third density, the second density being less than the first density and the second density being less than the third density, the first body member having at least one sightline and the second body member having a plurality of sightlines. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements and in which: [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a putter of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded top perspective view of the putter of FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is an exploded bottom perspective view of the putter of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a top view of the putter of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the putter of FIG. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0007] 1-5, the present invention relates to a putter 100. The putter 100 includes a first body member 110, a second body member 120, and a third body member 130. As described in more detail below, constructing the putter 100 with the first body member 110, the second body member 120, and the third body member 130 increases the weight distribution of the putter 100, improving sound, feel, and forgiveness, while providing contrast between the body members and improving the golfer's ability to aim the putter 100 at the intended target. The first body member 110 includes a striking face 114 for impacting a golf ball during a putting stroke. The first body member 110 in this embodiment includes a hosel 112 coupled to a shaft and a grip, as is well known in the art. The first body member 110 includes a rear portion 116 extending rearwardly from the striking face 114, the rear portion 116 having an upper surface 117 visible to the golfer at address position. The rear portion 116 may include a cavity 115 to facilitate distributing weight to other areas of the putter 100 .

[0008] The first body member 110 also includes at least one line of sight 118 on a top surface 117 of a rear portion 116 that extends rearward from the striking face 114. The at least one line of sight 118 extends from the striking face 114 to a rearmost end 119 of the first body member 110 to provide a maximum length for the at least one line of sight 118 and further assist the golfer in properly aligning the putter 100. The at least one line of sight 118 may be formed as a groove, protrusion, or painted line on the top surface 117. The at least one line of sight 118 may be in the shape of an arrow to assist the golfer in aligning the putter 100 toward a target. In a preferred embodiment, the first body member 110 is one color, such as gray or black, and the at least one line of sight 118 is a different, contrasting color. For example, if the first body member 110 is black, the at least one line of sight 118 may be red, white, silver, or other bright colors. If the first body member 110 is gray, the at least one line of sight 118 may be red, white, black, or other contrasting color. In a preferred embodiment, a golfer may select the color of the at least one line of sight 118 to personalize the putter 100. The first body member 110 is made of a first material having a first density. In a most preferred embodiment, the first body member 110 is formed of steel and has a density of approximately 7 g / cc to 8 g / cc.

[0009] The putter 100 includes a second body member 120 coupled to the first body member 110 via a fastener 122. The second body member 120 is located below the first body member 110 and behind the hitting face 114 in the address position. The second body member 120 includes a first weight port 124a located on the toe side relative to a face center plane that passes through the face center of the hitting face 114 and is perpendicular to the ground in the address position. The second body member 120 also includes a second weight port 124b located on the heel side relative to the face center plane. The fastener 122 may be inserted into openings 123 located in the first weight port 124a and the second weight port 124b to couple the second body member 120 to the first body member 110. The putter 100 includes a weight member 105 that can be removably inserted into the first weight port 124a and the second weight port 124b. Preferably, the weight members 105 are formed from steel or tungsten. The weight members 105 may be formed to weigh between 10 grams and 50 grams each. The weight members 105 may be positioned equidistant from the face center plane to increase the moment of inertia of the putter 100. The weight members 105 may be threaded to protect the fasteners 122 from corrosion and wear and to act as a cover to prevent unwanted removal of the second body member 120 from the first body member 110. The second body member 120 may include a central groove 126 that receives the rear portion 116 of the first body member 110 during assembly. The central groove 126 acts as a locating feature to help properly align the first body member 110 and the second body member 120 during assembly. The central groove 126 may include at least one opening 123 that receives at least one fastener 122 to couple the second body member 120 to the first body member 110.

[0010] The second body member 120 includes sight lines 128 on either side of the central groove 126 on the top surface of the second body member 120 for viewing by the golfer at address position. The sight lines 128 may be formed as grooves, protrusions, or painted lines on the second body member 120. In a preferred embodiment, the second body member 120 is one color, such as gray or black, and the sight lines 128 are a different contrasting color. For example, if the second body member 120 is black, the sight lines 128 may be red, white, silver, or other bright colors. If the second body member 120 is gray, the sight lines 128 may be red, white, black, or other contrasting colors. In a preferred embodiment, the golfer may select the color of the sight lines 128 to customize the putter 100. The sight lines 128 are parallel to each other and are positioned to extend perpendicular to the striking face 114. Preferably, the sight lines 128 are spaced apart by more than 1.0 inch. In another preferred embodiment, the lines of sight 128 are spaced apart by approximately 1.6 inches, which corresponds to the width of a golf ball. The lines of sight 128 are preferably evenly spaced around the center plane of the face. The lines of sight 128 may be positioned 0.1 inches or more below the top surface 117 of the first body member 110 in a direction perpendicular to the ground at address. The second body member 120 is preferably made of a color different from the color of the first body member 110. The color contrast of the first body member 110 and the second body member 120 facilitates visual alignment of the putter 100. The second body member 120 is made of a second material having a second density lower than the density of the first material of the first body member 110. In a most preferred embodiment, the second body member 120 is made of aluminum having a density of approximately 2.5 g / cc to 3 g / cc.

[0011] The putter 100 includes a third body member 130 coupled to the second body member 120 via fasteners 132. The third body member 130 may include at least one opening 133 to receive at least one protrusion 129 on the bottom surface of the second body member 120 during assembly. The at least one opening 133 serves as a locating feature to help properly align the second body member 120 and the third body member 130 during assembly. The at least one opening 133 also allows weight to be distributed to other areas of the putter 100 to improve sound, feel, and forgiveness. The third body member 130 includes a first protrusion 134 located on the toe side of the face center plane and a second protrusion 134b located on the heel side of the face center plane. The first protrusion 134a and the second protrusion 134b distribute weight in the toe and heel directions to increase the moment of inertia and forgiveness of the putter 100. The first protrusion 134a and the second protrusion 134b are visible to the golfer at address position, thus providing additional contrast to improve visual alignment. The third body member 130 may include a central portion 136 that functions as a cover to protect the at least one fastener 122 from corrosion and wear and to prevent the second body member 120 from unnecessarily disengaging from the first body member 110. The third body member 130 may be disposed rearward of the first weight port 124a and the second weight port 124b of the second body member 120. The third body member 130 is preferably made of a different color than the second body member 120. The third body member 130 is preferably made of the same color as the first body member 110. The contrasting colors between the first body member 110 and the second body member 120 and between the second body member 120 and the third body member 130 enhance visibility during alignment of the putter 100. The third body member 130 is made of a third material having a third density. In a most preferred embodiment, the third body member 130 is formed of steel and has a density of about 7 g / cc to 8 g / cc. The above-described multiple body member construction provides the putter 100 with more precise weight distribution, greater forgiveness, improved sound and feel, and increased depth and color contrast to improve visual alignment of the putter 100 to the target.The above features also aid in proper assembly and protect parts from wear and unnecessary disassembly.

[0012] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example only and not limitation. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention should not be limited to the exemplary embodiments described above, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, although certain advantages of the present invention have been described herein, it should be understood that not all advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the present invention. Thus, for example, one skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may be embodied or performed in a manner that achieves or optimizes one or a group of advantages taught herein, without necessarily achieving other advantages taught or suggested herein.

[0013] Except in the illustrative examples, or unless otherwise stated, all numerical ranges, amounts, values, and percentages may be read as if preceded by the word "about" even if the word "about" does not explicitly appear in the value, amount, or range. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following description and claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

[0014] Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values ​​set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. However, any numerical value inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. Moreover, when numerical ranges of various scopes are given herein, it is contemplated that any combination of these values ​​inclusive of the recited values ​​may be used.

Claims

1. a first body member including a striking face and a rear portion extending rearwardly from the striking face at an address position; a second body member coupled to the first body member below the rear portion of the first body member and rearward of the striking face at the address position; a third body member coupled to the second body member below the second body member at the address position; a face center plane that passes through a face center of the striking face at the address position and is perpendicular to the ground; The first body member, the second body member, and the third body member are visible to a golfer at the address position.

2. the first body member is made from a first material having a first density; the second body member is made from a second material having a second density; the third body member is made from a third material having a third density; the second density being less than the first density; 2. The putter of claim 1, wherein said second density is less than said third density.

3. 3. The putter of claim 2, wherein the first density is between about 7 g / cc and 8 g / cc, the second density is between about 2.5 g / cc and 3 g / cc, and the third density is between about 7 g / cc and 8 g / cc.

4. 4. The putter of claim 3, wherein the second body member includes a first weight port located on a toe side of the face center plane and a second weight port located on a heel side of the face center plane, and weights made from a fourth material having a fourth density are removably coupled to the first weight port and the second weight port, the fourth density being greater than the second density.

5. the second body member includes openings at the first weight port and the second weight port for receiving fasteners to couple the second body member to the first body member; 5. The putter of claim 4, wherein the weight covers the fastener.

6. The putter of claim 4 , wherein the first material, the third material, and the fourth material are the same.

7. 4. The putter of claim 3, wherein the second body member includes a groove that receives the rear portion of the first body member.

8. 2. The putter of claim 1, wherein said first body member has a color that contrasts with a color of said second body member, said color of said second body member contrasting with a color of said third body member.

9. the rear portion of the first body member has an upper surface with at least one line of sight, and the second body member has a top surface with a plurality of lines of sight parallel to one another and spaced equidistant from the face center plane; 2. The putter of claim 1, wherein the line of sight on the second body member is disposed a distance greater than 0.1 inches below the upper surface of the first body member in a direction perpendicular to the ground at the address position.

10. the third body member has at least one opening for receiving at least one protrusion from the second body member; 2. The putter of claim 1, wherein the third body member includes a central portion that covers at least one fastener used to connect the second body member to the first body member.

11. a first body member including a striking face surface and a rear portion extending rearwardly from the striking face at an address position; a second body member coupled to the first body member below the rear portion of the first body member and rearward of the striking face at the address position; a third body member coupled to the second body member below the second body member at the address position; a face center plane that passes through a face center of the striking face at the address position and is perpendicular to the ground; the first body member is made from a first material having a first density; the second body member is made from a second material having a second density; the third body member is made from a third material having a third density; the second density is less than the first density; the second density is less than the third density; the first body member having at least one line of sight; The second body member has a plurality of lines of sight.

12. the at least one line of sight on the first body member is a groove, a protrusion, or a painted line on an upper surface of the first body member; the lines of sight on the second body member are grooves, protrusions, or painted lines on an upper surface of the second body member; the at least one line of sight on the first body member has a color that contrasts with a color of the first body member; the plurality of lines of sight on the second body member have a color that contrasts with a color of the second body member; 12. The putter of claim 11, wherein the color of the first body member contrasts with the color of the second body member.

13. the third body member has a first protruding portion located on a toe side of the face center plane and a second protruding portion located on a heel side of the face center plane, the first protrusion and the second protrusion are visible to a golfer in the address position; 13. The putter of claim 12, wherein the third body member is a contrasting color to the second body member.

14. The second body member includes a first weight port located on a toe side of the face center plane and a second weight port located on a heel side of the face center plane, a weight made from a fourth material having a fourth density is removably coupled to the first weight port and the second weight port; the fourth density being greater than the first density; the second body member includes openings at the first and second weight ports for receiving fasteners for connecting the second body member to the first body member; 14. The putter of claim 13, wherein the weight covers the fastener.

15. 15. The putter of claim 14, wherein the second body member includes a groove that receives the rear portion of the first body member.

16. the third body member has at least one opening for receiving at least one protrusion from the second body member; 16. The putter of claim 15, wherein the third body member includes a central portion that covers at least one fastener used to connect the second body member to the first body member.

17. the lines of sight on the second body member are parallel to one another and are equidistant from the face center plane; 12. The putter of claim 11, wherein the lines of sight on the second body member are disposed a distance greater than 0.1 inches below an upper surface of the first body member in a direction perpendicular to the ground at the address position.

18. 18. The putter of claim 17, wherein the lines of sight on the second body member are spaced apart by more than 1 inch.

19. 19. The putter of claim 18, wherein the at least one line of sight on the first body member extends from the striking face to a rearward-most end of the rear portion of the first body member.

20. 12. The putter of claim 11, wherein the rear portion of the first body member includes a cavity.

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