Putter with improved structure and collimation

Abstract

To provide a golf putter with improved structure and collimation.SOLUTION: A putter 100 has an inclined surface, a line of sight, contrasting colors, and various depths for assisting alignment. The putter 100 includes a plurality of components to form a body and employs a plurality of materials.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a golf club, and more particularly to a golf putter comprising a body composed of at least three separate parts and a sight line formed on a plurality of parts.

Background Art

[0002] Golf club heads come in various shapes and structures, such as metal woods, irons (including wedges), utility or hybrid or special type clubs, and putters. Each of these styles has a predetermined function and general structure. This invention mainly relates to a putter, which is usually used to hit a golf ball to give it a rolling trajectory on the green of the course.

[0003] There are various styles of putters, each with different advantages. Putters also comply with the golf rules set by the USGA. The rules include that the heel-toe dimension, the front-to-back dimension, the length of the neck, the face angle, the lie angle, and the putter should not be substantially different from the customary and traditional shape.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a putter that includes: 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 at the address position, below the rear portion of the first body member and behind the striking face; 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 the center of the face of the striking face and perpendicular to the ground at the address position, and the first body member, the second body member, and the third body member are visible to the 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 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 behind 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 the face center of the striking face and perpendicular to the ground at the address position, wherein the first body member is made of a first material having a first density, the second body member is made of a second material having a second density, the third body member is made of 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 has at least one sightline, and the second body member has a plurality of sightlines.

[0006]

[0006] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a putter including a first body member including a striking face and a rear portion extending rearward from the striking face, and a face center plane passing through the face center of the striking face and perpendicular to the ground at an address position, wherein the first body member includes a first inclined surface on the toe side of the face center plane having an angle of 20 degrees to 60 degrees with respect to the face center plane.

[0007]

[0007] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a putter including a first body member including a striking face and a rear portion extending rearward from the striking face, and a face center plane passing through the face center of the striking face and perpendicular to the ground at an address position, wherein the first body member includes an inclined toe surface having an angle with respect to the face center plane, and a plane extending along the inclined toe surface intersects the face center plane at a distance of 3 inches to 30 inches in front of the striking face.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] This invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

[0009] Referring to Figures 1 - 6, this 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 will be described in more detail below, by constructing the putter 100 from the first body member 110, the second body member 120, and the third body member 130, the weight distribution of the putter 100 is increased, sound, feel, and forgiveness are improved, contrast between the body members is created, and the golfer's ability to direct the putter 100 at the intended target is enhanced. The first body member 110 includes a striking face 114 for impacting the golf ball during the putting stroke. The first body member 110 of this embodiment includes a hosel 112 coupled to the shaft and grip, as is well known in the art. The first body member 110 includes a rear portion 116 extending rearward from the striking face 114 having an upper surface 117 that is visible to the golfer at address position. The rear portion 116 may include a cavity 115 to allow weight to be distributed to other areas of the putter 100.

[0010] The first body member 110 also includes at least one sight line 118 on the upper surface 117 of a rearward portion 116 that extends rearward from the striking face 114. The at least one sight line 118 extends from the striking face 114 to the rearmost end 119 of the first body member 110 to provide the maximum length of the at least one sight line 118 and further assist the golfer in properly aligning the putter 100. The at least one sight line 118 may be formed as a groove, a protrusion, or a painted line on the upper surface 117. The at least one sight line 118 may be in the shape of an arrow to assist the golfer in aligning the putter 100 towards the target. In a preferred embodiment, the first body member 110 is one color such as gray or black and the at least one sight line 118 is a different contrasting color. For example, if the first body member 110 is black, the at least one sight line 118 may be red, white, silver, or some other bright color. If the first body member 110 is gray, the at least one sight line 118 may be red, white, black, or some other contrasting color. In a preferred embodiment, the golfer may select the color of the at least one sight line 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 the density is from about 7 g / cc to 8 g / cc.

[0011] The putter 100 includes a second body member 120 coupled to a first body member 110 via a fastener 122. The second body member 120 is located below the first body member 110 and behind the striking face 114 at the address position. The second body member 120 includes a first weight port 124a located on the toe side with respect to a face center plane 140 that passes through the face center 140 of the striking face 114 and is perpendicular to the ground at the address position. The second body member 120 also includes a second weight port 124b located on the heel side with respect to the face center plane 140. The fastener 122 can 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 weight members 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 of steel or tungsten. The weight members 105 can be formed to have a weight of 10 grams to 50 grams each. The weight members 105 are arranged equidistant from the face center plane 140 and can increase the moment of inertia of the putter 100. The weight members 105 are threaded and function as a cover to protect the fastener 122 from corrosion and wear and to prevent the second body member 120 from being inadvertently detached from the first body member 110. The second body member 120 may include a central groove 126 that receives a rear portion 116 of the first body member 110 during assembly. The central groove 126 functions as a positioning feature that helps to 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 houses at least one fastener 122 to couple the second body member 120 to the first body member 110.

[0012] The second body member 120 includes sight lines 128 on both sides of the central groove 126 on the top surface of the second body member 120 so as to be visible to the golfer at the 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 a single 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 arranged to extend perpendicular to the striking face 114. Preferably, these sight lines 128 are spaced apart by more than 1.0 inch. In other preferred embodiments, these sight lines 128 are spaced apart by approximately 1.6 inches corresponding to the width of the golf ball. The sight lines 128 are preferably evenly arranged around the face center plane 140. The sight lines 128 may be positioned more than 0.1 inch below the upper surface 117 of the first body member 110 in a direction perpendicular to the ground at the address position. The second body member 120 is preferably made of a different color than the first body member 110. The contrast in the colors of the first body member 110 and the second body member 120 makes it easier to visually align 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 the most preferred embodiment, the second body member 120 is made of aluminum having a density of about 2.5 g / cc to 3 g / cc.

[0013] The putter 100 includes a third body member 130 coupled to the second body member 120 via a fastener 132. The third body member 130 may include at least one opening 133 that receives at least one protrusion 129 on the bottom surface of the second body member 120 during assembly. The at least one opening 133 functions as a positioning feature that helps properly align the second body member 120 and the third body member 130 during assembly. Also, the at least one opening 133 can disperse weight to other areas of the putter 100, improving sound, feel, and tolerance. The third body member 130 includes a first protrusion 134a located on the toe side of the face center plane 140 and a second protrusion 134b located on the heel side of the face center plane 140. The first protrusion 134a and the second protrusion 134b disperse weight in the toe and heel directions, increasing the moment of inertia and forgiveness of the putter 100. Since the first protrusion 134a and the second protrusion 134b are visible to the golfer at address position, additional contrast for improving visual alignment is obtained. The third body member 130 may include a central portion 136 that functions as a cover to protect at least one fastener 122 from corrosion and wear and also prevent the second body member 120 from being inadvertently detached from the first body member 110. The third body member 130 may be disposed behind 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 the most preferred embodiment, the third body member 130 is formed of steel and the density is from about 7 g / cc to 8 g / cc. With the above-described multiple body member structures, the weight distribution of the putter 100 becomes more precise, the tolerance increases, and the sound and feel of the strike are improved. Also, the contrast of depth and color increases, improving the visual alignment of the putter 100 with respect to the target.The above features also help with proper assembly and protection from wear and tear of parts and unwanted disassembly.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 6, the putter 100 includes several alignment features to assist the golfer in aiming the putter 100 at the target. In a plan view of the putter 100 in a normal address position, the putter 100 has a first inclined surface 141 that forms an angle θ with the face center plane 140 on the toe side of the face center plane 140 of the first body member 110, a second inclined surface 142 that forms an angle θ with the face center plane 140 on the toe side of the face center plane 140 of the third body member 130, and a third inclined surface 143 that forms an angle θ with the face center plane 140 on the toe side of the face center plane 140 of the third body member 130. The putter 100 may include a fourth inclined surface 144 that forms an angle θ with the face center plane 140 on the heel side of the face center plane 140 on the first body member 110, a fifth inclined surface 145 that forms an angle θ with the face center plane 140 on the heel side of the face center plane 140 on the third body member 130, and a sixth inclined surface 146 that forms an angle θ with the face center plane 140 on the heel side of the face center plane 140 on the third body member 130. In a preferred embodiment, the angle θ is the same for the first inclined surface 141, the second inclined surface 142, the third inclined surface 143, the fourth inclined surface 144, the fifth inclined surface 145, and the sixth inclined surface 146. Preferably, the angle θ is between 20 degrees and 60 degrees, more preferably the angle θ is between 25 degrees and 50 degrees, and most preferably the angle θ is between 30 degrees and 40 degrees. The first inclined surface 141 is symmetric with the fourth inclined surface 144 about the face center plane 140, the second inclined surface 142 is symmetric with the fifth inclined surface 145 about the face center plane 140, and the third inclined surface 143 is symmetric with the sixth inclined surface 146 about the face center plane 140. A plane 151 extending along the first inclined surface 141 intersects the striking face 114 within + / - 0.5 inches of the face center in the heel-to-toe direction, more preferably within + / - 0.25 inches of the face center in the heel-to-toe direction. A plane 154 extending along the fourth inclined surface 144 intersects the striking face 114 within + / - 0.5 inches of the face center in the heel-to-toe direction, more preferably within + / - 0.25 inches of the face center in the heel-to-toe direction.The first inclined surface 141, the second inclined surface 142, the third inclined surface 143, the fourth inclined surface 144, the fifth inclined surface 145, and the sixth inclined surface 146 all serve to accurately position the golf ball at the face center and align the putter 100 precisely with the intended target, by directing the golfer's eye towards the face center plane 140.

[0015] The putter 100 may include an inclined toe surface 147 on the first body member 110 that forms an angle β with respect to the face center plane 140, and an inclined heel surface 148 on the first body member 110 that forms an angle β with respect to the face center plane 140. The inclined toe surface 147 may be symmetric with the inclined heel surface 148 with respect to the face center plane 140. In a preferred embodiment, the angle β is the same for the inclined toe surface 147 and the inclined heel surface 148. Preferably, the angle β is smaller than the angle θ of the first inclined surface 141, the second inclined surface 142, the third inclined surface 143, the fourth inclined surface 144, the fifth inclined surface 145, and the sixth inclined surface 146. A plane 157 extending along the inclined toe surface 147 intersects the face center plane 140 at a distance D1 from the striking face 114. A plane 158 extending along the inclined heel surface 148 intersects the face center plane 140 at a distance D1 from the striking face 114. In one embodiment, the distance D1 is between 2 inches and 30 inches, more preferably the distance D1 is between 3 inches and 15 inches, and most preferably the distance D1 is between 4 inches and 8 inches. The inclined toe surface 147 and the inclined heel surface 148 assist the golfer in aligning the putter 100 along the face center plane 140 with a target point just in front of the putter 100, and assist the golfer in launching the golf ball on the intended target line.

[0016] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that these are shown by way of example only and are not limiting. It is obvious that those skilled in the art can make various changes in form and details without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents. Further, although specific advantages of the present invention are described herein, it should be understood that not all advantages are necessarily achieved according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may be embodied or implemented in a manner that achieves one or a group of the advantages taught herein, and may not necessarily achieve other advantages taught or suggested herein.

[0017] Except for implementation examples, or unless otherwise specified, all numerical ranges, amounts, values, and percentages should be read as being preceded by the word "about", even if the word "about" does not explicitly appear in the value, amount, or range. Therefore, unless the contrary is shown, the numerical parameters described in the following description and claims are approximate values that may vary depending on the desired characteristics required to be obtained by the present invention. At least, rather than an attempt to limit the scope of the application of the doctrine of equivalents, each numerical parameter should be interpreted by applying ordinary rounding methods in consideration of the reported significant digits.

[0018] Although the numerical ranges and parameters indicating the broad scope of the present invention are approximate values, the numerical values shown in specific examples are reported as accurately as possible. However, any numerical value inherently includes a certain error necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in each test measurement. Further, when various numerical ranges are shown herein, any combination of these values including the recited values is assumed to be used.

Claims

1. a first body member including a striking face and a rear portion extending rearwardly from the striking face; a face center plane that passes through a face center of the striking face and is perpendicular to the ground at an address position; The first body member includes a first inclined surface on a toe side of the face center plane that has an angle of between 20 degrees and 60 degrees with respect to the face center plane.

2. 2. The putter of claim 1, wherein the first angled surface is at an angle of between 30 and 40 degrees relative to the face center plane.

3. 2. The putter of claim 1, wherein the first body member includes an angled toe surface relative to the face center plane, a plane extending along the angled toe surface intersecting the face center plane at a distance between 3 inches and 30 inches forward of the striking face.

4. 4. The putter of claim 3, wherein the plane extending along the inclined toe surface intersects the face center plane at a distance between 4 inches and 8 inches forward of the striking face.

5. 4. The putter of claim 3, wherein the first body member includes an angled heel surface relative to the face center plane, a plane extending along the angled heel surface intersecting the face center plane at a distance between 3 inches and 30 inches forward of the striking face.

6. a second body member coupled to the first body member at the address position below the rear portion of the first body member and rearward of the striking face; a third body member coupled to the second body member below the second body member at the address position; the third body member includes a second angled surface in a toe direction of the face center plane that is angled relative to the face center plane; 2. The putter of claim 1, wherein the second angled surface is substantially parallel to the first angled surface.

7. the third body member includes a third inclined surface on a toe side of the face center plane that is angled with respect to the face center plane; 7. The putter of claim 6, wherein the third angled surface is substantially parallel to the first angled surface.

8. the first body member includes a fourth inclined surface on a heel side of the face center plane, the fourth inclined surface being angled with respect to the face center plane, the fourth inclined surface being symmetrical with the first inclined surface about the face center plane; the third body member includes a fifth inclined surface on a heel side of the face center plane, the fifth inclined surface being angled with respect to the face center plane, the fifth inclined surface being symmetrical with respect to the face center plane with respect to the second inclined surface; 8. The putter of claim 7, wherein the third body member includes a sixth sloping surface on a heel side of the face center plane that is angled relative to the face center plane, the sixth sloping surface being symmetrical with the third sloping surface about the face center plane.

9. The first angled surface has an angle of between 30 and 40 degrees relative to the face center plane.

9. The putter of claim 8.

10. 2. The putter of claim 1, wherein a plane extending along the first angled surface intersects the striking face within + / - 0.5 inches of the face center in a heel-to-toe direction.

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