Golf putter head with increased dimensions and increased moment of inertia

This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/837,860 filed May 3, 2004.

This invention relates generally to golf equipment and, in particular, to a golf putter head with increased dimensions and increased moment of inertia.

Recent developments in golf equipment have resulted in golf putter heads with high moments of inertia. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,281 to D. W. Anderson discloses a putter head sold under the name DANSER. The Anderson putter head has heel and toe weights mounted on a lower plate-like member. The heel and toe weights and the lower plate-like member are preferably made of heavyweight material such as bronze or steel. An upper shell-like member, preferably made of lightweight material such as plastic or aluminum, is secured to the lower plate-like material to enclose the heel and toe weights. U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,935 to M. J. Nelson discloses a putter head sold under the name NELLI. The Nelson putter head has a horseshoe shaped body formed of high density material such as steel with thickened heel and toe portions. The horseshoe shaped body includes a cavity which receives an insert formed of low density material such as polyurethane. The insert preferably constitutes about 15% of the total weight of the putter head while constituting more than 50% of the total volume of the putter head.

The present invention provides a golf putter head having a heel end and a toe end. The golf putter head includes a face member with a front surface arranged for impacting a golf ball, and a rear member extending in an arcuate path from one end to the other end of the face member. The face member and the rear member are made of low density material, preferably a non-metallic material such as carbon fiber. A first plurality of weight members is disposed in the rear member with these weight members each being made of high density material, preferably a metallic material such as tungsten, which is substantially denser than the low density material. In the preferred embodiment of the golf putter head, the first plurality of weight members comprises a weight member located adjacent the putter head heel end, another weight member located adjacent the putter head toe end, and a further weight member located intermediate the putter head heel and toe ends. A second plurality of weight members may be disposed in the face member and comprises two weight members made of high density material with one of the weight members located adjacent one end of the face member and the other weight member located adjacent the other end of the face member.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf putter head according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the golf putter head shown in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the golf putter head shown in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a golf putter head according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the golf putter head shown in FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the golf putter head shown in FIG. 4 ; and

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a golf putter head according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a golf putter head 10 includes a face member 12 and a rear member 14 . The rear member 14 extends in an arcuate path of substantially 180 degrees from a heel end 16 of the face member 12 to a toe end 18 of the face member 12 . The face member 12 has a front surface 12 a arranged for impacting a golf ball, an upper surface 12 b with a hole 13 formed therein for receiving a shaft 20 , a lower surface 12 c located opposite the upper surface 12 b , and a back surface 12 d located opposite the front surface 12 a . The rear member 14 has an upper surface 14 a , an inner surface 14 b , an outer surface 14 c and a lower surface 14 d . The upper and lower surfaces 14 a , 14 d of the rear member 14 are located opposite each other, and the inner and outer surfaces 14 b , 14 c of the rear member 14 are located opposite each other.

The golf putter head 10 further includes a first strut 22 , a second strut 24 and a third strut 26 . The first and second struts 22 , 24 extend from the rear member 14 to the face member 12 and converge toward each other as they approach the face member 12 . A generally V-shaped marking 28 is provided on the upper surface 12 b of the face member 12 between the heel and toe ends 16 , 18 . The V-shaped marking 28 has one leg 30 thereof aligned with an edge 22 a of the first strut 22 and another leg 32 thereof aligned with an edge 24 a of the second strut 24 . The third strut 26 also extends from the rear member 14 to the face member 12 and lies between the first and second struts 22 , 24 .

It will be understood that the putter head 10 is preferably made of lightweight material such as aluminum or titanium so that it will have increased dimensions. For example, the putter head 10 may have a width W of between 4.0 and 12.0 inches, preferably 9.0 inches, measured between the heel end 12 a and the toe end 12 b of the face member 12 . Also, the putter head 10 may have a depth D of between 2.0 and 6.0 inches, preferably 4.5 inches, measured between the front surface 12 a of the face member 12 and the outer surface 14 a of the rear member 14 . These dimensions for the width W and depth D provide the putter head 10 with an increased moment of inertia.

The first, second and third struts 22 , 24 and 26 are connected to the back surface 12 d of the face member 12 and to the inner surface 14 b of the rear member 14 and are arranged to define four triangularly shaped open spaces 34 , 36 , 38 and 40 between the face member 12 and the rear member 14 . Open spaces 34 and 40 are of identical size while open spaces 36 and 38 are of identical size. The open spaces 34 , 36 , 38 and 40 allow the putter head 10 to have the increased dimensions described above without exceeding a desired weight of approximately 350 to 500 grams.

Referring to FIGS. 4–6 , a golf putter includes a putter head 10 A similar to the putter head 10 shown in FIG. 1 . Putter head 10 A has a face member 12 A, a rear member 14 A, a heel end 16 A and a toe end 18 A. First, second and third struts 22 A, 24 A and 26 A extend between and are connected to the face and rear members 12 A, 14 A. These struts 22 A, 24 A, 26 A are arranged to define four substantially trapezoid shaped open spaces 34 A, 36 A, 38 A and 40 A between the face member 12 A and the rear member 14 A. The first strut 22 A has an edge portion 23 arranged generally parallel to one edge 27 of the third strut 26 A, and the second strut 24 A has an edge portion 25 arranged generally parallel to the opposite edge 29 of the third strut 26 A.

The putter head 10 A preferably has a maximum width W measured between its heel and toe ends 16 A, 18 A as seen in FIG. 5 of at least 15 centimeters and a maximum depth D that is at least equal to ½ width W. In the preferred embodiment of the putter head 10 A, the maximum width W is 17 centimeters and the maximum depth D is 10 centimeters. This results in the putter head 10 A having a maximum moment of inertia with extreme perimeter weighting.

Referring to FIG. 7 , a golf putter head 10 B with a heel end 16 B and a toe end 18 B is similar to the golf putter head 10 A. The putter head 10 B includes a face member 12 B and a rear member 14 B. Struts 22 B, 24 B and 26 B extending between and connected to the face member 12 B and the rear member 14 B define open spaces 34 B, 36 B, 38 B, 40 B that are substantially trapezoid shaped. In this embodiment, the face member 12 B, the rear member 14 B and the struts 22 B, 24 B, 26 B are made of low density material which is preferably a non-metallic material such as carbon fiber. The face member 12 B, the rear member 14 B and the struts 22 B, 24 B, 26 B in combination weigh approximately 190 grams.

A first plurality of three weight members 42 , 44 , 46 is disposed in the rear member 14 B. The weight member 42 is located adjacent the heel end 16 B, the weight member 44 is located adjacent the toe end 18 B, and the weight member 46 is located intermediate the heel and toe ends 16 B, 18 B. The weight members 42 , 44 , 46 are made of high density material, which is preferably a metallic material such as tungsten, that is substantially denser than the low density material described above. Each of the weight members 42 , 44 , 46 weighs approximately 40 grams.

A second plurality of two weight members 48 , 50 is disposed in the face member 12 B. Weight member 48 is located adjacent one end of the face member 12 B, and weight member 50 is located adjacent the other end of the face member 12 B. The weight members 48 , 50 are made of high density material, preferably the same high density material the weight members 42 , 44 , 46 are made of. Each of the weight members 48 , 50 weighs approximately 25 grams.

It will be understood that, while the weight members 42 , 44 , 46 further increase the moment of inertia of the putter head 10 B, they also move the putter head center of gravity away from the face member 12 B. However, when the weight members 48 , 50 are added, they shift the putter head center of gravity back toward the face member 12 B. Therefore, the putter head 10 B has high moment of inertia and preferred center of gravity location.