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Golf club head having internal impact assemblyRelated Patent Categories: Games Using Tangible Projectile, Golf, Club Or Club Support, Head, Hollow Body, With Internal Support Rib Or Injected MaterialGolf club head having internal impact assembly description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060223651, Golf club head having internal impact assembly. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/206,709 filed Aug. 17, 2005, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/668,913 filed Apr. 5, 2005. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] A. Field of the Invention [0003] The field of the present invention relates generally to apparatuses and devices utilized in the game of golf. More specifically, this invention relates to golf club heads that have an internal or built-in impact assembly which is configured to automatically assist the golfer in driving the golf ball straighter and further. Even more specifically, this invention relates to such golf club heads that utilize a fixed or pivoting hammer-like mechanism inside the club head or a ball or ball-like object in an internal tube or channel inside the club head. [0004] B. Background [0005] Golf is one of the most popular sports in the United States and throughout the world. Due to various factors, including its outdoor and group participatory nature, golf is played by a number of professionals, including some highly successful and high profile professionals, and millions of amateurs. To enjoy and do well at golf, however, a golfer has to master a number of different variables with regard to his or her golf swing so that the head of the golf club will strike the golf ball in a manner that drives the golf ball in the desired direction and distance. With regard to the swing of the golf club, the placement of the golfer's feet relative to the ball, the grip on the handle of the club and the motion of his or her upper body, particularly the shoulders and elbows, all affect the quality of the swing and, ultimately, the striking of the golf ball. The general goal of a good swing is to strike the golf ball with the face of the club at a point in the swing where the golf club head velocity is the greatest and in a manner such that the plane of the golf club face is generally perpendicular with the desired direction of travel. To obtain the greatest distance and a straight ball flight, the area of the center of gravity of the golf club head should strike the golf ball. The portion of the golf club face which corresponds to the center of gravity of the golf club head and where it is desired to strike the golf ball is commonly known as the "sweet spot" of the club face. Typically, this is located at the center of the club head face directly forward of the head's center of gravity. Failure to hit the golf ball exactly at this sweet spot is very likely to result in errant or misdirected travel for the ball (i.e., slicing or hooking of the ball). Generally, the further away from the sweet spot that the golf ball is struck, the more misdirected it will be. [0006] Hitting the golf club at the sweet spot of the golf club face is not an easy task to master. The various factors that effect the golfer's swing results in inconsistencies in the contact between the club head and the golf ball that causes the club face to strike the golf ball at least slightly away from the sweet spot. As those who play the game of golf can readily attest, it is difficult to always swing the golf club in a manner that results in the golf ball being struck at the sweet spot of the club's face. Despite years of lessons and other training and playing the game of golf, most players never fully master the ability to strike the golf ball at exactly the desired location on the golf club face. Even professionals who are considered masters of the game of golf have at least occasional trouble with the golf ball traveling on an errant and generally undesirable path. [0007] As is well known, golf is a game where the lower a golfer's score, which is measured by the number of strokes he or she needs to complete the particular hole or course, the better. Golf balls that fly an errant or misdirected fligh path require the golfer to take additional stokes to get back on course to the desired cup, which increases the golfer's score. For those who play competitively or otherwise are concerned about their score, whether professionals or not, these additional strokes and increased score due to poor golf ball flight can be somewhat frustrating and disheartening. To improve the striking of the golf club head against the golf ball, and ultimately reduce the golfer's strokes, a great number of devices and methods have been developed over the years. Some of these improvements to the game of golf are in the nature of improved golf club heads, including those having an inertia adjusting or force providing mechanism to attempt to correct or improve the flight of the golf ball. A number of these improvements are the subject of issued patents. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 690,940 to Febiger discloses a golf club head having one or more slots in the head that each have a freely moveable weight disposed therein for striking the back side of the club face when the club strikes a golf ball. U.S. Paterit No. 2,592,013 to Curley discloses a golf club head having one or more tubes therein that each have a permanent magnet at one end and a moveable projectile that is configured to cooperate with the magnet and strike the back side of the face of the club when the club strikes a golf ball. U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,413 to Bilyeu discloses a golf club head having a moveable center of gravity resulting from the movement of mercury or a spring-loaded ball within an arc-shaped passageway inside the club head. U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,740 to D'Eath describes a putter having longitudinal bore inside the club head that has a series of abutting balls in the bore. U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,222 to Lee discloses a golf club head having a weight distributing system comprised of a moveable, golf ball-sized steel ball and a permanent magnet inside a cavity in the club head to improve directional movement of the golf ball. U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,916 to Sommer and U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,009 to McAtee describe golf club heads having an internal chamber with small, generally spherical members, such as shot, inside the chamber to reduce the shock or impact forces or to provide additional force to the hit golf ball. U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,204 to Starry discloses a golf club head having a rectangular-shaped cavity with a like configured block disposed therein and biased toward the back of the cavity by a spring or a magnet. A tension adjusting mechanism allows the user to adjust the amount of tension on the spring. U.S. Pat. No. 6,641,490 to Ellemor discloses a golf club head having a u-shaped tube with mercury therein to shift the center of gravity as necessary to improve the golf ball direction and distance. In a number of the above patents, use of the weight adjusting mechanism is to affect the center of gravity of the club head so as to affect the impact against a golf ball that is not hit at the sweet spot on the club face. [0008] Overall, despite the prevalence of the problem, these various improvements have not been well accepted and are generally not incorporated into present golf club heads. With regard to professional golfers, the relevant rules require that no part of the golf club, comprising the club head and shaft, should be designed to move or incorporate any moving parts, including powder, pellets, liquid, rollers or tuning forks. Although the shaft of the club may bend by three or four inches during the swing, it is not considered a moving part. What is needed, therefore, is a golf club head that improves the flight direction and distance of a golf ball regardless of whether the golfer strikes the golf ball exactly at the desired sweet spot. An improved golf club head will provide a mechanism for effectively correcting the golfer's strike against the golf ball such that the golf ball will travel in a generally desired straight direction. The desired improved golf club head will correct the common problems of slicing and/or hooking of the golf ball and will provide greater traveling distance for the golf ball along the desired direction of travel. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] The improved golf club head of the present invention provides the benefits and solves the problems identified above. That is to say, the present invention discloses a golf club head that substantially improves the direction of travel and distance of a golf ball that is hit by the club head when the golfer fails to hit the ball exactly at the club head's sweet spot. The preferred embodiments of the improved golf club head of the present invention utilizes an internal impact assembly to effectively correct a golfer's swing by countering the effect of not hitting the golf ball at the club head's sweet spot, thereby improving both the direction and amount of travel of the hit golf ball. The internal impact assembly of the preferred embodiments automatically effect the contact by the club face against the golf ball so as to counter not hitting the ball exactly at the club head's sweet spot by impacting the back of the club face at a spot offset from the sweet spot. As such, the improved golf club head of the present invention will allow the golfer to better hit the golf ball so as to cause it to travel in the direction desired by the golfer, as opposed to slicing and/or hooking the golf ball. [0010] In one general aspect of the present invention, the improved golf club head comprises an impact assembly disposed inside the club head cavity that is configured to deliver an impact to the wall of the cavity behind the club face at an impact spot so as to provide a slight kick or blow to the golf ball immediately after it is hit by the golf club head to better direct the hit golf ball along the desired direction of travel. In a preferred embodiment, the impact assembly comprises a support member that is attached to one or more of the walls of the cavity, a spaced apart hammer member configured to impact the impact spot and a connecting member interconnecting the support member and the hammer member. Preferably, the connecting member is fixed to the support member so the impact assembly does not constitute a moving component in violation of the relevant golf rules and regulations. In this embodiment, the connecting member is configured to flex and then direct the hammer member into the impact spot in response to the change in momentum resulting from the impact of the club face against the golf ball. Like the club shaft, which although it flexes during the golfer's swing is considered a non-moving part, the flexing of the impact assembly is also a non-moving part. The connecting member can be shaped and configured to achieve the desired flexing. In one embodiment, the connecting member is an elongated shaft. The connecting member can be made out of a material that provides the desired, relatively small amount, of flexing, such as graphite or similar materials. As the club head is swung in the downward direction, the connecting member will allow the hammer member to flex toward the back of the club head. When the club face hits the golf ball, the flexing nature of the connecting member will allow the inertia force of the hammer to be driven against the inside wall of the club face at the impact spot to deliver the desired kick to the golf ball. In an alternative embodiment, the connecting member is pivotally attached to the support member to pivot the hammer member into the back wall of the club face. Various pivoting mechanisms can be utilized to connect the connecting member to the support member. In one embodiment, the connecting member pivots around a pivot shaft component of the support member and the hammer member has a curvilinear shape generally matching the direction of travel of the hammer member during its pivoting travel. In another alternative embodiment, the impact assembly comprises a tube or channel disposed in the golf club head and a ball that rolls in the tube or channel to contact the back wall of the club face. A spring can be positioned at the back end of the tube or channel to improve the action of the ball during the upswing portion of the golf stroke. [0011] Accordingly, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide an improved golf club head that provides the advantages discussed above and overcomes the disadvantages and limitations which are associated with presently available golf club heads. [0012] An important objective of the present invention is to provide an improved golf club head that is configured to improve the travel path and distance of a golf ball struck thereby. [0013] It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide an improved golf club head that has an internal or built-in impact or force providing mechanism which is configured to automatically assist the golfer in driving the golf ball straighter and further. [0014] It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide an improved golf club head that has an internal or built-in impact or force providing mechanism which is configured to automatically counteract the failure of the golfer to hit a golf ball exactly at the golf club head's sweet spot. [0015] It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide an improved golf club head that utilizes a fixed or pivoting hammer-like mechanism which is configured to swing against the back side of the club face so as to improve the likelihood that a golf ball struck by the club head will travel in the desired direction of travel. [0016] It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide an improved golf club head that utilizes a ball or ball-like object which is moveably disposed in an internal tube or channel that is configured to impact against the back side of the club face so as to improve the likelihood that a golf ball struck by the club head will travel in the desired direction of travel. [0017] The above and other objectives of the present invention will be explained in greater detail by reference to the attached figures and the description of the preferred embodiment which follows. As set forth herein, the present invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, mode of operation and combination of processes presently described and understood by the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0018] In the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiments and the best modes presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention: [0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art golf club head showing the cavity inside the golf club head; [0020] FIG. 2 is a side view of an improved golf club head configured according to the attributes of a preferred embodiment of the present invention having an internal impact assembly comprising a fixedly attached hammer or hammer-like device disposed inside the club head that is configured to flex and strike the backside of the club face; Continue reading about Golf club head having internal impact assembly... 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