Iron Type Golf Clubs and Golf Club Heads Having Weight Containing and/or Vibration Damping Insert Members

Abstract

Iron golf clubs heads and clubs include: (a) a ball striking face; (b) an opposite rear surface; (c) a sole portion extending rearward from the ball striking face and defining a cavity having an open upper portion; (d) an insert element mounted in the cavity, wherein the insert element includes at least one weight port; and (e) a weight member mounted in the port. The insert element may substantially fill the cavity to dampen vibrations and/or noise when a ball is struck. Additionally, the insert element may allow the weight(s) to be selectively placed to enable customization and tuning of the overall weight of the club head (e.g., for swing weighting purposes, for ball flight control purposes, etc.). Methods of making such club heads and clubs also are described.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . An iron golf club head, comprising:
 a face including a ball striking surface and a single rear surface directly opposite and substantially parallel to the ball striking surface;   a sole portion extending rearward from the face and forming a bottom of the club head, and extending upward from the bottom of the club head to form a lowermost portion of a perimeter weight member and a portion of a rear of the club head, the sole portion and at least a portion of the rear surface of the face defining a cavity that has an upper portion that is open to an exterior of the club head and a lower portion located below the upper portion and in communication with the upper portion, the lower portion being defined by the rear surface of the face, an upper surface of the sole portion, and an inner surface of the lowermost portion of the perimeter weight member; and   a recess defined in a top of the lowermost portion of the perimeter weight member, wherein the recess is in communication with the lower portion of the cavity and extends rearward from the cavity, and   wherein the lower portion of the cavity has a maximum width defined in a front-rear direction between the rear surface of the face and the inner surface of the lowermost portion of the perimeter weight member and a maximum length defined in a heel-toe direction, and wherein the maximum length is at least two times the maximum width.   
     
     
         20 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 19 , wherein the recess has a recess length defined in a heel-toe direction and a recess width defined in a front-rear direction, and wherein the recess length is smaller than the maximum length of the lower portion of the cavity and the recess width is smaller than the maximum width of the lower portion of the cavity. 
     
     
         21 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 19 , further comprising:
 an insert element mounted in the cavity and at least partially received in the lower portion of the cavity, wherein the insert element includes a side surface, wherein at least a portion of the side surface lies immediately adjacent to or contacts the rear surface, an upper surface exposed at the upper portion of the cavity and an opposite lower surface, wherein the lower surface includes at least a first weight port therein; and   a first weight member mounted in the first weight port.   
     
     
         22 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 21 , wherein the insert element includes a first polymer member in which the first weight port is formed and a second polymer member from which the upper surface formed, wherein the first polymer member is softer than the second polymer member. 
     
     
         23 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 22 , wherein the second polymer member includes a continuous cover layer which completely covers an upper surface of the first polymer member and prevents exposure of the first polymer member, and wherein the side surface has at least a first portion formed by a first side surface of the first polymer member and a second portion formed by a second side surface of the second polymer member, such that the first and second side surfaces combine contiguously to form the side surface of the insert element, and wherein at least a portion of the first side surface and at least a portion of the second side surface lies immediately adjacent to or contacts the rear surface. 
     
     
         24 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 23 , wherein the first polymer member of the insert member is L-shaped and defines a tail portion which is positioned in an upper half of the insert element and below the second polymer member of the insert member, wherein the tail portion extends rearwardly away from the side surface of the insert member that lies immediately adjacent to or contacts the rear surface of the face, and wherein the tail portion is configured to extend over the lowermost portion of the perimeter weight member and to fill the recess defined in the top of the lowermost portion of the perimeter weight member. 
     
     
         25 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 21 , wherein the lower surface includes a second weight port, and wherein one of the first weight port and the second weight port is located at a toe end of the insert element and the other of the first weight port and the second weight port is located at a heel end of the insert element. 
     
     
         26 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 25 , wherein the golf club head further includes a second weight member mounted in the second weight port. 
     
     
         27 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 21 , wherein the lower surface includes a second weight port, and wherein the golf club head further includes a second weight member mounted in the second weight port. 
     
     
         28 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 21 , wherein the insert element substantially fills the lower portion of the cavity. 
     
     
         29 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 28 , wherein the insert element includes a first polymer member in which the first weight port is formed and a second polymer member from which the upper surface formed, wherein the first polymer member is softer than the second polymer member, and wherein at least a portion of a side surface of the first polymer member lies immediately adjacent to or contacts the rear surface of the face. 
     
     
         30 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 29 , wherein the first polymer member has a hardness of 70 Shore A or less and the second polymer member has a hardness of 85 Shore A or greater. 
     
     
         31 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 19 , wherein the maximum length of the lower portion of the cavity is at least three times the maximum width. 
     
     
         32 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 19 , wherein the perimeter weight member extends rearward from the face around an entire periphery of the face, the perimeter weight member further defining a top side and heel and toe sides of the cavity, such that the upper portion of the cavity is open to the exterior of the club head via an opening defined between the lowermost portion of the perimeter weight member and an uppermost portion of the perimeter weight member. 
     
     
         33 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 32 , wherein the rear surface of the face extends as a single, contiguous surface substantially parallel to the ball striking surface from the uppermost portion of the perimeter weight member to the sole portion. 
     
     
         34 . An iron golf club comprising the iron golf club head according to  claim 19  and a shaft member connected to the iron golf club head. 
     
     
         35 . An iron golf club head, comprising:
 a face including a ball striking surface and a rear surface directly opposite the ball striking surface;   a perimeter weight member extending rearward from the face around an entire periphery of the face;   a sole portion extending rearward from the face and forming a bottom of the club head, and extending upward from the bottom of the club head to form a lowermost portion of the perimeter weight member and a portion of a rear of the club head, wherein the sole portion, the perimeter weight member, and at least a portion of the rear surface of the face define a cavity that has an upper portion that is open to an exterior of the club head, via an opening defined between the lowermost portion of the perimeter weight member and an uppermost portion of the perimeter weight member, and a lower portion located below the upper portion and in communication with the upper portion, the lower portion being defined by the rear surface of the face, an upper surface of the sole portion, and inner surfaces of the lowermost portion and heel and toe portions of the perimeter weight member; and   a recess defined in a top of the lowermost portion of the perimeter weight member, wherein the recess is in communication with the lower portion of the cavity and extends rearward from the cavity,   wherein the rear surface of the face extends as a single, contiguous surface substantially parallel to the ball striking surface from the uppermost portion of the perimeter weight member to the sole portion,   wherein the lower portion of the cavity has a maximum width defined in a front-rear direction between the rear surface of the face and the inner surface of the lowermost portion of the perimeter weight member and a maximum length defined in a heel-toe direction, and wherein the maximum length is at least two times the maximum width, and   wherein the recess has a recess length defined in a heel-toe direction and a recess width defined in a front-rear direction, and wherein the recess length is smaller than the maximum length of the lower portion of the cavity and the recess width is smaller than the maximum width of the lower portion of the cavity.   
     
     
         36 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 35 , further comprising an insert element mounted in the cavity and at least partially received in the lower portion of the cavity and in the recess, wherein the insert element includes a side surface lying immediately adjacent to or contacting the rear surface of the face, an upper surface exposed at the upper portion of the cavity, and an opposite lower surface. 
     
     
         37 . An iron golf club head according to  claim 36 , wherein the lower surface of the insert element includes at least a first weight port therein, the golf club head further comprising a first weight member mounted in the first weight port. 
     
     
         38 . An iron golf club comprising the iron golf club head according to  claim 35  and a shaft member connected to the iron golf club head.