Patents by Inventor Naruhiro MIZUTANI

Naruhiro MIZUTANI has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11931630
    Abstract: A head includes a face portion, a sole portion, and an internal weight portion provided on an inner surface of the sole portion and located apart from the face portion. The internal weight portion includes a base portion, and a protruding portion protruding from the base portion toward a face side and located apart from the inner surface of the sole portion. The protruding portion is positioned on the face side with respect to the head center of gravity. A thickness of a toe-side part of the protruding portion and/or a thickness of a heel-side part of the protruding portion is greater than a thickness of a middle part of the protruding portion. Alternatively, a middle part of the protruding portion in a toe-heel direction is absent. The internal weight portion may be formed integrally with the sole portion, or may be a different member from the sole portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naruhiro Mizutani, Daisuke Kohno, Akio Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20240058663
    Abstract: A head includes at least one adjustment member that is detachably fixed to the head outer surface in a state where a body wall is sandwiched by the adjustment member. A head body has at least one opening that penetrates through the body wall. The adjustment member includes an inner portion, an outer portion, and a rotary connecting portion. Rotational positions of the inner portion include a pass-through position that allows the inner portion to pass through the opening, and a non-pass-through position that prevents the inner portion from passing through the opening. An inner surface abutment part of the inner portion situated at the non-pass-through position abuts against the head inner surface. The head body or the adjustment member includes a corotation prevention portion that prevents the inner portion situated at the non-pass-through position from corotating with the rotary connection portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Naruhiro MIZUTANI
  • Publication number: 20230271066
    Abstract: A golf club head includes: a head body that includes a cavity; a weight that is detachably attached to the cavity; and a cover that is openably and closably attached to the head body and that covers at least a part of the cavity when the cover is in a closed state. The weight is attached to the cavity in a state where the weight is slidingly movable in the cavity. In the closed state, the cover applies a pressing force to the weight. The weight may be fixed to the cavity by a static frictional force increased by the pressing force. The cavity may form a slide groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naruhiro MIZUTANI, Hirotaka NAKAMURA, Kiyofumi MATSUNAGA, Daisuke KOHNO, Yuki MOTOKAWA
  • Patent number: 11731012
    Abstract: A hollow head includes a head body and a fixed member. The head body is formed by a first material. The fixed member is formed by a second material. The fixed member is disposed inside a body opening portion of the head body. The fixed member includes an outer peripheral portion and an inside region. At least a part of the outer peripheral portion is joined to an inner peripheral portion of the body opening portion. The inner peripheral portion includes a first engaging portion that is constituted by at least one projection or recess. The outer peripheral portion includes a second engaging portion that is constituted by at least one projection or recess. The first engaging portion and the second engaging portion form a projection-recess fitting. The inner surface of the inside region is located on a head outer side relative to an innermost end of a joining portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naruhiro Mizutani, Tomohiro Hana
  • Patent number: 11684830
    Abstract: A golf club head includes: a head body that includes a cavity; a weight that is detachably attached to the cavity; and a cover that is openably and closably attached to the head body and that covers at least a part of the cavity when the cover is in a closed state. The weight is attached to the cavity in a state where the weight is slidingly movable in the cavity. In the closed state, the cover applies a pressing force to the weight. The weight may be fixed to the cavity by a static frictional force increased by the pressing force. The cavity may form a slide groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naruhiro Mizutani, Hirotaka Nakamura, Kiyofumi Matsunaga, Daisuke Kohno, Yuki Motokawa
  • Patent number: 11642579
    Abstract: A golf club head has a face portion, a crown portion, and a sole portion. The golf club head includes a weight member that is configured to be wound, a first wound portion around which a first part of the weight member is to be wound, and a second wound portion that is disposed apart from the first wound portion and around which a second part of the weight member is to be wound. In the golf club head, a position of a center of gravity of the golf club head is adjusted by changing a weight ratio of the first part to the second part. At least either the first wound portion or the second wound portion may be rotatable in a reel-in direction and a reel-out direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naruhiro Mizutani
  • Publication number: 20230095522
    Abstract: A hollow head includes a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a hosel portion. The crown portion forms a crown outer surface and a crown inner surface. The crown portion includes a crown atypically-shaped portion and a crown rib that is disposed on the crown inner surface. The crown atypically-shaped portion is a crown projection that forms a projection on the crown outer surface while forming a recess on the crown inner surface, or a crown recess that forms a recess on the crown outer surface while forming a projection on the crown inner surface. The crown rib is positioned on a crown center side relative to a center of the crown atypically-shaped portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Naruhiro MIZUTANI
  • Publication number: 20230080945
    Abstract: A state of a golf club head placed such that a shaft axis line is vertical to a horizontal plane and a normal line is parallel to a first perpendicular plane on which the shaft axis line lies is defined as a 0-degree state. A direction parallel to the first perpendicular plane and parallel to the horizontal plane is defined as a projection direction. A projected area of the head projected in the projection direction when the head is rotated by ?°about the shaft axis line toward a back side from the 0-degree state is denoted by WA?. WA? is divided by the shaft axis line into a first region (having an area denoted by Af?) and a second region (having an area denoted by Ab?), and a difference (Af?-Ab?) is denoted by S?. S90 is -4500 (mm2) or less. S15 is 4700 (mm2) or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naruhiro MIZUTANI, Daisuke KOHNO, Hirotaka NAKAMURA, Jun KODAKA
  • Publication number: 20230074992
    Abstract: A head includes a face portion, a sole portion, and an internal weight portion provided on an inner surface of the sole portion and located apart from the face portion. The internal weight portion includes a base portion, and a protruding portion protruding from the base portion toward a face side and located apart from the inner surface of the sole portion. The protruding portion is positioned on the face side with respect to the head center of gravity. A thickness of a toe-side part of the protruding portion and/or a thickness of a heel-side part of the protruding portion is greater than a thickness of a middle part of the protruding portion. Alternatively, a middle part of the protruding portion in a toe-heel direction is absent. The internal weight portion may be formed integrally with the sole portion, or may be a different member from the sole portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naruhiro MIZUTANI, Daisuke KOHNO, Akio YAMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20230056990
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a metallic head body having an opening, and an FRP member fixed to the head body so as to close the opening. The FRP member is a fiber-reinforced plastic including fibers and thermoplastic resin. The head body includes a support portion around the opening. The support portion has a first surface for supporting the FRP member. The first surface is provided with at least one narrow groove having a groove width of 20 to 80 ?m and a groove depth of 100 to 400 ?m, and a part of the thermoplastic resin of the FRP member is solidified inside the at least one narrow groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yumi KANEMITSU, Naruhiro MIZUTANI, Hirotaka NAKAMURA, Yuki MOTOKAWA
  • Publication number: 20220288473
    Abstract: A golf club head has a face portion, a crown portion, and a sole portion. The golf club head includes a weight member that is configured to be wound, a first wound portion around which a first part of the weight member is to be wound, and a second wound portion that is disposed apart from the first wound portion and around which a second part of the weight member is to be wound. In the golf club head, a position of a center of gravity of the golf club head is adjusted by changing a weight ratio of the first part to the second part. At least either the first wound portion or the second wound portion may be rotatable in a reel-in direction and a reel-out direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naruhiro MIZUTANI
  • Publication number: 20220249921
    Abstract: A head includes a body member that has an opening, and a face member that includes a striking face and closes the opening. The face member includes a face portion that forms the striking face, and a peripheral portion that extends from a peripheral edge of the face portion toward a back side. The peripheral portion of the face member is welded to the body member. A weld bead that juts from the inner surface of the head is formed at a boundary position between the peripheral portion and the body member. A wall thickness at a face-side end point of the weld bead is greater than a wall thickness at a body-side end point of the weld bead. The peripheral portion has a length of less than or equal to 6 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naruhiro MIZUTANI, Daisuke KOHNO, Masahiko UEDA, Yuki NAGANO, Satoru HANAMITSU, Naoyoshi UEDA
  • Publication number: 20220233921
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a face portion that forms a striking face, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a hosel portion. The striking face has a face center. The sole portion includes a toe protruding portion that is a protruding portion provided on a toe side with respect to the face center and is hollow. The toe protruding portion is not present on a heel side with respect to the face center. The toe protruding portion is formed so as to be continuous with the face portion. The height of the toe protruding portion at its apex may be greater than or equal to 1.5 mm and less than or equal to 8 mm. The golf club head is excellent in rebound performance. In the golf club head, the rebound performance can be improved by deformation of the toe protruding portion at impact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naruhiro MIZUTANI, Jun KODAKA, Kiyofumi MATSUNAGA
  • Publication number: 20220226699
    Abstract: A head includes a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a hosel portion. The crown portion includes a protruding portion on a crown outer surface. The protruding portion does not form any part of an outer contour line of the head in a front view of the head as viewed from a face side. The protruding portion forms an outer contour line of the head in a heel projection figure in which the head that is placed on a ground plane such that a shaft axis line is perpendicular to the ground plane and a face angle is 0° is viewed from a heel side along the ground plane. In this head, aerodynamic drag and lifting force at position 9 can be increased. In this head, air resistance at position 6 can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naruhiro MIZUTANI, Kiyofumi MATSUNAGA, Jun KODAKA, Hirotaka NAKAMURA, Daisuke KOHNO, Shinya FURUTA
  • Publication number: 20220072391
    Abstract: A hollow head includes a head body and a fixed member. The head body is formed by a first material. The fixed member is formed by a second material. The fixed member is disposed inside a body opening portion of the head body. The fixed member includes an outer peripheral portion and an inside region. At least a part of the outer peripheral portion is joined to an inner peripheral portion of the body opening portion. The inner peripheral portion includes a first engaging portion that is constituted by at least one projection or recess. The outer peripheral portion includes a second engaging portion that is constituted by at least one projection or recess. The first engaging portion and the second engaging portion form a projection-recess fitting. The inner surface of the inside region is located on a head outer side relative to an innermost end of a joining portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naruhiro MIZUTANI, Tomohiro HANA
  • Patent number: 11213727
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion and a hosel portion. The head includes a head body formed by a metallic material and a cover member formed by a material having a rigidity lower than that of the metallic material forming the head body. The head body includes an opening and a beam part that extends so as to intersect the opening. The opening is covered by the cover member. The beam part includes an inward bending portion that is bent so as to project inward of the head. The head body includes bent portions located at respective two end portions of the beam part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Naruhiro Mizutani
  • Publication number: 20210299525
    Abstract: A golf club head includes: a head body that includes a cavity; a weight that is detachably attached to the cavity; and a cover that is openably and closably attached to the head body and that covers at least a part of the cavity when the cover is in a closed state. The weight is attached to the cavity in a state where the weight is slidingly movable in the cavity. In the closed state, the cover applies a pressing force to the weight. The weight may be fixed to the cavity by a static frictional force increased by the pressing force. The cavity may form a slide groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naruhiro MIZUTANI, Hirotaka NAKAMURA, Kiyofumi MATSUNAGA, Daisuke KOHNO, Yuki MOTOKAWA
  • Patent number: 11130031
    Abstract: A golf club includes a head; a shaft having a tip end and a butt end; a grip; and a weight member that is located in a butt end region having a distance from a butt end of the grip of less than or equal to 100 mm. The grip and the weight member constitute a grip-weight portion. The shaft, the grip, and the weight member constitute a shaft-grip-weight portion. The shaft has a weight of less than or equal to 40 g. The shaft has a shaft torque of less than or equal to 7.0°. The grip-weight portion has a weight of greater than or equal to 40 g. A ratio W1/W3 of a weight W1 of the butt end region to a weight W3 of the shaft-grip-weight portion is greater than or equal to 0.40.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naruhiro Mizutani, Takashi Nakamura, Kenji Takasu, Daisuke Kohno
  • Patent number: 11130030
    Abstract: A golf club includes a head; a shaft having a tip end and a butt end; and a grip. The golf club has a length of greater than or equal to 45.0 inches. The head has a weight of greater than or equal to 195 g. The golf club has a club moment about a rotation center of less than or equal to 22.74 (kg·cm), the rotation center being a point 100 mm away from a butt end of the grip. The shaft may have a weight of less than or equal to 40 g. The golf club has a weight of greater than or equal to 280 g. A butt end region having a distance from the butt end of the grip of 100 mm or less may have a weight of greater than or equal to 27 g. This golf club can exhibit an on-plane effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakamura, Naruhiro Mizutani, Kenji Takasu, Daisuke Kohno, Wataru Kimizuka, Masahiko Ueda
  • Patent number: 11123618
    Abstract: A golf club 2 includes a head 4, a shaft 6, and a grip 8. The club 2 has a forward club flex of greater than or equal to 170 mm. The forward club flex is measured for a golf club in the completed state. The weight of the head is denoted by Wh, and the weight of the club is denoted by Wc. Wh/Wc is greater than or equal to 0.72. With the golf club 2, a force acting on the player's body during a swing can be reduced. The golf club 2 can stabilize swing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naruhiro Mizutani, Seiji Hayase, Kenji Takasu, Takashi Nakano, Daisuke Kohno