Patents by Inventor Scott Rice

Scott Rice 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).

  • Publication number: 20060293118
    Abstract: A metal wood golf club head adapted for attachment to a shaft, comprising of a body portion and a crown portion, each portion constructed of a different density material. Combining a high-density material in the body portion, with a low-density material in the crown portion, creates an ultra-low center of gravity relative to the geometric face center, resulting in higher launch angles and spin rate ratios. The material for the crown portion is preferably a composite. The crown portion comprises an inner surface layer of a vibration dampening material. The transverse surfaces of the crown and body portions creating a gap that is filled with a shock absorption material such as putty or a rubber based structural adhesive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Inventors: Jeffrey Meyer, Scott Rice, Raymond Poynor
  • Publication number: 20060287132
    Abstract: A metal wood golf club head adapted for attachment to a shaft, comprising of a body portion and a crown portion, each portion constructed of a different density material. Combining a high-density material in the body portion, with a low-density material in the crown portion, creates an ultra-low center of gravity relative to the geometric face center, resulting in higher launch angles and spin rate ratios. The material for the crown portion is preferably a composite. A vibration dampening gasket is disposed between the ledge and lip sections of the body and crown respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Inventors: Jeffrey Meyer, Scott Rice, Raymond Poynor
  • Publication number: 20060240909
    Abstract: A hollow golf club head with a concave portion is disclosed and claimed. The club head includes a metallic portion and a light-weight portion, which may be formed of plastic, composite, or the like. The concave portion allows the club designer to make a club head having very thin portions while still maintaining the requisite structural integrity. Convex bulges may optionally be provided to house weight inserts to enhance the playing characteristics of the golf club. The metallic portion of the club head may take on the appearance of a frame, into which several light-weight inserts are positioned. These light-weight inserts may be positioned in the crown, skirt, and sole of the club head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Inventors: Joshua Breier, Peter Soracco, Scott Rice, Gregory Haralson
  • Publication number: 20060189410
    Abstract: A hitting face of a golf club head having improved flexural stiffness properties. In one embodiment, the hitting face is made from multiple materials. Each material has a different tensile modulus of elasticity, where the center of the hitting face has a much higher tensile modulus of elasticity than the surrounding portions of the hitting face. This creates a stiff center and a more easily deflected concentric portion. In another embodiment, the materials have different yield strengths, where the center of the hitting face has a very high yield strength compared to the surrounding portions of the hitting face. The hitting face may then plastically deform around its periphery, while the center retains its original shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Inventors: Peter Soracco, Scott Rice, Nicholas Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20060128501
    Abstract: A metal wood golf club head adapted for attachment to a shaft, comprising of a body portion and a crown portion, each portion constructed of a different density material. Combining a high-density material in the body portion, with a low-density material in the crown portion, creates an ultra-low center of gravity relative to the geometric face center, resulting in higher launch angles and spin rate ratios. The material for the crown portion is preferably a metallic-composite. The crown portion includes a strands of Nickel-plated polyethylene terephthalate fiber interwoven among carbon fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2005
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Inventor: Scott Rice
  • Patent number: 7029403
    Abstract: A golf club head having selectively oriented zones of relatively high flexural stiffness is disclosed. The hitting face is configured and dimensioned so that it includes an inner zone and a concentric intermediate zone. The inner zone has relatively high flexural stiffness and the intermediate zone has relatively lower flexural stiffness. The inner zone may have an elliptical shape or a substantially parallelogram shape. Preferably, the inner zone has a shape that comprises a major axis and a minor axis and the major axis aligns substantially in the direction of high heel to low toe. This arrangement of inner and intermediate zones creates a gradient of flexural stiffness in the direction of high toe to low heel and produces a desirable manipulation COR in that direction. This area of high coefficient of restitution advantageously coincides with the ball impact pattern that golfers typically make on the hitting face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Scott A Rice, Nicholas M Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20060068932
    Abstract: A hitting face of a golf club head having a location of longest characteristic time shifted away from the geometric center of the hitting face. In one embodiment, the hitting face is made from multiple materials. In another embodiment, the hitting face as a central zone that is thicker than the surrounding material. In another embodiment, a dense insert is attached directly or indirectly to a plate-like face insert at or near the geometric center of the insert. In another embodiment, the central zone of the hitting face is reinforced with ribs. In another embodiment, the central zone is elliptical with varying thickness. In this embodiment, the central zone minor axis is thinner than the major axis. The central zone is positioned within the hitting face such that the minor axis is oriented from the low heel region to the high toe region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2005
    Publication date: March 30, 2006
    Inventors: Scott Rice, Nicholas Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20060040763
    Abstract: A golf club head is disclosed. The golf club head includes a first body member and a second body member. The first body member includes a strike face and a top portion. The second body member is coupled to the first body member and extends away from the first body member in a direction opposite the strike face. At least a top portion of the second body member is camouflaged. A preferred method of camouflage is color differentiation, wherein the second body member is darker than the first body member. Specific color values and club head geometries are also disclosed and claimed. The club head may include a body member and a weight member such as a bar that extends rearward from the body member. A cover may be included to camouflage the weight member. A separate core member and high visibility sight lines may also be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Publication date: February 23, 2006
    Inventors: Peter Soracco, Scott Rice, Christopher Best, Thomas Morris
  • Publication number: 20060035718
    Abstract: A golf club head is disclosed. The golf club head includes a first body member and a second body member. The first body member includes a strike face and a top portion. The second body member is coupled to the first body member and extends away from the first body member in a direction opposite the strike face. At least a top portion of the second body member is camouflaged. A preferred method of camouflage is color differentiation, wherein the second body member is darker than the first body member. Specific color values and club head geometries are also disclosed and claimed. The club head may include a body member and a weight member such as a bar that extends rearward from the body member. A cover may be included to camouflage the weight member. A separate core member and high visibility sight lines may also be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Inventors: Peter Soracco, Scott Rice, Christopher Best, Thomas Morris
  • Publication number: 20050192118
    Abstract: A golf club head having selectively oriented zones of relatively high flexural stiffness is disclosed. The hitting face is configured and dimensioned so that it includes an inner zone and a concentric intermediate zone. The inner zone has relatively high flexural stiffness and the intermediate zone has relatively lower flexural stiffness. The inner zone may have an elliptical shape or a substantially parallelogram shape. Preferably, the inner zone has a shape that comprises a major axis and a minor axis and the major axis aligns substantially in the direction of high heel to low toe. This arrangement of inner and intermediate zones creates a gradient of flexural stiffness in the direction of high toe to low heel and produces a desirable manipulation COR in that direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2005
    Publication date: September 1, 2005
    Inventors: Scott Rice, Nicholas Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20050187034
    Abstract: A hitting face of a golf club head having improved strength properties. In one embodiment, the hitting face is made from multiple materials. The multiple materials form layers of a laminate construction of a flat portion of a hitting face insert. The layers of the laminate are joined together using a diffusion bonding technique. Preferably, at least one layer of the laminate is a thin layer of a very strong material that forms the rear side of the hitting face insert so as to prevent failure of the hitting face insert on that rear side due to repeated impacts with golf balls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Publication date: August 25, 2005
    Inventors: Scott Rice, Nicholas Nardacci
  • Patent number: 6857969
    Abstract: A golf club head having a stamped metal cup-shaped front section welded to a cast body, and a split hosel comprising upper and lower hosel elements, both integrally cast within the body of the club head for reduction of weight in the hosel area. The lower hosel element including varying boss members for receiving the bottom of a shaft. Each individual boss member having a shaft opening corresponding to a pre-determined club lie and club face angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Scott A. Rice
  • Patent number: 6849002
    Abstract: A golf club head having a split hosel comprising upper and lower hosel elements, both integrally cast within the body of the club head for reduction of weight in the hosel area. The lower hosel element having a boss member for receiving the bottom of a shaft. The boss member being variably disposed at a pre-determined position in the lower hosel to provide both a pre-selected club lie and a club face angle. The body therefore having a universal casting with only the welding of the boss into the lower hosel element being varied. The toe portion of the cast body forming a section of the front face surface thereby removing welding away from the aesthetically critical toe portion and easing buffing and polishing procedures in the toe portion in addition to providing structural integrity to the club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Scott A. Rice
  • Publication number: 20050009634
    Abstract: A hitting face of a golf club head having improved flexural stiffness properties. In one embodiment, the hitting face is made from multiple materials. The main portion of the hitting face is a plate-like face made from a first material having a first density. A dense insert made from a second material having a second density that is greater than the first density is attached directly or indirectly to the plate-like face at or near the geometric center thereof. The dense insert increases the flexural stiffness of in a central zone of the hitting face so that a golf club head that has a larger zone of substantially uniform high initial ball speed. In another embodiment, the hitting face includes an insert that includes main plate and at least one wing extending therefrom. The insert is welded to the golf club head so that the main plate does not deflect separately from the remainder of the hitting face. The geometry of the insert controls the stiffness in the axial directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Inventors: Scott Rice, Nicholas Nardacci
  • Patent number: D523509
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Peter L. Soracco, Kevin C. Chau, Scott A. Rice
  • Patent number: D526039
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Joshua G. Breier, Thomas C. Morris, Kevin C. Chau, Scott A. Rice, Peter L. Soracco
  • Patent number: D527064
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Joshua G. Breier, Thomas C. Morris, Kevin C. Chau, Scott A. Rice, Peter L. Soracco
  • Patent number: D532067
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Peter L. Soracco, Kevin C. Chau, Thomas C. Morris, Scott A. Rice
  • Patent number: D532858
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Scott A. Rice
  • Patent number: D534979
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Kevin C. Chau, Scott A Rice, Peter L. Soracco