Golfl club heads with cavities and inserts and related methods

• US 10,022,601 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2017
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Answer Media, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Petersen, David L., Bryant, Les J., Glover, James D., MacMillan, Richard D., Chen, Xiaojian, Jertson, Martin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US15/479,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20170282025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 473287-292, 473324-350
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/50 with through-holes A63B60/18 takes precedence; for stringing purposes A63B49/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

Golf club heads with cavities and inserts, and methods to manufacture golf club heads with cavities. Various embodiments include a golf club head comprising a body. The body comprises a strikeface at a front of the golf club head, a backface opposite the strikeface, a heel region, a toe region opposite the heel region, a sole, a rear portion at a rear of the golf club head, and a cavity located between the backface and the rear portion. In many embodiments, the body further comprises an insert within the cavity.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising;

a strikeface at a front of the golf club head;

a backface opposite the strikeface;

a heel region;

a toe region opposite the heel region;

a sole;

a rear portion at a rear of the golf club head; and

a cavity located between the backface and the rear portion comprising;

a side wall offset from the backface;

a bottom wall; and

a divider extending the entire length of the cavity from the heel region to the toe region, separating the cavity into a first pocket and a second pocket, and comprising an aperture;

and

an insert received within the cavity;

wherein;

the insert comprises;

a first component having one aperture;

a second component having one aperture that is concentric with the one aperture of the first component; and

a slit separating the first component and the second component.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first component is positioned within the first pocket of the cavity and the second component is positioned within the second pocket of the cavity.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the one aperture of the first component, and the one aperture of the second component is concentric with the aperture of the divider of the cavity.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the one aperture of the first component, the one aperture of the second component, and the aperture of the divider receives a fastener.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the divider extends from the bottom wall of the cavity, parallel to the side wall of the cavity.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the divider extends from the bottom wall of the cavity at an angle relative to the side wall of the cavity, wherein the first pocket of the cavity is greater in width at the heel region than the toe region of the golf club head.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the divider extends from the bottom wall of the cavity at an angle relative to the side wall of the cavity, wherein the first pocket of the cavity is greater in width at the toe region than the heel region of the golf club head.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the divider extends perpendicular from the side wall of the cavity.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first component and the second component comprise a metal selected from the group consisting of tungsten, aluminum, titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, and nickel.

10. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising;

a strikeface at a front of the golf club head;

a backface opposite the strikeface;

a heel region;

a toe region opposite the heel region;

a sole;

a rear portion at a rear of the golf club head; and

a cavity located between the backface and the rear portion comprising;

a face side wall comprising a portion of the backface;

a rear side wall opposite the face side wall;

a bottom wall between the face side wall and the rear side wall;

a post extending from the bottom wall into a portion of the cavity; and

a width measured from the face side wall to the rear side wall;

and

an insert received within the cavity;

wherein;

the insert comprises;

a first component comprising a back surface configured to be adjacent to the rear side wall of the golf club head, a front surface opposite the back surface, a bottom surface, a top surface opposite the bottom surface, a toe-region side, a heel region side opposite the toe-region side, and an elastically deformable material; and

a retainer configured to be received within the first component of the insert comprising a top surface, a bottom surface and a plastically deformable material.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the first component of the insert further comprises an insert cavity extending from the bottom surface of the insert, and the insert cavity is configured to receive the post and the retainer.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the retainer further comprises a bore to be positioned onto the post of the cavity.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the bore of the retainer comprises tabs and cavities disposed between the tabs, and the tabs are orientated upward toward the top surface of the first component of the insert when the retainer is positioned in the first component.

14. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the insert of comprises a mass ranging from 0.5 gram to 36 grams.