Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 10,029,158 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2016
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Original Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Inventors: Parsons, Robert R., Nicolette, Michael R., Schweigert, Bradley D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US15/360,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20170072276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473256
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0479 Wedge-type clubs, details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14967 Injecting through an opening of the insert
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14311 using means for bonding the coating to the articles B29C45/14795 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2705/02 Aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/5227 Clubs

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a face portion, a body portion with a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, and a front portion. The golf club head may include an interior cavity that is at least partially filled with a polymer material from at least one port connected to the interior cavity. The golf club head may include at least one weight portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion having at least two ports at or below a horizontal midplane of the body portion, and a front portion having a face portion with a front surface and a back surface;

an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and between the face and back portions, at least one of the ports of the at least two ports being connected to the interior cavity;

a bonding portion applied to the back surface of the face portion from the at least one port and bonded to the back surface of the face portion; and

an elastic polymer material injection molded in the interior cavity from the at least one port and to structurally support the face portion during impact with a golf ball,

wherein the bonding portion is bonded to the face portion before injection molding the elastic polymer material in the interior cavity,

wherein the elastic polymer material is bonded to the bonding portion after being injection molded in the interior cavity,

wherein each port of the at least two ports is associated with a port diameter, and

wherein a distance between the at least two ports is less than or equal to the port diameter of any of the at least two ports.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the bonding portion is bonded to the face portion at a first temperature, and wherein the elastic polymer material is bonded to the bonding portion at a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the bonding portion is a bonding agent, and wherein the bonding agent is bonded to the face portion at a temperature within an initial cure state temperature range of the bonding agent.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the bonding portion is a bonding agent, and wherein the elastic polymer material is bonded to the bonding portion at a temperature within a final cure state temperature range of the bonding agent.

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the elastic polymer material comprises at least one of a thermoplastic elastomer material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material.

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness extending between the front and back surfaces of less than or equal to 1.9 millimeters (0.075 inch).

7. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the face portion comprises a substantially uniform thickness from at or proximate to the top portion to at or proximate to the sole portion, and wherein the substantially uniform thickness extends less than or equal to 1.9 millimeters (0.075 inch) between the front and back surfaces.

8. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the bonding portion comprises a uniform coating or a substantially uniform coating of a bonding agent on the back surface of the face portion.

9. A golf club head comprising:

a plurality of weight portions;

a body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion having at least two ports, and a front portion having a face portion with a front surface and a back surface;

an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and between the face and back portions, at least one port of the at least two ports being connected to the interior cavity;

a bonding portion having an initial cure state and a final cure state with a different bonding configuration than the initial cure state, the bonding portion applied to the back surface of the face portion from the at least one port and configured to bond to the back surface of the face portion at the initial cure state; and

an elastic polymer material injection molded in the interior cavity from the at least one port and to structurally support the face portion during impact with a golf ball, the bonding portion configured to bond to the elastic polymer material to the back surface of the face portion at the final cure state,

wherein the plurality of weight portions include a greater number of weight portions below a horizontal midplane of the body portion than the number of weight portions above the horizontal midplane of the body portion,

wherein each port of the at least two ports is associated with a port diameter, and

wherein a distance between the at least two ports is less than or equal to the port diameter of any of the at least two ports.

10. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the initial cure state of the bonding portion is activated at a first temperature within an initial cure state temperature range of the bonding portion, and wherein the final cure state of the bonding portion is activated at a second temperature within a final cure state temperature range of the bonding portion, and wherein the second temperature is greater than the first temperature.

11. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the elastic polymer material comprises at least one of a thermoplastic elastomer material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material.

12. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness extending between the front and back surfaces of less than or equal to 1.9 millimeters (0.075 inch).

13. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the face portion comprises a substantially uniform thickness from at or proximate to the top portion to at or proximate to the sole portion, and wherein the substantially uniform thickness extends less than or equal to 1.9 millimeters (0.075 inch) between the front and back surfaces.