Golf club heads with ribs and related methods

• US 10,195,499 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2017
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Stokke, Ryan M., Jertson, Martin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US15/704,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20180001161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type

Abstract

A golf club head comprising a ribbed region on at least one of a heel portion, a toe portion, sole, or crown. The ribbed region comprises a ribbed wall with an interior surface facing an interior of the golf club head, and a ribbed wall exterior facing an exterior of the golf club head. The ribbed region further comprises at least one rib protruding from the ribbed region. The first rib comprises a first rib length measured along a rib centerline of the first rib, a first rib interior section located at the ribbed wall interior surface, and a first rib exterior section located at the ribbed wall exterior surface.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a heel portion comprising a heel end;

a toe portion comprising a toe end;

a sole;

a crown; and

a ribbed region comprising at least part of at least one of the heel portion, the toe portion, the sole, or the crown;

wherein;

the ribbed region comprises;

a ribbed wall comprising;

a ribbed wall interior surface facing an interior of the golf club head; and

a ribbed wall exterior surface facing an exterior of the golf club head opposite the ribbed wall interior surface;

and

one or more ribs protruding from the ribbed wall and comprising;

a first rib comprising;

a first rib length measured along a rib centerline of the first rib;

a first rib interior section, located at the ribbed wall interior surface, and extended along the first rib length;

wherein;

the first rib interior section protrudes past the ribbed wall interior surface throughout the first rib length; and

a first rib exterior section, located at the ribbed wall exterior surface, and extended along the first rib length opposite the first rib interior section;

wherein;

the first rib exterior section protrudes past the ribbed wall exterior surface throughout the first rib length;

the first rib interior section comprises a first rib interior width; and

the first rib exterior section comprises a first rib exterior width;

wherein

one or more of the first rib exterior width and the first rib interior width varies along the first rib length.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the first rib interior width as measured at any point along the first rib length is between approximately 0.76 mm and approximately 1.9 mm while the first rib exterior width as measured at any point along the first rib length is less than 0.76 mm.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the ribbed region comprises;

a first ribbed wall thickness of approximately 0.13 mm to approximately 1.27 mm between the ribbed wall interior surface and the ribbed wall exterior surface; and

the first rib interior section comprises

a first rib interior height;

the first rib interior height, as measured at any point along the first rib length, is no more than approximately 2.5 mm past the ribbed wall interior surface; and

the first rib exterior section comprises

a first rib exterior height;

the first rib exterior height, as measured at any point along the first rib length, is no more than approximately 2.5 mm past the ribbed wall exterior surface.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein

the first rib exterior height is substantially constant along the majority of the first rib length;

and

the first rib interior height is substantially constant along the majority of the first rib length.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the ribbed region comprises at least part of the sole; and

the ribbed region comprises at least part of the crown.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising:

a skirt between the sole and the crown;

a second ribbed region comprising at least part of the sole and having a second ribbed wall thickness of approximately 0.13 mm to approximately 1.27 mm;

a third ribbed region comprising at least part of the sole and having a third ribbed wall thickness of approximately 0.13 mm to approximately 1.27 mm; and

a sole thick region located at the sole and separating the second ribbed region from the third ribbed region;

wherein;

the sole thick region has a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm to approximately 6.35 mm;

the second ribbed region extends to the skirt and is located at the toe portion of the golf club head; and

the third ribbed region extends to the skirt and is located at the heel portion of the golf club head.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more ribs comprise a plurality of ribs including the first rib; and

each rib of the plurality of ribs protrudes towards the interior of the golf club head past the ribbed wall interior surface; and

each rib of the plurality of ribs protrudes towards the exterior of the golf club head past the ribbed wall exterior surface.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the sole comprises;

a sole thick region located between the heel portion and the toe portion and comprising a thickness greater than the ribbed region and less than or equal to a first rib thickness of the first rib;

a sole-heel region located between the sole thick region and the heel end; and

a sole-toe region located between the sole thick region and the toe end;

the ribbed region is located outside the sole thick region and comprises at least one of;

the sole-heel region;

or

the sole-toe region.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first rib interior sections and the first rib exterior sections are collinear to each other.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein

the first rib interior section comprises a first rib interior height;

the first rib exterior section comprises a first rib exterior height; and

one or more of the first rib interior height and the second rib interior height vary along the first rib length.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a heel portion comprising a heel end;

a toe portion comprising a toe end;

a sole;

a crown; and

a ribbed region comprising at least part of at least one of the heel portion, the toe portion, the sole, or the crown;

wherein;

the ribbed region comprises;

a ribbed wall comprising;

a ribbed wall interior surface facing an interior of the golf club head; and

a ribbed wall exterior surface facing an exterior of the golf club head opposite the ribbed wall interior surface;

one or more ribs protruding from the ribbed wall and comprising;

a first rib comprising;

a first rib length measured along a rib centerline of the first rib;

a first rib interior section, located at the ribbed wall interior surface, and extended along the first rib length;

wherein;

the first rib interior section protrudes past the ribbed wall interior surface throughout the first rib length;

the first rib interior section comprises a first rib interior height;

and

a first rib exterior section, located at the ribbed wall exterior surface, and extended along the first rib length opposite the first rib interior section;

wherein;

the first rib exterior section protrudes past the ribbed wall exterior surface throughout the first rib length;

the first rib exterior section comprises a first rib exterior height; and

one or more of the first rib interior height and the first rib exterior height vary along the first rib length.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein:

the ribbed region comprises;

a first ribbed wall thickness of approximately 0.13 mm to approximately 1.27 mm between the ribbed wall interior surface and the ribbed wall exterior surface; and

the first rib interior section comprises a first rib interior width;

the first rib interior width, as measured at any point along the first rib length, is between approximately 0.76 mm and approximately 1.9 mm;

the first rib exterior section comprises a first rib exterior width; and

the first rib exterior width, as measured at any point along the first rib length, is less than approximately 0.76 mm.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein

the first rib exterior width is substantially constant along the majority of the first rib length;

and

the first rib interior width is substantially constant along the majority of the first rib length.

14. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein:

the ribbed region comprises at least part of the sole; and

the ribbed region comprises at least part of the crown.

15. The golf club head of claim 11, further comprising:

a skirt between the sole and the crown;

a second ribbed region comprising at least part of the sole and having a second ribbed wall thickness of approximately 0.13 mm to approximately 1.27 mm;

a third ribbed region comprising at least part of the sole and having a third ribbed wall thickness of approximately 0.13 mm to approximately 1.27 mm; and

a sole thick region located at the sole and separating the second ribbed region from the third ribbed region;

wherein;

the sole thick region has a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm to approximately 6.35 mm;

the second ribbed region extends to the skirt and is located at the toe portion of the golf club head; and

the third ribbed region extends to the skirt and is located at the heel portion of the golf club head.

16. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein:

the one or more ribs comprise a plurality of ribs including the first rib; and

each rib of the plurality of ribs protrudes towards the interior of the golf club head past the ribbed wall interior surface; and

each rib of the plurality of ribs protrudes towards the exterior of the golf club head past the ribbed wall exterior surface.

17. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein:

the sole comprises;

a sole thick region located between the heel portion and the toe portion and comprising a thickness greater than the ribbed region and less than or equal to a first rib thickness of the first rib;

a sole-heel region located between the sole thick region and the heel end; and

a sole-toe region located between the sole thick region and the toe end;

the ribbed region is located outside the sole thick region and comprises at least one of;

the sole-heel region;

or

the sole-toe region.

18. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein:

the first rib interior height, as measured at any point along the first rib length, is no more than approximately 2.5 mm past the ribbed wall interior surface; and

the first rib exterior height, as measured at any point along the first rib length, is no more than approximately 2.5 mm past the ribbed wall interior surface.

19. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the first rib interior sections and the first rib exterior sections are collinear to each other.

20. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the first rib interior sections and the first rib exterior sections are offset from each other.