Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 10,232,234 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2018
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Original Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Inventors: Parsons, Robert R., Schweigert, Bradley D., Nicolette, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US15/910,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20180214750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 473332, 473334, 473335, 473338, 473345, 473346, 473349
• 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 2209/14 with form or shape memory materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/08 with special arrangements for obtaining a variable impact
• 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 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

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 hollow body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a bottom portion, a top portion, a plurality of ports on the bottom portion and a plurality of inner support portions in the hollow body portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, and a bottom portion having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a plurality of ports extending through the bottom portion of the body portion, the plurality of ports comprising a first plurality of adjacent ports and a second plurality of adjacent ports;

an elastic polymer insert in contact with the inner surface of the bottom portion, the elastic polymer insert extending from the inner surface of the bottom portion toward the top portion, the elastic polymer insert extending between a first port of the first plurality of adjacent ports and a second port of the second plurality of adjacent ports; and

an inner support portion extending from the inner surface of the bottom portion toward the top portion, the inner support portion defining a loop-shaped support region surrounding a perimeter of the elastic polymer insert and the plurality of ports.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, the elastic polymer insert comprising a plurality of cutout portions, wherein each port of the plurality of ports is substantially aligned with one of the plurality of cutout portions.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the elastic polymer insert comprises a viscoelastic urethane polymer.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the elastic polymer insert comprises a thermoplastic elastomer.

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the elastic polymer insert comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane.

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the elastic polymer insert is attached to the inner surface of the bottom portion with an epoxy.

7. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the elastic polymer insert is attached to the inner surface of the bottom portion with a solvent-based solution.

8. A golf club head comprising:

a body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, and a bottom portion having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a plurality of ports extending through the bottom portion of the body portion, the plurality of ports comprising a first plurality of adjacent ports and a second plurality of adjacent ports;

an elastic polymer material in contact with the inner surface of the bottom portion, the elastic polymer material extending from the inner surface of the bottom portion toward the top portion, the elastic polymer material extending between a first port of the first plurality of adjacent ports and a second port of the second plurality of adjacent ports; and

a loop-shaped support region extending from the inner surface of the bottom portion toward the top portion, the loop-shaped support region connecting adjacent ports of the first plurality of adjacent ports and adjacent ports of second plurality of adjacent ports to form a continuous wall, the loop-shaped support region surrounding a perimeter of the elastic polymer material.

9. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, further comprising an inner support portion extending from the inner surface of the bottom portion toward the top portion, the inner support portion extending from a port of the first plurality of adjacent ports to a port of the second plurality of adjacent ports, wherein the port of the first plurality of adjacent ports and the port of the second plurality of adjacent ports are non-adjacent.

10. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the elastic polymer material is an elastic polymer insert comprising a plurality of recesses defining holes extending through the elastic polymer insert.

11. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the elastic polymer material is an elastic polymer insert comprising a plurality of hexagonal recesses in a honeycomb configuration.

12. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the elastic polymer material is attached to the inner surface of the bottom portion with a bonding portion.

13. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the elastic polymer material is an elastic polymer insert comprising a plurality of cutout portions, and wherein each of the plurality of ports is substantially aligned with one of the plurality of cutout portions.

14. A golf club head comprising:

a body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, and a bottom portion having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a plurality of ports extending through the bottom portion of the body portion, the plurality of ports comprising a first plurality of adjacent ports and a second plurality of adjacent ports;

an elastic polymer material in contact with the inner surface of the bottom portion, the elastic polymer material extending from the inner surface of the bottom portion toward the top portion, the elastic polymer material extending between a first port of the first plurality of adjacent ports and a second port of the second plurality of adjacent ports;

a first support region extending from the inner surface of the bottom portion toward the top portion, the first support region connecting the first plurality of adjacent ports; and

a second support region extending from the inner surface of the bottom portion toward the top portion, the second support region connecting the second plurality of adjacent ports.

15. A golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the elastic polymer material is an elastic polymer insert comprising a plurality of cutout portions, and wherein each port of the plurality of ports is substantially aligned with one of the plurality of cutout portions.

16. A golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the elastic polymer material is attached to the inner surface of the bottom portion with a bonding portion.

17. A golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the elastic polymer material comprises viscoelastic urethane polymer, thermoplastic elastomer, or thermoplastic polyurethane.

18. A golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the elastic polymer material comprises a plurality of recesses defining holes extending through the elastic polymer insert.

19. A golf club head as defined in claim 14, further comprising a plurality of weight portions, one of the plurality of weight portions disposed in each of the plurality of ports.

20. A golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the first plurality of adjacent ports are closer to the rear portion than the front portion and the second plurality of adjacent ports are closer to the front portion than the rear portion.