Golf club heads with ribs and related methods

• US 10,258,838 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2018
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• 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., Higdon, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US15/897,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20180169487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• 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 plurality of internal and/or external ribs are described herein. The golf club head comprises a ribbed region comprising at least a 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 including: a ribbed wall interior surface, a ribbed wall exterior surface and one or more ribs protruding from the ribbed wall, wherein the one or more external ribs comprise a first rib including: a first rib exterior section and a first rib interior section, wherein the first rib interior section extends substantially parallel to the faceplate.

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;

a faceplate;

wherein the faceplate is coupled to the sole and crown at a front end of the golf club head; 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 is substantially parallel to the faceplate; 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, and

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

the first rib exterior section comprises a first rib exterior height greater than the first rib interior height;

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;

the first rib interior section comprises a first rib interior height past the ribbed wall interior surface and the first rib interior height varies between 0.25 mm and 2.5 mm along the first interior rib length; and

the first rib exterior section comprises a first rib exterior height past the ribbed wall exterior surface and the first rib exterior rib height varies between 0.25 mm and 2.5 mm along the first exterior rib length.

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

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

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

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

the first rib interior height is greater than the first rib exterior height.

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

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

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

the first rib exterior width is greater than the first rib interior width.

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

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

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

the first rib interior width is greater than the first rib exterior width.

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

the ribbed region comprises at least part of the sole.

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

the ribbed region comprises at least part of the crown.

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

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.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, further comprising:

a skirt between the sole and the crown;

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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

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

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

at least a portion of the one or more ribs are arranged in at least one of;

a parallelogram pattern;

or an isogrid pattern.

13. A golf club head comprising:

a heel portion comprising a heel end;

a toe portion comprising a toe end;

a sole;

a crown;

a faceplate;

wherein the faceplate is coupled to the sole and crown at a front end of the golf club head; 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 is substantially parallel to the faceplate;

a second rib comprising;

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

a second rib exterior section, located at the ribbed wall exterior surface, and extended along the second rib length, wherein the second rib exterior section is angled to the faceplate;

wherein;

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

the first rib exterior section comprises a first rib exterior height greater than the first rib interior height;

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;

the first rib interior section comprises a first rib interior height past the ribbed wall interior surface and the first rib interior height varies between 0.25 mm and 2.5 mm along the first interior rib length; and

the first rib exterior section comprises a first rib exterior height past the ribbed wall exterior surface and the first rib exterior rib height varies between 0.25 mm and 2.5 mm along the first exterior rib length.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein:

at least one of the one or more ribs is concave relative to the sole of the golf club head.

15. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein:

at least one of the one or more ribs is convex relative to the sole of the golf club head.