Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 10,293,229 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2016
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• 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:
  US15/209,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20160317883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473256
• 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 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• 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 60/54 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 with a front portion, a toe portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, and an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and between the face and back portions. The front portion may include a face portion having a thickness. The interior cavity may be partially or entirely filled with an elastic polymer material. 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 including a back wall portion, and a front portion having a face portion including a front surface configured to impact a golf ball and a back surface, the face portion comprising a thickness of at least 0.03 inch (0.76 mm) and less than or equal to 0.075 inch (1.9 mm) between the front surface and the back surface adjacent the top portion and adjacent the sole portion;

an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and between the back surface of the face portion and back portion;

a plurality of weight portions located on the back wall portion of the back portion;

a first opening above a horizontal midplane of the body portion, the first opening connected to the interior cavity and configured to receive a first weight portion of the plurality of weight portions; and

a second opening at or below the horizontal midplane, the second opening connected to the interior cavity and configured to receive a second weight portion of the plurality of weight portions, the second weight portion and the first weight portion having equal or similar diameters;

wherein the interior cavity is at least partially filled with an elastic polymer material from the first opening or the second opening.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the entire face portion comprises a thickness of at least 0.03 inch (0.76 mm) and less than or equal to 0.075 inch (1.9 mm).

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of at least 0.03 inch (0.76) mm) and less than or equal to 0.04 inch (1.0 mm) adjacent the top portion and adjacent the sole portion.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein a portion of the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 0.03 inch (0.76 mm).

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the interior cavity is at least 50% filled with 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 interior cavity has a cavity height and the body portion has a body height, the cavity height being at least 50% of the body height.

7. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the interior cavity has a cavity height and the body portion has a body height, the cavity height being greater than 70% and less than 85% of the body height.

8. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one weight portion of the plurality of weight portions comprises a different material than the body portion.

9. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the mass of the first weight portion is less than the mass of the second weight portion.

10. A golf club head comprising:

a body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back 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 back surface of the face portion and the back portion of the body portion;

a plurality of weight portions being farther from the face portion than from the back portion, at least one weight portion of the plurality of weight portions being farther from the heel portion than from the toe portion, the weight portions of the plurality of weight portions having equal or similar diameters;

a first opening above a horizontal midplane of the body portion, the first opening connected to the interior cavity and configured to receive a weight portion of the plurality of weight portions;

a second opening at or below the horizontal midplane, the second opening connected to the interior cavity and configured to receive a weight portion of the plurality of weight portions;

wherein the interior cavity is at least partially filled with an elastic polymer material from the first opening or the second opening, and

wherein a thickness of the face portion between the front surface and the back surface adjacent to at least one of the toe portion or the heel portion is at least 0.03 inch (0.76 mm) and less than or equal to 0.075 inch (1.9 mm).

11. A golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein the entire face portion comprises a thickness of at least 0.03 inch (0.76 mm) and less than or equal to 0.075 inch (1.9 mm).

12. A golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of at least 0.03 inch (0.76 mm) and less than or equal to 0.04 inch (1.0 mm) adjacent the top portion and adjacent the sole portion.

13. A golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein a portion of the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 0.03 inch (0.76 mm).

14. A golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein the interior cavity is at least 50% filled with at least one of a thermoplastic elastomer material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material.

15. A golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein the interior cavity has a cavity height and the body portion has a body height, the cavity height being at least 50% of the body height.

16. A golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein at least one weight portion of the plurality of weight portions comprises a different material than the body portion.

17. A golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein the face portion comprises a plurality of grooves formed into the face portion, each of the plurality of grooves having a depth extending into the front surface of the face portion toward the back surface of the face portion.

18. A golf club head comprising:

a body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion including a back wall portion, and a front portion having a face portion configured to impact a golf ball, the face portion comprising a thickness of at least 0.03 inch (0.76 mm) and less than or equal to 0.075 inch (1.9 mm) adjacent the top portion and adjacent the sole portion;

an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and between the face and back portions;

a first opening on the body portion, the first opening connected to the interior cavity,

a second opening on the body portion, the second opening connected to the interior cavity; and

a plurality of weight portions,

wherein the first opening is located above a horizontal midplane of the body portion,

wherein the second opening is located below the horizontal midplane,

wherein the interior cavity is at least partially filled with an elastic polymer material from the first opening or the second opening,

wherein the first opening is configured to receive a first weight portion of the plurality of weight portions to close the first opening,

wherein the second opening is configured to receive a second weight portion of the plurality of weight portions, and

wherein the first weight portion and the second weight portion have equal or similar diameters.

19. A golf club head as defined in claim 18, wherein the entire face portion comprises a thickness of at least 0.03 inch (0.76 mm) and less than or equal to 0.075 inch (1.9 mm).

20. A golf club head as defined in claim 18, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of at least 0.03 inch (0.76 mm) and less than or equal to 0.04 inch (1.0 mm) adjacent the top portion and adjacent the sole portion.