Golf club head

• US 10,434,379 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2016
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Brunski, Jeff D., Lacey, Samuel G., Nivanh, Dan S., Radcliffe, Nathaniel J., Rae, John J., Blumenkrantz, Mark, Stewart, Rory C., Wallans, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Alvin
• Application Number:
  US15/379,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20170087428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head according to one or more aspects of the present invention may include a face portion or strike-face wall comprising a top inner boundary, an intermediate inner boundary, and a bottom inner boundary having a bottom-inner-boundary toe portion and a bottom-inner-boundary heel portion. The strike-face wall may further include a first uniform-thickness region, adjoining the top inner boundary, and a variable-thickness region adjoining the uniform-thickness region and a majority of the bottom inner boundary. In another example, the variable-thickness may adjoin a majority of the top inner boundary and the uniform-thickness region may adjoin a majority of the bottom inner boundary.

Claims

1. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a strike-face wall comprising;

a front surface including a face center, an outer boundary, and an inner boundary defined by all points displaced, in a direction of the face center, from the outer boundary by a constant offset that is between about 0.5 mm and about 15 mm a face boundary, the inner boundary including a top boundary portion, a bottom boundary portion opposite the top boundary portion, a toe boundary portion, and a heel boundary portion opposite the toe boundary portion;

a rear surface;

a first continuous uniform-thickness region extending from the toe boundary portion and having a first thickness;

a second continuous uniform-thickness region extending from the heel boundary portion and having a second thickness;

a third continuous uniform-thickness region extending from the bottom boundary portion and having a third thickness; and

a variable-thickness region adjoining, and thickened relative to the first, second, and third uniform-thickness regions, the variable-thickness region contacting both the top boundary portion and the bottom boundary portion, the variable-thickness region separating the first continuous uniform-thickness region from the second continuous uniform-thickness region and separating each of the first continuous uniform-thickness region and the second continuous uniform-thickness region from the third continuous uniform-thickness region, wherein the variable-thickness has a fourth thickness greater than the first, second, and third thicknesses.

2. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the variable-thickness region is continuously variable.

3. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first thickness, the second thickness, and the third thickness are each less than about 3 mm.

4. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the variable-thickness region includes a first segment extending from the bottom boundary portion near the toe boundary portion and distal the heel boundary portion and a second segment extending from the bottom boundary portion near the heel boundary portion and distal the toe boundary portion.

5. The wood-type golf club head of claim 4, wherein the first segment and the second segment converge.

6. The wood-type golf club head of claim 5, wherein the variable-thickness region further includes a third segment adjoining the top boundary portion, a fourth segment adjoining the top boundary portion, and a fifth segment contacting each of the first, second, third, and fourth segments.

7. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the variable-thickness thickness region extends between the top boundary portion and the bottom boundary portion and includes the face center.

8. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein a maximum thickness dimension is located proximate the face center.

9. The wood-type golf club head of claim 7, wherein the maximum thickness dimension is less than 5 mm.

10. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the fourth thickness is between 2 mm and 4 mm.

11. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a strike-face wall comprising;

a front surface including a face center, an outer boundary, and an inner boundary defined by all points displaced, in a direction of the face center, from the outer boundary by a constant offset that is between about 0.5 mm and about 15 mm, the inner boundary including a top inner boundary portion, a bottom inner boundary portion opposite the top inner boundary portion, a toe inner boundary portion, and a heel inner boundary portion opposite the toe inner boundary portion;

a rear surface;

a first continuous uniform-thickness region adjoining the toe inner boundary and comprising a first thickness;

a second continuous uniform-thickness region adjoining the heel inner boundary and comprising a second thickness;

a third continuous uniform-thickness region adjoining the bottom inner boundary and comprising a third thickness; and

a variable-thickness region adjoining, and thinned relative to the first uniform-thickness region, the second uniform-thickness region, and the third uniform-thickness region and including the face center, wherein the variable-thickness region comprises a fourth thickness less than the first, second, and third thicknesses and extends between the top inner boundary portion and the bottom inner boundary portion.

12. The wood-type golf club head of claim 11, wherein a minimum thickness dimension is located proximate the face center.

13. The wood-type golf club head of claim 11, wherein a maximum thickness dimension is located in at least one of the first uniform-thickness region, the second uniform-thickness region, and the third uniform-thickness region.

14. The wood-type golf club head of claim 11, wherein the variable-thickness region is continuously variable.

15. The wood-type golf club head of claim 11, wherein the first thickness, the second thickness, and the third thickness are each less than about 5 mm.

16. The wood-type golf club head of claim 11, wherein the variable-thickness region includes a first segment extending from the bottom inner boundary portion near the toe inner boundary portion and distal the heel inner boundary portion and a second segment extending from the bottom inner boundary portion near the heel inner boundary portion and distal the toe inner boundary portion.

17. The wood-type golf club head of claim 16, wherein the first segment and the second segment converge.

18. The wood-type golf club head of claim 17, wherein the variable-thickness region further includes a third segment adjoining the top inner boundary portion, a fourth segment adjoining the top inner boundary portion, and a fifth segment contacting each of the first, second, third, and fourth segments.

19. The wood-type golf club head of claim 11, wherein the variable-thickness thickness region includes the face center.

20. The wood-type golf club head of claim 11, wherein the fourth thickness is between 2 mm and 4 mm.