Golf club head faceplates with lattices

• US 10,675,517 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2019
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Spackman, Clayson C., Simone, Matthew W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Alvin A
• Application Number:
  US16/510,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20200016461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• 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 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• 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 60/48 with corrugated cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club head faceplates comprising a lattice to improve the energy storage capabilities and minimize stress concentrations are described herein. The lattice can comprise a plurality of flexure shapes that facilitate in faceplate bending. The flexure shapes of the lattice can comprise a reentrant, concave, or non-convex shape. The lattice can comprise at least one repeating pattern of flexure shapes that can be interconnected or spaced apart. During golf ball impacts, the flexure shapes flex to store energy through linear and torsional bending.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a faceplate comprising a lattice, the lattice comprises a plurality of grooves arranged in a sunburst pattern,

each sunburst groove comprises;

a base groove; and

a plurality of ligament grooves, the plurality of ligament grooves connected to the base groove and extending outward from the base groove;

wherein the base groove comprises a circular shape;

wherein the ligament groove comprises at least one curve; and

wherein at least three sunburst grooves form a flexure shape, the flexure shape comprises a portion of at least three base grooves and at least three ligament grooves to form a series of convex and concave curves relative to a center of the flexure shape; and

wherein the series of convex and concave curves of the flexure shape flex during golf ball impacts to store energy through linear and torsional bending.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sunburst grooves comprises a repeating pattern of flexure shapes interspersed in a repeating pattern of circular shapes.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the plurality of flexure shapes are positioned on a faceplate region selected from the group consisting of a center region, a toe region, a heel region, a top region, a bottom region, a high-toe region, a low-toe region, a high-heel region, and a low-heel region.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the flexure shape comprises a reentrant shape.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ligament grooves are equally spaced along the base groove.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the base groove comprises a width ranging from 0.01 inch to 0.05 inch.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the ligament groove comprises a width ranging from 0.01 inch to 0.05 inch.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a depth of the plurality of grooves ranges from 0.025 inch to 0.075 inch.

9. A golf club head comprising:

a faceplate comprising a lattice, the lattice comprises a plurality of grooves arranged in a sunburst pattern,

each sunburst groove comprises;

a base groove; and

a plurality of ligament grooves, the plurality of ligament grooves connected to the base groove and extending outward from the base groove;

wherein the base groove comprises a circular shape;

wherein the ligament grooves comprise at least one curve;

wherein at least three sunburst grooves form a flexure shape, the flexure shape comprises a portion of at least three base grooves and at least three ligament grooves to form a series of convex and concave curves relative to a center of the flexure shape;

wherein the plurality of sunburst grooves comprises a repeating pattern of interconnected flexure shapes; and

wherein the series of convex and concave curves of the flexure shape flex during golf ball impacts to store energy through linear and torsional bending.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the plurality of flexure shapes are positioned on a faceplate region selected from the group consisting of a center region, a toe region, a heel region, a top region, a bottom region, a high-toe region, a low-toe region, a high-heel region, and a low-heel region.

11. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the flexure shapes comprise a reentrant shape.

12. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein adjacent flexure shapes share at least one ligament groove.

13. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the ligament grooves comprise a width ranging from 0.01 inch to 0.05 inch.

14. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein a depth of the plurality of grooves ranges from 0.025 inch to 0.075 inch.

15. A golf club head comprising:

a faceplate comprising a lattice, the lattice comprises a plurality of grooves arranged in a sunburst pattern,

each sunburst groove comprises;

a base groove; and

a plurality of ligament grooves, the plurality of ligament grooves connected to the base groove and extending outward from the base groove;

wherein the base groove comprises a circular shape;

wherein the ligament groove comprises a first curve, a second curve, and an inflection point positioned between the first curve and the second curve;

wherein at least three sunburst grooves form a flexure shape, the flexure shape comprises a portion of at least three base grooves and at least three ligament grooves to form a series of convex and concave curves relative to a center of the flexure shape;

wherein the flexure shape comprises a reentrant shape; and

wherein the series of convex and concave curves of the flexure shape flex during golf ball impacts to store energy through linear and torsional bending.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the plurality of sunburst grooves comprises a repeating pattern of flexure shapes interspersed in a repeating pattern of circular shapes.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the plurality of flexure shapes are positioned on a faceplate region selected from the group consisting of a center region, a toe region, a heel region, a top region, a bottom region, a high-toe region, a low-toe region, a high-heel region, and a low-heel region.

18. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the ligament groove comprises a width ranging from 0.01 inch to 0.05 inch.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the first curve and the second curve of the ligament groove comprise a similar width.

20. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein a depth of the plurality of grooves ranges from 0.025 inch to 0.075 inch.