Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 10,729,949 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2017
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• 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:
  US15/793,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20180050245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 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 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• 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 body portion including a first material and having a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, a front portion having a face portion. The golf club head may also include a third mass portion including a second material and coupled to the body portion, and a plurality of mass portions coupled to the third mass portion. The density of the second material is greater than a density of the first material. The interior cavity may include an elastic polymer material. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. An iron-type golf club head comprising:

a body portion associated with a first mass and made from a first material, the body portion having a toe portion with a toe portion edge, a heel portion with a heel portion edge, a top portion, a sole portion with a sole portion edge, a front portion, a back portion with a back wall portion, and an interior cavity;

a face portion having a thickness of less than or equal to 1.905 millimeter (0.075 inch) and coupled to the front portion to enclose the interior cavity;

a plurality of mass portions having a first set of mass portions and a second set of mass portions, at least one mass portion of the first set of mass portions or the second set of mass portions associated with a second mass and made of a second material with a greater density than the first material;

a third mass portion associated with a third mass and made from a third material and removably coupled to the body portion, the third mass portion having a plurality of first ports, each port of the plurality of first ports having an opening on the back wall portion and longitudinally extending from the opening toward the face portion, each port of the plurality of first ports configured to receive a mass portion of the first set of mass portions or a mass portion of the second set of mass portions;

a polymer material in the interior cavity;

a bonding portion configured to bond the polymer material to the face portion; and

a second port on the body portion connected to the interior cavity,

wherein the interior cavity is partially or entirely filled with the polymer material from the second port,

wherein a maximum distance between the top portion and the sole portion is greater than a maximum distance between the face portion and the back wall portion,

wherein the third mass portion extends from a location at or below a horizontal midplane of the body portion to the sole portion edge including a portion of the sole portion edge,

wherein the third mass portion extends from a location at or below the horizontal midplane to the toe portion edge including a portion of the toe portion edge,

wherein the third mass portion includes a portion of an external surface of the back wall portion of the back portion below the horizontal midplane,

wherein a ratio of the thickness of the face portion and a thickness of the bonding portion is greater than or equal to 0.1 and less than or equal 4.0,

wherein the first mass is substantially greater than the second mass,

wherein the third mass is substantially greater than the second mass, and

wherein the first mass is greater than or equal to the third mass.

2. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the interior cavity is associated with an interior cavity volume, and wherein the interior cavity volume is related to a body portion volume by the equation 0.2≤

V_c/V_b<

0.5, where V_c is the interior cavity volume in units of in³, and V_b is the body portion volume in units of in³.

3. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the polymer material is associated with a first coefficient of restitution (COR), wherein the golf club head is associated with a second COR, and wherein the first and second CORs are associated with a COR ratio of less than two (2).

4. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one mass portion of the first set of mass portions and at least one mass portion of the second set of mass portions have at least one different physical property.

5. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the third material has a higher density than the first material.

6. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the third mass portion is attached to the body portion with at least one mass portion of the first set of mass portions or the second set of mass portions through one of the ports of the plurality of first ports.

7. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein a distance between the horizontal midplane and a portion of the third mass portion at or proximate to the toe portion edge is substantially less than a distance between the horizontal midplane and a portion of the third mass portion at or proximate to the heel portion edge.