Golf club Head

• US 20030228932A1
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Nigro, Anthony V., Erickson, Matthew J., Ehlers, Steven M., Kosmatka, John B.
• Granted Patent: US 6,932,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/342
• 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 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/10 Prepolymer processes involving reaction of isocyanates or isothiocyanates with compounds having active hydrogen in a first reaction step
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3206 aliphatic

Abstract

A golf club head having a matrix layer composed of an interconnected reinforcement structure and a polymer material is disclosed herein. The matrix layer provides the golf club head with a greater coefficient of restitution during impact with a golf ball. The matrix layer is preferably disposed within a recess in the front wall of the body of the golf club head. The interconnected reinforcement structure is preferably composed of interconnected hexagonal cells.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a crown, a sole and a front wall, the body having a hollow interior, the body having a volume ranging from 300 cubic centimeters to 500 cubic centimeters; and

a matrix layer disposed on the front wall, the matrix layer comprising a polymer material with an integrated reinforcement structure, the matrix layer having a thickness ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the integrated reinforcement structure is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aramid fiber, fiberglass, carbon and polyurethane.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the integrated reinforcement structure is a plurality of interconnected cells, each cell having a cell size ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the body is composed of a titanium alloy material and the front wall has a thickness ranging from 0.030 inch to 0.1 50 inch.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the polymer material of the matrix layer is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polyurethane, polyether block copolymer, ionomer, nylon, polyamide and polypropylene.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the matrix layer has a thickness ranging from 0.080 inch to 0.120 inch.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein a face of the golf club head has an aspect ratio greater than 0.575.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the front wall has a plurality of concentric regions of thickness.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution ranging from 0.82 to 0.93.

10. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a crown, a sole and a front wall, the body having a hollow interior, the body having a volume ranging from 300 cubic centimeters to 500 cubic centimeters, the body composed of a titanium alloy material, the front wall having a recess, the recess having a depth ranging from 0.040 inch to 0.250 inch; and

a matrix layer disposed within the recess of the front wall, the matrix layer comprising a polymer material with an integrated reinforcement structure composed of interconnected hexagonal cells, each hexagonal cell having a cell size of 0.0625 inch to 0.100 inch, the matrix layer having a thickness ranging from 0.040 inch to 0.250 inch.

11. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the polymer material of the matrix layer is composed of a thermoplastic polyurethane material.

12. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the integrated reinforcement structure is composed of an aluminum material.

13. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the integrated reinforcement structure is composed of a phenolic material.

14. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia, lzz, about the Z axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head that ranges from 2700 g-cm² to 4000 g-cm².

15. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a crown, a sole and a front wall, the body having a hollow interior, the body having a volume ranging from 300 cubic centimeters to 500 cubic centimeters, the body composed of a titanium alloy material, the front wall having a recess, the recess having a depth ranging from 0.040 inch to 0.250 inch; and

a matrix layer disposed within the recess of the front wall, the matrix layer comprising a thermoplastic polyurethane material with an integrated reinforcement structure composed of interconnected hexagonal cells, each hexagonal cell having a cell size of 0.0625 inch to 0.100 inch, the matrix layer having a thickness ranging from 0.040 inch to 0.250 inch;

wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution ranging from 0.82 to 0.93.

16. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a crown, a sole and a front wall, the body having a hollow interior, the body having a volume ranging from 300 cubic centimeters to 500 cubic centimeters, the body composed of a titanium alloy material, the front wall having a recess, the recess having a depth ranging from 0.040 inch to 0.250 inch; and

a matrix layer disposed within the recess of the front wall, the matrix layer comprising a polymer material with an integrated reinforcement structure composed of interconnected hexagonal cells, each hexagonal cell having a cell size of 0.0625 inch to 0.100 inch, the matrix layer having a thickness ranging from 0.040 inch to 0.250 inch;

wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia, lzz, about the Z axis of the center of gravity of the golf club head ranging from 2700 g-cm² to 4000 g-cm².

17. A golf club head comprising:

a body composed of a metallic material and including a front wall having a recess formed therein; and

a matrix layer disposed within the recess of the front wall, the matrix, the matrix layer comprising a reinforcement structure and a thermoplastic polyurethane material, the reinforcement structure including a plurality of integrated walls forming a plurality of integrated cells, the thermoplastic polyurethane material substantially filling the plurality of integrated cells of the reinforcement structure.

18. The golf club head according to claim 17 wherein the club head is a putter-type golf club head.

19. The golf club head according to claim 17 wherein the club head is an iron-type golf club head.

20. The golf club head according to claim 17 wherein the club head is a wood-type golf club head.

21. The golf club head according to claim 17 wherein the recess in the front wall of the body has a depth ranging from 0.040 inch to 0.250 inch, and wherein the matrix layer has a thickness ranging from 0.040 inch to 0.250 inch.

22. The golf club head according to claim 17 wherein the reinforcement structure is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aramid fiber, fiberglass, carbon and polyurethane.

23. The golf club head according to claim 17 wherein the reinforcement structure has a hexagonal grid configuration.

24. The golf club head according to claim 17 wherein each of the integrated cells has a cell size ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch.

25. The golf club head according to claim 17 wherein each of the integrated walls of the reinforcement structure have a wall thickness ranging from 0.0005 inch to 0.01 inch.