GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH CUSTOMIZABLE CENTER OF GRAVITY

• US 20040229713A1
• Filed: 04/21/2004
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Rollinson, Augustin W., Galloway, J. Andrew, Cackett, Matthew T., Hocknell, Alan, Helmstetter, Richard C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,926,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/342
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• 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 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 5/00 Methods for forging, hammering, or pressing for working sheet-metal or metal tubes, rods, or profiles B21D; for working wire B21F; Special equipment or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B21K 17/00 Making sport articles, e.g. skates
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/183 of titanium or alloys based thereon
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/00 Etching metallic material by chemical means manufacture of printing surfaces B41C; manufacture of printed circuits H05K
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/26 : for etching refractory metals

Abstract

A golf club (40) having a club head (42) with a face component (60) and an interchangeable aft body (61) is disclosed herein. The face component (60) has a striking plate portion (72) and a return portion (74). The aft-body (61), which is attached to the return portion (74) of the face component (60), is selected from a plurality of aft-bodies, each having a different center of gravity location. Each of the aft-bodies (61) is composed of a crown portion (62), a sole portion (64), and at least one weight member (122) for adjusting location of the center of gravity. An aft-body (61) is selected from the plurality of aft-bodies (61) based on its center of gravity location, so as to provide the club head (40) with a center of gravity location suited to a particular golfer.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a first material, the face component including a striking plate portion and a return portion, the return portion extending a distance ranging from 0.25 inch to 1.5 inches from a perimeter of the striking plate portion; and

an aft-body coupled to the return portion of the face component, the aft-body being selected from a plurality of aft-bodies, each of the aft-bodies being composed of a second material having a density less than that of the first material, each aft-body including at least one weight member and having a center of gravity location different from the other aft-bodies.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the first material is a metal material and the second material is a non-metal material.

3. The golf club head according to claim 2 wherein the each of the aft-bodies is composed of plies of pre-preg material.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the first and second materials are metal materials.

5. The golf club head according to claim 4 wherein the second material is selected from the group consisting of magnesium and aluminum.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of titanium alloy, amorphous metal, stainless steel and maraging steel.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the return portion of the face component includes at least an upper lateral section and a lower lateral section, and wherein the aft-body includes a crown portion and a sole portion, the upper lateral section of the return portion being coupled to the crown portion of the aft-body, and the lower lateral section of the return portion being coupled to the sole portion of the aft-body.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the aft-body includes a crown portion and a sole portion, the sole portion having a bottom section and a ribbon section, the ribbon section being located between the crown portion and the bottom section of the sole portion, and wherein the at least one weight member is located along the ribbon section.

9. The golf club head according to claim 8 wherein the ribbon section of the aft-body is substantially vertical.

10. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the at least one weight member has a density ranging from 7 grams per cubic centimeters to 12 grams per cubic centimeters.

11. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of aft-bodies has a mass substantially equal to that of the other aft-bodies.

12. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the aft-body attached to the face component results in the golf club head having a heel bias center of gravity location.

13. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the aft-body attached to the face component results in the golf club head having a neutral bias center of gravity location.

14. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the aft-body attached to the face component results in the golf club head having a toe bias center of gravity location.

15. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein striking plate portion of the face component has a thickness ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch and the return portion has a thickness ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch.

16. The golf club head according to claim 15 wherein the striking plate portion has concentric regions of varying thickness with the thickest region in about the center.

17. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia, Izz, greater than 3000 g-cm² and a moment of inertia, Iyy, greater than 2000 g-cm², wherein the moments of inertia are defined by the vertical axis Z through the center of gravity of the golf club head, a horizontal axis Y through the center of gravity of the golf club head and substantially parallel to the striking plate portion, and a forward to rearward axis X through the center of gravity of the golf club head, the X-axis, the Y-axis and the Z-axis being orthogonal to each other.

18. A golf club head having a center of gravity location suited for a particular golfer, the golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a first material, the face component including a striking plate portion and a return portion, the return portion extending a distance ranging from 0.25 inch to 1.5 inches from a perimeter of the striking plate portion; and

an aft-body coupled to the return portion of the face component, the aft-body being selected from a plurality of aft-bodies, each of the aft-bodies being composed of a second material having a density less than that of the first material, each aft-body including at least one weight member,

wherein the plurality of aft-bodies includes a first aft-body to provide the golf club head with a neutral bias center of gravity location, a second aft-body to provide the golf club head with a toe bias center of gravity location, and a third aft-body to provide the golf club head with a heel bias center of gravity location, and

wherein the aft-body selected provides the golf club head with the center of gravity location suited for the golfer.

19. The golf club head according to claim 18 wherein the first material is a metal material and the second material is a non-metal material.

20. The golf club head according to claim 18 wherein the first and second materials are metal materials.

21. The golf club head according to claim 18 wherein the aft-body includes a crown portion and a sole portion, the sole portion having a bottom section and a ribbon section, the ribbon section being located between the crown portion and the bottom section of the sole portion, and wherein the at least one weight member is located along the ribbon section.

22. The golf club head according to claim 21 wherein the ribbon section of the aft-body is substantially vertical.

23. The golf club head according to claim 18 wherein each of the aft-bodies has a mass substantially equal to that of the other aft-bodies.

24. The golf club head according to claim 18 wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia, Izz, greater than 3000 g-cm² and a moment of inertia, Iyy, greater than 2000 g-cm², wherein the moments of inertia are defined by the vertical axis Z through the center of gravity of the golf club head, a horizontal axis Y through the center of gravity of the golf club head and substantially parallel to the striking plate portion, and a forward to rearward axis X through the center of gravity of the golf club head, the X-axis, the Y-axis and the Z-axis being orthogonal to each other.