MULTIPLE MATERIAL GOLF CLUB HEAD

• US 20040259664A1
• Filed: 05/18/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Rollinson, Augustin W., Soracco, Peter L., Galloway, J. Andrew, Cackett, Matthew T., Hocknell, Alan, Reyes, Herbert, Murphy, James M., Helmstetter, Richard C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,994,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/329
• 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 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

Abstract

A golf club (40) having a club head (42) with a face component (60) and an 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) is composed of a crown portion (62), a sole portion (64) and optionally a ribbon section (90). The face component (60) is composed of a metal material, and the aft-body (61) is composed of a non-metal material such as a composite material or a thermoplastic material. The striking plate portion (72) preferably has an aspect ratio less than 1.7. The striking plate portion (72) preferably has concentric regions of thickness with the thickness portion in the center (102). The club head (42) has a volume in the range of 290 cubic centimeters to 600 cubic centimeters, a weight in the range of 165 grams to 300 grams, and a striking plate portion (72) surface area in the range of 4.00 square inches to 7.50 square inches. The golf club head (42) has a coefficient of restitution greater than 0.81 under test conditions such as the USGA test conditions specified pursuant to Rule 4-1e, Appendix 11, of the Rules of Golf for 1998-1999.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a metal material, the face component having a striking plate portion and a return portion, the return portion including at least an upper lateral section and a lower lateral section with a sole extension, the striking plate portion having a thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch, the return portion having a thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch, the return portion extending at least 0.25 inch from a perimeter of the striking plate portion; and

an aft-body composed of a non-metal material, the aft-body having a crown portion and a sole portion, the aft-body attached to the return portion of the face component;

wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution of 0.80 to 0.94.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the striking plate portion has a thickness in the range of 0.055 inch to 0.125 inch.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the aft-body is composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg material.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the striking plate portion has an aspect ratio no greater than 1.7.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the striking plate portion has concentric regions of varying thickness with the thickest region in about the center.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a volume in the range of 290 cubic centimeters to 600 cubic centimeters.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the moment of inertia about the Izz axis of the golf club head is greater than 3000 grams-centimeter squared.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the face component is composed of a metal material selected from the group consisting of titanium alloy, amorphous metal, stainless steel and maraging steel.

9. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a metal material, the face component having a striking plate portion and a return portion, the return portion including at least an upper lateral section and a lower lateral section with a sole extension, the striking plate portion having a thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch, the return portion having a thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch, the upper lateral section of the return portion extending a distance in the range of 0.25 inch to 1.5 inches from a perimeter of the striking plate portion, and the sole extension extending in the range of 0.05 inch to 3.0 inches from an edge of the return portion; and

an aft-body composed of a non-metal material, the aft-body having a crown portion and a sole portion, the aft-body attached to the return portion of the face component, the aft-body having a thickness in the range of 0.015 inch to 0.100 inch;

wherein the moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity is greater than 3000 grams-centimeter squared, and the moment of inertia about the Iyy axis through the center of gravity is greater than 1900 grams-centimeter squared.

10. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a metal material, the face component having a striking plate portion and a return portion, the striking plate portion having a thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch, the return portion extending at least 0.25 inch from a perimeter of the striking plate portion; and

an aft-body composed of a non-metal material, the aft-body having a crown portion and a sole portion, the aft-body attached to the return portion of the face component;

wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 350 cubic centimeters to 525 cubic centimeters, a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of greater than 3000 grams-centimeter squared, and a moment of inertia about the Iyy axis through the center of gravity of greater than 1900 grams-centimeter squared.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a titanium alloy material and comprising a return portion and a striking plate portion, the striking plate portion having concentric regions of varying thickness with the thickest region about the center of the striking plate portion; and

an aft-body composed of a non-metal material and having a thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.100 inch, the aft-body comprising crown portion, a sole portion, and an inward recessed portion, the return portion overlapping and being attached to the inward recessed portion,

wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of greater than 3000 grams-centimeter squared, and a moment of inertia about the Iyy axis through the center of gravity of greater than 1900 grams-centimeter squared.

12. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the crown portion and the sole portion of the aft-body and the return portion of the face component define a gap, the gap also defined by an exterior surface of the inward recessed portion, the gap having a distance from an edge of the return portion to an exposed edge of the aft-body in the range of 0.02 inch to 0.09 inch.