Golf club head and golf club

• US 20040266551A1
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mizuno Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mizuno Corporation
• Inventors: Noguchi, Shuichi, Inukai, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,074,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head includes: a head body including a crown portion having a plurality of openings, a face portion, a toe portion, a heel portion and a sole portion; a crown part mounted to the head body so as to close the openings, and a support portion provided between the openings for supporting the crown part. The support portion is X-shaped, for example.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a head body made with metal and including a crown portion having a plurality of openings;

a crown part mounted to said head body so as to close said openings; and

a support portion provided between said openings and supporting said crown part;

wherein

a placing portion is provided around said openings for placing a peripheral portion of said crown part, and

said support portion extends inwardly of said openings from said placing portion.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein

said crown part is formed with a material smaller in specific gravity than a material forming said head body, and

said crown part is adhered to said placing portion and said support portion.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein

said placing portion and said support portion are arranged inwardly of said head body from a surface of said crown portion positioned around said placing portion and said support portion by at least 0.5 mm and at most 2.0 mm.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein

said support portion has a thickness of at least 0.7 mm and at most 1.2 mm, and a width of at least 3 mm and at most 15 mm.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein

said head body includes a sole portion, and

a member greater in specific gravity than a material forming said head body is fixed to said sole portion.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein

said support portion has a surface area of at least 250 mm² and at most 1000 mm².

7. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein

a ratio between a surface area of said support portion and an area of said openings is 1:

30-1;

2.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein

an opening is provided to at least one of said support portion and said placing portion.

9. A golf club comprising the golf club head according to claim 1.

10. A golf club head, comprising:

a head body made with metal and including a face portion, a crown portion having a plurality of openings, a sole portion, a toe portion, and a heel portion;

a crown part mounted to said head body so as to close said openings;

a first support portion extending from a first end, being an end of said crown portion along said openings and positioned on said face portion side, continuously in a direction away from said face portion to define part of said openings and support said crown part; and

a second support portion extending from a second end, being an end of said crown portion along said openings and positioned on said face portion side and closer to said heel portion side than said first end, continuously in a direction away from said face portion to define part of said openings and support said crown part;

wherein

said first and second support portions extend in a diagonal direction crossing a face centerline, said face centerline being a virtual straight line passing a central portion of said face portion and extending in a direction perpendicular to a surface of said face portion.

11. The golf club head according to claim 10, wherein

said first and second support portions extend in different directions to be connected to each other.

12. A golf club comprising the golf club head according to claim 10.

13. A golf club head, comprising:

a head body made with metal and including a face portion, a crown portion having a plurality of openings, a sole portion, a toe portion, and a heel portion;

a crown part mounted to said head body so as to close said openings; and

an X-shaped support portion extending from an end, being an end of said crown portion along said openings and positioned on said face portion side, continuously in a direction away from said face portion to define part of said openings and support said crown part.

14. A golf club comprising the golf club head according to claim 13.

15. A golf club head, comprising:

a head body made with metal and including a face portion, a crown portion having four openings, a sole portion, a toe portion, and a heel portion;

a crown part mounted to said head body so as to close said openings and formed with a material smaller in specific gravity than a material forming said head body; and

first and second straight support portions provided to said crown portion so as to cross each other to define said four openings and support said crown part;

wherein

a shape defined by said first and second support portions is symmetric relative to a face centerline, said face centerline being a virtual straight line passing a central portion of said face portion and extending in a direction perpendicular to a surface of said face portion, and

when an end being an end of said crown portion along said openings and positioned on said face portion side is divided into first, second, third, and fourth areas in a direction from said toe portion toward said heel portion, said first support portion extends from an end of said crown portion positioned in said first or second area continuously in a direction away from said face portion, and said second support portion extends from an end of said crown portion positioned in said third or fourth area continuously in a direction away from said face portion.

16. The golf club head according to claim 15, wherein

an angle formed between a portion positioned on said face portion side in said first support portion and said face centerline is at least 40°

and at most 50°

, and an angle formed between a portion positioned on said face portion side in said second support portion and said face centerline is at least 40° and

at most 50°

.

17. A golf club comprising the golf club head according to claim 15.