Hybrid golf club

• US 20050043117A1
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Burnett, Michael Scott, Gilbert, Peter J., Meyer, Jeffrey W.
• Application Number:
  US10/959,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20050043117A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/345
• 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 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/002 Clubs made of composite, plastics or rubber materials, with integral head and shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A hybrid golf club having a hollow club head construction including a lightweight composite core inserted into a club head cavity and juxtaposed against a front face by compressed gas to provide support to the front face therein. The core material is less dense and having greater flexibility than the front face. The front face has a variable stiffness so as to create a variable Coefficient of Restitution (COR) across the face, therein normalizing the hitting area over a greater portion of the face. The composite core supports the front face to provide a COR from about 0.8 in the middle of the face to about 0.9 in the outer section. The body of the club head has at least one opening wherein the composite core is visible and provides the shell for that portion of the club head. The composite core comprises a plurality of unidirectional layers with horizontal oriented layers alternating with vertical oriented layers to provide extra strength.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body made of a first material having a front face of variable stiffness, and a rear cavity extending rearward from the front face;

a composite core comprised of a second material less dense and more flexible than the first inserted into the rear cavity;

the composite core comprising a plurality of unidirectional carbon fiber layers, with horizontal direction layers alternating with vertical direction layers;

the composite core inflated and expanded by a pressurized gas wherein at least a portion of the composite core biasly juxtaposes against the front face to form a hollow body having an internal volume between 35 cc to 50 cc.

2. The club head of claim 1, wherein the composite core is made from a lightweight material such as carbon graphite.

3. The club head of claim 2, wherein the composite core material has a density equal or less than 4.5 gm/cc.

4. The club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of layers is six.

5. The club head of claim 1, wherein the stiffness of the front face is greatest at the face center, and becomes progressively more flexible away from the face center.

6. The club head of claim 1, wherein the Coefficient of Restitution varies across the front face to normalize ball speed and provide for an enlarged sweet zone.

7. The club head of claim 5, wherein the maximum Coefficient of Restitution, ranges between about 0.8 to about 0.9.

8. The club head of claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas is air.

9. The club head of claim 1, wherein the rear cavity comprises an opening that is sealed by a visible portion of the composite core.

10. The club head of claim 1, wherein the elasticity of the material of the composite core may cooperate with the front face to create a varying COR across the front face for normalizing ball speed and creating an enlarged sweet zone.

11. The club head of claim 1, wherein the body is cast from 431 stainless steel.

12. The club head of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a sole having a port defined therein for housing a plug, the plug having a density heavier than the body.

13. The club head of claim 11, wherein the plug is made form a tungsten material having a density greater than 14 g/cc³.

14. The club head of claim 1, wherein the front face includes a loft of about 22°

and a ball backspin of less than 5000 rpm when the ball exhibits a speed of about 126 mph at a launch angle of about 14°

.