Golf club head

• US 20050233831A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Imamoto, Yasunori, Ezaki, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US11/094,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20050233831A1
• 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 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 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/885 with incorporated metallic wires, nets, films or plates as lost heating elements B29C35/0272, B29C61/0625

Abstract

A hollow golf club head having a face portion, a sole portion, a side portion, a crown portion, and a hosel portion is configured such that a principal portion of the crown portion is made of a fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP body), and the remaining portions are made of a metal (metal body). An opening is disposed in the face portion, and a face plate made of an amorphous metal is fitted therein, and fixedly attached thereto by means of caulking. The remaining portions of the metal body are made of a crystalline metal.

Claims

1. A golf club head of a hollow shell structure comprising:

a face portion;

a sole portion;

a side portion;

a crown portion; and

a hosel portion, wherein

a principal portion of the crown portion is made of a fiber-reinforced plastic,

at least the face portion and a front edge portion of the crown portion continuous with the face portion are made of a metal, and

at least a center portion of the face portion is made of an amorphous metal.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein all portions made of a metal are made of an amorphous metal.

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

a peripheral edge portion of the face portion is made of a crystalline metal, and

a face plate made of an amorphous metal is fixedly attached to the peripheral edge portion.

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

a front edge portion of the side portion and a front edge portion of the sole portion are made of a metal continuous with the face portion,

a center portion of the sole portion in a toe-heel direction is made of a metal continuous with the metal front edge portion of the sole portion, and

the metal portion at the center of the sole extends to a rear portion of the golf club head.

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

all portions other than the principal portion of the crown portion are made of a metal,

portions other than the face portion are made of a crystalline metal, and

a peripheral edge portion of the face portion is made of a crystalline metal, and

a face plate made of an amorphous metal is fixedly attached to the peripheral edge portion.

6. The golf club head according to claim 3, wherein the face plate made of an amorphous metal is fixedly attached to the peripheral edge portion of the face portion made of a crystalline metal, by means of caulking the peripheral edge portion of the face portion.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the face portion falls within a range of 1 to 4 mm.

8. The golf club head according to claim 4, wherein an average value of a width of the metal front edge portion of the crown portion and those of the metal front edge portion of the side portion in a front-rear direction falls within a range of 2 to 20 mm.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein rigidity of the crown portion made of the fiber-reinforced plastic in a front-rear direction is rendered lower than that in a toe-heel direction.

10. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the fiber-reinforced plastic is made of carbon fiber whose elastic modulus falls within a range of 20×

10³ to 30×

10³ kg/mm².

11. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the crown portion made of the fiber-reinforced plastic falls within a range of 1 to 2 mm.

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

a volume of the golf club head falls within a range of 350 to 400 cm³, and

a weight of the golf club head falls within a range of 160 to 200 g.