Golf club head having face support

• US 20050239575A1
• Filed: 04/22/2004
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Chao, Bing-Ling, Vincent, Benoit, Weed, Brian, Zimmerman, Gery, Larsen, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,140,974 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 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• 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 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• 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 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head has a body having a top, a sole, a toe end, a heel end, and a forward wall. The forward wall defines a front opening about which a face support is disposed. The face support receives a face plate, thereby enclosing the front opening of the body. The face support includes portions proximate to the top, the toe end, and the heel end, each portion having a peripheral member extending rearward from the forward wall and a rear member extending inward from the peripheral member, with respect to the front opening. The face support can be combined with a preferred face construction and weight elements to optimize club head performance to help a golfer achieve greater distance and control.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body having a top, a sole, a toe end, a heel end, and a forward wall, the forward wall defining a front opening, the body further having a face support disposed about the front opening, the face support having portions proximate to the top, the toe end, and the heel end, the face support including

a peripheral member extending rearward from the forward wall for a length between about 3 mm and 30 mm, measured from a forward surface of the forward wall, the peripheral member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm, and

a rear member extending inward from the peripheral member, with respect to the front opening, for a length between about 2 mm and 25 mm, the rear member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm; and

a face plate received by the face support.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the face support further includes a portion proximate to the sole of the body, the portion proximate to the sole having a rear member extending inward with respect to the front opening and configured to support a lower edge of the face plate.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the face support further includes a portion proximate to the sole of the body, the portion proximate to the sole having

a peripheral member extending rearward from the forward wall for a length between about 3 mm and 30 mm, measured from a forward surface of the forward wall, the peripheral member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm, and

a rear member extending inward from the peripheral member, with respect to the front opening, for a length between about 2 mm and 25 mm, the rear member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the rear member of the face support is continuous about the front opening, the rear member extending inward from the peripheral member of each of the portions of the face support.

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the portions of the face support are configured as a plurality of tabs spaced apart from one another about the front opening.

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the peripheral member has a thickness of about 1 mm and a length between about 4 mm and 6 mm, and the rear member has a thickness between about 0.6 mm and 1.5 mm and a length between about 2 mm and 7 mm.

7. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein a junction of the peripheral and rear members of the face support has a maximum thickness of between about 1.5 and 2 mm.

8. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the rear member tapers from a junction of the peripheral and rear members to an inward end, the inward end having a thickness of between about 0.6 and 0.9 mm.

9. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the body is at least partly formed of metal material and the face plate comprises a composite face formed from a plurality of plies of prepreg, the composite face having a thickness less than about 4 mm.

10. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the face plate comprises a metal cap attached at a forward surface of the composite face, the metal cap having a thickness of about 1 mm or less.

11. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the metal cap comprises a rim received in the face support against the peripheral member, the rim comprising a continuous segment or a plurality of segments.

12. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the club head defines an internal volume of at least 130 cc.

13. A golf club head as defined in claim 12, wherein the peripheral member is spaced from a skirt of the body at one or both of the toe and heel ends a horizontal distance of at least 1.5 mm measured about 2 mm inward from a side forward surface of the body at the front opening.

14. A golf club head as defined in claim 12, wherein the face support further includes a portion proximate to the sole, the portion proximate to sole having a rear member extending inward with respect to the front opening, the portion proximate to sole face disposed such that the front surface of the face plate is substantially flush with the forward wall of the body.

15. A golf club head as defined in claim 13, wherein the portion proximate to the sole further having a peripheral member, the peripheral member extending rearward from the forward wall proximate to the sole for a length between about 3 mm and 30 mm, the peripheral member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm, the rear member extending inward from the peripheral member, with respect to the front opening, for a length between about 2 mm and 25 mm, the rear member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm.

16. A golf club head as defined in claim 12, wherein the peripheral member is spaced from the crown a vertical distance of at least 1 mm measured about 2 mm rearward of an upper forward surface of the body at the front opening.

17. A golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein the peripheral member is spaced from the sole a vertical distance of at least 1 mm measured about 2 mm rearward of a lower forward surface of the body at the front opening.

18. A golf club head, comprising:

a body having a crown, a skirt, a sole and a forward wall, the skirt having a toe end and a heel end, the forward wall defining a front opening, the body further having a face support disposed about the front opening, the face support having portions proximate to the crown, to the sole, to the toe end, and to the heel end, the face support including

a peripheral member extending rearward from the forward wall for a length between about 3 mm and 30 mm, measured from a forward surface of the forward wall, the peripheral member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm, and

a rear member extending inward from the peripheral member, with respect to the front opening, for a length between about 2 mm and 25 mm, the rear member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm; and

a face plate having a height of at least 50 mm and a width of at least 80 mm and comprising a plurality of plies of prepreg and having a thickness less than about 4 mm, the face plate received by the face support, thereby enclosing the front opening of the body and defining a volume of the club head of at least 360 cc.

19. A golf club head as defined in claim 18, wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a vertical axis through a center of gravity of at least 300 kg-mm².

20. A golf club head as defined in claim 18, further comprising a metal cap attached at a forward surface of the composite face, the metal cap having a thickness of less than 0.5 mm and formed from a titanium alloy.

21. A golf club head as defined in claim 18, wherein the golf club head has a volume of at least 400 cc.

22. A golf club head as defined in claim 18, wherein the body is investment cast using a titanium alloy.

23. A golf club head as defined in claim 18, further comprising at least two removable weights provided on the body, the weights having a total mass of between about 20 g and 30 g.

24. A golf club head as defined in claim 23, wherein each removable weight is oriented such that a longitudinal axis of each removable weight is directed towards the face plate.

25. A golf club head as defined in claim 18, further comprising two removable weights provided at a rear region of the body, one removable weight provided at a toe region of the body, and one removable weight provided at a heel region of the body.

26. A golf club head as defined in claim 25, wherein each removable weight is oriented such that a longitudinal axis of each removable weight is directed towards the face plate.

27. A golf club head, comprising:

a body having a crown, a skirt, a sole and a forward wall, the skirt having a toe end and a heel end, the forward wall defining a front opening, the body being formed using a soluble core, the body further having a face support disposed about the front opening, the face support having portions proximate to the crown, the sole, and the skirt at the toe end and at the heel end, at each portion the face support including

a peripheral member extending rearward from the forward wall for a length between about 3 mm and 30 mm, measured from a forward surface of the forward wall, the peripheral member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm, and

a rear member extending inward from the peripheral member, with respect to the front opening, for a length between about 2 mm and 25 mm, the rear member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm; and

a face plate having a height of at least 25 mm and a width of at least 60 mm, the face plate received by the face support, thereby enclosing the front opening of the body and defining a volume for the golf club head of at least 130 cc.