Golf Club Head

• US 20060148587A1
• Filed: 08/22/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Hettinger, Ronald K., Hallack, Michael, Tang, Larry G., Gibbs, Evan D., Stevens, Daniel M., Williams, Luke R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,169,060 B2
• 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 2209/023 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 53/0408 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 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown 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 60/00 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 head (42) having more than 50% of a volume forward of a center of gravity and more than 50% of a mass rearward of the center of gravity is disclosed herein. The golf club head (42) preferably has a volume ranging from 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters. The golf club head (42) preferably has a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head greater than 4000 grams-centimeters squared, and a moment of inertia about the Ixx axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head greater than 3000 grams-centimeters squared.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face wall, a crown wall, a sole wall, a heel wall, a rear wall, and a toe wall;

wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 350 cubic centimeters to 500 cubic centimeters and a mass ranging from 190 grams to 250 grams;

wherein more than 50% of the volume of the golf club head is forward of the center of gravity of the golf club head and less than 50% of the mass of the golf club head is forward of the center of gravity, wherein forward of the center of gravity is toward the face wall.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the volume of the golf club head ranges from 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of weight members disposed on at least one of the sole wall, the heel wall, the rear wall, and the toe wall, each of the plurality of weight members having a mass ranging from five grams to thirty grams.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a length, L_gch, from a farthest forward edge of the golf club head to a farthest rearward edge of the golf club head that ranges from 3.5 inches to 4.75 inches, and the center of gravity of the golf club head is positioned less than 50% of the length, L_gch, from the farthest forward edge.

5. The golf club head according to claim 4 wherein the center of gravity of the golf club head is positioned from 30% to 49% of the length, L_gch, from the farthest forward edge.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head is greater than 4000 grams-centimeters squared, and a moment of inertia about the Ixx axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head is greater than 3000 grams-centimeters squared.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a height, H_gch, from a topmost portion of the crown wall of the golf club head to a bottommost portion of the sole wall of the golf club head that ranges from 2.0 inches to 3.0 inches, and the center of gravity of the golf club head is positioned less than 50% of the height, H_gch, from the bottommost portion of the sole wall of the golf club head.

8. The golf club head according to claim 7 wherein the center of gravity of the golf club head is positioned from 40% to 49% of the height, H_gch, from the bottommost portion of the sole wall of the golf club head.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein 35% to 46% of the mass of the golf club head is forward of the center of gravity.

12. The golf club head according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of weight members disposed on the ribbon section, each of the plurality of weight members having a mass ranging from five grams to thirty grams.

10. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a first material, the face component comprising a striking plate portion and a return portion; and

an aft-body coupled to the return portion of the face component, the aft-body composed of a second material having a density less than that of the first material, the aft-body comprising a crown portion, a sole portion, the sole portion having a bottom section and a ribbon section, the ribbon section being located between the crown portion and the bottom section of the sole portion;

wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 350 cubic centimeters to 500 cubic centimeters and a mass ranging from 190 grams to 250 grams;

wherein more than 50% of the volume of the golf club head is forward of the center of gravity of the golf club head and less than 50% of the mass of the golf club head is forward of the center of gravity, wherein forward of the center of gravity is toward the striking plate portion.

11. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the volume of the golf club head ranges from 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters.

13. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the golf club head has a length, L_gch, from a farthest forward edge of the golf club head to a farthest rearward edge of the golf club head that ranges from 3.5 inches to 4.75 inches, and the center of gravity of the golf club head is positioned less than 50% of the length, L_gch, from the farthest forward edge.

14. The golf club head according to claim 13 wherein the center of gravity of the golf club head is positioned from 30% to 49% of the length, L_gch, from the farthest forward edge.

15. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head is greater than 4000 grams-centimeters squared, and a moment of inertia about the Ixx axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head is greater than 3000 grams-centimeters squared.

16. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the golf club head has a height, H_gch, from a topmost portion of the crown portion of the aft-body of the golf club head to a bottommost portion of the sole portion of the aft-body of the golf club head that ranges from 2.0 inches to 3.0 inches, and the center of gravity of the golf club head is positioned less than 50% of the height, H_gch, from the bottommost portion of the sole portion.

17. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the face component is composed of a titanium alloy material and the aft-body is composed of plies of pre-preg material.

18. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a first material, the face component comprising a striking plate portion and a return portion; and

an aft-body coupled to the return portion of the face component, the aft-body composed of a second material having a density less than that of the first material, the aft-body comprising a crown portion, a sole portion, the sole portion having a bottom section and a ribbon section, the ribbon section being located between the crown portion and the bottom section of the sole portion;

wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 350 cubic centimeters to 500 cubic centimeters and a mass ranging from 190 grams to 250 grams;

wherein 51% to 65% of the volume of the golf club head is forward of the center of gravity of the golf club head and 35% to 46% of the mass of the golf club head is forward of the center of gravity, wherein forward of the center of gravity is toward the striking plate portion.

19. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face wall, a crown wall, a sole wall, a heel wall, a rear wall, and a toe wall;

wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 350 cubic centimeters to 500 cubic centimeters and a mass ranging from 190 grams to 250 grams, and less than 50% of the volume of the golf club head is rearward of the center of gravity of the golf club head and more than 50% of the mass of the golf club head is rearward of the center of gravity, wherein rearward of the center of gravity is toward the rear wall.

20. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a first material, the face component comprising a striking plate portion and a return portion; and

an aft-body coupled to the return portion of the face component, the aft-body composed of a second material having a density less than that of the first material, the aft-body comprising a crown portion, a sole portion, the sole portion having a bottom section and a ribbon section, the ribbon section being located between the crown portion and the bottom section of the sole portion;

wherein less than 50% of the volume of the golf club head is rearward of the center of gravity of the golf club head and more than 50% of the mass of the golf club head is rearward of the center of gravity, wherein rearward of the center of gravity is toward a rear wall of the ribbon section of the aft-body.