Golf club head

• US 20070049414A1
• Filed: 10/19/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Imamoto, Yasunori, Iida, Katsumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,497,788 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 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• 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

Abstract

A hollow golf club head has a face portion, a sole portion, a side portion, a crown portion, and a hosel portion. A main portion of the crown portion is made of fiber reinforced plastic. At least the face portion and the front edge portion of the crown portion continuing to the face portion are made of metal. A circumferential edge portion of the crown portion made of fiber reinforced plastic is joined to the rear end surface and the internal surface of the metal front edge portion of the crown portion.

Claims

1. A hollow golf club head comprising:

a face portion;

a sole portion;

a side portion;

a crown portion; and

a hosel portion,

wherein a first part of the crown portion is made of fiber reinforced plastic;

wherein at least the face portion and a second part of the crown portion continued to the face portion are made of metal;

wherein the first part of the crown portion is joined to a rear end surface and internal surface of the second part of the crown portion; and

wherein an orientation direction of reinforcing fiber in the crown portion is controlled such that a rigidity in front/rear direction is lower than a rigidity in toe/heel direction.

2. A hollow golf club head comprising:

a face portion;

a sole portion;

a side portion;

a crown portion; and

a hosel portion,

wherein a first part of the crown portion is made of fiber reinforced plastic;

wherein at least the face portion and a second part of the crown portion continued to the face portion are made of metal;

wherein the first part of the crown portion is joined to a rear end surface and internal surface of the second part of the crown portion; and

wherein an orientation direction of reinforcing fiber in the crown portion is controlled such that an elastic modulus in front/rear direction is lower than an elastic modulus in toe/heel direction.

3. The golf club head according to claim 2, wherein cross fiber prepreg and unidirectional fiber prepreg are laminated alternately, and the orientation direction of fiber in the unidirectional flow prepreg is substantially in parallel to the toe/heel direction.