Golf club head

• US 20070054751A1
• Filed: 11/02/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cobra Golf Company (Puma SE)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Haralson, Gregory, Soracco, Peter, Rice, Scott, Breier, Joshua
• Granted Patent: US 8,523,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/334
• 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 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A hollow golf club head with a concave portion is disclosed and claimed. The club head includes a metallic portion and a light-weight portion, which may be formed of plastic, composite, or the like. The concave portion allows the club designer to make a club head having very thin portions while still maintaining the requisite structural integrity. Convex bulges may optionally be provided to house weight inserts to enhance the playing characteristics of the golf club. The metallic portion of the club head may take on the appearance of a frame, into which several light-weight inserts are positioned. These light-weight inserts may be positioned in the crown, skirt, and sole of the club head. The club head may be formed by co-molding, eliminating the need for welding or adhesives, freeing mass to be used in more beneficial ways. The club head may be large to increase playability and forgiveness.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body having a striking face, a sole, a crown, a heel, and a toe, said striking face having a width measured in a heel-toe direction and a height measured in a sole-crown direction;

wherein;

said striking face has a surface area greater than 40 cm²; and

said width divided by said height defines an aspect ratio that is greater than 1.5.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said area is greater than 45 cm².

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said area is greater than 50 cm².

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said aspect ratio is greater than 1.7.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said crown has a surface area greater than 100 cm².

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said crown is an insert formed of a material selected from the group consisting of composites, polypropylenes, Kevlar, magnesium, thermoplastics, plastics, polymers, and low density metal alloys.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said sole is an insert formed of a material selected from the group consisting of composites, polypropylenes, Kevlar, magnesium, thermoplastics, plastics, polymers, and low density metal alloys.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a first weight insert positioned on a toe side of said sole and a second weight insert positioned on a heel side of said sole, each of said first and second weight inserts having a mass from 2 grams to 35 grams.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein:

a center point on said sole defines a lowest point of the club head; and

each of said first and second weight inserts has a center of gravity that is at least 0.5 inch rearward of said center point, at least 0.75 inch from said center point towards a toe of the club head for said first weight insert and towards a heel of the club head for said second weight insert, and a maximum of 0.25 inch above said center point.

10. A golf club head, comprising:

a body having a striking face, a sole, and a crown;

wherein;

said striking face has a surface area greater than 40 cm²; and

the club head has a center of gravity located a distance of approximately 1 inch or less above said sole.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein said area is greater than 45 cm².

12. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein said striking face has an aspect ratio greater than 1.5.

13. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the club head has a volume greater than 400 cm³.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein said volume is greater than 425 cm³.

15. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein said crown has a surface area greater than 100 cm².

16. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein a distance measured substantially at a center of the club head from a crown-face intersection to a rear edge of said crown is greater than 4 inches.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein said distance is greater than 4.25 inches.

18. A golf club head, comprising:

a body having a striking face, a crown, a sole, a heel, a toe, and a rear, said striking face having a width measured in a heel-toe direction, the head having a depth measured in a face-rear direction;

wherein;

said striking face has a surface area greater than 40 cm²; and

said depth is from 4.5 to 5 inches.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein said depth is within 0.25 inch of said width.

20. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein:

said depth is from 4.5 to 5 inches; and

said width is 4.5 to 5 inches.

21. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein said area is greater than 45 cm².

22. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein said striking face has a height measured in a sole-crown direction from 2.5 to 2.8 inches.

23. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein said crown has a surface area greater than 100 cm².

24. A golf club head having a center of gravity, comprising:

a body having a strike face, a sole, and a crown, said crown having an outer periphery;

wherein;

at least 35% of said outer periphery is on a sole side of the center of gravity.

25. The golf club head of claim 24, wherein at least 40% of said outer periphery is on a sole side of the center of gravity.

26. The golf club head of claim 24, wherein said crown includes a stiffening rib and at least one depressed region.

27. The golf club head of claim 26, wherein said stiffening rib has a convex profile and said depressed region has a concave profile when viewed from above said crown.

28. The golf club head of claim 26, wherein said crown includes two depressed regions, each of said regions having a depth from 2.8 to 3.5 inches and a width from 1.9 to 2.6 inches.

29. The golf club head of claim 28, wherein:

a first of said depressed regions has a depth from 2.9 to 3.5 inches and a width from 2.2 to 2.6 inches; and

a second of said depressed regions has a depth from 2.8 to 3.4 inches and a width from 1.9 to 2.3 inches.

30. The golf club head of claim 28, wherein each of said depressed regions has identical dimensions.

31. The golf club head of claim 26, wherein said stiffening rib is on a crown side of the center of gravity and said depressed region is on a sole side of the center of gravity.

32. The golf club head of claim 24, wherein said striking face has a surface area greater than 40 cm².

33. The golf club head of claim 24, wherein the club head has a front height and a rear height that is less than or equal to 25% of said front height.

34. A golf club head having a center of gravity, comprising:

a body having a striking face;

wherein;

said striking face has a surface area greater than 40 cm²; and

the club head has a moment of inertia about a vertical axis passing through the center of gravity of 260 kg·

mm² or greater.

35. The club head of claim 34, wherein the club head has a moment of inertia about a horizontal axis passing through the center of gravity of 420 kg·

mm² or greater.