Golf club head

• US 20080039228A1
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cobra Golf Company (Puma SE)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morris, Thomas, Golden, Charles, Breier, Joshua, Haralson, Gregory, Soracco, Peter, Rice, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,803,065 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 53/0458 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 60/54 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. The club head may include one or more light-weight inserts to manipulate the playing characteristics of the resulting golf club. These inserts may have attachment surfaces that are relatively angled such that the inserts are subjected to compressive forces rather than shear forces upon impact with a golf ball during a golf swing.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body having a striking face, a sole, a crown, a heel, a toe, and a skirt defining a shell; and

a skirt insert positioned within a hole defined in said skirt, said insert having an attachment surface that is angled such that said insert is in a state of compression upon impact of said striking face with a golf ball during a golf swing of the club head.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said attachment surface is angled such that opposing surfaces thereof are angled at an angle from approximately 35°

to 55°

.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein said angle is from approximately 40°

to 50°

.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

said crown is a crown insert;

said skirt includes a body portion coupled to both said skirt insert and said crown insert; and

said body portion defining a groove;

the golf club head further comprising a weight member coupled to said body portion within said groove.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, further comprising a stabilizer bar extending across said hole from said body portion to a position adjacent said sole.

6. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein said weight member has a mass from 2 grams to 35 grams.

7. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein said crown insert and said skirt insert are formed of a light-weight material.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said striking face has a surface area greater than 40 cm².

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

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

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

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the head has a depth measured in a face-rear direction that is within 0.25 inch of said width.

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

12. 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.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the club head has a volume greater than 400 cm³.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, 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.

15. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the club head has a center of gravity; and

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

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein at least 40% of said outer periphery is on a sole side of the center of gravity.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein said crown includes a stiffening rib and at least one depressed region.

18. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the club head has a center of gravity; 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.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, 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.

20. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a stabilizer bar extending across said hole from a position adjacent said crown to a position adjacent said sole.