Golf Club Heads with a Plurality of Stress Zones and Methods to Manufacture Golf Club Heads

• US 20080153625A1
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Serrano, Anthony D., Jertson, Marty R., Morales, Eric J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,892,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/08 with special arrangements for obtaining a variable impact
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads with a plurality stress zones and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A club head comprising:

a body having a toe end, a heel end, a front end, a back end, a face portion, a top wall portion, and a bottom wall portion;

a first zone including one or more apertures on at least one of the top wall portion or the bottom wall portion, the first zone extending between the back end and a bell-shaped curve associated with a loft plane substantially parallel to the face portion; and

a second zone extending between the front end and the bell-shaped curve,

wherein the first zone is associated with relatively lower stress load than the second zone in response to impact on the face portion, and

wherein the bell-shaped curve extends between the toe end and the heel end.

2. A club head as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more apertures forms an alignment indicator.

3. A club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more apertures comprises at least one of a circular-shaped aperture, a triangular-shaped aperture, an arrow-shaped aperture, or an aperture having two parallel sides and at least one curved end.

4. A club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more apertures comprises a first aperture and a second aperture, the first aperture associated with a first size and a first shape and the second aperture associated with a second size and a second shape, and wherein the first and second shapes are substantially identical, and wherein the first size is larger than the second size.

5. A club head as defined in claim 1 further comprising a side wall portion including at least one of the one or more apertures, the side wall extending between the top wall portion and the bottom wall portion and wrapping between the toe end and the heel end.

6. A club head as defined in claim 1 further comprising a third zone having a lower bound and an upper bound, wherein the lower bound comprises the bell-shaped curve and wherein the upper bound extends between the toe end and the heel end and is located between the back end and the lower bound.

7. A club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the first zone comprises one or more thin regions on at least one of the top wall portion or the bottom wall portion, and wherein each of the one or more thin regions being relatively thinner than other regions of the top wall portion and the bottom wall portion.

8. A club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the bell-shaped curve may include a first distance and a second distance relative to the loft plane, the first distance being less than or equal to 0.75 inches and the second distance being less than or equal to 1.3 inches.

9. A club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the club head comprises at least one of a driver-type golf club head, a fairway wood-type golf club head, or a hybrid-type golf club head.

10. A club head comprising:

a body having a toe end, a heel end, a front end, a back end, a face portion, a top wall portion, and a bottom wall portion;

a first stress zone including one or more apertures and extending between the back end and a bell-shaped curve associated with a stress load threshold, the bell-shaped curve extending between the toe portion and the heel portion; and

a second stress zone extending between the front end and the bell-shaped curve,

wherein the first stress zone is associated with a stress load less than or equal to the stress load threshold in response to impact on the face portion,

wherein the second stress zone is associated with a stress load greater than the stress load threshold in response to impact on the face portion, and

wherein the bell-shaped curve extends a variable distance from a loft plane substantially parallel to the face portion between a first point associated with the toe end and a second point associated with the heel end and the bell-shaped curve extends a maximum distance from the loft plane at or proximate to a midpoint between the first and second points.

11. A golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more apertures is located on at least one of the top wall portion or the bottom wall portion.

12. A golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more apertures forms an alignment indicator.

13. A golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein the one or more apertures comprises at least one of a circular-shaped aperture, a triangular-shaped aperture, an arrow-shaped aperture, or an aperture having two parallel sides and at least one curved end.

14. A golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein the one or more apertures comprises a first aperture and a second aperture, the first aperture associated with a first size and a first shape and the second aperture associated with a second size and a second shape, and wherein the first and second shapes are substantially identical, and wherein the first size is larger than the second size.

15. A golf club head as defined in claim 10 further comprising a third zone having a lower bound and an upper bound, wherein the lower bound comprises the bell-shaped curve and wherein the upper bound extends between the toe end and the heel end and is located between the back end and the lower bound.

16. A golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein the first zone comprises one or more thin regions on at least one of the top wall portion or the bottom wall portion, and wherein each of the one or more thin regions being relatively thinner than other regions of the top wall portion and the bottom wall portion.

17. A golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein at least one of the first and second points extends 0.75 inches from the loft plane, and the midpoint extends 1.3 inches from the loft plane.

18. A method comprising:

forming a body having a toe end, a heel end, a front end, a back end, a face portion, a top wall portion, a bottom wall portion, a first zone extending between the back end and a bell-shaped curve associated with a loft plane substantially parallel to the face portion, and a second zone extending between the front end and the bell-shaped curve; and

forming one or more apertures on at least one of the top wall portion or the bottom wall portion within the first zone, the first zone being associated with relatively lower stress load than the second zone in response to impact on the face portion, and

wherein the bell-shaped curve extends between the toe end and the heel end.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein forming the one or more apertures comprises forming an alignment indicator.

20. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein forming the one or more apertures comprises forming at least one of a circular-shaped aperture, a triangular-shaped aperture, an arrow-shaped aperture, or an aperture having two parallel sides and at least one curved end.

21. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein forming the one or more apertures comprises forming a first aperture associated with a first size and a first shape and a second aperture associated with a second size and a second shape, wherein the first and second shapes are substantially identical, and wherein the first size is larger than the second size.

22. A method as defined in claim 18 further comprising forming first zone comprises one or more thin regions on at least one of the top wall portion or the bottom wall portion, wherein each of the one or more thin regions being relatively thinner than other regions of the top wall portion and the bottom wall portion.

23. A method as defined in claim 18 further comprising enclosing each of the one or more apertures with an insert.

24. A golf club comprising:

a grip;

a shaft having a first end and a second end, the shaft coupled to the grip at the first end; and

a club head having a toe end, a heel end, a front end, a back end, a face portion, a top wall portion, a bottom wall portion, a first zone, and a second zone, the body coupled to the shaft at the second end,

wherein the first zone includes one or more apertures on at least one of the top wall portion or the bottom wall portion, extends between the back end and a bell-shaped curve associated with a loft plane substantially parallel to the face portion, and is associated with relatively lower stress load than the second zone in response to impact on the face portion,

wherein the second zone extends between the face portion and the bell-shaped curve, and

wherein the bell-shaped curve extends between the toe end and the heel end.

25. A golf club as defined in claim 24, wherein at least one of the one or more apertures forms an alignment indicator.

26. A golf club as defined in claim 24, wherein at least one of the one or more apertures comprises at least one of a circular-shaped aperture, a triangular-shaped aperture, an arrow-shaped aperture, or an aperture having two parallel sides and at least one curved end.

27. A golf club as defined in claim 24, wherein the one or more apertures comprises a first aperture and a second aperture, the first aperture associated with a first size and a first shape and the second aperture associated with a second size and a second shape, and wherein the first and second shapes are substantially identical, and wherein the first size is larger than the second size.

28. A golf club as defined in claim 24, wherein a third zone having a lower bound and an upper bound, wherein the lower bound comprises the bell-shaped curve and wherein the upper bound extends between the toe end and the heel end and is located between the back end and the lower bound.

29. A golf club as defined in claim 24, wherein first zone comprises one or more thin regions on at least one of the top wall portion or the bottom wall portion, and wherein each of the one or more thin regions being relatively thinner than other regions of the top wall portion and the bottom wall portion.

30. A golf club as defined in claim 24, wherein the golf club comprises at least one of a driver-type golf club, a fairway wood-type golf club, or a hybrid-type golf club.