GOLF CLUB HEAD

• US 20090176600A1
• Filed: 11/19/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Masaru Kouno, Tomio Kumamoto
• Inventors: Kumamoto, Tomio, Kouno, Masaru
• Granted Patent: US 7,905,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/348
• 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 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• 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 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

The invention prevents a resin member from being broken so as to improve durability. The invention provides a golf club head (1) in which at least a part of a crown portion (4) forming an upper surface of the head is formed by a resin member (FR) made of a fiber reinforced resin in which a fiber is oriented in a matrix resin. The resin member (FR) includes a one-way fiber reinforced resin layer in which the fiber is oriented in one direction, and a fiber intersection lamination portion which is laminated so as to differentiate a direction of the fiber. At least two one-way fiber reinforced resin layers which are adjacent in a thickness direction are intersected at an angle of 30 to 130 degrees of the fiber. Further, a compressive strength of the fiber of the one-way fiber reinforced resin layer which is arranged in an innermost side in the fiber intersection lamination portion is set to be equal to or more than 1.3 GPa.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a side portion and a neck portion, in which at least a part of the crown portion forming the upper surface of the head is formed by a resin member made of a fiber reinforced resin containing a fiber oriented in a matrix resin,

wherein said resin member includes a fiber intersection lamination portion where one-way fiber reinforced resin layers are laminated, in which the fiber in each of said one-way fiber reinforced resin layers is oriented in one direction, and the fibers of adjacent two one-way fiber reinforced resin layers are oriented in a different direction from each other,

said resin member comprises a base portion which forms a part of the crown portion, and a trailing portion which is bend downward from the base portion and forms a part of the side portion, and said resin member is arranged in a head main body M made of a metal material having an opening portion at least in the crown portion to cover the opening portion, and

each of said one-way fiber reinforced resin layers is formed of a sheet-like one-way prepreg in which the fiber is oriented in one direction in an uncured matrix resin and which is provided with a plurality of slits in a peripheral edge on the side portion side of the prepreg in order to easily form said trailing portion by bending the peripheral edge.