GOLF CLUB HEAD

• US 20110105243A1
• Filed: 10/08/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: BRUNSKI, Jeff D., RAE, John J., BLUMENKRANTZ, Mark, WALLANS, Michael J., LACEY, Samuel G., STEWART, Rory C., NIVANH, Dan S., RADCLIFFE, Nathaniel J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,715,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/342
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head according to one or more aspects of the present invention may include a face portion or strike-face wall comprising a top inner boundary, an intermediate inner boundary, and a bottom inner boundary having a bottom-inner-boundary toe portion and a bottom-inner-boundary heel portion. The strike-face wall may further include a first uniform-thickness region, adjoining the top inner boundary, and a variable-thickness region adjoining the uniform-thickness region and a majority of the bottom inner boundary. In another example, the variable-thickness may adjoin a majority of the top inner boundary and the uniform-thickness region may adjoin a majority of the bottom inner boundary.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a strike-face wall comprising;

a top inner boundary;

a bottom inner boundary comprising a toe portion and a heel portion;

a continuous uniform-thickness region adjoining the top inner boundary, the continuous uniform-thickness region adjoining the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary and the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary; and

a variable-thickness region adjoining the uniform-thickness region and the majority of the bottom inner boundary.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the variable-thickness region is continuous.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the variable-thickness region comprises a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the uniform-thickness region.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the variable-thickness region comprises a thickness that is less than the thickness of the uniform-thickness region.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the uniform-thickness region is less than about 3 mm.

6. A golf club head comprising:

a strike-face wall comprising;

a top inner boundary;

a bottom inner boundary comprising a toe portion and a heel portion;

a uniform-thickness region adjoining the bottom inner boundary; and

a variable-thickness region adjoining the majority of the top inner boundary projection.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the uniform-thickness region adjoins the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary.

8. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the uniform-thickness region adjoins the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

9. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the uniform-thickness region adjoins the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary and the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the uniform-thickness region adjoins the top inner boundary.

11. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the variable-thickness region adjoins the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary.

12. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the variable-thickness region adjoins the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the variable-thickness region adjoins the entire top inner boundary.

14. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the variable-thickness region adjoins the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary and the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

15. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the variable-thickness region adjoins the uniform-thickness region.

16. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the variable-thickness region is continuous.

17. A golf club head comprising:

a strike-face wall comprising;

a top inner boundary;

a bottom inner boundary comprising a toe portion and a heel portion;

a uniform-thickness region adjoining the top inner boundary; and

a continuous variable-thickness region adjoining the uniform-thickness region and the majority of the bottom inner boundary.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the uniform-thickness region adjoins the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

19. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the uniform-thickness region adjoins the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary.

20. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the uniform-thickness region adjoins the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary and the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

21. The golf club head of claim 20, wherein the uniform-thickness region adjoins the entire top inner boundary.

22. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the thickness of the uniform-thickness region is less than about 3 mm.

23. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the variable-thickness region comprises a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the uniform-thickness region.

24. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the variable-thickness region comprises a thickness that is less than the thickness of the uniform-thickness region.

25. A golf club head comprising:

a strike-face wall comprising;

a top inner boundary;

a bottom inner boundary comprising a toe portion and a heel portion;

a first uniform-thickness region adjoining the top inner boundary;

a second uniform-thickness region adjoining the bottom inner boundary; and

a continuous variable-thickness region adjoining the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary and the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary, the continuous variable thickness region also adjoining the first uniform thickness region and the second uniform thickness region.

26. The golf club head of claim 25, wherein the first uniform-thickness region adjoins the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary.

27. The golf club head of claim 25, wherein the first uniform-thickness region adjoins the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

28. The golf club head of claim 25, wherein the first uniform-thickness region adjoins the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary and the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

29. The golf club head of claim 25, wherein the second uniform-thickness region adjoins the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary.

30. The golf club head of claim 25, wherein the second uniform-thickness region adjoins the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

31. The golf club head of claim 25 wherein the thickness of the first uniform-thickness region is substantially equal to the thickness of the second uniform-thickness region.

32. The golf club head of claim 25, wherein the thickness of the first uniform-thickness region is different from the thickness of the second uniform-thickness region.

33. The golf club head of claim 25, wherein the variable-thickness region comprises a thickness that is greater than the thickness of at least one of the first-uniform thickness region and the second-uniform thickness region.