TEXTURED GOLF CLUB FACE

• US 20110275451A1
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Ling, Yong, Woolley, Brandon H., Lorentzen, John F., Beach, Todd P., Chao, Bing-Ling, Greaney, Mark Vincent
• Application Number:
  US13/111,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20110275451A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/330
• 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 2209/10 with adhesive type surfaces, i.e. hook and loop-type fastener
• 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 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• 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 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture

Abstract

Golf club heads are described comprising a striking surface that includes a surface profile having at least one peak, at least one valley, and a transition segment between the peak and the valley, wherein the at least one peak, the at least one valley, and the transition segment together define a mean line, and a substantial portion of the transition segment is near to, or on, the mean line. In other embodiments, a golf club head includes a ball-striking surface comprising an asymmetric surface texture.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising a roughened striking surface that includes a surface profile having at least one peak, at least one valley, and a transition segment between the peak and the valley, wherein the at least one peak, the at least one valley, and the transition segment together define a mean line, and a substantial portion of the transition segment is near to, or on, the mean line.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least 50% of the transition segment is on the mean line.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a substantial portion of the transition segment is substantially on the mean line.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the substantial portion of the transition segment has a slope of at least 75°

relative to the mean line.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the substantial portion of the transition segment has a slope of between 80°

and 100°

relative to the mean line.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the transition segment includes a first section that is substantially on the mean line, and second section having a slope of at least 75°

relative to the mean line.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one peak and the at least one valley are performance-effective features.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the surface profile includes a plurality of peaks, valleys and transition segments.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the surface profile includes alternating peaks and valleys with flat transition segments between the peaks and valleys.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the surface profile includes repeating alternating peak heights wherein one set of peaks has a first height above the mean line and a second set of peaks has a second height above the mean line.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the surface profile includes at least one peak and at least one valley with a transfer segment between the peak and valley having a slope of 30°

to 90°

, relative to the mean line.

12. A method for providing a textured surface profile for a striking surface of a golf club head, comprising:

imparting onto a striking surface a surface profile having at least one peak, at least one valley, and a transition segment between the peak and the valley, wherein the at least one peak, the at least one valley, and the transition segment together define a mean line, and a substantial portion of the transition segment is near to, or on, the mean line.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the method includes machining a mold that imparts the surface profile.

14. A golf club head having a ball-striking surface comprising an asymmetric surface texture.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the surface texture is asymmetric in a sole-crown direction.

16. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the surface texture is asymmetric-down.

17. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein X1/X2 is from about 0.001 to about 0.003.

18. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein X1/X2 is from about 0.004 to about 0.027.

19. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein P is from about 0.1 mm to about 0.4 mm.

20. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein H is from about 0.015 mm to about 0.025 mm.

21. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein H is about 0.018 mm.

22. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the asymmetric surface texture comprises a plurality of parallel ridges extending in a heel-toe direction.

23. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the ridges comprise right-angled peaks.

24. The golf club head of claim 14, further comprising a composite face plate having a polymer cover layer forming the ball-striking surface.

25. The golf club head of claim 14, further comprising a metal face forming the ball-striking surface.

26. A face insert for a golf club head, the face insert comprising an asymmetric surface texture.

27. The face insert of claim 26, further comprising a composite face plate and a polymer cover layer forming the asymmetric surface texture.

28. A method, comprising:

providing a mold having an asymmetric texture on a surface of the mold; and

using the mold to create a corresponding asymmetric surface texture on a ball-striking surface of a golf club face.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the ball-striking surface comprises a polymer cover layer.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the surface texture on the ball-striking surface is asymmetric-down.