HOLLOW GOLF CLUB HEAD

• US 20110306441A1
• Filed: 06/13/2011
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: K.K. Endo Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: K.K. Endo Seisakusho
• Inventors: FUNAYAMA, Tomonari, TSUKADA, Daisuke, OYAMATSU, Toshimitsu
• Granted Patent: US 8,540,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• 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 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

There is provided a Ti alloy hollow club head which is more lightweight yet capable of realizing a better repulsion force by adjusting weight and thickness of a club head plate, with its strength ensured. Ribs are formed by chemically polishing the inner surface of a material of a crown plate to a 0.3 to 0.9 mm thickness, and a 0.3 to 4 mm width, and then first concave portions are formed to a 0.2 to 0.5 mm thickness. Thus, strength of the crown plate can be ensured by the ribs, while making the thickness thereof as thin as possible.

Claims

1. A hollow golf club head comprising a club head plate including thinned parts and ribs protruded therefrom, said thinned parts and ribs being formed by chemically polishing a certain area on a surface of a material of said club head plate to adjust weight and thickness of said club head plate,

wherein the chemically-polished area on the surface of the material of said club head plate comprises:

a first area on which a plurality of said ribs are formed; and

a second area surrounded with the plurality of said ribs to define said thinned parts, and

wherein the thickness of the material of said club head plate is greater than that of said first area, and that of said first area is greater than that of said second area.

2. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the material of said club head plate is located on an inside of a crown plate, and said ribs are formed to have a thickness not less than 0.4 mm but less than the thickness of the material for the club head plate as well as a width in a range of from 0.4 to 4 mm, while said thinned parts are formed to have a thickness in a range of from 0.2 to 0.5 mm.

3. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the chemically-polished area on the surface of the material of said club head plate encompasses an uppermost inner area located corresponding to a top of the crown plate in a planar view such that the chemically-polished area makes up more than or equal to 60% of a whole inner surface of the crown when the club head is disposed on a horizontal plane at predetermined loft and lie angles.

4. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said thinned parts formed by the chemical polishing are allowed to define concave portions so that said ribs are protruded from predetermined places on the concave portions.

5. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said ribs are arranged in a shape of a regular hexagon, and each of said ribs is continuously arranged back and forth, and right and left to be arranged in a honeycomb pattern.

6. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said ribs are arranged in a rectangular lattice pattern in a planar view by allowing them to intersect with each other at right angles.

7. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said ribs are arranged in a rhombic lattice pattern in a planar view by allowing them to intersect with each other at angles other than a right angle.

8. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said ribs are arranged in parallel with each other so as not to intersect with each other.

9. The hollow golf club head according to claim 5, wherein the material of said club head plate is that for a crown plate.

10. The hollow golf club head according to claim 5, wherein the material of said club head plate is that for a sole-periphery plate.