GOLF CLUB HEAD

• US 20130172103A1
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Greensmith, Matthew, Beach, Todd P., Sargent, Nathan T., Willett, Kraig Alan, Dipert, Joshua J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,079,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/022 allowing adjustable positioning of the head with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/025 lie angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about an axis parallel to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/026 loft angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/027 about the longitudinal axis of the shaft only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head includes a body defining an interior cavity. The body includes a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown. The body has a forward portion and a rearward portion. The club head includes a face positioned at the forward portion of the body. In some embodiments, the crown includes a lattice-like structure having thin regions surrounded by a web of relatively thicker regions. In some embodiments, the club head includes one or more stiffening tubes attached between the sole and the crown to improve the acoustic performance of the golf club head.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a crown, a sole, a heel, a toe, and a striking face, with the body defining an interior cavity;

wherein the crown includes an internal surface defining an internal crown surface area and an external surface defining an external crown surface area, the crown having a thickness comprising a minimum distance between the internal surface and the external surface at a given location on the crown;

wherein the crown internal surface includes a plurality of thin regions having a thickness of less than 0.60 mm separated by a plurality of thick regions having a thickness of at least 0.60 mm, with the plurality of thick regions and the plurality of thin regions having a thickness differential of at least 0.05 mm;

wherein each thin region defines a thin region surface area on the internal surface of the crown, and wherein a sum of all of the thin region surface areas comprises the total thin region surface area; and

wherein a ratio of the total thin region surface area to the external crown surface area is between 0.40 and 0.55.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least some of the thin regions comprise an elongated shape having a length between about 12 mm and 26 mm and a width between about 3 mm and about 13 mm.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least some of the thin regions comprise an elliptical shape having a length between about 12 mm and 26 mm and a width between about 3 mm and about 13 mm.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the total thin region surface area to the external crown surface area is between 0.40 and 0.50.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the total thin region surface area to the external crown surface area is between 0.44 and 0.50.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the crown comprises a titanium alloy.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the crown comprises stainless steel.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the thin regions are arranged in a plurality of rows on the crown internal surface, and wherein the plurality of thick regions define non-linear paths between adjacent rows of thin regions.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of thin regions and the plurality of thick regions define a thickness differential of at least 0.10 mm.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of thin regions and the plurality of thick regions define a thickness differential of at least 0.15 mm.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the thin regions have a thickness of from about 0.3 mm to about 0.6 mm.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the thin regions have a thickness of from about 0.35 mm to about 0.5 mm.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the thick regions have a thickness of from about 0.6 mm to about 0.8 mm.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the crown includes a forward crown portion and a rearward crown portion, with the forward crown portion being located adjacent the striking face and the rearward crown portion being located between the forward crown portion and a rear of the body;

wherein the plurality of thin regions are located only on the rearward crown portion; and

wherein the forward crown portion has a thickness of from about 0.6 mm to about 1.0 mm.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the forward crown portion has a thickness of from about 0.7 mm to about 0.9 mm.

16. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of thin regions provides a mass savings of at least 2 gm.

17. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of thin regions provides a mass savings of at least 4 gm.

18. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of thin regions provides a mass savings of at least 6 gm.

19. A golf club comprising:

a shaft;

a club head defining an interior cavity, a sole defining a bottom portion of the club head, a crown defining a top portion of the club head, a skirt portion defining a periphery of the club head between the sole and crown, a face defining a forward portion of the club head, and a hosel by which the shaft is attached to the club head;

wherein the crown includes an internal surface defining an internal crown surface area and an external surface defining an external crown surface area, the crown having a thickness comprising a minimum distance between the internal surface and the external surface at a given location on the crown;

wherein the crown internal surface includes a plurality of thin regions having a thickness of less than 0.60 mm separated by a plurality of thick regions having a thickness of at least 0.60 mm, with the plurality of thick regions and the plurality of thin regions having a thickness differential of at least 0.05 mm;

wherein each thin region defines a thin region surface area on the internal surface of the crown, and wherein a sum of all of the thin region surface areas comprises the total thin region surface area; and

wherein a ratio of the total thin region surface area to the external crown surface area is between 0.40 and 0.55.

20. The golf club of claim 19, wherein the hosel defines a hosel opening adapted to receive a tip end of the shaft and the club head further includes a head-shaft connection mechanism comprising:

a hosel insert mounted in the hosel opening and having internal splines on an inner surface thereof;

a screw having a head defining a bearing surface adapted to engage an internal bearing surface of the club head;

a sleeve mounted on the tip end portion of the shaft and adapted to be inserted into the hosel opening, the sleeve having an upper portion adapted to engage a bearing surface of the hosel, a threaded lower opening for receiving the screw, and a lower portion having a plurality of longitudinally extending external splines protruding from an external surface thereof, the external splines having a configuration complementary to the splines on the inner surface of the hosel insert;

wherein the shaft can be secured to the club head by inserting the sleeve into the hosel opening so that the external splines on the sleeve engage the internal splines on the hosel insert and inserting the screw through an opening in the sole and into the threaded opening of the sleeve, and then tightening the screw so that the bearing surface of the screw head engages the internal bearing surface of the club head.