GOLF CLUB HEADS AND METHODS TO MANUFACTURE GOLF CLUB HEADS

• US 20150360098A1
• Filed: 06/10/2015
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Original Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Inventors: Parsons, Robert R., Nicolette, Michael R., Schweigert, Bradley D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,345,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• 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: B29C 45/20 Injection nozzles B29C45/1603 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/5227 Clubs

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a body portion with a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, and a front portion. The golf club head may include an interior cavity. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body portion having a face portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, and an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and being partially or entirely filled with an elastic polymer material;

a plurality of weight portions; and

a plurality of weight ports located along a periphery of the back portion proximate to the sole portion and extending between the toe portion and the heel portion, the plurality of weight ports being substantially similarly spaced apart, each of the weight ports of the plurality of weight ports having a substantially similar port diameter as an adjacent weight port and being separated by less than the port diameter from the adjacent weight port, each weight port configured to receive at least one weight portion of the plurality of weight portions, the interior cavity being accessible through at least one of the weight ports of the plurality of weight ports.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity separating the face portion and the plurality of weight ports.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of exterior weight ports comprises a port wall separated from a back surface of the face portion by the interior cavity.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of weight ports comprise weight ports located along the periphery of the back portion proximate to the top portion.

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of weight portions comprises a first weight portion having a first weight portion mass and a second weight portion having a second weight portion mass, wherein the first weight portion mass is relatively less than the second weight portion mass.

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 1.5 millimeters (0.060 inch).

7. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the elastic polymer material comprises a non-foaming injection moldable elastic polymer material.

8. A golf club head comprising:

a body portion having a face portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, and a back portion; and

a plurality of weight ports located along a periphery of the back portion, the plurality of weight ports comprising;

a first set of weight ports located above a horizontal midplane of the golf club head and being proximate to the top portion and extending between the toe portion and the heel portion, the first set of weight ports being substantially similarly spaced apart, each of the weight ports of the first set of weight ports having a substantially similar first port diameter as an adjacent weight port and being separated by less than the first port diameter from the adjacent weight port, and

a second set of weight ports located below a horizontal midplane of the golf club head and being proximate to the sole portion and extending between the toe portion and the heel portion, the second set of weight ports being substantially similarly spaced apart, each of the weight ports of the second set of weight ports having a substantially similar second port diameter as an adjacent weight port and being separated by less than the second port diameter from the adjacent weight port,

wherein the first set of weight ports has less weight ports than the second set of weight ports.

9. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, the body portion comprising an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and being partially or entirely filled with an elastic polymer material, the interior cavity being accessible through at least one of the weight ports of the plurality of weight ports.

10. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, comprising a plurality of weight portions, each weight port of the plurality of weight ports configured to receive a weight portion of the plurality of weight portions.

11. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, comprising a plurality of weight portions, each weight port of the plurality of weight ports configured to receive a weight portion of the plurality of weight portions, wherein the plurality of weight portions comprises weight portions with more than about 85% of the total weight portion mass being below the horizontal midplane of the golf club head.

12. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, the body portion comprising an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and being partially or entirely filled with an elastic polymer material, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity height extending between the top portion and the sole portion, the cavity height being at least 50% of a body height of the hollow body portion.

13. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, the body portion comprising an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and being partially or entirely filled with an elastic polymer material, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity being at least 50% filled with a non-foaming injection moldable elastic polymer material.

14. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, the body portion comprising an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and being partially or entirely filled with an elastic polymer material, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity separating the face portion and the back portion.

15. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 1.5 millimeters (0.060 inch).

16. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow body portion having a face portion with a thickness of less than or equal to 1.5 millimeters (0.060 inch), a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, and an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions;

an elastic polymer material in the interior cavity configured to partially or entirely fill the interior cavity by injection molding, the elastic polymer material being attached to the face portion and configured to structurally support the face portion during impact of the face portion with a golf ball; and

a plurality of substantially similarly spaced apart weight portions coupled to the hollow body portion at or proximate to a sole-and-toe transition region between the sole portion and the toe portion and located below a horizontal midplane of the golf club head.

17. A golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity having at least 50% filled with a thermoplastic elastomer material.

18. A golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein the hollow body portion comprises an interior cavity separating the face portion and the first and second sets of weight portions.

19. A golf club head as defined in claim 16 comprising a plurality of weight ports on the back portion, each weight port configured to receive a weight portion of the plurality of weight portions, wherein the interior cavity is partially or entirely filled by injection molding the elastic polymer material from at least one weight port of the plurality of weight ports having access to the interior cavity.

20. A golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein the elastic polymer material comprises a non-foaming injection moldable elastic polymer material.