Golf Club Head Having Optimized Ball Speed to CT Relationship

• US 20170100649A1
• Filed: 12/20/2016
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Seluga, James A., Myers, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 9,776,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head comprising a body and a plurality of stiffening members and satisfying the equation V_ballnorm≧0.0356x+140.82 is disclosed herein. The body comprises a face section, a sole section, and a crown or return section, and defines a hollow interior. Each of the plurality of stiffening members extends from the crown or return section to the sole section within the hollow interior to reduce stresses placed on the face section during impact with a golf ball. The stiffening members are all located within 1 inch of a rear surface of the face section measured along a plane normal to the center of the face, and are spaced a distance of 0.500 to 2.00 inch from one another within the hollow interior.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a striking face section, a sole section extending from a lower edge of the striking face section, and a crown section extending from an upper edge of the striking face section, the striking face section, sole section, and crown section defining a hollow body interior; and

at least one stiffening member disposed within the hollow body interior and extending from the crown section to the sole section,

wherein the striking face section comprises a rear face surface facing the hollow body interior,

wherein the at least one stiffening member is located no more than 1 inch from the rear face surface along a vertical plane extending through the face center perpendicular to the striking face section,

wherein no portion of the at least one stiffening member makes contact with the striking face section,

wherein the golf club head satisfies the equation V_ballnorm≧

0.0356x+140.82, and

wherein

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head satisfies the equation V_ballnorm≧

0.0356x+141.19.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one stiffening member comprises first and second stiffening members, wherein the first stiffening member extends approximately parallel with the second stiffening member, and wherein the first stiffening member is spaced a distance of 0.75 to 1.50 inch from the second stiffening member.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein each of the first and second stiffening members comprises a structure selected from the group consisting of a solid rod and a hollow tube.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein each of the first and second stiffening members is a solid rod, and wherein the solid rod is composed of a metal material selected from the group consisting of titanium alloy and steel.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one stiffening member is located no more than 0.25 inch from the rear face surface along the vertical plane extending through the face center perpendicular to the striking face section.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the at least one stiffening member comprises an upper end proximate the crown section and a lower end proximate the sole section, wherein the upper end is spaced a first distance from the rear face surface, wherein the lower end is spaced a second distance from the rear face surface, and wherein the first distance is less than the second distance.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a cover piece, wherein the sole section comprises a plurality of cutouts, and wherein the cover piece is secured to the sole section and at least partially covers each of the plurality of cutouts.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a crown insert, wherein the crown section comprises an upper opening, and wherein the crown insert covers the upper opening.

10. A golf club head comprising:

a metal body comprising a striking face section, a sole section extending from a lower edge of the striking face section, and a return section extending from an upper edge of the striking face section, the return section and sole section defining an upper opening, and the striking face section, sole section, and return section defining a hollow body interior; and

first and second stiffening members disposed within the hollow body interior and extending from the return section to the sole section,

wherein each of the first and second stiffening members is a solid metal rod,

wherein no portion of either the first or second stiffening member makes contact with the striking face section,

wherein the golf club head satisfies the equation V_ballnorm≧

0.0356x+140.82, and

wherein

11. The golf club head of claim 10, further comprising a crown insert, wherein the crown insert is permanently affixed to the body to close the upper opening.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the crown insert is composed of a carbon composite material.

13. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein each of the first and second stiffening members is integrally cast with the body.

14. The golf club head of claim 10, further comprising a carbon composite cover piece, wherein the sole section comprises at least one cutout, and wherein the cover piece is permanently affixed to the sole section to cover the at least one cutout.

15. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein each of the first and second stiffening members has a length of 1.00 inch to 2.50 inches, wherein the first stiffening member extends approximately parallel with the second stiffening member, and wherein the first stiffening member is spaced a distance of 0.500 to 2.00 inch from the second stiffening member.

16. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the striking face section comprises face center and a rear face surface, and wherein each of the first and second stiffening members is located no more than 0.500 inch from the rear face surface along a vertical plane extending through the face center perpendicular to the striking face section.

17. A golf club head comprising:

a metal body comprising a striking face section, a sole section extending from a lower edge of the striking face section, a return section extending from an upper edge of the striking face section, and an aft end opposite the striking face section, the return section and sole section defining an upper opening, and the striking face section, sole section, and return section defining a hollow body interior;

first and second stiffening members disposed within the hollow body interior and extending from the return section to the sole section; and

a carbon composite crown insert permanently affixed to the body to close the upper opening,

wherein each of the first and second stiffening members is located closer to the striking face section than to the aft end within the hollow body interior,

wherein the golf club head has a volume of 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters,

wherein the golf club head satisfies the equation V_ballnorm≧

0.0356x+141.19, and

wherein

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the first stiffening member comprises an upper end proximate the return section and a lower end proximate the sole section, wherein the upper end is spaced a first distance from the striking face section, and wherein the lower end is spaced a second distance from the striking face section that is greater than the first distance.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the first distance is 0.120 inch to 0.150 inch, and wherein the second distance is 0.180 inch to 0.210 inch.

20. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second stiffening members has a length of 1.00 inch to 2.50 inches, wherein the first stiffening member extends approximately parallel with the second stiffening member, and wherein the first stiffening member is spaced a distance of 0.75 inch to 1.50 inch from the second stiffening member.