Golf Club Head Having Optimized Ball Speed to CT Relationship

• US 20170113104A1
• Filed: 01/03/2017
• Published: 04/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Seluga, James A., Myers, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US15/397,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20170113104A1
• 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 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;

a crown insert; and

first and second stiffening members disposed within the hollow body interior and extending from the return section to the sole section, wherein the crown insert is permanently affixed to the body to close the upper opening,

wherein each of the first and second stiffening members is a solid metal rod having a diameter of 0.050 inch to 0.200 inch,

wherein the striking face section comprises a rear face surface,

wherein no portion of either the first or second stiffening member makes contact with the rear face surface or each other,

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.

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

0.0356x+140.82, and wherein

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

0.0356x+141.19.

4. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the crown insert is composed of a carbon composite material.

5. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second stiffening members has a length of 1.00 inch to 2.50 inches.

6. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second stiffening members 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 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.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, 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.

8. 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 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;

a crown insert;

a sole insert; and

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

wherein the sole section comprises at least one cutout,

wherein the crown insert is permanently affixed to the body to close the upper opening,

wherein the sole insert is permanently affixed to the body to close the at least one cutout,

wherein no portion of either the first or second solid rods makes contact with the striking face section or each other,

wherein the striking face section comprises a face center and a rear face surface,

wherein each of the first and second solid rods 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,

wherein the body is composed of a first material having a first density, and

wherein the crown insert is composed of a second material having a second density that is lower than the first density.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the sole insert is composed of the second material, wherein the second material is a carbon composite material, and wherein the first material is a metal alloy.

10. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the at least one cutout comprises first, second, and third cutouts.

11. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the golf club head satisfies the equation V_ballnorm≧

0.0356x+140.82, and wherein

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the golf club head satisfies the equation V_ballnorm≧

0.0356x+141.19.

13. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein each of the first and second solid rods has a diameter of 0.050 inch to 0.200 inch, and wherein the first solid rod is spaced from the second solid rod a distance of 0.75 inch to 1.50 inch.

14. 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

first and second solid rods disposed within the hollow body interior and extending from the crown section to the sole section,

wherein the striking face section comprises a face center and a rear face surface,

wherein each of the first and second solid rods is integrally cast with the body from a metal alloy material,

wherein each of the first and second solid rods is located no more than 0.25 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 either the first or second solid rods makes contact with the striking face section,

wherein at least one of the first and second solid rods extends approximately parallel with the rear face surface,

wherein the golf club head satisfies the equation V_ballnorm≧

0.0356x+141.19, and

wherein

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the metal alloy material is selected from the group consisting of titanium alloy and steel.

16. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second solid rods 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.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, 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.

18. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein each of the first and second solid rods has a diameter of 0.050 inch to 0.200 inch, and wherein the first solid rod is spaced from the second solid rod a distance of 0.75 inch to 1.50 inch.

19. The golf club head of claim 14, further comprising a sole insert, wherein the sole comprises a plurality of cutouts in communication with the hollow body interior, and wherein the sole insert is permanently affixed to the sole section to cover each of the plurality of cutouts.

20. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the golf club head has a volume of 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters.