Golf Club Head Having Optimized Ball Speed To CT Relationship

• US 20170113105A1
• Filed: 01/06/2017
• Published: 04/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Seluga, James A., Myers, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US15/399,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20170113105A1
• 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 cast metal body comprising

a toe structural connector comprising a body with a crown end, a sole end, a forward surface, a rearward surface, a heel surface and a toe surface,

a heel structural connector comprising a body with a crown end, a sole end, a forward surface, a rearward surface, a heel surface and a toe surface,

a striking face section having an exterior surface, an interior surface, an upper perimeter and a lower perimeter,

a crown return portion extending rearward from the upper perimeter of the striking face section, and

a sole section portion extending rearward from the lower perimeter of the striking face section;

wherein the crown end of the toe structural connector is connected to the crown return portion, the crown end of the heel structural connector is connected to the crown return portion, the sole end of the toe structural connector is connected to the sole section, and the sole end of the heel structural connector is connected to the sole section;

wherein the forward surface of each of the toe structural connector and the heel structural connector is at least 0.120 inch rearward from the interior surface of the striking face section and the rearward surface of each of the toe structural connector and the heel structural connector is no more than 1.0 inch rearward from the interior surface of the striking face section;

wherein the toe structural connector and the heel structural connector attenuate movement of the crown return portion and the sole section when the striking face section impacts a golf ball.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the toe structural connector and the heel structural connector each have a length from the sole end to the crown end ranging from 1 inch to 2.5 inches.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the heel surface of the toe structural connector is a distance ranging from 0.75 inch to 1.5 inches from the toe surface of the heel structural connector.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the cast metal body is composed of a titanium alloy.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a mass ranging from 185 grams to 215 grams.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1 further comprising a crown portion composed of a carbon composite material.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the sole section comprises a plurality of cutouts covered with a plurality of cover pieces, each of the plurality of cover pieces composed of a carbon composite material.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein a contact area between the crown return portion and each of the toe structural connector and the heel structural connector ranges from 0.002 square inches to 0.03 square inches.

10. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the body of each of the toe structural connector and the heel structural connector is solid.

20. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the cast metal body is composed of a steel material.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a cast metal body comprising

a toe structural connector comprising a body with a crown end, a sole end, a forward arc surface, a rearward arc surface, a heel arc surface and a toe arc surface,

a heel structural connector comprising a body with a crown end, a sole end, a forward arc surface, a rearward arc surface, a heel arc surface and a toe arc surface,

a striking face section having an exterior surface, an interior surface, an upper perimeter and a lower perimeter,

a crown return portion extending rearward from the upper perimeter of the striking face section,

a sole section portion extending rearward from the lower perimeter of the striking face section, and

a hosel section;

a crown body attached to the crown return portion, the crown body composed of a carbon composite material;

wherein the crown end of the toe structural connector is connected to the crown return portion, the crown end of the heel structural connector is connected to the crown return portion, the sole end of the toe structural connector is connected to the sole section, and the sole end of the heel structural connector is connected to the sole section;

wherein the forward arc surface of each of the toe structural connector and the heel structural connector is from 0.120 inch to 0.150 inch rearward from the interior surface of the striking face section;

wherein the toe structural connector and the heel structural connector attenuate movement of the crown return portion and the sole section when the striking face section impacts a golf ball.

12. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the toe structural connector and the heel structural connector each have a length from the sole end to the crown end ranging from 1 inch to 2.5 inches.

13. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the heel arc surface of the toe structural connector is a distance ranging from 0.75 inch to 1.5 inches from the toe arc surface of the heel structural connector.

14. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters.

15. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the cast metal body is composed of a titanium alloy.

16. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the golf club head has a mass ranging from 185 grams to 215 grams.

17. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the body of each of the toe structural connector and the heel structural connector is hollow.

18. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the sole section comprises a plurality of cutouts covered with a plurality of cover pieces, each of the plurality of cover pieces composed of a carbon composite material.

19. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein a contact area between the crown return portion and each of the toe structural connector and the heel structural connector ranges from 0.002 square inches to 0.03 square inches.