Golf club head having vibration damping means

• US 5,316,298 A
• Filed: 04/14/1993
• Issued: 05/31/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Skis Rossignol SA (Chartreuse et Mont Blanc SAS)
• Inventors: Cleveland, Roger, Stone, Daniel J., Hutin, Patrice
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US08/045,784
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 R, 273/168, 273/78, 273/169, 273/170, 273/171, 273/172, 273/173, 273/174, 273/175, 273/167 A, 273/167 B, 273/167 C, 273/167 D, 273/167 E , 273/167 F, 273/167 G, 273/167 H, 273/167 J, 273/167 K, 273/77 A, 273/164.1, 273/162 R, 273/193 R, 273/194 A
• US Class Current: 473/332
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/23 High modulus filaments

Abstract

A golf club head including a front strike face, a sole extending rearwardly from a bottom region of the front strike face, a rear surface opposed to the front strike face, and a vibration damper provided on the rear surface. The vibration damper includes a constraining member having a high Young'"'"'s modulus connected to the rear surface of the club head through an interposed visco-elastic material.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a front strike face;

a sole extending rearwardly from a bottom region of said front strike face;

a rear surface opposed to said front strike face; and

vibration damping means provided at least on said rear surface and comprising constraining means connected to said rear surface by a visco-elastic material, said constraining means comprising a rigid plate having a Young'"'"'s modulus greater than 10,000 MPa and a thickness between 0.07 and 2.0 mm.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said having a rigid plate having a has a thickness between 0.5 and 2.0 mm.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein said rigid plate has a Young'"'"'s modulus greater than 12,000 MPa and a thickness of 1.0 mm.

4. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein said rigid plate comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloys, aluminum -zinc-magnesium alloys, laminated heat-setting materials reinforced with carbon fibers, laminated heat-setting materials reinforced with glass fibers, thermoplastics reinforced with carbon fibers, and thermoplastics reinforced with glass fibers.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein said rigid plate consists of ZICRAL.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said visco-elastic material comprises a layer having a thickness of no more than 1 mm and exhibits an intrinsic damping coefficient, tan δ

, between 0.4 and 1.2.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein said visco-elastic material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of butyl rubbers and synthetic elastomers.

8. An iron golf club head comprising:

a front strike face;

a sole extending rearwardly from a bottom region of said front strike face;

a rear surface opposed to said front strike face and comprising a cavity located above said sole and in back of said strike face to define a thin wall portion between said front strike face and said rear surface; and

vibration damping means provided in said cavity and comprising constraining means connected to said rear surface by a visco-elastic material, said constraining means comprising a rigid plate having a Young'"'"'s modulus greater than 10,000 MPa and a thickness between 0.07 and 2.0 mm.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein said rigid plate has a thickness between 0.5 and 2.0 mm.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein said rigid plate has a Young'"'"'s modulus greater than 12,000 MPa and a thickness of 1.0 mm.

11. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein said rigid plate comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloys, aluminum -zinc-magnesium alloys, laminated heat-setting materials reinforced with carbon fibers, laminated heat-setting materials reinforced with glass fibers, thermoplastics reinforced with carbon fibers, and thermoplastics reinforced with glass fibers.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein said rigid plate consists of ZICRAL.

13. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein said visco-elastic material comprises a layer having a thickness of no more than 1 mm and exhibits an intrinsic damping coefficient, tan δ

, between 0.4 and 1.2.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein said visco-elastic material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of butyl rubbers and synthetic elastomers.

15. A metal wood golf club head comprising:

a front strike face;

a sole extending rearwardly from a bottom region of said front strike face;

a top surface extending rearwardly from a top region of said front strike face;

an arcuate skirt portion joining said top surface to said sole and extending from a toe region of said strike face to a heel region of said strike face, wherein the front strike face, sole, top surface and arcuate skirt portion define a cavity within the club head; and

vibration damping means provided on the club head at a position other than on the front strike face, comprising constraining means connected to the club head by a visco-elastic material, said constraining means comprising a rigid plate having a Young'"'"'s modulus greater than 10,000 MPa and a thickness between 0.07 and 2.0 mm.

16. The metal wood golf club head of claim 15, wherein said vibration damping means is provided on a rear surface of said front strike face within said cavity in substantial alignment with a center of gravity of said strike face.

17. The metal wood golf club head of claim 15, wherein said vibration damping means is provided internally along said arcuate skirt portion.

18. The metal wood golf club head of claim 15, wherein said vibration damping means is provided externally along said arcuate skirt portion.

19. The metal wood golf club head of claim 18, wherein said vibration damping means is connected to a rear surface of said arcuate skirt portion.

20. The metal wood golf club head of claim 15, wherein said vibration damping means is provided internally along said top surface.

21. The metal wood golf club head of claim 15, wherein said vibration damping means is provided externally along said top surface.

22. The metal wood golf club head of claim 15, wherein said vibration damping means is provided internally along said sole.

23. The metal wood golf club head of claim 15, wherein said vibration damping means is provided externally along said sole.

24. The metal wood golf club head of claim 15, wherein said rigid plate has a thickness between 0.5 and 2.0 mm.

25. The metal wood golf club head of claim 24, wherein said rigid plate has a Young'"'"'s modulus greater than 12,000 MPa and a thickness of 1.0 mm.

26. The metal wood golf club head of claim 24, wherein said rigid plate comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloys, aluminum-zinc-magnesium alloys, laminated heat-setting materials reinforced with carbon fibers, laminated heat-setting materials reinforced with glass fibers, thermoplastics reinforced with carbon fibers, and thermoplastics reinforced with glass fibers.

27. The metal wood golf club head of claim 26, wherein said rigid plate consists of ZICRAL.

28. The metal wood golf club head of claim 26, wherein said visco-elastic material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of butyl rubbers and synthetic elastomers.

29. The metal wood golf club of claim 15, wherein said rigid plate consists of aluminum.

30. The metal wood golf club head of claim 15, wherein said visco-elastic material comprises a layer having a thickness of no more than 1 mm and exhibits an intrinsic damping coefficient, tan δ

, between 0.4 and 1.2.

31. A metal wood golf club head comprising:

a front strike face;

a sole extending rearwardly from a bottom region of said front strike face;

a top surface extending rearwardly from a top region of said front strike face;

an arcuate skirt portion joining said top surface to said sole and extending from a toe region of said strike face to a heel region of said strike face, wherein the front strike face, sole, top surface and arcuate skirt portion define a cavity within the club head; and

vibration damping means provided on the club head at a position other than on the front strike face, comprising constraining means connected to the club head by a visco-elastic material, said constraining means comprising a flexible layer having a Young'"'"'s modulus greater than 10,000 MPa and a thickness between 0.07 and 2.0 mm.

32. The metal wood golf club head of claim 31, wherein said flexible layer consists of aluminum.

33. The metal wood golf club head of claim 31, wherein said flexible layer has a thickness between 0.5 and 2.0 mm.