Bi-material golf club head having an isolation layer

• US 6,095,931 A
• Filed: 12/28/1998
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Rollinson, Augustin W., Hettinger, Ronald K., Hall, J. Neil, Sarkar, Kamal
• Primary Examiner(s): Ricci, John A.
• Application Number:
  US09/222,237
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/341, 473/349
• US Class Current: 473/341
• 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A bimetallic golf club head having a weight body for lowering the center of gravity of the golf club head in order to increase vertical gear effect upon impact with a golf ball, while also providing for an isolation layer between the golf club head'"'"'s weight body and a main body portion comprising a ball striking front section. One purpose of the isolation layer is to isolate, or reduce the combination of, the impact vibration frequency pattern of the main body and the vibration frequency pattern of the weight body, thereby preserving the desirable feel and playability of a single metal golf club head while enjoying the improved performance of a low center of gravity golf club head. Another purpose of the isolation layer is to minimize or reduce the galvanic/intermetallic reaction between two different metallic materials that are placed in direct contact.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a main body made of a first material;

a weight body made of a second material;

an isolation layer made of a third material;

said golf club head further comprising a ball striking front section, a rear section, a heel section, a toe section, a top section and a bottom section;

said weight body being attached to said main body with said isolation layer interposed between said weight body and said main body; and

said isolation layer having a thickness greater than 0.030 inches.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said first material is stainless steel.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said first material is titanium.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said second material is tungsten.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said first material is stainless steel and said second material is tungsten.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said first material is titanium said second material is tungsten.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said first material has a first density and said second material has a second density, said first density being less than said second density.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein said weight body is approximately 5% of the weight of said main body.

9. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein said weight body is approximately 25% of the weight of said main body.

10. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein said weight body is approximately 50% of the weight of said main body.

11. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein said weight body is approximately 75% of the weight of said main body.

12. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein said weight body is approximately 100% of the weight of said main body.

13. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein said weight body is approximately 200% of the weight of said main body.

14. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein said weight body is approximately 300% of the weight of said main body.

15. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein said ball striking front section further comprises a face insert differing in material from said main body.

16. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein said ball striking front section further comprises a polymer face insert.

17. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein said isolation layer comprises a metal having a third density differing from said first density and said second density.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein said isolation layer is covered at least in part in an adhesive for simplifying the placement of said isolation layer between said weight body and said main body.

19. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said isolation layer comprises a urethane.

20. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein said isolation layer is between 0.020 and 0.100 inches in thickness.

21. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein said isolation layer is between 0.30 and 0.40 inches in thickness.

22. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein said isolation layer is approximately 0.35 inches in thickness.

23. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein said isolation layer is covered at least in part in an adhesive for simplifying the placement of said isolation layer between said weight body and said main body.

24. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said isolation layer comprises a polymer.

25. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein said isolation layer is covered at least in part in an adhesive for simplifying the placement of said isolation layer between said weight body and said main body.

26. The golf club head of claim 1 further comprising one or more screws, wherein said weight body is attached to said main body with said isolation layer interposed between said weight body and said main body via said one or more screws.

27. The golf club head of claim 26 further comprising one or more alignment pins, wherein positioning of said weight body, said isolation layer and said main body relative to one another is predetermined by insertion of said one or more alignment pins through said main body and said isolation layer and into said weight body.

28. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said weight body is attached to said main body with said isolation layer interposed between said weight body and said main body via a welding means.

29. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said weight body is attached to said main body with said isolation layer interposed between said weight body and said main body via a brazing means.

30. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said weight body is attached to said main body with said isolation layer interposed between said weight body and said main body via a means of co-molding said main body integrally to said weight body.

31. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said golf club head is a putter head.

32. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said golf club head is an iron golf club head.

33. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said golf club head is a wood golf club head.

34. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said bottom section further comprises a front facet, a center facet and a rear facet, said center facet being positioned below a center of gravity of said golf club head.

35. A golf club head comprising:

a main body made of a first metal;

a weight body made of a second metal;

an isolation layer made of urethane;

one or more screws;

said golf club head further comprising a ball striking front section, a rear section, a heel section, a toe section, a top section and a bottom section;

said weight body being attached to said main body with said isolation layer interposed between said weight body by means of said one or more screws; and

said isolation layer having a thickness greater than 0.030 inches.

36. The golf club head of claim 35, wherein said first metal is stainless steel and said second metal is tungsten.

37. The golf club head of claim 35, wherein said first metal is titanium and said second metal is tungsten.

38. The golf club head of claim 35 further comprising one or more alignment pins, wherein positioning of said weight body, said isolation layer and said main body relative to one another is predetermined by insertion of said one or more alignment pins through said main body and said isolation layer and into said weight body.

39. The golf club head of claim 35, wherein said front section further comprises a face insert differing in material from said main body.

40. The golf club head of claim 35, wherein said front section further comprises a polymer face insert.

41. A golf club head comprising:

a main body having a striking surface and a rear surface;

a polymer layer;

a minor body having a forward surface and a back surface; and

the polymer layer is attached to the rear surface of the main body and the forward surface of the minor body.

42. The golf club head of claim 41 wherein the main body defines a first volume, the minor body defines a second volume where the first volume is larger than the second volume.

43. The golf club head of claim 42, wherein the polymer layer is a urethane.

44. The golf club head of claim 42, wherein the golf club head is a wood golf club head.

45. The golf club head of claim 42, wherein the golf club head is an iron golf club head.

46. The golf club head of claim 42, wherein the golf club head is a putter golf club head.