Composite golf club head with integral weight strip

• US 6,386,990 B1
• Filed: 12/29/1999
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Galloway, J. Andrew, Evans, D. Clayton, Reyes, Herbert, Murphy, James M., Jacobson, Daniel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US09/474,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20020055393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 473/335, 473/336, 473/345, 473/347, 473/348, 473/349, 473/344
• US Class Current: 473/344
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/342 using isostatic pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/865 completely encapsulated
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/5227 Clubs

Abstract

A golf club head composed of a composite material and having a metal weight strip in a ribbon section is disclosed herein. The metal strip may be composed of copper, tungsten or a similar metal. The composite golf club head may also have a sole plate composed of stainless steel attached to a sole of the golf club head. The golf club head is preferably composed of plies of pre-preg sheets. A method for fabricating the golf club head is also disclosed herein. The method uses a three-piece mold and bladder to produce a composite golf club head with a metal weight strip embedded in the ribbon.

Claims

1. A golf club head of the fairway wood or driver type comprising:

a body having a hollow interior and composed of a plurality of layers of plies of carbon pre-preg sheets;

wherein the body has a face, a sole having a soleplate with an integral hosel tube, a crown, and a ribbon juxtaposed by the sole and the crown extending from a heel end to a toe end of the golf club face;

the soleplate being comprised of stainless steel is disposed within a recess of the sole and the hosel tube also being comprised of stainless steel lies within the hollow interior of the club head extending from the soleplate aperture to the crown;

a weight strip composed of tungsten having a density greater than the plies of pre-preg material, is co-cured to the ribbon between the plurality of layers of plies of pre-preg material in the ribbon;

the weight strip extends from the toe end of the ribbon to the heel end of ribbon; and

the golf club head has a weight ranging from 188 grams to 195 grams and a volume in excess of 320 cubic centimeters.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the weight strip is composed of two or more pieces.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the weight strip occupies at least fifty percent of the area of the ribbon.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the weight strip occupies the majority of the area of the ribbon.