Contoured golf club face

• US 6,413,169 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Kosmatka, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US09/683,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20020028714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 235 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/329, 473/342, 473/345, 473/346, 473/350, 473/290, 473/291, 473/292, 473/349, 473/224, 473/234, 434/252
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3635 with sound-emitting source

Abstract

A contoured golf club face providing increased structural integrity for a given weight and size is described and shown along with a method for its design. The contoured golf club face includes a vertical stiffening region, a tapered horizontal stiffening region, four similar contoured quadrants of increasingly thinning material toward the center of each quadrant, and thickening regions at face/sole and face/crown intersection regions. The thicknesses of adjoining regions are gradually blended to provide a smooth contoured surface. The present golf club face is light weight, is structurally resistant to impact deformation, is resistant to initial and long-term failure, has its mass center located at its sweet spot, exhibits inertial axes which are aligned with vertical and horizontal axes (i.e. primary club force directions: ball impact force and club centrifugal force directions), and produces acoustical tones. A club incorporating the present contoured golf club face may provide a certain first acoustical sound when used to hit a ball with a certain first specific area of the face (e.g. the sweet spot or sweet spot region) and to provide a different second acoustical sound when used to hit a ball with an area of the face other than that first area (e.g. other than the sweet spot or sweet spot region). Thus, the present invention may be used to provide an educational tool for use in teaching and/or learning to consistently impact a ball on the optimal region of the club face.

Claims

1. A metal-wood type golf club head comprising:

a crown, a sole and a single homogenous metal face, the single homogenous metal face comprising a ball hitting surface and a back surface which is opposite the ball hitting surface, wherein the back surface has a smooth contoured surface toward a hollow interior of the hollow metal wood golf club head to give the single homogenous metal face more than one thickness, and wherein the single homogenous metal face has first regions having a first thickness at the center of the single homogenous metal face and second regions having a second thickness which is less than the first thickness and distal from the center, wherein the regions having the first thickness comprise a region along a vertical central axis of the face, and a region proximal the vertical central axis of the single homogenous metal face and at least partially along a horizontal central axis of the face, wherein the first thickness is less than 0.150 inch, and wherein the second regions have a thickness less than 0.125 inch, and wherein the single homogenous metal face has a height of at least about 1.75 inches and a width of at least about 3.25 inches, and the single homogenous metal face is composed of a titanium material.

2. A metal-wood type golf club head comprising:

a crown, a sole and a single homogenous metal face, the single homogenous metal face comprising a ball hitting surface and a back surface which is opposite the ball hitting surface, wherein the back surface has a smooth contoured surface toward a hollow interior of the hollow metal wood golf club head to give the single homogenous metal face more than one thickness, and wherein the face is partitioned into four quadrants by a vertical central axis of the face and a horizontal central axis of the face, wherein each of the four quadrants has a first region having a first thickness less than 0.150 inch and a second region having a second thickness which is less than the first thickness and less than 0.125 inch, and wherein the single homogenous metal face has a height of at least about 1.75 inches and a width of at least about 3.25 inches, and the golf club head is composed of titanium.

3. A metal-wood type golf club head comprising:

a crown, a sole and a single homogenous metal face, the single homogenous metal face comprising a ball hitting surface and a back surface which is opposite the ball hitting surface, wherein the back surface has a smooth contoured surface toward a hollow interior of the hollow metal wood golf club head to give the single homogenous metal face more than one thickness, and wherein the face is partitioned into four quadrants by a vertical central axis of the face and a horizontal central axis of the face, wherein each of the four quadrants has a first region having a first thickness less than 0.150 inch, a second region having a second thickness which is less than 0.130 inch and less than the first thickness, and a third region having a third thickness which is less than the second thickness and less than 0.125 inch, and wherein the single homogenous metal face has a height of at least about 1.75 inches and a width of at least about 3.25 inches.