Composite golf club head

• US 6,440,008 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2001
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Galloway, J. Andrew, Evans, D. Clayton, Reyes, Herbert, Murphy, James M., Helmstetter, Richard C., Jacobson, Daniel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US09/877,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20010029210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/345-349, 473/342
• US Class Current: 473/324
• 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 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• 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: 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 having a club head with a striking plate composed of a composite material and having a thickness in the range of 0.010 to 0.250 inches is disclosed herein. The golf club head also has a coefficient of restitution greater than 0.8 under test conditions such as the USGA test conditions specified pursuant to Rule 4-1e, Appendix II, of the Rules of Golf for 1998-1999. The golf club head body is also composed of a composite material, and a weight strip is placed within a ribbon of the body.

Claims

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

a hollow body having a crown, a sole a striking plate and a ribbon extending from a toe to a heel end of the club head, a hollow interior of the hollow body defined by the crown, the sole, the striking plate and the ribbon, the hollow body composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg sheets containing fibers, wherein the hollow body has a volume ranging from 175 cubic centimeters to 400 cubic centimeters, wherein the striking plate has a thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch;

one or more weight strips being embedded in the ribbon, the one or more weight strips composed of a material having a density greater than the plies of pre-preg sheets containing fibers; and

a return disposed between the striking plate and the crown directly rearward of the striking plate, the return having a thickness in the range of 0.100 inch to 0.200 inch, and the return having a thickness greater than the thickness of the crown;

wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution of 0.8 to 0.9.

2. A driver-type golf club head comprising:

a hollow body having crown, a sole, a ribbon, and a striking plate composed of a plurality of face/crown plies and a plurality of full face plies of pre-preg sheets containing fibers, wherein the striking plate has a thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch and an aspect ratio of 1.0 to 1.7, a hollow interior of the hollow body defined by the crown, the sole, the striking plate and the ribbon; and

a return disposed between the striking plate and the crown directly rearward of the striking plate, the return having a thickness in the range of 0.100 inch to 0.200 inch, and the return having a thickness greater than the thickness of the crown;

wherein the golf club has a volume of between 175 cubic centimeters to 400 cubic centimeters, a mass ranging from 175 grams to 225 grams, and a coefficient of restitution of 0.8 to 0.9.

3. A golf club head for a fairway wood or driver, the golf club head comprising:

a hollow body crown, a sole, a ribbon, and a striking plate composed of a plurality of face/crown plies and a plurality of full face plies of pre-preg sheets containing fibers, wherein the striking plate has a thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch and an aspect ratio of 1.0 to 1.7, a hollow interior of the hollow body defined by the crown, the sole, the striking plate and the ribbon; and

a return disposed between the striking plate and the crown directly rearward of the striking plate, the return having a thickness in the range of 0.100 inch to 0.200 inch, and the return having a thickness greater than the thickness of the crown;

wherein the striking plate and crown are composed of at least nineteen full face plies of pre-preg sheets containing fibers, at least ten face doubler plies and at least eight face/grown plies of pre-preg sheets containing fibers, in a quasi-isotropic orientation;

wherein the sole and ribbon are composed of at least eight sole plies of pre-preg sheets in a quasi-isotropic orientation containing fibers and a weight strip composed of a material having a density greater than the plies of pre-preg sheets containing fibers;

wherein the golf club has a volume of between 175 cubic centimeters to 400 cubic centimeters, a mass ranging from 175 grams to 225 grams, and a coefficient of restitution of 0.8 to 0.9.