Multiple material golf club head

• US 6,491,592 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2001
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Rollinson, Augustin W., Soracco, Peter L., Galloway, J. Andrew, Cackett, Matthew T., Hocknell, Alan, Reyes, Herbert, Murphy, James M., Helmstetter, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blau, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Varma, Sneh
• Application Number:
  US09/906,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20010055995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/332, 473/340, 473/349, 473/341, 473/350, 473/342, 473/345, 473/346, 473/291, 473/329, 473/347, 473/348, 473/327
• US Class Current: 473/342
• 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 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 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 5/00 Methods for forging, hammering, or pressing for working sheet-metal or metal tubes, rods, or profiles B21D; for working wire B21F; Special equipment or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B21K 17/00 Making sport articles, e.g. skates
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/183 of titanium or alloys based thereon
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/00 Etching metallic material by chemical means manufacture of printing surfaces B41C; manufacture of printed circuits H05K
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/26 for etching refractory metals

Abstract

A golf club (40) having a club head (42) with a face component (60) and an aft-body (61) is disclosed herein. The face component (60) has a striking plate portion (72) and a return portion (74). The aft-body (61) is composed of a crown portion (62), a sole portion (64) and optionally a ribbon section (90). The face component (60) is composed of a metal material, and the aft-body (61) is composed of a non-metal material such as a composite material or a thermoplastic material. The striking plate portion (72) preferably has an aspect ratio less than 1.7. The striking plate portion (72) preferably has concentric regions of thickness with the thickness portion in the center (102). The club head (42) has a volume in the range of 300 cubic centimeters to 600 cubic centimeters, a weight in the range of 165 grams to 300 grams, and a striking plate portion (72) surface area in the range of 4.00 square inches to 7.50 square inches. The golf club head (42) has a coefficient of restitution greater than 0.81 under test such as the USGA test conditions specified pursuant to Rule 4-1e, Appendix II, of the Rules of Golf for 1998-1999.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a metal material, the face component having a striking plate portion and a return portion, the striking plate portion having a thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch; and

an aft-body composed of a composite material, the aft-body having a crown portion, a sole portion and a ribbon portion, the aft-body attached to the return portion of the face component;

wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution of 0.81 to 0.94.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the striking plate portion has a thickness in the range of 0.055 inch to 0.125 inch.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the striking plate portion has a thickness in the range of 0.060 inch to 0.0110 inch.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the face component is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of titanium, titanium alloys, steel and steel alloys.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the striking plate portion has an aspect ratio no greater than 1.7.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the striking plate portion has concentric regions of varying thickness with the thickest region in about the center.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the striking plate portion comprises a central circular region having a base thickness, a first concentric region having a first thickness wherein the base thickness is greater than the first thickness, a second concentric region having a second thickness wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness, a third concentric region having a third thickness wherein the second thickness is greater than the third thickness, and a periphery region having a fourth thickness wherein the fourth thickness is less than the third thickness.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the return portion has a thickness ranging from 0.020 inch to 0.150 inch.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 300 cubic centimeters to 600 cubic centimeters.

10. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the moment of inertia about the Izz axis is greater than 3000 grams-centimeter squared.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a metal material, the face component having a striking plate portion and a return portion, the striking plate portion having a thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch; and

an aft-body composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg, the aft-body having a crown portion, a sole portion and a ribbon portion, the aft-body attached to the return portion of the face component;

wherein the moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity is greater than 3000 grams-centimeter squared, and the moment of inertia about the Iyy axis through the center of gravity is greater than 1900 grams-centimeter squared.

12. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a forged metal material and comprising a return portion and a striking plate portion, the striking plate portion having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the striking plate portion extending from a heel section of the golf club head to a toe section of the golf club head, a return extending laterally inward from a perimeter of the striking plate portion, and an interior tubing for receiving a shaft, the interior tubing engaging an upper section of the return portion and a lower section of the return portion; and

an aft-body composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg, the aft-body comprising a crown portion, a ribbon portion and a sole portion, the crown portion attached to the upper section of the return portion at a distance of at least 0.50 inch from the perimeter of the striking plate portion, the sole portion secured to the lower section of the return portion at a distance of at least 0.50 inch from the perimeter of the striking plate portion.

13. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a metal material, the face component having a striking plate portion and a return portion, the striking plate portion having a thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch; and

an aft-body composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg, the aft-body having a crown portion and a sole portion, the aft-body attached to the return portion of the face component;

wherein the striking plate portion has an aspect ratio ranging from 0.5 to 1.7.

14. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a metal material, the face component having a striking plate portion and a return portion, the striking plate portion having a thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch; and

an aft-body composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg, the aft-body having a crown portion and a sole portion, the aft-body attached to the return portion of the face component;

wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 400 cubic centimeters to 525 cubic centimeters and a mass ranging from 175 grams to 225 grams.

15. A golf club head comprsing:

a face component composed of a forged titanium alloy material and comprising a return portion and a striking plate portion, the striking plate portion having concentric regions of varying thickness with the thickest region about the center of the striking plate portion, the striking plate portion extending from a heel section of the golf club head to a toe section of the golf club head and having an aspect ratio no greater than 1.7, the return portion extending laterally inward at least 0.50 inch from a perimeter of the striking plate portion, the return portion extending laterally inward 360 degrees of the perimeter of the striking plate portion, and an interior tubing for receiving a shaft, the interior tubing engaging an upper section of the return portion and a lower section of the return portion; and

an aft-body composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg and having a thickness ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.100 inch, the aft-body comprising a crown portion, a ribbon portion and a sole portion, the crown portion attached to the upper section of the return portion, the sole portion attached to the lower section of the return portion, a heel end of the ribbon portion attached to a heel section of the return portion, and a toe end of the ribbon portion attached to a toe section of the return portion;

wherein the golf club head has a hollow interior, a volume ranging from 400 cubic centimeters to 525 cubic centimeters, a mass ranging from 175 grams to 225 grams, and a coefficient of restitution ranging from 0.84 to 0.94.