Golf club head that optimizes products of inertia

• US 6,547,676 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2002
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Cackett, Matthew T., Evans, D. Clayton, Hocknell, Alan, Fan, Frank H., Helmstetter, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US10/064,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20030040376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 263 Days
• Field of Search: 473/345, 473/348, 473/349
• US Class Current: 473/345
• 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 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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 having products of inertia Ixy, Ixz, and Iyz with absolute values below 100 g-cm² is disclosed herein. The golf club has a large volume, a high moment of inertia, or both. Preferably, the moment of inertia, Izz, of the golf club head about a vertical axis Z through the center of gravity ranges from 3000 g-cm² to 5000 g-cm², and a moment of inertia, Iyy, about a horizontal axis Y through the center of gravity of the golf club head ranges from 1900 g-cm² to 2050 g-cm². Preferably, the golf club head is composed of plies of pre-preg sheets. The volume of the golf club head preferably varies form 300 g-cm² to 600 g-cm².

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a crown, a sole and a striking plate, the body having a hollow interior,

wherein the golf club head has a volume of at least 325 cm³, a moment of inertia, Izz, that ranges from 3500 g-cm² to 5000 g-cm², and a moment of inertia, Iyy, that ranges from 1900 g-cm² to 2050 g-cm², and each of the products of inertia, Ixy, Ixz and Iyz, of the golf club head has an absolute value less than 100 g-cm², wherein the moments of inertia and the products of inertia are defined by the vertical axis Z through the center of gravity of the golf club head, a horizontal axis Y through the center of gravity of the golf club head and substantially parallel to the striking plate, and a forward to rearward axis X through the center of gravity of the golf club head, the X axis, the Y axis and the Z axis are orthogonal to each other.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the body is composed of a plurality of layers of plies of pre-preg material.

3. The golf club head according to claim 2 further comprising at least one weight strip composed of a material selected from the group consisting of a densified loaded film, copper, tungsten, and bismuth.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the body is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of titanium, titanium alloy, steel, stainless steel, and amorphous metals.

5. The golf club head according to claim 4 wherein the striking plate has regions of varying thickness.

6. The golf club head according to claim 4 further comprising a plurality of weight members, the plurality of weight members having a total mass of less than 85 g.

7. The golf club head according to claim 6 wherein the body is composed of a titanium alloy material, the body having a mass less than 250 g.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the product of inertia, Ixy, has an absolute value less than 50 g-cm².

9. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a crown, a sole, a ribbon and a striking plate, the body having a hollow interior, the body composed of a material selected from the group consisting of titanium, titanium alloy, steel, stainless steel, and amorphous metals; and

at least one weight member disposed within the hollow interior of the body along the ribbon,

wherein the golf club head has a volume of at least 325 cm³, a moment of inertia, Izz, that ranges from 3500 g-cm² to 5000 g-cm², and a moment of inertia, Iyy, that ranges from 1900 g-cm² to 2050 g-cm², and each of the products of inertia, Ixy, Ixz and Iyz, of the golf club head has an absolute value less than 100 g-cm², wherein the moments of inertia and the products of inertia are defined by the vertical axis Z through the center of gravity of the golf club head, a horizontal axis Y through the center of gravity of the golf club head and substantially parallel to the striking plate, and a forward to rearward axis X through the center of gravity of the golf club head, the X axis, the Y axis and the Z axis are orthogonal to each other.

10. The golf club head according to claim 9 wherein the striking plate has regions of varying thickness.

11. The golf club head according to claim 9 wherein the plurality of weight members have a total mass of less than 85 g.

12. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the body is composed of a titanium alloy material, the body having a mass less than 250 g.

13. The golf club head according to claim 9 wherein the product of inertia, Ixy, has an absolute value less than 50 g-cm².

14. The golf club head according to claim 9 wherein the golf club head has a volume that ranges from 350 cm³ to 525 cm³.

15. The golf club head according to claim 9 wherein a plurality of weight members are disposed within the hollow interior of the body along the ribbon.