Multiple material golf club head with face insert

• US 6,565,452 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Soracco, Peter L., Galloway, J. Andrew, Cackett, Matthew T., Reyes, Herbert, Murphy, James M., Helmstetter, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, THANH P
• Application Number:
  US09/683,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20020142861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/329, 473/330, 473/334, 473/335, 473/342, 473/345, 473/349, 473/350
• US Class Current: 473/342
• 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 53/0441 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 53/0466 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

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 insert (72) within an opening (45) of 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 return portion (74) is preferably composed of a cast metal material, the striking plate insert (72) is preferably composed of a formed or forged metal material, and the aft-body (61) is preferably composed of a non-metal material such as a composite material or a thermoplastic material. The golf club head (42) preferably has a volume in the range of 250 cubic centimeters to 600 cubic centimeters and a weight in the range of 165 grams to 300 grams.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a face component having a return portion with an opening and a striking plate insert positioned within the opening, the striking plate insert having a uniform thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch and the return portion having a thickness ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch, the return portion extending a distance ranging 0.25 inch to 1.5 inches from a perimeter of the striking plate insert; 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 0.80 to 0.94.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the striking plate insert is composed of a formed metal material.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein striking plate insert is composed of a forged metal material.

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

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

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the return portion is composed of a cast material.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the striking plate insert comprises a central elliptical 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 2 wherein the return portion is composed of a cast stainless steel material.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 290 cubic centimeters to 600 cubic centimeters.

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

11. A golf club head comprising:

a face component having a return portion with an opening and a striking plate insert positioned within the opening, the striking plate insert composed of a formed or forged metal material and having an uniform thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch, the return portion composed of a cast metal material and having a thickness ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch, the return portion extending a distance ranging 0.25 inch to 1.5 inches from a perimeter of the striking plate portion; 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, the aft body having a thickness ranging from 0.015 inch to 0.100 inch;

a weighting member disposed within the ribbon of the aft-body, the weighting member having a mass ranging from 10 grams to 100 grams;

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 having a return portion with an opening and a striking plate insert positioned within the opening, the striking plate insert having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the striking plate insert extending from a heel section of the golf club head to a toe section of the golf club head, the return portion extending laterally rearward from a perimeter of the striking plate insert, 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 crown portion, a ribbon portion and a sole portion, the crown portion bonded to the upper section of the return portion and the upper section of the return portion overlapping the crown portion a distance of at least 0.25 inch, the sole portion bonded to the lower section of the return portion and the lower section of the return portion overlapping the sole portion a distance of at least 0.25 inch.

13. A golf club head comprising:

a face component having a return portion with an opening and a striking plate insert positioned within the opening, the striking plate insert composed of a formed or forged stainless steel material and having an uniform thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch, the return portion composed of a cast stainless steel material and having a thickness ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch, the return portion extending a distance ranging 0.25 inch to 1.5 inches from a perimeter of the striking plate portion; 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; and

a weighting member disposed within the ribbon of the aft-body, the weighting member having a mass ranging from 30 grams to 100 grams;

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

14. A golf club head comprising:

a face component having a return portion with an opening and a striking plate insert positioned within the opening, the striking plate insert composed of a formed or forged titanium alloy material and having an uniform thickness in the range of 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch, the return portion composed of a cast titanium alloy material and having a thickness ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.250 inch, the return portion extending a distance ranging 0.25 inch to 1.5 inches from a perimeter of the striking plate portion; 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 250 cubic centimeters to 525 cubic centimeters and a mass ranging from 175 grams to 225 grams.