Composite golf club head

• US 6,612,938 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• 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, Ehlers, Steven M., Cackett, Matthew T., Evans, D. Clayton, Gonczi, Robert S., Reyes, Herbert, Murphy, James M., Helmstetter, Richard C., Jacobson, Daniel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US09/947,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20020103041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/345-349
• US Class Current: 473/324
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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 53/0458 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: B29C 70/342 using isostatic pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/46 using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
• 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 face component composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg material and having a striking plate portion with a thickness in the range of 0.050 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 also has a crown component composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg material and a sole component composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg material.

Claims

1. A composite golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a plurality of pre-preg plies having fibers, the plurality of pre-preg plies ranging from 20 to 70 plies, 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 the return portion tapering in thickness rearward from a perimeter of the striking plate portion;

a crown composed of a plurality of pre-preg plies ranging from 3 to 20 plies, the crown attached to the face component;

a sole composed of a plurality of pre-preg plies ranging from 3 to 20 plies, the sole having a ribbon portion and a bottom portion, the bottomn portion of the sole attached to the return portion of the face component and the ribbon portion of the sole attached to the crown, the ribbon portion having an upper portion approximately perpendicular to the crown and a lower portion angled 25 degrees to 75 degrees relative to the crown;

a weighting member disposed within the plies of pre-preg of the ribbon portion of the sole; and

a sole plate attached to the external surface of the bottom portion of the sole, the sole plate composed of a metal material;

wherein the striking plate portion has an aspect ratio ranging from 1.0 to 1.7;

wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging fron 300 cubic centimeter to 450 cubic centimeters; and

wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution ranging from 0.80 to 0.93 under standard USGA conditions.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the striking plate has a thicklness in the range of 0.100 inch to 0.200 inch, and the striking plate portion is composed of 30 to 60 plies of pre-preg.