Golf club head

• US 7,147,576 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Imamoto, Yasunori, Iida, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US10/462,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20040005936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 473/345, 473346-349, 473/324, 473/332, 473334-335
• US Class Current: 473/334
• 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 53/0408 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A hollow golf club head has a face portion, a sole portion, a side portion, a crown portion, and a hosel portion. A main portion of the crown portion is made of fiber reinforced plastic. At least the face portion and the front edge portion of the crown portion continuing to the face portion are made of metal. A circumferential edge portion of the crown portion made of fiber reinforced plastic is joined to the rear end surface and the internal surface of the metal front edge portion of the crown portion.

Claims

1. A hollow golf club head comprising:

a face portion;

a sole portion;

a side portion;

a crown portion; and

a hosel portion,

wherein a first part of the crown portion and a first part of the sole portion are made of fiber reinforced plastic;

wherein at least the face portion, a second part of the crown portion continued to the face portion and a second part of the sole portion are made of metal;

wherein the second part of the sole portion extends in a front/rear direction of the golf club head with a reducing width in a heel/toe direction;

wherein the first part of the crown portion is joined to a rear end surface of the second part of the crown portion and an internal surface of the second part of the crown portion from an inner surface of the face portion to the rear surface; and

wherein the first part of the crown portion is also joined to a front end surface and an internal surface of the second part of the sole portion.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1,

wherein a front edge portion of the side portion and a front edge portion of the sole portion are made of metal and continue to the face portion;

wherein the second part of the sole portion continues to the front edge portion of the sole portion, and is arranged in a center of the sole in the toe/heel direction; and

wherein the second part of the sole portion extends to a rear surface portion of the golf club head.

3. The golf club head according to claim 2, wherein:

a portion made of fiber reinforced plastic continuing to the first part of the crown portion forms a rear portion of the side portion; and

the first part of the sole portion comprises opposite side portions of a rear portion of the sole portion in a toe/heel-direction.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the first part of the crown portion is lower in rigidity in the front/rear direction of the golf club head than that in the toe/heel direction of the golf club head.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the fiber reinforced plastic includes at least one of (a) multi layers of cross fiber prepreg and (b) multi layers of unidirectional fiber prepreg.

6. The golf club head according to claim 5, wherein the fiber reinforced plastic includes three to eight layers of the at least one of the cross fiber prepreg and the unidirectional fiber prepreg.

7. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, further comprising:

a back portion made of metal; and

a weight portion disposed at the back portion,

wherein the second part of the sole portion is continued to the back portion.

8. A hollow golf club head comprising:

a first portion made of fiber reinforced plastic, including a first part of a crown portion and a first part of a sole portion; and

a second portion made of metal, including a face portion, a second part of the crown portion continuing to the face portion, and a second part of the sole portion,

wherein the second part of the sole portion extends in a front/rear direction of the golf club head with a reducing width in a heel/toe direction,

wherein the first portion is joined to an end surface of the second portion and an internal surface of the second part of the crown portion from an inner surface of the face portion to the end surface, and

wherein the first portion is also joined to another end surface of the second portion and an internal surface of the second part of the sole portion.

9. The golf club head according to claim 8, wherein the fiber reinforced plastic includes at least one of (a) multi layers of cross fiber prepreg and (b) multi layers of unidirectional fiber prepreg.

10. The golf club head according to claim 9, wherein the fiber reinforced plastic includes three to eight layers of the at least one of the cross fiber prepreg and the unidirectional fiber prepreg.

11. The hollow golf club head according to claim 8, further comprising:

a weight portion, wherein;

the second portion further includes a back portion;

the weight portion is disposed at the back portion; and

the second part of the sole portion is continued to the back portion.

12. A hollow golf club head comprising:

a face portion;

a sole portion;

a side portion;

a crown portion; and

a hosel portion,

wherein a first part of the crown portion and a first part of the sole portion are made of fiber reinforced plastic;

wherein at least the face portion, a second part of the crown portion continued to the face portion and a second part of the sole portion are made of metal;

wherein the second part of the sole portion extends in a front/rear direction of the golf club head with a reducing width in a heel/toe direction;

wherein the first part of the crown portion is joined to a rear end surface of the second part of the crown portion;

wherein the first part of the crown portion is also joined to an internal surface of the second part of the crown portion from an inner surface of the face portion to the rear end surface; and

wherein the first part of the crown portion is lower in rigidity in the front/rear direction of the golf club head than that in the toe/heel direction of the golf club head.