Golf club head

• US 7,153,221 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2006
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Galloway, J. Andrew, Hocknell, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/275,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20060094529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473290-291
• US Class Current: 473/342
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• 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 53/0437 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

Abstract

A golf club head (20) having a body (22) with a front wall (30) with an opening (32) and a face component (40) is disclosed herein. The face component (40) preferably has a striking plate (50), a crown extension (52) and a sole extension (54). The golf club head (20) has a volume between 200 cubic centimeters and 600 cubic centimeters. The golf club head (20) has a mass between 140 grams and 215 grams.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body composed of a metal material and having a crown, a sole, a heel front wall and a toe front wall, the body having an opening in a portion of the front wall, the opening in the portion of the front wall extending into a portion of the crown and a portion of the sole; and

a U-shaped face component positioned within the opening and secured to the body, the U-shaped face component having a striking plate, a crown extension and a sole extension, the face component having a uniform thickness in the range of 0.080 inch to 0.120 inch, the face component composed of a metal material;

wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 300 cubic centimeters to 450 cubic centimeters and a mass ranging from 185 grams to 215 grams, and the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution ranging from 0.80 to 0.87.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the striking plate of the U-shaped face component has a width ranging from 2.0 inches to 4.0 inches.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the crown extension of the U-shaped face component extends between 0.250 inch and 2.5 inches from the striking plate.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the body is composed of a cast titanium alloy material.

5. The golf club head according to claim 4 wherein the U-shaped face component is composed of a formed titanium alloy material.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the sole extension of the U-shaped face component extends between 0.250 inch and 2.5 inches from the striking plate.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the striking plate of the U-shape face component is 50% to 80% of the face area of the golf club head.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the U-shaped face component is welded to the body.

9. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a crown, a sole and a front wall, the front wall including a heel front wall and a toe front wall, the body having an opening in the front wall separating the heel front wall from the toe front wall and extending into the crown and the sole, the body composed of a metal material and having a hollow interior; and

a face component positioned within the opening and attached to the body, the face component having a striking plate, a crown return extending from the striking plate, and a sole return extending from the striking plate, the face component composed of a metal material;

wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution ranging from 0.80 to 0.88.

10. The golf club head according to claim 9 wherein each of the body and the face component is composed of a titanium alloy material.

11. The golf club head according to claim 9 wherein the striking plate of the face component has a width ranging from 2.0 inches to 4.0 inches.

12. The golf club head according to claim 9 wherein the crown return of the face component extends between 0.250 inch and 2.5 inches from the striking plate.

13. The golf club head according to claim 9 wherein the sole return of the face component extends between 0.250 inch and 2.5 inches from the striking plate.

14. The golf club head according to claim 9 wherein the striking plate of the face component is 50% to 80% of the face area of the golf club head.

15. The golf club head according to claim 9 wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 300 cubic centimeters to 500 cubic centimeters and a moment of inertia, Izz, about the Z axis of the center of gravity of the golf club head ranging from 2700 g-cm² to 4000 g-cm².

16. The golf club head according to claim 15 wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia, Iyy, about the Y axis of the center of gravity of the golf club head ranging from 1500 g-cm² to 3500 g-cm².

17. The golf club head according to claim 9 wherein a face of the golf club head has an aspect ratio of at least 0.565.

18. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a crown, a sole and a front wall, the front wall including a heel front wall and a toe front wall, the body having an opening in the front wall separating the heel front wall from the toe front wall and extending into the crown and the sole, the body composed of a cast metal material and having a hollow interior; and

a face component positioned within the opening and welded to the body, the face component having a striking plate, a crown return extending from the striking plate, and a sole return extending from the striking plate, the face component composed of a metal material, wherein the face component has a central region of a first thickness and a periphery region having a tapering thickness from an edge of the central region to an edge of the face component, the first thickness ranging from 0.080 inch to 0.125 inch.

19. The golf club head according to claim 18 wherein a face of the golf club head has an aspect ratio of at least 0.565.

20. The golf club head according to claim 18 wherein each of the crown return and the sole return of the face component extends between 0.250 inch and 2.5 inches from the striking plate.