Multiple material golf club head

• US 7,252,600 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2004
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Rollinson, Augustin W., Soracco, Peter L., Galloway, J. Andrew, Cackett, Matthew T., Hocknell, Alan, Reyes, Herbert, Murphy, James M., Helmstetter, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Eugene
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US10/709,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20040224789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• 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 2209/023 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 53/0462 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: 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 portion (72) and 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 face component (60) is composed of a metal material, and the aft-body (61) is composed of a non-metal material such as a composite material or a thermoplastic material. The striking plate portion (72) preferably has an aspect ratio less than 1.7. The striking plate portion (72) preferably has concentric regions of thickness with the thickness portion in the center (102).

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a titanium alloy material, the face component having a mass ranging from 50 grams to 110 grams;

an aft-body connected to the face component, the aft-body having a mass ranging from 10 grams to 60 grams, the aft-body composed of a non-metal material, the aft-body having an undercut portion positioned under the face component;

at least one weight member attached to the aft-body, the at least one weight member having a mass ranging from 30 grams to 120 grams;

wherein the golf club head has a mass ranging from 165 grams to 225 grams and a volume ranging from 350 cubic centimeters to 510 cubic centimeters;

wherein the moment of inertia about the Izz axis of the golf club head is greater than 3000 grams-centimeter squared and the golf club head has an annular gap between the face component and the aft-body having a gap distance ranging form 0.020 inch to 0.100 inch.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the face component has a mass ranging from 65 grams to 95 grams.

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

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the aft-body has a mass ranging from 15 grams to 50 grams.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the at least one weight member has a mass ranging from 50 grams to 80 grams.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the aft-body comprises a crown portion and a sole portion.

8. The golf club head according to claim 7 wherein the sole portion of the aft-body comprises a bottom section and a ribbon section.

6. The golf club head according to 1 wherein the face component comprises a striking plate portion and a return portion.

9. The golf club head according to claim 6 wherein the return portion comprises an upper lateral section and a lower lateral section.

10. The golf club head according to claim 6 wherein the return portion comprises a heel lateral section and a toe lateral section.

11. The golf club head according to claim 6 wherein the return portion comprises an upper lateral section.

12. The golf club head according to claim 6 wherein the return portion comprises a lower lateral section.

13. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a titanium alloy material, the face component comprising a striking plate portion and a return portion having at least a heel lateral section and a toe lateral section, the face component having a mass ranging from 50 grams to 110 grams;

an aft-body connected to the face component, the aft-body comprising a crown portion and a sole portion, the aft-body composed of a non-metal material, the aft-body having an undercut portion positioned under the return portion of the face component; and

at least one weight member having a mass ranging from 50 grams to 80 grams, the at least one weight member attached to the ribbon section of the sole portion of the aft-body;

wherein the golf club head has an annular gap between the face component and the aft-body having a gap distance ranging form 0.020 inch to 0.100 inch, the golf club head having a mass ranging from 165 grams to 225 grams and a volume ranging from 350 cubic centimeters to 510 cubic centimeters;

wherein the moment of inertia about the Izz axis of the golf club head is greater than 3000 grams-centimeter squared.

14. The golf club head according to claim 13 wherein the face component has a mass ranging from 65 grams to 95 grams.

15. The golf club head according to claim 13 wherein the aft-body is composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg material.

16. The golf club head according to claim 13 wherein the aft-body is composed of a non-metal material.

17. The golf club head according to claim 13 wherein the sole portion of the aft-body comprises a bottom section and a ribbon section.

18. The golf club head according to claim 13 wherein the return portion further comprises an upper lateral section and a lower lateral section.

19. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a titanium alloy material, the face component comprising a striking plate portion and a return portion having at least a heel lateral section and a toe lateral section, the face component having a mass ranging from 50 grams to 110 grams;

an aft-body connected to the face component, the aft-body composed of a composite material, the aft-body comprising a crown portion and a sole portion, the sole portion comprising a bottom section and a ribbon section, the aft-body having amass ranging from 15 grams to 50 grams, the aft-body having an undercut portion positioned under the face component; and

at least one weight member having a mass ranging from 50 grams to 80 grams, the at least one weight member attached to the ribbon section of the sole portion of the aft-body

wherein the golf club head has an annular gap between the face component and the aft-body having a gap distance ranging form 0.020 inch to 0.100 inch, the golf club head having a mass ranging from 165 grams to 225 grams and a volume ranging from 350 cubic centimeters to 510 cubic centimeters;

wherein the moment of inertia about the Izz axis of the golf club head is greater than 3000 grams-centimeter squared.

20. The golf club head according to claim 19 wherein the return portion further comprises an upper lateral section.

21. The golf club head according to claim 19 wherein the return portion further comprises a lower lateral section.

22. The golf club head according to claim 19 wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution ranging from 0.81 to 0.94.