Golf club head

• US 7,311,613 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Stevens, Daniel M., Williams, Luke R., Tang, Larry G., Hettinger, Ronald K., Hallack, Michael, Gibbs, Evan D., Hocknell, Alan, Cackett, Matthew T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/565,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20070099722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/329
• 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 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• 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 golf club head (42) having more than 50% of a volume forward of a center of gravity and more than 50% of a mass rearward of the center of gravity is disclosed herein. The golf club head (42) preferably has a volume ranging from 420 cubic centimeters to 480 cubic centimeters. The golf club head (42) preferably has a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head greater than 4000 grams-centimeters squared, and a moment of inertia about the Lxx axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head greater than 2000 grams-centimeters squared.

Claims

1. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a body having a face wall, a crown wall, a sole wall, a heel wall, a rear wall, and a toe wall, the heel wall extending 2.0 inches to 5.0 inches rearward from a perimeter of the face wall, the rear wall substantially perpendicular to the heel wall and extending from 2.5 inches to 5.5 inches from an aft edge of the heel wall, and the toe wall substantially perpendicular to the rear wall and the toe wall extending from 2.0 inches to 5.0 inches from an aft edge of the toe wall toward the perimeter of the face wall, wherein the crown, the sole, the face wall, the heel wall, the rear wall and the toe wall define a hollow interior;

wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 420 cubic centimeters to 480 cubic centimeters and a mass ranging from 190 grams to 250 grams;

wherein a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head is greater than 4000 grams-centimeters squared, and a moment of inertia about the Ixx axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head is greater than 2000 grams-centimeters squared; and

wherein more than 50% of the volume of the golf club head is forward of the center of gravity of the golf club head and less than 50% of the mass of the golf club head is forward of the center of gravity, wherein forward of the center of gravity is toward the face wall.

2. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the volume of the golf club head is approximately 460 cubic centimeters.

3. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of weight members disposed on at least one of the sole wall, the heel wall, the rear wall, and the toe wall, each of the plurality of weight members having a mass ranging from five grams to thirty grams.

4. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a length, L_gch, from a farthest forward edge of the golf club head to a farthest rearward edge of the golf club head that ranges from 3.5 inches to 4.75 inches, and the center of gravity of the golf club head is positioned less than 50% of the length, L_gch, from the farthest forward edge.

5. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 4 wherein the center of gravity of the golf club head is positioned from 30% to 49% of the length, L_gch, from the farthest forward edge.

6. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 1 wherein a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head is greater than 5000 grams-centimeters squared.

7. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a height, H_gch, from a topmost portion of the crown wall of the golf club head to a bottommost portion of the sole wall of the golf club head that ranges from 2.0 inches to 3.0 inches, and the center of gravity of the golf club head is positioned less than 50% of the height, H_gch, from the bottommost portion of the sole wall of the golf club head.

8. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 7 wherein the center of gravity of the golf club head is positioned from 40% to 49% of the height, H_gch, from the bottommost portion of the sole wall of the golf club head.

9. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 1 wherein 35% to 46% of the mass of the golf club head is forward of the center of gravity.

10. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a metal material, the face component comprising a striking plate portion and a return portion, the face component having a mass ranging from 80 grams to 120 grams;

an aft-body coupled to the return portion of the face component, the aft-body composed of a non-metal material having a density less than that of the first material, the aft-body comprising a crown portion, a sole portion, the sole portion having a bottom section and a ribbon section, the ribbon section being located between the crown portion and the bottom section of the sole portion, the aft-body having a mass ranging from 30 grams to 60 grams; and

a plurality of weight members disposed on the aft-body, each of the plurality of weight members having a mass ranging from five grams to thirty grams;

wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 420 cubic centimeters to 480 cubic centimeters and a mass ranging from 190 grams to 250 grams;

wherein more than 50% of the volume of the golf club head is forward of the center of gravity of the golf club head and less than 50% of the mass of the golf club head is forward of the center of gravity, wherein forward of the center of gravity is toward the striking plate portion.

11. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the volume of the golf club head ranges from 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters.

12. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the plurality of weight members are a heel weight member having a mass ranging from 7 grams to 25 grams and a toe weight member having a mass ranging from 7 grams to 25 grams.

13. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the golf club head has a length, L_gch, from a farthest forward edge of the golf club head to a farthest rearward edge of the golf club head that ranges from 3.5 inches to 4.75 inches, and the center of gravity of the golf club head is positioned less than 50% of the length, L_gch, from the farthest forward edge.

14. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 13 wherein the center of gravity of the golf club head is positioned from 30% to 49% of the length, L_gch, from the farthest forward edge.

15. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 10 wherein a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head is greater than 4000 grams-centimeters squared, and a moment of inertia about the Ixx axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head is greater than 2000 grams-centimeters squared.

16. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the golf club head has a height, H_gch, from a topmost portion of the crown portion of the aft-body of the golf club head to a bottommost portion of the sole portion of the aft-body of the golf club head that ranges from 2.0 inches to 3.0 inches, and the center of gravity of the golf club head is positioned less than 50% of the height, H_gch, from the bottommost portion of the sole portion.

17. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the face component is composed of a titanium alloy material and the aft-body is composed of plies of pre-preg material.

18. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the plurality of weight members are a heel weight member having a mass ranging from 7 grams to 25 grams and a toe weight member having a mass ranging from 7 grams to 25 grams, wherein the face component has a mass ranging from 80 grams to 120 grams, and wherein the aft-body has a mass ranging from 30 grams to 60 grams.

19. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a first material, the face component comprising a striking plate portion and a return portion, the face component having from 40% to 60% of the mass of the club head;

an aft-body coupled to the return portion of the face component, the aft-body composed of a second material having a density less than that of the first material, the aft-body comprising a crown portion, a sole portion, the sole portion having a bottom section and a ribbon section, the ribbon section being located between the crown portion and the bottom section of the sole portion, the aft-body having from 10% to 30% of the mass of the club head;

a plurality of weight members disposed on the aft-body, each of the plurality of weight members having 2% to 30% of the mass of the club head; and

wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 420 cubic centimeters to 480 cubic centimeters and a mass ranging from 190 grams to 250 grams;

wherein 51% to 65% of the volume of the golf club head is forward of the center of gravity of the golf club head and 35% to 46% of the mass of the golf club head is forward of the center of gravity, wherein forward of the center of gravity is toward the striking plate portion.

20. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 19 wherein the face component is composed of a titanium alloy material and the aft-body is composed of plies of pre-preg material.