Metal composite golf club head

• US 7,361,100 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Morales, Eric J., Bliss, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US11/613,854
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 473345-346, 473/348
• US Class Current: 473/346
• 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 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type

Abstract

A golf club head is formed with a crown having an aperture with an arcuate rear edge and a forward edge that is substantially parallel to the striking face. The aperture is transected by an arcuate rib that extends from a region proximal the heel end of the crown to a region proximal the toe end of the crown and is concave toward the striking face. A pair of linear ribs extend radially outward from the arcuate rib to join the arcuate rib to a perimeter region of the crown. Openings formed in the aperture by the ribs are filled with an organic-composite material such as graphite epoxy.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body formed of a metallic material, said body having an inside surface, an outside surface, a heel end, a toe end, a front wall and a rear body portion, said front wall including a face adapted for impacting a golf ball, said rear body portion including a crown, a sole, and a perimeter region extending continuously from said toe end to said heel end, said body further comprising a solid rear extension comprising a solid wall extending at least 20 millimeters rearward from a crown region of said front wall and first and second openings formed in the crown, said first and second openings each being in the form of an annular sector rearward of said solid rear extension;

a nonmetallic material extending across and closing said first and second openings;

said first and second openings are concave toward the front wall of said body and convex toward the rear body portion of said body;

said body comprising a third opening formed in the crown;

said third opening having the form of an annular sector that is concave toward the front wall of said body and convex toward the rear body portion of said body;

said nonmetallic material extending across and closing said third opening;

said body comprising a fourth opening formed in the crown;

said fourth opening being substantially semi-circular in shape; and

said nonmetallic material extending across and closing said fourth opening.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising:

a first rib extending between said third and fourth openings from a first end attached to said solid rear extension proximal the toe end of said body to a second end attached to said solid rear extension proximal the heel end of said body; and

a second rib extending between said first and third openings from a medial region of said first rib to said perimeter region.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein said first rib has an arcuate shape and is concave toward the front wall of said body and convex toward the rear body portion of said body.

4. The golf club head of claim 2, further comprising:

a third rib extending between said second and third openings from a medial region of said first rib to said perimeter region.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein said second and third ribs extend substantially radially from a point on a line extending perpendicular to the face intermediate the first and second ends of said first rib.

6. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein said second rib extends toward the heel end of said body and said third rib extends toward the toe end of said body.

7. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein said second and third ribs are disposed substantially symmetrically about an axis extending perpendicular to said face through the geometric center of said crown.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said first opening is symmetric about a plane perpendicular to the face.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said first, second and third openings form a pattern that is symmetric about a plane perpendicular to the face.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said nonmetallic material is bonded to said body.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said nonmetallic material is bonded to the inside surface of said body.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said rear body portion includes a skirt, and wherein said perimeter region forms a junction between said crown and said skirt.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

said solid rear extension extends between 20 and 60 millimeters rearward from the crown region of said front wall.