Golf club head

• US 7,455,600 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2005
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamagishi, Hisashi, Imamoto, Yasunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/233,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20060100032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/345
• 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 includes 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 a fiber plastic resin. At least the face portion, a front edge portion of the crown portion continuous with the face portion, and a central portion of the sole portion in a toe-heel direction are made of a metal. A loft angle is in a range of 14° to 25°. A head volume is in a range of 100 cc to 230 cc. A weight of a fiber plastic resin portion of the golf club head is in a range of 6% to 30% of a weight of the golf club head.

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 main portion of the crown portion is made of a fiber plastic resin,

at least the face portion, a front edge portion of the crown portion continuous with the face portion, and a central portion of the sole portion in a toe-heel direction are made of a metal,

a front edge portion of the side portion and a front edge portion of the sole portion are made of a metal and are continuous with the face portion,

a metal portion of the sole portion extends to a rear face portion of the golf club head,

a first weight member made of a metal is disposed at a rear portion thereof;

a loft angle is in a range of 14°

to 25°

,

a head volume is in a range of 100 cc to 230 cc, and

a weight of a fiber plastic resin portion of the golf club head is in a range of 6% to 30% of a weight of the golf club head.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a weight of the first weight member is in a range of 10% to 25% of the weight of the golf club head.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a sole-face side of the first weight member is covered with a metal or a resin.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a second weight member is disposed on an inner surface of the metal portion of the sole portion, is in front of the first weight member, and is closer to a toe side than a halfway portion of the sole portion in the toe-heel direction.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a third weight member is disposed inside the fiber plastic resin portion on a toe side or is disposed to be in contact with the fiber plastic resin portion.

6. The golf club head according to claim 5, wherein the third weight member has a thin-plate shape and is embedded in the fiber plastic resin constituting the side portion on the toe side.

7. The golf club head according to claim 6, wherein the third weight member is made of a rubber or a synthetic resin containing powder of a metal.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

the metal portion constituting the golf club head is formed of a face plate made by forging or press molding,

a remaining portion of the golf club head is formed of a forged piece, and

the face plate is fixed to the forged piece.

9. The golf club head according to claim 8, wherein a thickness of the face plate in a vicinity of a central portion of thereof is larger than that of a peripheral edge portion thereof.

10. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the weight of the golf club head is in a range of 215 g to 240 g.

11. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the metallic portion of the sole portion rises obliquely at the rear face portion of the club head.