Hollow golf club head

• US 7,470,201 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakahara, Norihiko, Yamamoto, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunter; Alvin A
• Application Number:
  US10/537,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20060052177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• 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 of the present invention includes a face portion having an impact surface that impacts a golf ball and is made from a metallic material, and a crown portion, a heel portion, a sole portion, and the toe portion that are adjacent to the face portion. In at least two portions from among the crown portion, the heel portion, the sole portion, and the toe portion, at least one from among dissimilar metallic materials that differ from the metallic material of the impact surface and fiber reinforced plastic materials is used in regions along ends that are adjacent to the face portion, within a range of 30 mm from the adjacent ends. Thereby, the golf club has a structure that easily deforms with respect to golf ball impacts, and the face portion deforms more than conventional face portions. The coeffecient of restitution of a struck golf ball therefore increases, the initial velocity of the golf ball increases, and the carry distance increases.

Claims

1. A hollow golf club head, comprising a face portion having an impact surface that impacts a golf ball and is made from a metallic material, and a crown portion, a heel portion, a sole portion, and a toe portion that are adjacent to the face portion,

wherein, in at least two portions from among the crown portion, the heel portion, the sole portion, and the toe portion, at least one material of dissimilar metallic material that differs from the metallic material and a fiber reinforced plastic material is used in regions along edges that are adjacent to the face portion, within a range of 30 mm from the adjacent edges,

wherein said at least two portions from among the crown portion, the heel portion, the sole portion, and the toe portion are divided into two portions along the edges that are adjacent to the face portion, in regions within a range of 30 mm from the adjacent edges, each of said at least two portions having a first member that extends to the face portion and a second member as a portion other than the first member,

wherein joining portions are formed by joining members made from a fiber reinforced plastic material, each joining member joining the first member and the second member of each of said at least two portions, said first members not overlapping said second members, and

wherein a thickness t₁ of the first member which is joined by the joining member ranges from 0.5 to 2.0 mm, and a thickness t₂ of the joining member which joins to the second member ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 mm.

2. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the dissimilar metallic material is an alloy material selected from the group consisting of titanium alloy, magnesium alloy, stainless steel alloy, and aluminum alloy.

3. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein an elastic modulus of fibers of the fiber reinforced plastic material is less than 27×

10³ kg-f/mm².

4. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the first member and the second member respectively are joined to the joining member with an adhesive.