Golf club head

• US 7,481,717 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dean L. Knuth
• Original Assignee: Dean L. Knuth
• Inventors: Knuth, Dean L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/854,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20070298905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-291, 473/237, 148/326, 148/328
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• 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 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

In one aspect, the invention provides a face for a golf club head. In one embodiment, the face includes an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion has a lower toe portion located towards the toe of the golf club head, a lower heel portion located towards the heel of the golf club head, and a center portion extending from the lower toe portion to the lower heel portion, wherein the lower toe portion and the lower heel portion have a first substantially uniform thickness, the center portion and the upper portion have a second substantially uniform thickness, the second substantially uniform thickness is greater than the first substantially uniform thickness, the first substantially uniform thickness is in a range of about 0.055 inch to about 0.09 inch, and the second substantially uniform thickness is in a range of about 0.070 inch to about 0.13 inch.

Claims

1. A method for making a wood-type golf club head, comprising:

creating a face portion for the golf club head, wherein the step of creating the face portion comprises;

obtaining a blank from a piece of sheet metal consisting essentially of a titanium alloy,

after obtaining the blank, exposing the blank to a pressure of about 70 tons psi, and

heat treating the blank to increase the hardness of the blank; and

attaching the face portion to a crown and a sole of the golf club head after heat treating the blank, wherein

the piece of sheet metal from which the blank is obtained has a substantially uniform thickness.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the piece of sheet metal is between about 0.075 inch and about 0.13 inch so that the obtained blank also has a substantially uniform thickness of between about 0.075 inch and about 0.13 inch.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of casting the crown and sole as one seamless and joined piece to form a cast body.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the face is attached to the crown and the sole by welding.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat treatment raises the Rockwell Hardness to at least about 45.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of machining the blank to provide a variable thickness in the face blank.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining the blank comprises laser cuffing the sheet of metal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the face portion comprises an upper portion, a lower portion, a toe side edge, a heel side edge, and a bottom edge, the lower portion having a lower toe portion located towards a toe of the golf club head, a lower heel portion located towards a heel of the golf club head, and a center portion located between the lower toe portion and the lower heel portion, the lower toe portion and the lower heel portion each (a) being substantially oval in shape, (b) having a side that is generally parabolic in shape, and (c) having a first substantially uniform thickness, the center portion and the upper portion having a second substantially uniform thickness, the second thickness being greater than the first thickness.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the parabolic side of the lower toe portion extends from a point substantially on the toe side edge of the face to a first point substantially on the bottom edge of the face;

the parabolic side of the lower heel portion extends from a point substantially on the heel side edge of the face to a second point substantially on the bottom edge;

the center portion has an upper side that coincides with at least a portion of a lower side of the upper portion.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the face consists of an upper portion and lower portion, wherein the lower portion consists of a lower toe portion located toward the toe of the golf club head, a lower heel portion located toward the heel of the golf club head, a center portion located between the lower toe portion and the lower heel portion, a first transition region disposed between the lower toe portion and the center portion, and a second transition region disposed between the lower heel portion and the center portion, the lower toe portion and the lower heel portion having a substantially parabolic curved side and having a uniform thickness in a range of about 0.055 inch to about 0.09 inch, and the center portion and the upper portion have a uniform thickness in a range of about 0.07 inch to about 0.13 inch, wherein the transition portions have a non-uniform thickness so that there is a smooth transition between the lower toe portion and the center portion and between the lower heel portion and the center portion.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the face portion comprises:

an upper portion, a lower portion, a first side edge, a second side edge, a top center edge, and a bottom center edge, wherein, the lower portion has a lower toe portion located towards the toe of the golf club head, a lower heel portion located towards the heel of the golf club head, and a center portion disposed between the lower toe portion to the lower heel portion, wherein

the upper portion extends from the top center edge a distance in a range of about one fourth to one half of the distance from the top center edge to the bottom center edge,

the upper portion extends substantially the entire length of the face portion,

the lower toe portion and the lower heel portion having a first substantially uniform thickness,

the center portion and the upper portion have a second substantially uniform thickness, and

the second substantially uniform thickness is greater than the first substantially uniform thickness.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first substantially uniform thickness is in a range of about 0.070 inch to about 0.13 inch and the second substantially uniform thickness is in a range of about 0.055 inch to about 0.09 inch.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of polishing the face portion so that the face portion is shiny so that impact of a ball with the face portion results in a mark where the ball impacted the face portion.

14. A wood-type golf club head made according to the method of claim 12.

15. A wood-type golf club head made according to the method of claim 1.

16. A wood-type golf club head, said wood-type golf club head comprising a face having (1) an upper portion, (2) a lower portion, (3) a toe side edge, (4) a heel side edge, and (4) a bottom edge,

said lower portion having (a) a lower toe portion located towards a toe of the golf club head, (b) a lower heel portion located towards a heel of the golf club head, and a (c) center portion located between the lower toe portion and the lower heel portion,

said lower toe portion and said lower heel portion each (a) being substantially oval in shape, (b) having a side that is generally parabolic in shape, and (c) having a first substantially uniform thickness,

said center portion and said upper portion having a second substantially uniform thickness, said second thickness being thicker than said first thickness, wherein

said parabolic side of the lower toe portion extends from a point substantially on the toe side edge of the face to a first point substantially on the bottom edge of the face;

said parabolic side of the lower heel portion extends from a point substantially on the heel side edge of the face to a second point substantially on the bottom edge; and

said center portion has (1) a heel side that coincides with the side of the lower heel portion that is generally parabolic in shape, (2) a toe side that coincides with the side of the lower toe portion that is generally parabolic in shape, and (3) an upper side that coincides with at least a portion of a lower side of the upper portion.

17. The wood-type golf club head of claim 16, wherein the width of said upper portion is between about ¼

and ½

of the width of the face and the length of the upper portion is about equal to the length of the face.

18. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 16.

19. The wood-type golf club head of claim 16, wherein the face has a side that is shiny such that impact of a ball with the face results in a mark where the ball impacted the face.