Golf club head

• US 7,520,822 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• 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:
  US11/840,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20070298907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473290-292
• US Class Current: 473/345
• 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 53/0408 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 53/042 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 includes a front body formed of a titanium-based metal material, an FRP body, a metallic sole plate, and a weight member. The front body has a face portion, a metal sole portion, a metal side portion (toe), a metal crown portion, a metal side portion (heel), and a hosel portion. A slight gap is formed between a front side of the sole plate and the metal sole portion. Preferably, the front body is made of a titanium alloy, while the sole plate is made of stainless steel. The height of center of gravity (mm) and the head volume V have a relationship of H≦0.05V+7.5.

Claims

1. A golf club head of a hollow shell structure, comprising:

a first member that includes titanium-based metal material and includes a face portion and an edge portion continuous with the face portion;

a second member formed of a fiber reinforced resin;

a metal plate made of a metal material, which is larger in specific gravity than the titanium-based metal material, that is separate and spaced apart from the first member, extends in a direction, which is different from a toe-heel direction of the golf club head, and includes at least a part of sole portion; and

a weight member formed of a metal whose specific gravity is greater than that of the metal plate;

a metal sole portion having a center edge portion, a toe side edge portion, and a heel side edge portion, the center edge portion having almost straight shape in the toe-heel direction;

wherein a width of the metal sole portion corresponding to the toe side edge portion and the heel side edge portion in face-back direction becomes larger as a position on the metal sole portion gets farther from the center edge portion; and

wherein

H≦

0.05V+7.5

where V denotes volume of the golf club head in cc unit, and H denotes height of center of gravity of the golf club head in mm unit.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a center of the weight member is placed astern of the center of gravity of the golf club head.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the weight member comprises one of tungsten or a tungsten alloy.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the specific gravity of the weight member is greater than 10.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1, further comprising:

a metal crown portion having a center edge portion, a toe side edge portion, and a heel side edge portion, the center edge portion having almost straight shape in the toe-heel direction,

wherein a width of the metal crown portion corresponding to the toe side edge portion and the heel side edge portion in face-back direction becomes larger as a position on the metal crown portion gets farther from the center edge portion.

6. The golf club head according to claim 5, wherein a length of the metal crown portion at the center edge portion is 50%-85% of a maximum width of the metal crown portion.

7. The golf club head according to claim 5, wherein a length of the metal sole portion at the center edge portion is 55%-80% of a maximum width of the metal sole portion.

8. The golf club head according to claim 5, wherein a width of the metal crown portion at the center edge portion is 50%-95% of a maximum width of the metal crown portion.

9. The golf club head according to claim 8, wherein the width of the metal crown portion at the center edge portion is 55%-70% of the maximum width of the metal crown portion.

10. The golf club head according to claim 7, wherein a length of a front side of the metal plate is 50%-75% of the length of the metal sole portion at the center edge portion.

11. The golf club head according to claim 10, wherein the length of the front side of the metal plate is 60%-75% of the length of the metal sole portion at the center edge portion.

12. The golf club head according to claim 10, wherein a length of a rear side of the metal plate is 50%-80% of the length of the front side of the metal plate.

13. The golf club head according to claim 12, wherein the length of the rear side of the metal plate is 55%-75% of the length of the front side of the metal plate.

14. The golf club head according to claim 5, wherein a width of the metal sole portion at the center edge portion is 50%-95% of a maximum width of the metal sole portion.

15. The golf club head according to claim 14, wherein the width of the metal sole portion at the center edge portion is 50%-65% of the maximum width of the metal sole portion.

16. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a width of the metal plate in a forward/rearward direction is 65%-90% of a maximum length of the golf club head in the forward/rearward direction.

17. The golf club head according to claim 16, wherein the width of the metal plate in the forward/rearward direction is 75%-85% of the maximum length of the golf club head in the forward/rearward direction.

18. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a prepeg sheet is directly superposed on the metal plate, the prepeg sheet having a substantially trapezoidal shape.