Golf club head

• US 7,540,812 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2007
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sidel Participations (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Original Assignee: Sidel Participations (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Inventors: Yamagishi, Hisashi, Imamoto, Yasunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/837,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20070293350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473288-292
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head includes a front body formed of a 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 in a range of 4 mm to 12 mm is formed between a front side of the sole plate and the metal sole portion. This part is formed of the FRP body. Preferably, the metal material of the front body includes a titanium-based alloy or a zirconium-based amorphous alloy. The sole plate is made of stainless steel.

Claims

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

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

a metal plate that is a different member 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;

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 an almost straight shape in the toe-heel direction; and

a second member formed of a fiber reinforced resin, wherein;

the first member and the metal plate are apart from each other;

the second member joins the first member with the metal plate;

the metal plate is made of a metal material, which is larger in specific gravity than the metal material of the first member; and

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

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the metal material of the metal plate includes stainless steel.

3. The golf club head according to claim 2, wherein the metal material of the first member includes a titanium-based metal material.

4. The golf club head according to claim 2, wherein the metal material of the first member includes an amorphous metal.

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

a weight member that is fixed to the metal plate and is larger in specific gravity than the metal plate.

6. The golf club head according to claim 5, wherein the metal plate defines a cylindrical portion to which the weight member is fixed.

7. The golf club head according to claim 6, wherein the metal plate is depressed around the periphery of the cylindrical portion.

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

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.

9. The golf club head according to claim 8, wherein a length of the metal sole portion at the center edge portion is 50%-85% of a maximum width of the metal sole portion.

10. The golf club head according to claim 9, 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 a 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 9, 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 a 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 8, 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.

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

16. The golf club head according to claim 1, 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.

17. The golf club head according to claim 1, 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.

18. The golf club head according to claim 17, 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.

19. 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.

20. The golf club head according to claim 19, wherein the width of the metal plate in a forward/rearward direction is 75%-85% of a maximum length of the golf club head in the forward/rearward direction.

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

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

the volume of the golf club head is in a range of 300 cc to 500 cc; and

the weight of the golf club head is in a range of 180 g to 210 g.

23. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the second member between the first member and the metal plate recesses from the metal plate and a bottom surface of the first member.

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

the first member is formed by forging; and

the first member includes a hosel portion.

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

the first member includes a crown portion and a sole portion;

the widths of the crown portion and the sole portion of the first member on a heel side and a toe side are larger than that in a center portion thereof.

26. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the metal material of the first member includes a titanium-based metal.

27. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the metal material of the first member includes an amorphous metal.

28. The golf club head according to claim 27, wherein the amorphous metal is quasi-perfect amorphous.