Golf club head

• US 7,591,737 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2007
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Hettinger, Ronald K., Gibbs, Evan D., Williams, Luke R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/868,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20090163293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473290-291, D21/733, D21/752, D21/759
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• 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 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• 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 53/0458 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

A golf club head (42) having a delta of the coefficient of restitution between a geometric face center of the face (72) and a location (806) 0.5 inch sole-ward from the face center that is less than 0.065. The golf club head (42) preferably has a volume ranging from 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters. The golf club head (42) preferably has a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head greater than 4000 grams-centimeters squared, and a moment of inertia about the Ixx axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head greater than 3000 grams-centimeters squared.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face wall, a crown wall, a sole wall, a heel wall, a rear wall, and a toe wall, wherein the face wall has an approximately rectangular shape and the face wall has a variable thickness;

wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters and a mass ranging from 190 grams to 250 grams;

wherein the face wall has an aspect ratio greater than 1.8 for a golf club head;

wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the Izz axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head which is greater than 4000 grams-centimeters squared;

wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution that ranges from 0.81 to 0.94, and the golf club head has a vertical standard deviation of coefficient of restitution greater than 0 and less than 0.0290.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein golf club head has a vertical standard deviation of coefficient of restitution of less than 0.0250.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 golf club head has a vertical standard deviation of coefficient of restitution of less than 0.0220.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a delta of the coefficient of restitution between a geometric face center of the face wall and a location 0.5 inch sole-ward from the face center is less than 0.050.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a delta of the coefficient of restitution between a geometric face center of the face wall and a location 0.5 inch sole-ward from the face center ranging from 0.068 to 0.040.

6. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a titanium alloy, the face component comprising a striking plate portion and a return portion, the striking plate portion having varying thickness, a rectangular shape, an aspect ratio greater than 1.8, and a face area ranging from 7.0 square inches to 9.0 square inches; and

an aft-body coupled to the return portion of the face component, the aft-body composed of a non-metal material having a density less than that of the first material, the aft-body comprising a crown portion, a sole portion, the sole portion having a bottom section and a ribbon section, the ribbon section being located between the crown portion and the bottom section of the sole portion;

wherein the golf club head has a mass ranging from 180 grams to 215 grams, a volume ranging from 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters, a moment of inertia, Izz, about the center of gravity of the golf club head greater than 4000 grams-centimeters squared; and

wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution that ranges from 0.81 to 0.94, and the golf club head has a vertical standard deviation of coefficient of restitution greater than 0 and less than 0.0290.

7. The golf club head according to claim 6 wherein the golf club head has a delta of the coefficient of restitution between a geometric face center of the face wall and a location 0.5 inch sole-ward from the face center is less than 0.065.

8. A golf club head comprising:

a body composed of a titanium alloy and having a face wall, a crown wall, a sole wall, a heel wall, an aft wall, and a toe wall, the face wall having varying thickness, a substantially rectangular shape and an aspect ratio greater than 1.8;

wherein the golf club head has a mass ranging from 180 grams to 215 grams, a volume ranging from 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters, a moment of inertia, Izz, about the center of gravity of the golf club head greater than 4000 grams-centimeters squared, and a moment of inertia, Iyy, about the center of gravity of the golf club head ranging from 2000 grams-centimeters squared to 4000 grams-centimeters squared;

wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution that ranges from 0.81 to 0.94, and the golf club head has a vertical standard deviation of coefficient of restitution greater than 0 and less than 0.0290.

9. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 8 wherein the body has a geometric center point, an aft-heel edge point and an aft-toe edge point, wherein the distance from the geometric center point to the aft-heel edge point is equal to the distance from the geometric center point to the aft-toe edge point.

10. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 8 further comprising an aft-heel curvature section between the aft wall and the heel wall, and an aft-toe curvature section between the aft wall and the toe wall.

11. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 10 wherein each of the aft-heel curvature section and the aft-toe curvature section has a curvature length ranging from 0.5 inch to 1.0 inch.

12. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 8 wherein the heel wall extends rearward from a perimeter of the front wall a distance of least 50% of the length of the heel wall at an angle of 80 degrees to 90 degrees relative to relative to a plane parallel to the farthest extent of the face.

13. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 8 wherein the heel wall extends rearward from a perimeter of the front wall a distance of least 66% of the length of the heel wall at an angle of 80 degrees to 90 degrees relative to a plane parallel to the farthest extent of the face.

14. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 8 wherein the heel wall extends rearward from a perimeter of the front wall a distance of least 75% of the length of the heel wall at an angle of 80 degrees to 90 degrees relative to a plane parallel to the farthest extent of the face.

15. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 8 wherein the heel wall extends rearward from a perimeter of the front wall a distance of least 90% of the length of the heel wall at an angle of 80 degrees to 90 degrees relative to a plane parallel to the farthest extent of the face.

16. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 8 wherein the heel wall extends rearward from a perimeter of the front wall a distance of least 95% of the length of the heel wall at an angle of 70 degrees to 90 degrees relative to a plane parallel to the farthest extent of the face.