Golf club head

• US 7,686,707 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsunaga, Hideo, Shimazaki, Hideo, Ban, Wataru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter; Alvin A
• Application Number:
  US11/434,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20070129160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/332
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• 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 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

This invention provides a hollow golf club head having a first viscoelastic body made of a first viscoelastic material and a second viscoelastic body made of a second viscoelastic material with a loss coefficient the temperature dependence of which is different from that of a loss coefficient of the first viscoelastic material.

Claims

1. A hollow golf club head comprising:

a first recess portion formed in a portion of said head;

a second recess portion formed in another portion of said head;

a first viscoelastic body made of a first viscoelastic material, said first viscoelastic body fixed in said first recess portion;

a second viscoelastic body made of a second viscoelastic material, said second viscoelastic body fixed in said second recess portion;

a first cover member provided with said first recess portion and covering the whole first viscoelastic body; and

a second cover member provided with said second recess portion and covering the whole second viscoelastic body,

wherein said first viscoelastic material has a peak value temperature of the loss coefficient which is less than −

30°

C. and said second viscoelastic material has a peak value temperature of the loss coefficient which is not less than −

30°

C.,

wherein said first viscoelastic material comprises one of a butyl bromide composition, an acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, silicone rubber and styrene-based rubber, and said second viscoelastic material comprises one of a butyl bromide composition, an acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, silicone rubber and styrene-based rubber, and

wherein said first recess portion is formed in a sole portion of said head, and said second recess portion is formed in a side portion of said head.

2. The head according to claim 1, wherein a peak value of the loss coefficient of the first viscoelastic material and a peak value of the loss coefficient of the second viscoelastic material are both not less than 0.3.

3. The head according to claim 1, further comprising a fixing portion provided to a circumferential wall of the golf club head for fixing said first viscoelastic body and said second viscoelastic body in a stacked manner.

4. The head according to claim 1, wherein said head comprises any one of a wood type golf club head and utility type golf club head.

5. A hollow golf club head comprising:

a first recess portion formed in a portion of said head;

a second recess portion formed in another portion of said head;

a first viscoelastic body made of a first viscoelastic material, said first viscoelastic body fixed in said first recess portion;

a second viscoelastic body made of a second viscoelastic material, said second viscoelastic body fixed in said second recess portion;

a first cover member provided with said first recess portion and covering the whole first viscoelastic body; and

a second cover member provided with said second recess portion and covering the whole second viscoelastic body,

wherein said first viscoelastic material has a peak value temperature of the loss coefficient which is less than −

30°

C. and said second viscoelastic material has a peak value temperature of the loss coefficient which is not less than −

30°

C.,

wherein said first viscoelastic material comprises a butyl bromide composition and said second viscoelastic material comprises a butyl bromide composition, and

wherein said first recess portion is formed in a sole portion of said head, and said second recess portion is formed in a side portion of said head.