Golf club head

• US 7,699,719 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/514,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20070099727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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 53/0437 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 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club head comprises: a hollow main body provided with an upper opening located in a crown portion of the head; and a crown plate fitted in the upper opening and having a specific gravity less than that of the main body, wherein the main body is provided around the upper opening with a crown plate support supporting a peripheral edge part of the inner surface of the crown plate. The crown plate support has a width of not more than 5 mm. The minimum distance between the upper edge of the club face and the crown plate in the back-and-forth direction of the head is not less than 10 mm. The thickness of the crown plate is not more than 0.7 mm.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow main body provided with an upper opening located in a crown portion of the head, and

a crown plate fitted in the upper opening and having a specific gravity less than that of the main body,

the main body provided around the upper opening with a crown plate support supporting a peripheral edge part of the inner surface of the crown plate, wherein

the crown plate support has a width of not more than 5 mm, and

the minimum distance between the upper edge of the club face and the crown plate in the back-and-forth direction of the head is not less than 10 mm, wherein

the upper opening is provided within the crown portion so as to form an annular peripheral part of the crown portion,

the shapes of the upper opening and crown plate are heart-shaped or V-shaped, and

the width of a front part of said annular peripheral part defined as extending along a front edge of the upper opening is gradually increased towards its center in the heel-and-toe direction of the head from the toe and heel of the head.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the crown plate is made of a metal material having a thickness of not more than 0.7 mm.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the crown plate is a rolled metal material.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the crown plate is a rolled metal material extended in a certain direction, and the angle between the extended direction and the back-and-forth direction of the head is not more than 20 degrees.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the hollow main body is provided with a front opening in a face portion of the head, and

a face plate having a specific gravity less than that of the hollow main body is fitted in the front opening.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion and a groove engaging with each other are provided on the outer surface of the crown plate support and the inner surface of the crown plate, whereby the crown plate is prevent from slipping off the crown plate support.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the edge of the crown plate is locked between the crown plate support and a protrusion which is provided on a peripheral part of the crown portion around the opening and thrust into the crown plate support.

8. A golf club head which comprises:

a hollow main body provided with an upper opening located in a crown portion of the head, and

a crown plate fitted in the upper opening and having a specific gravity less than that of the main body,

the main body provided around the upper opening with a crown plate support supporting a peripheral edge part of the inner surface of the crown plate, wherein

the crown plate support has a width of not more than 5 mm, and

the thickness of the crown plate is not more than 0.7 mm, wherein

the upper opening is provided within the crown portion so as to form an annular peripheral part of the crown portion,

the shapes of the upper opening and crown plate are heart-shaped or V-shaped, and

the width of a front part of said annular peripheral part defined as extending along a front edge of the upper opening is gradually increased towards its center in the heel-and-toe direction of the head from the toe and heel of the head.

9. The golf club head according to claim 8, wherein the crown plate is made of a metal material having a thickness of not more than 0.7 mm.

10. The golf club head according to claim 8, wherein the crown plate is a rolled metal material.

11. The golf club head according to claim 8, wherein the crown plate is a rolled metal material extended in a certain direction, and the angle between the extended direction and the back-and-forth direction of the head is not more than 20 degrees.

12. The golf club head according to claim 8, wherein the hollow main body is provided with a front opening in a face portion of the head, and

a face plate having a specific gravity less than that of the hollow main body is fitted in the front opening.

13. The golf club head according to claim 8, wherein a protrusion and a groove engaging with each other are provided on the outer surface of the crown plate support and the inner surface of the crown plate, whereby the crown plate is prevent from slipping off the crown plate support.

14. The golf club head according to claim 8, wherein the edge of the crown plate is locked between the crown plate support and a protrusion which is provided on a peripheral part of the crown portion around the opening and thrust into the crown plate support.

15. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow main body provided with an upper opening located in a crown portion of the head, and

a crown plate fitted in the upper opening and having a specific gravity less than that of the main body,

the main body provided around the upper opening with a crown plate support supporting a peripheral edge part of the inner surface of the crown plate, wherein

the crown plate support has a width of not more than 5 mm,

the minimum distance between the upper edge of the club face and the crown plate in the back-and-forth direction of the head is not less than 10 mm, and

the thickness of the crown plate is not more than 0.7 mm, wherein

the upper opening is provided within the crown portion so as to form an annular peripheral part of the crown portion,

the shapes of the upper opening and crown plate are heart-shaped or V-shaped, and

the width of a front part of said annular peripheral part defined as extending along a front edge of the upper opening is gradually increased towards its center in the heel-and-toe direction of the head from the toe and heel of the head.

16. The golf club head according to claim 15, wherein the crown plate is made of a metal material having a thickness of not more than 0.7 mm.

17. The golf club head according to claim 15, wherein the crown plate is a rolled metal material.

18. The golf club head according to claim 15, wherein the crown plate is a rolled metal material extended in a certain direction, and the angle between the extended direction and the back-and-forth direction of the head is not more than 20 degrees.

19. The golf club head according to claim 15, wherein the hollow main body is provided with a front opening in a face portion of the head, and

a face plate having a specific gravity less than that of the hollow main body is fitted in the front opening.

20. The golf club head according to claim 15, wherein a protrusion and a groove engaging with each other are provided on the outer surface of the crown plate support and the inner surface of the crown plate, whereby the crown plate is prevent from slipping off the crown plate support.

21. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow main body provided with an upper opening located in a crown portion of the head, and

a crown plate fitted in the upper opening and having a specific gravity less than that of the main body,

the main body provided around the upper opening with a crown plate support supporting a peripheral edge part of the inner surface of the crown plate, wherein

the crown plate support has a width of not more than 5 mm, and

the minimum distance between the upper edge of the club face and the crown plate in the back-and-forth direction of the head is not less than 10 mm, wherein

the upper opening is provided within the crown portion so as to form an annular peripheral part of the crown portion,

the shapes of the upper opening and crown plate are arrow-shaped, pointing backward of the head, and

the width of a front part of said annular peripheral part defined as extending along a front edge of the upper opening is increased as a step from its center in the heel-and-toe direction of the head towards the toe and heel of the head so that the front part has a substantially constant smaller width in said center and a substantially constant larger width on the toe side and heel side of said center.