Golf club head with variable face thickness

• US 7,713,140 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2008
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Gibbs, Evan D., Galloway, J. Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/268,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20090069112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/329
• 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 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• 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 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing

Abstract

A face or face insert (40) for a golf club head (20) is disclosed herein. The face (40) has an interior surface (40a) with a first thickness section (200) and a second thickness region (205). The first thickness section (200) preferably has a thickness that is at least 0.025 inch greater than the thickness of the second thickness region (205). In a most preferred embodiment, the first thickness section (205) has a X shape. The face or face insert (40) with variable thickness allows for a face or face insert (40) with less mass in a golf club head (20) that conforms to the United States Golf Association regulations.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a crown, a sole and a front wall having an opening, the body having a toe end and a heel end, the body also having a hosel located at a heel end of the body;

a face insert positioned in the opening of the front wall, the face insert comprising a perimeter section, a heel vertical section, a toe-vertical section and a central horizontal section connected to each of the heel vertical section and toe vertical section, the face also comprising an upper central region, a lower central region, a heel region and a toe region, wherein the each of the perimeter section, the heel vertical section, the toe-vertical section and the central horizontal section has a first thickness and each of the upper central region, the lower central region, the heel region and the toe region has a second thickness, and the first thickness is greater than the second thickness by at least 0.025 inch, the face insert composed of a metal material;

wherein the golf club head has a characteristic time less than 257 microseconds according to the USGA test for characteristic time.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the face insert further comprises a transition section which transitions from the first thickness to the second thickness.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness by at least 0.050 inch.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein each of the perimeter section, the heel vertical section, the toe-vertical section and the central horizontal section has a thickness ranging from 0.100 inch to 0.200 inch, and each of the upper central region, the lower central region, the heel region and the toe region has a thickness ranging from 0.030 inch to 0.090 inch.

5. The golf club head according to claim 4 wherein each of the heel-vertical section and the toe vertical section extends from a bottom of the insert to a top of the insert.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein each of the perimeter section, the heel vertical section, the toe-vertical section and the central horizontal section has a thickness ranging from 0.125 inch to 0.165 inch, and each of the upper central region, the lower central region, the heel region and the toe region has a thickness ranging from 0.050 inch to 0.070 inch.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the heel-vertical section, the toe vertical section and the central horizontal section form an X shape.