Golf clubs and golf club heads

• US 7,775,903 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Kelly, Michael F., Kodama, Hitoshi, Takano, Tsuneo, Kawaguchi, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/773,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20070287555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 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 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1043 Subsequent to assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49947 by applying separate fastener

Abstract

A golf club head enables the initial velocity of a ball to be increased and enables the carry to be lengthened. In some example structures, the golf club includes a face plate formed from metal and club head body (e.g. a crown and sole) formed from fiber reinforced plastic. A weighted body is provided inside the rearmost portion of the golf club head and a low rigidity portion whose width becomes gradually narrower as it approaches the rearmost portion is provided in the crown extending from the vicinity of the face plate to the rearmost portion.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a face plate formed from metal;

a crown formed from fiber reinforced plastic attached to the face plate, wherein the crown includes a means for transmitting a deformation wave including a low rigidity portion extending from a vicinity of the face plate toward a rearmost portion of the golf club head, wherein the low rigidity portion has a width that becomes gradually narrower as it extends toward the rearmost portion;

a sole formed from fiber reinforced plastic attached to the face plate and the crown; and

a weighted member provided inside a space defined by the crown, the sole, and the face plate, wherein the weighted member is provided at the rearmost portion of the golf club head;

wherein the means for transmitting a deformation wave is constructed and arranged to transmit a deformation wave generated in the crown when the golf club strikes a ball along the low rigidity portion to the weighted member and back toward the face plate from the weighted member along the low rigidity portion.

2. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a Young'"'"'s modulus of the fiber reinforced plastic forming the crown is 10 to 100 GPa.

3. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the crown is in a range from 0.4 to 2 mm.

4. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a mass of the weighted member is in a range from 10 to 50 grams.

5. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the crown includes a first layer of fiber reinforced plastic having the fibers aligned in a first direction and a second layer of fiber reinforced plastic having the fibers aligned in a second direction that is different from the first direction.

6. A golf club head according to claim 5, wherein the first direction is substantially orthogonal to the second direction.

7. A golf club head according to claim 6, wherein the first direction is at an angle of approximately 0°

with respect to a hitting surface of the face plate and the second direction is at an angle of approximately 90°

with respect to the hitting surface.

8. A golf club head according to claim 6, wherein the first direction is at an angle of approximately +45°

with respect to a hitting surface of the face plate and the second direction is at an angle of approximately −

45°

with respect to the hitting surface.

9. A golf club, comprising:

a golf club head according to claim 1; and

a shaft attached to the golf club head.

10. A golf club according to claim 9, further comprising:

a grip attached to the shaft.

11. A golf club head, comprising:

a face plate;

a club head body attached to the face plate; and

a weighted reflecting member positioned at or near a rearmost portion of the club head body; and

a means for transmitting a deformation wave that includes a low rigidity portion defined in the club head body, wherein the means for transmitting a deformation wave is constructed and arranged to transmit at least a portion of the energy contained in a deformation wave generated when a ball is struck by the golf club head away from the face plate to the weighted reflecting member along the low rigidity portion and back to the face plate from the weighted reflecting member along the low rigidity portion.

12. A golf club head according to claim 11, wherein the deformation wave transmitting system extends from a vicinity of the face plate toward a rearmost portion of the golf club head, wherein the deformation wave transmitting system has a width that becomes gradually narrower as it extends toward the rearmost portion and wherein the deformation wave transmitting system is provided on a convex portion of the club head body so as to protrude from a main surface of the club head body.

13. A golf club head according to claim 11, wherein the reflecting member is located at least partially within the club head body.

14. A golf club head according to claim 11, wherein at least a crown of the club head body includes a first layer of fiber reinforced plastic having the fibers aligned in a first direction and a second layer of fiber reinforced plastic having the fibers aligned in a second direction that is different from the first direction.

15. A golf club head according to claim 14, wherein the first direction is substantially orthogonal to the second direction.

16. A golf club head according to claim 15, wherein the first direction is at an angle of approximately 0°

with respect to a hitting surface of the face plate and the second direction is at an angle of approximately 90°

with respect to the hitting surface.

17. A golf club head according to claim 15, wherein the first direction is at an angle of approximately +45°

with respect to a hitting surface of the face plate and the second direction is at an angle of approximately −

45°

with respect to the hitting surface.

18. A golf club, comprising:

a golf club head according to claim 11; and

a shaft attached to the golf club head.

19. A golf club according to claim 18, further comprising:

a grip attached to the shaft.