Golf club head

• US 7,780,549 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Park, Sharon J., Stone, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): STANCZAK, MATTHEW BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US11/907,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20080108453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 473/331, 473/349
• US Class Current: 473/331
• 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 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4998 Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material

Abstract

A golf club head comprising a strike face having a heel portion, a toe portion, and an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion includes one or more score lines. At least a portion of one or more score lines include a different average surface roughness and associated surface reflectance than at least the intermediate portion. A method for producing such a club head is also provided.

Claims

1. An iron-type golf club head comprising a strike face and a sole, the strike face comprising:

a heel portion and a toe portion, wherein at least one of the heel portion and the toe portion comprises a first surface reflectance and a first average surface roughness;

an intermediate portion between the heel portion and the toe portion, the intermediate portion comprising a second surface reflectance, a second average surface roughness between about 20 μ

in and about 200 μ

in, and a matte finish; and

a plurality of score lines in the intermediate portion, at least one of the plurality of score lines comprising a bottom wall and no paint filler material, wherein the bottom wall, in its entirety, has a third surface reflectance greater than the second surface reflectance, a third average surface roughness less than the second average surface roughness, and a shiny appearance, the third average surface roughness being between about 5 μ

in and about 30 μ

in.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third surface reflectances are different.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the second average surface roughness is between about 40 μ

in and about 200 μ

in.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the shiny appearance is a mirror finish.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the shiny appearance of the bottom wall is due at least in part to protecting the at least one of the plurality of score lines with a masking material before applying the matte finish to the intermediate portion.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the golf club head is formed from a metallic material; and

the bottom wall comprises a nickel undercoating applied to the metallic material.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the bottom wall comprises a chromium outer coating applied to the nickel undercoating.

8. An iron-type golf club head comprising a strike face and a sole, the strike face comprising:

a heel portion and a toe portion wherein at least one of the heel portion and the toe portion comprises a first average surface roughness;

an intermediate portion between the heel portion and the toe portion, the intermediate portion comprising a second average surface roughness between about 20 μ

in and about 200 μ

in and a matte finish; and

a plurality of score lines in the intermediate portion, at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of score lines comprising a third average surface roughness between about 5 μ

in and about 30 μ

in and a mirror finish, the third average surface roughness being less than the second average surface roughness.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein substantially the entirety of each of the plurality of scorelines comprises the third average surface roughness, and the first and third average surface roughnesses are at least substantially the same.

10. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the first average surface roughness, the second average surface roughness, and the third average surface roughness are different.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the first average surface roughness is between about 5 μ

in and about 120 μ

in.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the second average surface roughness is between about 20 μ

in and about 200 μ

in.

13. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the mirror finish of the portion of the at least one of the plurality of score lines is due at least in part to protecting the portion of the at least one of the plurality of score lines with a masking material before applying the matte finish to the intermediate portion.

14. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein:

the golf club head is formed from a metallic material; and

the portion of the at least one of the plurality of score lines comprises a nickel undercoating applied to the metallic material.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the portion of the at least one of the plurality of score lines comprises a chromium outer coating applied to the nickel undercoating.

16. An iron-type golf club comprising a head and a shaft attached thereto, the head comprising a strike face, a sole, and a hosel, the strike face comprising:

a heel portion and a toe portion, at least one of the heel portion and the toe portion comprising a first average surface roughness;

an intermediate portion between the heel portion and the toe portion, the intermediate portion comprising a matte finish and a second average surface roughness between about 20 μ

in and about 200 μ

in; and

a plurality of score lines in the intermediate portion, at least one of the plurality of score lines comprising a bottom wall and no paint filler material, wherein the bottom wall, in its entirety, has a shiny appearance and a third average surface roughness between about 5 μ

in and about 30 μ

in, the third average surface roughness being less than the second average surface roughness.

17. An iron-type golf club comprising a head and a shaft attached thereto, the head comprising a strike face, a sole, and a hosel, the strike face comprising:

a heel portion and a toe portion, at least one of the heel portion and the toe portion comprising a first average surface roughness;

an intermediate portion between the heel portion and the toe portion, the intermediate portion comprising a matte finish and a second average surface roughness between about 20 μ

in and about 200 μ

in; and

a plurality of score lines in the intermediate portion, at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of score lines comprising a mirror finish and a third average surface roughness between about 5 μ

in and about 30 μ

in, the third average surface roughness being less than the second average surface roughness.