Strike face insert

• US 7,794,333 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Wallans, Michael J., Blumenkrantz, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/071,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20080207351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473/238, 473/242
• US Class Current: 473/331
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• 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: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A golf club head, according to one or more aspects of the present invention, comprises a metallic striking wall having a striking surface and at least one through score-line opening. At least one complementary component may be disposed rearward of the striking surface such that at least a part of the at least one complementary component extends into only a part of the at least one through score-line opening.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a metallic striking wall comprising a striking surface and at least one elongated through score-line opening extending across a majority of the striking surface and including side walls formed in the metallic striking wall; and

at least one complementary component disposed rearward of the striking surface and having an anterior surface recessed in its entirety from the striking surface, at least a part of the at least one complementary component extending into only a part of the at least one through score-line opening, at least a portion of the side walls of the at least one through score-line opening and at least a portion of the anterior surface of the at least one complementary component being visually exposed and delimiting a face groove.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the striking wall is between about 0.6 mm and about 10 mm.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the thickness of the striking wall is between about 1 mm and about 5 mm.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the thickness of the striking wall is between about 1 mm and about 3 mm.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the complementary component comprises a non-metallic material.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 further comprising a top-line wall including at least one through aperture, at least a part of the at least one complementary component extending into at least a part of the at least one through aperture.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the metallic striking wall has at least one through cavity, at least a part of the at least one complementary component extending into at least a part of the at least one through cavity.

8. A golf club head comprising:

a metallic striking wall comprising a striking surface and at least one elongated through score-line opening extending across a majority of the striking surface and including side walls formed in the metallic striking wall;

at least one complementary component disposed rearward of the striking surface in only a part of the at least one through score-line opening and having an anterior surface recessed in its entirety from the striking surface, at least a portion of the side walls of the at least one score line opening and the anterior surface of the at least one complementary component being visually exposed and delimiting a face groove; and

an aft portion disposed rearward of the striking wall.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the striking wall comprises a thickness between about 0.6 mm and about 10 mm.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the thickness of the striking wall is between about 1 mm and about 5 mm.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the thickness of the striking wall is between about 1 mm and about 3 mm.

12. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the complementary component comprises a non-metallic material.

13. The golf club of claim 8 further comprising at least one through cavity in the metallic striking wall, at least a part of the at least one complementary component extending into at least a part of the at least one through cavity.

14. A golf club head comprising:

a metallic striking-wall insert comprising a striking surface and at least one elongated through score-line opening extending across a majority of the striking surface and including side walls formed in the metallic striking-wall insert; and

at least one complementary component disposed rearward of the striking surface and having an anterior surface recessed in its entirety from the striking surface, at least a part of the at least one complementary component extending into only a part of the at least one through score-line opening, at least a portion of the side walls of the at least one through score-line opening and the anterior surface of the at least one complementary component being visually exposed and delimiting a face groove.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the striking-wall insert comprises a thickness between about 0.6 mm and about 10 mm.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the thickness of the striking-wall insert is between about 1 mm and about 5 mm.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the thickness of the striking-wall insert is between about 1 mm and about 3 mm.

18. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the at least one complementary component comprises a non-metallic material.

19. A golf club head comprising:

a metallic striking wall comprising a striking surface and at least one elongated through score-line opening extending across a majority of the striking surface and including side walls formed in the metallic striking wall; and

at least one complementary component comprising an anterior surface recessed in its entirety from the striking face and an alignment feature disposed thereon, the alignment feature being perceivable through the at least one through score-line opening, the side walls of the at least one through score-line opening in their entireties and the anterior surface of the at least one complementary component being visually exposed and delimiting a face groove.

20. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein the at least one complementary component comprises a non-metallic material.

21. The golf club head of claim 19 further comprising an aft portion coupled to the at least one complementary component.