Composite metal wood club

• US 7,850,541 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2009
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Rice, Scott A., Meyer, Jeffrey W., Poynor, Raymond L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/469,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20090227389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473/314
• US Class Current: 473/314
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• 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 53/0408 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 53/045 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 53/08 with special arrangements for obtaining a variable impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/014 Resonance or resonant frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02854 Length, thickness
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/045 by imparting shocks to the workpiece and detecting the vibrations or the acoustic waves caused by the shocks measuring resonant frequency G01H13/00; measuring strength properties by application of mechanical stress G01N3/00

Abstract

A metal wood golf club head adapted for attachment to a shaft, comprising of a body portion and a crown portion, each portion constructed of a different density material. Combining a high-density material in the body portion, with a low-density material in the crown portion, creates an ultra-low center of gravity relative to the geometric face center, resulting in higher launch angles and spin rate ratios. The material for the crown portion is preferably a composite. A vibration dampening gasket is disposed between the ledge and lip sections of the body and crown respectively.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a face portion including an inner zone and an intermediate zone surrounding said inner zone, said inner zone having a relatively high flexural stiffness compared to said intermediate zone; and

a body portion connected to said face portion,

wherein said inner zone has a generally elliptical shape with a major axis and a minor axis wherein said major axis aligns substantially in a direction of high heel to low toe,

wherein said face portion contains a sweet zone encompassing said inner zone and said intermediate zone, and

wherein no point within said sweet zone may have a COR that is 93% less than a maximum COR.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said sweet zone encompasses only said inner zone and said intermediate zone.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein said intermediate zone is concentric with said inner zone.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein said inner zone and said intermediate zone creates a gradient of flexural stiffness in said direction of high toe to low heel.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein said inner zone contains a geometric center that approximately coincides with a geometric center of said face portion.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein said high flexural stiffness of said inner zone is greater than approximately twice said flexural stiffness of said intermediate zone.

7. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein said sweet zone encompassing said inner zone and said intermediate zone encompasses approximately 15% to approximately 60% of said face portion.

8. The golf club head of claim 4, further comprising a shaft having a shaft axis concentric said shaft, wherein said inner zone and said intermediate zone are non-circular, and wherein said minor axis is oriented orthogonal to said major axis such that said major axis forms an angle of between 10 degrees and 60 degrees with said shaft axis.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein said angle is between 20 degrees and 50 degrees.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein said angle is between 25 degrees and 45 degrees.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a face portion including an inner zone and an intermediate zone surrounding said inner zone, said inner zone having a relatively high flexural stiffness such that a measurement zone, defined by a perimeter of said intermediate zone with a geometric center that coincides with a geometric center of said face portion, has a lowest COR that is at least 93 percent of maximum COR;

a body portion formed of a material having a first density;

a crown portion formed of a second material having a second density that is less than said first density, such that said club head has a center of gravity that is located below a horizontal plane containing said geometric center of said face portion; and

a dampening layer juxtaposed between said body portion and said crown portion for acoustical attenuation between a frequencies of 3800 Hz and 10,000 Hz.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein no point within said measurement zone may have a COR that is 93% less than a maximum COR.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein said inner zone has a generally elliptical shape, with a major axis that aligns substantially in a direction of high heel to low toe.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein said inner zone and said intermediate zone encompasses approximately 15% to approximately 60% of said face portion.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, further comprising a shaft having a shaft axis concentric said shaft, wherein said inner zone and said intermediate zone are non-circular containing a major axis and a minor axis, and wherein said minor axis is oriented orthogonal to said major axis such that said major axis forms an angle of between 10 degrees ad 60 degrees with said shaft axis.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein said angle is between 20 degrees and 50 degrees.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein said angle is between 25 degrees and 45 degrees.

18. A golf club head comprising:

a face portion including an inner zone and an intermediate zone surrounding said inner zone, said inner zone having a relatively high flexural stiffness compared to said intermediate zone;

a body portion connected to said face portion, and

a shaft having a shaft axis concentric said shaft;

wherein said face portion contains a sweet zone encompassing said inner zone and said intermediate zone,

wherein said sweet zone encompasses approximately 15% to approximately 60% of said face portion,

wherein no point within said sweet zone may have a COR that is 93% less than a maximum COR

wherein said inner zone and said intermediate zone are non-circular, and wherein said minor axis is oriented orthogonal to said major axis such that said major axis forms an angle of between 10 degrees and 60 degrees with said shaft axis.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein said body portion further comprises:

a crown portion formed of a second material having a second density that is less than said first density, such that said club head has a center of located below a horizontal plane containing a geometric center of said face portion; and

a dampening layer juxtaposed between said body portion and said crown portion for acoustical attenuation between a frequencies of 3800 Hz and 10,000 Hz.

20. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein said inner zone contains a geometric center that approximately coincides with said geometric center of said face portion.