Golf club heads with a plurality of stress zones and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 7,892,111 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Jertson, Marty R., Morales, Eric J., Serrano, Anthony D.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US11/772,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20080153625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 473345-346, 473/348
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-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 60/54 with means for damping vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads with a plurality stress zones and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a toe end, a heel end, a front end, a back end, a face portion, a top wall portion, and a bottom wall portion,

a first stress zone including one or more thin portions relatively thinner than other portions and extending between the back end and a bell-shaped curve associated with a stress load threshold, the bell-shaped curve extending between the toe portion and the heel portion,

a second stress zone extending between the front end and the bell-shaped curve,

wherein the first stress zone is associated with a stress load less than or equal to the stress load threshold in response to impact on the face portion,

wherein the second stress zone is associated with a stress load greater than the stress load threshold in response to impact on the face portion,

wherein the bell-shaped curve extends a variable distance from a loft plane substantially parallel to the face portion between a first point associated with the toe end and a second point associated with the heel end and the bell-shaped curve extends a maximum distance from the loft plane at or proximate to a midpoint between the first and second points, and

wherein at least one of the first and second points extends 0.75 inches from the loft plane, and the midpoint extends 1.3 inches from the loft plane.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more thin portions is located on the top wall portion.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a third zone having a lower bound and an upper bound, wherein the lower bound comprises the bell-shaped curve and wherein the upper bound extends between the toe end and the heel end and is located between the back end and the lower bound.

4. The club head of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more thin portions comprises a thin portion associated with an annular-like shape.

5. The club head of claim 1, wherein the one or more thin portions comprises at least four thin portions.