Golf club heads and methods to manufacture the same

• US 7,927,229 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Serrano, Anthony D., Jertson, Marty R., Morales, Eric J., Schweigert, Bradley D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/202,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20100056298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 33324-350
• US Class Current: 473/324
• 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 53/04 Heads
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

In one embodiment, a golf club head comprises a body comprising a first material, a front end, a rear end, a bottom wall portion, a top wall portion, and a first aperture into the first material and located in a wall surface of the bottom wall portion. The golf club head also comprises a first insert comprising a second material different than the first material and located in the first aperture. The golf club head comprises a club head mass; the first insert comprises an insert mass, the club head mass comprises the insert mass; the insert mass comprises more than half of the club head mass; the first insert comprises less than half of a volume of materials of the golf club head; and the materials of the golf club head comprise the first material and the second material. Other examples and related methods are described herein.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising;

a first material;

a front end;

a rear end;

a bottom wall portion;

a top wall portion; and

a first aperture into the first material and located in a wall surface of the bottom wall portion;

and

a first insert comprising a second material different than the first material and located in the first aperture;

wherein;

the golf club head comprises a club head mass;

the first insert comprises an insert mass;

the club head mass comprises the insert mass;

the insert mass comprises more than half of the club head mass;

the first insert comprises less than half of a volume of materials of the golf club head; and

the materials of the golf club head comprise the first material and the second material.

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

the first insert is;

exposed as a portion of an exterior of the bottom wall portion; and

fully bounded within a periphery of the bottom wall portion;

and

the first insert comprises less than thirty-eight percent of the volume of the materials of the golf club head.

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

the front end comprises a front face; and

the first insert is located fully below at least one of the following;

half of a height of the front face;

forty percent of a highest point of the golf club head;

or

0.6 inch above the bottom wall portion.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising:

a center of gravity at a center of gravity height,

wherein;

the front end comprises a front face; and

the center of gravity height is located below at least one of the following;

thirty-two percent of a height of the front face;

thirty percent of a highest point of the top wall portion;

or

twenty-three percent of a highest point of the golf club head.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising:

a center of gravity,

wherein;

the front end comprises a front face;

a line drawn from the center of gravity towards and substantially perpendicular to the front face intersects the front face at an intersection point; and

the intersection point is located below at least one of the following;

fifty-nine percent of a height of the front face as measured along a loft plane of the front face;

or

fifty eight percent of a height of the front face as measured substantially perpendicularly from a lowest point of the bottom wall portion.

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

the first insert comprises a single-piece insert having a first portion with a first thickness and a second portion with a second thickness; and

the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the golf club head comprises at least one of a metal wood-type golf club or a hybrid-type golf club.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 further comprising:

a brazed joint comprising a third material and located between the body and the first insert,

wherein;

the first material comprises at least one of stainless steel, aluminum, tungsten, magnesium, or nickel alloy;

the second material comprises at least one of titanium, titanium alloy, or tungsten; and

the third metal material comprising at least one of copper or copper alloy.

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

the bottom wall comprises;

a front bottom section coupled to the front end of the body; and

a rear bottom section between the front bottom section and the rear end of the body;

the first aperture is located between the front and rear bottom sections;

and

the first insert is separated from the strike face, by the front bottom section, when located in the first aperture.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein:

the body further comprises a toe end and a heel end; and

the first insert comprises;

a center portion located towards the rear end of the body and substantially centered between the toe and heel ends of the body;

a heel arm extending from the center portion substantially towards;

the heel end of the body; and

the front bottom section;

a toe arm extending from the center portion substantially towards;

the toe end of the body; and

the front bottom section;

and

a front edge between the heel and toe arms and substantially concave relative to the front end of the body.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more top apertures located at the top wall portion; and

one or more top inserts located in the one or more top apertures and comprising a third material;

wherein the third material of the one or more top inserts is less dense than the first material of the body.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein:

the one or more top inserts comprise a single-piece top insert;

the single-piece top insert comprises;

one or more first segments comprising a first thickness; and

one or more second segments comprising a second thickness and coupled to the one or more first segments;

and

the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein:

the top wall portion comprises one or more grid segments arranged in a first grid pattern that defines the one or more top apertures;

the one or more first segments of the single-piece top insert are arranged in a second grid pattern matching the first grid pattern; and

the one or more first segments of the single-piece top insert abut the one or more grid segments of the top wall portion when the one or more top inserts are located in the one or more top apertures.

14. A golf club comprising:

a golf club head comprising;

a hollow body comprising a sole, a crown, a strike face, and a first aperture of one or more apertures, the first aperture located in a surface of the sole;

a first insert of one or more inserts, the first insert located in the first aperture; and

a brazed joint coupling together the hollow body and the first insert;

and

a shaft coupled to the golf club head,

wherein;

the one or more inserts are located in the one or more apertures;

the sole comprises;

a rear sole section bounding the first aperture; and

a front sole section coupled to the strike face and separating the first aperture from the strike face;

the first insert is separated from the strike face by the front sole section;

at least the sole of the hollow body comprises a first metal;

the first insert comprises a second metal different from the first metal;

the brazed joint comprises a third metal different from the first and second metals;

the golf club head comprises a club head mass;

the first insert comprises an insert mass;

the club head mass comprises the insert mass;

the insert mass comprises more than fifty percent of the club head mass;

a mass volume of the first insert comprises less than fifty percent of a mass volume of materials of the golf club head; and

the materials of the golf club head comprise the first metal, the second metal, and the third metal.

15. The golf club of claim 14, wherein:

the first insert comprises a single-piece insert having first portions and second portions located between the first portions;

the first portions have a first thickness; and

the second portions have a second thickness less than the first thickness.

16. The golf club of claim 14, wherein:

the first insert is located in the sole of the hollow body;

the one or more apertures comprise a second aperture;

the second aperture is located in the crown of the hollow body;

the one or more inserts comprise a second insert;

the second insert is located in the second aperture;

the first insert comprises a first insert density;

the second insert comprises a second insert density; and

the hollow body comprises a body density less than the first insert density and greater than the second insert density.

17. The golf club of claim 14, wherein

the first insert comprises less than thirty-eight percent of the volume of the materials of the golf club head.

18. The golf club of claim 14, wherein

the first insert is located below fifty percent of a height of the strike face.

19. The golf club of claim 14 wherein

the first insert is located below forty percent of a highest point of the golf club head.

20. The golf club of claim 14 wherein

the first insert is located below 0.6 inch above a lowest point of the sole.

21. A method of manufacturing a golf club head, the method comprising:

providing a body comprising;

a first material;

a front end;

a bottom wall portion;

a top wall portion; and

a first aperture into the first material and located in a wall surface of the bottom wall portion

positioning a first insert comprising a second material different than the first material in the first aperture;

and

securing the body and first insert together,

wherein;

the golf club head comprises a club head mass;

the first insert comprises an insert mass;

the club head mass comprises the insert mass;

the insert mass comprises more than half of the club head mass;

the first insert comprises less than half of a volume of materials of the golf club head; and

the materials of the golf club head comprise the first material and the second material.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein securing the body and the first insert together comprises brazing the body and the first insert together.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein securing the body and the at first insert together comprises using a third material comprising copper or copper alloy to braze the body and the first insert together.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein

providing the body comprises providing the first material comprising at least one of stainless steel, aluminum, tungsten, magnesium, or nickel alloy;

and

positioning the first insert comprises providing the second material comprising at least one of tungsten, titanium, or titanium alloy.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein:

providing the body comprises;

providing the bottom wall to comprise;

a front bottom section coupled to the front end of the body; and

a rear bottom section between the front bottom section and a rear end of the body; and

providing the first aperture bounded by a periphery of the rear bottom section of the bottom wall;

and

providing the first insert comprises;

providing the first insert separated from the strike face, by the front bottom section, when located in the first aperture.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein:

providing the first insert comprises;

providing a center portion of the first insert located towards the rear end of the body and substantially centered between toe and heel ends of the body;

providing a heel arm of the first insert extending from the center portion substantially towards the heel end of the body and the front bottom section;

providing a toe arm of the first insert extending from the center portion substantially towards the toe end of the body and the front bottom section;

and

providing a front edge of the first insert extended between the heel and toe arms and substantially concave relative to the front end of the body.