Iron golf club head

• US 8,012,040 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Takechi, Takaharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/370,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20090325729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• 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 53/0458 with non-uniform 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 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club head (1) comprises a head main body (10) having a concave portion (11) formed in the face side and a face plate (20) fixed to the head main body (10). The face plate (20) is mounted on the head main body (10) such that a concave step portion (21) engages with a convex step portion (16a) of the head main body (10), and the upper edge portion, lower edge portion, and toe-side edge portion of the face plate (20) abut against edge portions (13), (14), and (15) of the head main body, respectively. The face plate (20) is laser-welded along its perimeter and fixed to the head main body (10).

Claims

1. An iron golf club head comprising

a head main body having a concave portion formed in a face side, and

a face plate having a flat rear surface and fixed to said head main body, the flat rear surface in an upper edge portion, a lower edge portion, and a toe-side edge portion of said face plate being fixed to a front surface of a periphery portion of said head main body, wherein:

a concave step portion is provided on a rear surface side of a heel-side edge portion of said face plate;

said concave step portion engages with and is fixed to a convex step portion provided in a heel-side end edge facing said concave portion of said head main body; and

said concave step portion and said convex step portion extend from an upper end to lower end of a face portion.

2. The head according to claim 1, wherein widths W of an upper edge portion, a lower edge portion, and a toe-side edge portion of said head main body are 1 mm to 4 mm.

3. The head according to claim 1, wherein a hollow portion communicating with said concave portion is provided on the heel side closer than said concave portion of said head main body.

4. The head according to claim 1, wherein a width of a lower edge portion of said head main body>

a width of an upper edge portion of said main body>

a width of a toe-side edge portion of said main body.

5. The head according to claim 1, wherein the head main body further comprises a hollow bulge portion extending from a lower half of a rear surface of the head main body in a direction opposite the face plate.

6. The head according to claim 5, wherein a wall thickness of the hollow bulge portion is greater than a wall thickness of an upper half of the rear surface of the head main body.

7. The head according to claim 1, wherein said head main body includes a sole portion of the head, and

a wall thickness of a rear side portion of the sole portion is greater than a wall thickness of a face side portion of the sole portion.

8. The head according to claim 7, wherein the wall thickness of the rear side portion of the sole portion is greater than widths of a lower edge portion, an upper edge portion and a toe-side edge portion of said main body.

9. The head according to claim 1, wherein the head main body is made of a first metal material, and the face plate is made of a second metal material whose tensile strength is higher than a tensile strength of the first metal material.

10. An iron golf club head comprising

a head main body having a concave portion formed in a face side, and

a face plate fixed to said head main body,

wherein a rear surface of said face plate comprises a central portion and a flat portion surrounding the center portion,

said flat portion is fixed to a front surface of a periphery portion of said head main body,

a concave step portion is provided on a rear surface side of a heel-side edge portion of said face plate,

said concave step portion engages with and is fixed to a convex step portion provided in a heel-side end edge facing said concave portion of said head main body, and

said concave step portion and said convex step portion extend from an upper end to a lower end of a face portion.

11. The head according to claim 10, wherein the face plate has a first thickness in the flat portion and a second thickness thicker than the first thickness in the central portion.