Golf club head

• US 8,057,322 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2008
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Wallans, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/344,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20090131198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 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 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 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• 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 may include a strike face, a rear wall behind the strike face, and a perimeter-weighting element at least partially surrounding the rear wall. The club head may further include a preload spacer associated with the rear wall and a resilient component associated with the perimeter-weighting element. The preload spacer engages the resilient component to provide positive reinforcement of the coupling between the resilient component and the perimeter-weighting element.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a strike face;

a rear wall behind the strike face;

a perimeter-weighting element at least partially surrounding the rear wall;

a resilient component associated with the perimeter-weighting element, the resilient component comprising a projection; and

a preload spacer associated with the rear wall, a portion of the preload spacer engaging the projection, at least a portion of the resilient component compressed between the preload spacer and the perimeter-weighting element.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the resilient component comprises a durometer hardness of less than about 100 Shore A.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the density of at least a portion of the preload spacer is greater than the density of the resilient component.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the resilient component comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, the projection disposed on the top surface.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the preload spacer is a constrained-layer damper.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the preload spacer further includes a flange engaging the projection.