Golf club head

• US 8,192,304 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Rae, John J., Radcliffe, Nathaniel J., Horacek, Robert J., Schaeffer, Kevin, Lacey, Sam G., Brunski, Jeff D.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US11/808,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20080051215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/44 Raman spectrometry; Scattering spectrometry ; Fluorescence spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/10 Streamlined, light-weight or high-speed protocols, e.g. express transfer protocol [XTP] or byte stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol

Abstract

An exemplary golf club head having additional discretionary mass may be realized by utilizing light-weight materials, an favorable average crown height, and/or articulation points. By using a preferred break length, the additional discretionary mass may be placed low and deep in the club head to improve the location of the center of gravity as well as the inertial properties. In one example, the center of gravity may be positioned to substantially align the sweet spot with the face center of the club head.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a cup-face portion comprising a center apex and a top edge, the cup-face portion comprising a metallic material;

a body portion comprising a metallic material and including a sole portion and an intermediate portion;

a hosel having a hosel centerline, wherein the club head is oriented relative to an imaginary horizontal ground plane so that the hosel centerline is in a first imaginary vertical plane generally parallel to the top edge of the cup-face portion, the hosel centerline oriented at an angle of 60°

relative to the imaginary horizontal ground plane;

a peripheral attachment zone between the cup-face portion and the body portion, the peripheral attachment zone comprising a perimetric length, and at least two discrete welds comprising between about 1% and about 40% of the perimetric length;

a peripheral edge forming a perimetric boundary of the golf club head in a top plan view; and

a second imaginary vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the strike face, the second imaginary vertical plane containing a path that originates at the top edge of the cup-face portion and terminates at the peripheral edge of the golf club head, the path characterized by an intersection between the second imaginary vertical plane and the top portion of the club head, the path comprising at least two articulation points.

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

imaginary vertical segments between the path and the imaginary horizontal ground plane, wherein the imaginary vertical segments are evenly spaced along the path, in its entirety, in horizontal increments of 1 cm, the imaginary vertical segments averaging between about 35 mm and about 45 mm in length.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the imaginary vertical segments average between about 36 mm and about 41 mm in length.

4. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the imaginary vertical segments average between about 37 mm and about 40 mm in length.

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

a total mass between about 150 g and about 250 g; and

at least one non-metallic portion comprising at least about 8% of the total mass.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a primary high-low moment of inertial of at least about 2500 g·

cm².

7. The golf club head of claim 6, further comprising a primary heel-toe moment of inertia of at least about 3500 g·

cm².

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the primary heel-toe moment of inertia is at least about 4000 g·

cm².

9. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a first resonant frequency of vibration between about 2000 Hz and about 7500 Hz.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a first resonant frequency of vibration between about 2600 Hz and about 6000 Hz.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a first resonant frequency of vibration between about 3200 Hz and about 5000 Hz.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the strike surface includes a sweet spot and a face center, the sweet spot being substantially coincident with the face center.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising an overall length greater than 75 mm.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising an overall width greater than 75 mm.

15. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a face height between about 45 mm and about 58 mm.

16. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least two discrete welds comprise between about 1% and about 20% of the perimetric length.

17. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least two discrete welds comprise between about 1% and about 30% of the perimetric length.

18. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the cup-face portion and the intermediate portion are composed of different materials.