Striking face of a golf club head

• US 8,272,975 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morin, John, DeLaCruz, Noah, Harvell, Christopher D., Bennett, Thomas Orrin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Alvin
• Application Number:
  US12/972,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20120157227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/342
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head with improved striking face performance is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention discloses a golf club head having a thickened central region surrounded by an internal and an external transition region; wherein the thickened central region has an inner perimeter that takes on a shape that substantially resembles the shape of an outer perimeter of the striking face of the golf club head.

Claims

1. A golf club head having a crown, a sole, and a skirt comprising:

a striking face portion located at a frontal portion of said golf club head adapted to strike a golf ball, said striking face portion having a face perimeter; and

a body portion connected to an aft portion of said striking face portion;

wherein said striking face portion further comprises;

a thickened central region having a central perimeter, and

a transition region having a transition perimeter,

wherein said central perimeter has a geometric shape that is substantially similar to a geometric shape of said face perimeter; and

wherein said transition region is thicker at said crown portion of said striking face than it is at said sole portion of said striking face;

creating a catenary curve near an upper portion of said striking face.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said central perimeter has a geometric shape that is identical to said geometric shape of said face perimeter.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a ratio of a total length of said central perimeter divided by a total length of said face perimeter is greater than about 0.23 and less than about 0.32.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein said ratio of said total length of said central perimeter divided by said total length of said face perimeter is greater than about 0.26 and less than about 0.28.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein said ratio of said total length of said central perimeter divided by said total length of said face perimeter is about 0.27.

6. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein said total length of said central perimeter is greater than about 65 mm and less than about 80 mm.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein said total length of said central perimeter is greater than about 70 mm and less than about 75 mm.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein said total length of said central perimeter is about 73 mm.

9. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein a size of a sweet spot of said striking face portion of said golf club head is greater than about 45 mm²;

said sweet spot is defined as the area of said striking face portion that is capable of achieving 98% of a maximum ballspeed that can result from an impact with said golf ball.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein said size of said sweet spot is greater than about 46.5 mm².

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein said size of said sweet spot is greater than about 48 mm².

12. A golf club head having a crown, a sole, and a skirt comprising:

a striking face portion located at a frontal portion of said golf club head adapted to strike a golf ball, said striking face portion having a face perimeter; and

a body portion connected to an aft portion of said striking face portion;

wherein said striking face portion further comprises;

a thickened central region having a central perimeter, and

a transition region having a transition perimeter,

wherein said central perimeter has a geometric shape that is substantially similar to a geometric shape of said face perimeter; and

wherein said ratio of said total length of said central perimeter divided by said total length of said face perimeter is greater than about 0.26 and less than about 0.28.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein said ratio of said total length of said central perimeter divided by said total length of said face perimeter is about 0.27.

14. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein a size of a sweet spot of said striking face portion of said golf club head is greater than about 45 mm²;

said sweet spot is defined as the area of said striking face portion that is capable of achieving 98% of a maximum ballspeed that can result from an impact with said golf ball.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein said size of said sweet spot is greater than about 46.5 mm².

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein said size of said sweet spot is greater than about 48 mm².

17. A golf club head having a crown, a sole, and a skirt comprising:

a striking face portion located at a frontal portion of said golf club head adapted to strike a golf ball, said striking face portion having a face perimeter; and

a body portion connected to an aft portion of said striking face portion;

wherein said striking face portion further comprises;

a thickened central region having a central perimeter, and

a transition region having a transition perimeter,

wherein a ratio of the total length of said central perimeter divided by a total length of said face perimeter is greater than about 0.23 and less than about 0.32; and

wherein said transition region is thicker at said crown portion of said striking face than it is at said sole portion of said striking face;

creating a catenary curve near an upper portion of said striking face.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein said sole portion of said transition region forms a curve that is constantly decreasing in thickness.