Golf club head with progressive face stiffness

• US 8,353,787 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Meyer, Jeffrey W., Harvell, Christopher D., Murphy, Stephen S., Jorgensen, Douglas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/633,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20100151963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/346
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• 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 metal wood golf club head adapted for attachment to a shaft, with a body comprising of a first body portion and a second body portion, each portion constructed of a different density material. Combining a high density material in the first body portion with a low density material in the second body portion, creates an ultra-low center of gravity relative to the geometric face center, resulting in higher launch angles and spin rate ratios. Thickening the lower area of the front face lowers the center of gravity and upwardly shifts the coefficient of restitution to the geometric center of the face.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a face, a crown, a sole, and a skirt coupled together to form a club head body having an interior volume, wherein the face has a striking surface and an inner surface opposite the striking surface; and

a patch coupled to the inner surface of the face within the interior volume, wherein the patch comprises a material selected from the group consisting of composites, resin systems, thermoset materials, thermoplastic materials, pitch based carbon fibers, PAN based carbon fibers, para-aramid fibers, fiberglass fibers, spectra fibers, or combinations thereof,

wherein the patch extends across the inner surface from toe to heel,

wherein the patch has a first thickness at a lower portion adjacent the sole and a second thickness at an upper portion, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness, and

wherein the face has a point of maximum coefficient of restitution between the crown and a geometric center of the face.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face has a coefficient of restitution between the sole and the geometric center of the face that is substantially less than the point of maximum coefficient of restitution between the crown and the geometric center of the face.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the patch is coupled adjacent the sole and extends upward toward the crown.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the patch does not extend all the way to the crown.

5. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the patch extends all the way to the crown.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face is of substantially uniform thickness.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the patch extends from the heel to the toe of the club head.

8. A golf club head, comprising:

a face, a crown, a sole, and a skirt coupled together to form a club head body having an interior volume, wherein the face has a striking surface and an inner surface opposite the striking surface; and

a patch coupled to the inner surface of the face within the interior volume,

wherein the patch comprises a material selected from the group consisting of composites, resin systems, thermoset materials, thermoplastic materials, pitch based carbon fibers, PAN based carbon fibers, para-aramid fibers, fiberglass fibers, spectra fibers, or combinations thereof,

wherein the patch has a tapered thickness that is thickest at a lower portion adjacent the sole and thinnest at an upper portion away from the sole, and

wherein the face has a first coefficient of restitution between the crown and a geometric center of the face and a second coefficient of restitution between the sole and the geometric center of the face, wherein the second coefficient of restitution is less than the first coefficient of restitution.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein:

the patch is coupled to the inner surface adjacent the sole and extends upward toward the crown.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the patch does not extend all the way to the crown.

11. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the patch extends all the way to the crown.

12. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the face is of substantially uniform thickness.

13. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the face has a point of maximum coefficient of restitution between the crown and a geometric center of the face.

14. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the patch extends from the heel to the toe of the club head.

15. A golf club head, comprising:

a face, a crown, a sole, and a skirt coupled together to form a club head body having an interior volume, wherein the face has a striking surface and an inner surface opposite the striking surface; and

a patch coupled to the inner surface of the face within the interior volume,

wherein the patch comprises a material selected from the group consisting of composites, resin systems, thermoset materials, thermoplastic materials, pitch based carbon fibers, PAN based carbon fibers, para-aramid fibers, fiberglass fibers, spectra fibers, or combinations thereof,

wherein the patch has a first thickness at a lower portion adjacent the sole and a second thickness at an upper portion, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness, and

wherein the patch creates a preferred striking zone on the face, wherein the preferred striking zone is located on an upper half of the striking surface and has a greater coefficient of restitution range than the rest of the face.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the patch is coupled adjacent the sole and extends upward toward the crown.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the patch does not extend all the way to the crown.

18. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the patch extends all the way to the crown.

19. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the face has a substantially uniform thickness.

20. A golf club head, comprising:

a face, a crown, a sole, and a skirt coupled together to form a club head body having an interior volume, wherein the face has a striking surface and an inner surface opposite the striking surface; and

a patch coupled to the inner surface, wherein the patch has a first thickness at a lower portion adjacent the sole and a second thickness at an upper portion, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness,

wherein the face has a substantially uniform thickness,

wherein the face has a point of maximum coefficient of restitution above the geometric center of the face, and

wherein an area on the face between the sole and the geometric center has a coefficient of restitution that is less than the point of maximum coefficient of restitution.

21. The golf club head of claim 20, wherein the patch is coupled adjacent the sole and extends upward toward the crown.

22. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the patch extends to the crown.