Iron golf club head with improved performance

• US 8,475,293 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morin, John, Mendoza, Edward, DeLaCruz, Noah, Curtis, Andrew J., Golden, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/880,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20120064995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 473287-292, 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/64 Frequency, e.g. of vibration oscillation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/808 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics

Abstract

An iron type golf club head with improved performance is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention discloses an iron type golf club head having a frontal face portion made out of a lightweight material that is separate and distinct from the material used to form the remaining body portion of the iron type golf club head. The thinner material allows the frontal face portion of the iron type golf club head to be made thinner, yielding improved performance characteristics such as a higher Coefficient of Restitution (COR) of greater than about 0.770, a lower Center of Gravity (CG) location of less than about 5.0 mm from a ground, and a lower primary resonant frequency of less than about 5,000 Hertz.

Claims

1. An iron type golf club head comprising:

a frontal face portion, made out of a first material having a first density, connected to a forward portion of said iron type golf club head;

a body portion, made out of a second material having a second density, connected to a rear portion of said frontal face portion providing a structural support for said frontal face portion;

wherein said first material is different from said second material;

wherein said first density is lower than said second density; and

wherein said iron type golf club head has a face replacement ratio of greater than about 0.9 and less than about 1.0;

said face replacement ratio is calculated by dividing a cross-sectional height of said frontal face portion by a total cross-sectional height of a striking surface of said iron type golf club head,

wherein said iron type golf club head has a velocity factor of less than about 32,500 mm/s;

said velocity factor is determined by multiplying a CG height from ground with a primary resonant frequency all divided by a COR of said iron type golf club head.

2. The iron type golf club head of claim 1, wherein said COR of said iron type golf club head is greater than about 0.770.

3. The iron type golf club head of claim 2, wherein said COR of said iron type golf club head is greater than about 0.773.

4. The iron type golf club head of claim 3, wherein said COR of said golf iron type club head is greater than about 0.775.

5. The iron type golf club head of claim 1, wherein said CG height from ground is less than about 5.0 mm.

6. The iron type golf club head of claim 5, wherein said CG height from ground is less than about 4.0 mm.

7. The iron type golf club head of claim 6, wherein said CG height from ground is less than about 3.0 mm.

8. The iron type golf club head of claim 1, wherein said primary resonant frequency of said iron type golf club head is less than about 5,000 Hertz.

9. The iron type golf club head of claim 8, wherein said primary resonant frequency of said iron type golf club head is less than about 4,500 Hertz.

10. The iron type golf club head of claim 9, wherein said primary resonant frequency of said iron type golf club head is less than about 4,300 Hertz.

11. The iron type golf club head of claim 1, wherein a thickness of said frontal face portion is less than about 3.5 mm.

12. The iron type golf club head of claim 11, wherein said thickness of said frontal face portion is less than about 3.0 mm.

13. The iron type golf club head of claim 12, wherein said thickness of said frontal face portion is less than about 2.5 mm.

14. The iron type golf club head of claim 1, wherein said first material is a maraging steel.

15. An iron type golf club head comprising:

a frontal face portion, made out of a first material having a first density, connected to a forward portion of said iron type golf club head;

a body portion, made out of a second material having a second density, connected to a rear portion of said frontal face portion providing a structural support for said frontal face portion;

wherein said first material is different from said second material;

wherein said first density is lower than said second density; and

wherein said iron type golf club head has a velocity factor of less than about 32,500 mm/s;

said velocity factor is determined by multiplying a CG height from ground with a primary resonant frequency all divided by a COR of said iron type golf club head.

16. The iron type golf club head of claim 15, wherein said velocity factor is less than about 24,000 mm/s.

17. The iron type golf club head of claim 16, wherein said velocity factor is less than about 17,000 mm/s.

18. The iron type golf club head of claim 15, wherein a thickness of said frontal face portion is less than about 3.5 mm.

19. The iron type golf club head of claim 18, wherein said thickness of said frontal face portion is less than about 3.0 mm.

20. The iron type golf club head of claim 19, wherein said thickness of said frontal face portion is less than about 2.5 mm.

21. The iron type golf club head of claim 15, wherein said first material is a maraging steel.

22. An iron type golf club head comprising:

a frontal face portion, made out of a first material having a first density, connected to a forward portion of said iron type golf club head;

a body portion, made out of a second material having a second density, connected to a rear portion of said frontal face portion providing a structural support for said frontal face portion;

wherein said first material is different from said second material,

wherein said first density is lower than said second density,

wherein a COR of said iron type golf club head is greater than about 0.770,

wherein a CG height from ground is less than about 5.0 mm,

wherein a primary resonant frequency of said iron type golf club head is less than about 5,000 Hertz, and

wherein a thickness of said frontal face portion is less than about 3.5 mm.