Golf club head having a multi-material face

• US 8,496,542 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2012
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Curtis, Andrew J., DeLaCruz, Noah, Deshmukh, Uday V., Golden, Charles E., Hartwell, Bradford Hughes, Morin, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US13/534,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20120264538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 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 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing

Abstract

A golf club with a multi-material face is disclosed herein. More specifically, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention has a striking face that forms a pocket, wherein the pocket is filled with a secondary material having a lower density to improve the performance of the golf club head. The multi-material face disclosed in accordance with the present invention may generally have a characteristic time slope of greater than about 5 and less than about 50, wherein the characteristic time slope is determined based on the various data points collected according to the United States Golf Association'"'"'s (USGA'"'"'s) Characteristic Time (CT) test.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a striking face provided near a forward portion of said golf club head;

a body portion connected to an aft portion of said striking face further comprising a crown, a sole, and a skirt,

wherein at least one said striking face, said crown, said sole, or said skirt is made out of a second material having a second density;

wherein a remainder portion of said striking face, said crown, said sole, or said skirt is made out of a first material having a first density;

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

wherein said golf club head has a first peak frequency to volume ratio of greater than about 7.0 hertz/cc and less than about 15 hertz/cc;

said first peak frequency to volume ratio is defined as a first peak frequency of a signal power diagram of the sound of said golf club head as it impacts a golf ball, divided by a volume of said golf club head.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said first peak frequency to volume ratio is greater than about 9.0 hertz/cc and less than about 13.0 hertz/cc.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said first peak frequency to volume ratio is about 8.0 hertz/cc.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said striking face is made out of said second material.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said crown is made out of said second material.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said sole is made out of said second material.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said skirt is made out of said second material.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said first density is greater than about 4.0 g/cm³ and said second density is less than about 2.7 g/cc³.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein said second material is a composite type material.

10. A golf club head comprising:

a striking face provided near a forward portion of said golf club head;

a body portion connected to an aft portion of said striking face further comprising a crown, a sole, and a skirt,

wherein at least a portion of said striking face portion is made out of a first material having a first density,

wherein said body portion is made out of a second material having a second density,

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

wherein said golf club head has a first peak frequency to volume ratio of greater than about 7.0 hertz/cc and less than about 15 hertz/cc;

said first peak frequency to volume ratio is defined as a first peak frequency of a signal power diagram of the sound of said golf club head as it impacts a golf ball, divided by a volume of said golf club head.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein said first density is greater than about 4.0 g/cm³ and said second density is less than about 2.7 g/cc³.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein said second material is a composite type material.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein said second density is less than about 1.70 g/cm³.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein said first material is a titanium type material.

15. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein said first density is between about 4.0 g/cm³ and 5.0 g/cm³.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the striking face has a characteristic time slope of greater than about 10 and less than about 45.

17. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein said first peak frequency to volume ratio is greater than about 9.0 hertz/cc and less than about 13.0 hertz/cc.

18. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein said first peak frequency to volume ratio is about 8.0 hertz/cc.