Golf club head having a multi-material face

• US 8,517,859 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2010
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Golden, Charles E., Hartwell, Bradford Hughes, DeLaCruz, Noah, Deshmukh, Uday V., Morin, John, Mulherin, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/916,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20120010020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• 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 53/0458 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

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; and

a body portion, at least partially comprised out of a titanium material, connected to an aft portion of said striking face further comprising a crown, a sole, and a skirt;

said titanium material has a density of greater than about 4.0 g/cm³,

wherein said striking face is at least partially comprised out of a composite type material having a thickness of greater than about 0.2 mm and less than about 2.0 mm;

wherein said composite type material has a density of less than about 2.7 g/cm³, and

wherein said striking face has a characteristic time slope of greater than about 5 and less than about 50.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said characteristic time slope is greater than about 10 and less than about 45.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein said characteristic time slope is greater than about 15 and less than about 20.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, 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 15.0 hertz/cc,

wherein 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.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein said first peak frequency to volume ratio is greater than about 9.0 hertz/cc and less than about 13.0 hertz/cc.

6. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein said first peak frequency to volume ratio is about 8.0 hertz/cc.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said composite type material has a strain to failure percentage of greater than about 1.5% and less than about 10.0%.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein said strain to failure percentage is greater than about 2.0% and less than about 8.0%.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein said strain to failure percentage is about 2.5%.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said composite type material portion of said striking face portion of is protected by a cover layer.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein said cover layer has a Vickers hardness of greater than about 100.

12. A golf club head comprising:

a body, further comprising a plurality of cutouts, and made out of a first material having a first density of greater than about 4.0 g/cm³,

a face insert, further comprising a plurality of locking tabs, and made out of a second material having a second density of less than about 2.7 g/cm³, at least partially disposed at a frontal portion of said body,

wherein said face insert has a thickness of greater than about 0.2 mm and less than about 2.0 mm;

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

wherein said plurality of locking tabs engages said plurality of cutouts to secure said face insert onto said body; 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 15.0 hertz/cc;

said first peak to 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.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein said face insert forms a striking face, said striking face has a characteristic time slope of greater than about 5 and less than about 50.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein said face insert is a composite type material,

said composite type material has a strain to failure percentage of greater than about 1.5% and less than about 10.0%.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein said strain to failure percentage is greater than about 2.0% and less than about 8.0%.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein said strain to failure percentage is about 2.5%.

17. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein said composite type material portion of said striking face portion of is protected by a cover layer.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein said cover layer has a Vickers hardness of greater than about 100.

19. A golf club head comprising:

a body, further comprising a plurality of cutouts, and made out of a first material having a first density,

a face insert, further comprising a plurality of locking tabs, and made out of a second material having a second density at least partially disposed at a frontal portion of said body,

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

wherein said plurality of locking tabs engage said plurality of cutouts to secure said face insert onto said body,

wherein said first density is greater than about 4.0 g/cm³ and said second density is less than about 2.7 g/cm³;

wherein said composite type material portion of said striking face portion is protected by a cover layer; and

wherein said cover layer has a Vickers hardness of greater than about 100.