High moment of inertia wood-type golf clubs and golf club heads

• US 8,550,935 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Stites, John Thomas, Tavares, Gary G., Boyd, Robert, Kawaguchi, Hiroshi, Tsukada, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US13/550,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20120329572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473/409
• US Class Current: 473/324
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• 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 53/0458 with non-uniform 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 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Wood-type golf club heads include: (a) a club head body including heel, toe, crown, sole, and weighted rear portions; and (b) a variable thickness ball striking face. The club head body parts and weighted portion(s) may be arranged such that the club head has a moment of inertia about a vertical axis passing through the club head center of gravity of at least 5000 g-cm². Such club heads may include: (a) a cup face member including a ball striking face portion and a return portion; (b) sole and crown portions engaged with the return portion; (c) a rear body member engaged with the crown and/or sole portions; (d) a weight member at the club head rear; and/or (e) a hosel member engaged with the cup face member, the crown portion, and/or the sole portion. Methods of making such club heads also are described.

Claims

1. A wood-type golf club head, comprising:

a cup face member including a ball striking face portion and a return portion extending from a perimeter area of the ball striking face portion;

a first body member engaged with the return portion, the first body member including at least part of a sole portion of the golf club head, wherein the first body member includes a central area and a perimeter area, wherein the central area is thinner than the perimeter area;

a second body member engaged with the return portion, the second body member including at least part of a crown portion of the golf club head, wherein the second body member includes a central area and a perimeter area, wherein the central area is thinner than the perimeter area;

a third body member separate from the first body member and the second body member, and engaged with at least one of the first body member and the second body member, wherein the third body member extends entirely across a rear portion of the golf club head from a heel side to a toe side of the club head including rear corners of the heel side and the toe side, and wherein the second body member is located between and separates at least some portion of the third body member from the return portion; and

a weight member engaged with at least one of the first body member and the third body member, wherein the weight member is located proximate the rear portion of the golf club head.

2. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the first body member is engaged with the second body member.

3. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, further comprising:

a hosel member engaged with at least one of the cup face member and the second body member.

4. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the ball striking face portion has a variable face thickness.

5. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 4, wherein a central area of the ball striking face portion is thicker than a perimeter area of the ball striking face portion.

6. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the club head has a moment of inertia Izz of at least 5500 g-cm².

7. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein each of the cup face member, the first body member, the second body member, and the third body member is made, at least in part, from titanium metal or a titanium-containing alloy material.

8. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the club head has an overall length dimension of at least 4.75 inches.

9. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 8, wherein the club head has a ratio of the overall length dimension to an overall breadth dimension of at least 0.94.

10. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the central area of the first body member is made thinner than the perimeter area of the first body member by chemical milling.

11. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the central area of the first body member is made thinner than the perimeter area of the first body member by milling.

12. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the central area of the second body member is made thinner than the perimeter area of the second body member by chemical milling.

13. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the central area of the second body member is made thinner than the perimeter area of the second body member by milling.

14. A wood-type golf club head, comprising:

a cup face member including a ball striking face portion and a return portion extending from a perimeter area of the ball striking face portion;

a first body member engaged with the return portion, the first body member including at least part of a sole portion of the golf club head, wherein the first body member includes a central area and a perimeter area, wherein the central area is thinner than the perimeter area;

a second body member engaged with the return portion, the second body member including at least part of a crown portion of the golf club head, wherein the second body member includes a central area and a perimeter area, wherein the central area is thinner than the perimeter area;

a third body member separate from the first body member and the second body member, and engaged with at least one of the first body member and the second body member, wherein the third body member extends entirely across a rear portion of the golf club head from a heel side to a toe side of the club head including rear corners of the heel side and the toe side, and wherein the second body member is located between and separates at least some portion of the third body member from the return portion; and

a hosel member engaged with at least one of the cup face member and the second body member.

15. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 14, wherein the first body member is engaged with the second body member.

16. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 14, further comprising:

at least one weight member located proximate a rear perimeter portion of the golf club head.

17. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 14, wherein the ball striking face portion has a variable face thickness.

18. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 17, wherein a central area of the ball striking face portion is thicker than a perimeter area of the ball striking face portion.

19. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 14, wherein the club head has a moment of inertia Izz of at least 5500 g-cm².

20. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 14, wherein each of the cup face member, the first body member, the second body member, and the third body member is made, at least in part, from titanium metal or a titanium-containing alloy material.

21. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 14, wherein the club head has an overall length dimension of at least 4.75 inches.

22. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 21, wherein the club head has a ratio of the overall length dimension to an overall breadth dimension of at least 0.94.

23. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 14, wherein the central area of the first body member is made thinner than the perimeter area of the first body member by chemical milling.

24. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 14, wherein the central area of the first body member is made thinner than the perimeter area of the first body member by milling.

25. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 14, wherein the central area of the second body member is made thinner than the perimeter area of the second body member by chemical milling.

26. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 14, wherein the central area of the second body member is made thinner than the perimeter area of the second body member by milling.

27. A method of making a wood-type golf club head, comprising:

forming a cup face member including a ball striking face portion and a return portion extending from a perimeter area of the ball striking face portion;

engaging a first body member with the return portion, wherein the first body member includes at least part of a sole portion of the golf club head;

engaging a second body member with the return portion, wherein the second body member includes at least part of a crown portion of the golf club head;

engaging a third body member, that is separate from the first body member and the second body member, with at least one of the first body member and the second body member, wherein the third body member is engaged so as to extend entirely across a rear portion of the golf club head from a heel side to a toe side of the club head including rear corners of the heel side and the toe side, and wherein the second body member is engaged so as to be located between at least some portion of the third body member and the return portion; and

engaging a weight member with at least one of the first body member and the third body member, wherein the weight member is engaged proximate the rear portion of the golf club head.

28. A method according to claim 27, further comprising:

engaging the first body member with the second body member.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein the first body member is engaged with the second body member by welding.

30. A method according to claim 27, further comprising:

engaging a hosel member with at least one of the cup face member and the second body member.

31. A method according to claim 27, wherein the forming includes forming the ball striking face portion with a variable face thickness.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein, in the forming, a central area of the ball striking face portion is formed thicker than a perimeter area of the ball striking face portion.

33. A method according to claim 27, wherein the forming includes forging the cup face member from titanium metal or a titanium alloy material.

34. A method according to claim 27, wherein the first body member is engaged with the cup face member by welding, and wherein the second body member is engaged with the cup face member by welding.

35. A method according to claim 27, wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia Izz of at least 5500 g-cm2.

36. A method according to claim 27, wherein each of the cup face member, the first body member, the second body member, and the third body member is made, at least in part, from titanium metal or a titanium-containing alloy material.

37. A method according to claim 27, further comprising:

forming the second body member to include a central area and a perimeter area, wherein the central area is thinner than the perimeter area.

38. A method according to claim 37, wherein the step of forming the second body member includes chemical milling the central area of the second body member to make it thinner than the perimeter area.

39. A method according to claim 27, further comprising:

forming the ftrst body member to include a central area and a perimeter area, wherein the central area is thinner than the perimeter area.

40. A method according to claim 39, wherein the step of forming the first body member includes chemical milling the central area of the first body member to make it thinner than the perimeter area.

41. A method according to claim 27, wherein the club head has an overall length dimension of at least 4.75 inches.

42. A method according to claim 41, wherein the club head has a ratio of the overall length dimension to an overall breadth dimension of at least 0.94.

43. A method according to claim 27, wherein the ball striking face portion has a central area having a first thickness, a perimeter area having a second thickness, and at least one transition region at least partially transitioning from the first thickness to the second thickness;

wherein the cup face member, the first body member, the second body member, and the third body member, at least in part, define a hollow club head body;

wherein exposed surfaces of the cup face member, the first body member, the second body member, and the third body member define at least 75% of an exterior surface area of the golf club head;

wherein the club head has a moment of inertia Izz of at least 5500 g-cm²;

wherein each of the cup face member, the first body member, the second body member, and the third body member is made, at least in part, from titanium metal or a titanium-containing alloy material;

wherein the club head has a volume of at least 450 cc;

wherein the club head has an overall length dimension of at least 4.5 inches; and

wherein the club head has a ratio of the overall length dimension to an overall breadth dimension of at least 0.94.