Golf club head

• US 8,715,107 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2010
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Brunski, Jeff D., Lacey, Samuel G., Nivanh, Dan S., Radcliffe, Nathaniel J., Rae, John J., Blumenkrantz, Mark, Wallans, Michael J., Stewart, Rory C.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/900,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20110105243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/342
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• 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 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head according to one or more aspects of the present invention may include a face portion or strike-face wall comprising a top inner boundary, an intermediate inner boundary, and a bottom inner boundary having a bottom-inner-boundary toe portion and a bottom-inner-boundary heel portion. The strike-face wall may further include a first uniform-thickness region, adjoining the top inner boundary, and a variable-thickness region adjoining the uniform-thickness region and a majority of the bottom inner boundary. In another example, the variable-thickness may adjoin a majority of the top inner boundary and the uniform-thickness region may adjoin a majority of the bottom inner boundary.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a strike-face wall comprising;

a front surface including a face center, an outer boundary, and an inner boundary defined by all points displaced, in a direction of the face center, from the outer boundary by a constant offset that is between about 0.5 mm and about 15 mm, the inner boundary including a top inner boundary portion and a bottom inner boundary portion opposite the top inner boundary portion;

a rear surface;

a continuous uniform-thickness region including a first portion located at the top inner boundary, the uniform-thickness region comprising a first thickness; and

a continuous variable-thickness region adjoining the uniform-thickness region, wherein the variable-thickness region is continuously variable, comprises a second thickness greater than the first thickness, and includes a second portion located at a majority of the bottom inner boundary.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the variable-thickness region comprises a third thickness that is less than the first thickness of the uniform-thickness region.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first thickness of the uniform-thickness region is less than about 3 mm.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the inner boundary further comprises a heel portion and a toe portion opposite the heel portion, and the uniform-thickness region is further located at at least one of the bottom portion, the heel portion, and the toe portion.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the constant offset is between about 1 mm and about 8 mm.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the uniform-thickness region is located over the entire top portion of the inner boundary.

7. A golf club head comprising:

a strike-face wall comprising;

a front surface including a face center, an outer boundary, and an inner boundary defined by all points displaced, in a direction of the face center, from the outer boundary by a constant offset that is between about 0.5 mm and about 15 mm, the inner boundary including a top inner boundary portion and a bottom inner boundary portion opposite the top inner boundary portion;

a rear surface;

a continuous uniform-thickness region including a first portion located at the bottom inner boundary, the uniform-thickness region comprising a first thickness; and

a continuous variable-thickness region adjoining the uniform-thickness region, wherein the variable-thickness region is continuously variable, comprises a second thickness greater than the first thickness, and includes a second portion located at a majority of the top inner boundary projection.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the uniform-thickness region is located at the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary.

9. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the uniform-thickness region is located at the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

10. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the uniform-thickness region is located at the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary and the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the uniform-thickness region is located at the top inner boundary.

12. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the variable-thickness region is located at the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary.

13. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the variable-thickness region is located at the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the variable-thickness region is located at the entire top inner boundary.

15. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the variable-thickness region is located at the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary and the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

16. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the variable-thickness region is located at the uniform-thickness region.

17. A golf club head comprising:

a strike-face wall comprising;

a front surface including a face center, an outer boundary, and an inner boundary defined by all points displaced, in a direction of the face center, from the outer boundary by a constant offset that is between about 0.5 mm and about 15 mm, the inner boundary including a top inner boundary portion and a bottom inner boundary portion opposite the top inner boundary portion;

a rear surface;

a first continuous uniform-thickness region located at the top inner boundary and comprising a first thickness;

a second uniform-thickness region located at the bottom inner boundary, wherein the first thickness is different from the second thickness; and

a continuous variable-thickness region located at the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary and the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary, the continuous variable thickness region adjoining the first uniform thickness region and the second uniform thickness region.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the first uniform-thickness region is located at the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary.

19. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the first uniform-thickness region is located at the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

20. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the first uniform-thickness region is located at the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary and the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

21. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the second uniform-thickness region is located at the toe portion of the bottom inner boundary.

22. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the second uniform-thickness region is located at the heel portion of the bottom inner boundary.

23. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the variable-thickness region comprises a third thickness that is greater than at least one of the first thickness and the second thickness.