Golf club heads with apertures and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 8,777,778 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Solheim, John A., Morales, Eric J., Henrikson, Erik M., Cole, Eric V., Wood, Paul D., Schweigert, Brad D., Jertson, Marty R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US13/342,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20120178550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 473/345, 473/346
• US Class Current: 473/346
• 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 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49995 Shaping one-piece blank by removing material

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads with apertures and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a face, a heel, a toe, and a top edge;

a back defined opposite the face;

a crown extending between the top edge of the face to the back and between the heel to the toe, the crown comprising;

a first region having a center portion being concave relative to the face;

a second region between the first region and the back; and

a plurality of apertures in the second region, a largest dimension of at least one aperture being less than or equal 0.3 inch.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein all of the apertures have generally the same largest dimension.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least two of the apertures have different largest dimensions.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures defines at least one repeating pattern of apertures.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a recess defined in the second region, wherein the plurality of apertures is defined within the recess.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a protective cover configured to engage the crown to cover the plurality of apertures.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of apertures is in a range of between 60 to 1500 apertures.

8. A golf club head comprising:

a face, a heel, a toe, and a top edge;

a back defined opposite the face;

a crown extending between the top edge of the face to the back and between the heel to the toe, the crown comprising;

a plurality of apertures, a largest dimension of at least one aperture being less than or equal 0.3 inch; and

at least one reinforcing rib extending between the face and the back, wherein a smallest width of the reinforcing rib is greater than the greatest dimension.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein all of the apertures have generally the same largest dimension.

10. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein at least two of the apertures have different largest dimensions.

11. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the plurality of apertures defines at least one repeating pattern of apertures.

12. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the crown further comprises a recess, wherein the plurality of apertures is defined within the recess.

13. The golf club head of claim 8, further comprising a protective cover configured to engage the crown to cover the plurality of apertures.

14. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the number of the plurality of apertures is in a range of between 60 to 1500 apertures.

15. A method for manufacturing a club head for a golf club comprising:

forming a club head comprising a face, a heel, a toe, a top edge, a back defined opposite the face, and a crown extending between the top edge of the face to the back and between the heel to the toe;

forming a plurality of apertures in the crown, a largest dimension of at least one aperture being less than or equal 0.3 inch, the crown defining a first region having a center portion being concave relative to the face, and a second region between the first region and the back, wherein the apertures are formed in the second region.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming a recess in the second region prior to forming the plurality of apertures in the second region.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein forming the plurality of apertures includes stamping the crown to form the plurality of apertures.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming at least one reinforcing rib in the second region.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming at least one reinforcing rib in the second region, the reinforcing rib defined by portions of the second region being without apertures.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising attaching a cover on the second region.