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

• US 8,790,196 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• 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, Bradley D., Jertson, Martin R., Shaw, Tyler A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US14/064,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20140057737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: 473/344, 473/345, 473/346, 473/349
• US Class Current: 473/344
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/08 with special arrangements for obtaining a variable impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4998 Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent 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 portion, a back portion generally opposite to the face portion, a heel portion extending between the face portion and the back portion, and a toe portion opposite to the heel portion and extending between the face portion and the back portion;

a crown portion extending between the face portion, the back portion, the heel portion and the toe portion, the crown portion comprising a crown recess and a plurality of crown apertures in the crown recess; and

a sole portion opposite to the crown portion and extending between the face portion, the back portion, the heel portion and the toe portion, the sole portion comprising a first sole recess proximate to the heel portion and a second sole recess proximate to the toe portion, the first sole recess comprising a plurality of first sole apertures, and the second sole recess comprising a plurality of second sole apertures.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 further comprising:

a crown cover attached to the crown portion to cover the crown apertures;

a first sole cover attached to the sole portion to cover the first sole apertures; and

a second sole cover attached to the sole portion to cover the second sole apertures;

wherein at least one of the crown cover, the first sole cover or the second sole cover comprises a composite material.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 further comprising a crown cover having a shape corresponding to a shape of the crown recess and configured to be attached to the crown portion to cover the crown apertures such that the crown cover is substantially flush with a surface of the crown portion when the crown cover is attached to the crown portion.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 further comprising a first sole cover having a shape corresponding to a shape of the first sole recess and configured to be attached to the sole portion to cover the first sole apertures and a second sole cover having a shape corresponding to a shape of the second sole recess and configured to be attached to the sole portion, to cover the second sole apertures.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 further comprising:

a first sole cover having a shape corresponding to a shape of the first sole recess and configured to be attached to the sole portion such that the first sole cover is substantially flush or below a surface of the sole portion when the first sole cover is attached to the sole portion; and

a second sole cover having a shape corresponding to a shape of the second sole recess and configured to be attached to the sole portion such that the second sole cover is substantially flush or below a surface of the sole portion when the second sole cover is attached to the sole portion.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein at least one of the crown recess, the first sole recess or the second sole recess comprises at least one peripheral channel.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 further comprising:

a crown cover comprising a composite material and molded with a crown cover mold configured generally in the shape of the crown recess, the crown cover configured to be attached to the crown portion to cover the crown apertures;

a first sole cover comprising a composite material and molded with a first sole mold configured generally in the shape of the first sole recess, the first sole cover configured to be attached to the sole portion to cover the first sole apertures; and

a second sole cover comprising a composite material and molded with a second sole mold configured generally in the shape of the second sole recess, the second sole cover configured to be attached to the sole portion to cover the second sole apertures.

8. A golf club head comprising:

a face portion, a back portion generally opposite to the face portion, a heel portion extending between the face portion and the back portion, and a toe portion opposite to the heel portion and extending between the face portion and the back portion;

a crown portion extending between the face portion, the back portion, the heel portion and the toe portion, the crown portion comprising a crown recess and a plurality of crown apertures in the crown recess;

a sole portion opposite to the crown portion, the sole portion comprising a sole recess comprising a plurality of sole apertures; and

a sole cover configured generally in the shape of the sole recess to cover the sole apertures when attached to the sole portion.

9. The golf club head of claim 8 further comprising a crown cover configured generally in the shape of the crown recess to cover the crown apertures when attached to the crown.

10. The golf club head of claim 8, the sole portion comprising:

a plurality of sole recesses, each of the sole recesses comprising a plurality of apertures; and

a plurality of sole covers, each, sole cover configured generally in the shape of the corresponding sole recess of the plurality of sole recesses to cover the apertures of the corresponding sole recess when attached to the corresponding sole recess.

11. The golf club head of claim 8 wherein

the sole cover comprises a composite material and is molded with a sole mold configured generally in the shape of the sole recess.

12. The golf club head of claim 8, further comprising a crown cover configured generally in the shape of the crown recess to cover the crown apertures when attached to the crown, and wherein the crown cover is configured to be substantially flush with a surface of the crown portion when the crown cover is attached to the crown portion.

13. The golf club head of claim 8 wherein

the sole cover is configured to be attached to the sole portion such that the sole cover is substantially flush or below a surface of the sole when the sole cover is attached to the sole portion.

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

forming a face portion, a back portion generally opposite to the face portion, a heel portion extending between the face portion and the back portion, and a toe portion opposite to the heel portion and extending between the face portion and the back portion;

forming a crown portion extending between the face portion, the back portion, the heel portion and the toe portion, the crown portion comprising a crown recess and a plurality of crown apertures in the crown recess; and

forming a sole portion opposite to the crown portion and extending between the face portion, the back portion, the heel portion and the toe portion, the sole portion comprising a first sole recess proximate to the heel portion and a second sole recess proximate to the toe portion, the first sole recess comprising a plurality of first sole apertures, and the second sole recess comprising a plurality of second sole apertures.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

forming a crown cover attached to the crown portion to cover the crown apertures;

forming a first sole cover attached to the sole portion to cover the first sole apertures; and

forming a second sole cover attached to the sole portion to cover the second sole apertures;

wherein at least one of the crown cover, the first sole cover or the second sole cover comprises a composite material.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising forming a crown cover having a shape corresponding to a shape of the crown recess and configured to be attached to the crown portion to cover the crown apertures such that the crown cover is substantially flush with a surface of the crown portion when the crown cover is attached to the crown portion.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising forming a first sole cover having a shape corresponding to a shape of the first sole recess and configured to be attached to the sole portion to cover the first sole apertures, and forming a second sole cover having a shape corresponding to a shape of the second sole recess and configured to be attached to the sole portion to cover the second sole apertures.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

forming a first sole cover having a shape corresponding to a shape of the first sole recess and configured to be attached to the sole portion such that the first sole cover is substantially flush or below a surface of the sole portion when the first sole cover is attached to the sole portion; and

forming a second sole cover having a shape corresponding to a shape of the second sole recess and configured to be attached to the sole portion such that the second sole cover is substantially flush or below a surface of the sole portion when the second sole cover is attached to the sole portion.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein at least one of the crown recess, the first sole recess or the second sole recess comprises at least one peripheral channel.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

forming a crown cover comprising a composite material and molded with a crown cover mold configured generally in the shape of the crown recess, the crown cover configured to be attached to the crown portion to cover the crown apertures;

forming a first sole cover comprising a composite material and molded with a first sole mold configured generally in the shape of the first sole recess, the first sole cover configured to be attached to the sole portion to cover the first sole apertures; and

forming a second sole cover comprising a composite material and molded with a second sole mold configured generally in the shape of the second sole recess, the second sole cover configured to be attached to the sole portion to cover the second sole apertures.