Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 8,961,336 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Original Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Inventors: Parsons, Robert R., Nicolette, Michael R., Schweigert, Bradley D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US14/513,073
• Time in Patent Office: 134 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473/256
• US Class Current: 473/332
• 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 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a plurality of weight portions and a body portion. The plurality of weight portions may be associated with a total weight portion mass. The body portion may include a face portion, a toe portion, a sole portion, an interior cavity that may extend between the top and sole portions, and a back portion with a plurality of exterior weight ports having a first set of exterior weight ports and a second set of exterior weight ports. Each of the plurality of exterior weight ports is associated with a port diameter and configured to receive at least one weight portion of the plurality of weight portions. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a plurality of weight portions made of a first material, the plurality of weight portions being associated with a total weight portion mass; and

a body portion made of a second material, the body portion having a face portion, a toe portion, a top portion, a sole portion, an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions, and a back portion with a plurality of exterior weight ports having a first set of exterior weight ports and a second set of exterior weight ports along a periphery of the back portion, each of the plurality of exterior weight ports is associated with a port diameter and configured to receive at least one weight portion of the plurality of weight portions,

wherein the first set of weight ports is located at or proximate to at least one of the top portion or the toe portion, and the second set of exterior weight ports is located at or proximate to at least one of the sole portion or the toe portion,

wherein any two adjacent exterior weight ports of the first set of exterior weight ports are separated by less than the port diameter, and any two adjacent exterior weight ports of the second set of exterior weight ports are separated by less than the port diameter, and

wherein more than 50% of the total weight portion mass is located below a horizontal midplane of the golf club head.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity separating the face portion and the plurality of exterior weight ports.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of exterior weight ports comprises a port wall separated from a back surface of the face portion by the interior cavity.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity partially or entirely filled with an elastic polymer material.

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of weight portions comprises a first weight portion having a first weight portion mass and a second weight portion having a second weight portion mass, wherein the first weight portion mass is relatively less than the second weight portion mass.

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second sets of exterior weight ports comprises at least three exterior weight ports.

7. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of weight portions comprises at least one weight portion made of a tungsten-based material.

8. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the body portion comprises at least a portion made of Nitronic®

50 stainless steel.

9. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 0.030 inch.

10. An iron-type golf club head comprising:

two or more weight portions made of a first material, the two or more weight portions being associated with a total weight portion mass; and

a hollow body portion made of a second material, the body portion having a face portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions, and a back portion with two or more exterior weight ports along a periphery of the hollow body portion, each of the two or more exterior weight ports is associated with a port diameter and configured to receive at least one of the two or more weight portions,

wherein the interior cavity is at least partially filled with an elastic polymer material,

wherein a first exterior weight port is located at or proximate to at least one of the top portion or the toe portion, and a second exterior weight port is located at or proximate to at least one of the sole portion or the toe portion,

wherein any two adjacent exterior weight ports of the first set of exterior weight ports are separated by less than the port diameter, and any two adjacent exterior weight ports of the second set of exterior weight ports are separated by less than the port diameter, and

wherein more than 50% of the total weight portion mass is located below a horizontal midplane of the golf club head.

11. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein the two or more weight portions comprises weight portions with more than about 85% of the total weight portion mass being below the horizontal midplane of the golf club head.

12. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity height extending between the top portion and the sole portion, the cavity height being at least 50% of a body height of the hollow body portion.

13. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity being at least 50% filled with a thermoplastic elastomer material.

14. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity separating the face portion and the two or more exterior weight ports.

15. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 0.030 inch.

16. An iron-type golf club head comprising:

a hollow body portion having a face portion, a toe portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, and an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions, the interior cavity being partially or entirely filled with an elastic polymer material;

a first set of weight portions coupled to the hollow body portion at or proximate to a top-and-toe transition region between the top portion and the toe portion, the first set of weight portions being associated with a first total mass; and

a second set of weight portions coupled to the hollow body portion at or proximate to a sole-and-toe transition region between the sole portion and the toe portion, the second set of weight portions being associated with a second total mass,

wherein the first total mass is less than the second total mass, and

wherein the second set of weight portions is located below a horizontal midplane of the golf club head.

17. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein each weight portion of the first set of weight portions is associated with a first mass and each weight portion of the second set of weight portions is associated with a second mass, and wherein the first mass is relatively less than the second mass.

18. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity having at least 50% filled with a thermoplastic elastomer material.

19. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein the hollow body portion comprises an interior cavity separating the face portion and the first and second sets of weight portions.

20. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 0.030 inch.