Rotational molded golf club heads

• US 9,079,368 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Tavares, Gary G., Waatti, Todd Anthony, Stites, John Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/880,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20100331100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/04 Rotational or centrifugal casting, i.e. coating the inside of a mould by rotating the mould
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/20 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. moulding inserts or for coating articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/68 by incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or layers , e.g. foam blocks mould constructions therefor B29C33/12; joining preformed parts by moulding B29C65/70
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/681 Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/00 Use of unspecified macromolecular compounds as moulding material use of unspecified rubbers B29K2021/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2705/00 Use of metals, their alloys or their compounds, for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/5227 Clubs

Abstract

Wood-type golf clubs and/or golf club heads include: (a) a golf club head base member including a face member having a ball striking face; and (b) a polymeric body member engaged with the golf club head base member, wherein the polymeric body member is formed via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process) and/or engaged with the golf club head base member via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process). The polymeric body member forms at least a portion of a crown member of the club head in some structures.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a golf club head base member including a golf club head face member having a ball striking face engaged therewith or integrally formed therewith as a unitary one piece construction; and

a polymeric body member engaged with an interior surface of the golf club head base member via a rotational molding process, wherein the polymeric body member forms at least a portion of a crown member of the golf club head, wherein the polymeric body member constitutes a shell formed against all interior surfaces of the base member to which polymeric material forming the polymeric body member is exposed during the rotational molding process.

2. A golf club head, comprising:

a golf club head base member including;

(a) a golf club head face member having a ball striking face engaged therewith of integrally formed therewith as a unitary one piece construction and (b) an aft body portion having a plurality of open cells, wherein at least some of the plurality of open cells form a crown portion of the golf club head base member; and

a polymeric body member engaged with an interior surface of the golf club head base member via a rotational molding process, wherein, during the rotational molding process, the polymeric body member fills in the plurality of open cells forming the crown portion and forms at least a portion of a crown member of the golf club head, wherein the polymeric body member constitutes a shell formed against all interior surfaces of the base member to which polymeric material forming the polymeric body member is exposed during the rotational molding process.