Golf club head

• US 9,174,098 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2012
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Hayase, Seiji, Onuki, Masahide, Yamamoto, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNIS, MICHAEL DAVID
• Application Number:
  US13/644,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20130109502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 473/345, 473/347, 473/348
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0633 without electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• 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

Abstract

A golf club head 2 is provided with a head body h1 and a CFRP member 16. The CFRP member 16 constitutes at least a part of a crown 6 or at least a part of a sole 8. The CFRP member 16 has a UD lamination part 18 having laminated UD layers. Orientation of a fiber is substantially set to three directions in the UD lamination part 18. When the three directions are a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction, preferably, an angle of the second direction to the first direction is substantially +60 degrees, and an angle of the third direction to the first direction is substantially −60 degrees. Preferably, the UD lamination part 18 has a lamination symmetrical property in a fiber orientation angle. Preferably, the number of layers of the UD lamination part 18 is 5 or greater and 12 or less.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a head body; and

a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) member,

wherein the CFRP member constitutes at least a part of a crown or at least a part of a sole,

wherein the CFRP member has a uni-direction (UD) lamination part having laminated UD layers,

wherein an orientation of a fiber is substantially set to three different angles in the UD lamination part,

wherein the UD lamination part has a neutral plane with at least one upper layer above the neutral plane and at least one lower layer below the neutral plane, and

wherein an orientation of fiber in an upper layer is substantially equal to an orientation of a lower layer a same number of layers from the neutral plane.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein when the three directions are a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction, an angle of the second direction to the first direction is substantially +60 degrees, and an angle of the third direction to the first direction is substantially −

60 degrees.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the number of layers of the UD lamination part is 5 or greater and 12 or less.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the CFRP member constitutes at least a part of the crown.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a volume of a head is equal to or greater than 400 cc;

a weight of the head is equal to or less than 200 g; and

a lateral moment of inertia is equal to or greater than 4600 g·

cm².

6. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the CFRP member has a CFRP single part;

and

the CFRP single part constitutes at least a part of the crown.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the CFRP member exists in at least a part of the crown, and is absent in the sole.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the UD lamination part is 0.5 mm or greater and 0.9 mm or less.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the CFRP member is 0.5 mm or greater and 0.9 mm or less.

10. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the UD lamination part has a lamination symmetrical property in a layer thickness.

11. The golf club head according to claim 6, wherein a maximum amplitude point in a first-order mode of the crown is not located in the CFRP single part.

12. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the UD lamination part has at least two upper layers above the neutral plane and at least two lower layer below the neutral plane.

13. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the orientation of fiber in an upper layer ±

10 degrees to an orientation of a lower layer a same number of layers from the neutral plane.