Golf club head optimized for sound

• US 9,174,103 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Curtis, Andrew J., de la Cruz, Noah, Morin, John, Bezilla, Stephanie, Bennett, Thomas Orrin, Murphy, Stephen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US13/826,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20140274453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/002 Clubs made of composite, plastics or rubber materials, with integral head and shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A golf club head optimized for sound has a body that defines an interior cavity. The body includes at least one of a sole portion, skirt portion, or a crown portion. At least the sole portion is stiffened to provide a higher frequency sound. The stiffened sole portion increases the frequency range of the golf club head by at least 300 Hz with an overall frequency of greater than about 3000 Hz. The stiffened sole portion provides a higher frequency sound with a minimal increase in the overall weight of the golf club head. In one embodiment, the stiffened sole portion increases the weight of the golf club head by less than 10 grams with the overall weight of the golf club head less than 220 grams. In operation, the golf club head with at least the stiffened sole portion impacts the golf ball to provide an aesthetically pleasing sound.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body including at least one of a crown portion or a skirt portion, and a sole portion, or a sole portion, the body defines an interior cavity and having an overall frequency in response to impacting a golf ball;

a box beam structure defining a hollow internal area for stiffening at least the sole portion is disposed completely within the interior cavity, the box beam structure engages at least an internal surface of the sole portion and is configured to provide a higher frequency sound, the box beam structure for stiffening the sole portion provides a higher frequency with minimal increase in the overall weight of the golf club head, the box beam structure for stiffening at least the sole portion increases the overall weight of the club by less than about 10 grams wherein the box beam structure has sides projecting from the sole portion angled between 35 to 50 degree angles;

whereby the golf club head provides an aesthetically pleasing sound upon impact with a golf ball.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a channel is cast into an internal surface of the sole portion and a plate is welded over the top of the channel to provide the box beam structure.

3. The golf club head of Claim 1, wherein the box beam structure is welded to an internal surface of the sole portion.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the box beam structure has one or more channel walls.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the box beam structure is stamped into a three-dimensional form having the hollow internal area.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the box beam structure is configured to be completely hidden from an external view of the golf club head.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the sole portion may include a first thickened region defining a first region thickness and a second thickened region defining a second region thickness.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the first thickened regions is located on a central area of the sole portion and the second thickened regions is located proximally on either side of the central area.