Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 9,364,727 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2015
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2014
• 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:
  US14/852,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20160001145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 277 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• 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 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/20 Injection nozzles B29C45/1603 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/5227 Clubs

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 body portion with a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, a front portion having a face portion with a front surface and a back surface, an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and between the face and back portions, and an elastic polymer material in the interior cavity, and a bonding portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a plurality of weight portions;

a body portion having a face portion with a back surface, 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;

an elastic polymer material injection molded in the interior cavity to structurally support the face portion during impact with a golf ball; and

a bonding portion coupled between the back surface of the face portion and the elastic polymer material,

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 the number of weight portions of the plurality of weight portions below a horizontal midplane of the golf club head is greater than the number of weight portions of the plurality of weight portions above the 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 the 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 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;

a hollow body portion made of a second material, the body portion having a face portion with a back surface, 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 a first set of exterior weight ports and a second set of exterior weight ports along a periphery of the hollow body portion, each exterior weight port of the first set of exterior weight ports and the second set of exterior weight ports is associated with a port diameter and configured to receive at least one of the two or more weight portions;

an elastic polymer material injection molded in the interior cavity to structurally support the face portion during impact with a golf ball; and

a bonding portion coupled between the back surface of the face portion and the elastic polymer material,

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

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

wherein the interior cavity is accessible through at least one of the exterior weight ports of the first set of exterior weight ports or the second set of exterior weight ports such that the elastic polymer material is injected into the interior cavity through the at least one exterior weight port.

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 with a back surface, a toe portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, and an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions;

an elastic polymer material injection molded in the interior cavity to structurally support the face portion during impact with a golf ball;

a bonding portion coupled between the back surface of the face portion and the 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; 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,

wherein the second set of weight portions includes a greater number of weight portions than the first set of weight portions, 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.