Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 9,421,437 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• 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:
  US14/589,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20160051866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 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 53/0445 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 hollow body portion with 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 and between the face and back portions. The interior cavity may be partially or entirely filled with an elastic polymer material. 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; and

a hollow body portion made of a second material, the hollow body portion having a face portion, a toe portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion with a plurality of exterior weight ports along a periphery of the back portion, and an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and between the face and back portions, at least one exterior weight port of the plurality of exterior weight ports being connected to the interior cavity, the interior cavity being partially or entirely filled with an elastic polymer material through the at least exterior weight port,

wherein 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, and

wherein any two adjacent exterior weight ports are separated by less than the port diameter.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of exterior weight ports comprises at least three exterior weight ports.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity being at least 50% filled with a thermoplastic elastomer material.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity height extending between the top and sole portions, the cavity height being at least 50% of a body height of the hollow body portion.

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of weight portions comprises at least one non-removable weight portion integral to the hollow body portion.

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the face portion comprises a loft angle between fifteen degrees and seventy-five degrees.

7. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 0.060 inch.

8. A golf club head comprising:

two or more weight portions made of a first material; 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, a back portion with two or more exterior weight ports along a periphery of the hollow body portion, each exterior weight port being defined by a bore extending into the second material of the hollow body portion from an opening on the back wall portion, and an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and between the face and back portions, the interior cavity being at least partially filled with an elastic polymer material,

wherein 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 such that the first material of each weight portion of the plurality of weight portions engages the second material of the corresponding exterior weight port of the plurality of exterior weight ports, and

wherein any two adjacent exterior weight ports are separated by less than the port diameter.

9. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity being at least 50% filled with a thermoplastic elastomer material.

10. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity height extending between the top and sole portions, the cavity height being at least 50% of a body height of the hollow body portion.

11. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the two or more weight portions comprises at least one non-removable weight portion integral to the hollow body portion.

12. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the face portion comprises a loft angle between fifteen degrees and seventy-five degrees.

13. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 0.060 inch.

14. An iron-type golf club head comprising:

a plurality of weight portions made of a first material; and

a hollow body portion made of a second material, the hollow body portion having a face portion, a toe portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion with a plurality of exterior weight ports along a periphery of the back portion, and an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and between the face and back portions, at least one exterior weight port of the plurality of exterior weight ports being connected to the interior cavity, the interior cavity being partially or entirely filled with an elastic polymer material through the at least one exterior weight port,

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

wherein at least one of the exterior weight ports is closer to the sole portion than to the top portion.

15. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the hollow body portion further comprises an integral mass portion located at or proximate to a sole-and-toe transition region between the sole and toe portions, and wherein the mass portion is made of a tungsten-based material.

16. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the hollow body portion comprises an integral mass portion located at or proximate to a sole-and-toe transition region between the sole and toe portions, and wherein at least a portion of the integral mass portion is located below a horizontal midplane of the golf club head.

17. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity having at least 50% filled with a thermoplastic elastomer material.

18. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity height extending between the top and sole portions, the cavity height being at least 50% of a body height of the hollow body portion.

19. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the face portion comprises a loft angle between fifteen degrees and seventy-five degrees.

20. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 0.060 inch.