Golf club head

• US 9,457,241 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Hebreo, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): STANCZAK, MATTHEW BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US14/132,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20150165280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0429 the face insert comprising two or more layers of material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• 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: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head having a reinforced striking face that includes a thin striking plate with a reinforcement plate disposed behind the striking plate. The striking face may have lubricant between the striking plate and reinforcement plate, separation volumes between the striking plate and reinforcing plate, or a combination thereof. The thicknesses of the striking and reinforcing plates may vary within the plates themselves and may have regions intended to mate with each other to create reinforced regions.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a striking face and an inner volume, wherein the striking face comprises a striking plate, a reinforcing plate, and a separation volume disposed between the striking plate and the reinforcing plate,

wherein the striking plate comprises an outer surface that faces outward from the club body and an inner surface that faces the inner volume of the body, wherein the striking plate comprises a plurality of regions,

wherein the reinforcing plate comprises a first surface that faces the inner surface of the striking plate and a second surface that faces the inner volume of the body, and

wherein the separation volume has a variable thickness and comprises lubricant.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein lubricant has a thickness from about 0.1 micron to about 1 micron.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of regions comprises at least one recessed region on the inner surface having a lesser thickness than other of the plurality of regions.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first surface comprises at least one protruding region with a greater thickness than one or more other regions of the reinforcing plate.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of regions comprises at least one recessed region on the inner surface having a lesser thickness than other of the plurality of regions, wherein the first surface comprises at least one protruding region with a greater thickness than one or more other regions of the reinforcing plate, and wherein the at least one protruding region mates with the at least one recessed region in the striking plate to define at least one reinforced region within the striking face.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the at least one recessed region comprises a first recessed region and a second recessed region, and wherein the at least one protruding region comprises a first protruding region and a second protruding region, and wherein the first recessed region mates with the first protruding region and the second recessed region mates with the second protruding region.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the separation volume comprises a first lubricant between the first recessed region and the first protruding region, and wherein the separation volume comprises a second lubricant between the second recessed region and the second protruding region.

8. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the at least one reinforced region corresponds with a center of the striking face, and excludes both a heel region and a toe region of the striking face.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the at least one reinforced region comprises an elliptical shape.

10. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the at least one reinforced region extends from approximately a sole end of the striking face to a crown end of the striking face.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a striking face and an inner volume, wherein the striking face comprises a striking plate, a reinforcing plate, and a separation volume disposed between the striking plate and the reinforcing plate,

wherein the striking plate comprises an outer surface that faces outward from the club body and an inner surface that faces the inner volume of the body, wherein the striking plate comprises a plurality of regions,

wherein the reinforcing plate comprises a first surface that faces the inner surface of the striking plate and a second surface that faces the inner volume of the body, and wherein the separation volume has a variable thickness and comprises a filler material.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the plurality of regions comprises at least one recessed region on the inner surface having a lesser thickness than other of the plurality of regions.

13. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the first surface comprises at least one protruding region with a greater thickness than one or more other regions of the reinforcing plate.

14. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the plurality of regions comprises at least one recessed region on the inner surface having a lesser thickness than other of the plurality of regions, wherein the first surface comprises at least one protruding region with a greater thickness than one or more other regions of the reinforcing plate, and wherein the at least one protruding region mates with the at least one recessed region in the striking plate to define at least one reinforced region within the striking face.

15. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the filler material comprises rubber, foam, or combinations thereof.

16. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a striking face and an inner volume, wherein the striking face comprises a striking plate and a reinforcing plate,

wherein the striking plate comprises an outer surface that faces outward from the club body and an inner surface that faces the inner volume of the body, wherein the striking plate comprises a plurality of regions, wherein the plurality of regions comprises at least two recessed regions on the inner surface having a lesser thickness than other of the plurality of regions,

wherein the reinforcing plate comprises a first surface that faces the inner surface of the striking plate and a second surface that faces the inner volume of the body, wherein the first surface comprises at least two protruding regions with a greater thickness than one or more other regions of the reinforcing plate,

wherein the at least two protruding regions mate with the at least two recessed regions in the striking plate to define at least two reinforced regions within the striking face, and wherein the at least two reinforced regions each extend from approximately a sole end of the striking face to a crown end of the striking face.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the at least two reinforced regions comprise a heel intermediate region and a toe intermediate region.

18. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the striking face comprises a separation volume disposed between the striking plate and the reinforcing plate.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the separation volume comprises at least one region comprising lubricant.

20. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the separation volume comprises air, a filler material, or a combination thereof.