Golf club head

• US 9,468,820 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US14/596,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20150126302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• 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 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics

Abstract

A hollow golf club head comprises a face portion with a face for hitting a ball on its front and a crown portion forming a top surface of the head, wherein the head comprises a face member including the face portion and made of a metallic material and a crown member attached to the face member to form the crown portion at least partially, the crown member includes a first member made of a metal material and a second member made of a fiber reinforced resin for supporting the first member so that the first member does not directly contact with the face member, the head has a primary natural frequency of from 3800 to 6500 Hz and an antinode when the head vibrates in the primary natural mode appears in the first member.

Claims

1. A hollow golf club head comprising:

a face portion having a front face for hitting a golf ball, a sole portion forming a bottom surface of the head, a crown portion forming a top surface of the head and a side portion between the crown portion and the sole portion;

the head comprising a face member and a sole member;

the face member comprising the face portion, the crown portion, the side portion and a sole opening, wherein the face member is made of a metallic material;

the sole member being attached to the sole opening of the face member to form the sole portion at least partially, the sole member comprising a first member made of a metallic material and a second member made of a fiber reinforced resin for supporting the first member so that the first member does not directly contact with the face member;

the head having a primary natural frequency in a range of from 3800 to 6500 Hz and

an antinode when the head vibrates in the its primary natural mode appears in the first member.

2. The head according to claim 1, wherein the second member comprises a first opening in which the first member is disposed and a first periphery annularly extending so as to surround the first opening.

3. The head according to claim 1, wherein the second member has a plate shape.

4. The head according to claim 1, wherein the head is a wood type golf club head.

5. The head according to claim 1, wherein the first member has an elliptical shape having a length in a toe-heel direction of the head greater than a length in a front-back direction of the head.

6. The head according to claim 1, wherein the first member is disposed within the sole portion without reaching the side portion.

7. The head according to claim 1, wherein the first member has a periphery edge having flange and the flange is supported by an inner surface of the second member.