Golf club head with structural columns

• US 9,694,257 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2017
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Seluga, James A., Myers, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US15/446,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20170182381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 125 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• 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 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• 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 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand

Abstract

A golf club head having multiple structural columns is disclosed herein. A body comprises a face section, a sole section, and a crown or return section, and defines a hollow interior. Each of the structural columns extends from the crown or return section to the sole section within the hollow interior to reduce stresses placed on the face section during impact with a golf ball. The structural columns are all located within 1 inch of a rear surface of the face section measured along a plane normal to the center of the face, and are spaced a distance of 0.500 to 2.00 inch from one another within the hollow interior.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a metal body with a hollow interior comprising

a toe structural column comprising a body with a crown end, a sole end, a forward surface, a rearward surface, a heel surface and a toe surface,

a heel structural column comprising a body with a crown end, a sole end, a forward surface, a rearward surface, a heel surface and a toe surface,

a striking face section having an exterior surface, an interior surface, an upper perimeter and a lower perimeter,

a crown return portion extending rearward from the upper perimeter of the striking face section, and

a sole section portion extending rearward from the lower perimeter of the striking face section;

a crown portion composed of a carbon composite material;

wherein the crown end of the toe structural column is connected to the crown return portion, the crown end of the heel structural column is connected to the crown return portion, the sole end of the toe structural column is connected to the sole section, and the sole end of the heel structural column is connected to the sole section;

wherein the heel structural column is a distance from a heel end of the metal body ranging from 1.5 inches to 2.5 inches, wherein the toe structural column is a distance from a toe end of the metal body ranging from 1.5 inches to 2.5 inches, wherein the rearward surface of each of the toe structural column and the heel structural column is at least 3.5 inches forward from an aft end of the metal body;

wherein the toe structural column and the heel structural column are positioned approximately parallel to the interior surface of the striking face section, are parallel to each other and are each spaced from 0.136 inch to 0.210 inch from the interior surface of the striking face section, wherein the positioning of the toe structural column and the heel structural column improves the normalized ball speed relationship to characteristic time;

wherein the toe structural column and the heel structural column attenuate movement of the crown return portion and the sole section when the striking face section impacts a golf ball.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the toe structural column and the heel structural column each have a length from the sole end to the crown end ranging from 1 inch to 2.5 inches.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the heel surface of the toe structural column is a distance ranging from 0.75 inch to 1.5 inches from the toe surface of the heel structural column.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has an external volume ranging from 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the metal body is composed of a titanium alloy.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a mass ranging from 185 grams to 215 grams.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the metal body is composed of an iron alloy.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the sole section comprises a plurality of cutouts covered with a plurality of cover pieces, each of the plurality of cover pieces composed of a carbon composite material.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein a contact area between the crown return portion and each of the toe structural column and the heel structural column ranges from 0.02 square inch to 0.04 square inch.

10. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the body of each of the toe structural column and the heel structural column is hollow.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a metal body with a hollow interior comprising

a plurality of structural columns, each structural column comprising a body with a crown end, a sole end, a forward arc surface, a rearward arc surface, a heel arc surface and a toe arc surface,

a striking face section having an exterior surface, an interior surface, an upper perimeter and a lower perimeter,

a crown return portion extending rearward from the upper perimeter of the striking face section, and

a sole section portion extending rearward from the lower perimeter of the striking face section;

a crown body attached to the crown return portion, the crown body composed of a carbon composite material;

wherein the crown end of each of the plurality of structural columns is connected to the crown return portion, and the sole end of each of the plurality of structural columns is connected to the sole section;

wherein the plurality of structural columns are positioned approximately parallel to the interior surface of the striking face section, are parallel to each other and are each spaced from 0.136 inch to 0.210 inch from the interior surface of the striking face section, wherein the positioning of the plurality of structural columns improves the normalized ball speed relationship to characteristic time;

wherein each of the plurality of structural columns is positioned within an imaginary cube defined by the crown return portion, the sole section, a distance of 1.5 inches from a heel end of the metal body, a distance of 1.5 inches from a toe end of the metal body, a distance of 3.5 inches from an aft end of the metal body, and a distance of 0.120 inch rearward from the interior surface of the striking face section.

12. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters.

13. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the metal body is composed of a titanium alloy.

14. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the golf club head has a mass ranging from 185 grams to 215 grams.

15. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the body of each of the plurality of structural columns is hollow.

16. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the sole section comprises a plurality of cutouts covered with a plurality of cover pieces, each of the plurality of cover pieces composed of a carbon composite material.

17. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein a contact area between the crown return portion and each of the plurality of structural columns ranges from 0.002 square inch to 0.03 square inch.

18. The golf club head according to claim 11 wherein the metal body is composed of an iron alloy.