Golf club head having a multi-material face

• US 9,717,960 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2015
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Deshmukh, Uday V., Golden, Charles E., de la Cruz, Noah
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US14/925,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20160051868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• 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 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club with a multi-material face is disclosed herein. More specifically, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention has a striking face that forms a pocket, wherein the pocket is filled with a secondary material having a lower density to improve the performance of the golf club head. The multi-material face disclosed in accordance with the present invention may generally have an inter laminar shear strength of greater than about 60 MPa, most preferably greater than about 60 MPa and less than about 145 MPa.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow unitary shell, made out of a first material having a first density, forming at least one opening near a frontal portion of said golf club head;

at least one composite laminate, configured to engage said at least one opening said at least one composite laminate including a striking face layer;

wherein said at least one composite laminate further comprises a plurality of composite strand lamina layers and at least one of a carbon nanotube lamina layer,

wherein said at least one composite laminate has an interlaminar shear strength of between about 60 MPa to about 145 MPa, and

wherein said at least one of said carbon nanotube lamina layer comprises fibers that are all substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to said striking face layer.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said at least one composite laminate has an interlaminar shear strength of between about 70 MPa to about 125 MPa.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein said at least one composite laminate has an interlaminar shear strength of between about 75 MPa to about 120 MPa.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said at least one of said carbon nanotube lamina layer always abuts one of said plurality of composite strand lamina layer exhibitings a highest shear stress upon contact with a golf ball.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said plurality of composite strand lamina layers further comprises a first layer, a second layer, a third layer, and a fourth layer;

said first layer has a fiber orientation in a 90 degree orientation in a crown to sole orientation.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein said at least one of said carbon nanotube lamina layer always abuts said first layer.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein said at least one of said carbon nanotube lamina layer sandwiches said first layer.

8. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein said at least one composite laminate is made out of a material having a strain to failure percentage of greater than about 1.5% and less than about 10.0%.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein said at least one composite laminate is made out of a material having a strain to failure percentage of greater than about 2.0% and less than about 8.0%.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein said at least one composite laminate is made out of a material having a strain to failure percentage of about 2.5%.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow unitary shell, made out of a first material having a first density, forming at least one opening near a frontal portion of said golf club head;

at least one composite laminate, configured to cover said at least one opening said at least one composite laminate including a striking face layer;

wherein said at least one composite laminate further comprises a plurality of composite strand lamina layers and at least one of a carbon nanotube lamina layer,

wherein said plurality of composite strand lamina layer further comprises a first layer, a second layer, a third layer, and a fourth layer;

said first layer has a fiber orientation in a 90 degree orientation in a crown to sole orientation, and

wherein said at least one of said carbon nanotube lamina layer comprises fibers that are all substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to said striking face layer, and

wherein said at least one composite laminate has an interlaminar shear strength of between about 60 MPa to about 145 MPa.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein said at least one composite laminate has an interlaminar shear strength of between about 70 MPa to about 125.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein said at least one composite laminate has an interlaminar shear strength of between about 75 MPa to about 120 MPa.

14. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein said at least one of said carbon nanotube laminar layer always abuts one of said plurality of composite strand lamina layer exhibiting a highest shear stress upon contact with a golf ball.

15. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein said at least one composite laminate is made out of a material having a strain to failure percentage of greater than about 1.5% and less than about 10.0%.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein said at least one composite laminate is made out of a material having a strain to failure percentage of greater than about 2.0% and less than about 8.0%.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein said at least one composite laminate is made out of a material having a strain to failure percentage of about 2.5%.