Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 9,764,208 B1
• Filed: 02/15/2017
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2016
• 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:
  US15/433,753
• Time in Patent Office: 216 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 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• 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 body portion with a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a rear portion, and a front portion having a face portion with a face portion thickness extending between a front surface and a back surface. The body portion may be associated with a body portion volume. The golf club head may also include an interior cavity. The interior cavity may include an elastic polymer material. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a rear portion, a front portion having a face portion with a face portion thickness extending between a front surface and a back surface, at least a first weight portion above a horizontal midplane of the body portion and at least a second weight portion below the horizontal midplane, and an interior cavity, the body portion being associated with a body portion volume;

an elastic polymer material in the interior cavity, the elastic polymer material being associated with an elastic polymer material volume;

wherein the elastic polymer material volume is related to the body portion volume by the equation 0.2≦

V_e/V_b≦

0.5, where V_e is the elastic polymer material volume in units of in³, and V_b is the body portion volume in units of in³;

wherein the interior cavity is associated with an interior cavity volume, and wherein the interior cavity volume is related to the body portion volume by equation 0.2≦

V_c/V_b≦

0.5, where V_c is the interior cavity volume in units of in³, V_b is the body portion volume in units of in³, and V_e≦

V_c, and

wherein a distance between the at least second weight portion and the back surface of the face portion is greater than a distance between the at least first weight portion and the back surface of the face portion.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 further comprising a bonding portion bonded to the back surface of the face portion, wherein the elastic polymer material is bonded to the bonding portion.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 further comprising a bonding agent having a first cure state associated with a first temperature range and a second cure state associated with a second temperature range different from the first temperature range, wherein the bonding agent is in contact with the back surface of the face portion and bonded to the back surface of the face portion at the first cure state, and wherein the elastic polymer material is in contact with the bonding agent and is bonded to the bonding agent at the second cure state.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the face portion thickness is between about 0.02 inch (0.508 mm) and about 0.09 inch (2.286 mm).

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the elastic polymer material comprises at least one of a thermoplastic elastomer material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material.

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of ports on the rear portion, wherein at least one port of the plurality of ports is connected to the interior cavity, and wherein the elastic polymer material is injected into the interior cavity from the at least one port.

7. 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 body portion.

8. A golf club head comprising:

a body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a rear portion, a front portion having a face portion with a face portion thickness extending between a front surface and a back surface, at least a first weight portion above a horizontal midplane of the body portion and at least a second weight portion below the horizontal midplane, and an interior cavity;

an elastic polymer material in the interior cavity, the elastic polymer material being associated with an elastic polymer material volume;

wherein the face portion thickness is related to the elastic polymer material volume by the equation 0.01≦

T_f/V_e≦

0.2, where T_f is the face portion thickness in units of inches, and V_e is the elastic polymer material volume in units of in³;

wherein the interior cavity is associated with an interior cavity volume, and wherein the face portion thickness is related to the interior cavity volume by the equation 0.01≦

T_f/V_c≦

0.2, where T_f is the face portion thickness in units of inches, V_c is interior cavity volume in units of in³, and V_e≦

V_c, and

wherein a distance between the at least second weight portion and the back surface of the face portion is greater than a distance between the at least first weight portion and the back surface of the face portion.

9. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the face portion thickness is between about 0.02 inch (0.508 mm) and about 0.09 inch (2.286 mm).

10. A golf club head as defined in claim 8 further comprising a bonding portion bonded to the back surface of the face portion, wherein the elastic polymer material is bonded to the bonding portion.

11. A golf club head as defined in claim 8 further comprising a bonding agent having a first cure state associated with a first temperature range and a second cure state associated with a second temperature range different from the first temperature range, wherein the bonding agent is in contact with the back surface of the face portion and bonded to the back surface of the face portion at the first cure state, and wherein the elastic polymer material is in contact with the bonding agent and is bonded to the bonding agent at the second cure state.

12. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the elastic polymer material comprises at least one of a thermoplastic elastomer material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material.

13. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, further comprising a plurality of ports on the rear portion, wherein at least one port of the plurality of ports is connected to the interior cavity, and wherein the elastic polymer material is injected into the interior cavity from the at least one port.

14. 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 body portion.

15. A golf club head comprising:

a body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a rear portion, a front portion having a face portion with a face portion thickness extending between a front surface and a back surface, at least a first weight portion above a horizontal midplane of the body portion and at least a second weight portion below the horizontal midplane, and an interior cavity;

an elastic polymer material in the interior cavity;

wherein an elastic polymer material volume associated with the elastic polymer material, a body portion volume associated with the body portion, and the face portion thickness are related by the equation V_e=a*V_b+b+c*T_f, where V_e is the elastic polymer material volume in units of in³, V_b is the body portion volume in units of in³, T_f is the face portion thickness in units of inches, a≅

0.48, b≅

−

0.38, and 0≦

c≦

10;

wherein the interior cavity is associated with an interior cavity volume, and wherein the interior cavity volume is related to the body portion volume by equation 0.2≦

V_c/V_b≦

0.5, where V_c is the interior cavity volume in units of in³, V_b is the body portion volume in units of in³, and V_e≦

V_c;

wherein the interior cavity is associated with an interior cavity volume, and wherein the face portion thickness is related to the interior cavity volume by the equation 0.01≦

T_f/V_c≦

0.2, where T_f is the face portion thickness in units of inches, and V_c is interior cavity volume in units of in³, and

wherein a distance between the at least second weight portion and the back surface of the face portion is greater than a distance between the at least first weight portion and the back surface of the face portion.

16. A golf club head as defined in claim 15, wherein the face portion thickness is between about 0.02 inch (0.508 mm) and about 0.09 inch (2.286 mm).

17. A golf club head as defined in claim 15 further comprising a bonding portion bonded to the back surface of the face portion, wherein the elastic polymer material is bonded to the bonding portion.

18. A golf club head as defined in claim 15 further comprising a plurality of ports on the rear portion, wherein at least one port of the plurality of ports is connected to the interior cavity, and wherein the elastic polymer material is injected into the interior cavity from the at least one port.

19. A golf club head as defined in claim 15, wherein the interior cavity is associated with an interior cavity volume, and wherein the interior cavity volume, the body portion volume, and the face portion thickness are related by the equation V_c=a*V_b+b+c*T_f, where V_c is the interior cavity volume in units of in³, V_b is the body portion volume in units of in³, T_f is the face portion thickness in units of inches, a≅

0.48, b≅

−

0.38, and 0≦

c≦

10.

20. A golf club head as defined in claim 15, 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 body portion.