Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 9,821,200 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2017
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Original Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Inventors: Parsons, Robert R., Schweigert, Bradley D., Nicolette, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US15/463,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20170326418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 246 Days
• Field of Search: 473332, 473334, 473335, 473338, 473339, 473345, 473346, 473349
• 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 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• 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 hollow body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a bottom portion, a top portion, a plurality of ports on the bottom portion and a plurality of inner support portions in the hollow body portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, and a bottom portion having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a plurality of ports extending from the outer surface of the bottom portion into the hollow body portion, the plurality of ports defining a port region at or near the inner surface of the bottom portion, the plurality of ports including a set of ports being closer to the rear portion than the front portion, a distance between two adjacent ports of the set of ports being less than or equal to the diameter of any of the two adjacent ports, and

an elastic polymer insert located in the port region and at least partially surrounded by the plurality of ports, the elastic polymer insert being in contact with the inner surface of the bottom portion and extending from the inner surface of the bottom portion into the hollow body portion.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the elastic polymer insert comprises a plurality of recesses.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the elastic polymer insert comprises a plurality of hexagonal recesses in a honeycomb configuration.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the elastic polymer insert is attached to the inner surface of the bottom portion with a bonding agent.

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 wherein the elastic polymer insert is configured to fill the port region.

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein each port of the plurality of ports contacts a perimeter portion of the elastic polymer insert.

7. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein a perimeter of the elastic polymer insert includes a plurality of indented portions, and wherein each indented portion of the plurality of indented portions is configured to receive at least a portion of a port of the plurality of ports.

8. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, and a bottom portion having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a plurality of ports extending from the outer surface of the bottom portion into the hollow body portion, the plurality of ports including a first set of ports having at least three ports being closer to the front portion than the rear portion, and a second set of ports having at least three ports being closer to the rear portion than the front portion, and

an elastic polymer material located between the first set of ports and the second set of ports, the elastic polymer material being in contact with the inner surface of the bottom portion and extending from the inner surface of the bottom portion into the hollow body portion, wherein the elastic polymer material is an elastic polymer insert, wherein a perimeter of the elastic polymer insert includes a plurality of indented portions, and wherein each indented portion of the of indented portions is configured to receive at least a portion of the plurality of ports.

9. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the elastic polymer material is an elastic polymer insert comprising a plurality of recesses.

10. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the elastic polymer material is an elastic polymer insert comprising a plurality of hexagonal recesses in a honeycomb configuration.

11. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the elastic polymer material is attached to the inner surface of the bottom portion with a bonding agent.

12. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the elastic polymer material is configured to fill a region at or near the inner surface of the bottom portion between the first set of ports and the second set of ports.

13. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, and a bottom portion having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a plurality of ports extending from the outer surface of the bottom portion into the hollow body portion;

a first inner support portion defining a wall extending from the inner surface of the bottom portion into the hollow body portion, the first inner support portion extending between at least three ports of the plurality of ports, the first inner support portion being closer to the front portion than the rear portion and having a curvature being convex relative to the face portion;

a second inner support portion defining a wall extending from the inner surface of the bottom portion into the hollow body portion, the second inner support portion extending between at least three ports of the plurality of ports, the second inner support portion being closer to the rear portion than the front portion and having a curvature being concave relative to the face portion, and

an elastic polymer insert attached to the inner surface of the bottom portion between the first inner support portion and the second inner support portion, the elastic polymer insert extending from the inner surface of the bottom portion into the hollow body portion.

14. A golf club head as defined in claim 13, wherein the elastic polymer insert comprises a plurality of recesses.

15. A golf club head as defined in claim 13, wherein the elastic polymer insert comprises a plurality of hexagonal recesses in a honeycomb configuration.

16. A golf club head as defined in claim 13, wherein the elastic polymer insert is attached to the inner surface of the bottom portion with a bonding agent.

17. A golf club head as defined in claim 13, wherein the elastic polymer insert is configured to fill a region at or near the inner surface of the bottom portion between the first inner support portion and the second inner support portion.

18. A golf club head as defined in claim 13, wherein the first inner support portion and the second inner support portion extend in the same direction as a portion of the perimeter of the elastic polymer insert.

19. A golf club head as defined in claim 13, wherein a perimeter of the elastic polymer insert includes a plurality of indented portions, and wherein each indented portion of the plurality of indented portions is configured to receive at least a portion of a port of the plurality of ports.