Golf club head with structural columns

• US 9,855,476 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2017
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• 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, Ivanova, Irina, Rice, Bradley C., Watson, William C., Erickson, Joel B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US15/628,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20170282022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 196 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• 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 53/0433 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

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 comprising a sole section, a crown section, a front section having an opening, a hollow interior, and a protrusion extending from a heel side of the sole section to a toe side of the sole section;

a metal face component positioned over the opening, the face component comprising a striking plate section having an interior surface facing the hollow interior; and

at least one structural connector comprising a body with a crown end, a sole end, a forward surface, a rearward surface, a heel surface, and a toe surface,

wherein the at least one structural connector extends from the crown section to the protrusion,

wherein the crown end of the at least one structural connector is connected to the crown section,

wherein the sole end of the at least one structural connector is connected to the protrusion,

wherein the at least one structural connector is located within 1 inch of the interior surface of the striking plate section, which improves the normalized ball speed relationship to characteristic time,

wherein no portion of the at least structural connector makes contact with the striking plate section,

wherein the protrusion extends upwards from the sole towards the striking plate section without touching the striking face,

wherein the protrusion does not comprise any hollow regions, and

wherein the at least one structural connector attenuates movement of the crown section and the sole section when the striking plate section impacts a golf ball.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 100 cubic centimeters to 300 cubic centimeters.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the at least one structural connector comprises a toe structural connector and a heel structural connector, wherein each of the toe structural connector and heel structural connector is a solid rod, and wherein the toe structural connector is parallel with the heel structural connector.

4. The golf club head according to claim 3, wherein the toe structural connector is spaced a distance of 0.50 inch to 2.00 inch from the heel structural connector.

5. The golf club head according to claim 4, wherein the toe structural connector is spaced a distance of 0.75 to 1.50 inch from the heel structural connector.

6. The golf club head according to claim 5, wherein the toe structural connector is spaced approximately 1.00 inch from the heel structural connector.

7. The golf club head according to claim 3, wherein the each of the toe and heel structural connector extends approximately parallel with the interior surface of the striking plate section.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein each of the protrusion and the at least one structural connector is cast into the body, and wherein the body is composed of steel.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion comprises a base section and an extension section.

10. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the face component comprises at least one return section that is approximately perpendicular to the striking plate section, and wherein the face component is welded to the body to close the opening.

11. The golf club head according to claim 10, wherein the face component is composed of a metal that is different from the metal of the body.

12. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the at least one structural connector is a solid metal rod, and wherein the at least one structural connector is located no more than 0.25 inch from the interior surface of the striking plate section.

13. The golf club head according to claim 1, further comprising an upper opening and a carbon composite crown insert, wherein the crown insert is permanently affixed to the body to close the upper opening.

14. A fairway wood-type golf club head comprising:

a metal body comprising a sole section, a crown section, an upper opening, a front section having a front opening, a hollow interior, and a protrusion extending from a heel side of the sole section to a toe side of the sole section within the hollow interior;

a crown insert permanently affixed to the body to close the upper opening,

a metal face component welded to the body to cover the front opening, the face component comprising a striking plate section having an interior surface facing the hollow interior and a return section that is approximately perpendicular to the striking plate section;

a toe structural connector comprising a first connector body with a first crown end and a first sole end; and

a heel structural connector comprising a second connector body with a second crown end and a second sole end,

wherein each of the toe structural connector and the heel structural connector extends from the crown section to the protrusion,

wherein each of the first crown end and the second crown end is connected to the crown section,

wherein each of the first sole end and the second sole end is connected to the protrusion,

wherein each of the toe structural connector and the heel structural connector is located within 0.25 inch of the interior surface of the striking plate section,

wherein no portion of the toe structural connector or the heel structural connector makes contact with the striking plate section,

wherein the toe structural connector and heel structural connector are parallel to each other and extend approximately parallel with the interior surface of the striking plate section,

wherein the toe structural connector is spaced a distance of 0.50 inch to 2.00 inch from the heel structural connector,

wherein the protrusion comprises a base section and an extension section,

wherein the protrusion is cast into the body,

wherein the protrusion extends upwards from the sole towards the striking plate section without touching the striking plate section, and

wherein the toe structural connector and the heel structural connector attenuate movement of the crown section and the sole section when the striking plate section impacts a golf ball.

15. The fairway wood-type golf club head according to claim 14, wherein the crown insert is composed of a carbon composite material.

16. The fairway wood type golf club head according to claim 14, wherein the body is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of titanium alloy and steel.

17. The fairway wood type golf club head according to claim 16, wherein the face component is composed of a metal that is different from the metal of the body.

18. The fairway wood-type golf club head according to claim 14, wherein the toe structural connector has a length from the first sole end to the first crown end ranging from 1 inch to 2.5 inches, and wherein the heel structural connector has a length from the second sole end to the second crown end ranging from 1 inch to 2.5 inches.

19. The fairway wood-type golf club head according to claim 14, wherein the body of each of the toe structural connector and the heel structural connector is hollow.

20. The fairway wood-type golf club head according to claim 14, wherein each of the toe structural connector and heel structural connector is a solid rod that is cast into the body.