Golf club face plates with internal cell lattices

• US 9,878,217 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2016
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Morales, Eric J., Henrikson, Erik M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMMS JR, JOHN ELLIOTT
• Application Number:
  US15/208,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20160317881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• 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 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0429 the face insert comprising two or more layers of material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• 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 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/02 by means of a press ; Diffusion bonding B23K20/001, B23K20/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/021 Isostatic pressure welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/023 Thermo-compression bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/233 without ferrous layer
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/14 Titanium or alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club face plates with internal cell lattices are presented herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a face plate having;

an inner skin;

an outer skin; and

a midsection between the inner skin and outer skin;

an inner midsection end of the midsection is coupled to the inner skin of the face plate;

an outer midsection end of the midsection is coupled to the outer skin of the face plate; and

the midsection comprises a cell lattice with a plurality of walls defining a plurality of cells bounded between the inner skin and the outer skin, wherein a density of the plurality of cells decreases towards a target strike region of the face plate; and

the inner skin, the outer skin, and the midsection consist of at least one of;

a titanium 8-1-1 material;

or

a titanium 6-4 material.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of cells comprise a first cell having a greatest cell width of the plurality of cells;

the greatest cell width is measured substantially parallel to the outer midsection end;

the cell lattice is in a midsection central area of the midsection;

the midsection central area is bounded by a midsection perimeter of the midsection and is devoid of the cell lattice; and

the midsection perimeter comprises a midsection perimeter width, measured from an outer edge of the midsection to the midsection central area, of at least twice the greatest cell width.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

one or more of the plurality of cells comprise at least one of a hexagon shape, a rhombus shape, a straight triangle shape, or a Reuleaux triangle shape.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the cell lattice comprises;

a first set of cells of the plurality of cells comprise a first geometric shape; and

a second set of cells of the plurality of cells comprise a second geometric shape different than the first geometric shape; and

the first set of cells of the plurality of cells are interspersed with the second set of cells of the plurality of cells.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the cell lattice comprises one or more subcells within a first cell of the plurality of cells, the one or more subcells comprising a geometric shape type different than a geometric shape type of the first cell.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the cell lattice comprises the plurality of cells in an isogrid pattern.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

a first wall of the plurality of walls comprises;

a wall width measured substantially parallel to the outer midsection end; and

a wall thickness measured substantially perpendicular to the outer midsection end,

the wall thickness varying between the inner midsection end and the outer midsection end.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the cell lattice comprises the plurality of cells in a pattern where a size of the plurality of cells decreases towards the target strike region of the face plate.

9. A golf club head comprising:

a face plate having;

an inner skin;

an outer skin; and

a midsection between the inner skin and outer skin;

an inner midsection end of the midsection is coupled to the inner skin of the face plate;

an outer midsection end of the midsection is coupled to the outer skin of the face plate; and

the midsection comprises a cell lattice with a plurality of walls defining a plurality of cells bounded between the inner skin and the outer skin;

the inner skin comprises an inner crystal structure;

the outer skin comprises an outer crystal structure;

the midsection comprises a midsection crystal structure; and

the inner crystal structure and the midsection crystal structure are intermeshed together into a beta-type structure; and

the outer crystal structure and the midsection crystal structure are intermeshed together into a beta-type structure.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein:

the cell lattice comprises a cell junction where two or more of the plurality of walls couple together; and

the cell junction comprises a first junction channel extending from the inner midsection end to the outer midsection end.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the first junction channel comprises a first junction channel diameter of approximately 0.2 mm to approximately 0.66 mm.

12. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein:

the plurality of cells comprise a first cell having a greatest cell width of the plurality of cells;

the greatest cell width is measured substantially parallel to the outer midsection end;

the cell lattice is in a midsection central area of the midsection;

the midsection central area is bounded by a midsection perimeter of the midsection and is devoid of the cell lattice; and

the midsection perimeter comprises a midsection perimeter width, measured from an outer edge of the midsection to the midsection central area, of at least twice the greatest cell width.

13. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein:

one or more of the plurality of cells comprise at least one of a hexagon shape, a rhombus shape, a straight triangle shape, or a Reuleaux triangle shape.

14. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein:

providing the cell lattice comprises;

a first set of cells of the plurality of cells comprise a first geometric shape; and

a second set of cells of the plurality of cells comprise a second geometric shape different than the first geometric shape; and

the first set of cells of the plurality of cells are interspersed with the second set of cells of the plurality of cells.

15. A golf club head comprising:

a face plate having;

an inner skin;

an outer skin; and

a midsection between the inner skin and outer skin;

an inner midsection end of the midsection is coupled to the inner skin of the face plate;

an outer midsection end of the midsection is coupled to the outer skin of the face plate; and

the midsection comprises a cell lattice with a plurality of walls defining a plurality of cells bounded between the inner skin and the outer skin;

a first wall of the plurality of walls comprises a transverse passageway between adjacent cells of the plurality of cells.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein:

the cell lattice comprises one or more subcells within a first cell of the plurality of cells, the one or more subcells comprising a geometric shape type different than a geometric shape type of the first cell.

17. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein:

the cell lattice comprises the plurality of cells in an isogrid pattern.

18. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein:

a first wall of the plurality of walls comprises;

a wall width measured substantially parallel to the outer midsection end; and

a wall thickness measured substantially perpendicular to the outer midsection end, the wall thickness varying between the inner midsection end and the outer midsection end.

19. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein:

the cell lattice comprises the plurality of cells in a pattern where a density of the plurality of cells decreases towards a target strike region of the face plate.

20. A golf club head comprising:

a face plate having;

an inner skin;

an outer skin; and

a midsection between the inner skin and outer skin;

an inner midsection end of the midsection is coupled to the inner skin of the face plate;

an outer midsection end of the midsection is coupled to the outer skin of the face plate; and

the midsection comprises a cell lattice with a plurality of walls defining a plurality of cells bounded between the inner skin and the outer skin, wherein a first wall of the plurality of walls comprises;

a wall width measured substantially parallel to the outer midsection end; and

a wall thickness measured substantially perpendicular to the outer midsection end, the wall thickness varying between the inner midsection end and the outer midsection end; and

the inner skin, the outer skin, and the midsection consist of at least one of;

a titanium 8-1-1 material;

or

a titanium 6-4 material.