Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 9,878,218 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2017
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2014
• 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:
  US15/446,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20170173416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 335 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/20 Injection nozzles B29C45/1603 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/5227 Clubs

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 back portion, a front portion having a face portion with a front surface and a back surface, an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and between the face and back portions, and an elastic polymer material in the interior cavity, and a bonding portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a golf club head, the method comprising:

providing a body portion having a face portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, and an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions;

providing a plurality of weight portions;

forming a plurality of weight ports comprising a first set of weight ports located along a periphery of the back portion proximate to the sole portion and extending between the toe portion and the heel portion and a second set of weight ports located along the periphery of the back portion proximate to the top portion, the weight ports of the first set of weight ports being substantially similarly spaced apart, each of the weight ports of the first set of weight ports having a substantially similar port diameter as an adjacent weight port of the first set of weight ports and being separated by less than the port diameter from the adjacent weight port, each weight port of the plurality of weight ports configured to receive at least one weight portion of the plurality of weight portions, the interior cavity being accessible through at least one of the weight ports of the plurality of weight ports, and

partially or fully filling the interior cavity with an elastic polymer material through the at least one weight port of the plurality of weight ports.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity separating the face portion and the plurality of weight ports.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein forming the plurality of weight ports comprises forming each of the plurality of exterior weight ports comprising a port wall separated from a back surface of the face portion by the interior cavity.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of weight portions comprises a first weight portion having a first weight portion mass and a second weight portion having a second weight portion mass, wherein the first weight portion mass is relatively less than the second weight portion mass.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 1.5 millimeters (0.060 inch).

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the elastic polymer material comprises a non-foaming injection moldable elastic polymer material.

7. A method of manufacturing a golf club head, the method comprising:

providing a body portion having a face portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, and a back portion; and

forming a plurality of weight ports located along a periphery of the back portion, the plurality of weight ports comprising;

a first set of weight ports located above a horizontal midplane of the golf club head and being proximate to the top portion and extending between the toe portion and the heel portion, the first set of weight ports being substantially similarly spaced apart, each of the weight ports of the first set of weight ports having a substantially similar first port diameter as an adjacent weight port and being separated by less than the first port diameter from the adjacent weight port, and

a second set of weight ports located below a horizontal midplane of the golf club head and being proximate to the sole portion and extending between the toe portion and the heel portion, the second set of weight ports being substantially similarly spaced apart, each of the weight ports of the second set of weight ports having a substantially similar second port diameter as an adjacent weight port and being separated by less than the second port diameter from the adjacent weight port,

wherein the first set of weight ports has fewer weight ports than the second set of weight ports.

8. A method as defined in claim 7 further comprising forming at least one of the weight ports of the plurality of weight ports to have access to an interior cavity of the body portion, and partially or entirely filling the interior cavity with an elastic polymer material through the at least one port of the plurality of weight ports, wherein the interior cavity extends between the top and sole portions.

9. A method as defined in claim 7 further comprising providing a plurality of weight portions, each weight port of the plurality of weight ports configured to receive a weight portion of the plurality of weight portions.

10. A method as defined in claim 7 further comprising providing a plurality of weight portions, each weight port of the plurality of weight ports configured to receive a weight portion of the plurality of weight portions, wherein the plurality of weight portions comprises weight portions with more than about 85% of a total weight portion mass being below the horizontal midplane of the golf club head.

11. A method as defined in claim 7 further comprising partially or entirely filling an interior cavity of the body portion with an elastic polymer material, wherein the interior cavity extends between the top and sole portions, and wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity height extending between the top portion and the sole portion, the cavity height being at least 50% of a body height of the body portion.

12. A method as defined in claim 7 further comprising filling at least 50% of an interior cavity of the body portion with a non-foaming injection molded elastic polymer material, wherein the interior cavity extends between the top and sole portions.

13. A method as defined in claim 7 further comprising partially or entirely filling an interior cavity of the body portion with an elastic polymer material, wherein the interior cavity extends between the top and sole portions, and wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity separating the face portion and the back portion.

14. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 1.5 millimeters (0.060 inch).