Golf club head

• US 20050101407A1
• Filed: 10/20/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Hirano, Tomoya
• Granted Patent: US 7,220,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/342
• 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 53/0458 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head having a face portion that hits a ball, which includes: a center thick portion; a portion of a varying thickness in annular form; and a peripheral thin portion provided around the portion of a varying thickness, where the peripheral thin portion of which the thickness is the smaller than that of the center thick portion. The peripheral thin portion includes a first thin portion and a second thin portion. The first thin portion is provided in at least one portion of a sole portion, a toe portion and a heel portion of the peripheral thin portion.

Claims

1. A golf club head having a face portion that hits a ball complies:

a center thick portion that forms the center region having the greatest thickness, which includes the sweet spot having a substantially uniform thickness;

a portion of a varying thickness in annular form, which is formed around said center thick portion, and where the thickness gradually decreases toward the periphery of the face portion; and

a peripheral thin portion provided around said portion of a varying thickness, where the thickness is smaller than that of said center thick portion,

the peripheral thin portion of which the thickness is the smaller than that of the center thick portion,

said peripheral thin portion includes a first thin portion of which the thickness is substantially constant, and a second thin portion of which the thickness is greater than that of the first thin portion and substantially constant, and

said first thin portion is provided in at least one portion of a sole portion, a toe portion and a heel portion of the peripheral thin portion.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral thin portion is provided with a portion of a varying thickness where the thickness gradually decreases starting from the second thin portion toward the first thin portion between the first thin portion and the second thin portion.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein

the portion of a varying thickness has a maximum width portion having the maximum width on the toe side and/or on the heel side;

the first thin portion is provided in the peripheral thin portion on the toe side and on the heel side; and

the second thin portion is provided in the peripheral thin portion on the crown side and on the sole side.

4. The golf club head according to claim 3, wherein

the maximum width portion of the portion of a varying thickness is not less than 5 mm and not greater than 15 mm.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein

the portion of a varying thickness has a varying ratio of the thickness of 15% to 70% on the toe side and on the heel side, and a varying ratio of the thickness of 22% to 70% on the crown side and on the sole side.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein

the area of the center region formed of the center thick portion is to be not less than 20% of the surface area and not less than 35%.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein

a relationship between a thickness t1 of the center thick portion and the thicknesses t2 and t3 of the second and first thin portion is:

the ratio (t3/t1) is not less than 0.55, and not greater than 0.85;

the ratio (t2/t1) is not less than 0.65, and not greater than 0.90; and

the ratio (t3/t2) is not less than 0.75, and not greater than 0.85.