Hollow golf club head

• US 20060052177A1
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakahara, Norihiko, Yamamoto, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 7,470,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type

Abstract

A golf club head of the present invention includes a face portion having an impact surface that impacts a golf ball and is made from a metallic material, and a crown portion, a heel portion, a sole portion, and a toe portion that are adjacent to the face portion. In at least two portions from among the crown portion, the heel portion, the sole portion, and the toe portion, at least one from among dissimilar metallic materials that differ from the metallic material of the impact surface and fiber reinforced plastic materials is used in regions along ends that are adjacent to the face portion, within a range of 30 mm from the adjacent ends. Thereby, the golf club has a structure that easily deforms with respect to golf ball impacts, and the face portion deforms more than conventional face portions. The coefficient of restitution of a struck golf ball therefore increases, the initial velocity of the golf ball increases, and the carry distance increases.

Claims

1. A hollow golf club head, comprising a face portion having an impact surface that impacts a golf ball and is made from a metallic material, and a crown portion, a heel portion, a sole portion, and a toe portion that are adjacent to the face portion,

wherein, in at least two portions from among the crown portion, the heel portion, the sole portion, and the toe portion, at least one material of dissimilar metallic material that differ from the metallic material and fiber reinforced plastic material is used in regions along edges that are adjacent to the face portion, within a range of 30 mm from the adjacent edges.

2. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said at least two portions from among the crown portion, the heel portion, the sole portion, and the toe portion are divided into two portions along edges that are adjacent to the face portion, in regions within a range of 30 mm from the adjacent edges, each of said at least two portions having a first member that extends to the face portion and a second member as a portion other than the first member, and

joining portions are formed by joining members made from fiber reinforced plastics, the joining members overlapping the first member and the second member respectively to join.

3. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said at least two portions from among the crown portion, the heel portion, the sole portion, and the toe portion are divided into two portions along edges that are adjacent to the face portion, in regions within a range of 30 mm from the adjacent edges, each of the at least two portions having a first member that extends to the face portion, and a second member made from fiber reinforced plastics, and joining portions are formed at which the second members overlap with and join to the first members.

4. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said at least two portions from among the crown portion, the heel portion, the sole portion, and the toe portion have cutout portions within a range of 30 mm from edges that are adjacent to the face portion, along the adjacent edges, and at least one of the reinforced plastic material and the dissimilar metallic material is provided to close the cutout portions.

5. The hollow golf club head according to claim 4, wherein said at least one of the fiber reinforced plastic material and the dissimilar metallic material is bonded with members around the cutout portions.

6. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the dissimilar metallic material is alloy material selected from the group consisting of titanium alloy, magnesium alloy, stainless steel alloy, and aluminum alloy.

7. The hollow golf club head according to claim 1, wherein an elastic modulus of fibers of the fiber reinforced plastic material is less than 27×

10³ kg-f/mm².

8. The hollow golf club head according to claim 2, wherein thickness t₁ of the first member which joins to the joining member ranges from 0.5 to 2.0 mm, and the thickness t₂ Of the joining member which joins to the second member ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 mm.

9. The hollow golf club head according to claim 2, wherein the first member and the second member respectively joint to the joining member by an adhesive.