Golf club head

• US 20060111201A1
• Filed: 11/21/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Nishio, Masayoshi, Tsunoda, Masaya
• Granted Patent: US 7,494,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/346
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A face backside of a golf club head is provided with six or more ribs extended from a face center toward face circumferences. Angles θ1 to θ6 between respective pairs of adjoining ones of the ribs are less than 90°. One of the ribs that form the smallest angle between its extension direction and a head vertical direction d1 and that extends from the face center toward a crown-side face circumference constitutes an upward rib, which has a smaller cross-sectional area than any of those of the other ribs.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising six or more ribs disposed on a face backside, the ribs being extended from a face center toward face circumferences,

wherein an angle θ

(°

) between extension directions of adjoining ones of the ribs is less than 90°

, and

wherein one of the ribs that forms the smallest angle between its extension direction and a head vertical direction and that extends from the face center toward a crown-side face circumference constitutes an upward rib, which has a smaller cross-sectional area than any of those of the other ribs.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the upward rib has the cross-sectional area of 2.0 to 8.0 mm², and the other ribs have the cross-sectional areas of 4.0 to 10.0 mm².

3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the ribs have widths of 3 mm to 14 mm and heights of 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a face thickness is 0.5 mm or more and 3.5 mm or less.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a roundness of a curvature radius R(mm) is imparted to an intersection of boundary lines of adjoining ones of the ribs and wherein the value of a ratio (θ

/R) between the curvature radius R(mm) and the angle θ

(°

) between the adjoining ribs is in the range of 3 to 50.