Golf club head

• US 6,645,087 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Yabu, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US09/950,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20020072434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 473/224, 473/234, 473/324, 473/329, 473/332, 473/345, 473/346, 473/349, 473/350, 473/223, 473/334, 473/282, 473/290, 473/291, 473/292, 473/342
• US Class Current: 473/342
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/00 Golf clubs
• 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 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand

Abstract

A metallic golf club head is provided on the inner surface of the crown portion and/or the inner surface of the sole portion with resonance controlling lines for improving ball hitting sounds, the resonance controlling lines protrude from the inner surface and extend substantially normally to the face portion.

Claims

1. A metallic golf club head comprising:

a face portion having a ball hitting face, the face portion comprising a main part having a substantially constant thickness T1, and a thinner part around the main portion having a thickness T2 less than the thickness T1,

a crown portion,

a sole portion,

a cavity surrounded by the face portion, crown portion and sole portion at least, and

a plurality of resonance controlling lines provided on an inner surface of each of the crown portion and the sole portion which inner surface faces to the cavity, the resonance controlling lines protruding from the inner surface and extending substantially normally to an inner surface of the face portion, and all of the resonance controlling lines extending in one direction, leaving space between front ends of the resonance controlling lines and the inner surface of the face portion so as to provide no substantial support for the inner surface of the face portion.

2. The metallic golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the resonance controlling lines each have a width W of from 0.5 to 3 mm and a protruding height H of from 0.3 to 5 mm.

3. The metallic golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the total volume of the resonance controlling lines is in a range of from 400 to 1200 mm³.

4. The metallic golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the pitches P of the resonance controlling lines are 0.85 to 15.0 mm.

5. The metallic golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the number of the resonance controlling lines in the crown portion per one portion, the crown portion or sole portion, is 2 to 10.

6. The metallic golf club head according to claim 1, wherein two or more of the resonance controlling lines which are adjacent to each other have lengths in a range of 42 to 75 mm.

7. The metallic golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the thickness T1 of the main part is in a range of from 2.5 to 3.5 mm, the difference between the thickness T1 and the thickness T2 of the thinner part is in a range of from 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm, and the width of the thinner part is in a range of from 3 to 5 mm.