Golf club head providing enhanced acoustics

• US 7,056,228 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Golden, Charles E., Beach, Todd P., Willett, Kraig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/124,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20050192119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/345, 473/346, 473/329, 473/349, 473/334, 473/332, 473/224, 473/234
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics

Abstract

An golf club head is provided, having enhanced sound and feel characteristics. The club head has a hollow main body including a ball-striking face, a sole, a crown, a hosel, and a side portion extending rearwardly from the face. The body further includes a heel region adjacent to the hosel and a toe region opposing the heel region, and it defines a volume of at least 100 cc. The club head further includes a stiffening member disposed within the body and attached to both the sole and the crown. The member is spaced apart from the striking face and disposed within the body in a region having a first zone extending less than half the distance from the heel region to the toe region and a second zone extending less than half the distance from a rearmost point, thereby forming a local stiffness zone in the body to influence vibration modes and acoustic properties of the club head in a prescribed manner.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow body delimited by a striking plate, a sole, a crown, a hosel, and a side portion extending rearwardly from the striking plate, the hollow body having a heel region adjacent to the hosel, a toe region opposing the heel region, and a maximum club head width measured between the heel region and the toe region;

a first zone disposed within the hollow body and extending less than half the maximum club head width from the outermost heel region towards the toe region; and

a stiffening member completely disposed within the first zone and extending away from the heel region between the heel region and the toe region, wherein the stiffening member is spaced apart from the striking plate and directly coupled to at least the sole and the crown.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the stiffening member is directly coupled to the side portion.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the stiffening member has at least one opening formed therein.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the stiffening member has at least one cutout farmed in at least one of a top end, a bottom end, and a rear side end of the stiffening member.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the stiffening member is substantially planar.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the stiffening member is within a range of 0.7 mm to 3 mm.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein all portions of the stiffening member are closer to a rearmost point of the body than to a center point of the striking plate.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the stiffening member is positioned between 0 and 45 degrees relative to a vertical plane containing a point on a hosel axis and a horizontal line substantially parallel to the striking plate.

9. The golf club head claim 1, wherein the stiffening member is positioned about 90 degrees relative to a substantially vertical plane tangent to the side portion at a junction of the stiffening member and the side portion.

10. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow body delimited by a striking plate, a sole, a crown, a hosel, and a side portion extending rearwardly from the striking plate, the hollow body having a heel region adjacent to the hosel and a toe region opposing the heel region, and a maximum club head width measured between the heel region and the toe region;

a first zone disposed within the hollow body and extending less than one-third the maximum club head width from the outermost heel region to the toe region; and

a stiffening member completely disposed within the first zone and extending away from the heel region between the heel region and the toe region, wherein the stiffening member is spaced apart from the striking plate and directly coupled to at least one of the sole and the crown.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the stiffening member is directly coupled to the side portion.

12. The golf club bead of claim 10, wherein the stiffening member is substantially planar.

13. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the stiffening member has at least one opening formed therein.

14. The club head of claim 10, wherein the stiffening member has at least one cutout formed in at least one of a top end, a bottom end, and a rear side end of the stiffening member.

15. The club head of claim 10, wherein the thickness of the stiffening member is within a range of 0.7 to 3 mm.

16. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein all portions of the stiffening member are closer to a rearmost point of the body than to a center point of the face.

17. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the stiffening member is positioned between 0 and 45 degrees relative to a vertical plane containing a point on a hosel axis and a horizontal line substantially parallel to the striking plate.

18. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the stiffening member is positioned about 90 degrees relative to a substantially vertical plane tangent to the side portion at a junction of the member and the side portion.