Golf club head

• US 7,144,334 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Nigro, Anthony V., Erickson, Matthew J., Kosmatka, John B., Ehlers, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/161,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20050272528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473290-291
• US Class Current: 473/329
• 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 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/10 Prepolymer processes involving reaction of isocyanates or isothiocyanates with compounds having active hydrogen in a first reaction step
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3206 aliphatic

Abstract

A golf club head having a matrix layer composed of an interconnected reinforcement structure and a polymer material is disclosed herein. The matrix layer provides the golf club head with a greater coefficient of restitution during impact with a golf ball. The matrix layer is preferably disposed within a recess in the front wall of the body of the golf club head. The interconnected reinforcement structure is preferably composed of interconnected hexagonal cells.

Claims

1. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a body composed of a metallic material and including a front wall having a recess formed therein having a depth of 0.100 inch, the front wall having an exterior surface, the body having a volume ranging from 300 cubic centimeters to 600 cubic centimeters; and

a matrix layer having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the matrix layer disposed within the recess of the front wall with the interior surface of the matrix layer disposed on the exterior surface of the front wall, the matrix layer having a thickness of 0.100 inch, the matrix layer comprising

a reinforcement structure having a plurality of walls forming a plurality of cells, the reinforcement structure composed of an aluminum material and having a depth that extends from 25% to 75% of the depth of the matrix layer, and

a polymer material substantially filling each of the plurality of cells of the reinforcement structure, the polymer material composed of a thermoplastic polyester elastomer;

wherein the reinforcement structure is absent from the center of the face;

wherein the golf cub head has a coefficient of restitution ranging from 0.80 to 0.87 and a mass ranging from 180 grams to 215 grams.

2. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia, Izz, about the Z axis through the center of gravity of the golf club head that ranges from 2700 g-cm² to 4000 g-cm².