Golf club head having ribs

• US 7,641,568 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Hoffman, Joseph Henry, Dipert, Joshua J., Johnson, Matthew David
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter; Alvin A
• Application Number:
  US11/565,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20080132355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/327
• 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

Abstract

Described herein are embodiments of a golf club head having at least one rib with an external portion. For example, according to one embodiment, a wood-type golf club head includes a body that has at least one wall defining an interior cavity. The golf club head further includes at least one rib projecting from the at least one wall. The at least one rib can include an internal portion located within the interior cavity and an external portion located without the interior cavity.

Claims

1. A wood-type golf club head, comprising:

a body comprising at least one of a crown portion, a sole portion and a skirt portion, the body defining an interior cavity and having an overall frequency of vibration in response to impacting a golf ball; and

at least one rib projecting from one or more of the crown portion, the sole portion and the skirt portion, the at least one rib comprising an internal portion located within the interior cavity and an external portion located without the interior cavity and being configured to tune the overall frequency above about 3000 Hz to provide a particular feel and auditory feedback, the internal portion of the at least one rib comprises at least a first internal portion located entirely within the interior cavity and a second internal portion located entirely within the interior cavity, the external portion having a region being located entirely outside of the interior cavity only and is intermediate between the first and second internal portions, wherein the external portion separates the first internal portion and the second internal portion.

2. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body comprises an internal surface and an external surface, the external surface defining at least one concave portion, and wherein the external portion of the at least one rib projects from the concave portion.

3. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one rib and the body comprise a unitary one-piece construction.

4. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a front portion, rear portion, heel portion and toe portion, and wherein the at least one rib extends from the front portion to the rear portion.

5. The wood-type golf club head of claim 4, wherein the body comprises a ball impact plate having a ball impact surface adjacent the front portion of the body, and wherein the at least one rib extends generally perpendicular to the ball impact surface of the ball impact plate.

6. The wood-type golf club head of claim 4, wherein the body comprises a crown portion, a skirt portion and a sole portion, and wherein the at least one rib extends along at least the crown portion of the body.

7. The wood-type golf club head of claim 4, wherein the body comprises a crown portion, a skirt portion and a sole portion, and wherein the at least one rib extends along at least the sole portion of the body.

8. The wood-type golf club head of claim 4, wherein the at least one rib extends along the crown portion, skirt portion and sole portion of the body.

9. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one rib comprises at least three ribs.

10. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a front portion, rear portion, heel portion and toe portion, and wherein the at least one rib extends along the toe portion.

11. The wood-type golf club head of claim 10, wherein the body comprises a ball impact plate having a ball impact surface adjacent the front portion of the body, and wherein the at least one rib extends generally parallel to the ball impact surface of the ball impact plate.

12. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the external portion is separated from the first internal portion by a first transition region and the external portion is separated from the second internal portion by a second transition region.

13. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the external portion, the first internal portion, and the second internal portion are in alignment with each other and coplanar.

14. A wood-type golf club head, comprising:

a body comprising at least one of a crown portion, a sole portion and a skirt portion and having an interior surface defining an interior cavity and an exterior surface opposite the interior surface, the exterior surface having at least one recessed area and the body having an overall frequency of vibration; and

at least one rib projecting from one or more of the crown portion, the sole portion and the skirt portion and extending from the exterior surface outwardly away from the interior surface, wherein at least one external portion of the at least one rib is positioned within the at least one recessed area and a first and second portion of the at least one rib is positioned within an interior cavity and extending from the interior surface inwardly away from the exterior surface toward the interior cavity, and wherein the at least one rib is configured such that the overall frequency of the club head is at least about 3000 Hz, and the at least one external portion separates the first and second portions.

15. The wood-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein the body comprises a crown, skirt and sole, and wherein the at least one recessed area is positioned on the crown.

16. The wood-type golf club head of claim 15, wherein the at least one recessed area comprises a first recessed area, the body further comprising a second recessed area positioned on the sole, wherein at least a portion of the at least one rib is positioned within the first and second recessed areas.

17. The wood-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein the at least one recessed area is positioned on the sole.

18. The wood-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein the body comprises a heel portion and a toe portion generally opposite the heel portion, and wherein the at least one recessed area is positioned on the toe portion.

19. The wood-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein the at least one rib extends generally perpendicularly away from the at least one wall.

20. The wood-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein the external portion is separated from the first portion by a first transition region and the external portion is separated from the second portion by a second transition region.

21. A wood-type golf club head, comprising:

a body comprising at least one of a crown portion, a sole portion and a skirt portion and defining an interior cavity, the body having an interior surface and an exterior surface; and

at least one rib projecting from one or more of the crown portion, the sole portion and the skirt portion, wherein at least an external portion of the rib projects outwardly from the exterior surface of the body and a first and second portion of the rib projects inwardly away from the interior surface of the body and is positioned within the interior cavity;

wherein the at least one rib is configured to increase the overall frequency of the club head resulting from an impact with a golf ball and the external portion of the rib separates the first portion from the second portion.

22. The wood-type golf club head of claim 21, wherein the at least one rib increases the overall frequency of the club head by at least 400 Hertz.

23. The wood-type golf club head of claim 21, wherein the exterior surface of the body defines at least one concave portion, and wherein the portion of the at least one rib is positioned at least partially within the at least one concave portion.

24. The wood-type golf club head of claim 21, wherein the external portion is separated from the first portion by a first transition region and the external portion is separated from the second portion by a second transition region.