Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads

• US 9,878,220 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2016
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Original Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, Llc
• Inventors: Parsons, Robert R., Nicolette, Michael R., Schweigert, Bradley D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US15/263,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20160375324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• 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 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/20 Injection nozzles B29C45/1603 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/5227 Clubs

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a body portion with a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, and a front portion. The golf club head may include an interior cavity. The interior cavity may be filled with an elastic polymer material. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a face portion;

a body portion having, a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, and an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions;

at least one port located closer to the toe portion than the heel portion and connected to the interior cavity;

at least one weight portion located closer to the heel portion than the at least one port;

wherein the interior cavity is filled with a polymer material from the at least one port,

wherein more than 50% of a mass of the body portion is located below a horizontal midplane of the golf club head, and

wherein a portion of the at least one weight portion is closer to the face portion than a portion of the polymer material in the interior cavity.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one port is located at or near a periphery of the body portion.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one port is located at or below the horizontal midplane.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the polymer material is an elastic polymer material.

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one weight portion is located below the horizontal midplane and is located closer to the toe portion than the heel portion.

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein a width of the interior cavity at or below the horizontal midplane and above the at least one weight portion is greater than a width of the interior cavity near the top portion and greater than a width of the interior cavity near the sole portion.

7. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 1.9 millimeters (0.075 inch).

14. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the third width is between the at least one weight portion and the horizontal midplane.

17. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one weight portion is located below the horizontal midplane.

19. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the polymer material is an elastic polymer material.

8. An iron-type golf club head comprising:

a face portion;

a body portion having, a toe portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, and an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions;

at least one port connected to the interior cavity;

an elastic polymer material injection molded in the interior cavity through the at least one port; and

at least one weight portion coupled to the body portion at a location below a horizontal midplane of the golf club head,

wherein a width of the interior cavity at or below the horizontal midplane and above the at least one weight portion is greater than a width of the interior cavity near the top portion and greater than a width of the interior cavity between the at least one weight portion and the face portion.

9. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 8 further comprising a bonding portion configured to bond the elastic polymer material to the face portion.

10. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the interior cavity comprises a cavity having at least 50% filled with a thermoplastic elastomer material.

11. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein a portion of the interior cavity is configured to separate the face portion and the at least one weight portion.

12. An iron-type golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 1.9 millimeters (0.075 inch).

13. A golf club head comprising:

a face portion;

a body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, and an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions;

at least one port located closer to the toe portion than the heel portion and connected to the interior cavity; and

at least one weight portion located closer the toe portion than the heel portion and located between the at least one port and the heel portion,

wherein the interior cavity is filled with a polymer material from the at least one port, and

wherein a first portion of the polymer material above a horizontal midplane of the body portion has a first width, a second portion of the polymer material below the horizontal midplane has a second width greater than the first width, and a third portion of the polymer material between the first portion and the second portion has a third width greater than the first width and greater than the second width, and wherein the third portion is located between the at least one weight portion and the top portion.

15. A golf club head as defined in claim 13, wherein a portion of the at least one weight portion is closer to the face portion than a portion of the polymer material in the interior cavity.

16. A golf club head as defined in claim 13, wherein the at least one port is located at or below the horizontal midplane.

18. A golf club head as defined in claim 13, wherein the at least one weight portion is closer to the sole portion than the at least one port.

20. A golf club head as defined in claim 13, wherein the face portion comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 1.9 millimeters (0.075 inch).