Claims
- 1. A hollow metal wood golf club head comprising:a crown; a sole; and a single homogenous metal face having a ball hitting surface and a back surface which is opposite the ball hitting surface, wherein the back surface has a smooth contoured surface toward a hollow interior of the hollow metal wood golf club head to give the face more than one thickness, and wherein the face has first regions having a first thickness at the center of the face and second regions having a second thickness which is smaller than the first thickness and distal from the center, wherein the regions having the first thickness comprise a region along a vertical central axis of the face, and a region proximal the vertical central axis of the face and at least partially along a horizontal central axis of the face, wherein the first thickness is less than 0.150 inch, and wherein the second regions have a thickness less than 0.125 inch, and wherein the face has a height of at least about 1.75 inches and a width of at least about 3.25 inches.
- 2. A variably thick golf club face for a hollow metal wood club head, the variably thick golf club face comprising:a first stiffening region wherein the first stiffening region is off-set from a geometrically-centered vertical axis of the club face and wherein the first stiffening region extends along a majority of the height of the club face; a second stiffening region, wherein the first stiffening region and the second stiffening region coincide at a sweet spot region of the club face, and wherein the second stiffening region extends from the sweet spot region toward a heel end of the club face; and a thinned region distally located from the sweet spot region wherein the average thickness of the sweet spot region is thicker than the average thickness of the thinned region; wherein the back of the face has a smooth contoured surface.
- 3. The variably thick golf club face according to claim 2 wherein the second stiffening region is offset from a geometrically-centered horizontal axis of the club face.
- 4. The variably thick golf club face according to claim 2 wherein the sweet spot region has the greatest average thickness of the club face.
- 5. The variably thick golf club face according to claim 2 wherein the second stiffening region extends from the sweet spot region toward both a toe end and a heel end of the club face.
- 6. A variably-thick golf club face according to claim 2 wherein the first stiffening region extends across a substantial portion of the width of the club face.
- 7. A variably-thick golf club face according to claim 2 wherein the second stiffening region becomes thicker towards a heel end of the club face.
- 8. A variably-thick golf club face according to claim 2 wherein the first stiffening region extends along the entirety of the height of the club face.
- 9. A golf club face according to claim 2 wherein the sweet spot region gradually blends with the thinned region.
- 10. A golf club face according to claim 2 wherein the face center of mass is located at the geometric center of the club face.
- 11. A golf club face according to claim 2 wherein the thinned region is located between the sweet spot region and the heel end of the club face.
- 12. A golf club face according to claim 2 wherein the thinned region is located along the portion of the crown end of the club face.
- 13. A golf club face according to claim 2 wherein the thinned region is located along a potion of a sole end of the club face.
- 14. A variably thick golf club face for a hollow metal wood club head, the variably-thick golf club face comprising:a sweet spot region located at a face center of mass of the club face wherein the sweet spot region includes a first range of thickness that is less than 0.150 inch; a first thinned region located in the crown-heel quadrant of the face and having a second range of thickness less than the first range of thickness; a second thinned region located in the crown-toe quadrant of the face and having a third range of thickness less than the first range of thickness; a third thinned region located in the sole-heel quadrant of the face and having a fourth range of thickness less than the first range of thickness; and a fourth thinned region located in the sole-toe quadrant of the face and having a fifth range of thickness less than the first range of thickness.
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/120,433 filed on Jul. 22, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,432, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/735,601, filed on Oct. 23, 1996 and now U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,084.
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Number |
Date |
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63-193064 |
Aug 1988 |
JP |
6-23553 |
Feb 1994 |
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Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
09/120433 |
Jul 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/454695 |
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US |
Parent |
08/735601 |
Oct 1926 |
US |
Child |
09/120433 |
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US |