GOLF CLUB HEAD HAVING SPRING MASS DAMPING ELEMENTS

BACKGROUND

Golf club heads having a hollow construction and a high coefficient of restitution (COR) may produce, when hitting a golf ball, a sound and feel that is considered to be undesirable. The sound and feel may be improved by providing the golf club head with internal damping. Such internal damping may include filling the golf club head with a filler material, such as a polymer or a foam, or including a damping element in the golf club head between an interior surface of a striking face of the golf club head and a support arm inside the golf club head. However, such internal damping increases the mass of the golf club head, which may be undesirable. As such, improvements in internal damping for golf club heads are desired.

It is with respect to these and other general considerations that the aspects disclosed herein have been made. Also, although relatively specific problems may be discussed, it should be understood that the examples should not be limited to solving the specific problems identified in the background or elsewhere in this disclosure.

SUMMARY

In an aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head, including: a striking face having an exterior surface having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge, and an interior surface opposite to the exterior surface; a sole extending from the lower leading edge and having a rearward portion opposite to the lower leading edge; a top portion extending from the upper topline edge; a back portion coupled between the top portion and the rearward portion of the sole; a cavity at least partially enclosed by the striking face, the sole, and the back portion; a support arm extending at least partially through the cavity from at least one of the top portion, the back portion, or the sole; a damping element positioned between the support arm and the interior surface of the striking face and contacting both of the support arm and the interior surface of the striking face; and a first constrained damping layer on the interior surface of the striking face and spaced apart from the damping element.

In an example, the golf club head further includes a second constrained damping layer on the interior surface of the striking face and spaced apart from the first constrained damping layer. In an example, the first constrained damping layer is at least partially positioned between the damping element and a toe of the golf club head, and the second constrained damping layer is at least partially positioned between the damping element and a heel of the golf club head. In an example, an area of the interior surface of the striking face covered by the first constrained damping layer is 1.1 to 1.5 times an area of the interior surface of the striking face covered by the second constrained damping layer. In an example, a first surface of the first constrained damping layer faces the interior surface of the striking face, and a second surface of the first constrained damping layer opposite to the first surface is exposed to the cavity. In an example, the support arm extends at least partially through the cavity from the top portion or from the sole, and wherein the damping element overlaps a center of the striking face. In an example, the support arm extends at least partially through the cavity from the back portion, and the damping element overlaps a center of the striking face.

In another aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head, including: a striking face including an exterior surface having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge, and an interior surface opposite to the exterior surface; a sole extending from the lower leading edge and having a rearward portion opposite to the lower leading edge; a back portion coupled between the upper topline edge and the rearward portion; a cavity at least partially enclosed by the striking face, the sole, and the back portion; a first constrained damping layer on the interior surface of the striking face; and a second constrained damping layer on the interior surface of the striking face and spaced apart from the first constrained damping layer.

In an example, the golf club head further includes a third constrained damping layer on the interior surface of the striking face and spaced apart from the first and second constrained damping layers. In another example, the third constrained damping layer overlaps a center of the striking face, the first constrained damping layer is at least partially between the third constrained damping layer and a toe of the golf club head, and the second constrained damping layer is at least partially between the third constrained damping layer and a heel of the golf club head. In another example, the first and second constrained damping layers are each spaced apart within the cavity from the back portion. In another example, the first and second constrained damping layers each includes a stiffening plate attached to the interior surface of the striking face by an adhesive. In another example, an area of the interior surface of the striking face covered by the first constrained damping layer is different from an area of the interior surface of the striking face covered by the second constrained damping layer. In another example, a portion of the interior surface of the striking face between the first and second constrained damping layers is exposed to the cavity.

In another aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head, including: a striking face including an exterior surface having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge, and an interior surface opposite to the exterior surface; a sole extending from the lower leading edge and having a rearward portion opposite to the lower leading edge; a back portion coupled between the upper topline edge and the rearward portion; a cavity at least partially enclosed by the striking face, the sole, and the back portion; and a constrained damping layer on the interior surface of the striking face and spaced apart from a center of the striking face.

In an example, a first surface of the constrained damping layer faces the interior surface of the striking face and a second surface of the constrained damping layer opposite to the first surface is exposed to the cavity. In another example, the constrained damping layer includes a stiffening plate attached to the interior surface of the striking face by an adhesive. In another example, the stiffening plate includes aluminum or carbon fiber. In another example, the constrained damping layer is disc-shaped. In another example, the constrained damping layer has a lower edge shaped to correspond to a portion of the lower leading edge that the constrained damping layer is adjacent to, and an upper edge opposite to the lower edge and shaped to correspond to a portion of the upper topline edge that the constrained damping layer is adjacent to.

In another aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head, including: a striking face having an exterior surface having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge, and an interior surface opposite to the exterior surface; a sole extending from the lower leading edge and having a rearward portion opposite to the lower leading edge; a top portion extending from the upper topline edge; a back portion coupled between the top portion and the rearward portion of the sole; a cavity at least partially enclosed by the striking face, the sole, and the back portion; a hosel located at a heel configured to receive a shaft; a toe located opposite the heel; a first spring mass damping element on the interior surface of the striking face having a geometric center; and a second spring mass damping element on the interior surface of the striking face having a geometric center, wherein the geometric center of the first spring mass damping element is located toeward of a face center of the striking face, and wherein the geometric center of the second spring mass damping element is located heelward of the face center of the striking face.

In another aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head, including: a striking face having an exterior surface having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge, and an interior surface opposite to the exterior surface; a sole extending from the lower leading edge and having a rearward portion opposite to the lower leading edge; a top portion extending from the upper topline edge; a back portion coupled between the top portion and the rearward portion of the sole; a cavity at least partially enclosed by the striking face, the sole, and the back portion; a hosel located at a heel configured to receive a shaft; a toe located opposite the heel; and a first spring mass damping element on the interior surface of the striking face having a geometric center, wherein the first spring mass damping element includes a first mass attached to the interior surface of the striking face using a first adhesive element, and wherein the first spring mass damping element includes a rear surface facing the back portion which is not in contact with any other structural elements of the golf club head.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key, critical, or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples are described with reference to the following figures.

FIG. 1 depicts a back view of a golf club head without part of a back portion of the golf club head according to some examples.

FIG. 2 depicts a partially exploded perspective view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts another partially exploded perspective view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 depicts a back view of another golf club head without part of a back portion of the golf club head according to some examples.

FIG. 6 depicts a back view of another golf club head without part of a back portion of the golf club head according to some examples.

FIG. 7 depicts a partially exploded perspective view of the golf club head of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 depicts another partially exploded perspective view of the golf club head of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 depicts a cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 6 along line 9-9 of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The technologies described herein contemplate a golf club head, such as a metal wood, a hybrid, or an iron, such as a wedge, that has internal damping to improve a sound and feel of the golf club head when hitting a golf ball.

FIG. 1 depicts a back view of a golf club head 100 without part of a back portion 111 of the golf club head 100 according to some examples. In particular, FIG. 1 depicts an iron type golf club head 100. FIG. 2 depicts a partially exploded perspective view of the golf club head 100 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 depicts another partially exploded perspective view of the golf club head 100 of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional view of the golf club head 100 of FIG. 1 along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

Referring concurrently to FIGS. 1-4, a golf club head 100 may include a body 100B having an outer surface 100S. The body 100B may include a heel 101, a toe 102, a striking face 103 coupled between the heel 101 and toe 102 and having a lower leading edge 104 and an upper topline edge 105 opposite to the lower leading edge 104, a sole 108 extending from the lower leading edge 104 and having a rearward portion 109 opposite to the lower leading edge 104, a top portion 110 extending rearward from the upper topline edge 105, and a back portion 111 coupled between the rearward portion 109 and the top portion 110. In some examples, the top portion 110 is omitted, and the back portion 111 is coupled between the rearward portion 109 and the upper topline edge 105. The back portion 111 may include all portions of the outer surface 100S of the body 100B that are both coupled between the rearward portion 109 and the top portion 110 (or the upper topline edge 105 in examples where the top portion 110 is omitted) and coupled between the heel 101 and the toe 102. The golf club head 100 may include a hosel 180 at the heel 101 that may be coupled to a golf club shaft (not shown).

The striking face 103 (see FIG. 2) may be configured to strike a golf ball and may have an exterior surface 103E facing outside the golf club head 100 and an interior surface 103I opposite to the exterior surface 103E. The exterior surface 103E of the striking face 103 may include an outermost surface 106 and a plurality of grooves (or score lines) 107 extending in a toe-heel direction and arranged with each other along a direction extending from the lower leading edge 104 to the upper topline edge 105. As used herein, a toe-heel direction refers to both a toe-to-heel direction and a heel-to-toe direction. The exterior surface 103E of the striking face 103 may provide a portion of the outer surface 100S of the body 100B of the golf club head 100. The striking face 103 nay include a thinned portion 103T proximal to the heel 101. The thinned portion 103T may have a smaller thickness than an adjacent portion (e.g., the remainder) of the striking face 103, and may be provided as a tapered recess in the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 so that the striking face 103 generally gets thinner in the toe-to-heel direction. The mass of the golf club head 100 may be reduced by providing the thinned portion 103T in the striking face 103.

The sole 108 may have an exterior surface 108E facing the outside of the golf club head 100 and an interior surface 1081 opposite to the exterior surface 108E. In operation, the sole 108 may generally provide the lower surface of the golf club head 100 when the golf club head 100 is placed in an address position. The address position, as defined by the current application, sets up the golf club head at an orientation that has a lie angle of 60 degrees similar to the requirements of the US GA. Once the lie angle is set at 60 degrees, a face angle of the golf club head is set to be square, which is defined as having a face angle of 0 degrees. The exterior surface 108E of the sole 108 may provide a portion of the outer surface 100S of the body 100B of the golf club head 100.

The back portion 111 may have an exterior surface 111E facing the outside of the golf club head 100 and an interior surface 111I opposite to the exterior surface 111E. In some examples, the golf club head may be a metal wood or a hybrid including a striking face and a sole having features similar to the striking face 103 and the sole 108 described herein, and may further include a crown coupled between the rearward portion of the sole (or “skirt” of the metal wood or hybrid golf club head) and the upper topline edge of the striking face. In some such examples, the crown may have an exterior surface facing the outside of the golf club head and an interior surface opposite to the exterior surface. The exterior surface 111E of the back portion 111 (or the exterior surface of the crown in examples where the golf club head is a metal wood or a hybrid) may provide a portion of the outer surface 100S of the body 100B of the golf club head 100.

The golf club head 100 may have a cavity 100C at least partially enclosed by the striking face 103, the sole 108, and the back portion 111 (or the crown, in examples where the golf club head is a metal wood or hybrid). For example, at least part (e.g., part or all) of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103, at least part of the interior surface 1081 of the sole 108, and at least part of the interior surface 111I of the back portion 111 (or interior surface of the crown, in examples where the golf club head is a metal wood or hybrid) may face the cavity 100C. In some examples, the cavity 100C is at least partially defined by one or more of the top portion 110, the heel 101, and the toe 102. The cavity 100C may be hollow and filled with air or another gas, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, in some examples, the cavity 100C may be at least partially filled with a foam or a lightweight polymer.

In some examples, at least one damping element 130 is positioned between the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 and a support arm 120. The golf club head 100 may further include a first constrained damping layer 140 the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 and a second constrained damping layer 150 on the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103.

The first and second constrained damping layers 140 and 150 and the damping element 130 provide internal damping for the golf club head 100 to improve the sound and feel of the golf club head 100 when hitting a golf ball. However, unlike the damping element 130, which is positioned between the striking face 103 and the support arm 120, the first and second constrained damping layers 140 and 150 may be attached to the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 without support arms being positioned behind them within the cavity 100C. Accordingly, the constrained damping layers 140 and 150 may provide a more mass-efficient manner of internal damping for the golf club head 100 than the damping element 130 or by filling the cavity 100C with a damping filler material. Furthermore, because the constrained damping layers 140 and 150 may be separately manufactured and then attached to the interior surface 1301 of the striking face, the constrained damping layers 140 and 150 may provide a simpler manner for providing internal damping than the damping element 130, which may require the golf club head 100 to be manufactured to include the support arm 120. However, the constrained damping layers 140 and 150 may be used with the damping element 130 in some examples in order to suitably control internal damping. For example, using the constrained damping layers 140 and 150 in conjunction with the damping element 130 may provide better internal damping than using the damping element 130 without the constrained damping layers 140 and 150 or using the constrained damping layers 140 and 150 without the damping element 130.

The damping element 130 may contact (e.g., directly contact) each of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 and the support arm 120. The damping element 130 may include any suitable material, for example, a polymer. Additional examples of materials suitable for damping element 1−30 may be found in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022/0118328, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some examples, the damping element 130 is an elastomer element. The damping element 130 may be different in material than at least one of the striking face 103 or the support arm 120. The damping element 130 may have any suitable shape, such as a disc-shape, and may overlap a center of the striking face 103. In examples, the “center” of the striking face 103 may refer, on exterior surface 103E, to the center of the fifth groove 107 from the lower leading edge 104 toward the upper topline edge 105. Further, “overlap the center of the striking face” includes overlapping a point on the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 that is directly opposite the center of the striking face 103 measured on exterior surface 103E. In some examples, the damping element 130 is provided as a discrete element within the cavity 100C, for example, spaced apart from at least one (or all) of the sole 108, the back portion 111, or the top portion 110.

The support arm 120 may extend at least part way through the cavity 100C from at least one of the top portion 110, the back portion 111, or the sole 108. In the example depicted in FIGS. 1-4, the support arm 120 extends part way through the cavity 100C from the top portion 110. In some examples, the support arm 120 may extend all the way through the cavity 100C, for example, from the top portion 110 to the sole 108. In some other examples, the support arm 120 may extend part way through the cavity 100C from the sole 108 or from the back portion 111.

A stiffening arm 122 may extend at least part way through the cavity 100C from at least one of the top portion 110, the back portion 111, or the sole 108 to contact the support arm 120. For example, the stiffening arm 122 may contact a side of the support arm 120 opposite to a side of the support arm 120 in contact with the damping element 130. By interposing the stiffening arm 122 within the cavity 100C between the support arm 120 and a portion of the body 100B, the damping effect provided by the damping element 130 may be further controlled and improved. In the example depicted in FIGS. 1-4, the stiffening arm 122 extends part way through the cavity 100C from a junction between the sole 108 and the back portion 111 to contact the support arm 120. The support arm 120 and the stiffening arm 122 may each include a metal. In some examples, at least one of the support arm 120 or the stiffening arm 122 may include a same material as the material of the body 100B of the golf club head 100. For example, at least one of the support arm 120 and the stiffening arm 122 may be integrally formed with the body 100B of the golf club head 100. In some examples, the stiffening arm 122 may be omitted.

In some examples, the damping element 130, the support arm 120, and the stiffening arm 122 may have features similar to features disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/565,895 with reference to elements therein that are respectively similar to the damping element 130, the support arm 120, and the stiffening arm 122. The example damping element 130, support arm 120, and stiffening arm 122 shown in FIGS. 1-4 are not limiting. The one or more damping layers 140 and 150 may also be used without damping element 130 or with different configurations of the damping element, support arm, and stiffening arm, such as those disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 17/565,895.

The first constrained damping layer 140 may include a first stiffening plate attached to the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103, and the second constrained damping layer 150 may include a second stiffening plate attached to the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103. The first stiffening plate may include a lightweight material having high strength, and the first stiffening plate may be different in material from at least one of the damping element 130 or the striking face 103. In some examples, the first stiffening plate may include aluminum, any metal capable of being formed into a sheet, carbon fiber, or any other material capable of providing structural rigidity without departing from the scope and content of the present application. The second stiffening plate may include any material that the first stiffening plate may include, and the second stiffening plate may be the same or different in material than the first stiffening plate.

The first stiffening plate may be attached to the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103, for example, by an adhesive between the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 and a surface of the first stiffening plate facing the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103. The adhesive may include a VHB® tape (e.g., 3M® VHB® tape), a silicone-based adhesive, or a urethane-based adhesive. The second stiffening plate may be attached to the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 in any manner that the first stiffening plate may be attached to the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103, and the second stiffening plate may be attached to the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 in a same or different manner (e.g., using a same or different adhesive, respectively) as the manner by which the first stiffening plate is attached to the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103.

In the example depicted in FIGS. 1-4, the first constrained damping layer 140 has one stiffening plate, and the second constrained damping layer 150 has one stiffening plate. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the first constrained damping layer 140 may include two or more stiffening plates arranged in a stack and bonded together, the second constrained damping layer 150 may include two or more stiffening plates arranged in a stack and bonded together, and the number of stiffening plates in the second constrained damping layer 150 may be the same or different from the number of stiffening plates in the first constrained damping layer 140.

The first and second constrained damping layers 140 and 150 may be spaced apart from the damping element 130. In some examples, the first and second constrained damping layers 140 and 150 are spaced apart from each other. At least one of the first constrained damping layer 140 or the second constrained damping layer 150 may be spaced apart from the center (e.g., geometric center) of the striking face 103. The first constrained damping layer 140 may have a first surface 141 facing and attached to the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 and a second surface 143 opposite to the first surface 141, and the second constrained damping layer 150 may have a first surface 151 facing and attached to the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 and a second surface 153 opposite to the first surface 151. The first constrained damping element 140 may have an intermediate surface 142 coupled between the first and second surfaces 141 and 143, and the second constrained damping layer 150 may have an intermediate surface 152 coupled between the first and second surfaces 151 and 153.

The second surfaces 143 and 153 of the first and second constrained damping elements 140 and 150, respectively, may face and be exposed to the cavity 100C. The first and second constrained damping elements 140 and 150 may be spaced apart within the cavity 100C from the back portion 111 of the golf club head 100. In some examples, the first and second constrained damping elements 140 and 150 are spaced apart within the cavity 100C from at least one of the sole 108 or the top portion 110, or both.

The first constrained damping layer 140 may be positioned at least partially, or wholly, between the damping element 130 and the toe 102 or between the center of the striking face 103 and the toe 102, and the second constrained damping layer 150 may be positioned at least partially, or wholly, between the damping element 130 and the heel 101 or between the center of the striking face 103 and the heel 101.

The first constrained damping layer 140 may have any suitable shape, such as a disc-shape. In some examples, the first constrained damping layer 140 has a shape corresponding to a shape of a portion of the striking face 103 that the first constrained damping layer 140 is attached to. For example, the first constrained damping layer 140 may have at least one of a lower edge shaped to correspond to a portion of the lower leading edge 104 that the first constrained damping layer 140 is adjacent to, or an upper edge shaped to correspond to a portion of the upper topline edge 105 that the first constrained damping layer 140 is adjacent to. The second constrained damping layer 150 may have any shape that the first constrained damping layer 140 may have, and the second constrained damping layer 150 may have a same or different shape as the first constrained damping layer 140 has. For example, the first constrained damping layer 140 and the second constrained damping layer 150 may each comprise an outer-edge profile that is a quadrilateral shape.

The first and second constrained damping layers 140 and 150 may have any suitable size (e.g., mass, volume, or area), and the first and second constrained damping layers 140 and 150 may be the same or different in size (e.g., same or different in mass, volume, or area). In some examples, the first constrained damping layer 140 may be positioned at least partially, or wholly, on a toe-side portion of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 (e.g., a portion, or the entirety, of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 between the damping element 130 and the toe 102 or between a center of the striking face 103 and the toe 102), the second constrained damping layer 150 may be positioned at least partially, or wholly, on a heel-side portion of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 (e.g., a portion, or the entirety, of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 between the damping element 130 and the heel 101 or between a center of the striking face 103 and the heel 101), and the first constrained damping layer 140 may be greater or lesser in area than the second constrained damping layer 150.

In some examples, an area of the first side 141 of the first constrained damping layer 140 may be greater than the first side 151 of the second constrained damping layer 150, or an area of the second side 143 of the first constrained damping layer 140 may be greater or smaller than the second side 153 of the second constrained damping layer. In some examples, an area of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 covered or contacted by the first constrained damping layer 140 is 1.0 to 2.0, for example, 1.1 to 1.5, times an area of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 covered or contacted by the second constrained damping layer 150. In examples, the first constrained damping layer 140 may cover or contact 30% to 95% of the toe-side portion of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103, and the second constrained damping layer 150 may cover or contact 30% to 95% of the heel-side portion of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103. In examples, the toe-side portion of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 is the portion of interior surface 103I that is toe-side of an imaginary plane through the geometric center of the striking face 103, wherein the imaginary plane is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of at least one groove 107. Similarly, the heel-side portion of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 is the portion of interior surface 103I that is heel-side of an imaginary plane through the geometric center of the striking face 103, wherein the imaginary plane is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of at least one groove 107. In examples, the toe-side of portion of the interior surface 103I is larger than the heel-side portion of the interior surface 103I.

In some examples, the damping element 130 is omitted, and the first and second constrained damping layers 140 and 150 are spaced apart from each other on the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 with nothing on the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 therebetween. At least a portion (e.g., the entirety) of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 between the first and second constrained damping layers 140 and 150 may be exposed to the cavity 100C. In some other examples where the damping element 130 is omitted, the golf club head 100 may include a third constrained damping layer on (e.g., attached to) the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103. The third constrained damping layer may include any material, have any manner of attachment, have any size, and have any shape that the first constrained damping layer 140 may have, and the third constrained damping layer may be the same or different from the first constrained damping layer 140 in at least one of material, manner of attachment, size, or shape. For example, the third constrained damping layer may be greater or smaller in size than at least one of the first constrained damping layer 140 or the second constrained damping layer 150. In some examples, the third constrained damping layer covers or contacts a greater area of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 than the second constrained damping layer 150, and the first constrained damping layer 140 covers or contacts a greater area of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 than the third constrained damping layer.

The third constrained damping layer may be positioned between the first and second constrained damping layers 140 and 150, and may be spaced apart from at least one of the first constrained damping layer 140 or the second constrained damping layer 150. In some examples, the third constrained damping layer covers the center of the striking face 103. At least a portion of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 between the third constrained damping layer and the first constrained damping layer 140, and at least a portion of the interior surface 103I of the striking face 103 between the third constrained damping layer and the second constrained damping layer 150, may be exposed to the cavity 100C.

Each of the first constrained damping layer 140, the second constrained damping layer 150, and the third constrained damping layer may be manufactured by any suitable means, such as by machining or stamping. Certain shapes of the constrained damping layers, such as a disc-shape, may make the constrained damping layers easier to manufacture compared to more complex shapes.

FIG. 5 depicts a back view of another golf club head 200 without part of a back portion of the golf club head 200 according to some examples. In particular, FIG. 5 depicts an iron type golf club head 200.

Referring to FIG. 5, the golf club head 200 may include some features similar to, or the same as, features described and illustrated herein with respect to the golf club head 100 of FIGS. 1-4. The golf club head 200 may include a body 200B having an outer surface 200S. The body 200B may include a heel 201, a toe 202, a striking face coupled between the heel 201 and the toe 202 and having a lower leading edge (not shown) and an upper topline edge (not shown) opposite to the lower leading edge, a sole 208 extending rearward from the lower leading edge, a top portion 210 extending rearward from the upper topline edge, and a back portion (partially omitted from FIG. 5) coupled between the sole 208 and the top portion 210. The body 200B may have a cavity 200C at least partially enclosed by the striking face, the sole 208, and the back portion. The striking face may have an exterior surface facing the outside of the golf club head 200 and an interior surface 2031 opposite to the exterior surface of the striking face. For example, the interior surface 2031 of the striking face may at least partially face the cavity 200C.

In the depicted example, the golf club head 200 includes a first constrained damping layer 240 on the interior surface 2031 of the striking face, a second constrained damping layer 250 on the interior surface 2031 of the striking face, and a third constrained damping layer 260 on the interior surface 2031 of the striking face. The third constrained damping layer 260 is positioned on the interior surface 2031 of the striking face to overlap a center of the striking face, the first constrained damping layer 240 is positioned between the third constrained damping layer 260 and the toe 202, and the second constrained damping layer 250 is positioned between the third constrained damping layer 260 and the heel 201.

Although some examples of a golf club head have been described herein as having one, two, or three constrained damping layers, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some examples, a golf club head may include, with or without a damping element, four, five, or six or more constrained damping layers attached to the interior surface of the striking face.

FIG. 6 depicts a back view of a golf club head 300 without part of a back portion 311 of the golf club head 300 according to some examples. In particular, FIG. 6 depicts an iron type golf club head 300. FIG. 7 depicts a partially exploded perspective view of the golf club head 300 of FIG. 6. FIG. 8 depicts another partially exploded perspective view of the golf club head 300 of FIG. 6. FIG. 9 depicts a cross-sectional view of the golf club head 300 of FIG. 6 along line 9-9 of FIG. 6.

Referring concurrently to FIGS. 6-9, a golf club head 300 may include a body 300B having an outer surface 300S. The body 300B may include a heel 301, a toe 302, a striking face 303 coupled between the heel 301 and toe 302 and having a lower leading edge 304 and an upper topline edge 305 opposite to the lower leading edge 304, a sole 308 extending from the lower leading edge 304 and having a rearward portion 309 opposite to the lower leading edge 304, a top portion 310 extending rearward from the upper topline edge 305, and a back portion 311 coupled between the rearward portion 309 and the top portion 310. In some examples, the top portion 310 is omitted, and the back portion 311 is coupled between the rearward portion 309 and the upper topline edge 305. The back portion 311 may include all portions of the outer surface 300S of the body 300B that are both coupled between the rearward portion 309 and the top portion 310 (or the upper topline edge 305 in examples where the top portion 310 is omitted) and coupled between the heel 301 and the toe 302. The golf club head 300 may include a hosel 380 at the heel 301 that may be coupled to a golf club shaft (not shown).

The striking face 303 (see FIG. 7) may be configured to strike a golf ball and may have an exterior surface 303E facing outside the golf club head 300 and an interior surface 303I opposite to the exterior surface 303E. The exterior surface 303E of the striking face 303 may include an outermost surface 306 and at least one groove 307 extending in a toe-heel direction and arranged with each other along a direction extending from the lower leading edge 304 to the upper topline edge 305. As used herein, a toe-heel direction refers to both a toe-to-heel direction and a heel-to-toe direction. The exterior surface 303E of the striking face 303 may provide a portion of the outer surface 300S of the body 300B of the golf club head 300. The striking face 303 nay include a thinned portion 303T proximal to the heel 301. The thinned portion 303T may have a smaller thickness than an adjacent portion (e.g., the remainder) of the striking face 303, and may be provided as a tapered recess in the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 so that the striking face 303 generally gets thinner in the toe-to-heel direction. The mass of the golf club head 300 may be reduced by providing the thinned portion 303T in the striking face 303.

The sole 308 may have an exterior surface 308E facing the outside of the golf club head 300 and an interior surface 3081 opposite to the exterior surface 308E. In operation, the sole 308 may generally provide the lower surface of the golf club head 300 when the golf club head 300 is placed in an address position. The address position, as defined by the current application, sets up the golf club head at an orientation that has a lie angle of 60 degrees similar to the requirements of the US GA. Once the lie angle is set at 60 degrees, a face angle of the golf club head is set to be square, which is defined as having a face angle of 0 degrees. The exterior surface 308E of the sole 308 may provide a portion of the outer surface 300S of the body 300B of the golf club head 300.

The back portion 311 may have an exterior surface 311E facing the outside of the golf club head 300 and an interior surface 3111 opposite to the exterior surface 311E. In some examples, the golf club head may be a metal wood or a hybrid including a striking face and a sole having features similar to the striking face 303 and the sole 308 described herein, and may further include a crown coupled between the rearward portion of the sole (or “skirt” of the metal wood or hybrid golf club head) and the upper topline edge of the striking face. In some such examples, the crown may have an exterior surface facing the outside of the golf club head and an interior surface opposite to the exterior surface. The exterior surface 311E of the back portion 311 (or the exterior surface of the crown in examples where the golf club head is a metal wood or a hybrid) may provide a portion of the outer surface 300S of the body 300B of the golf club head 300.

The golf club head 300 may have a cavity 300C at least partially enclosed by the striking face 303, the sole 308, and the back portion 311 (or the crown, in examples where the golf club head is a metal wood or hybrid). For example, at least part (e.g., part or all) of the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303, at least part of the interior surface 3081 of the sole 308, and at least part of the interior surface 3111 of the back portion 311 (or interior surface of the crown, in examples where the golf club head is a metal wood or hybrid) may face the cavity 300C. In some examples, the cavity 300C is at least partially defined by one or more of the top portion 310, the heel 301, and the toe 302. The cavity 300C may be hollow and filled with air or another gas, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, in some examples, the cavity 300C may be at least partially filled with a foam or a lightweight polymer.

In some examples, at least one damping element 330 is positioned between the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 and a support arm 320. The golf club head 300 may further include a first spring mass damping element 340 on the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 and a second spring mass damping element 350 on the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303.

The first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 and the damping element 330 provide internal damping for the golf club head 300 to improve the sound and feel of the golf club head 300 when hitting a golf ball. However, unlike the damping element 330, which is positioned between the striking face 303 and the support arm 320, the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 are attached to the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 without support arms being positioned behind them within the cavity 300C. Accordingly, the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 may provide a more mass-efficient manner of internal damping for the golf club head 300 than the damping element 330 or by filling the cavity 300C with a damping filler material. Furthermore, because the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 may be separately manufactured and then attached to the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303, the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 may provide a simpler manner for providing internal damping than the damping element 330, which may require the golf club head 300 to be manufactured to include the support arm 320. However, the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 may be used with the damping element 330 in some examples in order to suitably control internal damping. For example, using the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 in conjunction with the damping element 330 may provide better internal damping than using the damping element 330 without the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 or using the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 without the damping element 330.

The damping element 330 may contact (e.g., directly contact) each of the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 and the support arm 320. The damping element 330 may include any suitable material, for example, a polymer. Additional examples of materials suitable for damping element 330 may be found in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022/0118328, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some examples, the damping element 330 is an elastomer element. The damping element 330 may be different in material than at least one of the striking face 303 or the support arm 320. The damping element 330 may have any suitable shape, such as a disc-shape, and may overlap a face center of the striking face 303. Further, “overlap the face center of the striking face” includes overlapping a point on the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 that is directly opposite the face center of the striking face 303 measured on exterior surface 303E. In some examples, the damping element 330 is provided as a discrete element within the cavity 300C, for example, spaced apart from at least one (or all) of the sole 308, the back portion 311, or the top portion 310.

The support arm 320 may extend at least part way through the cavity 300C from at least one of the top portion 310, the back portion 311, or the sole 308. In the example depicted in FIGS. 6-9, the support arm 320 extends part way through the cavity 300C from the top portion 310. In some examples, the support arm 320 may extend all the way through the cavity 300C, for example, from the top portion 310 to the sole 308. In some other examples, the support arm 320 may extend part way through the cavity 300C from the sole 308 or from the back portion 311.

A stiffening arm 322 may extend at least part way through the cavity 300C from at least one of the top portion 310, the back portion 311, or the sole 308 to contact the support arm 320. For example, the stiffening arm 322 may contact a side of the support arm 320 opposite to a side of the support arm 320 in contact with the damping element 330. By interposing the stiffening arm 322 within the cavity 300C between the support arm 320 and a portion of the body 300B, the damping effect provided by the damping element 330 may be further controlled and improved. In the example depicted in FIGS. 6-9, the stiffening arm 322 extends part way through the cavity 300C from a junction between the sole 308 and the back portion 311 to contact the support arm 320. The support arm 320 and the stiffening arm 322 may each include a metal. In some examples, at least one of the support arm 320 or the stiffening arm 322 may include a same material as the material of the body 300B of the golf club head 300. For example, at least one of the support arm 320 and the stiffening arm 322 may be integrally formed with the body 300B of the golf club head 300. In some examples, the stiffening arm 322 may be omitted.

In some examples, the damping element 330, the support arm 320, and the stiffening arm 322 may have features similar to features disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/565,895 with reference to elements therein that are respectively similar to the damping element 330, the support arm 320, and the stiffening arm 322. The example damping element 330, support arm 320, and stiffening arm 322 shown in FIGS. 6-9 are not limiting. The first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 may also be used without damping element 330 or with different configurations of the damping element 330, support arm 320, and stiffening arm 322, such as those disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 17/565,895.

The first spring mass damping element 340 may include a first mass 340B attached to the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 using an adhesive element 340A, and the second spring mass damping element 350 may include a second mass 350B attached to the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 using an adhesive element 350A. The first mass 340B may include a lightweight material having high strength, and the first mass 340B may be different in material from at least one of the damping element 330 or the striking face 303. In some examples, the first mass 340B is made from a metal capable of being formed into a sheet. In a preferred embodiment, the first mass 340B is made from aluminum and has a weight greater than 2 grams, more preferably a weight between 4 grams and 7 grams, and most preferably a weight between 5 and 6 grams. The second mass 350B may include any material that the first mass 340B may include, and the second mass 350B may be the same or different in material than the first mass 340B. In a preferred embodiment, the second mass 350B is made from aluminum and has a weight greater than 2 grams, more preferably a weight between 3 grams and 6 grams, and most preferably a weight between 4.5 and 5.5 grams. In a preferred embodiment the weight of the first mass 340B is greater than the weight of the second mass 350B.

The first mass 340B may be attached to the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 by the adhesive element 340A between the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 and a surface of the first mass 340B facing the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303. The adhesive element 340A may include an acrylic foam tape such as VHB® tape (e.g., 3M® VHB® tape), a silicone-based adhesive, or a urethane-based adhesive. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive element 340A is at least 1.0 mm thick. In a most preferred embodiment, the adhesive element 340A is about 2.0 mm thick. The adhesive element 340A may have a Shore A hardness between 20 and 90 to permit slight relative movement between the first mass 340B and the striking face 303. The second mass 350B may be attached to the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 in any manner that the first mass 340B may be attached to the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303, and the second mass 350B may be attached to the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 in a same or different manner (e.g., using a same or different adhesive, respectively) as the manner by which the first mass 340B is attached to the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303.

In the example depicted in FIGS. 6-9, the first spring mass damping element 340 has one mass 340B, and the second spring mass damping element 350 has one mass 350B. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the first spring mass damping element 340 may include two or more masses arranged in a stack and bonded together, the second spring mass damping element 350 may include two or more masses arranged in a stack and bonded together, and the number of masses in the second spring mass damping element 350 may be the same or different from the number of masses in the first spring mass damping element 340.

The first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 may be spaced apart from the damping element 330. In some examples, the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 are spaced apart from each other. A center of at least one of the first spring mass damping element 340 or the second spring mass damping element 350 may be spaced apart from the face center of the striking face 303. In a preferred embodiment, the center of the first spring mass damping element 340 is spaced at least 5 mm toeward of the face center of the striking face 303, and the center of the second spring mass damping element 350 is spaced at least 5 mm heelward of the face center of the striking face 303. In a preferred embodiment, the center of at least one of the first spring mass damping element 340 or the second spring mass damping element 350 is located closer to the upper topline edge 305 than the lower leading edge 304 of the golf club head 300. In some examples, the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 are spaced apart within the cavity 300C from at least one of the sole 308 or the top portion 310, or both.

The first spring mass damping element 340 may be positioned at least partially, or wholly, between the damping element 330 and the toe 302 or between the face center of the striking face 303 and the toe 302, and the second spring mass damping element 350 may be positioned at least partially, or wholly, between the damping element 330 and the heel 301 or between the face center of the striking face 303 and the heel 301.

The first spring mass damping element 340 may have any suitable shape, such as a disc-shape. In some examples, the first spring mass damping element 340 has a shape corresponding to a shape of a portion of the striking face 303 that the first spring mass damping element 340 is attached to. For example, the first spring mass damping element 340 may have at least one of a lower edge shape to correspond to a portion of the lower leading edge 304 that the first spring mass damping element 340 is adjacent to, or an upper edge shape to correspond to a portion of the upper topline edge 305 that the first spring mass damping element 340 is adjacent to. The second spring mass damping element 350 may have any shape that the first spring mass damping element 340 may have, and the second spring mass damping element 350 may have a same or different shape as the first spring mass damping element 340 has. For example, the first spring mass damping element 340 and the second spring mass damping element 350 may each comprise an outer-edge profile that is a quadrilateral shape. In a preferred embodiment, the first spring mass damping element 340 is disc-shaped and has a diameter between 15 mm and 30 mm, more preferably a diameter between 20 mm and 28 mm, and most preferably a diameter of about mm; and the second spring mass damping element 350 is disc-shaped and has a diameter between 10 mm and 30 mm, more preferably a diameter between 15 mm and 25 mm, and most preferably a diameter of about 21 mm.

In some examples, an area of the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 covered or contacted by the first spring mass damping element 340 is 1.0 to 2.0 times an area of the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 covered or contacted by the second spring mass damping element 350. In some examples, the first spring mass damping element 340 may cover or contact 30% to 95% of the toe-side portion of the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303, and the second spring mass damping element 350 may cover or contact 30% to 95% of the heel-side portion of the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303. In examples, the toe-side portion of the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 is the portion of interior surface 303I that is toe-side of an imaginary plane through the face center of the striking face 303, wherein the imaginary plane is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of at least one groove 307. Similarly, the heel-side portion of the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 is the portion of interior surface 303I that is heel-side of an imaginary plane through the face center of the striking face 303, wherein the imaginary plane is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of at least one groove 307. In examples, the toe-side of portion of the interior surface 303I is larger than the heel-side portion of the interior surface 303I.

The first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 work differently than the first and second constrained damping layers 140 and 150 described above in that the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 dampen sound due to the size and weight of the masses 340B and 350B as well as the thickness and material of the adhesive elements 340A and 350A rather than damping sound due to the stiffness of the masses 340B and 350B. Adding the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 to the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 allows the striking face 303 to flex to maintain high ball speed but the natural frequency of the striking face 303 is quickly dampened from the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 to improve sound and feel.

In some examples, the damping element 330 is omitted, and the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 are spaced apart from each other on the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 with nothing on the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 therebetween. At least a portion (e.g., the entirety) of the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 between the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 may be exposed to the cavity 300C. In some other examples where the damping element 330 is omitted, the golf club head 300 may include a third spring mass damping element on (e.g., attached to) the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303. The third spring mass damping element may cover or contact a greater area of the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 than the second spring mass damping element 350, and the first spring mass damping element 340 may cover or contact a greater area of the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 than the third spring mass damping element.

The third spring mass damping element may be positioned between the first and second spring mass damping elements 340 and 350 and may be spaced apart from at least one of the first spring mass damping element 340 or the second spring mass damping element 350. In some examples, the third spring mass damping element covers the center of the striking face 303. At least a portion of the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 between the third spring mass damping element and the first spring mass damping element 340, and at least a portion of the interior surface 303I of the striking face 303 between the third spring mass damping element and the second spring mass damping element 350, may be exposed to the cavity 300C.

Each of the first spring mass damping element 340, the second spring mass damping element 350, and the third spring mass damping element may be manufactured by any suitable means, such as by machining or stamping. Certain shapes of the spring mass damping elements, such as a disc-shape, may make the spring mass damping elements easier to manufacture compared to more complex shapes.

Although some examples of a golf club head have been described herein as having one, two, or three spring mass damping elements, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some examples, a golf club head may include, with or without a damping element, four, five, or six or more spring mass damping elements attached to the interior surface of the striking face.

Although specific elements have been recited throughout the disclosure as performing specific functions, one of skill in the art will appreciate that these elements are provided for illustrative purposes, and other devices may be employed to perform the functionality disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

This disclosure describes some embodiments of the present technology with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which only some of the possible embodiments were shown. Other aspects may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments were provided so that this disclosure was thorough and complete and fully conveyed the scope of the possible embodiments to those skilled in the art.

Further, as used herein and in the claims, the phrase “at least one of element A, element B, or element C” is intended to convey any of: element A, element B, element C, elements A and B, elements A and C, elements B and C, and elements A, B, and C. Further, one having skill in the art will understand the degree to which terms such as “about” or “substantially” convey in light of the measurements techniques utilized herein. To the extent such terms may not be clearly defined or understood by one having skill in the art, the term “about” shall mean plus or minus five percent.

It will be understood that, although the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed herein could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on”, “connected to”, “coupled to”, or “adjacent to” another element or layer, it can be directly on, connected to, coupled to, or adjacent to the other element or layer, or one or more intervening element(s) or layer(s) may be present. In contrast, when an element or layer is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to”, “directly coupled to”, or “immediately adjacent to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present.

Although specific embodiments are described herein, the scope of the technology is not limited to those specific embodiments. Moreover, while different examples and embodiments may be described separately, such embodiments and examples may be combined with one another in implementing the technology described herein. One skilled in the art will recognize other embodiments or improvements that are within the scope and spirit of the present technology. Therefore, the specific structure, acts, or media are disclosed only as illustrative embodiments. The scope of the technology is defined by the following claims and any equivalents therein.

	Number	Date	Country
Parent	17812590	Jul 2022	US
Child	18465951		US

GOLF CLUB HEAD HAVING SPRING MASS DAMPING ELEMENTS

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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

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