GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH SOUND TUNING ELEMENT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to golf club heads, and, more particularly, to golf club heads having sound tuning features.

BACKGROUND

The complexities of golf club design are known. The specifications for each component of the club (i.e., the club head, shaft, grip, and subcomponents thereof) directly impact the performance of the club. Thus, by varying design specifications, a golf club can be tailored to have specific performance characteristics. Among the more prominent considerations in club head design are loft, lie, face angle, horizontal face bulge, vertical face roll, center of gravity, rotational moment of inertia, material selection, overall head size, and overall head weight. While this basic set of criteria is generally the focus of golf club designers, other design aspects must also be considered, such as the sound of the club head upon impact with a ball.

Every golf club produces a distinct sound and feel when it is used to strike a golf ball. The sound and feel are produced by the vibration behavior of the golf club head, a result of the design of the golf club head. Golf club head designs are analyzed and samples are tested to characterize the vibration characteristics of a particular design in an attempt to determine whether the sound and feel produced by the golf club head will be acceptable to the average golfer. It is generally understood that the lower the vibration frequency, the more unappealing the resultant sound and/or feel of a golf club head. Similarly, it is generally understood that increasing the natural vibration frequency of a club head will provide a more appealing sound and/or feel upon impact.

For many golfers, auditory feedback is an important mechanism for understanding the hits that the golfer is presently making. For example, golfers have become accustomed to hearing a particular sound when the golf club impacts the golf ball, especially when a large volume golf club is used. This “ideal sound”, although often a result of personal preference, can drastically turn into an unappealing sound if it varies too much from the above mentioned “ideal sound.” Furthermore, muted or dull sounds can slow a golfer's progress in improving their skills.

Various sound tuning features have been incorporated into hollow bodied golf clubs in an attempt to increase the natural vibration frequency of the club head and to try and capture and maintain this “ideal sound”. One example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,852,038 to Yabu for a Golf Club Head and Method of Making the Same. In that example, a hollow body golf club head includes rib-like walls that form the inner surface of the sole and crown. The sound emitted into the hollow cavity due to contact with a golf ball is directed rearward and parted laterally by the ribs. Sound bars are included in some embodiments that are located a small distance behind the club face and extends between the crown and sole. The sound bars are included to further part the sound vibrations.

Another example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,641 to Lin for a Golf Club head that Makes a Sound when Striking the Ball. In that example, the golf club head includes a sound plate that is suspended in the hollow body of the club head that makes a sound and echoes the sound during impact between the club head and a golf ball. One edge of the sound plate is fixed to a wall of the hollow club head and the remaining edges are unattached so that the sound plate is able to vibrate to the remainder of the club head.

With new efforts to lower the center of gravity and increase club head inertia, golf club head designs have generally become “flatter”. This flatness greatly reduces natural vibration frequency, thereby resulting in less than desirable sound characteristics. Additionally, some recent golf club head designs include one or more features for adjusting the mass properties of the club head, such as adjustable weights along the sole and/or skirt of the club head. However, such mass adjustment features also tend to reduce the natural vibration frequency of a club head. Current sound tuning features, such as traditional ribs, ridges, panels, or even posts within the internal cavity of the golf club head, fail to adequately account for the drawbacks of these newer club head designs. In particular, basic ribs or panels described above fail to address the negative impact that “flatter” head designs and/or adjustable/repositionable weights impart on the sound quality of the club head.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a golf club head with sound tuning features. More specifically, the present invention provides a hollow-bodied golf club head including at least one rib positioned within an interior cavity of the club head body, wherein the rib is configured to provide sound tuning characteristics for the golf club head. In one embodiment, the rib includes a web portion extending from an internal surface of the club head body and a flange portion coupled to a top surface of the web portion, such that the rib has cross-sectional shape including, but not limited to, a T-shape, an I-shape, an inverted L-shape, a C-shape, a Y-shape, a W-shape, and irregular cross-sectional shapes.

Similar to the characteristics of an I-beam, and based on Euler-Bernoulli beam theory (also known as engineer's beam theory or classical beam theory), inclusion of the flange portion to the web portion increases the overall stiffness of the rib. The increased stiffness of the rib results in an increase in the natural vibration frequency of the club head. Accordingly, the flanged rib structure of the present invention is an improvement over the traditional rib or panel designs currently used in recent golf club head designs, such as club heads with “flatter” designs and/or adjustable mass features. In particular, the flanged rib design consistent with the present disclosure increases the natural vibration frequency of a club head so as to provide a more appealing sound and/or feel upon ball impact, thereby improving the overall sound characteristics of the club head. The flanged rib may further provide structural stiffness and/or vibration damping capabilities.

In one aspect, the invention provides a golf club head having a club head body that includes a heel, a toe, a sole, a crown, a ball-striking face, and an interior cavity. The club head further includes at least one rib positioned on a portion of an internal surface of the interior cavity. The at least one rib includes a web portion extending from the internal surface and oriented substantially in a vertical direction when the club head is at address. The at least one rib further includes a flange portion coupled to a top surface of the web portion.

In some embodiments, the at least one rib is positioned on an interior surface of the sole. In other embodiments, the at least one rib is positioned on an interior surface of the crown. In some embodiments, a first portion of the at least one rib is positioned on an interior surface of the sole and at least a second portion of the at least one rib is positioned on an interior surface of the crown, such that the at least one rib extends from the sole to the crown along an interior of the club head. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the at least one rib may be positioned on any internal surface within the interior cavity and need not be limited to placement on the internal surface of the sole and/or crown. For example, in other embodiments, the at least one rib may be positioned on an internal surface of the front portion, the rear portion, the heel, the toe, the ball-striking face, the skirt, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the flange portion has a contour along a longitudinal length thereof that substantially corresponds to a contour along a length of the interior surface. For example, in one embodiment, the flange portion has an arcuate contour along a longitudinal length thereof relative to a substantially horizontal reference plane. For example, in one embodiment, the top surface of the flange portion may be convex. In some embodiments, the at least one rib extends in a heel-to-toe direction. In another embodiment, the at least one rib extends in a front-to-rear direction.

The at least one rib is configured to provide sound tuning characteristics for the golf club head. In one embodiment, the at least one rib is configured to increase a vibration frequency value of the golf club head for improving an acoustic property of the golf club head. The acoustic property is a sound produced by the golf club head during impact between the ball-striking face and a ball. Additionally, or alternatively, the at least one rib is configured to provide at least one of structural stiffness and vibration damping.

The at least one rib has a cross-sectional shape including, but not limited to, a T-shape, an I-shape, an inverted L-shape, a C-shape, a Y-shape, a W-shape, and irregular cross-sectional shapes.

In another aspect, the invention provides a golf club head having a club head body including a heel, a toe, a sole, a crown, a ball-striking face, and an interior cavity. The golf club head further includes a first rib positioned on a first portion of an internal surface of the interior cavity and extending in a heel-to-toe direction. The first rib includes a first web portion extending from the first portion of the internal surface in a substantially vertical direction when the club head is at address, and a first flange portion coupled to a top surface of the web portion.

The golf club head further includes a second rib positioned on a second portion of the internal surface of the interior cavity and extending in a front-to-rear direction. The second rib includes a second web portion extending from the second portion of the interior surface in a substantially vertical direction when the club head is at address, and a second flange portion coupled to a top surface of the web portion.

In some embodiments, at least one of the first and second ribs is positioned on an interior surface of the sole. In other embodiments, at least one of the first and second ribs is positioned on an interior surface of the crown. In some embodiments, at least one of the first and second ribs is positioned on portions of the interior surface of the sole and the crown, such that one of the first and second ribs extends from the sole to the crown along the interior surface.

It should be noted that in other embodiments, at least one of the first and second ribs may be positioned on any internal surface within the interior cavity and need not be limited to placement on the internal surface of the sole and/or crown. For example, in other embodiments, at least one of the first and second ribs may be positioned on an internal surface of the front portion, the rear portion, the heel, the toe, the ball-striking face, the skirt, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the first and second ribs are configured to provide sound tuning characteristics for the golf club head. In one embodiment, the first and second ribs are configured to increase a vibration frequency value of the golf club head for improving an acoustic property of the golf club head. The acoustic property may include a sound produced by the golf club head during impact between the ball-striking face and a ball. Additionally, or alternatively, the first and second ribs are configured to provide at least one of structural stiffness and vibration damping. The first and second ribs may each have a cross-sectional shape including, but not limited to, a T-shape, an I-shape, an inverted L-shape, a C-shape, a Y-shape, a W-shape, and irregular cross-sectional shapes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a wood-type golf club including an embodiment of a club head consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the golf club of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top view, partly in section, of the golf club head of FIG. 1 illustrating a rib positioned on an internal surface of the sole of the club head.

FIG. 5 is sectional view of the club head of FIG. 4 taken along lines 5-5 illustrating one embodiment of the rib consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the rib extending from the internal surface of the sole.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating another embodiment of a rib extending from the internal surface of the sole.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating another embodiment of a rib extending from the internal surface of the sole.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating another embodiment of a rib extending from the internal surface of the sole.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating another embodiment of a rib extending from the internal surface of the sole.

FIG. 11 is a top view, partly in section, of another embodiment of a golf club head illustrating a rib positioned on an internal surface of the sole of the club head.

FIG. 12 is a perspective sectional view of the club head of FIG. 11 taken along lines 12-12 illustrating one embodiment of a rib consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the club head of FIG. 11 taken along lines 13-13 illustrating one embodiment of a rib consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a top perspective view, partly in section, of another embodiment of a golf club head illustrating multiple ribs positioned on an internal surface of the sole of the club head.

FIG. 15 illustrates the topography of a vibration mode of a club head having no internal ribs.

FIG. 16 illustrates the topography of a vibration mode of a club head having traditional rib element(s) positioned on an internal surface of the sole.

FIG. 17 illustrates the topography of a vibration mode of a club head including at least one rib consistent with the present disclosure positioned on an internal surface of the sole of the club head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

By way of overview, the present invention is generally directed to sound tuning features for golf clubs. More specifically, the present invention provides a flanged rib structure configured to provide improved sound tuning characteristics for a golf club head, particularly a hollow-bodied golf club head. In one embodiment, the rib includes a web portion extending from an internal surface of the club head body and a flange portion coupled to a top surface of the web portion, such that the rib has cross-sectional shape including, but not limited to, a T-shape, an I-shape, an inverted L-shape, a C-shape, a Y-shape, a W-shape, and irregular cross-sectional shapes.

Similar to the characteristics of an I-beam, and based on Euler-Bernoulli beam theory (also known as engineer's beam theory or classical beam theory), inclusion of the flange portion to the web portion increases the overall stiffness of the rib. The increased stiffness of the rib results in an increase in the natural vibration frequency of the club head. Accordingly, the rib structure of the present invention is an improvement over the traditional rib or panel designs currently used in recent golf club head designs, such as club heads with “flatter” designs and/or adjustable mass features. In particular, the flanged rib design consistent with the present disclosure increases the natural vibration frequency of a club head so as to provide a more appealing sound and/or feel upon ball impact, thereby improving the overall sound characteristics of the club head. The flanged rib may further provide structural stiffness and/or vibration damping capabilities.

The at least one rib has a cross-sectional shape including, but not limited to, a T-shape, an I-shape, an inverted L-shape, a C-shape, a Y-shape, a W-shape, and irregular cross-sectional shapes.

Referring to the figures and following description, golf clubs and golf club heads in accordance with the present invention are described. The golf club and club head structures described herein may be described in terms of wood-type golf clubs. However, the present invention is not limited to the precise embodiments disclosed herein but applies to golf clubs generally, including hybrid clubs, iron-type golf clubs, utility-type golf clubs, and the like.

Examples of golf club and golf club head structures in accordance with this invention may relate to “wood-type” golf clubs and hollow golf club heads, e.g., clubs and club heads typically used for drivers and fairway woods, as well as for “wood-type” utility or hybrid clubs, or the like. Although these club head structures may have little or no actual “wood” material, they still may be referred to conventionally in the art as “woods” (e.g., “metal woods,” “fairway woods,” etc.).

Turning now to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a wood-type golf club 100 that may be used in accordance with embodiments of a golf club head of the present disclosure is generally illustrated. As shown, the wood-type golf club 100 may include a wood-type golf club head 102 in accordance with the present disclosure. In addition to the golf club head 102, the overall golf club structure 100 may include a shaft 104 and a grip or handle 108 attached to one end of the shaft 102. The shaft 104 may be received in, engaged with, and/or attached to the golf club head 102 in any suitable or desired manner, including in conventional manners known and used in the art, without departing from the disclosure. As described in greater detail herein, the shaft 104 may be engaged with the golf club head 102 through a shaft-receiving sleeve or element extending into the club head 102 (e.g., a hosel 106), and/or directly to the club head structure 102. The shaft 104 may be made from any suitable or desired materials, including conventional materials known and used in the art, such as graphite based materials, composite or other non-metal materials, steel materials (including stainless steel), aluminum materials, other metal alloy materials, polymeric materials, combinations of various materials, and the like.

The grip or handle 108 may be attached to, engaged with, and/or extend from the shaft 104 in any suitable or desired manner, including in conventional manners known and used in the art, e.g., using adhesives or cements, etc. As another example, if desired, the grip or handle 108 may be integrally formed as a unitary, one-piece construction with the shaft 104. Additionally, any desired grip or handle materials may be used without departing from this disclosure, including, but not limited to, rubber materials, leather materials, other materials including cord or other fabric material embedded therein, polymeric materials, and the like.

Further, according to aspects of the disclosure, the golf club 100 may include a hosel 106. The shaft 104 may be received in and/or inserted into and/or through the hosel 106. The hosel 106 may be configured such that the shaft 104 may be engaged with the hosel 106 in a releasable manner using mechanical connectors to allow easy interchange of one shaft for another on the head. For example, threads, locking mechanisms, etc. may be incorporated into the hosel 106 and the end of the shaft 104 that is to be engaged with the hosel 106 may be configured with a corresponding configuration. In some embodiments, the shaft 104 may be secured to the hosel 106 via bonding with adhesives or cements, welding (e.g., laser welding), soldering, brazing, or other fusing techniques, etc. In some embodiments, the hosel 106 may be eliminated and the shaft 104 may be directly attached to the golf club head 102. For example, the shaft 104 may be directly engaged with the golf club head 102 (e.g., by bonding with adhesives or cements, welding (e.g., laser welding), soldering, brazing, or other fusing techniques, etc.).

FIGS. 2 and 3 are front and top views of a golf club head according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown, the golf club head 102 has a club head body 108 having a hosel 106, a front portion 110, a rear portion 111, a heel 112, a toe 114, a crown 116, a sole 118, and a ball-striking face 120.

As generally understood, a wide variety of overall club head constructions are possible without departing from this invention. For example, if desired, some or all of the various individual parts of the club head 102 described above may be made from multiple pieces that are connected together (e.g., by welding, adhesives, or other fusing techniques; by mechanical connectors; etc.). The various parts (e.g., heel, toe, crown, sole, ball-striking face, portions of the body, etc.) may be made from any desired materials and combinations of different materials, including materials that are conventionally known and used in the art, such as metal materials, including lightweight metal materials. More specific examples of suitable lightweight metal materials include steel, titanium and titanium alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys, magnesium and magnesium alloys, etc.

As additional examples or alternatives, in order to reduce the club head 102 weight, one or more portions of the club head structure 102 advantageously may be made from a composite material, such as from carbon fiber composite materials that are conventionally known and used in the art. Other suitable composite or other non-metal materials that may be used for one or more portions of the club head structure 102 include, for example: fiberglass composite materials, basalt fiber composite materials, polymer materials, etc. As described in greater detail herein, at least some portion(s) of the body 108 may be made from composite or other non-metal materials. As yet further examples, the entire body 108 of the club head 102 may be made from composite or other non-metal materials without departing from this invention. The composite or other non-metal material(s) may be incorporated as part of the club head structure 102 in any desired manner, including in conventional manners that are known and used in the art.

Reducing the club head's weight (e.g., through the use of composite or other non-metal materials, lightweight metals, metallic foam or other cellular structured materials, etc.) allows club designers and/or club fitters to selectively position additional weight in the overall club head structure 102, e.g., to desirable locations to increase the moment of inertia, affect the center of gravity location, and/or affect other playability characteristics of the club head structure 102 (e.g., to draw or fade bias a club head; to help get shots airborne by providing a low center of gravity; to help produce a lower, more boring ball flight; to help correct or compensate for swing flaws that produce undesired ball flights, such as hooks or slices, ballooning shots, etc.).

The various individual parts that make up a club head structure 102, if made from multiple pieces, may be engaged with one another and/or held together in any suitable or desired manner, including in conventional manners known and used in the art. For example, a separate ball-striking plate insert 122 may be joined to the ball-striking face 120 and a separate crown panel insert 124 may be joined to the club head body 108 (directly or indirectly through intermediate members) by adhesives, cements, welding, soldering, or other bonding or finishing techniques, and the like. The ball striking plate insert 122 may be comprised of one or more materials. The material(s) of the ball striking plate insert should be relatively durable to withstand the repeated impacts with the golf ball. For example, the ball striking plate insert 122 may comprise a high strength steel. Further, other materials, such as titanium, other metals or alloys and non-metallic materials may be used as well.

In some arrangements, the various parts of the club head 102 may be joined by mechanical connectors (such as threads, screws, nuts, bolts, or other connectors), and the like. In some embodiments, the mating edges of various parts of the club head structure 102 (e.g., the edges where heel, toe, crown, sole, ball-striking face, and/or other parts of the body contact and join to one another) may include one or more raised ribs, tabs, ledges, or other engagement elements that fit into or onto corresponding grooves, slots, surfaces, ledges, openings, or other structures provided in or on the facing side edge to which it is joined. Cements, adhesives, mechanical connectors, finishing material, or the like may be used in combination with the raised rib/groove/ledge/edge or other connecting structures described above to further help secure the various parts of the club head structure 102 together.

FIG. 4 is a top view, partly in section, of the golf club head 102 of FIG. 1 illustrating a view into the interior cavity 126 of the club head 102. As shown, a rib 128 consistent with the present disclosure is positioned on an internal surface 130 of the sole 118 of the club head 102 and generally extends in a heel-to-toe direction. As shown, the at least one rib 128 has a first end adjacent to the heel 112 and a second end adjacent to the toe 114 and has a length L that is substantially parallel to the ball-striking face 120. However, as described in greater detail herein, the rib 128 may have other orientations, including, but not limited to, extending in a front-to-rear direction (from the front portion 110 to the rear portion 111) and is substantially perpendicular to the ball-striking face 120, or extending in a direction such that the rib 128 is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the ball-striking face 120. The rib 128 may have a length L that extends entirely from the heel 112 to the toe 114. In other embodiments, the rib 128 may only partially extend along the interior surface 130 of the sole 118 and does not completely extend from heel 112 to toe 114.

It should be noted that in other embodiments, the rib 128 may be positioned on any internal surface within the interior cavity and need not be limited to placement on the internal surface of the sole. For example, in other embodiments, the rib 128 may be positioned on an internal surface of other portions of the club head 102, including, but not limited to, internal surface of the front portion 110, the rear portion 111, the heel 112, the toe 114, the crown 116, the ball striking face 120, and combinations thereof.

FIG. 5 is sectional view of the club head 102 of FIG. 4 taken along lines 5-5 illustrating one embodiment of the rib 128 consistent with the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the rib 128 extending from the internal surface 130 of the sole 118. As shown, the rib 128 includes a web portion 132 extending from the internal surface 130 and oriented substantially in a vertical direction when the club head 102 is at address. In one embodiment, the web portion 132 is integrally formed with the interior surface 130 of the sole 118, such that the web portion 132 is cast with the club head body. In other embodiments, the web portion 132 may be coupled to the interior surface 130 by way of bonding, or the like.

The rib 128 further includes a flange portion 134 coupled to a top surface of the web portion 132. As shown, the flange portion 134 is oriented substantially in a horizontal direction when the club head 102 is at address. The flange portion 134 may be secured to the web portion 132 by any known means, including, but not limited to, adhesives, cements, welding, soldering, or other bonding or finishing techniques, and the like.

In some embodiments, the web and flange portions 132, 134 may be of similar materials. In other embodiments, the web and flange portions 132, 134 may be of dissimilar materials. For example, in one embodiment, the web portion 132 may include at least one of steel, titanium and titanium alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys, magnesium and magnesium alloys, and non-metallic materials, etc., and the flange portion 134 may include tungsten or a tungsten loaded polymer so as to provide a means of including weight for adjusting mass properties of the club head 102.

As shown in FIG. 6, the flanged rib 128 has an overall height H and extends in a direction away from the internal surface 130 of the sole 118. The overall height H of the rib 128 may be in the range of 1 to 10 mm, and more preferably in the range of 3 to 7 mm. In one embodiment, the overall height H of the rib 128 is approximately 5 mm. The web portion 132 and the flange portion 134 each have a thickness T₁, T₂, respectively, in the range of 0.1 to 5 mm, and more preferably in the range of 0.25 to 2 mm. In one embodiment, the thickness T₁, T₂of the web and flange portions 132, 134 are approximately 1 mm. Furthermore, the flange portion 134 has a width W that is generally greater than the thickness T₁of the web portion 132. Accordingly, the flange portion 134 has a width W in the range of 1.5 to 10 mm, and more preferably in the range of 3 to 7 mm.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rib 128 has a T-shaped cross section. However, it should be noted that in other embodiments the flanged rib 128 may have other cross-sectional shapes. For example, FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating another embodiment of a rib 128a having an inverted L-shaped cross section. As shown, the flange portion 134 is generally positioned closer to the front portion 110 and ball-striking face 120 of the club head 102, which may further have an impact on certain performance characteristics and the like. FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating another embodiment of a rib 128b having an inverted L-shaped cross section. In particular, the flange portion 134 is generally positioned closer to the rear portion 111 of the club head 102, which may further have an impact on certain performance characteristics and the like.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating another embodiment of a rib 128c having a C-shaped cross section. As shown, the web portion 132 includes a secondary flange portion 136 positioned on the internal surface 130 closer to the front portion 110 of the club head 102 and the main flange portion 134 is positioned on the web portion 132 such that the rib 128 has an C-shaped cross section. FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating another embodiment of a rib 128d having an I-shaped cross section. As shown, the web portion 132 includes a secondary flange portion 138 centrally positioned relative to length L of the rib 128 and the web portion 132. The main flange portion 134 is also centrally positioned on the web portion 132 and aligned with the secondary flange portion 138 so as to form an I-shaped cross-section. It should be noted that each of the different cross-sectional shapes of the ribs 128 shown in FIGS. 6-10 and described herein. For example, a rib consistent with the present disclosure may have a cross-sectional shape including, but not limited to, a T-shape, an I-shape, an inverted L-shape, a C-shape, a Y-shape, a W-shape, and irregular cross-sectional shapes. Each cross-sectional shape may provide different sound tuning characteristics, as well as structural stiffness and vibration damping. For example, each of the different cross-sectional shapes may provide an effective tradeoff or balance between added mass and structural intent. In addition, the type of shape may depend on, but is not limited to, the raw material stock size and availability, construction methods of club head, construction methods of the rib, attachment methods and techniques for securing the rib to the internal surface, and the like.

The flanged rib 128 is configured to provide sound tuning characteristics for the golf club head. In particular, similar to the characteristics of an I-beam, and based on Euler-Bernoulli beam theory (also known as engineer's beam theory or classical beam theory), inclusion of the flange portion 134 onto the web portion 132 results in an increase in the overall stiffness of the rib. The increased stiffness is based on simple beam theory:

$ρ = \frac{EI}{M}$

The bending stiffness is generally equal to the product of the elastic modulus E and the area moment of inertia I of the beam cross-section about the axis of interest. By increasing the moment of inertia I, the radius of curvature p under an applied bending moment M increases. The increased stiffness of the rib 128 results in an increase in the natural vibration frequency of the club head 102. Additionally, by increasing the elastic modulus E, the radius of curvature ρ increases, thereby resulting in an increase in beam stiffness. As such, in some embodiments, one or more portions of the flanged rib 128 may be made from a composite material, such as a high modulus carbon fiber composite material having a low density, which results in increased stiffness, with little or no impact on overall weight. In one embodiment, at least one of the web portion 132 and the flange portion 134 is constructed from high modulus carbon fabrics, such as, for example, INNEGRA S fiber, as offered by Innegra Technologies (Greenville, S.C.) or TEXTREME carbon fiber fabrics, as offered by Oxeon AB (Sweden).

Accordingly, the flanged rib 128 of the present invention is an improvement over the traditional rib or panel designs currently used in recent golf club head designs, such as club heads with “flatter” designs and/or adjustable mass features. In particular, the flanged rib 128 consistent with the present disclosure increases the natural vibration frequency of a club head so as to provide a more appealing sound and/or feel upon ball impact, thereby improving the overall sound characteristics of the club head. The flanged rib may further provide structural stiffness and/or vibration damping capabilities.

FIG. 11 is a top view, partly in section, of another embodiment of a golf club head 202. It should be noted that like parts are assigned like references numerals. As shown, the club head 202 includes a club head body including a front portion 210, a rear portion 211, a heel 212, a toe 214, a crown 216, a sole 218, and a ball-striking face 220. The club head 202 may be similar to the club heads described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/261,968, filed Apr. 25, 2014, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/261,974, filed Apr. 25, 2014, the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

As shown, the interior cavity 226 of the club head 202 is exposed, due in part to the removal of a crown insert and sole inserts that would otherwise be coupled to respective ledges 240, 242, and 244. In the illustrated embodiment, a flanged rib 228 is positioned on an internal surface 230 of the sole 218, wherein the flanged rib 228 generally extends in a heel-to-toe direction. The flanged rib 228 further passes over a track 246 configured to allow movement of adjustable weights on an exterior surface of the sole, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 14/261,968 and 14/261,974.

FIG. 12 is a perspective sectional view of the club head 202 of FIG. 11 taken along lines 12-12. As shown, the rib 228 includes a web portion 232 extending from the internal surface 230 and an internal surface of the track 246 and is oriented substantially in a vertical direction when the club head 202 is at address. The web portion 232 is integrally formed with the interior surface 230 of the sole 218, such that the web portion 232 is cast with the club head body. The rib 228 further includes a flange portion 234 coupled to a top surface of the web portion 232. The flange portion 234 is oriented substantially in a horizontal direction when the club head 202 is at address.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the club head 202 of FIG. 11 taken along lines 13-13. As shown, the flange portion 234 has a contour 248 along a longitudinal length thereof that substantially corresponds to a contour along a length of the interior surface 230 of the sole 218. In particular, the flange portion 234 has an arcuate contour 248 along a longitudinal length thereof relative to a substantially horizontal reference plane in a heel-to-toe direction.

FIG. 14 is a top perspective view, partly in section, of another embodiment of a golf club head 302 illustrating multiple ribs 328(1)-328(3) positioned on an internal surface 330 of the sole of the club head 302. The club head 302 of FIG. 14 is similar to the club head 202 of FIGS. 11-13. As shown, a club head consistent with the present disclosure may include multiple ribs 328(1), 328(2), and 328(3) along an internal surface. The club head 302 includes at least a first rib 328(1) positioned within the interior cavity and extending in a heel-to-toe direction along a length of an interior surface 330 of the sole 318. The first rib 328(1) includes a first web portion integrally formed with the interior surface 330 of the sole 318 and extending therefrom in a substantially vertical direction when the club head 302. The first rib 328(1) further includes a first flange portion coupled to a top surface of the web portion and oriented in a substantially horizontal direction when the club head is at address. The club head 302 further includes at least a second rib 328(2) positioned within the interior cavity and extending in a front-to-rear direction along a length of the interior surface 330 of the sole 318. Similar to the first rib 328(1), the second rib 328(2) includes a second web portion integrally formed with the interior surface of the sole and extending therefrom in a substantially vertical direction when the club head is at address and a second flange portion coupled to a top surface of the web portion and oriented in a substantially horizontal direction when the club head is at address. The club head 302 further includes a third rib 328(3) similar to the first rib 328(1), positioned within the interior cavity and extending in a heel-to-toe direction along a length of an interior surface 330 of the sole 318. Each of the first, second, and third ribs 328(1)-328(3) may generally converge at point at or near a center of the internal surface 330 of the sole 318. The combination of the three ribs 328(1)-328(3) may further improve acoustic properties of the club head, resulting in a more desirable sound upon impact with a ball.

Every golf club produces a distinct sound and feel when it is used to strike a golf ball. The sound and feel are produced by the vibration behavior of the golf club head which is a result of the design of the golf club head. Golf club head designs are analyzed and samples are tested to characterize the vibration characteristics of a particular design in an attempt to determine whether the sound and feel produced by the golf club head will be acceptable to the average golfer. In particular, the frequency values and displacement shapes are determined for the various vibration modes of the club head. It is generally understood that the lower frequency modes have a tendency to detrimentally affect the sound and feel of a particular golf club head.

As described herein, the flanged ribs generally result in an increased natural frequency of the club heads, resulting in displacement shape of the vibration modes. Generally, the lower the vibration mode frequency of a club head, the less desirable of a sound is produced upon impact between the ball-striking face and a ball. Accordingly, it is desirable to include the flanged rib consistent with the present disclosure, particularly in golf club heads with “flatter” designs and/or adjustable mass features which generally decrease the natural frequency.

As previously described, inclusion of the flange portion to the web portion increases the overall stiffness of the rib. The increased stiffness of the rib results in an increase in the natural vibration frequency of the club head. Accordingly, the rib structure of the present invention is an improvement over the traditional rib or panel designs currently used in recent golf club head designs, such as club heads with “flatter” designs and/or adjustable mass features, such as the club heads 202, 302 shown in FIGS. 11-13 and 14, respectively. In particular, the flanged rib design consistent with the present disclosure increases the natural vibration frequency of a club head so as to provide a more appealing sound and/or feel upon ball impact, thereby improving the overall sound characteristics of the club head.

In particular, the flanged ribs 128, 228, 328 described herein are configured to manipulate the vibration modes of the club head by altering the vibration behavior of the golf club head. The ribs may be positioned at areas at or adjacent to one or more hot spots in the vibration mode. As used herein, hot spots are localized areas of the structure that exhibit increased displacement at the frequency of the vibration mode. For each vibration mode there is generally a primary hot spot that exhibits maximum displacement over the structure for that vibration mode. Some vibration modes also exhibit secondary and/or tertiary hot spots that exhibit local maximum displacement, but with a displacement magnitude that is less than that of the primary hot spot.

FIG. 15 illustrates the topography of a vibration mode of a club head 402 having no internal ribs, but having an external weight adjustment feature on the exterior of the sole. The golf club head 402 was analyzed using finite element analysis (FEA) and the lowest frequency vibration mode (i.e., first mode) was determined to be as illustrated in FIG. 15. In that instance, the modeled golf club head exhibited a first mode having a frequency of about 1937 Hz, which results in an unfavorable sound upon impact of the club head with a ball (1937 Hz is less than benchmark of 3500 Hz). The location of maximum displacement of that vibration mode, i.e., the primary hot spot, was determined to be approximate to the center adjacent to a weight mounting portion closer to the front portion of the head 402, as indicated by arrow A.

FIG. 16 illustrates the topography of a vibration mode of a club head 502 having traditional rib element(s) positioned on an internal surface of the sole and having an external weight adjustment feature on the exterior of the sole. As used herein, “traditional rib element(s)” refers to a rib design that is without a flange portion as shown in the figures and described herein. The golf club head 502 was analyzed using finite element analysis (FEA) and the lowest frequency vibration mode (i.e., first mode) was determined to be as illustrated in FIG. 16. In that instance, the modeled golf club head exhibited a first mode having a frequency of about 2906 Hz, which is an improvement over golf club head 402 of FIG. 15, but is still short of the benchmark of 3500 Hz. The location of maximum displacement of that vibration mode, i.e., the primary hot spot, was determined to be approximate to the center of the track, as indicated by arrow B.

FIG. 17 illustrates the topography of a vibration mode of a club head 602 including at least one flanged rib consistent with the present disclosure positioned on an internal surface of the sole of the club head 602 and having an external weight adjustment feature on the exterior of the sole. The golf club head 602 was analyzed using finite element analysis (FEA) and the lowest frequency vibration mode (i.e., first mode) was determined to be as illustrated in FIG. 17. In that instance, the modeled golf club head exhibited a first mode having a frequency of about 3158 Hz, which is an improvement over golf club head 402 and 502 of FIGS. 15, 16. The location of maximum displacement of that vibration mode, i.e., the primary hot spot, decreased in size when compared to the primary hot spot of club head 502 in FIG. 16, as indicated by arrow B.

Accordingly, the inclusion of a flanged rib increased the frequency of the first mode of the analytical model to an improved value (e.g., 3158 Hz vs. initial value of 1937 Hz with no ribs and 2906 Hz with traditional ribs), which produces a more desirable sound upon impact. Thus, inclusion of the flanged rib on the interior surface of the sole, particularly on a club heads having “flatter” designs and/or adjustable mass features, such as adjustable weights on an exterior surface of the sole, provides sound tuning characteristics and an increase in the natural frequency of the club head, thereby improving acoustic properties of the club head.

While several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the functions and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the present disclosure. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings of the present disclosure is/are used.

Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the disclosure described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. The present disclosure is directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the present disclosure.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified, unless clearly indicated to the contrary.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described (or portions thereof), and it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the claims are intended to cover all such equivalents.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

References and citations to other documents, such as patents, patent applications, patent publications, journals, books, papers, web contents, have been made throughout this disclosure. All such documents are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

EQUIVALENTS

Various modifications of the invention and many further embodiments thereof, in addition to those shown and described herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the full contents of this document, including references to the scientific and patent literature cited herein. The subject matter herein contains important information, exemplification and guidance that can be adapted to the practice of this invention in its various embodiments and equivalents thereof.

GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH SOUND TUNING ELEMENT

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