Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6364789
-
Patent Number
6,364,789
-
Date Filed
Thursday, December 30, 199924 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, April 2, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 473 131
- 473 290
- 473 291
- 473 292
- 473 293
- 473 324
- 473 329
- 473 332
- 473 345
- 473 342
- 473 346
- 473 347
- 473 348
- 473 349
- 473 350
- 473 288
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A golf club having a club head with a striking plate and an annular deflection enhancement member isolating the striking plate from the body of the golf club head. The annular deflection enhancement member is composed of a material having a Young's Modulus lower than that of the material of the striking plate. Thus, the striking plate may be composed of steel while the annular deflection enhancement member is composed of titanium.
Description
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf club head. More specifically, the present invention relates to a golf club head having a body with an annular deflection enhancement member for attachment of a striking plate thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a golf club head strikes a golf ball, large impacts are produced that load the club head face and the golf ball. Most of the energy is transferred from the head to the golf ball, however, some energy is lost as a result of the collision. The golf ball is typically composed of polymer cover materials (such as ionomers) surrounding a rubber-like core. These softer polymer materials having damping (loss) properties that are strain and strain rate dependent which are on the order of 10-100 times larger than the damping properties of a metallic club face. Thus, during impact most of the energy is lost as a result of the high stresses and deformations of the golf ball (0.001 to 0.20 inches), as opposed to the small deformations of the metallic club face (0.025 to 0.050 inches). A more efficient energy transfer from the club head to the golf ball could lead to greater flight distances of the golf ball.
The generally accepted approach has been to increase the stiffness of the club head face to reduce metal or club head deformations. However, this leads to greater deformations in the golf ball, and thus increases in the energy transfer problem.
Some have recognized the problem and disclosed possible solutions. An example is Campau, U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,965, for a Method Of Making Iron Golf Clubs With Flexible Impact Surface, which discloses a club having a flexible and resilient face plate with a slot to allow for the flexing of the face plate. The face plate of Campau is composed of a ferrous material, such as stainless steel, and has a thickness in the range of 0.1 inches to 0.125 inches.
Another example is Eggiman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,261, for a Golf Club Head With Elastically Deforming Face And Back Plates, which discloses the use of a plurality of plates that act in concert to create a spring-like effect on a golf ball during impact. A fluid is disposed between at least two of the plates to act as a viscous coupler.
Yet another example is Jepson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,474, for a golf Club With A Polyurethane Insert. Jepson discloses that the polyurethane insert has a hardness between 40 and 75 shore D.
Still another example is Inamori, U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,023, for a Golf Club Head With Ceramic Face Plate, which discloses using a face plate composed of a ceramic material having a high energy transfer coefficient, although ceramics are usually harder materials. Chen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,813 for a Golf Club Head, discloses using multiple layers in the face to absorb the shock of the golf ball. One of the materials is a non-metal material.
Lu, U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,814, for a Hollow Club Head With Deflecting Insert Face Plate, discloses a reinforcing element composed of a plastic or aluminum alloy that allows for minor deflecting of the face plate which has a thickness ranging from 0.01 to 0.30 inches for a variety of materials including stainless steel, titanium, KEVLAR®, and the like. Yet another Campau invention, U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,248, for a Golf Club Having Insert Capable Of Elastic Flexing, discloses a wood club composed of wood with a metal insert.
Although the prior art has disclosed many variations of golf club heads, the prior art has failed to provide a golf club head that increases the energy transfer from the golf club striking plate to the golf ball through increased deflection of a conventional striking plate.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a golf club head that is capable of imparting increased deflection of a striking plate composed of a rigid material during impact with a golf ball. The present invention is able to accomplish this by using an annular deflection enhancement member to isolate the striking plate from the body of the golf club head.
One aspect of the present invention is a golf club head including a body, a striking plate and an annular deflection enhancement member. The body has a hollow interior and a face opening thereto. The striking plate has an exterior surface and an interior surface. The annular deflection enhancement member is disposed between the body and the striking plate and isolates the striking plate from the body. The striking plate is composed of a first material and the annular deflection enhancement member is composed of a second material. The first material has a Young's Modulus greater than that of the second material. Preferably, the Young's Modulus of the second material is at least twenty-five percent lower than that of the first material. More preferably, the Young's Modulus of the second material is at least fifty percent lower than that of the first material.
The striking plate may be composed of stainless steel and the second material may be titanium, titanium alloys, copper, aluminum, brass, magnesium, ceramics, composites or polymer materials. Alternatively, the striking plate may be composed of titanium, and the second material would then be composed of copper, aluminum, brass, magnesium, ceramics, composites or polymer materials. Yet further, the striking plate may be composed of an even softer material than titanium, and the second material would generally be a polymer material. The polymer materials would have a low dampening (loss) factor so that the deformation of the polymer doesn't increase energy losses during impact with a golf ball.
The softer annular deflection enhancement member will reduce the stiffness of the striking plate. Thus, during impact with a golf ball, the striking plate will more easily deform or deflect, thus decreasing the deformation of the golf ball. Moreover, the contact time between the striking plate and the golf ball will increase thereby lowering the strain rate deformation of the golf ball. These factors will significantly decrease the energy lost during impact, or stated differently, these factors will increase the energy transfer from the golf club to the golf ball. The energy transfer will result in a golf club head having an increased coefficient of restitution. The coefficient of restitution is measured under test conditions, such as those specified by the USGA. The standard USGA conditions for measuring the coefficient of restitution is set forth in the
USGA Procedure for Measuring the Velocity Ratio of a Club Head for Conformance to Rule
4-1
e, Appendix II. Revision I, Aug
. 4, 1998
and Revision
0
, Jul
. 6, 1998, available from the USGA.
Another aspect of the present invention is an iron golf club head. The iron golf club head has a body, a striking plate and an annular deflection enhancement member. The body has a shallow hollow interior and a face opening thereto. The striking plate has an exterior surface and an interior surface. The annular deflection enhancement member is disposed between the body and the striking plate, and isolates the striking plate from the body. The striking plate is composed of a first material and the annular deflection enhancement member is composed of a second material. The first material has a Young's Modulus greater than that of the second material. Preferably, the Young's Modulus of the second material is at least twenty-five percent lower than that of the first material. More preferably, the Young's Modulus of the second material is at least fifty percent lower than that of the first material.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a body, a striking plate and an deflection enhancement means having a Young's modulus lower than that of the striking plate. The deflection enhancement means may be the material of the body modified from the rest of the body or a solder.
Having briefly described the present invention, the above and further objects, features and advantages thereof will be recognized by those skilled in the pertinent art from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a front plan view of a golf club head of the present invention.
FIG. 2
is a front plan view of an alternative embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
FIG. 3
is an exploded view of the golf club head of FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3A
is an isolated top plan view of a portion of the gasket of the present invention.
FIG. 3B
is an isolated plan view of the crown/face transition area of the golf club head of present invention.
FIG. 4
is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG.
1
.
FIG. 5
is an enlarged view of circle
5
of FIG.
4
.
FIG. 6
is an isolated cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the gasket, striking plate and body interface of the present invention.
FIG. 7
is an isolated cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the gasket, striking plate and body interface of the present invention.
FIG. 8
is an isolated cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the gasket, striking plate and body interface of the present invention.
FIG. 9
is an isolated cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the gasket, striking plate and body interface of the present invention.
FIG. 10
is an isolated cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the gasket, striking plate and body interface of the present invention.
FIG. 11
is an isolated cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the gasket, striking plate and body interface of the present invention.
FIG. 12
is an isolated cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the gasket, striking plate and body interface of the present invention.
FIG. 13
is an isolated cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the gasket, striking plate and body interface of the present invention.
FIG. 14
is a side view of a golf club head of the present invention immediately prior to low swing speed impact with a golf ball.
FIG. 15
is a side view of a golf club head of the present invention during low swing speed impact with a golf ball.
FIG. 16
is a side view of a golf club head of the present invention immediately after low swing speed impact with a golf ball.
FIG. 17
is a front view of a iron golf club head embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed at a golf club head having a gasket that isolates the striking plate from the entirety of the body of the golf club head. This isolation of the striking plate allows for a golf club head with a high coefficient of restitution thereby enabling for greater distance of a golf ball hit with the golf club head of the present invention. The coefficient of restitution (also referred to herein as “COR”) is determined by the following equation:
wherein U
1
is the club head velocity prior to impact; U
2
is the golf ball velocity prior to impact which is zero; ν
1
is the club head velocity just after separation of the golf ball from the face of the club head; ν
2
is the golf ball velocity just after separation of the golf ball from the face of the club head; and e is the coefficient of restitution between the golf ball and the club face. The values of e are limited between zero and 1.0 for systems with no energy addition. The coefficient of restitution, e, for a material such as a soft clay or putty would be near zero, while for a perfectly elastic material, where no energy is lost as a result of deformation, the value of e would be 1.0. The present invention provides a club head having a coefficient of restitution approaching 0.9, as measured under conventional test conditions.
As shown in
FIGS. 1-5
, a golf club is generally designated
20
. The golf club
20
has a club head
22
that is engaged with a shaft
24
. A ferrule
26
encircles the shaft
24
at an aperture
27
to a hosel
29
. The club head
22
has a body
28
, an annular deflection enhancement member
30
and a striking plate
32
. The annular deflection enhancement member
30
encompasses the perimeter of the striking plate
32
thereby isolating the striking plate
32
from the entirety of the club head body
28
. The striking plate
32
may have a plurality of scorelines
34
thereon. The striking plate
32
generally extends from a heel end
36
of the club head
22
to a to end
38
of the club head
22
.
The body
28
has a crown
40
and a sole
42
. As shown in
FIG. 3
, the body
28
has a hollow interior
44
. Positioned inside the hollow interior
44
is the hosel
29
. The body also has a front opening
45
for positioning of the annular deflection enhancement member
30
and striking plate
32
therein. Alternatively, the annular deflection enhancement member
30
may be composed of a plurality of portions
31
a-d
which may range from two to twenty.
The annular deflection enhancement member
30
has an upper surface
50
, an exterior surface
51
, a lower surface
52
and an interior surface
53
. As shown in
FIGS. 3A
,
3
B,
4
and
5
, the upper surface
50
of the annular deflection enhancement member
30
engages a crown/face transition area
54
of the body
28
while the interior surface
53
engages a shoulder
56
of the crown/face transition area
54
. A sole/face transition area
58
, with a shoulder
60
, engages the lower portion of the annular deflection enhancement member
30
similar to the annular deflection enhancement member
30
engagement with the crown/face transition area
54
. Preferably, the annular deflection enhancement member
30
and striking plate
32
are press-fitted into the opening
45
of the body
28
under high pressure to ensure a secure fitting. In addition to the mechanical adhesion, a chemical adhesion may be used to ensure a secure fitting. The chemical adhesion may be implemented through heating of the materials (if only metal materials are employed) or through an adhesive material such as an epoxy or polyurethane adhesive. However, an adhesive component may have a small dampening effect during impact with a golf ball. Additionally, the annular deflection enhancement member
30
may be molded or cast in position about the opening
45
of the body
28
.
The striking plate
32
is generally composed of a single piece of metal, and is preferably composed of steel or titanium. However, the striking plate
32
may be composed of a composite material such as carbon fibers dispersed with a resin sheet. However, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the striking plate
32
may be composed of other materials such as vitreous metals, ceramics, other fibrous materials, and the like without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The thickness of the striking plate
32
may range from 0.010 inches to 0.200, and the striking plate may have a non-uniform thickness such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,084 for a Contoured Golf Club Face which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The annular deflection enhancement member
30
has a Young's Modulus that is lower than the Young's Modulus of the striking plate
32
. Preferably, the annular deflection enhancement member
30
has a Young's Modulus that is twenty-five percent lower than the Young's Modulus of the striking plate
32
, and most preferably the annular deflection enhancement member
30
has a Young's Modulus that is fifty percent lower than the Young's Modulus of the striking plate
32
. However, the annular deflection enhancement member
30
may have a Young's modulus that is only ten percent less than the striking plate
32
. The Young's Modulus is a measurement of the elastic modulus or stiffness of a material. For example, if the striking plate
32
is composed of stainless steel, it has a Young's Modulus of 2×10
11
Pascals, and thus the annular deflection enhancement member
30
must have a Young's Modulus no greater than 1.5×10
11
Pascals. Thus, the annular deflection enhancement member
30
may be composed of titanium (Young Modulus of 1.1×10
11
Pascals), copper or brass (Young Modulus of 1.1×10
11
Pascals), aluminum (Young Modulus of 6.8×10
10
Pascals), magnesium (Young Modulus of 4.4×10
10
Pascals), a polymer material (Young Modulus of 0.0007-1.4×10
10
Pascals), lead (Young Modulus of 1.8×10
10
Pascals), nickel (Young Modulus of 4.6×10
10
Pascals), tin (Young Modulus of 4.0×10
10
Pascals), glass/epoxy (Young Modulus of 1.4-0.8×10
10
Pascals), graphite/epoxy (Young Modulus of 5.0-30×10
10
Pascals), kevlar/epoxy (Young Modulus of 1.4-7.5×10
10
Pascals), wood (Young Modulus of 0.68-1.7×10
10
Pascals), or the like. If the striking plate
32
is composed of a stainless steel material, then the annular deflection enhancement member
30
is preferably composed of a copper material.
In an alternate example, if the string plate
32
is composed of titanium, it has a Young's Modulus of 1.1×10
11
Pascals, and thus the annular deflection enhancement member
30
should have a Young's Modulus no greater than 0.825×10
11
Pascals. Thus, the annular deflection enhancement member
30
may be composed of copper or brass (Young Modulus of 1.1×10
11
Pascals), aluminum (Young Modulus of 6.8×10
11
Pascals),magnesium (Young Modulus of 4.4×10
10
Pascals), a polymer material (Young Modulus of 0.0007-1.4×10
10
Pascals), lead (Young Modulus of 1.8×10
10
Pascals), nickel (Young Modulus of 4.6×10
10
Pascals), tin (Young Modulus of 4.0×10
10
Pascals), glass/epoxy (Young Modulus of 1.4-0.8×10
10
Pascals), graphite/epoxy (Young Modulus of 5.0-30×10
10
Pascals), kevlar/epoxy (Young Modulus of 1.4-7.5×10
10
Pascals), wood (Young Modulus of 0.68-1.7×10
10
Pascals), or the like. If the striking plate
32
is composed of titanium, then the annular deflection enhancement member
30
is preferably composed of a magnesium material.
In yet another example, if the striking plate
32
is composed of a composite material, it has a Young's Modulus of 3-20×10
10
Pascals, and thus the annular deflection enhancement member
30
must have a Young's Modulus no greater than 2-15×10
10
Pascals. Thus, the annular deflection enhancement member
30
is composed of a polymer material such as a polyurethane, a polyethylene or an ionomer material.
As mentioned previously, the annular deflection enhancement member
30
isolates the striking plate
32
from the entirety of the body
28
allowing for greater deflection of the striking plate
32
during impact with a golf ball. The compliance of the striking plate
32
during impact with the golf ball allows for a coefficient of restitution greater than that of a continuous head. This compliance of the striking plate
32
is possible even though the striking plate may be fairly rigid, and non-compliant if engaged with the body
28
. However, the annular deflection enhancement member
30
, with a Young's Modulus at least twenty-five percent lower than that of the striking plate
32
, allows for compliance of the striking plate
32
during impact with a golf ball.
FIGS. 6-13
illustrate different embodiments of the annular deflection enhancement member
30
, striking plate
32
and body
28
interface. As shown in
FIG. 6
, the annular deflection enhancement member
30
a
has an “L” shape with a upper portion
62
and a lower portion
64
. The striking plate
32
engages both the upper and lower portions
62
and
64
of the annular deflection enhancement member
30
a.
As shown in
FIG. 7
, the annular deflection enhancement member
30
b
has a cross shape with upper and lower portions
66
a-b
, and forward and rearward portions
68
a-b
. The crown/face transition area
54
has two extensions
56
a-b
that form a cavity for engagement with the upper portion
66
a
of the annular deflection enhancement member
30
b
. The striking plate
32
has a perimeter cavity for receiving the lower portion
66
b
of the annular deflection enhancement member
30
b.
As shown in
FIG. 8
, the annular deflection enhancement member
30
c
is disposed behind the striking plate
32
, primarily engaging the shoulder
56
and the interior surface of the striking plate
32
. A small gap
71
lies between the striking plate
32
and crown/face transition area
54
.
FIGS. 9-11
are primarily directed at annular deflection enhancement members
30
d-f
composed of injectable materials such as thermoplastic materials and injectable metals. However, the annular deflection enhancement members
30
d-f
may be non-injectable materials. As shown in
FIG. 9
, the annular deflection enhancement member
30
d
has an angled portion
70
and a straight portion
72
. The crown/face transition area
54
has a cavity to receive the annular deflection enhancement member
30
d
, and the striking plate
32
is angled to engage the annular deflection enhancement member
30
d
. The annular deflection enhancement member
30
e
of
FIG. 10
has an “H” shape with a forward portion
74
, a rearward portion
76
and a middle portion
78
. The crown/face transition area
54
has a projection
56
′ that engages the annular deflection enhancement member
30
e
, and the striking plate
32
has a projection
80
that engages the annular deflection enhancement member
30
e
. The annular deflection enhancement member
30
f
of FIG.
11
is angled to match the angle of the striking plate
32
and the crown/face transition area
54
.
FIGS. 12 and 13
illustrate annular deflection enhancement members
30
g
and
30
h
that are mechanically secure. The annular deflection enhancement member
30
g
has an “H” shape with a forward portion
74
′, a rearward portion
76
′ and a middle portion
78
′. The crown/face transition area
54
engages the annular deflection enhancement member
30
g
within the forward and rearward portions
74
′ and
76
′, and the striking plate
32
engages the annular deflection enhancement member
30
e
within the forward and rearward portions
74
′ and
76
′. The annular deflection enhancement member 30h has a “U” shape. A front plate
82
is attached by a pin
84
that also secures the striking plate and the annular deflection enhancement member
30
h
to the shoulder
56
″ of the body
28
.
As shown in
FIGS. 14-16
, the flexibility of the striking plate
26
allows for a greater coefficient of restitution during impact with a golf ball. At
FIG. 14
, the striking plate
32
is immediately prior to striking a golf ball
100
. At
FIG. 15
, the striking plate
32
is engaging the golf ball, and deformation of the golf ball
100
and striking plate
32
is illustrated. A lesser deformation of the golf ball
100
and increased contact time leads to a lower loss of energy thereby increasing the coefficient of restitution. At
FIG. 16
, the golf ball
100
has just been launched from the striking plate
32
.
The golf club head of the present invention may be a wood-type, an iron-type or even a putter-type golf club head.
FIG. 17
illustrates an iron type golf club head
22
′. The golf club head
22
′ has a body
28
′ with a annular deflection enhancement member
30
′ and a striking plate
32
′. The striking plate
32
′ has a plurality of scorelines
34
′ thereon. The iron golf club head
22
′ also has a hosel
29
′ for engagement of a shaft therewith. The iron golf club head
22
′ has a shallow hollow interior
44
′, not shown, that allows for compliance of the striking plate
32
′ during impact with a golf ball.
From the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention and will readily understand that while the present invention has been described in association with a preferred embodiment thereof, and other embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, numerous changes, modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is intended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in the following appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined in the following appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A wood-type golf club head comprising:a body having a hollow interior and a face opening thereto; a striking plate having an exterior surface and an interior surface and composed of a titanium material having a Young's Modulus of approximately 1.1×1011 Pascals and a thickness ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.200 inch; and an annular deflection enhancement member disposed between the body and the striking plate, the annular deflection enhancement member composed of a material having a Young's Modulus less than 0.825×1011 Pascals and selected from the group consisting of copper, aluminum, brass and magnesium, the annular deflection enhancement member isolating the striking plate from the body; wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution greater than 0.83.
- 2. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the annular deflection enhancement member comprises a plurality of portions.
- 3. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the annular deflection enhancement member has an “H” cross-sectional shape.
- 4. The wood-type golf head according to claim 1 wherein the annular deflection enhancement member has an “L” cross-sectional shape.
- 5. The wood-type golf head according to claim 1 further comprising a pin for connecting the striking plate and the annular deflection enhancement member to the body.
- 6. A wood-type golf club head comprising:a body having a hollow interior and a face opening thereto; a striking plate having an exterior surface and an interior surface and composed of stainless steel and having a Young's Modulus of approximately 2×1011 Pascals, and a thickness ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.200 inch; and an annular deflection enhancement member disposed between the body and the striking plate, the annular deflection enhancement member composed of a material selected from the group consisting of copper, brass, aluminum and magnesium, and having a Young's Modulus less than 1.5×1011 Pascals, the annular deflection enhancement member isolating the striking plate from the body; wherein the golf club bead has a coefficient of restitution greater than 0.83.
- 7. A wood-type golf club head comprising:a body having a hollow interior and a face opening thereto; a striking plate having an exterior surface and an interior surface and composed of a graphite material having a Young's Modulus of ranging from 3×1010 Pascals to 20×1010 Pascals, and a thickness ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.200 inch; and an annular deflection enhancement member disposed between the body and the striking plate, the annular deflection enhancement member composed of a polyurethane material and having a Young's Modulus less than 2×1010 Pascals, the annular deflection enhancement member isolating the striking plate from the body; wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution greater than 0.83.
US Referenced Citations (43)