Patent Application
20250025753
When a golf club head strikes a golf ball, a force is seen on the club head at the point of impact. If the point of impact is aligned with the center face of the golf club head in an area of the club face typically called the sweet spot, then the force is efficiently transferred to the golf ball and the force has minimal twisting or tumbling effect on the golf club. In modern golf club heads, the sweet spot typically designed with a coefficient of restitution (COR) above 0.800, reflecting the amount of force transferred from the golf club head to the golf ball. COR values are typically below 0.800 outside of the sweet spot. Thus, if the point of impact is not aligned with the center face, such as outside of the sweet spot, then the force is not efficiently transferred to the golf ball. Further, if the point of impact is not aligned with the center face, then the force can cause the golf club head to twist around the center face, further reducing the efficiency of the force transfer to the golf ball.
The coefficient of restitution (COR) of an iron club head is measured according to procedures described by the USGA Rules of Golf as specified in the “Interim Procedure for Measuring the Coefficient of Restitution of an Iron Club head Relative to a Baseline Plate,” Revision 1.2, Nov. 30, 2005 (hereinafter “the USGA COR Procedure”). Specifically, a COR value for a baseline calibration plate is first determined, then a COR value for an iron club head is determined using golf balls from the same dozen(s) used in the baseline plate calibration. The measured calibration plate COR value is then subtracted from the measured iron club head COR to obtain the “relative COR” of the iron club head. To illustrate by way of an example: following the USGA COR Procedure, a given set of golf balls may produce a measured COR value for a baseline calibration plate of 0.845. Using the same set of golf balls, an iron club head may produce a measured COR value of 0.825. In this example, the relative COR for the iron club head is 0.825−0.845=−0.020. This iron club head has a COR that is 0.020 lower than the COR of the baseline calibration plate, or a relative COR of −0.020. Golf club heads are also measured for characteristic time (CT), which is the contact time between a metal mass attached to a pendulum that strikes the face center of the golf club head at a low speed under conditions prescribed by the USGA club conformance standards.
Historically, golf club heads have been designed to make the sweet spot is large as possible and to increase the moment of inertial (MOI) of the golf club head in order to more efficiently transfer force to the golf ball at impact.
Modem “wood-type” golf clubs (notably, “drivers,” “fairway woods,” and “utility or hybrid clubs”), are generally called “metalwoods” since they tend to be made of strong, lightweight metals, such as titanium. An exemplary metalwood golf club, such as a driver or fairway wood, typically includes a hollow shaft and a golf club head coupled to a lower end of the shaft. The golf club heads of metal woods includes a hollow body with a face portion. The face portion has a front surface, known as a strike face, configured to contact the golf ball during a proper golf swing.
Most modern versions of club heads are made from, at least in part, a lightweight but strong metal, such as a titanium alloy. In fact, for most modern drivers, titanium alloys account for more than 65% of the total mass of the corresponding heads. Titanium alloys can be expensive and difficult to manufacture. Accordingly, replacing titanium alloys with alternative materials is desirable. However, replacing titanium alloys with other materials, while complying with golf club manufacturing and performance constraints imposed by governing bodies and maintaining high performance and quality, is difficult. Although golf club heads of some existing metalwoods may be made of multiple materials, including steel alloys, titanium alloys, and fiber-reinforced polymeric materials, many of these golf club heads suffer from either manufacturing, performance, or quality shortcomings.
The subject matter of the present application has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the shortcomings of golf clubs and associated golf club heads, that have not yet been fully solved. Accordingly, the subject matter of the present application has been developed to provide a golf club and golf club head that overcome at least some of the above-discussed shortcomings.
One or more of the present embodiments provide a golf club head that includes a body defining a hollow interior region, the body comprising a sole portion, a crown portion, a skirt portion, and a front portion comprising a strike face. The strike face can have a variable face thickness profile with a minimum thickness of the strike face less than 2.5 mm and more than 1.5 mm and with a maximum thickness greater than the minimum thickness and less than 3.7 mm. The strike face also includes a central region defined by a 40 millimeter (mm) by 20 mm rectangular area centered on a geometric center of the strike face and elongated in a heel-to-toe direction. The strike face includes a first coefficient of restitution (COR) weighting factor and a first COR value positioned on the strike face at the geometric center of the strike face corresponding to an (x, y) coordinate of (0, 0), a second COR weighting factor and a second COR value positioned on the strike face 10 mm above the geometric center of the strike face corresponding to an (x, y) coordinate of (0, 10), a third COR weighting factor and a third COR value positioned on the strike face 10 mm below the geometric center of the strike face corresponding to an (x, y) coordinate of (0, −10), a fourth COR weighting factor and a fourth COR value positioned on the strike face 20 mm toe-ward of the geometric center of the strike face corresponding to an (x, y) coordinate of (−20, 0), and a fifth COR weighting factor and a fifth COR value positioned on the strike face 20 mm heel-ward of the geometric center of the strike face corresponding to an (x, y) coordinate of (20, 0). In some embodiments, the first COR weighting factor is 0.3267, the second COR weighting factor is 0.2256, the third COR weighting factor is 0.1395, the fourth COR weighting factor is 0.2263, and the fifth COR weighting factor is 0.0819. A summation of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth weighting factors is 1, and the first COR value is no less than 0.817, the second COR value is no less than 0.801, the third COR value is no less than 0.775, the fourth COR value is no less than 0.785, and the fifth COR value is no less than 0.755. A weighted COR value is no less than 0.805, which is a summation of: the first weighting factor multiplied by the first COR value; the second weighting factor multiplied by the second COR value; the third weighting factor multiplied by the third COR value; the fourth weighting factor multiplied by the fourth COR value; and the fifth weighting factor multiplied by the fifth COR value.
In some examples, the above-discussed shortcomings are overcome by providing a driver-type golf club head that is made of multiple materials and has a multi-piece construction that facilitates a reduction in the percent composition of titanium alloys in the golf club head, while providing improved performance, manufacturability, and quality, compared to conventional driver-type golf club heads.
Disclosed herein is a driver-type golf club head. The driver-type golf club head comprises a forward portion, comprising a strike face, a rearward portion, opposite the forward portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, opposite the crown portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion, opposite the heel portion. A volume of the driver-type golf club head is between 390 cubic centimeters (cc) and 600 cc. A total mass of the driver-type golf club head is between 185 grams (g) and 210 g. The driver-type golf club head is made from at least one first material, having a density between 0.9 g/cc and 3.5 g/cc, at least one second material, having a density between 3.6 g/cc and 5.5 g/cc, and at least one third material, having a density between 5.6 g/cc and 20.0 g/cc. The at least one first material has a first mass no more than 55% of the total mass of the driver-type golf club head and no less than 25% of the total mass of the driver-type golf club head. The at least one second material has a second mass no more than 65% of the total mass of the driver-type golf club head and no less than 20% of the total mass of the driver-type golf club head. The at least one third material has a third mass equal to the total mass of the driver-type golf club head less the first mass of the at least one first material and the second mass of the at least one second material. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 1 of the present disclosure.
The third mass of the at least one third material is no less than 5% of the total mass of the driver-type golf club head and no more than 50% of the total mass of the driver-type golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 2 of the present disclosure, wherein example 2 also includes the subject matter according to example 1, above.
The third mass of the at least one third material is no less than 10% of the total mass of the driver-type golf club head and no more than 20% of the total mass of the driver-type golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 3 of the present disclosure, wherein example 3 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-2, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint. The cast cup defines the forward portion of the driver-type golf club head and is made from at least the at least one second material. The at least one second material comprises at least a first metal material having a density between 4.0 g/cc and 8.0 g/cc. The ring defines the rearward portion of the driver-type golf club head and is made of a material having a density between 0.5 g/cc and 4.0 g/cc. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 4 of the present disclosure, wherein example 4 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-3, above.
The first metal material of the cast cup comprises at least one of a titanium alloy or a steel alloy. The material of the ring comprises at least one of an aluminum alloy or a magnesium alloy. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 5 of the present disclosure, wherein example 5 also includes the subject matter according to example 4, above.
The first metal material of the cast cup comprises at least one of a titanium alloy or a steel alloy. The material of the ring comprises a non-metal material. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 6 of the present disclosure, wherein example 6 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 4-5, above.
The at least one first material comprises a fiber-reinforced polymeric material comprising continuous fibers. Each one of the continuous fibers has a length of at least 50 millimeters. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 7 of the present disclosure, wherein example 7 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-6, above.
Each one of the continuous fibers of the fiber-reinforced polymeric material does not extend from the crown portion to the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 8 of the present disclosure, wherein example 8 also includes the subject matter according to example 7, above.
Each one of the continuous fibers of the fiber-reinforced polymeric material does not extend from the crown portion to the forward portion. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 9 of the present disclosure, wherein example 9 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 7-8, above.
The at least one first material comprises a fiber-reinforced polymeric material. The fiber-reinforced polymeric material comprises a thermoset polymer. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 10 of the present disclosure, wherein example 10 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-9, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint. The body comprises a crown opening. The cast cup comprises a forward crown-opening recessed ledge that defines a forward section of the crown opening. The ring comprises a rearward crown-opening recessed ledge that defines a rearward section of the crown opening. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 11 of the present disclosure, wherein example 11 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-10, above.
The body comprises a sole opening. The cast cup comprises a forward sole-opening recessed ledge that defines a forward section of the sole opening. The ring comprises a rearward sole-opening recessed ledge that defines a rearward section of the sole opening. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 12 of the present disclosure, wherein example 12 also includes the subject matter according to example 11, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a crown insert. The crown insert defines the crown portion. The crown insert encloses the crown opening. The crown insert is made from a material having a density between 0.5 g/cc and 4.0 g/cc. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 13 of the present disclosure, wherein example 13 also includes the subject matter according to example 12, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a sole insert. The sole insert defines the sole portion. The sole insert encloses the sole opening. The sole insert is made from a material having a density between 0.5 g/cc and 4.0 g/cc. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 14 of the present disclosure, wherein example 14 also includes the subject matter according to example 13, above.
A thickness of the sole insert is greater than a thickness the crown insert. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 15 of the present disclosure, wherein example 15 also includes the subject matter according to example 14, above.
The crown insert comprises a crown-insert outer surface that defines an outward-facing surface of the crown portion of the driver-type golf club head. The sole insert comprises a sole-insert outer surface that defines an outward-facing surface of the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. A total surface area of the sole-insert outer surface is smaller than a total surface area of the crown-insert outer surface. A total mass of the crown insert is less than a total mass of the sole insert. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 16 of the present disclosure, wherein example 16 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 14-15, above.
The sole insert comprises a first quantity of stacked plies. The crown insert comprises a second quantity of stacked plies. The first quantity is greater than the second quantity. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 17 of the present disclosure, wherein example 17 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 14-16, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint. The cast cup defines the forward portion of the driver-type golf club head and part of the crown portion, the sole portion, the heel portion, and the toe portion of the driver-type golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 18 of the present disclosure, wherein example 18 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-17, above.
The cast cup comprises a hosel. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 19 of the present disclosure, wherein example 19 also includes the subject matter according to example 18, above.
The cast cup extends rearwardly from the strike face, at the heel portion, a first distance. The cast cup extends rearwardly from the strike face, at the toe portion, a second distance. The second distance is greater than the first distance. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 20 of the present disclosure, wherein example 20 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 18-19, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint and a strike plate that defines the strike face. The cast cup defines the forward portion of the driver-type golf club head. The cast cup comprises a plate opening. The strike plate is joined to the cast cup and encloses the plate opening of the cast cup. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 21 of the present disclosure, wherein example 21 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-20, above.
The strike plate is made from a fiber-reinforced polymeric material. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 22 of the present disclosure, wherein example 22 also includes the subject matter according to example 21, above.
The strike plate is made from a metal material. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 23 of the present disclosure, wherein example 23 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 21-22, above.
The cast cup further comprises a plate-opening recessed ledge that defines the plate opening. The strike plate is seatably engaged with the plate-opening recessed ledge of the cast cup. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 24 of the present disclosure, wherein example 24 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 21-23, above.
The strike plate is adhesively bonded to the plate-opening recessed ledge. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 25 of the present disclosure, wherein example 25 also includes the subject matter according to example 24, above.
The cast cup defines part of the crown portion, the sole portion, the heel portion, and the toe portion of the driver-type golf club head. The strike plate abuts the crown portion of the driver-type golf club head and defines a topline of the driver-type golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 26 of the present disclosure, wherein example 26 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 21-25, above.
The strike plate visibly contrasts with the crown portion of the driver-type golf club head such that the topline of the driver-type golf club head is visibly enhanced. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 27 of the present disclosure, wherein example 27 also includes the subject matter according to 26, above.
The first mass of the at least one first material is no more than 45% of the total mass of the driver-type golf club head and no less than 30% of the total mass of the driver-type golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 28 of the present disclosure, wherein example 28 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-27, above.
The second mass of the at least one second material is no more than 50% of the total mass of the driver-type golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 29 of the present disclosure, wherein example 29 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-28, above.
The second mass of the at least one second material is less than two times the first mass of the at least one first material. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 30 of the present disclosure, wherein example 30 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-29, above.
The second mass of the at least one second material is between 0.9 times and 1.8 times the first mass of the at least one first material. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 31 of the present disclosure, wherein example 31 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-30, above.
The first mass of the at least one first material is greater than the second mass of the at least one second material. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 32 of the present disclosure, wherein example 32 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-31, above.
The first mass of the at least one first material is within 10 g of the second mass of the at least one second material. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 33 of the present disclosure, wherein example 33 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-32, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint. The cast cup defines the forward portion of the driver-type golf club head. The driver-type golf club head also comprises a weight attached to the cast cup. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 34 of the present disclosure, wherein example 34 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-33, above.
The weight is threadedly attached to the cast cup. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 35 of the present disclosure, wherein example 35 also includes the subject matter according to example 34, above.
The cast cup comprises a threaded port comprising internal threads. The weight comprises external threads that are threadably engaged with the internal threads of the threaded port. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 6 of the present disclosure, wherein example 36 also includes the subject matter according to example 35, above.
The forward portion, the rearward portion, the crown portion, the sole portion, the heel portion, and the toe portion collectively define and enclose an interior cavity of the driver-type golf club head. The weight is external to the interior cavity of the driver-type golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 37 of the present disclosure, wherein example 37 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 34-36, above.
The forward portion, the rearward portion, the crown portion, the sole portion, the heel portion, and the toe portion collectively define and enclose an interior cavity of the driver-type golf club head. The weight is internal to the interior cavity of the driver-type golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 38 of the present disclosure, wherein example 38 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 34-37, above.
The cast cup comprises one or more ledges. The weight is clamped to and selectively slidable along the one or more ledges of the cast cup. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 39 of the present disclosure, wherein example 39 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 34-38, above.
A washer having a non-threaded aperture. A nut having a threaded aperture. A threaded fastening bolt that interconnects the washer and the nut. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 40 of the present disclosure, wherein example 40 also includes the subject matter according to example 39, above.
The threaded fastening bolt forms a one-piece monolithic construction with one of the washer or the nut. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 41 of the present disclosure, wherein example 41 also includes the subject matter according to example 40, above.
An outer peripheral shape of the washer, the nut, or both the washer and the nut is non-circular. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 42 of the present disclosure, wherein example 42 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 40-41, above.
The outer peripheral shape is rectangular. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 43 of the present disclosure, wherein example 43 also includes the subject matter according to example 42, above.
The cast cup has a one-piece monolithic construction. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 44 of the present disclosure, wherein example 44 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 39-43, above.
The cast cup has a multi-piece construction, and the one or more ledges form one or more pieces of the multi-piece construction. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 45 of the present disclosure, wherein example 45 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 39-44, above.
The cast cup further comprises a heel mass pad at a heel region of the cast cup. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 46 of the present disclosure, wherein example 46 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 39-45, above.
The cast cup further comprises a sole mass pad at a sole region of the cast cup. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 47 of the present disclosure, wherein example 47 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 39-46, above.
The cast cup further comprises a plurality of internal ribs. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 48 of the present disclosure, wherein example 48 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 39-47, above.
The cast cup comprises a hosel having a hosel bore. The hosel is configured to receive a flight control technology (FCT) component. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 49 of the present disclosure, wherein example 49 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-48, above.
The cast cup further comprises a lower opening in a sole region of the cast cup that is open to the hosel bore. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 50 of the present disclosure, wherein example 50 also includes the subject matter according to example 49, above.
The forward portion, the rearward portion, the crown portion, the sole portion, the heel portion, and the toe portion collectively define and enclose an interior cavity of the driver-type golf club head. Hosel comprises an internal portion positioned within the internal cavity. The internal portion of the hosel comprises a lateral opening such that the internal portion of the hosel only partially surrounds the FCT component. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 51 of the present disclosure, wherein example 51 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 49-50, above.
The hosel defines a hosel axis. The lateral opening has a height, parallel to the hosel axis, of between 10 mm and 15 mm. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 52 of the present disclosure, wherein example 52 also includes the subject matter according to example 51, above.
The lateral opening has a width, perpendicular to the hosel axis, equal to at least 1 radian. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 53 of the present disclosure, wherein example 53 also includes the subject matter according to example 52, above.
The lateral opening has a projected area of at least 75 mm2. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 54 of the present disclosure, wherein example 54 also includes the subject matter according to example 53, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint. The ring defines the rearward portion of the driver-type golf club head. The ring has a maximum dimension, in a crown-to-sole direction, of at least 20 mm. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 55 of the present disclosure, wherein example 55 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-54, above.
The maximum dimension, in the crown-to-sole direction, of the ring is located proximate a rearmost end of the driver-type golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 56 of the present disclosure, wherein example 56 also includes the subject matter according to example 55, above.
A dimension, in the crown-to-sole direction, of the ring varies along a length of the ring. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 57 of the present disclosure, wherein example 57 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 55-56, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint. The ring defines the rearward portion of the driver-type golf club head. The ring comprises a cantilevered portion, proximate a rearmost end of the driver-type golf club head. The cantilevered portion extends from the crown portion of the driver-type golf club head to the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. The cantilevered portion defines an outwardly-facing surface of the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 58 of the present disclosure, wherein example 58 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-57, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a mass element attached to the cantilevered portion of the ring. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 59 of the present disclosure, wherein example 59 also includes the subject matter according to example 58, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises comprising a mass receptacle attached to the cantilevered portion of the ring. The mass receptacle comprises a threaded aperture. The mass element is threadably engaged with the threaded aperture of the mass receptacle. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 60 of the present disclosure, wherein example 60 also includes the subject matter according to example 59, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint. The cast cup defines the forward portion of the driver-type golf club head. The ring defines the rearward portion of the driver-type golf club head and a part of the toe portion and the heel portion of the driver-type golf club head. A first height of the ring, at the toe portion, is greater than a second height of the ring, at the heel portion. The first height and the second height being measured vertically from a ground plane when the driver-type golf club head is in an address position on the ground plane at a lie angle of 61 degrees and the face is square to an imaginary target line. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 60 of the present disclosure, wherein example 61 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-60, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint. The cast cup defines the forward portion of the driver-type golf club head. The ring defines the rearward portion of the driver-type golf club head and a part of the toe portion and the heel portion of the driver-type golf club head. A width of the ring is defined as a dimension of the ring in a vertical direction relative to a ground plane when the driver-type golf club head is in an address position on the ground plane at a lie angle of 60 degrees and the face is square to an imaginary target line. The width of the ring at the toe portion is less than the width of the ring at the heel portion. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 62 of the present disclosure, wherein example 62 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-61, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint. The ring defines the rearward portion of the driver-type golf club head. A width of the ring varies from a minimum width to a maximum width in a forward-to-rearward direction. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 63 of the present disclosure, wherein example 63 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-62, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a The driver-type golf club head according to claim 1, further comprising a skirt portion between the crown portion and the sole portion and extending from the forward portion, proximate the toe portion, around the rearward portion, to proximate the heel portion, wherein a ratio of a peak crown height of the crown portion to a peak skirt height of the skirt portion is between 0.45 and 0.59. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 64 of the present disclosure, wherein example 64 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-63, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises comprising a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint. The ring defines the rearward portion of the driver-type golf club head. The ring comprises a cantilevered portion, proximate a rearmost end of the driver-type golf club head. The cantilevered portion extends from the crown portion of the driver-type golf club head to the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. The cantilevered portion defines an outwardly-facing surface of the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. A ratio of the peak crown height to a vertical distance from the peak crown height to a lowest surface of the cantilevered portion of the ring is at least 3.0. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 65 of the present disclosure, wherein example 65 also includes the subject matter according to example 64 above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a skirt portion between the crown portion and the sole portion and extending from the forward portion, proximate the toe portion, around the rearward portion, to proximate the heel portion. The driver-type golf club head also comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint. The ring defines the rearward portion of the driver-type golf club head. The ring comprises a cantilevered portion, proximate a rearmost end of the driver-type golf club head. The cantilevered portion extends from the crown portion of the driver-type golf club head to the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. The cantilevered portion defines an outwardly-facing surface of the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. A vertical distance from peak skirt height of the skirt portion to a lowermost surface of the cantilevered portion of the ring, when the driver-type golf club head is in an address position on the ground plane at a lie angle of 60 degrees and the face is square to an imaginary target line, is no less than between 20 mm and 30 mm. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 66 of the present disclosure, wherein example 66 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-65, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint, a first weight coupled to the cast cup, and a second weight. The cast cup defines the forward portion of the driver-type golf club head. The ring defines the rearward portion of the driver-type golf club head. The ring comprises a cantilevered portion, proximate a rearmost end of the driver-type golf club head. The cantilevered portion extends from the crown portion of the driver-type golf club head to the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. The cantilevered portion defines an outwardly-facing surface of the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. The second weight is coupled to the cantilevered portion of the ring. The first weight and the second weight are interchangeably coupleable to the cast cup and the cantilevered portion of the ring. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 67 of the present disclosure, wherein example 67 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-66, above.
An outer peripheral shape of each one of the first weight and the second weight is circular. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 68 of the present disclosure, wherein example 68 also includes the subject matter according to example 67 above.
An outer peripheral shape of each one of the first weight and the second weight is non-circular. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 69 of the present disclosure, wherein example 69 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 67-68, above.
An outer peripheral shape of each one of the first weight and the second weight is non-circular. An orientation of each one of the first weight and the second weight is rotatable at least between 90-degrees and 180-degrees. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 70 of the present disclosure, wherein example 70 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 67-69, above.
The cast cup comprises a hosel. A location on the crown portion, corresponding with a peak crown height of the driver-type golf club head, is rearward of the hosel. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 71 of the present disclosure, wherein example 71 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-70, above.
The hosel defines a hosel axis. The location on the crown portion, corresponding with the peak crown height of the driver-type golf club head, is rearward of the hosel axis. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 72 of the present disclosure, wherein example 72 also includes the subject matter according to example 71, above.
A crown height of the driver-type golf club head increases and then decreases in a front-to-rear direction away from the strike face. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 73 of the present disclosure, wherein example 73 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-72, above.
The driver-type golf club head defines a head origin coordinate system comprising an origin at a center of the strike face and a y-axis parallel to a front-to-rear direction. A y-axis coordinate, on the y-axis of the head origin coordinate system, of a location on the crown portion, corresponding with a peak crown height of the driver-type golf club head, is between 26 mm and 42 mm. The peak crown height is defined by a portion of the crown portion made of the at least one first material. A y-axis coordinate, on the y-axis of the head origin coordinate system, of a center-of-gravity (CG) of the driver-type golf club head is between 30 mm and 50 mm. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 74 of the present disclosure, wherein example 74 also includes the subject matter according to example 73, above.
The driver-type golf club head defines a head origin coordinate system comprising an origin at a center of the strike face and a z-axis parallel to a front-to-rear direction. A peak crown height of the driver-type golf club head, is between 60 mm and 70 mm. A z-axis coordinate, on the z-axis of the head origin coordinate system, of a center-of-gravity (CG) of the driver-type golf club head is between −10 mm and 2 mm. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 75 of the present disclosure, wherein example 75 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 73-74, above.
A rearward mass of the driver-type golf club head is defined as a mass of the driver-type golf club head within an imaginary rearward box having a height, parallel to a crown-to-sole direction, of 35 millimeters (mm), a depth, in a front-to-rear direction, of 35 mm, and a width, in a toe-to-heel direction, greater than a maximum width of the driver-type golf club head. A forward mass of the driver-type golf club head is defined as a mass of the driver-type golf club head within an imaginary forward box having a height, parallel to a crown-to-sole direction, of 20 millimeters (mm), a depth, in a front-to-rear direction, of 35 mm, and a width, in a toe-to-heel direction, greater than a maximum width of the driver-type golf club head. A rear side of the imaginary rearward box is coextensive with a rearmost end of the driver-type golf club head and a bottom side of the imaginary rearward box is coextensive with a ground plane when the driver-type golf club head is in an address position on the ground plane at a lie angle of 60 degrees and the face is square to an imaginary target line. A forward side of the imaginary forward box is coextensive with a forwardmost end of the driver-type golf club head and a bottom side of the imaginary forward box is coextensive with the ground plane when the driver-type golf club head is in the address position on the ground plane at the lie angle of 60 degrees and the face is square to the imaginary target line. A first vector distance from a center-of-gravity (CG) of the rearward mass to a CG of the driver-type golf club head is between 49 mm and 64 mm. A second vector distance from a center-of-gravity (CG) of the forward mass to the CG of the driver-type golf club head is between 22 mm and 34 mm. A third vector distance from the CG of the rearward mass to the CG of the forward mass is between 75 mm and 82 mm. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 76 of the present disclosure, wherein example 76 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-75, above.
A z-axis coordinate of the CG of the driver-type golf club head, on a z-axis of a head origin coordinate system of the driver-type golf club head, is between −10 mm and 2 mm. A y-axis coordinate of the CG of the driver-type golf club head, on a y-axis of the head origin coordinate system of the driver-type golf club head, is between 30 mm and 50 mm. An x-axis coordinate of the CG of the driver-type golf club head, on an x-axis of the head origin coordinate system of the driver-type golf club head, is between −10 mm and 10 mm. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 77 of the present disclosure, wherein example 77 also includes the subject matter according to example 76 above.
A ratio of a moment of inertia about an x-axis of a CG coordinate system of the driver-type golf club head (Ixx) to a moment of inertia about a z-axis of the CG coordinate system of the driver-type golf club head (Izz) is greater than 0.7. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 78 of the present disclosure, wherein example 78 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-77, above.
A sum of a moment of inertia about an x-axis of a CG coordinate system of the driver-type golf club head (Ixx) and a moment of inertia about a z-axis of the CG coordinate system of the driver-type golf club head (Izz) is greater than 780 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 79 of the present disclosure, wherein example 79 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-78, above.
A moment of inertia about a z-axis of a CG coordinate system of the driver-type golf club head (Izz) is less than 590 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 80 of the present disclosure, wherein example 80 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-79, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint, a first weight coupled to the cast cup, and a second weight. The cast cup defines the forward portion of the driver-type golf club head. The ring defines the rearward portion of the driver-type golf club head. The ring comprises a cantilevered portion, proximate a rearmost end of the driver-type golf club head. The cantilevered portion extends from the crown portion of the driver-type golf club head to the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. The cantilevered portion defines an outwardly-facing surface of the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. The second weight is coupled to the cantilevered portion of the ring. A z-axis coordinate of the CG of the first weight, on a z-axis of a head origin coordinate system of the driver-type golf club head, is between −30 mm and −10 mm. A y-axis coordinate of the CG of the first weight, on a y-axis of the head origin coordinate system of the driver-type golf club head, is between 10 mm and 30 mm. An x-axis coordinate of the CG of the first weight, on an x-axis of the head origin coordinate system of the driver-type golf club head, is between 15 mm and 35 mm. The z-axis coordinate of the CG of the second weight, on the z-axis of the head origin coordinate system of the driver-type golf club head, is between −30 mm and 10 mm. The y-axis coordinate of the CG of the second weight, on the y-axis of the head origin coordinate system of the driver-type golf club head, is between 90 mm and 120 mm. The x-axis coordinate of the CG of the second weight, on the x-axis of the head origin coordinate system of the driver-type golf club head, is between −20 mm and 10 mm. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 81 of the present disclosure, wherein example 81 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-80, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint, a first weight coupled to the cast cup, and a second weight. The cast cup defines the forward portion of the driver-type golf club head. The ring defines the rearward portion of the driver-type golf club head. The ring comprises a cantilevered portion, proximate a rearmost end of the driver-type golf club head. The cantilevered portion defines an outwardly-facing surface of the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. The second weight is coupled to the cantilevered portion of the ring. The cast cup comprises a hosel having a hosel bore. The hosel is configured to receive a flight control technology (FCT) component. The first weight, the second weight, and the FCT component are adjustable relative to the body. The first weight, the second weight, the FCT component are adjustable via a single tool. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 82 of the present disclosure, wherein example 82 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-81, above.
The sole portion comprises an inertia generating feature that is elongated in a lengthwise direction. The lengthwise direction is oblique relative to the strike face. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 83 of the present disclosure, wherein example 83 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-82, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint and a sole insert. The sole portion comprises a sole opening. The sole insert defines the sole portion. The sole insert encloses the sole opening. The ring defines the rearward portion of the driver-type golf club head. The ring comprises a cantilevered portion, proximate a rearmost end of the driver-type golf club head. The cantilevered portion extends from the crown portion of the driver-type golf club head to the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. The cantilevered portion defines an outwardly-facing surface of the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. The sole portion comprises an inertia generating feature that is elongated in a lengthwise direction that is oblique relative to the strike face. The sole insert forms a portion of the inertia generating feature. The lengthwise direction is oblique relative to the strike face. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 84 of the present disclosure, wherein example 84 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-83, above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a sole insert. The sole portion comprises a sole opening. The sole insert defines the sole portion. The sole insert encloses the sole opening. The sole insert comprises a complex curved surface having multiple inflection points. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 85 of the present disclosure, wherein example 85 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-84 above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint. A crown insert, coupled to the body and defining the crown portion of the driver-type golf club head. A sole insert, coupled to the body and defining the sole portion of the driver-type golf club head. The body is made of a metallic material. The crown insert and the sole insert are made of a fiber-reinforced polymeric material. A ratio of a total exposed surface area of the body to a total exposed surface area of crown insert and the sole insert is between 0.95 and 1.25. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 86 of the present disclosure, wherein example 86 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-85 above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a sole insert. The sole portion comprises a sole opening. The sole insert defines the sole portion. The sole insert encloses the sole opening. The sole insert has a total exposed surface area between 4,300 mm2 and 10,200 mm2 The sole insert has a maximum width, parallel to a heel-to-toe direction, of at least between 80 mm and 120 mm. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 87 of the present disclosure, wherein example 87 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-86 above.
The strike face has a total surface area between 3,500 mm2 and 5,000 mm2. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 88 of the present disclosure, wherein example 88 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-87 above.
The total surface area of the strike face is between 3,700 mm2 and 4,300 mm2. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 89 of the present disclosure, wherein example 89 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-88 above.
In a forward-to-rearward direction, the driver-type golf club head further comprises a face section, comprising 25% of a total length of the driver-type golf club head, a middle section, comprising 50% of the total length of the driver-type golf club head, and a back section, comprising 25% of the total length of the driver-type golf club head. At least 95% by weight of the middle section is made of a material having a density between 0.9 g/cc and 4.0 g/cc. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 90 of the present disclosure, wherein example 90 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-89 above.
In a forward-to-rearward direction, the driver-type golf club head further comprises a face section, comprising 25% of a total length of the driver-type golf club head, a middle section, comprising 50% of the total length of the driver-type golf club head, and a back section, comprising 25% of the total length of the driver-type golf club head. At least 95% by weight of the middle section is made of material having a density between 0.9 g/cc and 2.0 g/cc. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 91 of the present disclosure, wherein example 91 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-90 above.
In a forward-to-rearward direction, the driver-type golf club head further comprises a face section, comprising 25% of a total length of the driver-type golf club head, a middle section, comprising 50% of the total length of the driver-type golf club head, and a back section, comprising 25% of the total length of the driver-type golf club head. At least 95% by weight of the middle section and at least 95% by weight of the back section are made of a material having a density between 0.9 g/cc and 2.0 g/cc, excluding any attached weights and any housings for the attached weights. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 92 of the present disclosure, wherein example 92 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-91 above.
In a forward-to-rearward direction, the driver-type golf club head further comprises a face section, comprising 25% of a total length of the driver-type golf club head, a middle section, comprising 50% of the total length of the driver-type golf club head, and a back section, comprising 25% of the total length of the driver-type golf club head. No more than 20% by weight of the middle section and no more than 20% by weight of the back section are made of a material having a density between 4.0 g/cc and 20.0 g/cc. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 93 of the present disclosure, wherein example 93 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-92 above.
The driver-type golf club head further comprises a body that comprises a cast cup and a ring joined to the cast cup via a joint. The ring defines the rearward portion of the driver-type golf club head. A thickness of the ring varies from a minimum thickness to a maximum thickness in a forward-to-rearward direction. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 94 of the present disclosure, wherein example 94 also includes the subject matter according to any one of examples 1-93 above.
The described features, structures, advantages, and/or characteristics of the subject matter of the present disclosure may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments and/or implementations. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to impart a thorough understanding of embodiments of the subject matter of the present disclosure. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the subject matter of the present disclosure may be practiced without one or more of the specific features, details, components, materials, and/or methods of a particular embodiment or implementation. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments and/or implementations that may not be present in all embodiments or implementations. Further, in some instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the subject matter of the present disclosure. The features and advantages of the subject matter of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the subject matter as set forth hereinafter.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the disclosed technology will become more apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures.
Disclosed are various golf clubs as well as golf club heads for selectively increasing or optimizing the coefficient of restitution (COR) at likely impact locations on the striking face of the golf club heads, while simultaneously maintaining characteristic time (CT) below a threshold value in those likely impact locations. By analyzing historical impact locations of a large cross-section of golfers, golf club head COR values can be increased or optimized in preferential locations on the striking face, such as using weighting factors for a predefined set of locations on the striking face. Therefore, instead of increasing COR uniformly across the face and/or increasing COR at impact locations on the face where golfers are unlikely to strike the golf ball, the sweet spot of the golf club head can be increased at the impact locations where golfers typically strike the golf ball.
The following describes embodiments of golf club heads for metalwood type golf clubs, including drivers, fairway woods, rescue clubs, utility clubs, hybrid clubs, and the like. However, the herein disclosed technology can be implemented for any type of golf club head, not just the examples disclosed, including drivers, fairways, rescues, hybrids, utility clubs, irons, wedges, and putters.
For reference, within this disclosure, reference to a “driver type golf club head” means any metalwood type golf club head intended to be used primarily with a tee. In general, driver type golf club heads have lofts of 15 degrees or less, and, more usually, of 12 degrees or less. Reference to a “fairway wood type golf club head” means any wood type golf club head intended to be used to strike a ball off the ground, while also being usable to strike a ball off a tee as well. In general, fairway wood type golf club heads have lofts of 15 degrees or greater, and, more usually, 16 degrees or greater. In general, fairway wood type golf club heads have a length from leading edge to trailing edge of 73-97 mm. Various definitions distinguish a fairway wood type golf club head from a hybrid type golf club head, which tends to resemble a fairway wood type golf club head but be of smaller length from leading edge to trailing edge. In general, hybrid type golf club heads are 38-73 mm in length from leading edge to trailing edge. Hybrid type golf club heads may also be distinguished from fairway wood type golf club heads by weight, by lie angle, by volume, and/or by shaft length. Driver type golf club heads of the current disclosure may be 15 degrees or less in various embodiments or 10.5 degrees or less in various embodiments. In various embodiments, fairway wood type golf club heads of the current disclosure may be from 13-26 degrees.
As illustrated in
The body may further include openings in the crown and/or sole that are overlaid or covered by inserts formed of lighter-weight material, such as composite materials. For example, the crown of the body can comprise a composite crown insert that covers a large portion of the area of the crown and has a lower density that the metal the body is made out of, thereby saving weight in the crown. Similarly, the sole can include one or more openings in the body that are covered by sole inserts. The sole insert can be made of composite material, metallic material, or other material. In embodiments where the body includes openings in the crown or sole, such openings can provide access to the inner cavity of the club head during manufacturing, especially where the face plate is formed as an integral part of the body during casting (and there is not a face opening in the body to provide access during manufacturing). The club heads disclosed herein in relation to
In some embodiments, the club head can comprise adjustable weights, such as one or more weights movable along weight tracks formed in the sole and/or perimeter of the club head. Other exemplary weights can be adjusted by rotating the weights within threaded weight ports. Various ribs, struts, mass pads, and other structures can be included inside the body to provide reinforcement, adjust mass distribution and MOI properties, adjust acoustic properties, and/or for other reasons.
Wood-type club heads, such as the club head 2, have a volume, typically measured in cubic-centimeters (cm3), equal to the volumetric displacement of the club head, assuming any apertures are sealed by a substantially planar surface. (See United States Golf Association “Procedure for Measuring the Club Head Size of Wood Clubs,” Revision 1.0, Nov. 21, 2003). In the case of a driver, the golf club head can have a volume between approximately 250 cm3 and approximately 600 cm3, such as between approximately 300 cm3 and approximately 500 cm3, and can have a total mass between approximately 145 g and approximately 260 g. In the case of a fairway wood, the golf club head can have a volume between approximately 120 cm3 and approximately 300 cm3, and can have a total mass between approximately 115 g and approximately 260 g. In the case of a utility or hybrid club, the golf club head can have a volume between approximately 80 cm3 and approximately 140 cm3, and can have a total mass between approximately 105 g and approximately 280 g.
The sole 14 is defined as a lower portion of the club head 2 extending upwards from a lowest point of the club head when the club head is ideally positioned, i.e., at a proper address position relative to a golf ball on a level surface. In some implementations, the sole 14 extends approximately 50% to 60% of the distance from the lowest point of the club head to the crown 12, which in some instances, can be approximately 15 mm for a driver and between approximately 10 mm and 12 mm for a fairway wood.
Materials which may be used to construct the body 10, including the face plate 18, can include composite materials (e.g., carbon fiber reinforced polymeric materials), titanium or titanium alloys, steels or alloys of steel, magnesium alloys, copper alloys, nickel alloys, and/or any other metals or metal alloys suitable for golf club head construction. Other materials, such as paint, polymeric materials, ceramic materials, etc., can also be included in the body. In some embodiments, the body including the face plate can be made of a metallic material such as titanium or titanium alloys (including but not limited to 9-1-1 titanium, 6-4 titanium, 3-2.5, 6-4, SP700, 15-3-3-3, 10-2-3, or other alpha/near alpha, alpha-beta, and beta/near beta titanium alloys), or aluminum and aluminum alloys (including but not limited to 3000 series alloys, 5000 series alloys, 6000 series alloys, such as 6061-T6, and 7000 series alloys, such as 7075), Ti Grade 9 (Ti-3Al-2.5V) having a chemical composition of <3.5-2.5% Al; <3.0-2.0% V; <0.02% N; <0.013% H; <0.12 Fe.
Compared to titanium golf club faces formed for sheet machining or forging processes, cast faces can have the advantage of lower cost and complete freedom of design. However, golf club faces cast from conventional titanium alloys, such as 6-4 Ti, need to be chemically etched to remove the alpha case on one or both sides so that the faces are durable. Such etching requires application of hydrofluoric (HF) acid, a chemical etchant that is difficult to handle, extremely harmful to humans and other materials, an environmental contaminant, and expensive.
Faces cast from titanium alloys comprising aluminum (e.g., 8.5-9.5% Al), vanadium (e.g., 0.9-1.3% V), and molybdenum (e.g., 0.8-1.1% Mo), optionally with other minor alloying elements and impurities, herein collectively referred to a “9-1-1 Ti”, can have less significant alpha case, which renders HF acid etching unnecessary or at least less necessary compared to faces made from conventional 6-4 Ti and other titanium alloys.
Further, 9-1-1 Ti can have minimum mechanical properties of 820 MPa yield strength, 958 MPa tensile strength, and 10.2% elongation. These minimum properties can be significantly superior to typical cast titanium alloys, such as 6-4 Ti, which can have minimum mechanical properties of 812 MPa yield strength, 936 MPa tensile strength, and ˜6% elongation.
Golf club heads that are cast including the face as an integral part of the body (e.g., cast at the same time as a single cast object) can provide superior structural properties compared to club heads where the face is formed separately and later attached (e.g., welded or bolted) to a front opening in the club head body. However, the advantages of having an integrally cast Ti face are mitigated by the need to remove the alpha case on the surface of cast Ti faces.
With the herein disclosed club heads comprising an integrally cast 9-1-1 Ti face and body unit, the drawback of having to remove the alpha case can be eliminated, or at least substantially reduced. For a cast 9-1-1 Ti face, using a conventional mold pre-heat temperature of 1000 C or more, the thickness of the alpha case can be about 0.15 mm or less, or about 0.20 mm or less, or about 0.30 mm or less, such as between 0.10 mm and 0.30 mm in some embodiments, whereas for a cast 6-4 Ti face the thickness of the alpha case can be greater than 0.15 mm, or greater than 0.20 mm, or greater than 0.30 mm, such as from about 0.25 mm to about 0.30 mm in some examples.
In some cases, the reduced thickness of the alpha case for 9-1-1 Ti face plates (e.g., 0.15 mm or less) may not be thin enough to provide sufficient durability needed for a face plate and to avoid needing to etch away some of the alpha case with a harsh chemical etchant, such as HF acid. In such cases, the pre-heat temperature of the mold can be lowered (such as to less than 800 C, less than 700 C, less than 600 C, and/or less than or equal to 500 C) prior to pouring the molten titanium alloy into the mold. This can further reduce the amount of oxygen transferred from the mold to the cast titanium alloy, resulting in a thinner alpha case (e.g., less than 0.15 mm, less than 0.10 mm, and/or less than 0.07 mm). This provides better ductility and durability for the cast body/face unit, which is especially important for the face plate.
The thinner alpha case in cast 9-1-1 Ti faces helps provide enhanced durability, such that the face is durable enough that the removal of part of the alpha case from the face via chemical etching is not needed. Thus, hydrofluoric acid etching can be eliminated from the manufacturing process when the body and face are unitarily cast using 9-1-1 Ti, especially when using molds with lower pre-heat temperatures. This can simplify the manufacturing process, reduce cost, reduce safety risks and operation hazards, and eliminate the possibility of environmental contamination by HF acid. Further, because HF acid is not introduced to the metal, the body/face, or even the whole club head, can comprise very little or substantially no fluorine atoms, which can be defined as less than 1000 ppm, less than 500 ppm, less than 200 ppm, and or less than 100 ppm, wherein the fluorine atoms present are due to impurities in the metal material used to cast the body.
Variable Face Thickness and Bulge & Roll Properties of Faces In certain embodiments, a variable thickness face profile may be implemented on the face plate, for example as is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/006,060 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,997,820; 6,800,038; 6,824,475; 7,731,603; and 8,801,541; the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference. Varying the thickness of a face plate may increase the size of a club head COR zone, commonly called the sweet spot of the golf club head, which, when striking a golf ball with the golf club head, allows a larger area of the face plate to deliver consistently high golf ball velocity and shot forgiveness. Also, varying the thickness of a faceplate can be advantageous in reducing the weight in the face region for re-allocation to another area of the club head. For example, as shown in
In some embodiments, the cross-sectional profile of the face plate 18 along any axes extending perpendicular to the face plate at the ideal impact location 23 is substantially similar as in
In some embodiments of a golf club head having a face plate with a protrusion, the maximum face plate thickness is greater than about 4.8 mm, and the minimum face plate thickness is less than about 2.3 mm. In certain embodiments, the maximum face plate thickness is between about 5 mm and about 5.4 mm and the minimum face plate thickness is between about 1.8 mm and about 2.2 mm. In yet more particular embodiments, the maximum face plate thickness is about 5.2 mm and the minimum face plate thickness is about 2 mm. The face thickness should have a thickness change of at least 25% over the face (thickest portion compared to thinnest) in order to save weight and achieve a higher ball speed on off-center hits.
In some embodiments of a golf club head having a face plate with a protrusion and a thin sole construction or a thin skirt construction, the maximum face plate thickness is greater than about 3.0 mm and the minimum face plate thickness is less than about 3.0 mm. In certain embodiments, the maximum face plate thickness is between about 3.0 mm and about 4.0 mm, between about 4.0 mm and about 5.0 mm, between about 5.0 mm and about 6.0 mm or greater than about 6.0 mm, and the minimum face plate thickness is between about 2.5 mm and about 3.0 mm, between about 2.0 mm and about 2.5 mm, between about 1.5 mm and about 2.0 mm or less than about 1.5 mm.
As shown in
The method used to obtain the values in the present disclosure is the optical comparator method. Referring back to
To measure the roll, the club head 4 is rotated by 90 degrees such that the Z-axis Z of the club head is generally parallel to the X-axis of the machine. Measurements are taken at the geometric center point 5a of the club face. Further measurements are then taken 15 millimeters away from the geometric center point 5a and along the Z-axis Z of the club face 6 on either side of the center point 5a, and 20 millimeters away from the geometric center point and along the Z-axis of the club face on either side of the center point. An are is fit through these five measurement points. This are corresponds to the circumference of a circle with a given radius. This measurement of radius is what is meant by the roll radius.
Curvature is defined as 1/R wherein R is the radius of the circle which corresponds to the measurement are of the bulge or the roll. As an example, a bulge with a curvature of 0.020 cm−1 corresponds to a bulge measured by a bulge measurement arc which is part of a circle with a radius of 50 cm. A roll with a curvature of 0.050 cm−1 corresponds to a roll measured by a roll measurement arc which is part of a circle with a radius of 20 cm.
In some embodiments, the face plates of the disclosed club heads can have the following properties: i) the roll curvature is between about 0.033 cm−1 and about 0.066 cm−1, and the bulge curvature is greater than 0 cm−1 and less than about 0.027 cm−1; ii) the inverse of the bulge curvature is greater than the inverse of the roll curvature by at least 7.62 cm; and/or iii) the ratio of the bulge curvature divided by the roll curvature, Ro is greater than about 0.28 and less than about 0.75.
Use of vacuum die casting to produce the club heads described herein results in improved quality and reduced scrap. In addition, rejections due to high porosity are virtually eliminated as are rejections after any secondary processing. An excellent surface quality is produced while increasing product density and strength are increased and thus making possible larger, thinner, and more complex, castings. From a processing standpoint, less casting pressure is required, and tool life and mold life are extended. Also waste of the metal or alloy due to flash is reduced or eliminated.
By utilizing a vacuum die casting process, it has been surprisingly found that the titanium bodies and face plates of the disclosed club heads exhibit much smaller grain size than is typically observed for analogous titanium objects made by investment casting, with grains of about 100 μm (micrometers) in size versus about 750 μm grain size for investment cast titanium face plates. More specifically, the titanium bodies/face plates disclosed herein can have a grain size of less than about 400 μm, preferably less than about 300 μm, more preferably less than about 200 μm and even more preferably less than about 150 μm, and most preferably less than about 120 μm.
The titanium bodies/face plates disclosed herein can also exhibit much lower porosity than is typically observed for an analogous separately formed titanium face plate made by investment casting. More specifically, the titanium face plates disclosed herein can have a porosity of less than 1% preferably less than 0.5% more preferably less than 0.1%.
The titanium bodies/face plates disclosed herein can also exhibit much higher yield strength, as measured by ASTM E8, than is typically observed for an analogous titanium face plate made by investment casting.
The titanium face plates disclosed here can also exhibit similar fracture toughness to that typically observed for an analogous titanium face plates made by investment casting, and higher than an analogous face plate made from a wrought mill-annealed product.
The titanium face plates disclosed herein can also exhibit ductility as measured by the percent elongation reported in a tensile test which is defined as the maximum elongation of the gage length divided by the original gage length of from about 10% to about 15%.
The titanium face plates disclosed herein can also exhibit a Young's Modulus of 100 GPa+/−10%, preferably +/−5% and more preferably +/−2% as measured by ASTM E-111.
The titanium face plates disclosed herein can also exhibit an Ultimate Tensile Strength of 970 MPa+/−10%, preferably +/−5% and more preferably +/−2% as measured by ASTM E8.
Combination of the various properties described above allows fabrication of metalwood titanium club heads having titanium face plates that can be 10% thinner than the analogous face plates made by conventional investment casting while maintaining as good if not better strength properties.
In addition to the strength properties of the golf club heads of the present invention, in certain embodiments, the shape and dimensions of the golf club head may be formed so as to produce an aerodynamic shape as according to U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0123040 A1, filed on Dec. 18, 2012 to Willett et al., the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. The aerodynamics of golf club heads are also discussed in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,777,773; 8,088,021; 8,540,586; 8,858,359; 8,597,137; 8,771,101; 8,083,609; 8,550,936; 8,602,909; and 8,734,269; the teachings of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
In addition to the strength properties of the aft body, and the aerodynamic properties of the club head, another set of properties of the club head which must be controlled are the acoustical properties or the sound that a golf club head emits when it strikes a golf ball. At club head/golf ball impact, a club striking face is deformed so that vibrational modes of the club head associated with the club crown, sole, or striking face are excited. The geometry of most golf clubs is complex, consisting of surfaces having a variety of curvatures, thicknesses, and materials, and precise calculation of club head modes may be difficult. Club head modes can be calculated using computer-aided simulation tools. For the club heads of the present invention the acoustic signal produced with ball/club impact can be evaluated as described in in copending U.S. application Ser. No. 13/842,011 filed on Mar. 15, 2013, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
In certain embodiments of the present invention the golf club head may be attached to the shaft via a removable head-shaft connection assembly as described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 8,303,431 issued on Nov. 6, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. Further in certain embodiments, the golf club head may also incorporate features that provide the golf club heads and/or golf clubs with the ability not only to replaceably connect the shaft to the head but also to adjust the loft and/or the lie angle of the club by employing a removable head-shaft connection assembly. Such an adjustable lie/loft connection assembly is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 8,025,587 issuing on Sep. 27, 2011, U.S. Pat. No. 8,235,831 issued on Aug. 7, 2012, U.S. Pat. No. 8,337,319 issued on Dec. 25, 2012, as well as copending US Publication No. 2011/0312437A1 filed on Jun. 22, 2011, US Publication No. 2012/0258818 A1 filed on Jun. 20, 2012, US Publication No. 2012/0122601A1 filed on Dec. 29, 2011, US Publication No. 2012/0071264 A1 filed on Mar. 22, 2011 as well as copending U.S. application Ser. No. 13/686,677 filed on Nov. 27, 2012, the entire contents of which patents, publications and applications are incorporated in their entirety by reference herein.
In certain embodiments the golf club head may feature an adjustable mechanism provided on the sole portion to “decouple” the relationship between face angle and hosel/shaft loft, to allow for separate adjustment of square loft and face angle of a golf club. For example, some embodiments of the golf club head may include an adjustable sole portion that can be adjusted relative to the club head body to raise and lower the rear end of the club head relative to the ground. Further detail concerning the adjustable sole portion is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 8,337,319 issued on Dec. 25, 2012, U.S. Patent Publication Nos. US2011/0152000 A1 filed on Dec. 23, 2009, US2011/0312437 filed on Jun. 22, 2011, US2012/0122601A1 filed on Dec. 29, 2011 and copending U.S. application Ser. No. 13/686,677 filed on Nov. 27, 2012, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In some embodiments movable weights can be adjusted by the manufacturer and/or the user to adjust the position of the center of gravity of the club to give the desired performance characteristics can be used in the golf club head. This feature is described in more detail in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,773,360; 7,166,040; 7,452,285; 7,628,707; 7,186,190; 7,591,738; 7,963,861; 7,621,823; 7,448,963; 7,568,985; 7,578,753; 7,717,804; 7,717,805; 7,530,904; 7,540,811; 7,407,447; 7,632,194; 7,846,041; 7,419,441; 7,713,142; 7,744,484; 7,223,180; and 7,410,425; the entire contents of each of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
According to some embodiments of the golf club heads described herein, the golf club head may also include a slidably repositionable weight positioned in the sole and/or skirt portion of the club head. Among other advantages, a slidably repositionable weight facilitates the ability of the end user of the golf club to adjust the location of the CG of the club head over a range of locations relating to the position of the repositionable weight. Further detail concerning the slidably repositionable weight feature is provided in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,775,905 and 8,444,505 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/898,313 filed on May 20, 2013 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/047,880 filed on Oct. 7, 2013, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein as well the contents of paragraphs [430] to [470] and FIGS. 93-101 of US Patent Publication No. 2014/0080622 corresponding to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/956,046 filed on Jul. 31, 2013 as well as copending US Patent Application Nos. 62/020,972 filed on Jul. 3, 2014 and 62/065/552 filed on Oct. 17, 2014, the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
According to some embodiments of the golf club heads described herein, the golf club head may also include a coefficient of restitution feature which defines a gap in the body of the club, for example located on the sole portion and proximate the face. Such coefficient of restitution features are described more fully in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/791,025, filed Jun. 1, 2010, and Ser. No. 13/338,197, filed Dec. 27, 2011 and Ser. No. 13/839,727, filed Mar. 15, 2013 (US Publication No. 2014/0274457A1) and Ser. No. 14/457,883 filed Aug. 12, 2014 and Ser. No. 14/573,701 filed Dec. 17, 2014, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Additional Exemplary Club Heads
The head 200 comprises a body 202, an adjustable head-shaft connection assembly 204, the crown insert 206 attached to the upper portion of the body, the sole insert 208 mounted inside the body on top of the lower portion of the body, the front weight assembly 210 slidably mounted in the front weight track 214, and the rear weight assembly 212 slidably mounted in the rear weight track 216. The head 200 includes a front sit pad, or ground contact surface, 226 between the front track 214 and the face 270, and a rear sit pad, or ground contact surface, 224 at the rear of the body to the heel side of the rear track 216, with the rest of the sole elevated above the ground when in the normal address position.
The head 200 has a raised sole that is defined by a combination of the body 202 and the sole insert 208. As shown in
The head 200 also includes a toe-side cantilevered ledge 232 extending around the perimeter from the rear weight track 216 or rear sit pad 224 around to toe region adjacent the face, where the ledge 232 joins with a toe portion 230 of the body that extends toeward from the front sit pad 226. One or more optional ribs 236 can join the toe portion 230 to the raised sole adjacent a forward end of the toe-side opening 240 in the body. Three such triangular ribs are illustrated in
The head 200 also includes a heel-side cantilevered ledge 234 that extends from near the hosel region rearward to the rear sit pad 224 or to the rear end of the rear weight track 216. In some embodiments, the two cantilevered ledges 232 and 234 can meet and/or form a continuous ledge that extends around the rear of the head. The rear sit pad 224 can optionally include a recessed rear portion 222 (as shown in
The lower portion of the body 202 that forms part of the sole can include various features, thickness variations, ribs, etc, to provide enhanced rigidity where desired and weight saving when rigidity is less desired. The body can include thicker regions 238, for example, near the intersection of the two weight tracks 214, 216. The body can also include thin ledges or seats 260 around the openings 240, 242, with the ledges 260 configured to receive and mate with sole insert 208. The lower surfaces of the body can also include various internal ribs to enhance rigidity and acoustics, such as ribs 262, 263, 265, and 267 shown in
The upper portion of the body can also include various features, thickness variations, ribs, etc, to provide enhanced rigidity where desired and weight saving when rigidity is less desired. For example, the body includes a thinner seat region 250 around the upper opening to receive the crown insert 206. As shown in
The sole insert 208 has a geometry and size selected to at least cover the openings 240, 242, 244 in the bottom of the body, and can be secured to the frame by adhesion or other secure fastening technique. In some embodiments, the ledges 260 may be provided with indentations to receive matching protrusions or bumps on the underside of the sole insert to further secure and align the sole insert on the frame.
Like the sole, the crown also has an opening 246 that reduces the mass of the body 202, and more significantly, reduces the mass of the crown, a region of the head where increased mass has the greatest impact on raising (undesirably) the CG of the head. Along the periphery of the opening 246, the frame includes a recessed ledge 250 to seat and support the crown insert 206. The crown insert 206 (see
In various embodiments, the ledges of the body that receive the crown and sole inserts (e.g. ledges 250 and 260) may be made from the same metal material (e.g., titanium alloy) as the body and, therefore, can add significant mass to the golf club head. In some embodiments, in order to control the mass contribution of the ledge to the golf club head, the width of the ledges can be adjusted to achieve a desired mass contribution. In some embodiments, if the ledges add too much mass to the golf club head, it can take away from the decreased weight benefits of a sole and crown inserts, which can be made from a lighter materials (e.g., carbon fiber or graphite composites and/or polymeric materials). In some embodiments, the width of the ledges may range from about 3 mm to about 8 mm, preferably from about 4 mm to about 7 mm, and more preferably from about 4.5 mm to about 5.5 mm. In some embodiments, the width of the ledges may be at least four times as wide as a thickness of the respective insert. In some embodiments, the thickness of the ledges may range from about 0.4 mm to about 1 mm, preferably from about 0.5 mm to about 0.8 mm, and more preferably from about 0.6 mm to about 0.7 mm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the ledges may range from about 0.5 mm to about 1.75 mm, preferably from about 0.7 mm to about 1.2 mm, and more preferably from about 0.8 mm to about 1.1 mm. Although the ledges may extend or run along the entire interface boundary between the respective insert and the body, in alternative embodiments, the ledges may extend only partially along the interface boundaries.
The periphery of crown opening 246 can be proximate to and closely track the periphery of the crown on the toe-, rear-, and heel-sides of the head 200. In contrast, the face-side of the crown opening 246 can be spaced farther from the face 270 region of the head. In this way, the head can have additional frame mass and reinforcement in the crown area 252 just rearward of the face 270. This area and other areas adjacent to the face along the toe, heel and sole support the face and are subject to the relatively higher impact loads and stresses due to ball strikes on the face. As described elsewhere herein, the frame may be made of a wide range of materials, including high strength titanium, titanium alloys, and/or other metals. The opening 246 can have a notch at the front side which matingly corresponds to the crown insert projection 207 to help align and seat the crown insert on the body.
The front and rear weight tracks 214, 216 are located in the sole of the club head and define tracks for mounting two-piece slidable weight assemblies 210, 212, respectively, which may be fastened to the weight tracks by fastening means such as screws. The weight assemblies can take forms other than as shown in
The sole of the body 202 preferably is integrally formed with the front weight track 214 extending generally parallel to and near the face of the club head and generally perpendicular to the rear weight track 216, which extends rearward from near the middle of the front track toward the rear of the head.
In the illustrated embodiments, the weight tracks each only include one weight assembly. In other embodiments, two or more weight assemblies can be mounted in either or both of the weight tracks to provide alternative mass distribution capabilities for the club head.
By adjusting the CG heelward or toeward via the front weight track 214, the performance characteristics of the club head can be modified to affect the flight of the ball, especially the ball's tendency to draw or fade and/or to counter the ball's tendency to slice or hook. By adjusting the CG forward or rearward via the rear weight track 216, the performance characteristics of the club head can be modified to affect the flight of the ball, especially the ball's tendency to move upwardly or resist falling during flight due to backspin. The use of two weights assemblies in wither track can allow for alternative adjustment and interplay between the two weights. For example, with respect to the front track 214, two independently adjustable weight assemblies can be positioned fully on the toe side, fully on the heel side, spaced apart a maximum distance with one weight fully on the toe side and the other fully on the heel side, positioned together in the middle of the weight track, or in other weight location patterns. With a single weight assembly in a track, as illustrated, the weight adjustment options are more limited but the effective CG of the head still can be adjusted along a continuum, such as heelward or toeward or in a neutral position with the weight centered in the front weight track.
As shown in
The weight assemblies can be adjusted by loosening the screws and moving the weights to a desired location along the tracks, then the screws can be tightened to secure them in place. The weights assemblies can also be swapped out and replaced by other weight assemblies having different masses to provide further mass adjustment options. If a second or third weight is added to the weight track, many additional weight location and distribution options are available for additional fine tuning of the head's effective CG location in the heel-toe direction and the front-rear direction, and combinations thereof. This also provides great range of adjust of the club head's MOI properties.
Either or both of the weight assemblies 210, 212 can comprise a three piece assembly including an inner weight member, an outer weight member, and a fastener coupling the two weight members together. The assemblies can clamp onto front, back, or side ledges of the weight tracks by tightening the fastener such that the inner member contacts the inner side the ledge and the outer weight member contacts the outer side of the ledge, with enough clamping force to hold the assembly stationary relative to the body throughout a round of golf. The weight members and the assemblies can be shaped and/or configured to be inserted into the weight track by inserting the inner weight member into the inner channel past the ledge(s) at a usable portion of the weight track, as opposed to inserting the inner weight at an enlarged opening at one end of the weight track where the weight assembly is not configured to be secured in place. This can allow for elimination of such a wider, non-functional opening at the end of the track, and allow the track to be shorter or to have a longer functional ledge width over which the weight assembly can be secured. To allow the inner weight member to be inserted into the track in the middle of the track (for example) past the ledge, the inner weight member can be inserted at an angle that is not perpendicular to the ledge, e.g., an angled insertion. The weight member can be inserted at an angle and gradually rotated into the inner channel to allow insertion past the clamping ledge. In some embodiments, the inner weight member can have a rounded, oval, oblong, arcuate, curved, or otherwise specifically shaped structure to better allow the weight member to insert into the channel past the ledge at a useable portion of the track.
In the golf club heads of the present disclosure, the ability to adjust the relative positions and masses of the slidably adjusted weights and/or threadably adjustable weights, coupled with the weight saving achieved by titanium alloys material use and incorporation of the light-weight crown insert and/or sole insert, further coupled with the discretionary mass provided by the raised sole configurations, can allow for a large range of variation of a number properties of the club-head all of which affect the ultimate club-head performance including the position of the CG of the club-head, MOI values of the club head, acoustic properties of the club head, aesthetic appearance and subjective feel properties of the club head, and/or other properties.
In certain embodiments, the front weight track and the rear weight track have certain track widths. The track widths may be measured, for example, as the horizontal distance between a first track wall and a second track wall that are generally parallel to each other on opposite sides of the inner portion of the track that receives the inner weight member of the weight assembly. With reference to
Additionally, both the front track and rear track have a certain track length. Track length may be measured as the horizontal distance between the opposing longitudinal end walls of the track. For both the front track and the rear track, their track lengths may be between about 30 mm and about 120 mm, such as between about 50 mm and about 100 mm, or such as between about 60 mm and about 90 mm. Additionally, or alternatively, the length of the front track may be represented as a percentage of the striking face length. For example, the front track may be between about 30% and about 100% of the striking face length, such as between about 50% and about 90%, or such as between about 60% and about 80% mm of the striking face length.
The track depth, width, and length properties described above can also analogously also be applied to the front channel 36 of the club head 10.
In
Referring to
In one embodiment, the vertical distance between the level of the ground contact surfaces of the sit pads and the adjacent surfaces of the raised sole portions may be in the range of about 2-12 mm, preferably about 3-9 mm, more preferably about 4-7 mm, and most preferably about 4.5-6.5 mm. In one example, the vertical distance is about 5.5 mm.
In some embodiments, it the joints 420 can be located a sufficient distance from the strike face to avoid potential failures due to the severe impacts undergone by the golf club when striking a golf ball. For example, in some embodiments, the joints 420 can be spaced at least 20 mm, at least 30 mm, at least 40 mm, at least 50 mm, at least 60 mm, and/or from 20 mm to 70 mm rearward of a center face of the club head as measured along a y-axis (front-to-back direction).
In some embodiments, the ring 404 can include a mass pad having increased thickness, such as in the projections 430 or elsewhere, to provide rear weighting for the golf club and move the center of mass rearward and increase MOI about the z and x axes. Such rear weighting can also be accomplished with an added weight member coupled to the rear ring, such as a removable, swappable, and/or adjustable weight member coupled to the rear part of the ring. For example, the projection 430 or other part of the ring 404 can include an opening, such as a threaded opening, a track, or other weight member receiving feature.
In some embodiments, the cup 402 can include a mass pad, such as the mass pad 432 shown in the drawings, at the bottom sole region to lower the center or mass and/or move the center of mass forward. In some embodiments, the cup 402 can include one or more added weight members coupled to the sole portion of the cup, such as in or near the mass pad 432 and/or rearward of the slot 418, such as one or more removable, swappable, and/or adjustable weight members coupled to the cup. For example, the mass pad 432 or other part of the cup 402 can include one or more openings, such as a threaded opening, a track, or other weight member receiving feature. Two or more weight members can also be coupled to the cup at the same time. The weight member(s) can comprise a relatively more dense material that the cast cup material, such as tungsten or steel. In some embodiments, the cup and the ring can have matching weight ports that can allow for swapping weight members between the rear ring locations and the lower cup locations, providing adjustability options to change the mass properties of the club head. In some such examples, a group of swappable weights can be provided with the club head, such as including a 1-3 g weight and a 8-15 g weight, which can be coupled to a weight port in the rear ring or to a weight port in the sole portion of the cup, which can allow for a higher MOI (heavier weight in rear) or lower spin (heavier weight in the low-forward location), or other combinations and mass properties.
The cup 402 is illustrated in more detail in
Forming the wax cup from two separate wax pieces (as in
Starting with two separate wax pieces also allows for efficiencies in forming large numbers of the wax pieces, as each wax piece is smaller and can be produced in greater numbers per batch on the same tree.
Once the wax cup (e.g., 500 or 510) is created, the wax cup can be used to form a mold for casting a metal cup (e.g., cup 402). The mold can comprise ceramic material and/or any other suitable material for casting a metal cup. Once the mold is formed around the wax cup, the wax can be melted and drained out of the mold. Various subsequent steps can then be applied to prepare the mold for casting, including adding gating and/or surface treatments to the mold. In addition, several cup molds can be combined into one mold tree for casting several metallic cups at the same time. After the mold is prepared, molten metal can then be introduced into the mold to cast the metal cup. The mold can then be opened/removed to access the cast metal cup. The cast metal cup can be formed of any suitable metal or metal alloy, including titanium alloys (any suitable metallic material disclosed herein can be used for the cast cup).
After the metal cup is cast, portions of the cast cup can be machined or modified to remove parts of the cast cup as desired. For one example, the front surface of the face portion of the cup can be machined to add horizontal score lines and/or to create a more precise texture, curvature, and twist. For another example, the rear surface of the face portion of the cup can be machined to modify the thickness profile across the height and width of the face portion, producing a desired variable thickness profile across the face portion. The front and/or rear surface of the face portion of the cast cup can also be machined or chemically etched (e.g., using hydrofluoric acid) to remove part or all of the alpha case layer formed during the casting process (e.g., for titanium alloys), such as to make the face portion less brittle and to increase durability of the face portion.
In anticipation of post-casting removal of material from the face portion of the cup, the face portion of the cup can be cast with extra thickness of material, such that a desired amount of material and a desired thickness profile is left after post-casting material removal.
As shown in
Another advantage of casting the cup and the ring separately is that it allows for efficiencies in casting large numbers of each of the ring and cup pieces, as each cast piece is smaller than the combined body and can be produced in greater numbers per batch on the same tree. Also, the same ring piece can be used with various differently shaped cup pieces, so only the tooling for the cup piece need be changed to accommodate a change to the club head body or making several different variations of the club head with different cup/face geometries.
In a sheet-based process, the face plate is formed from a flat sheet of metal having a uniform thickness. Such a sheet of metal is typically rolled along one axis to reduce the thickness to a certain uniform thickness across the sheet. This rolling process can impart a grain direction in the sheet that creates a different material properties in the rolling axis direction compared to the direction perpendicular to the rolling direction. This variation in material properties can be undesirable and can be avoided by using the disclosed casting methods instead to create face portion.
Furthermore, because a conventional face plate starts off as a flat sheet of uniform thickness, the thickness of the whole sheet has to be at least as great as the maximum thickness of the desired end product face plate, meaning much of the starting sheet material has to be removed and wasted, increasing material cost. By contrast, in the disclosed casting methods, the face portion is initially formed much closer to the final shape and mass, and much less material has to be removed and wasted. This saves time and cost.
Still further, in a conventional process, the initial flat sheet of metal has to be bent in a special process to impart a desired bulge and roll curvature to the face plate. Such a bending process is not needed when using the disclosed casting methods.
The unique thickness profiles illustrated in
By using the herein disclosed casting methods, large numbers of the disclosed club heads can be manufacture faster and more efficiently. For example, 50 or more of the cups 402 can be cast at the same time on a single casting tree, whereas it would take much longer and require more resources to create the novel face thickness profiles on face plates using a conventional milling methods using a lathe, one at a time.
In
The second ring 608 can itself have a variable thickness profile, such that the thickness of the second ring 608 varies as a function of the circumferential position around the center 602. Similarly, the variable blend zone 606 can have a thickness profile that varies as a function of the circumferential position around the center 602 and provides a transition in thickness from the maximum thickness ring 604 to the variable and less thicknesses of the second ring 608. For example, the variable blend zone 606 to a second ring 608 can be divided into eight sectors that are labeled A-H in
One example of the cast cup 600 can have the following thicknesses: 3.1 mm at center 602, 3.3 mm at ring 604, the second ring 608 can vary from 2.8 mm in zone A to 2.2 mm in zone C to 2.4 mm in zone E to 2.0 mm in zone G, and 1.8 mm in the heel and toe zones 610.
One example of the face portion 700 can have the following thicknesses: 3.9 mm at center 702, 4.05 mm at ring 704, 3.6 mm in zone A, 3.2 mm in zone B, 3.25 mm in zone C, 2.05 mm in zone D, 3.35 mm in zone E, 2.05 mm in zone F, 3.00 mm in zone G, 2.65 mm in zone H, and 1.9 mm at perimeter ring 710.
To the heel side, the thicknesses are offset by set amount (e.g., 0.15 mm) to be slightly thicker relative to their counterpart areas on the toe side. A thickening zone 820 (dashed lines) provides a transition where all thicknesses gradually step up toward the thicker offset zone 822 (dashed lines) at the heel side. In the offset zone 822, the ring 823 is thicker than the ring 806 on the heel side by a set amount (e.g., 0.15 mm), and the ring 825 is thicker that the ring 808 by the same set amount. Blend zones 824 and 826 gradually decrease in thickness moving radially outwardly, and are each thicker than their counterpart blend zones 807 and 810 on the toe side. In the thickening zone 820, the inner ring 804 gradually increases in thickness moving toward the heel.
One example of the face portion 800 can have the following thicknesses: 3.8 mm at the center 802, 4.0 mm at the inner ring 804 and thickening to 4.15 mm across the thickening zone 820, 3.5 mm at the second ring 806 and 3.65 mm at the ring 823, 2.4 mm at the third ring 808 and 2.55 mm at the ring 825, 2.0 mm at the fourth ring 811, and 1.8 mm at the perimeter ring 814.
The targeted offset thickness profile shown in
Various other varying face thickness profiles can be produced using the disclosed methods, including those disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/006,060 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,997,820; 6,800,038; 6,824,475; 7,731,603; 8,801,541; 9,943,743; and 9,975,018; the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,975,018 discloses examples of striking faces that include a localized stiffened region, such as an inverted cone or ‘donut’ shaped thickness profile that is offset from the center of the face, which alters the launch conditions of golf balls struck by the club head in a way that wholly or partially compensates for, overcomes, or prevents the occurrence of a rightward/leftward deviation. In particular, the localized stiffened region is located on the striking face such that a golf ball struck under typical conditions will not impart a left-tending and/or right-tending sidespin to the golf ball.
All of the disclosed face thickness profiles can be made possible by the casting methods disclosed herein. Such configurations would not be possible using a conventional turning process of removing material in concentric circle patterns from the rear of an originally flat face plate.
In some golf club head embodiments, the face plate can be cast individually, and then welded into a front opening in the frame of the club head. When a face plate is welded to the front opening of frame, extra material is typically produced around the weld zone, and this extra material has to be removed after the welding process to smooth out the transition between the face plate and the frame. This process can be avoided by casting the entire cup, including the face and the frontal frame, as a single cast unit, as disclosed herein.
However, casting the face plate separately can provide advantages over casting the entire cup as a unit. For example, post-processing of the cast face plate is much easier compared to post-processing the face surfaces when it is part of a cup.
Golf club heads that are cast including the face as an integral part of the body (e.g., cast at the same time as a single cast object) can provide superior structural properties compared to club heads where the face is formed separately and later attached (e.g., welded or bolted) to a front opening in the club head body. However, the advantages of having an integrally cast Ti face are mitigated by the need to remove the alpha case on the surface of cast Ti faces.
With the herein disclosed club heads comprising an integrally cast titanium alloy face and body unit (e.g., cast cup), the drawback of having to remove the alpha case can be eliminated, or at least substantially reduced. For a cast 9-1-1 Ti face, using a mold pre-heat temperature of 1000 C or more, the thickness of the alpha case can be about 0.10 mm or less, 0.15 mm or less, or about 0.20 mm or less, or about 0.30 mm or less, such as between 0.10 mm and 0.30 mm in some embodiments, whereas for a cast 6-4 Ti face the thickness of the alpha case can be greater than 0.10 mm, greater than 0.15 mm, or greater than 0.20 mm, or greater than 0.30 mm, such as from about 0.25 mm to about 0.30 mm in some examples. In some embodiments, the alpha case thickness can be as low as 0.1 mm and up to 0.15 mm while providing sufficiently durable products that have a desirably high CT time across the face. In some embodiments, the alpha case on the rear of the face at the geometric center of the face can have a thickness less than 0.30 mm and/or less than 0.20 mm, and this can be accomplished without chemically etching the surface after formation.
Other titanium alloys that can be used to form any of the striking faces and/or club heads described herein can comprise titanium, aluminum, molybdenum, chromium, vanadium, and/or iron. For example, in one representative embodiment the alloy may be an alpha-beta titanium alloy comprising 6.5% to 10% Al by weight, 0.5% to 3.25% Mo by weight, 1.0% to 3.0% Cr by weight, 0.25% to 1.75% V by weight, and/or 0.25% to 1% Fe by weight, with the balance comprising Ti (one example is sometimes referred to as “1300” titanium alloy).
In another representative embodiment, the alloy may comprise 6.75% to 9.75% Al by weight, 0.75% to 3.25% or 2.75% Mo by weight, 1.0% to 3.0% Cr by weight, 0.25% to 1.75% V by weight, and/or 0.25% to 1% Fe by weight, with the balance comprising Ti.
In another representative embodiment, the alloy may comprise 7% to 9% Al by weight, 1.75% to 3.25% Mo by weight, 1.25% to 2.75% Cr by weight, 0.5% to 1.5% V by weight, and/or 0.25% to 0.75% Fe by weight, with the balance comprising Ti.
In another representative embodiment, the alloy may comprise 7.5% to 8.5% Al by weight, 2.0% to 3.0% Mo by weight, 1.5% to 2.5% Cr by weight, 0.75% to 1.25% V by weight, and/or 0.375% to 0.625% Fe by weight, with the balance comprising Ti.
In another representative embodiment, the alloy may comprise 8% Al by weight, 2.5% Mo by weight, 2% Cr by weight, 1% V by weight, and/or 0.5% Fe by weight, with the balance comprising Ti.
Such titanium alloys can have the formula Ti-8A1-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe. As used herein, reference to “Ti-8A1-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe” refers to a titanium alloy including the referenced elements in any of the proportions given above. Certain embodiments may also comprise trace quantities of K, Mn, and/or Zr, and/or various impurities.
Ti-8A1-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe can have minimum mechanical properties of 1150 MPa yield strength, 1180 MPa ultimate tensile strength, and 8% elongation. These minimum properties can be significantly superior to other cast titanium alloys, including 6-4 Ti and 9-1-1 Ti, which can have the minimum mechanical properties noted above. In some embodiments, Ti-8A1-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe can have a tensile strength of from about 1180 MPa to about 1460 MPa, a yield strength of from about 1150 MPa to about 1415 MPa, an elongation of from about 8% to about 12%, a modulus of elasticity of about 110 GPa, a density of about 4.45 g/cm3, and a hardness of about 43 on the Rockwell C scale (43 HRC). In particular embodiments, the Ti-8A1-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe alloy can have a tensile strength of about 1320 MPa, a yield strength of about 1284 MPa, and an elongation of about 10%.
In some embodiments, striking faces and/or cups with a face portion can be cast from Ti-8A1-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe. In some embodiments, striking surfaces and club head bodies can be integrally formed or cast together from Ti-8A1-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe, depending upon the particular characteristics desired.
The mechanical parameters of Ti-8A1-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe given above can provide surprisingly superior performance compared to other existing titanium alloys. For example, due to the relatively high tensile strength of Ti-8A1-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe, cast striking faces comprising this alloy can exhibit less deflection per unit thickness compared to other alloys when striking a golf ball. This can be especially beneficial for metalwood-type clubs configured for striking a ball at high speed, as the higher tensile strength of Ti-8A1-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe results in less deflection of the striking face, and reduces the tendency of the striking face to flatten with repeated use. This allows the striking face to retain its original bulge, roll, and “twist” dimensions over prolonged use, including by advanced and/or professional golfers who tend to strike the ball at particularly high club velocities.
Any of the herein disclosed embodiments can include a face portion that has a striking surface that is twisted such that an upper toe portion of the striking surface is more open than a lower toe portion of the striking surface, and such that a lower heel portion of the striking surface is more closed than an upper heel portion of the striking surface. More information regarding golf club heads with twisted striking surfaces can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 9,814,944; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/687,143 filed Jun. 19, 2018; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/160,884 filed Oct. 15, 2018; all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties. Any of these twisted face technologies disclosed in these incorporated references can be implemented in the herein disclosed club heads, in any combination with the herein disclosed technologies.
As shown in
In some embodiments, a weight can simply be a screw that is screwed into an opening in the club head. In other embodiments, the weights can be secured via discrete screws or by other means such as welding or adhesive. In some embodiments, the weight can comprise a thickened mass pad that is integrated with another part of the club head. By casting the front cup portion of the club head from lighter, stronger material such as titanium alloy, by employing a rear ring, and by employing lightweight crown and sole inserts, among other things, a significant amount of discretionary mass can be saved and added back in the form of weight members in desired locations and configurations.
The club head 1800 also comprises an adjustable head-shaft connection assembly including elements 1824 and 1826 secured in hosel 1822 via a screw 1828 that is inserted via a sole recess 1834 below the hosel. The cup 1802 includes a front striking face 1852, a front sole portion 1836, a rear sole portion 1838, and a sole channel 1832 positioned between the front and rear sole portions of the cup and toward of the sole recess 1834. At the top, the cup 1802 include a forward crown portion 1848.
The cup 1802 also includes ring engagement portions 1820 that project rearwardly from the toe and from the heel for coupling to the rear ring 1804. The rear ring includes cup engagement portions 1818 at the front ends of the heel and toe sides of the ring, and together the cup engagement portions and the ring engagement portions form joints 1844 at the toe side and heel side of the club head. The joints can be secured in various manners, include with welds, adhesives, mechanical interlocking features, frictions fits, fasteners, and/or other means. In some embodiments, the two cup engagement portions of the ring can be elastically compressed or squeeze toward each other to engage with the ring engagement portions of the cup, and then released such that they resiliently expand apart to form an interlocking or friction based joint.
In some embodiments, the ring can engage with the cup via a snap-fit or friction fit engagement. In some embodiments, the ring can be detachable from the cup, and reattachable. In some embodiments, different types of rings can be selected to match with a given cup. For example, ring made of steel, titanium, or aluminum can be selected from. Rings can also be selected based on the type of rear weight system they include (e.g., integral mass pad, screw weight, bolt-on weight, etc.).
The top of the cup 1802 can have a recessed lip 1850 and the top of the ring 1804 can have a recessed lip 1860 (e.g.,
Also shown in
As shown in
At the lower side of
For any of the club heads disclosed herein, any of the front and/or rear weights, as well as any of the screws or other additional elements used to attach a weight to the club head, can be formed form dense material (e.g., tungsten, steel, nickel, cobalt, lead, gold, silver, titanium, platinum, etc.), which can be relatively more dense than the material of the club head part to which they are attached (e.g., the cup or ring), and can have any mass. The weight member and its screw can be comprised of the same or different materials, and can be combined to provide a desired total mass. Each of the front and rear weights, for example, can have a mass of from 0.5 gram to 50 grams, from 1 gram to 40 grams, from 1 gram to 30 grams, from 1 gram to 25 grams, less than 50 grams, less than 40 grams, less than 30 grams, less than 25 grams, from 2 grams to 7 grams, from 2 grams to 15 grams, from 2 grams to 25 grams, from 5 grams to 10 grams, from 5 grams to 15 grams, from 5 grams to 20 grams, from 5 grams to 25 grams, from 5 grams to 30 grams, from 7 grams to 10 grams, from 7 grams to 30 grams, from 10 grams to 20 grams, from 10 grams to 30 grams, from 15 grams to 25 grams, or from 15 grams to 50 grams. In one particular example of the club head 1800, the front weight comprises tungsten and has a mass of 18.7 grams and the rear weight comprises steel and has a mass of 8.62 grams, while the overall club head has a mass of 200.5 grams, the cup comprises 9-1-1 titanium and has a mass of 110.01 grams, and the ring comprises aluminum 7075 and has a mass of 22.36 grams. Additional mass can be added via hot melt adhesive or other similar material to any part of the body, such as behind the face and in the rear part of the ring, which can be less than 10 grams for example.
For any of the club heads disclosed herein, the entire rear ring assembly, include the rear weight and any screw and hot melt added, can have any mass, such as a mass of from 1 gram to 60 grams, from 5 grams to 50 grams, from 10 grams to 45 grams, from 10 grams to 40 grams, and/or from 15 grams to 35 grams. The ring itself can have a mass of from 1 gram to 50 grams, from 5 grams to 40 grams, from 8 grams to 30 grams, from 10 grams to 28 grams, and/or from 12 grams to 25 grams. Rings made of aluminum can have less mass, for example, compared to rings made of steel or titanium.
For any of the club heads disclosed herein, the front cup can have any mass, such as from 75 grams to 150 grams, from 80 grams to 140 grams, from 90 grams to 130 grams, and/or from 100 grams to 120 grams.
For any of the club heads disclosed herein, a ratio of the mass of the cup to the mass of the ring (without any added weights or other objects) can be greater than 1:1, greater than 2:1, greater than 3:1, greater than 4:1, greater than 5:1, greater than 6:1, and/or greater than 8:1.
By moving the mass of the club head further toward the front and rear ends of the club head, and toward the sole, the club head can achieve unique mass distribution and inertial properties. For example, the constriction of club head 1800 can free up a very high mass of discretion weight, and that discretionary weight be reapplied to desired locations primarily via the front and rear weights, and to a lesser extent via other added materials such as hot melt adhesive additions. In a given example of the club head 1800, where 30 grams of mass are freed up and redistributed via the front and rear weights, that discretionary mass can be divided in any desired way between the two weights, such as evenly (15 gram front weight and 15 gram rear weight), more in the front (e.g., 20 gram front weight and 10 gram rear weight), more in the rear (10 gram front weight and 10 gram rear weight), and even more extreme distributions like 5 g/25 g or 1 g/29 g.
Some embodiments of the club heads disclosed herein (including the club head 1800 and the other club heads disclosed herein) can have an Izz greater than 450 kg/mm2, greater than 475 kg/mm2, greater than 500 kg/mm2, greater than 510 kg/mm2, and/or greater than 525 kg/mm2. Some embodiments can have an Ixx greater than 300 kg/mm2, greater than 350 kg/mm2, greater than 375 kg/mm2, greater than 400 kg/mm2, and/or greater than 425 kg/mm2. Some embodiments of the club heads can have a combined Izz+Ixx of greater than 750 kg/mm2, greater than 800 kg/mm2, greater than 850 kg/mm2, greater than 875 kg/mm2, and/or greater than 900 kg/mm2. Some embodiments of the club heads can have an Iyy greater than 250 kg/mm2, greater than 275 kg/mm2, greater than 300 kg/mm2, greater than 310 kg/mm2, and/or greater than 325 kg/mm2.
The center of gravity is also affected by the configuration of the weights. Some embodiments of the club heads described herein (including the club head 1800 and any of the other club heads described herein) can have a CGx greater than 0, less than 0, from −1 mm to 1 mm, from −1 mm to 0, from −2 mm to 0, from −3 mm to −1 mm, from −3 mm to −2 mm. Some embodiments of the club heads described herein can have a CGz less than −2 mm, less than −2.5 mm, less than −3 mm, less than −3.5 mm, less than −4 mm, less than −4.5 mm, and/or less than −5 mm.
The golf club heads described herein can have a Delta 1, which is a measure of how far rearward in the golf club head the CG is located. More specifically, Delta 1 is the distance between the CG and the hosel axis along the y axis. Some embodiments of the club heads described herein can have a Delta 1 of at least 15 mm, at least 17 mm, at least 18 mm, at least 19 mm, at least 20 mm, at least 21 mm, at least 22 mm, at least 23 mm, at least 24 mm, at least 25 mm, and/or at least 26 mm. Some club heads can have a Delta 1 between about 15 mm and about 30 mm and/or between 21 mm and 26 mm.
These mass distribution and inertia properties can provide advantages and benefits over other club heads, such as more forgiveness on mishit shots, less back spin, more distance, higher launch angle, better acoustic properties when striking a ball, more adjustability for a user, etc. In some embodiments, the club head 1800 can have a desirable first mode frequency above 3000 Hz when striking a ball. Part of this is due to shapes and constructions of the lightweight crown and sole inserts. In some embodiments, for example, the inserts can comprise strong carbon fiber reinforces composites built up with at least 5 layers, such as 5-10 layers of composite carbon layers. The increased curvature in the sole around the transition between the sole insert 1808 and the rear sole surface 1840 can also help with strength and acoustics.
A ratio of the mass of the crown insert 1806 to the mass of the sole insert 1808 can be about even, less than 1:1, or greater than 1:1. In some embodiments, the crown insert can be thinner and/or have a lower average areal weight than the sole insert.
For any of the embodiments disclosed herein that include a cast cup and a rear ring attached to the cup, with a front weight element coupled to the cup and a rear weight element coupled to the ring, the location of each mass element on the golf club head can be defined as the location of the center of gravity of the mass element relative to the club head origin coordinate system. For example, in some implementations, the front mass element has an origin x-axis coordinate between approximately 15 mm and approximately 35 mm, an origin y-axis coordinate between approximately 10 mm and approximately 30 mm, and an origin z-axis coordinate between approximately −20 mm−30 mm and approximately −10 mm. In one specific implementation, the front mass element has an origin x-axis coordinate of approximately 22 mm, an origin y-axis coordinate of approximately 23 mm, and an origin z-axis coordinate of approximately −21 mm.
Similarly, in some implementations, the rear mass element has an origin x-axis coordinate between approximately −20 mm and approximately 10 mm, an origin y-axis coordinate between approximately 90 mm and approximately 120 mm, and an origin z-axis coordinate between approximately −30 mm and approximately 10 mm. In one specific implementation, the rear mass element has an origin x-axis coordinate of approximately −7 mm, an origin y-axis coordinate of approximately 110 mm, and an origin z-axis coordinate of approximately −11 mm.
Due to the cup and ring configuration with light-weight crown and sole inserts, and due the placement and mass of the front and rear weights, along with other structural features, the balance point (BP) of golf club heads described herein can be shifted toeward of the geometric center of the golf club head.
The configuration of the golf club head, including the locations and masses of the front and rear mass elements, can result in the club head having a moment of inertia about the CG z-axis (Izz) between about 450 kg·mm2 and about 600 kg·mm2, and a moment of inertia about the CG x-axis (Ixx) between about 280 kg mm2 and about 400 kg·mm2. In one specific implementation, the club head has a moment of inertia about the CG z-axis (Izz) of approximately 528 kg·mm2 and a moment of inertia about the CG x-axis (Ixx) of approximately 339 kg·mm2. In this implementation, then, the ratio of Ixx/Izz is approximately 0.64. However, in other implementations, the ratio of Ixx/Izz is between about 0.5 kg·mm2 and about 0.9 kg·mm2. In some embodiments, golf club heads as described herein can have a combined Izz+Ixx that is less than 1100 kg·mm2 and greater than 780 kg mm2, greater than 800 kg mm2, greater than 820 kg mm2, greater than 840 kg mm2, greater than 860 kg mm2, greater than 880 kg mm2, and/or greater than 900 kg mm2.
As described herein, the rear ring of any of the club heads disclosed herein can comprise various different materials and features, and be made of different materials and have different properties than the cast cup, which is formed separately and later coupled to the ring. In addition to or alternative to other materials described herein, the rear ring can comprise metallic materials, polymeric materials, and/or composite materials, and can include various external coatings.
Separately forming the ring not only allows for greater access to the rear portion of the face for milling operations to remove unwanted alpha case and allows for machining in various face patterns, but also allows the use of lower density materials having a density between 1 g/cc to 4 g/cc, or between 1 g/cc and 3 g/cc, or between 1 g/cc and 2 g/cc, such as aluminum or plastic or composite materials, which yields additional discretionary mass that can be redistributed throughout the club head to achieve desirable CG characteristics and a variety of launch conditions. For example, an aluminum ring may save 8 to 15 grams over a titanium ring, and a plastic ring may offer up to 3 to 7 grams of mass savings over an aluminum ring. For embodiments that include a composite crown insert and/or a composite sole insert a ledge will often be necessary to provide desirable fit and finish and sufficient bonding area to ensure the adhesive glue bond is durable and avoids premature failure. The cast cup can comprise titanium or titanium alloy and has a density greater than 4 g/cc, such as about 4.5 g/cc for example. Thus, when this ledge is formed of titanium alloy having a density of about 4.5 g/cc it reduces the amount of discretionary mas compared to an aluminum ring that has a density of about 2.7 g/cc or a plastic ring that has a density of about 1.5 g/cc. The added mass due to the bonding ledges greatly reduces the benefit of a composite crown insert because the ledges generally are a minimum of 4 mm and up to 10 mm, which diminishes any mass savings from the composite crown. Accordingly, by separately forming the ring out of a lower density material e.g. a material with a density between 1 g/cc and 4 g/cc, or between 1 g/cc and 3 g/cc, more discretionary mass can be freed up to strategically place elsewhere in the club head and the mass savings can range from 8 grams to 22 grams compared to a titanium rear ring. In some instances, the forward cup formed of a first material (e.g. titanium alloy) forms a first portion of a crown ledge having a first bond area, and the rear ring formed of a second lower density material (e.g. aluminum alloy or fiber reinforced polycarbonate) forms a second portion of the crown ledge having a second bond area, and the second bond area of the rear ring makes up between 25-60% of the total crown ledge bond area, preferably the rear ring makes up between 30-65% of the total crown ledge bond area. Similarly, in some instances, the forward cup formed of a first material (e.g. titanium alloy) forms a first portion of a sole ledge having a third bond area, and the rear ring formed of a second lower density material (e.g. aluminum alloy or fiber reinforced polycarbonate) forms a second portion of the sole ledge having a fourth bond area, and the fourth bond area of the rear ring makes up between 25-65% of the total sole ledge bond area, preferably the rear ring makes up between 40-60% of the total sole ledge bond area. Increasing the percentage of bond area made up by the lower density rear ring increases the overall discretionary mass i.e. mass savings. In some embodiments, the first bond area may be larger than the third bond area, and the fourth bond area may be larger than the second bond area, the fourth bond area may be larger than the third bond area, and the second bond area may be larger than the first bond area.
In some embodiments, the ring comprises anodized aluminum, such as 6000, 7000, and 8000 series aluminum. In one specific example, the ring comprises 7075 grade aluminum. The anodized aluminum can be colored, such as red, green, blue, gray, white, orange, purple, pink, fuchsia, black, clear, yellow, gold, silver, or metallic colors. In some embodiments, the ring can have a color that contrasts from a majority color located on other parts of the club head (e.g., the crown insert, the sole insert, the cup, the rear weight, etc.).
In some embodiments, the rear ring can comprise any combination of metals, metal alloys (e.g., Ti alloys, steel, boron infused steel, aluminum, copper, beryllium), composite materials (e.g., carbon fiber reinforced polymer, with short or long fibers), hard plastics, resilient elastomers, other polymeric materials, and/or other suitable materials. Any material selection for the ring can also be combined with any of various formation methods, such as any combination of the following: casting, injection molding, sintering, machining, milling, extruding, forging, stamping, and rolling.
A plastic ring (e.g., fiber reinforced polycarbonate ring) may offer mass savings (e.g. about 5 grams compared to an aluminum ring), cost savings, give greater design flexibility due to processes used to form the ring (e.g. injection molded thermoplastic), and/or perform similarly to an aluminum ring in abuse testing (e.g. slamming the club head into a concrete cart path (extreme abuse) or shaking it in a bag where other metal clubs can repeatedly impact it (normal abuse)).
In some embodiments, the ring can comprise a polymeric material (e.g., plastic) with a non-conductive vacuum metallizing (NCVM) coating. For example, in some embodiments, the ring can include a primer layer having an average thickness of about 5-11 micrometers (m) or about 8.5 μm, an under coating layer on top of the primer layer having an average thickness of about 5-11 μm or about 8.5 μm, a NCVM layer on top of under coating layer having an average thickness of about 1.1-3.5 μm or about 2.5 m, a color coating layer on top of the NCVM layer having an average thickness of about 25-35 μm or about 29 μm, and a top coating (e.g., UV protection coat) outer layer on top of the color coating layer having an average thickness of about 20-35 μm or about 26 μm. In general, for a NCVM coated part or ring the NCVM layer will be the thinnest and the color coating layer and the top coating layers will be the thickest, for example about 8-15 times thicker than NCVM layer. Generally, all the layers can combine to have a total average thickness of about 60-90 μm or about 75 μm. The described layers and NCVM coating can be applied to other parts of the club head other than the ring, such as the crown, sole, forward cup, and removable weights, and it can be applied prior to assembly.
In some embodiments, the ring can comprise a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating or film layer. In some embodiments, the ring can include a paint layer, or other outer coloring layer.
Conventionally, painting a golf club heads is all done by hand and requires masking various components to prevent unwanted spray on unwanted surfaces. Hand painting, however, can lead to great inconsistency from club to club. Separately forming the ring not only allows for greater access to the rear portion of the face for milling operations to remove unwanted alpha case and allows for machining in various face patterns, but it also eliminates the need for masking off various components. The ring can be painted in isolation prior to assembly. Or in the case of anodized aluminum, no painting may be necessary, eliminating a step in the process such that the ring can simply be bonded or attached to a cup that may also be fully finished. Similarly if the ring is coated using PVD or NCVM, this coating can be applied to the ring prior to assembly, again eliminating several steps. This also allows for attachment of various color rings that may be selectable by an end user to provide an alignment or aesthetic benefit to the user. Whether the ring is a NCVM coated ring or a PVD coated ring, it can be colored any of an array of colors, such as red, green, blue, gray, white, orange, purple, pink, fuchsia, black, clear, yellow, gold, silver, or metallic colors.
A sole insert 2014 and crown insert 2016 are coupled to the body to enclose a hollow interior cavity. The crown insert can be bonded to a crown ledge portion of the cup 2044 and a crown ledge portion of the ring 2046, which together encircle the crown opening of the body. The sole insert 2014 can be bonded to a sole ledge portion of the cup 2048 and a sole ledge portion of the ring 2050, which together encircle the sole opening of the body. The crown and sole inserts can be formed of any materials and by any methods as described elsewhere herein, and coupled to the cup/ring structure by any means.
A rear weight 2018 is coupled to the rear of the ring via fastener 2032 that secures the weight to a receiving portion of the ring 2052. A sole weight 2020 can threaded into a receptacle 2021 in the bottom of the cast cup. The rear weight 2018 and sole weight 2020 are analogous to the front and rear weight combinations described elsewhere herein, and can have any of the properties, attachment means, and locations described in connection with other front and rear weight embodiments. For example, the rear weight and sole weight can be formed of any material and have any masses as described elsewhere herein. As shown in
The cast cup 2010 includes the striking face 2030 of the club head, which can be cast integrally with the rest of the cup. Alternatively, a face plate can be formed separately and attached to an opening formed in the cast cup. The cast cup 2010 also includes a sole channel 2026 at a forward portion of the sole just behind the bottom of the striking face, and a plug 2027 can be positioned in the channel. As shown in
The cast cup also includes a hosel 2023 that receives an adjustable head-shaft connection assembly 2022, which is secured with a fastener 2024 inserted through a sole recess 2025 below the hosel. The adjustable head-shaft connection assembly 2022 can be similar to others described herein. In some embodiments, the hosel 2023 can include an opening in a wall that faces the internal cavity of the club head, as shown for example in
The cast cup can also include a port or opening 2034 at the toe end that allows for material, such as hot melt, to be injected into the interior of the club head to adjust the performance properties of the club head. A screw 2035 can fill the port 2034. The port 2034 can be functionally similar to the toe side aperture 1846 of the club head 1800. In addition, the club head 2000 can also include structures analogous to ribs 1894, walls 1895 and 1896, and area 1898. Locating the port 2034 toward the toe side of the cup avoid forming an opening in the face, which can improve the consistency and integrity of the face.
The thickness at F0 can range from 2.8 mm to 3.2 mm. The thickness at F1 can range from 2.9 mm to 3.3 mm. The thickness at F2 can range from 2.9 mm to 3.3 mm. The thickness at F3 can range from 2.9 mm to 3.3 mm. The thickness at F4 can range from 2.9 mm to 3.3 mm. The thickness at F5 can range from 2.35 mm to 2.65 mm. The thickness at F6 can range from 2.3 mm to 2.8 mm. The thickness at F7 can range from 2.1 mm to 2.3 mm. The thickness at F8 can range from 2.6 mm to 2.9 mm. The thickness at F9 can range from 1.7 mm to 2.0 mm. The thickness at F10 can range from 1.7 mm to 2.0 mm. The thickness around the edges of the face can range from 1.7 mm to 2.6 mm.
These face thickness values can be applied to a face that integrally cast as part of the cast cup, or to a separately formed face that is later coupled to an opening in the cast cup. Any post-casting process as described herein can be used to modify the face after it is initially cast or otherwise formed to achieve the final desired face thickness profile. For example, the rear of the face can be machined (e.g., CNC milling) to remove material from the rear of the face after casting the face. Many methods of machining can be used. In some methods, continuous path milling can be used, where the milling tool does not leave the work piece (e.g., the face) until the final thickness profile is complete. In this method, the tool moves side to side parallel to the face in a pattern that covers the whole portion of the face that is to be machined without separating the tool from the face.
In some milling methods, a ball end mill can be used having a given diameter (e.g., ½ inch). A ball end mill has a rounded tip that leaves a curved walled groove in the face. At the mill takes each pass across the face, the mill is shifted or stepped a certain distance so that the next pass is parallel but slightly offset from the previous pass. For each adjacent pair of passes with a ball end mill, a ridge or cusp of material is left behind between the two passes, which is sometimes called a scallop. The smaller the step or offset between passes, the shorted the scallop is. Similarly, the greater the radius of curvature of the ball end mill, the shorter the scallop is. Also, the larger the diameter/radius of the ball end mill, the more material is removed with each pass. Accordingly, there can be a desirable mill diameter range that is large enough that not too many passes and steps (and precision) are needed to complete the whole process, but small enough that the scallops left behind between the passes are not too tall. For example, the mill can have a diameter between ⅛ inch and 1 inch, such as between ¼ inch and ¾ inch, for example ½ inch. Similarly, the step distance between milling passes can range from 0.5 mm to 2 mm, such as about 1 mm. Smaller step distances can produce shorter scallop heights, enabling a more precise variable face thickness profile. One benefit of the ball end mill is that it can leave a rounded edge adjacent to the passes, as opposed to a sharp 90 degree edge if the mill has a squared end. Rounded edges can be less susceptible to stress concentrations and resulting cracking and failure. In some milling processes, the mill can move in a spiral pattern around the face, such as from a center point spiraling outward, or from an edge point spiraling inward. The mill can move clockwise or counterclockwise around the face. One factor that can guide the selection of the size of the mill, the step distance, and the milling pattern, is the desired amount of material to be removed from the face and the acceptable amount of undesired material (e.g., alpha case material) that can be left on the face. Where the thickness of material to be removed is large, a larger mill and/or a larger step size may be used. Where the thickness of the material to be removed is very thin, then a smaller mill and/or smaller step size can be used.
In some embodiments, the as-cast face has the following thickness values, and the after-milling final thickness values listed above can be achieved via post-casting milling, such as with a ball end mill.
The as-cast thickness at F0 can range from 3.3 mm to 3.5 mm. The as-cast thickness at F1 can range from 3.4 mm to 3.6 mm. The as-cast thickness at F2 can range from 3.4 mm to 3.6 mm. The as-cast thickness at F3 can range from 3.4 mm to 3.6 mm. The as-cast thickness at F4 can range from 3.4 mm to 3.6 mm. The as-cast thickness at F5 can range from 2.75 mm to 2.95 mm. The as-cast thickness at F6 can range from 3.0 mm to 3.2 mm. The as-cast thickness at F7 can range from 2.1 mm to 2.3 mm. The as-cast thickness at F8 can range from 3.0 mm to 3.2 mm. The as-cast thickness at F9 can range from 2.2 mm to 2.4 mm. The as-cast thickness at F10 can range from 2.2 mm to 2.4 mm. The as-cast thickness around the edges of the face can range from 1.7 mm to 3.2 mm.
The post-cast milling processes can move from 0 mm to 1 mm, such as from 0 mm to 0.5 mm, from the rear of the face, depending on the position and the desired final profile.
Variable thickness face features are described in more detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/006,060 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,997,820, 6,800,038, and 6,824,475, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
In some instances, a bond area for the composite face insert will range from 850 mm2 to 1800 mm2, preferably between 1,300 mm2 to 1,500 mm2. In some instances, a ratio of the composite face insert bond area to the inner surface area of the composite face insert e.g. strike plate (rear surface area of the composite face insert) will range from 21% to 45%. In some instances, a total bond area of the composite face insert will be less than a total bond area of the crown insert. Further details on composite face inserts, composite face insert support structure, bond area, and multi-material and multi-component club head construction similar to that disclosed herein can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/124,134, filed Dec. 16, 2020 and incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
In some embodiments, when installed to the face insert support structures 2928A, 2928B, the face insert forms a part of the transition region from the face to the crown 2120 and/or the sole 2130. For example, at least a portion of the transition region may be painted the same color or shade as at least a portion of the crown prior to installing the face insert, which when installed provides a contrasting color or shade of the face insert with respect to the painted portion of the transition region and/or crown. In other embodiments, the face insert eliminates the need for a transition region from the face to the crown 2120 and/or the sole 2130. In some embodiments, the face insert includes at least a portion of the radius of the transition from the face insert to the crown. By forming part of the radius of the transition from the face to the crown, aerodynamics of the club head may be improved by decreasing turbulence of the air passing from the face to the crown and increasing annular flow.
In some embodiments, the upper face insert support structure 2928A is provided in a shape that flexes in a similar manner as the face insert when the golf club head strikes a golf ball. For example, in some golf club head designs, the face insert material, such as a composite material, is more flexible or compliant than the golf club body material, such as an aluminum or titanium alloy. In this example, a slot or recess 3008A may be provided within the upper peripheral member 3048A to increase flexibility or compliance of the upper face insert support structure 2928A, allowing the face to flex more uniformly. Additional and different shapes may be provided to increase or decrease flexibility and compliance of one or more components of the golf club body. By flexing in a similar manner, the golf club head may be more durable, substantially preventing the face insert from decoupling, or de-bonding, from the golf club body.
In some embodiments, the lower face insert support structure 2928B is provided in a shape that flexes in a similar manner as the face insert when the golf club head strikes a golf ball. In the example discussed above, the face insert material is more flexible or compliant than the golf club body material. In this example, a slot or recess 3008B may be provided within the lower peripheral member 3048B to increase flexibility or compliance of the upper face insert support structure 2928B, allowing the face to flex more uniformly. Additional and different shapes may be provided to increase or decrease flexibility and compliance of one or more components of the golf club body. By flexing in a similar manner, the golf club head may be more durable, substantially preventing the face insert from decoupling, or de-bonding, from the golf club body.
In some embodiments, a high CFY (e.g., greater than about 15 mm, 14 mm, 13 mm, or another CFY) may produce lateral dispersion right of the intended target line. In other embodiments, a low CFY (e.g., less than about 15 mm, 14 mm, 13 mm, or another CFY) may produce lateral dispersion left of the intended target line. In some embodiments, CFY is between about 13 mm and about 15 mm.
In some embodiments, a high face progression (e.g., greater than about 20 mm, 19 mm, 18 mm, or another face progression) may produce lateral dispersion right of the intended target line. In other embodiments, a low face progression (e.g., less than about 19 mm, 18 mm, 17 mm, or another face progression) may produce lateral dispersion left of the intended target line. In some embodiments, face progression is between about 15 mm and about 20 mm.
In some embodiments, a golf club head is provided with at least one of: CFY no more than 15.5 mm; CFY no more than 15 mm; CFY no more than 14.5 mm; CFY no more than 14 mm; CFY no more than 13.5; CFY no more than 13 mm; face progression no more than 20 mm; face progression no more than 19 mm; face progression no more than 18 mm; face progression no more than 17 mm; and face progression no more than 16 mm. In some embodiments, a golf club head is provided with a CFY no more than 17.5 mm.
In other embodiments, one or more alignment features are hard tooled into the golf club head by casting one or more witness lines into the golf club head. For example, one or more positive witness lines may be cast into the hollow body 3210, such as by casting a protrusion, ridge, or other raised feature in the hollow body 3210. In another example, one or more negative witness lines may be cast into the hollow body 3210, such as an indentation, valley, or other depressed feature into the hollow body 3210. In some embodiments, a combination of positive and negative witness lines may be provided. The one or more witness line may be painted with the hollow body 3210 to provide one or more alignment features. Alternatively or additionally, the witness lines may be used as a guide for painting one or more alignment features on the golf club head. By casting the witness lines in the golf club head during manufacturing, the subsequent painting of the one or more alignment features may be more accurate from part to part.
Referring to
In some embodiments, the golf club head 3200 includes a slot 3295 and a weight track 3245. For example, the slot 3295 and/or the weight track 3245 may be cast into the hollow body 3210. As will be discussed below, the slot 3295 may increase the durability of the golf club head by allowing at least a portion of the hollow body 3210 to flex similarly to the face insert 2110, increasing performance of the golf club head and increasing the durability of the golf club head by preventing the face insert 2110 from decoupling from the hollow body 3210. In some embodiments, the golf club head 3200 includes one or more characteristic time (CT) tuning ports. Referring to
In some embodiments, the golf club head includes one or more foam inserts. For example, a foam insert 3276 is positioned within the hollow body 3210. An additional foam insert is also provided proximate to the toe portion (not depicted). The one or more foam inserts aid in CT tuning the golf club head by restraining the adhesive or other material to locations within the golf club head while the material solidifies. Additionally, a rear wall may also be provided to further restrain the material while it solidifies. Accordingly, the foam inserts and the rear wall prevent the adhesive injected into the tuning port 3275 from moving too far toeward, heelward, and backward, allowing the golf club head to be CT tuned more precisely. Additional and different structures may be provided to restrain the injected materials during CT tuning. Further information related to CT tuning is discussed is U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/223,108 filed Dec. 17, 2018 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
In some embodiments, the golf club head includes a multi-material inertia generator. An inertia generator, as discussed herein, may also be referred to as an aft winglet and a center of gravity (CG) lowering platform. The inertia generator 3285 moves discretionary mass rearward to increase inertia and to move the CG projection lower on the face of the golf club head. For example, the golf club head 3200 includes an inertia generator 3285 extending rearwardly and angled toewardly from the front portion of the golf club head 3200 to the rear portion of the golf club head 3200. A multi-material inertia generator may include two or more materials of different densities. For example, the inertia generator 3285 includes one or more of a low density portion 3286, a medium density portion 3287, and a high density portion 3288.
The low density portion 3286 may be a composite or another material, such as a portion of the composite sole panel 3230 or as another component. The low density portion 3286 has a density of less than about 2 g/cc, such as between about 1 g/cc and about 2 g/cc. The medium density portion 3287 may be an aluminum alloy, a titanium alloy, another alloy, another material, or a combination of multiple alloys or materials, such as a portion of the hollow body 3210 or as another component. The medium density portion 3287 has a density greater than about 2.7 g/cc, such as between about 1 g/cc and about 5 g/cc, between about 2.0 g/cc and about 5.0 g/cc, and between about 2.5 g/cc and about 4.5 g/cc. The high density portion 3288 may be a steel alloy, a tungsten alloy, another alloy, another material, or a combination of multiple alloys or materials, such as a rear weight affixed to the inertia generator 3285 or as another component. The high density portion 3288 has a density greater than about 7 g/cc. For example, an aluminum alloy is often about 2.7 g/cc, a titanium alloy is often about 4.5 g/cc, a steel alloy is often about 7.8 g/cc, and tungsten alloy a tungsten alloy is often about 19 g/cc.
In some embodiments, the golf club head 3200 includes support ribs 3296, 3297. For example, support ribs 3296 provide for additional support for the hollow body 3210, the weight track 3245 and/or slot 3295. The support ribs 3296 may be provided over the weight track 3245 and in other areas within the hollow body 3210. Support rib 3297 may be provided to support supports the hollow body 3210 and inertia generator 3285. As depicted in
In some embodiments, the golf club head 3200 includes a mass pad 3290 in the heel portion of the golf club head. Mass pad 3290 positions discretionary mass of the golf club head 3200 heelward, and may lower the CG and move CG forward to modify the CG projection onto the face. In some embodiments, a removable and/or adjustable weight may be provided in the heel portion in lieu of or in addition to the mass pad 3290.
The skirt height of golf club 3200 may also improve aerodynamic features of the golf club head. Golf club head 3200 has a skirt height S1, which may measure the lowest point above the ground plane at which the skirt meets the crown. Golf club head 4100 has a skirt height S2. In some embodiments, the skirt height S1 is at least 20 mm, and in some embodiments may be between about 25 mm and about 40 mm, such as between 30 mm and 40 mm, or between 30 mm and 35 mm. Increasing the skirt height S1 of golf club head 3200 likewise improves the aerodynamic properties of the golf club head. The golf club body has a total body height from defined from a bottom most portion of the golf club body, or the ground plane, to a top-most portion of the crown, or the peak crown height, such as vertically or along a z-axis. In some embodiments, the total body height is no less than 48 mm, no less than 42 mm, or no less than 53 mm. The golf club body also has a body length defined from a leading edge of the golf club body, or the leading-edge location, to a rearward most portion of golf club head, or the rearward most portion of the skirt, such as horizontally or along a y-axis. In some embodiments, the body length is no less than 98 mm, no less than 93 mm, or no less than 103 mm.
In some embodiments, the face insert 2110 can be machined from a composite plaque. In an example, the composite plaque can be substantially rectangular with a length between about 90 mm and about 130 mm or between about 100 mm and about 120 mm, preferably about 110 mm±1.0 mm, and a width between about 50 mm and about 90 mm or between about 6 mm and about 80 mm, preferably about 70 mm±1.0 mm plaque size and dimensions. The face insert 2110 is then machined from the plaque to create a desired face profile. For example, the face profile length 4212 can be between about 80 mm and about 120 mm or between about 90 mm and about 110 mm, preferably about 102 mm. The face profile width 4211 can be between about 40 mm and about 65 mm or between about 45 mm and about 60 mm, preferably about 53 mm. The ideal striking location width 4213 can be between about 25 mm and about 50 mm or between about 30 mm and about 40 mm, preferably about 34 mm. The ideal striking location length 4214 can be between about 40 mm and about 70 mm or between about 45 mm and about 65 mm, preferably about 55.5 mm. Alternatively, the face insert 2110 can be molded to provide the desired face dimensions and profile.
In embodiments where the face insert 2110 is machined from a composite plaque, the face insert 2110 can be machined in one or more operations, such as computer numerical control (CNC) or other operations. For example, starting with the composite plaque, a notch 4220 can be first machined from the plaque. Next, a perimeter chamfer can be machined around the perimeter of the face insert 2110. Finally, a face profile can be machined from the plaque. In some embodiments, each of the notch 4220, perimeter chamfer, and face profile can be machined in a single operation, such as a single CNC operation without removing the plaque from the CNC fixture. In other embodiments, multiple operations can be performed, such as machining one or more of the notch 4220, perimeter chamfer, or face profile being machined separately from the other features of the face. Other orders of machining features can be provided, such as machining the notch after the face profile and chamfer, as well as machining additional features into the face insert 2110, such as bond gap bumps and other features.
Additional features can be machined or molded into face the insert 2110 to create the desired face profile. 2For example, a notch 4220 can be machined or molded into the backside of a heel portion of the face insert 110. For example, the notch 4220 in the back of the face insert 2110 allows for the golf club head 2500 to utilize flight control technology (FCT) in the hosel 2150. The notch 4220 can be configured to accept at least a portion of the hosel within the face insert 2110. Alternatively or additionally, the notch 4220 can be configured to accept at least a portion of the club head body within the face insert 2110.
In some embodiments, the notch 4220, or another relief portion, defines a transition region on the face insert. For example, the notch 4220 or relief portion is proximate to a heel portion of the face and can have an area of at least about 50 mm2 and no more than about 300 mm2, preferably less than about 200 mm2, more preferably between about 75 mm2 and about 150 mm2. Preferably, the notch area is about 1.5% to about 6% of the external area of the face insert (e.g., the outward facing portion of the face configured for striking the golf ball), more preferably the notch area is about 2% to about 3% of the external face insert.
The notch may allow for the reduction of CFY by accommodating at least a portion of the hosel and/or at least a portion of the club body within the face insert, allowing the ideal striking location of the face insert to be closer to a plane passing through a center point location of the hosel. The face insert 2110 can be configured to provide a CFY no more than about 18 mm and no less than about 9 mm, preferably between about 11.0 mm and about 16.0 mm, and more preferably no more than about 15.5 mm and no less than about 11.5 mm. The face insert 2110 can be configured to provide face progression no more than about 21 mm and no less than about 12 mm, preferably no more than about 19.5 mm and no less than about 13 mm and more preferably no more than about 18 mm and no less than about 14.5 mm. In some embodiments, a difference between CFY and face progression is at least 2 mm and no more than 12 mm, preferably between at least 3 mm and 8 mm. In other embodiments, a difference between CFY and face progression is at least 2 mm and no more than 4 mm.
In another example, backside bumps 4230A, 4230B, 4230C, 4230D may be machined or molded into the backside of the face insert. The backside bumps 4230A, 4230B, 4230C, 4230D can be configured to provide for a bond gap. A bond gap is an empty space between the club head body and the face insert that is filled with adhesive during manufacturing. The backside bumps 4230A, 4230B, 4230C, 4230D protrude to separate the face from the club head body when bonding the face insert to the club head body during manufacturing. In some instances, too large or too small of a bond gap may lead to durability issues of the club head, the face insert, or both. Further, too large of a bond gap can allow too much adhesive to be used during manufacturing, adding unwanted additional mass to the club head. The backside bumps 4230A, 4230B, 4230C, 4230D can protrude between about 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm, preferably about 0.25 mm. In some embodiments, the backside bumps are configured to provide for a minimum bond gap, such as a minimum bond gap of about 0.25 mm and a maximum bond gap of about 0.45 mm.
Further, one or more of the edges of the face insert 2110 can be machined or molded with a chamfer. In an example, the face insert 2110 includes a chamfer substantially around the inside perimeter edge of the face insert, such as a chamfer between about 0.5 mm and about 1.1 mm, preferably 0.8 mm. In some embodiments, the perimeter chamfer is provided to avoid the face insert 2110 bottoming out on an internal radius of the recessed face opening of the golf club head configured to receive the face insert 2110. By providing the perimeter chamfer, the face insert 2110 can fit properly within recessed face opening despite manufacturing variances and other characteristics of the golf club head created during the casting process.
In some embodiments, the face insert 2110 is manufactured from multiple layers of composite materials. Exemplary composite materials and methods for making the same are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/452,370 (published as U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2012/0199282), which is incorporated by reference. In some embodiments, an inner and outer surface of the composite face can include a scrim layer, such as to reinforce the face insert 2110 with glass fibers making up a scrim weave.
Multiple quasi-isotropic panels (Q's) can also be included, with each Q panel using multiple plies of unidirectional composite panels offset from each other. In an exemplary four-ply Q panel, the unidirectional composite panels are oriented at 90°, −45°, 0°, and 45°, which provide for structural stability in each direction. Clusters of unidirectional strips (C's) can also be included, with each C using multiple unidirectional composite strips. In an exemplary four-strip C, four 27 mm strips are oriented at 0°, 125°, 90°, and 55°. C's can be provided to increase thickness of the face insert 2110 in a localized area, such as in the center face at the ideal striking location. Some Q's and C's can have additional or fewer plies (e.g., three-ply rather than four-ply), such as to fine tune the thickness, mass, localized thickness, and provide for other properties of the face insert 2110, such as to increase or decrease COR of the face insert 2110.
Additional composite materials and methods for making the same are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,163,119 and 10,046,212, which is incorporated by reference. For example, the usual number of layers for a striking plate is substantial, e.g., fifty or more. However, improvements have been made in the art such that the layers may be decreased to between 30 and 50 layers.
The tables below provide examples of possible layups. These layups show possible unidirectional plies unless noted as woven plies. The construction shown is for a quasi-isotropic layup. A single layer ply has a thickness of ranging from about 0.065 mm to about 0.080 mm for a standard FAW of 70 gsm with about 36% to about 40% resin content. The thickness of each individual ply may be altered by adjusting either the FAW or the resin content, and therefore the thickness of the entire layup may be altered by adjusting these parameters.
In addition to the unidirectional composite panels oriented at 90°, −45°, 0°, and 45°, additional Q panels can be provided according to table 1.
The Area Weight (AW) is calculated by multiplying the density times the thickness. For the plies shown above made from composite material the density is about 1.5 g/cm3 and for titanium the density is about 4.5 g/cm3.
In an example, a first face insert can have a peak thickness of 4.1 mm and an edge thickness of 3.65 mm, including 12 Q's and 2 C's, resulting in a mass of 24.7 g. In another example, a second face insert can have a peak thickness of 4.25 mm and an edge thickness of 3.8 mm, including 12 Q's and 2 C's, resulting in a mass of 25.6 g. The additional thickness and mass is provided by including additional plies in one or more of the Q's or C's, such as by using two 4-ply Q's instead of two 3-ply Q's. In yet another example, a third face insert can have a peak thickness of 4.5 mm and an edge thickness of 3.9 mm, including 12 Q's and 3 C's, resulting in a mass of 26.2 g. Additional and different combinations of Q's and C's can be provided for a face insert 2110 with a mass between about 20 g and about 30 g, or between about 15 g and about 35 g.
In some embodiments, a method of assembling a golf club is provided. For example, the method includes providing a golf club head having a face opening with an internal hosel surface intruding into the face opening (e.g., forming a portion of the face opening). The golf club head can also include at least one of a crown opening and/or a sole opening. The method also includes attaching a composite face insert to the golf club body, where the face insert is machined from a composite plaque with a larger area than the finished face insert. For example, the composite face insert includes a machined perimeter chamfer and a machined in notch. The method further includes enclosing the face opening with the face insert, such as by attaching the face insert to the club head. In some embodiments, the internal hosel surface is received by the notch in the face insert. The method also includes enclosing one or more of the crown opening and/or sole opening with a crown insert and/or a sole insert. The method may further include attaching a golf club shaft having a shaft sleeve, and tightening a screw to attach the golf club shaft to the golf club head to form a golf club assembly. In some examples, the golf club head has a face progression less between 10 and 20 mm and a CFY between 9 and 18 mm, preferably less than 16 mm.
In some embodiments, the x-axis of the golf club head is tangential to the face and parallel to a ground plane, negative locations on the x-axis extend from the center face to the toe portion, and positive locations on the x-axis extend from the center face to the heel portion. In these embodiments, a center of gravity of the golf club body with respect to the x-axis (CGx) can be oriented from about 0 mm to about −10 mm.
In some embodiments, a method of counteracting a lateral dispersion tendency of a golf club head is provided. For example, the golf club head can have a face, a crown and a sole together defining an interior cavity, a body of the golf club head including a heel and a toe portion and having x, y and z axes which are orthogonal to each other and have their origin at the USGA center face (e.g., the z, y, and z origin axes as defined herein). The method can include providing a primary alignment feature comprising a line delineating a transition between at least a first portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color with a shade or color of the face. The primary alignment feature can be hard tooled into the golf club head with the face of the golf club body, and the golf club head can have a first Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA) with respect to the primary alignment feature. The method also includes measuring the lateral dispersion tendency of the golf club head. The lateral dispersion tendency indicates an average dispersion from a center target line, where a positive lateral dispersion tendency is the average dispersion right of the center target line and a negative lateral dispersion tendency is the average dispersion left of the center target line. The method further includes adjusting the primary alignment feature to provide an adjusted primary alignment feature to counteract the lateral dispersion tendency of the golf club head and incorporating the adjusted primary alignment feature into the golf club head. The adjusted primary alignment feature can have a second Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA) of from about −2 to about 10 degrees and a second Radius of Curvature (circle fit) of from about 300 to about 1000 mm.
In some embodiments, the method can also include incorporating the adjusted primary alignment feature into the golf club head comprises retooling the golf club head. In some embodiments, adjusting the primary alignment feature counteracts the lateral dispersion tendency of the golf club head by providing for a positive lateral dispersion tendency for the golf club head. In some embodiments, adjusting the primary alignment feature counteracts the lateral dispersion tendency of the golf club head by providing for a negative lateral dispersion tendency for the golf club head. In some embodiments, adjusting the primary alignment feature counteracts the lateral dispersion tendency of the golf club head by reducing average dispersion from the center target line. In some embodiments, the primary alignment feature is hard tooled into the golf club head by bonding the face to the golf club body. In some embodiments, the golf club body is painted prior to bonding the face to the golf club body. In some embodiments, the adjusted primary alignment feature includes: a second Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle 25 mm Heelward (SAPFA25H) of from about −5 to about 2 degrees; a second Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle 25 mm Toeward (SAPFA25T) of from 0 to about 9 degrees; and a second Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle 50 mm Toeward (SAPFA50T) of from about 2 to about 9 degrees.
Composite face plate features are described in more detail in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/998,435, 11/642,310, 11/825,138, 11/823,638, 12/004,386, 12/004,387, 11/960,609, 11/960,610 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,267,620, which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The construction of the front opening 5040 of the cast cup 5010 and the face insert 5020, and how they are coupled together, can be similar to that described with regard to the embodiments described above with reference to
The rear ring 5012 can be molded using polymeric materials, composite materials, reinforcing fibers, metallic materials, coatings, or combinations of these materials. The rear ring 5012 can be injection molded, for example. Fibers or other reinforcing materials can be added to the primarily polymeric material prior to molding, and external coatings can be added after molding. The molded rear ring can have sufficient rigidity and strength to resist substantial deformation or fracturing when in use, while providing a light-weight and highly shapable and customizable structure. For example, the rear ring can comprise a carbon or glass fiber reinforced polymeric material, which can have a density between 1 g/cc and 2 g/cc. The rear ring can be made with any external colors, textures, or patterns. The molded rear ring 5012 can be coupled to the cast cup 5010 via any suitable means, such as mechanical interlocking, adhesive bonding, RF welding, and/or other manners disclosed elsewhere herein. Molding the rear ring allows for the rear weight 5028 to be co-molded with the rear ring, such that the rear weight is fully or partially enclosed within the molding material of the rear ring. As shown in
Using the cross-sectional side view of the club head 5000 in
In some instances, a ratio of the skirt height to the peak crown height ranges between about 0.45 to 0.59, preferably 0.49-0.55, and in one embodiment the skirt height is about 34 mm and the peak crown height is about 65 mm, resulting in a ratio of skirt height to peak crown height of about 0.52. A skirt height typically ranges between 28 mm and 38 mm, preferably between 31 mm and 36 mm. In some instances, the skirt height can be greater than Z-up as measured along a z-axis relative to the ground plane. Additionally, in some instances, the peak skirt height can be greater than a distance to the geometric center of the strike face as measured along a z-axis relative to the ground plane. A peak crown height typically ranges between 60 mm and 70 mm, preferably between 62 mm and 67 mm. It can be desirable to limit a difference between the peak crown height and the skirt height to no more than 40 mm, preferably between 27 mm and 35 mm. It can be desirable for the skirt height to be the same as or greater than a Z-up value for the golf club head (defined as the vertical distance along a z-axis from the ground plane to the center of gravity). It can be desirable for the peak crown height to be at least two times (2×) larger than the Z-up value for the golf club head. A greater skirt height can help with better aerodynamics and better air flow attachment, especially for faster swing speeds. Likewise, if the difference between the peak crown height and skirt height is too great there can be a greater likelihood of the flow separating early from the golf club head (i.e., increased likelihood of turbulent flow). The ratios just described are applicable to all the embodiments disclosed herein, especially those shown in
The construction and material diversity of the golf club heads described herein enables a desirable center-of-gravity (CG) location and peak crown height location (PCH location). In one example, a y-axis coordinate, on the y-axis of the club head origin coordinate system, of the PCH location is between about 26 mm and about 42 mm. In the same or a different example, a distance parallel to the z-axis of the club head origin coordinate system, from the ground plane 181, when the golf club head 100 is in the normal address position, of the PCH location ranges between 60 mm and 70 mm, preferably between 62 mm and 67 mm as described above. According to some examples, a y-axis coordinate, on the y-axis of the head origin coordinate system 185, of the center-of-gravity (CG) of the golf club head 100 ranges between 30 mm and 50 mm, preferably between 32 mm and 38 mm, more preferably between 36.5 mm and 42 mm, an x-axis coordinate, on the x-axis of the head origin coordinate system 185, of the center-of-gravity (CG) of the golf club head 100 ranges between −10 mm and 10 mm, preferably between −6 mm and 6 mm, and a z-axis coordinate, on the z-axis of the head origin coordinate system 185, of the center-of-gravity (CG) of the golf club head 100 ranges between −10 mm and 2 mm, preferably between −7 mm and −2 mm.
The weight track 6060 can be positioned in the sole of the cast cup 6010 just rearward of the sole channel 6024, as shown in
Generally, the weight track 6060 and weight assembly 6050 can be similar to the weight tracks 214, 216 and two-piece slidable weight assemblies 210, 212 described elsewhere herein. As shown in
The weight assembly can comprise two pieces, an inner piece and an outer piece, that are threadably coupled together, such that rotating the inner piece (e.g., using a wrench) relative to the outer piece moves the two pieces closer together to clamp them onto the ledge(s) of the weight track or moves the two pieces apart to loosen the weight assembly. The inner piece can have a rounded shape to allow it to rotate freely within the track, while the outer piece can have a polygonal (or otherwise non-circular) shape that fits between the walls of the track and doesn't allow the outer piece to rotate within the track. Thus, the outer piece is held stationary while the user rotates the inner piece to tighten or loosen the assembly in the track.
As shown in
Club heads having a weight track and sliding weight assembly as in the club head 6000 can have any type of rear ring and rear weight, such as any of the rear ring and rear weight combinations disclosed elsewhere herein. In the illustrated example, the club head 6000 comprises an externally attachable rear weight 6028 that is coupled to the rear ring 6012 with an external screw 6029 (see
The rear ring 6012 can comprise metallic materials (e.g., Ti alloy, steel, aluminum, etc.), polymeric materials, composite materials, and/or any other materials and coatings disclosed herein, and any method of formation and attachment disclosed herein. The face insert 6020 can comprise any materials (e.g., metallic or composite materials), have any geometry, and have any method of formation and attachment disclosed herein. The face insert 6020 can also comprise an external coating layer 6021 on the front striking surface, which can comprise polyurethane or other materials disclosed herein.
In some embodiments, additional or different striking locations can be used, such as striking locations corresponding to (x, y) coordinates of (0, 0), (−20, 10), (20, 10), (−20, −10), and (20, −10). Additional and different striking locations may also be used, such as for central regions of different shapes and/or sizes.
Referring to
In some embodiments, historical data for all golfers is used to select the weighting factors. Using historical data for all golfers, weighting factors can be selected to fit a large percentage of golfers, including golfers of different skill levels and with different tendencies in striking the golf ball outside of the ideal striking location. In other embodiments, a subset of historical data can be used, such as data for low handicap golfers, high handicap golfers, high lateral dispersion golfers (e.g., for higher MOI heads), low lateral dispersion golfers (e.g., for lower MOI heads), low swing speed golfers, high swings speed golfers, high spin golfers (e.g., for forward CG heads), low spin golfers (e.g., for rearward CG heads), golfers with similar swing flaws (e.g., draw bias heads for over the top producing a slice), golfers with similar shot shapes (e.g., draw, fade, slice, and hook) or another subset of golfers. Using a smaller subset of golfers, weighting factors can be selected to better fit golfers who are categorized as having tendencies fitting the subset.
In some embodiments, personalized data for an individual golfer is used to select the weighting factors. For example, a golfer can hit a number of golf balls (e.g., 100 balls or another number) and weighting factors can be selected based on the golfer's individual tendencies. Using data for the individual golfer, such as gathered during club fitting, a custom golf club head can be manufactured according to the weighting factors, such as with individualized COR, bulge and roll, and twist profiles for the golfer.
Ideally, golfers would always strike the golf ball at the geometric center of the face on every impact. However, in practice, golfers tend to strike the golf ball in similar locations outside of the geometric center of the face. For example, many golfers tend to strike the golf ball high and toe-ward on the striking face. Thus, the weighting factors apply more weight to the second striking location 102 higher on the and the fourth striking location toe-ward on the striking face. In this example, the first striking location corresponding to the geometric center of the striking face weighted highest, and the weighting factors can be summed to total 1 (i.e., 100%).
In some embodiments, the first COR weighting factor at the first striking location 101 is between 0.3 and 0.4, preferably greater than 0.3, more preferably between 0.32 and 0.33, more preferably 0.3267. The second COR weighting factor at the second striking location 102 is between 0.2 and 0.3, preferably greater than 0.2, more preferably between 0.22 and 0.23, more preferably 0.2256. The third COR weighting factor at the third striking location 103 is between 0.1 and 0.2, preferably greater than 0.1, more preferably between 0.135 and 0.145, more preferably 0.1395. The fourth COR weighting factor at the fourth striking location 104 is between 0.2 and 0.3, preferably greater than 0.2, more preferably between 0.22 and 0.23, more preferably 0.2263. The fifth COR weighting factor at the first striking location 105 is between 0.075 and 0.090, preferably greater than 0.08, more preferably between 0.0815 and 0.0824, more preferably 0.0819.
As discussed above, in some embodiments, the first COR weighting factor can be greater than all other weighting factors. The second COR weighting factor can be greater than the third COR weighting factor, such as between 0.05 and 0.2 greater than the third weighting factor. The fourth COR weighting factor can be greater than the fifth COR weighting factor, such as between 0.001 and 0.2 greater than the fifth weighting factor. The fourth COR weighting factor can be at least two times greater than the fifth COR weighting factor, such as between 0.1 and 0.2 greater than fifth COR weighting factor. The first COR weighting factor can be at least three times greater than the fifth COR weighting factor, such as between 0.2 and 0.3 greater than fifth COR weighting factor. The first COR weighting factor can be at least two times greater than the third COR weighting factor, such as between 0.1 and 0.3 greater than the third COR weighting factor. The first COR weighting factor can be no more than two times greater than the fourth COR weighting factor, such as between 0.01 and 0.3 greater than the fourth COR weighting factor. The third COR weighting factor can be greater than the fifth COR weighting factor, such as between 0.01 and 0.1 greater than the fifth COR weighting factor.
Each striking location 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 has corresponding COR values. In some embodiments, the first COR value at the first striking location 101 is between 0.805 and 0.840, preferably no less than 0.817. A second COR value at the second striking location 102 is between 0.780 and 0.820, preferably no less than 0.805. A third COR value at the third striking location 103 is between 0.750 and 0.805, preferably no less than 0.775. A fourth COR value at the fourth striking location 104 is between 0.760 and 0.815, preferably no less than 0.785. A fifth COR value at the fifth striking location 105 is between 0.720 and 0.800, preferably no less than 0.755.
In some embodiments, the second COR value plus the fourth COR value minus the third COR value minus the fifth COR value is greater than zero, such as between 0.0 and 0.165, preferably at least 0.015 COR points. The fourth COR value minus the fifth COR value is at least 0.015 COR points, such as between 0.015 and 0.095. The second COR value minus the fourth COR value is at least 0.007 COR points, such as between 0.007 and 0.060. The third COR value minus the fifth COR value is at least 0.004 COR points, such as between 0.004 and 0.085. In some embodiments, the fourth COR value can be greater than fifth COR value, second COR value can be greater than the fourth COR value, and the second COR value can be greater than the third COR value.
As discussed above, the weighting factors and COR values can be used to calculate a weighted COR value for the golf club head. In some embodiments, the weight COR value can be a summation of each of the weighting factors multiplied by its corresponding COR value. For example, the weighted COR value can be equal to the first weighting factor multiplied by the first COR value, plus the second weighting factor multiplied by the second COR value, plus the third weighting factor multiplied by the third COR value, plus the fourth weighting factor multiplied by the fourth COR value, and plus the fifth weighting factor multiplied by the fifth COR value.
In some embodiments, the weighted COR value is no less than 0.805, such as between 0.805 and 0.840. In some embodiments, such as cast cup embodiments and/or titanium alloy face insert embodiments, the weighted COR can be between about 0.800 and about 0.830, preferably between 0.805 and 0.809, preferably between 0.807 and 0.812, preferably between 0.809 to 0.813, more preferably greater than 0.806, more preferably greater than 0.807, more preferably greater than 808, more preferably greater than 0.809, more preferably greater than 0.810, more preferably greater than 811, more preferably greater than 0.812. In some embodiments, the weighted COR is no more than 0.830, preferably no more than 0.822, more preferably no more than 0.820, more preferably between 0.813 and 0.820. In some embodiments, such as club heads with composite face insert, greater weighted COR values can be attained, such as between 0.810 and 0.840.
Below is a table of weighted COR values for exemplary club heads:
In some embodiments, the strike face has a balance point (BP) COR between 0.810 and about 0.840, preferably no less than 0.820. The BP COR corresponds to the BP location of the club head where the club head center of gravity (CG) projects onto the strike face. In some embodiments, the BP location does not correspond to the geometric center of the strike face. In some embodiments, the BP location is toe-ward of the geometric center of the strike face (i.e., at a negative location on the x-axis). In some embodiments, the BP location is upward of the geometric center of the strike face (i.e., at a positive location on the y-axis) or lower than the geometric center of the strike face (i.e., at a negative location on the y-axis). Referring back to Table 2 above, Examples 1, 2, and 3 have a BP COR values of 0.831, 0.830, and 0.829, respectively.
In addition to increasing the overall COR area of the striking face 110, the COR area can be increased in more beneficial locations based on the COR weighting factors, resulting in an asymmetric COR area. For example, the COR area can be increased in Q2 (i.e., high and toward), resulting in a COR area that is asymmetric about a vertical axis and shifted toeward, with a majority of the increase in COR area toeward of the vertical axis through center face. In some embodiments, the COR area can also be increased above a horizontal axis through center face.
Based on the weighting factors, the COR area of each of the quadrants Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 can be different. For example, the COR area of Q2 can be greater than Q1, the COR area of Q2 can be greater than Q3, and the COR area of Q2 can be greater than Q4. The combined COR area of Q1 and Q2 can be greater than the combined the COR area of Q3 and Q4. The combined the COR area of Q2 and Q3 can be greater than the combined the COR area of Q1 and Q4. The combined the COR area of Q2 and Q4 can be greater than the combined the COR area of Q1 and Q3.
The COR values in each of the quadrants Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 can also be based on the weighting factors. For example, locations in Q2, such as a first location−10 mm toward and a second location−20 mm toward, can have COR values greater than 0.793, such as between about 0.780 and 0.830. In some embodiments, locations in Q2 and Q3 have COR values greater than Q1 and Q2. In an example, a location −20 mm toeward can have a COR value at least 0.100 greater than 20 mm heelward, while an average COR of the two locations is at least 0.750.
A method of testing a club head for weighted COR is provided. The method begins by performing initial testing properties of the golf club head, such as inertia, mass properties, center of gravity z-axis, center of gravity x-axis, and displaced water volume. For example, a summation of Izz and Ixx can be between about 740 kg mm2 and about 1100 kg mm2, such as greater than 780 kg mm2, more preferably greater than 820 kg mm2, more preferably greater than 840 kg mm2, and more preferably greater than 860 kg mm2.
Next, the club head is measured for COR values at each of the five striking locations 101, 102, 103, 104, 105. In some embodiments, using the measured COR values (CORN) and corresponding weighting factors (WFN) for the five striking locations 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, a weighted COR can be calculated using equation 1:
In equation 1, the weighting factors can be 0.3267, 0.2256, 0.1395, 0.2263, and 0.0819 for the striking locations 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, respectively. In other embodiments, different weighting factors can be used.
Next, durability testing can be performed on the club head. For example, an initial CT value can be measured at the geometric center of the strike face (e.g., striking location 101). In some embodiments, the initial CT value is at least 244 microseconds (μs) and no more than 257 μs. In some embodiments, initial CT values can be measured at other striking locations, such as striking locations 102, 103, 104, 105 and/or other striking locations. The CT testing can be performed within the central region 120, which can be defined by the 40 millimeter (mm) by 20 mm rectangular area centered on the striking face 110, or another region.
After measuring initial CT value(s), the club head it exposed to 500 golf ball impacts at the geometric center of the strike face. The golf ball impacts are performed with a golf ball speed of 52 meters per second. After the 500 golf ball impacts, the central region 120 is golf club head is measured to determine if a change in CT has occurred. For example, different striking locations on the striking face of the club head are tested to determine if any CT values of the striking locations within the central region 120 are greater than 256 μs. Additionally, a 500 impact CT value at the geometric center of the striking face can be measured and compared to the initial CT value to determine an increase CT resulting from the impacts. For example, after 500 impacts, the 500 impact CT value can be larger than the initial CT value, such as by no more than five (5.0) CT points than the initial CT value, preferably no more than four (4.0) CT points greater than the initial CT value, preferably no more than three (3.0) CT points greater than the initial CT value, preferably no more than four (2.0) CT points greater than the initial CT value, preferably no more than one (1.0) CT points greater than the initial CT value, more preferably no more than zero (0.0) CT points greater than the initial CT value. In some case, due to a measurement error, the 500 impact CT value can be smaller than the initial CT value.
The durability testing can be repeated with additional sets of 500 golf ball of impacts, such as after 1000 golf ball of impacts, 1500 golf ball of impacts, 2000 golf ball of impacts, 2500 golf ball of impacts, and 3000 golf ball of impacts. A CT value is measured after each series of golf ball impacts, and each CT value is compared to the initial CT value to determine further increases in CT resulting from the additional impacts. For example, after series of impacts, the measured CT value can be larger than the initial CT value, such as by no more than six (6.0) points, preferably no more than five (5.0) CT points, more preferably no more than four (4.0) CT points greater than the initial CT value. After each test, all measured CT values are less than 257 μs.
In some embodiments, CT tuning can be used to reduce CT of a club head to meet the USGA constraints. For example, by injecting an adhesive into a CT tuning port of a golf club head, the CT of the golf club head is detuned to conform to the USGA regulations. Golf club heads can include one or more characteristic time (CT) tuning ports. In various embodiments, one or more CT tuning ports can be provided in the toe portion, heel portion, and/or face portion of the club head. One or more CT tuning ports may also be provided in additional and different locations on the golf club head. Using the CT tuning port(s), an adhesive or another material may be injected into the golf club head to reduce or increase the CT of the golf club head. For example, the golf club head may be manufactured with a CT that does not conform to the United States Golf Association (USGA) regulations that constrain CT of golf club heads.
In some embodiments, the face portion can be manufactured to reduce the amount of CT tuning that must be performed on the golf club head. For example, using a variable and/or asymmetric face thickness profile. For example, by casting and milling a face with the golf club body, an asymmetric thickness profile can be provided, as opposed to the required 360-degree concentric circle symmetry required by many conventional face turning processes. In this manner, the asymmetric thickness profile can reduce or eliminate CT spikes at different locations across the face, thereby reducing the number of golf club heads that must be tuned. In some embodiments, the variable and/or asymmetric face thickness profile can include one or more transition regions between thicker region(s) and thinner region(s) of the profile. For example, a transition region can have a thickness that decreases from a thicker region to a thinner region. In some examples, the transition region thickness decreases linearly from the thicker region to the thinner region. In other examples, the transition region thickness decreases non-linearly, such as exponentially, in one or more steps, or following another non-linear function.
In some embodiments, tuning ports in the face portion can be reduced or eliminated, such as by providing one or more tuning ports in the club head body (i.e., the heel and/or toe portion), resulting in a face portion that free from tuning port apertures into the interior cavity of the club head body. In some embodiments, only one tuning port is provided, such as a tuning port in the toe portion. For example, in these embodiments, media (i.e., the adhesive or other material having a mass less than 0.5 g and with a hardness no more than Shore 1D) only contacts the face portion on the toe side of the face portion. In some embodiments, CT tuning can be eliminated entirely and no media contacts the face portion. In some embodiments, the club head does not include any tuning ports.
Cast Cup Club Head Structures for Increasing COR Values In some exemplary club heads that include an integrally cast face and body unit (e.g., cast cup cast from a titanium alloy), discussed in greater detail below, a ring (e.g., formed from forged aluminum or another material) is bonded or otherwise affixed to the cast cup. In some embodiments, cast cup is formed from a first material (e.g., a titanium alloy, such as having a first material density about 4.5 g/cc) and the rear ring formed is formed from a second material (e.g., an aluminum alloy, such as having a second material density about 2.7 g/cc). In some embodiments, the rear ring has an anodized, non-conductive coating. The rear ring can include a skirt portion, at least a rearward portion of the crown portion, and at least a rearward portion of a sole portion. The cast cup can include the front portion with an integrally formed face portion defining an entire striking surface, at least a forward portion of the crown portion, at least a forward portion of a sole portion, a heel portion, a toe portion, and a hosel. A body is defined by the sole portion, the crown portion, the skirt portion, and the front portion, and the body defines a hollow interior region.
As discussed above, at least a forward portion of the body, the face portion, and the strike face can be case as a single unitary casting such that the face portion and strike face are formed integrally with the body. In some embodiments, the striking face is CNC milled to produce an asymmetrical or non-symmetrical face thickness profile. For example, the striking face can be milled after casting to provide an asymmetric or non-symmetrical face thickness profile, such as opposed to a 360-degree concentric circle symmetry provided using a lathe. As such, different areas of the striking face can be provided with different face thicknesses, as well as milled bulge and roll, twist, score lines, and other features of the striking face. The golf club heads of this disclosure may utilize, for example, the asymmetric or non-symmetrical face thickness features described in U.S. Patent App. Pub. 2019/0046845, published Feb. 14, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the thickness of the striking face can vary between a minimum thickness of the face and a maximum thickness of the face. The minimum thickness of the striking face is less than 2.5 mm and more than 1.5 mm and the maximum thickness of the striking face is greater than the minimum thickness and less than 3.7 mm. Additional and different minimum and maximum thicknesses can be used. In some embodiments, the interior surface of the striking face is milled or chemically etched and has an alpha case thickness of 0.30 mm or less.
The sole portion is positioned at a bottom region of the golf club head and includes a sole surface area, the crown portion is positioned at a top region of the golf club head and includes a crown surface area, and the skirt portion is positioned around a periphery of the golf club head between the sole portion and the crown portion. The sole portion and the crown portion can include sole openings and crown openings, respectively. The cast cup can include a forward portion of a crown opening and a forward portion of a sole opening, and the rear ring can include a rearward portion of the crown opening and a rearward portion of the sole opening.
The body can further include a crown insert separately formed from the cast cup and the rear ring and is permanently secured by adhesion to both the cast cup and the rear ring thereby enclosing the forward portion of the crown opening and the rearward portion of the crown opening. The crown insert can be formed from a composite or another material. The body can also include a sole insert separately formed from the cast cup and the rear ring and is permanently secured by adhesion to both the cast cup and the rear ring thereby enclosing the forward portion of the sole opening and the rearward portion of the sole opening. The sole insert can be formed from a composite or another material. In some embodiments, at least one opening in the crown or sole provides access to the hollow interior region and the at least one opening is covered by an insert formed from a non-metal, composite material having a density between about 1 g/cm3 to about 2 g/cm3. In some embodiments, the area of the crown insert is greater than the area of the sole insert. In some embodiments, the sole is thicker than the crown insert.
The forward portion of the crown opening can be defined by a forward crown opening recessed ledge of the cast cup and the rearward portion of the crown opening can be defined by a rearward crown opening recessed ledge of the rear ring. For example, the crown insert can fully enclose the crown opening and can be coupled to the forward crown opening recessed ledge and the rearward crown opening recessed ledge. Likewise, the forward portion of the sole opening can be defined by a forward sole opening recessed ledge of the cast cup and the rearward portion of the sole opening can be defined by a rearward sole opening recessed ledge of the rear ring. For example, the sole insert can fully enclose the sole opening and can be coupled to the forward sole opening recessed ledge and the rearward sole opening recessed ledge. In some embodiments, the forward crown opening recessed ledge thickness is between about 12 mm and about 17 mm, the rearward crown opening recessed ledge is thickness is between about 8 mm and about 12 mm, the forward sole opening recessed ledge thickness is between about 10 mm and about 17 mm, and the rearward sole opening recessed ledge is thickness is between about 8 mm and about 12 mm. In some embodiments, the recessed ledges can have variable ledge thicknesses around the periphery of the sole and/or crown openings.
In some exemplary club heads, the face portion includes a striking face insert (e.g., formed from a titanium alloy or another material) welded to the club head body. For example, the body can include a face opening that is configured to receive a face insert made of a first alloy of a first material having a first ultimate tensile strength and other portions of the body (e.g., the crown portion, sole portion, toe portion, heel portion, skirt portion, and other portions) are made of a second alloy of the first material having a second ultimate tensile strength. For example, the first alloy can be a different titanium or steel alloy than the second alloy. In some embodiments, the first ultimate tensile strength is at least 10% greater than the second ultimate tensile strength, with the first ultimate tensile strength exceeding 1,000 MPa. In some embodiments, the face insert is formed from an alloy with an ultimate tensile strength of at least 958 MPa, preferably at least 1,000 MPa, more preferably exceeding 1,100 MPa.
In some embodiments, the thickness of the striking face can vary between a minimum thickness of the face and a maximum thickness of the face. The minimum thickness of the striking face is less than 2.5 mm and more than 1.5 mm and the maximum thickness of the striking face is greater than the minimum thickness and less than 3.7 mm. Additional and different minimum and maximum thicknesses can be used. In some embodiments, the interior surface of the striking face is not chemically etched and has an alpha case thickness of 0.30 mm or less.
In some embodiments, the striking face of a golf club head may include localized stiffened regions, variable thickness regions, or inverted cone technology (ICT) regions located on the striking face at a location that surrounds or that is adjacent to the ideal striking location of the striking face. The aforementioned regions may also be referred to as a “donut” or a “thickened central region.” The regions may be circular, elliptical, or another shape. For example, the localized stiffened region may include an area of the striking face that has increased stiffness due to being relatively thicker than a surrounding region, due to being constructed of a material having a higher Young's Modulus (E) value than a surrounding region, and/or a combination of these factors. Localized stiffened regions may be included on a striking face for one or more reasons, such as to increase the durability of the club head striking face, to increase the area of the striking face that produces high CT and/or COR, or a combination of these reasons.
Examples of localized stiffened regions, variable thickness configurations, and inverted cone technology regions are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,800,038, 6,824,475, 6,904,663, 6,997,820, and 9,597,562, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. For example, ICT regions may include symmetrical “donut” shaped areas of increased thickness that are located within the unsupported face region. In some embodiments, the ICT regions are centered on the ideal striking location of the striking face. In other embodiments, the ICT regions are centered/shifted toeward or heelward and/or upward or downward of the ideal striking location of the striking face, such as to stiffen one side of the striking face and to add flexibility to the other side of the striking face, such as to reduce lateral dispersion (e.g., a draw or fade bias) produced by the golf club head, or to modify the CT and/or COR values at one or more locations on striking face.
In some exemplary club heads, the face portion includes a striking face insert (e.g., formed from a composite or another material) bonded to the club head body. Examples of composite striking face inserts and corresponding club head structures are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/006,561, filed Aug. 28, 2020, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. For example, the striking face insert is made of a composite that includes multiple plies or layers of a fibrous material (e.g., graphite, or carbon, fiber) embedded in a cured resin (e.g., epoxy), such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,016,662, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Composite face inserts for use in the metalwood golf clubs may be fabricated using the procedures described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/442,348 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,267,620), Ser. No. 10/831,496 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,974), Ser. Nos. 11/642,310, 11/825,138, 11/998,436, 11/895,195, 11/823,638, 12/004,386, 12,004,387, 11/960,609, 11/960,610, and Ser. No. 12/156,947, which are all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The composite material can be manufactured according to the methods described at least in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/825,138, the entire contents of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the face insert has a variable thickness, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,874,938, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
For example, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the face insert is formed from a fiber reinforced polymer. The face insert can be a variable thickness, such as formed from multiple plies of composite material and a polymer cover. For example, the face insert can have a polyurethane cover including grooves and a texture for increased roughness. The face insert can have a central region proximate the geometric center of the face insert between about 4.0 mm and about 5.15 mm, preferably between 4.30 mm and 5.15 mm. Outside of the central region the face insert can include a toe edge region and heel edge region. Face thickness can transition from the peak thickness to a toe edge region thickness of between about 3.85 mm to about 4.50 mm. In these embodiments, the toe edge region thickness is less than a central region thickness. The central region of the face insert can have an area between about 500 mm2 and about 1800 mm2. In some embodiments, the face insert can have a mass between about 22 grams and about 28 grams and a resin content between about 38% and about 44%.
Club Head Examples for Increasing COR Values Although the foregoing discussion cites features related to golf club head 100 and its variations (e.g. 2, 4, 10, 200, 400, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1800, 2000, 3100, 3200, 5000, and 6000), the many design parameters discussed above substantially apply to all golf club heads 2, 4, 10, 100, 200, 400, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1800, 2000, 3100, 3200, 5000, and 6000 due to the common features of the club heads. With that in mind, in some embodiments of the golf clubs described herein, the location, position or orientation of features of the golf club head, such as the golf club head 2, 4, 10, 100, 200, 400, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1800, 2000, 3100, 3200, 5000, and 6000, can be referenced in relation to fixed reference points, e.g., a golf club head origin, other feature locations or feature angular orientations.
With reference now to
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0302946 A1 ('946 App), published Oct. 9, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a “reference position” similar to the address position used to measure the various parameters discussed throughout this application. The address or reference position is based on the procedures described in the United States Golf Association and R&A Rules Limited, “Procedure for Measuring the Club Head Size of Wood Clubs,” Revision 1.0.0, (Nov. 21, 2003). Unless otherwise indicated, all parameters are specified with the club head in the reference position.
For further details or clarity, the reader is advised to refer to the measurement methods described in the '946 App and the USGA procedure. Notably, however, the origin and axes associated with the club head origin coordinate system 185 used in this application may not necessarily be aligned or oriented in the same manner as those described in the '946 App or the USGA procedure. Further details are provided below on locating the club head origin coordinate system 185.
In some examples, the golf club heads described herein include driver-type golf club heads, which can be identified, at least partially, as golf club heads with strike faces that have a total surface area of at least 3,500 mm{circumflex over ( )}2, preferably at least 3,800 mm{circumflex over ( )}2, and even more preferably at least 3,900 mm{circumflex over ( )}2 (e.g., between 3,500 mm2 and 5,000 mm2 in one example, less than 5,000 mm2 in various examples, and between 3,700 mm2 and 4,300 mm2 in another example). Additionally, in certain examples, driver-type golf club heads include a center-of-gravity (CG) projection, parallel to a horizontal (y-axis), which is at most 3 mm above or below a center face of the strike face, and preferably at most 1 mm above or below the center face, as measured along a vertical axis (z-axis). Moreover, in some examples, driver-type golf club heads have a relatively high moment of inertia about a CG vertical axis (CG z-axis) (e.g. Izz>400 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2 and preferably Izz>450 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, and more preferably Izz>500 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, but less than 590 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2 in certain implementations), a relatively high moment of inertia about a horizontal CG axis (CG x-axis) (e.g. Ixx>250 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2 and preferably Ixx>300 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2 and more preferably Ixx>350 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2), and preferably a ratio of Ixx/Izz>0.70. According to certain examples, a sum of Ixx and Izz is greater than 780 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, 800 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, 825 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, 850 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, 875 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, 900 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, and 925 kg·mm{circumflex over ( )}2, but less than 1100 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2.
Referring to
The strike face 145 extends along the forward portion 112 from the sole portion 117 to the crown portion 119, and from the toe portion 2114 to the heel portion 116. Moreover, the strike face 145, and at least a portion of an interior surface of the forward portion 112, opposite the strike face 145, is planar in a top-to-bottom direction. As further defined, the strike face 145 faces in the generally forward direction.
Referring to
The top plate-opening recessed ledge 147A has a width (TPLW) and a thickness (TPLT). The width TPLW is defined as the distance from the inner periphery of the ledge 147A defining the plate opening 149 to the furthest extent of the adhering surface of the ledge 147A away from the inner periphery.
The thickness TPLT is defined as the thickness of the material defining the adhering surface of the ledge 147A. In some examples, a recess 190 is formed in the body 2102 and has depth that extends in a back-to-front direction such that in a sole-to-crown direction, the recess 190 is between the top plate-opening recess ledge 147A and a top of the golf club head 5100. In other words, the recess 190 overlaps the top plate-opening recess ledge 147A in a crown-to-sole direction. Notably, rearward of the recess 190 the thickness of the crown may increase locally such that the thickness of the crown portion proximate to where the crown insert joins the club head is thicker than at the recess 190. This may be done to stiffen the overall structure of the crown joint and mitigate stress in the composite crown joint. Otherwise, the composite crown joint may be prone to cracking in that region resulting in a premature failure of the composite crown joint due to the casting cracking and/or the glue failing.
In certain examples, the width TPLW of the top plate-opening recessed ledge 147A is greater than 4.5 mm (e.g., greater than 5.0 mm in some instances and greater than 5.5 mm in other instances, but less than 8.0 mm, preferably less than 7.0 mm in some instances). According to some examples, the thickness TPLT of the top plate-opening recessed ledge 147A is between 0.8 mm and 1.7 mm (e.g., between 0.9 mm and 1.6 mm in some instances and between 0.95 mm and 1.5 mm in other instances). As shown, the thickness TPLT is greater away from the inner periphery of the ledge 147A than at the inner periphery of the ledge 147A. Accordingly, the thickness TPLT varies along the width TPLW of the ledge 147A in some examples. For example, as shown, the thickness TPLT decreases in a crown-to-sole direction.
The bottom plate-opening recessed ledge 147B has a width (BPLW) and a thickness (BPLT). The width BPLW is defined as the distance from the inner periphery of the ledge 147B defining the plate opening 149 to the furthest extent of the adhering surface of the ledge 147B away from the inner periphery. The thickness BPLT is defined as the thickness of the material defining the adhering surface of the ledge 147B.
In certain examples, the width BPLW of the bottom plate-opening recessed ledge 147B is greater than 4.5 mm (e.g., greater than 5.0 mm in some instances and greater than 5.5 mm in other instances, but less than 8.0 mm, preferably less than 7.0 mm in some instances). According to some examples, the thickness BPLT of the bottom plate-opening recessed ledge 147B is between 0.8 mm and 1.7 mm (e.g., between 0.9 mm and 1.6 mm in some instances and between 0.95 mm and 1.5 mm in other instances). As shown, the thickness BPLT is greater away from the inner periphery of the ledge 147B than at the inner periphery of the ledge 147B. Accordingly, the thickness BPLT varies along the width BPLW of the ledge 147B in some examples. For example, as shown, the thickness BPLT decreases in a sole-to-crown direction.
As shown, the strike plate 143 is attached to the body 2102 by fixing the strike plate 143 in seated engagement with at least the top plate-opening recessed ledge 147A and the bottom plate-opening recessed ledge 147B. When joined to the top plate-opening recessed ledge 147A and the bottom plate-opening recessed ledge 147B in this manner, the strike plate 143 covers or encloses the plate opening 149. Moreover, the top plate-opening recessed ledge 147A and the strike plate 143 are sized, shaped, and positioned relative to the crown portion 119 of the golf club head 5100 such that the strike plate 143 abuts the crown portion 119 when seatably engaged with the top plate-opening recessed ledge 147A. The strike plate 143, abutting the crown portion 119, defines a topline of the golf club head 5100. Moreover, in some examples, the visible appearance of the strike plate 143 contrasts enough with that of the crown portion 119 of the golf club head 5100 that the topline of the golf club head 5100 is visibly enhanced. Because the strike plate 143 is formed separately from the body 2102, the strike plate 143 can be made of a material that is different than that of the body 2102. In one example, the strike plate 143 is made of a fiber-reinforced polymeric material, such as described hereafter.
Notably, the TPLW, TPLT, BPLW, and BPLT dimensions are important for controlling the local stiffness of the club head and for ensuring sufficient bonding area to bond the strike plate to the body 2102. The modulus of the strike plate if formed from a fiber-reinforced polymeric material will be much different than the modulus of the body if formed from a metal material such that the stiffness or compliance of the two are very different, and during impact the strike plate and the body will move at very different rates due to the different moduli unless precautions are taken in the design to account for the stiffness differences. Recess 190, TPLW, TPLT, BPLW, and BPLT dimensions all play an important role in controlling the overall compliance and rate with which the face and body move during impact. Additionally, TPLW and BPLW contribute to ensuring sufficient bond area and face performance. Too little bond area and the glue joint will fail, too much bond area and the face will not perform i.e. the coefficient of restitution will not be optimized, and in some instances too much bond area will result in the face peeling away from the club head due to the differences in stiffness. Thus, TPLW, TPLT, BPLW, and BPLT dimensions are all important to the overall performance of the club head and for avoiding bond or glue joint failure, which can result from either too little bond area or too much bond area. In some instances, the bond area will range from 850 mm2 to 1800 mm2, preferably between 1,300 mm2 to 1,500 mm2. In some instances a ratio of the bond area to the inner surface area of the strike plate (rear surface area of the strike plate) will range from 21% to 45%. In some instances, a total bond area of the strike plate will be less than a total bond area of the crown insert. In some instances, a ledge width TPLW and/or BPLW will be less than a ledge width of the forward crown-opening recessed ledge 168A (front-back as measured along the y-axis).
In some instances, the strike plate may have a maximum face plate height of no more than 55 mm as measured along the z-axis through the club head origin, preferably no more than 55 mm and no less than 40 mm, even more preferably between 49 mm and 54 mm. In some instance, the strike plate formed of fiber-reinforced polymeric material may have a front surface area of no more than 4,180 mm2, and preferably between 3,200 mm2 and 4,180 mm2, more preferably between 3,500 mm2 and 4,180 mm2.
The golf club head 5100 includes a body 2102, a crown insert 108 (or crown panel) attached to the body 2102 at a top of the golf club head 100, and a sole insert 4110 (or sole panel) attached to the body 2102 at a bottom of the golf club head 5100 (see, e.g.
The cast cup 2104 (or just cup) is cup-shaped. More specifically, as shown in
The ring 106 is not circumferentially closed or does not form a continuous annular or circular shape. Instead, the ring 106 is circumferentially open and defines a substantially semi-circular shape. Thus, as defined herein, the ring 106 is termed a ring because it has a ring-like, semi-circular shape, and, when joined to the cast cup 2104, forms a circumferentially closed or annular shape with the cast cup 2104.
The cast cup 2104 is formed separately from the ring 106 and the ring 106 is subsequently joined to the cast cup 2104. Accordingly, the body 2102 has at least a two-piece construction where the cast cup 2104 defines one piece of the body 2102 and the ring 106 define another piece of the body 2102. Accordingly, a seam is defined at each of the toe-side joint 112A and the heel-side joint 112B where the cast cup 2104 and the ring 106 are adjoined. The cast cup 2104 and the ring 106 are separately formed using any of various manufacturing techniques. In one example, the cast cup 2104 and the ring 106 are formed using a casting process. Because the cast cup 2104 and the ring 106 are formed separately, the cast cup 2104 and the ring 106 can be made of different materials. For example, the cast cup 2104 can be made of a first material and the ring 106 can be made of a second material where the second material is different than the first material.
Referring to
To help strengthen and stiffen the toe-side joint 112A and the heel-side joint 112B, complementary mating elements can be incorporated into or coupled to the engagement surfaces. In the illustrated example, the cast cup 2104 includes a toe projection 154A protruding from the toe ring-engagement surface 150A and a heel projection 154B protruding from the heel ring-engagement surface 150B. In contrast, in the illustrated example, the ring 106 includes a toe receptacle 156A formed in the toe cup-engagement surface 152A and a heel receptacle 156B formed in the heel cup-engagement surface 152B. The toe projection 154A mates with (e.g., is received within) the toe receptacle 156A and the heel projection 154B mates with (e.g., is received within) the heel receptacle 156B as the engagement surfaces abut each other to form the joints. Although in the illustrated example, the toe projection 154A and the heel projection 154B form part of the cast cup 2104 and the toe receptacle and the heel receptacle 156B form part of the ring 106, in other examples, the mating elements can be reversed such that the toe projection 154A and the heel projection 154B form part of the ring 106 and the toe receptacle and the heel receptacle 156B form part of the cast cup 2104. Additionally, different types of complementary mating elements, such as tabs and notches, can be used in addition to or in place of the projections and receptacles.
In some examples, the toe-side joint 112A and the heel-side joint 112B are located a sufficient distance from the strike face 145 to avoid potential failures due to severe impacts undergone by the golf club head 5100 when striking a golf ball. For example, each one of the toe-side joint 112A and the heel-side joint 112B can be spaced at least 20 mm, at least 30 mm, at least 40 mm, at least 50 mm, at least 60 mm, and/or from 20 mm to 70 mm rearward of the center face 183 of the strike face 145, as measured along a y-axis (front-to-back direction) of the club head origin coordinate system 145. Referring to
Referring to
The cast cup 2104 additionally includes a forward crown-opening recessed ledge 168A and a forward sole-opening recessed ledge 170A. The ring 106 includes a rearward crown-opening recessed ledge 168B and a rearward sole-opening recessed ledge 170B. The ledges are offset inwardly, toward the interior cavity 113, from the exterior surfaces of the body 2102 surrounding the ledges by distances corresponding with the thicknesses of the crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110. In some examples, the offset of the ledges from the exterior surfaces of the body 2102 is approximately equal to the corresponding thicknesses of the crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110, such that the inserts are flush with the corresponding surrounding exterior surfaces of the body 2102 when attached to the ledges. However, in some examples, the crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110 need not be flush with (e.g., can be raised or recessed relative to) the surrounding exterior surface of the body 2102 when seatably engaged with the corresponding ledges. In some examples, a thickness of the sole insert 4110 is greater than a thickness of the crown insert 108. Moreover, the sole insert 4110 is made up of a first quantity of stacked plies and the crown insert 108 is made up of a second quantity of stacked plies. In some examples, the first quantity of stacked plies is greater than the second quantity of stacked plies.
When the cast cup 2104 and the ring 106 are joined, the forward crown-opening recessed ledge 168A and the rearward crown-opening recessed ledge 168B collectively define a crown-opening recessed ledge 168 of the body 2102 and the forward sole-opening recessed ledge 170A and the rearward sole-opening recessed ledge 170B collectively define a sole-opening recessed ledge 170 of the body 2102. The inner periphery of the forward crown-opening recessed ledge 168A defines the forward section 162A of the crown opening 162 and the inner periphery of the rearward crown-opening recessed ledge 168B defines the rearward section 162B of the crown opening 162. Likewise, the inner periphery of the forward sole-opening recessed ledge 170A defines the periphery of the forward section 164A of the sole opening 164 and the inner periphery of the rearward sole-opening recessed ledge 170B defines the periphery of the rearward section 164B of the sole opening 164. Accordingly, the inner periphery of the crown-opening recess ledge 168 defines the periphery of the crown opening 162 and the inner periphery of the sole-opening recess ledge 170 defines the periphery of the sole opening 164.
The crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110 are formed separately from each other and separately from the body 2102. Accordingly, the crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110 are attached to the body 2102 as shown in
The crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110 can have any of various shapes. Referring to
Referring to
According to some examples, a ratio of a peak crown height of the crown portion 119 to a peak skirt height of the skirt portion 121 ranges between about 0.45 to 0.59, preferably 0.49-0.55, and in one embodiment the skirt height is about 34 mm and the peak crown height is about 65 mm resulting in a ratio of peak skirt height to peak crown height of about 0.52. A peak skirt height typically ranges between 28 mm and 38 mm, preferably between 31 mm and 36 mm. A peak crown height typically ranges between 60 mm and 70 mm, preferably between 62 mm and 67 mm. It is desirable to limit a difference between the peak crown height and the peak skirt height to no more than 40 mm, preferably between 27 mm and 35 mm. It is desirable for the peak skirt height to be the same as or greater than a Z-up value for the golf club head i.e. the vertical distance along a z-axis from the ground plane 181 to the center of gravity. It is desirable for the peak crown height to be two times (2×) larger than a Z-up value for the golf club head. A greater peak skirt height may help with better aerodynamics and better air flow attachment especially for faster swing speeds. Likewise, if the difference between the peak crown height and peak skirt height is too great there will be a greater likelihood of the flow separating early from the golf club head i.e. increased likelihood of turbulent flow.
The construction and material diversity of the golf club head 5100 enables the golf club head 5100 to have a desirable center-of-gravity (CG) location and peak crown height location. In one example, a y-axis coordinate, on the y-axis of the club head origin coordinate system 185, of the location (PCH) of the peak crown height is between about 26 mm and about 42 mm. In the same or a different example, a distance parallel to the z-axis of the club head origin coordinate system 185, from the ground plane 181, when the golf club head 5100 is in the address position, of the location (PCH) of the peak crown height ranges between 60 mm and 70 mm, preferably between 62 mm and 67 mm as described above. According to some examples, a y-axis coordinate, on the y-axis of the head origin coordinate system 185, of the center-of-gravity (CG) of the golf club head 5100 ranges between 30 mm and 50 mm, preferably between 32 mm and 38 mm, more preferably between 36.5 mm and 42 mm, an x-axis coordinate, on the x-axis of the head origin coordinate system 185, of the center-of-gravity (CG) of the golf club head 5100 ranges between −10 mm and 10 mm, preferably between −6 mm and 6 mm, and a z-axis coordinate, on the z-axis of the head origin coordinate system 185, of the center-of-gravity (CG) of the golf club head 5100 ranges between −10 mm and 2 mm, preferably between −7 mm and −2 mm.
Additionally, the construction and material diversity of the golf club head 5100 enables the golf club head 5100 to have desirable mass distribution properties. Referring to
As shown, a rear side of the imaginary rearward box 133 is coextensive with a rearmost end of the golf club head 5100 and a bottom side of the imaginary rearward box 133 is coextensive with the ground plane 181 when the golf club head 5100 is in the address position on the ground plane 181. The forward mass of the golf club head 5100 is defined as the mass of the golf club head 5100 within an imaginary forward box 135 having a height (HFB), parallel to the crown-to-sole direction, of 20 mm, a depth (DFB), in the front-to-rear direction, of 35 mm, and a width (WFB), in the toe-to-heel direction, greater than a maximum width of the golf club head 5100. As shown, a forward side of the imaginary forward box 135 is coextensive with a forwardmost end of the golf club head 5100 and a bottom side of the imaginary forward box 135 is coextensive with the ground plane 181 when the golf club head 5100 is in the address position on the ground plane 181.
According to some examples, a first vector distance (V1) from a center-of-gravity of the rearward mass (RMCG) to a CG of the driver-type golf club head is between 49 mm and 64 mm (e.g., 55.7 mm), a second vector distance (V2) from a center-of-gravity of the forward mass (FMCG) to the CG of the driver-type golf club head is between 22 mm and 34 mm (e.g., 29.0 mm), and a third vector distance (V3) from the CG of the rearward mass (RMCG) to the CG of the forward mass (FMCG) is between 75 mm and 82 mm (e.g., 79.75 mm). In certain examples, V1 is no more than 56.3 mm. In some examples, V2 is no less than 23.7 mm, preferably no less than 25 mm, or even more preferably no less than 27 mm. Some additional values of V1 and V2 relative to Zup and CGy values for various examples of the golf club head 5100 are provided in Table 3 below. As defined herein, Zup measures the center-of-gravity of the golf club head 5100 relative to the ground plane 181 along a vertical axis (e.g., parallel to the z-axis of the club head origin coordinate system 185) when the golf club head 5100 is in the proper address position on the ground plane 181. CGy is the coordinate of the center-of-gravity of the golf club head 5100 on the y-axis of the club head origin coordinate system 185.
The crown insert 108 has a crown-insert outer surface that defines an outward-facing surface or exterior surface of the crown portion 119. Similarly, the sole insert 4110 has a sole-insert outer surface that defines an outward-facing surface or exterior surface of the sole portion 117. As defined herein, the crown-insert outer surface and the sole-inert outer surface includes the combined outer surfaces of multiple crown inserts and multiple sole inserts, respectively, if multiple crown inserts or multiple sole inserts are used. In one example, a total surface area of the sole-insert outer surface is smaller than a total surface area of the crown-insert outer surface. According to one example, the total surface area of the crown-insert outer surface is at least 9,482 mm2. In one example, the total surface area of the sole-insert outer surface is at least 8,750 mm2 and the sole insert has a maximum width, parallel to a heel-to-toe direction, of at least between 80 mm and 120 mm. The total surface area of the crown-insert outer surface ranges between 5,300 mm{circumflex over ( )}2 to 11,000 mm{circumflex over ( )}2, preferably between 9,200 mm{circumflex over ( )}2 and 10,300 mm{circumflex over ( )}2, preferably between 5,300 mm{circumflex over ( )}2 and 7,000 mm{circumflex over ( )}2. The total surface area of the sole-insert outer surface ranges between 4,300 mm{circumflex over ( )}2 to 10,200 mm{circumflex over ( )}2, preferably between 7,700 mm{circumflex over ( )}2 and 9,900 mm{circumflex over ( )}2, preferably between 4,300 mm{circumflex over ( )}2 and 6,600 mm{circumflex over ( )}2.
Preferably the total surface area of the sole-insert outer surface is greater than the total surface area of the sole-insert outer surface in the instance when at least a portion of the sole is formed of a composite material. A ratio of total surface area of the crown-insert outer surface formed of composite material to the total surface area of the sole-insert outer surface formed of composite material may be at least 2:1 in some instances, in other instance the ratio may be between 0.95 and 1.5, more preferably between 1.03 and 1.4, even more preferably between 1.05 and 1.3. In this instance a composite material will generally have a density between about 1 g/cc and about 2 g/cc, and preferably between about 1.3 g/cc and about 1.7 g/cc.
In some embodiments, the total exposed composite surface area in square centimeters multiplied by the CGy in centimeters and the resultant divided by the volume in cubic centimeters may range from 1.22 to 2.1, preferably between 1.24 and 1.65, even more preferably between 1.49 and 2.1, and even more preferably 1.7 and 2.1.
Moreover, the total mass of the crown insert 108 is less than a total mass of the sole insert 4110 in some examples. According to some examples, where the crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110 are made of a fiber-reinforced polymeric material and the body 2102 is made of a metallic material, a ratio of a total exposed surface area of the body 2102 to a total exposed surface area (e.g., the surface area of the outward-facing surfaces) of the crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110 is between 0.95 and 1.25 (e.g., 1.08). The crown insert 108, whether a single piece or split into multiple pieces, has a mass of 9 grams and the sole insert 4110, whether a single piece or split into multiple pieces, has a mass of 13 grams, in some examples. Moreover, in certain examples, the crown insert 108 is about 0.65 mm thick and the sole insert 4110 is about 1.0 mm thick.
The cast cup 2104 of the body 2102 also includes the hosel 4120, which defines the hosel axis 191 extending coaxially through a bore 193 of the hosel 4120 (see, e.g.,
The FCT system 123 may include a fastener 125 that is accessible through a lower opening 195 formed in a sole region of the cast cup 2104. An additional example of the FCT system 123 is shown in association with the golf club head 400 of
Referring to
In a traditional process, the face plate is formed from a flat sheet of metal having a uniform thickness. Such a sheet of metal is typically rolled along one axis to reduce the thickness to a certain uniform thickness across the sheet. This rolling process can impart a grain direction in the sheet that creates a different material properties in the rolling axis direction compared to the direction perpendicular to the rolling direction. This variation in material properties can be undesirable and can be avoided by using the disclosed casting methods instead to create face portion.
Furthermore, because a conventional face plate starts off as a flat sheet of uniform thickness, the thickness of the whole sheet has to be at least as great as the maximum thickness of the desired end product face plate, meaning much of the starting sheet material has to be removed and wasted, increasing material cost. By contrast, in the disclosed casting methods, the face portion is initially formed much closer to the final shape and mass, and much less material has to be removed and wasted. This saves time and cost.
Still further, in a conventional process, the initial flat sheet of metal has to be bent in a special process to impart a desired bulge and roll curvature to the face plate. Such a bending process is not needed when using the disclosed casting methods.
The unique thickness profiles illustrated in
By using casting methods, large numbers of the disclosed club heads can be manufacture faster and more efficiently. For example, 50 or more heads can be cast at the same time on a single casting tree, whereas it would take much longer and require more resources to create the novel face thickness profiles on face plates using a conventional milling methods using a lathe, one at a time.
In
The second ring 608 can itself have a variable thickness profile, such that the thickness of the second ring 608 varies as a function of the circumferential position around the center 602. Similarly, the variable blend zone 606 can have a thickness profile that varies as a function of the circumferential position around the center 602 and provides a transition in thickness from the maximum thickness ring 604 to the variable and less thicknesses of the second ring 608. For example, the variable blend zone 606 to a second ring 608 can be divided into eight sectors that are labeled A-H in
One example of the face portion 600 can have the following thicknesses: 3.1 mm at center 602, 3.3 mm at ring 604, the second ring 608 can vary from 2.8 mm in zone A to 2.2 mm in zone C to 2.4 mm in zone E to 2.0 mm in zone G, and 1.8 mm in the heel and toe zones 610.
According to one example, the ring 604 can be about 8 mm away from the center 602 and the ring 608 can be about 19 mm away from the center 602. The thickness of the face portion 600 at the center 602 can be between 2.8 mm and 3.0 mm. The thickness of the face portion 600 along the ring 604 can be between 2.9 mm and 3.1 mm. The thickness of the face portion 600 along the ring 608 proximate zone A can be between 2.35 mm and 2.55 mm, proximate zone C can be between 2.3 mm and 2.5 mm, proximate zone E can be between 2.1 mm and 2.3 mm, and proximate zone G can be between 2.6 mm and 2.8 mm. The thickness of the face portion 600 at approximately 35 mm away from the center 602 can be between 1.7 mm and 1.9 mm.
According to yet another example, the thickness of the face portion 600 at the center 602 is between 2.95 mm and 3.35 mm, at about 9 mm away from the center 602 is between 3.3 mm and 3.65 mm, at about 16 mm away from the center 602 is between 2.95 mm and 3.36 mm, and at about 28 mm away from the center 602 is between 2.03 mm and 2.27 mm. The thickness of the face portion 600 greater than 28 mm away from the center 602 can be between 1.8 mm and 1.95 mm on a toe side of the face portion 600 and between 1.83 mm and 1.98 mm on a heel side of the face portion 600.
One example of the face portion 700 can have the following thicknesses: 3.9 mm at center 702, 4.05 mm at ring 704, 3.6 mm in zone A, 3.2 mm in zone B, 3.25 mm in zone C, 2.05 mm in zone D, 3.35 mm in zone E, 2.05 mm in zone F, 3.00 mm in zone G, 2.65 mm in zone H, and 1.9 mm at perimeter ring 710.
To the heel side, the thicknesses are offset by set amount (e.g., 0.15 mm) to be slightly thicker relative to their counterpart areas on the toe side. A thickening zone 820 (dashed lines) provides a transition where all thicknesses gradually step up toward the thicker offset zone 822 (dashed lines) at the heel side. In the offset zone 822, the ring 823 is thicker than the ring 806 on the heel side by a set amount (e.g., 0.15 mm), and the ring 825 is thicker that the ring 808 by the same set amount. Blend zones 824 and 826 gradually decrease in thickness moving radially outwardly, and are each thicker than their counterpart blend zones 807 and 810 on the toe side. In the thickening zone 820, the inner ring 804 gradually increases in thickness moving toward the heel.
One example of the face portion 800 can have the following thicknesses: 3.8 mm at the center 802, 4.0 mm at the inner ring 804 and thickening to 4.15 mm across the thickening zone 820, 3.5 mm at the second ring 806 and 3.65 mm at the ring 823, 2.4 mm at the third ring 808 and 2.55 mm at the ring 825, 2.0 mm at the fourth ring 811, and 1.8 mm at the perimeter ring 814.
The targeted offset thickness profile shown in
As shown in
In some examples, the slot 171 is offset from the strike face 145 by an offset distance, which is the minimum distance between a first vertical plane passing through a center of the strike face 145 and the slot at the same x-axis coordinate as the center of the strike face 145, between about 5 mm and about 50 mm, such as between about 5 mm and about 35 mm, such as between about 5 mm and about 30 mm, such as between about 5 mm and about 20 mm, or such as between about 5 mm and about 15 mm.
Although not shown, the cast cup 2104 and/or the ring 106 may include a rearward slot, with a configuration similar to the slot 171, but oriented in a forward-to-rearward direction, as opposed to a heel-to-toe direction. The cast cup 2104 includes a rearward slot, but no slot 171 in some examples, and both a rearward slot and the slot 171 in other examples. In one example, the rearward slot is positioned rearwardly of the slot 171. The rearward slot can act as a weight track in some implementations. Moreover, the rearward track can be offset from the strike face 145 by an offset distance, which is the minimum distance between a first vertical plane passing through the center of the strike face 145 and the rearward track at the same x-axis coordinate as the center of the strike face 145, between about 5 mm and about 50 mm, such as between about 5 mm and about 40 mm, such as between about 5 mm and about 30 mm, or such as between about 10 mm and about 30 mm.
In certain embodiments, the slot 171, as well as the rearward slot if present, has a certain slot width, which is measured as a horizontal distance between a first slot wall and a second slot wall. For the slot 171, as well as the rearward slot, the slot width may be between about 5 mm and about 20 mm, such as between about 10 mm and about 18 mm, or such as between about 12 mm and about 16 mm. According to some embodiments, a depth of the slot 171 (i.e., the vertical distance between a bottom slot wall and an imaginary plane containing the regions of the sole portion 117 adjacent opposing slot walls of the slot 171) may be between about 6 mm and about 20 mm, such as between about 8 mm and about 18 mm, or such as between about 10 mm and about 16 mm.
Additionally, the slot 171, as well as the rearward slot if present, has a certain slot length, which can be measured as the horizontal distance between a slot end wall and another slot end wall. For both the slot 171 and rearward slot, their lengths may be between about 30 mm and about 120 mm, such as between about 50 mm and about 100 mm, or such as between about 60 mm and about 90 mm. Additionally, or alternatively, the length of the slot 171 may be represented as a percentage of a total length of the strike face 145. For example, the slot 171 may be between about 30% and about 100% of the length of the strike face 145, such as between about 50% and about 90%, or such as between about 60% and about 80% mm of the length of the strike face 145.
In some instances, the slot 171 is a feature to improve and/or increase the coefficient of restitution (COR) across the strike face 145. With regards to a COR feature, the slot 171 may take on various forms such as a channel or through slot. The COR of the golf club head 5100 is a measurement of the energy loss or retention between the golf club head 5100 and a golf ball when the golf ball is struck by the golf club head 5100. Desirably, the COR of the golf club head 5100 is high to promote the efficient transfer of energy from the golf club head 5100 to the ball during impact with the ball. Accordingly, the COR feature of the golf club head 5100 promotes an increase in the COR of the golf club head 5100. Generally, the slot 171 increases the COR of the golf club head 5100 by increasing or enhancing the pelipeter flexibility of the strike face 145.
Further details concerning the slot 171 as a COR feature of the golf club head 5100 can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 13/338,197, 13/469,031, 13/828,675, filed Dec. 27, 2011, May 10, 2012, and Mar. 14, 2013, respectively, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/839,727, filed Mar. 15, 2013, U.S. Pat. No. 8,235,844, filed Jun. 1, 2010, U.S. Pat. No. 8,241,143, filed Dec. 13, 2011, U.S. Pat. No. 8,241,144, filed Dec. 14, 2011, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The slot 171 can be any of various flexible boundary structures (FBS) as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,044,653, filed Mar. 14, 2013, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Additionally, or alternatively, the golf club head 5100 can include one or more other FBS at any of various other locations on the golf club head 5100. The slot 171 may be made up of curved sections, or several segments that may be a combination of curved and straight segments. Furthermore, the slot 171 may be machined or cast into the golf club head 5100. Although shown in the sole portion 117 of the golf club head 100, the slot 171 may, alternatively or additionally, be incorporated into the crown portion 119 of the golf club head 5100.
In some examples, the slot 171 is filled with a filler material. However, in other examples, the slot 171 is not filled with a filler material, but rather maintains an open, vacant, space within the slot 171. The filler material can be made from a non-metal, such as a thermoplastic material, thermoset material, and the like, in some implementations. The slot 171 may be filled with a material to prevent dirt and other debris from entering the slot and possibly the interior cavity 113 of the golf club head 5100 when the slot 171 is a through-slot. The filler material may be any relatively low modulus materials including polyurethane, elastomeric rubber, polymer, various rubbers, foams, and fillers. The filler material should not substantially prevent deformation of the golf club head 5100 when in use as this would counteract the flexibility of the golf club head 5100.
According to one embodiment, the filler material is initially a viscous material that is injected or otherwise inserted into the slot 171. Examples of materials that may be suitable for use as a filler to be placed into a slot, channel, or other flexible boundary structure include, without limitation: viscoelastic elastomers; vinyl copolymers with or without inorganic fillers; polyvinyl acetate with or without mineral fillers such as barium sulfate; acrylics; polyesters; polyurethanes; polyethers; polyamides; polybutadienes; polystyrenes; polyisoprenes; polyethylenes; polyolefins; styrene/isoprene block copolymers; hydrogenated styrenic thermoplastic elastomers; metallized polyesters; metallized acrylics; epoxies; epoxy and graphite composites; natural and synthetic rubbers; piezoelectric ceramics; thermoset and thermoplastic rubbers; foamed polymers; ionomers; low-density fiber glass; bitumen; silicone; and mixtures thereof. The metallized polyesters and acrylics can comprise aluminum as the metal. Commercially available materials include resilient polymeric materials such as Scotchweld™ (e.g., DP-105™) and Scotchdamp™ from 3M, Sorbothane™ from Sorbothane, Inc., DYAD™ and GP™ from Soundcoat Company Inc., Dynamat™ from Dynamat Control of North America, Inc., NoViFlex™ Sylomer™ from Pole Star Maritime Group, LLC, Isoplast™ from The Dow Chemical Company, Legetolex™ from Piqua Technologies, Inc., and Hybrar™ from the Kuraray Co., Ltd. In some embodiments, a solid filler material may be press-fit or adhesively bonded into a slot, channel, or other flexible boundary structure. In other embodiments, a filler material may poured, injected, or otherwise inserted into a slot or channel and allowed to cure in place, forming a sufficiently hardened or resilient outer surface. In still other embodiments, a filler material may be placed into a slot or channel and sealed in place with a resilient cap or other structure formed of a metal, metal alloy, metallic, composite, hard plastic, resilient elastomeric, or other suitable material.
Referring to
In some examples, as shown, the threaded port 175, and thus the weight 173, is located in the sole portion 117 of the golf club head 5100. Moreover, according to certain examples, the threaded port 175 and the weight 173 are located closer to the heel portion 117 than the toe portion 116. In one example, the threaded port 175 and the weight are located closer to the heel portion 117 than the slot 171. The weight 173 has a mass between about 3 g and about 23 g (e.g., 6 g) in some examples.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
In some examples, the cantilevered portion 161 is close to the ground plane 181 when the golf club head 5100 is in the address position. According to certain examples, a ratio of the peak crown height to a vertical distance from the peak crown height to a lowest surface of the cantilevered portion 161 of the ring 106 is at least 6.0, at least 5.0, at least 4.0, or more preferably at least 3.0. Alternatively, or additionally, in some examples, a vertical distance from the peak skirt height of the skirt portion to a lowermost surface of the cantilevered portion 161 of the ring 106, when the golf club head 5100 is in the address position, is no less than between 20 mm and 30 mm.
The toe arm portion 163A and the heel arm portion 163B define a toe side of the skirt portion 121 and a heel side of the skirt portion 121, respectively, as well as part of the toe portion 2114 and heel portion 116, respectively, of the golf club head 5100. The cantilevered portion 161 extends downwardly away from the toe arm portion 163A and the heel arm portion 163B, while the toe arm portion 163A and the heel arm portion 163B extend forwardly away from the cantilevered portion 161. Accordingly, the cantilevered portion 161 is closer to the ground plane 181 than the toe arm portion 163A and the heel arm portion 163B when the golf club head 5100 is in the address position. In other words, referring to
In some examples, the height HR of the lowest surface of the toe arm portion 163A at the toe portion 2114 of the golf club head 5100 is different than the height HR of the lowest surface of the heel arm portion 163B at the heel portion 116 of the golf club head 5100. More specifically, in one example, the height HR of the lowest surface of the toe arm portion 163A at the toe portion 2114 of the golf club head 5100 is greater than the height HR of the lowest surface of the heel arm portion 163B at the heel portion 116 of the golf club head 5100.
According to certain examples, as shown in
Referring to
In one example, the mass element 159 includes external threads. The golf club head 5100 can additionally include a mass receptacle 157 attached to the cantilevered portion 161 of the ring 106. The mass receptacle 157 can include a threaded aperture, with internal threads, that threadably engages the mass element 159 to secure the mass element 159 to the cantilevered portion 161. The mass receptacle 157 is welded to the cantilevered portion 161 in some examples and adhered to the cantilevered portion 161 in other examples. In certain examples, the mass receptacle 157 is co-formed with the cantilevered portion 161. The cantilevered portion 161 also includes a mass pad 155 (see, e.g.,
The outer peripheral shape of one or both of the mass element 159 and the weight 173 in the illustrated examples is circular. Accordingly, an orientation of one or both of the mass element 159 and the weight 173 is rotatable about a central axis of the mass element 159 and the weight 173, respectively, in any of various orientations between 0-degrees and 360-degrees. However, in other examples, the outer peripheral shape of at least one or both of the mass element 159 and the weight 173 is non-circular, such as ovular, triangular, trapezoidal, square, and the like. For example, as shown in
The construction and material diversity of the golf club head 5100 enables flexibility of the position of the weight 173 (e.g., first weight or forward weight) relative to the position of the mass element 159 (e.g., second weight or rearward weight). In some examples, the relative positions of the weight 173 and the mass element 159 can be similar to those disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/752,397, filed Jan. 24, 2020. Referring to
In certain examples, the sole portion 117 of the golf club head 5100 includes an inertia generating feature 177 that is elongated in a lengthwise direction. The lengthwise direction is perpendicular or oblique to the strike face 145. According to some examples, the inertia generating feature 177 includes the same features and provides the same advantages as the inertia generator disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/660,561, filed Oct. 22, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In the illustrated examples, the sole insert 4110 forms at least a portion of the inertia generating feature 177. More specifically, in some examples, the sole insert 4110 forms all or a majority of the inertia generating feature 177. The cantilevered portion 161 of the ring 106 also forms part, such as a rearmost part, of the inertia generating feature 177 in certain examples. The inertia generating feature 177 helps to increase the inertia of the golf club head 5100 and lower the center-of-gravity (CG) of the golf club head 5100.
The inertia generating feature 177 includes a raised or elevate platform that extends from a location rearwardly of the hosel 4120 to a location proximate the rear portion 118 of the golf club head 5100. The inertia generating feature 177 includes a substantially flat or planar surface that is raised above (or protrudes from, depending on the orientation of the golf club head 100) the surrounding external surface of the sole portion 117. In certain examples, at least a portion of the inertia generating feature 177 is raised above the surrounding external surface of the sole portion 117 by at least 1.5 mm, at least 1.8 mm, at least 2.1 mm, or at least 3.0 mm. The inertia generating feature 177 also has a width that is less than an entire width (e.g., less than half the entire width) of the sole portion 117. In view of the foregoing, the inertia generating feature 177 has a complex curved geometry with multiple inflection points. Accordingly, the sole insert 4110, which defines the inertia generating feature 177, has a complex curved surface that has multiple inflection points.
Referring to
Unlike the golf club head 100, however, the strike face 245 of the golf club head 5200 is not co-formed with the cast cup 5204. Rather, the strike face 245 forms part of a strike plate 243 that is formed separately from the cast cup 5204 and attached to the cast cup 5204, such as via bonding, welding, brazing, fastening, and the like. Accordingly, the strike plate 243 defines the strike face 245. The cast cup 5204 includes a plate opening 249 at the forward portion 5212 of the golf club head 5200 and a plate-opening recessed ledge 247 that extends continuously about the plate opening 249. An inner periphery of the plate-opening recessed ledge 247 defines the plate opening 249. The strike plate 243 is attached to the cast cup 5204 by fixing the strike plate 243 in seated engagement with the plate-opening recessed ledge 247. When joined to the plate-opening recessed ledge 247 in this manner, the strike plate 243 covers or encloses the plate opening 249. Moreover, the plate-opening recessed ledge 247 and the strike plate 243 are sized, shaped, and positioned relative to the crown portion 219 of the golf club head 5200 such that the strike plate 243 abuts the crown portion 219 when seatably engaged with the plate-opening recessed ledge 247. The strike plate 243, abutting the crown portion 219, defines a topline of the golf club head 5200. Moreover, in some examples, the visible appearance of the strike plate 243 contrasts enough with that of the crown portion 219 of the golf club head 5200, which is partially defined by the cast cup 5204, that the topline of the golf club head 5200 is visibly enhanced. Because the strike plate 243 is formed separately from the cast cup 5204, the strike plate 243 can be made of a material that is different than that of the cast cup 5204. In one example, the strike plate 243 is made of a fiber-reinforced polymeric material. In yet another example, the strike plate 243 is made of a metallic material, such as a titanium alloy (e.g., Ti 6-4, Ti 9-1-1, and ZA 1300).
Additionally, unlike the golf club head 100, the cast cup 5204 includes a weight track 279 in the sole portion 217 of the golf club head 5200. The weight track 279 extends lengthwise in a heel-to-toe direction along the sole portion 217. In examples where the cast cup 5204 also includes the slot 271, such as shown, the weight track 279 is substantially parallel to the slot 271 and offset from the slot 271 in a front-to-rear direction. The weight track 279 includes at least one ledge that extends lengthwise along the length of the weight track 279. In the illustrated example, the weight track 279 includes a forward ledge 297A and a rearward ledge 297B, which are spaced apart from each other in the front-to-rear direction. The weight 273, which positioned within the weight track 279, is selectively clampable to the ledge or ledges of the weight track 279 to releasably fix the weight 273 to the weight track 279. In the illustrated example, the weight 273 is selectively clampable to both the forward ledge 297A and the rearward ledge 297B. When unclamped to the one or more ledges of the weight track 279, the weight 273 is slidable along the one or more ledges, as shown by directional arrows in
According to one example, the weight 273 includes a washer 273A, a nut 273B, and a fastening bolt 273C that interconnects with the washer 273A and the nut 273B to clamp down on the ledges 297A, 297B of the weight track 279. The washer 273A has a non-threaded aperture and the nut 273B has a threaded aperture. The fastening bolt 273C is threaded and passes through the non-threaded aperture of the washer 273A to threadably engage the threaded aperture of the nut 273B. Threadable engagement between the fastening bolt 273C and the nut 273B allows a gap between the washer 273A and the nut 273B to be narrowed, which facilitates the clamping of the ledge or ledges between the washer 273A and the nut 273B, or widened, which facilitates the un-clamping of the ledge or ledges from between the washer 273A and the nut 273B. The fastening bolt 273C can be rotatable relative to both the washer 273A and the nut 273B or form a one-piece monolithic construction and be co-rotatable with one of the washer 273A and the nut 273B.
To reduce the weight of the golf club head 5200 and the depth of the weight track 279, the fastening bolt 273C is short. For example, the length of the fastening bolt 273C, when the weight 273 is clamped on the ledges 297A, 297B, extends no more than 3 mm past the nut 273B (or the washer 273A if the position of the nut 273B and the washer 273A are reversed). In some examples, the entire length of the fastening bolt 273C is no more than 15% greater than the combined thicknesses of the washer 273A, the nut 273B, and one of the ledges 297A, 297B.
As shown, an outer peripheral shape of the washer 273A is non-circular, such as trapezoidal or rectangular. Similarly, the outer peripheral shape of the nut 273B can be non-circular, such as trapezoidal or rectangular. Alternatively, as shown, the outer peripheral shape of the nut 273B is circular and the outer peripheral shape of the washer 273A is non-circular.
Referring to
Unlike the illustrated examples of the cast cup 2104 of the golf club head 5100 and the cast cup 5204 of the golf club head 5200, however, the cast cup 304 has a multi-piece construction. More specifically, the cast cup 304 includes an upper cup piece 304A, which may be referred to as a first front body portion, and a lower cup piece 304B, which may be referred to as a second front body portion. The upper cup piece 304A is formed separately from the lower cup piece 304B. Accordingly, the upper cup piece 304A and the lower cup piece 304B are joined or attached together to form the cast cup 304. Because the upper cup piece 304A and the lower cup piece 304B are formed separately, the upper cup piece 304A can be made of a material that is different than that of the lower cup piece 304B. The cast cup 304 includes a hosel 320 where a portion of the hosel 320 is formed into the upper cup piece 304A and another portion of the hosel 320 is formed into the lower cup piece 304B.
According to some examples, the upper cup piece 304A is made of a material that is different than that of the lower cup piece 304B. For example, the upper cup piece 304A can be made of a material with a density that is lower than the material of the lower cup piece 304B. In one example, the upper cup piece 304A is made of a titanium alloy and the lower cup piece 304B is made of a steel alloy, thus together they may form a metallic front body portion. According to another example, the upper cup piece 304A is made of an aluminum alloy and the lower cup piece 304B is made of a steel alloy or a tungsten alloy, such as 10-17 density tungsten, thus together they may form a metallic front body portion. Such configurations help to increase the mass of the cast cup 304 and lower the center-of-gravity (CG) of the cast cup 304 and the golf club head 300 compared to the single-piece cast cup 2104 of the golf club head 5100. In alternative configurations, according to some examples, the upper cup piece 304A is made of an aluminum alloy and the lower cup piece 304B is made of a titanium alloy, thus together they may form a metallic front body portion. These later configurations help to lower the overall mass of the cast cup 304. According to some examples, the upper cup piece 304A and the lower cup piece 304B are made using different manufacturing techniques. For example, the upper cup piece 304A can be made by stamping, forging, and/or metal-injection-molding (MIM) and the lower cup piece 304B can be made by another one or a different combination of stamping, forging, and/or metal-injection-molding (MIM), thus the metallic front body portion may be cast, stamped, forged, and/or metal-injection-molded (MIM). Various examples of combinations of materials and mass properties for the upper cup piece 304A and the lower cup piece 304B are shown in Table 4 below.
As shown, the cast cup 304 includes a port 375 that receives and retains the weight 373. The port 375 is configured to retain the weight 373 in a fixed location on the sole portion of the golf club head 300. However, in other examples, the port 375 can be replaced with a weight track, similar to the weight track 279 of the golf club head 5200, such that the weight 373 can be selectively adjustable and moved into any of various positions along the weight track. In this manner, a weight track, and a corresponding ledge or ledges of the weight track, can form part of one piece of a multi-piece cast cup.
Although the cast cup 304 is shown to have a two-piece construction, in other examples, the cast cup 304 has a three-piece construction or constructed with more than three pieces. According to one instance, the cast cup 304 has a crown-toe piece, a crown-heel piece, and a sole piece. The crown-toe piece and the crown-heel piece are made of titanium alloys and the sole piece is made of a steel alloy in certain implementations. The titanium alloy of the crown-toe piece can be the same as or different than the titanium alloy of the crown-heel piece.
Referring to
Furthermore, the golf club head 400 additionally includes a weight 473 attached to the cast cup 404 via a fastener 479. As shown, the cast cup 404 includes a port 475 that receives and retains the weight 473. The port 475 is configured to retain the weight 473 in a fixed location on the sole portion of the golf club head 400. However, in other examples, the port 475 can be replaced with a weight track, similar to the weight track 279 of the golf club head 5200, such that the weight 473 can be selectively adjustable and moved into any of various positions along the weight track. In this manner, a weight track, and a corresponding ledge or ledges of the weight track, can form part of the cast cup 404.
Also, like the golf club head 100, the golf club head 5200, and the golf club head 300, the golf club head 400 additionally includes a mass element 459 and a mass receptacle 457. However, unlike some examples, of the receptacles of the previously discussed golf club heads, the mass receptacle 457 of the golf club head 400 forms a one-piece monolithic construction with a cantilevered portion 461 of the ring 406. Accordingly, in certain examples, the mass receptacle 457 is co-cast with the ring 406. The mass receptacle 457 includes an opening or recess that is configured to nestably receive the mass element 459. The mass element 459 can be made of a material, such as tungsten, that is different (e.g., denser) than the material of the ring 406. The mass element 459 is bonded, such as via an adhesive, to the ring 406 to secure the mass element 459 within the mass receptacle 457. In some examples, the mass element 459 includes prongs 463 that engage corresponding apertures in the mass receptacle 457 when bonded to the ring 406. Engagement between the prongs 463 and the corresponding apertures of the mass receptacle 457 help to strengthen and stiffen the coupling between the mass element 459 and the ring 406.
Referring to
In some examples, the height HR of the lowest surface (and in some examples, an entirety) of the toe arm portion 463A at the toe portion 414 of the golf club head 400 is different than the height HR of the lowest surface (and in some examples, an entirety) of the heel arm portion 463B at the heel portion 416 of the golf club head 400. More specifically, in one example, the height HR of the lowest surface of the toe arm portion 463A at the toe portion 414 of the golf club head 400 is greater than the height HR of the lowest surface of the heel arm portion 463B at the heel portion 416 of the golf club head 5100.
According to certain examples, the width WR of the toe arm portion 463A of the ring 406 at the toe portion 414 is less than the width WR of the heel arm portion 463B of the ring 406 at the heel portion 416. According to some additional examples, a thickness (TR) of the ring 406 can vary along the ring 406 in a forward-to-rearward direction. For example, in some instances, the thickness TR of the ring 406 varies from a minimum thickness to a maximum thickness in a forward-to-rearward direction. In certain examples, as shown, the thickness TR of the toe arm portion 463A of the ring 406 at the toe portion 414 is less than the thickness TR of the heel arm portion 463B of the ring 406 at the heel portion 416.
The golf club heads disclosed herein, including the golf club head 100, the golf club head 5200, and the golf club head 300, each has a volume, equal to the volumetric displacement of the golf club head, that is between 390 cubic centimeters (cm3 or cc) and about 600 cm3. In more particular examples, the volume of each one of the golf club heads disclosed herein is between about 420 cm3 and about 500 cm3. The total mass of each one of the golf club heads disclosed herein is between about 145 g and about 245 g, in some examples, and between 185 g and 210 g in other examples.
The golf club heads disclosed herein have a multi-piece construction. For example, with regards to the golf club head 100, the cast cup 2104, the ring 106, the crown insert 108, and the sole insert 4110 each comprises one piece of the multi-piece construction. Because each piece of the multi-piece construction is separately formed and attached together, each piece can be made of a material different than at least one other of the pieces. Such a multi-material construction allows for flexibility of the material composition, and thus the mass composition and distribution, of the golf club heads.
The following properties of the golf club heads disclosed herein proceeds with reference to the golf club head 5100. However, unless otherwise noted, the properties described with reference to the golf club head 5100 also apply to the golf club head 5200, the golf club head 300, and the golf club head 400. The golf club head 5100 is made from at least one first material, having a density between 0.9 g/cc and 3.5 g/cc, at least one second material, having a density between 3.6 g/cc and 5.5 g/cc, and at least one third material, having a density between 5.6 g/cc and 20.0 g/cc. In a first example, the cast cup 2104 is made of the third material, the ring 106 is made of the second material, and the crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110 are made of the first material. In this first example, according to one instance, the cast cup 2104 is made of a steel alloy, the ring 106 is made of a titanium alloy, and the crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110 are made of a fiber-reinforced polymeric material. In a second example, the cast cup 2104 is made of the second and third material, the ring 106 is made of the first or the second material, and the crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110 are made of the first material. In this second example, according to one instance, the cast cup 2104 is made of a steel alloy and a titanium alloy, the ring 106 is made of a titanium alloy, aluminum alloy, or plastic, and the crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110 are made of a fiber-reinforced polymeric material.
According to some examples, the at least one first material has a first mass no more than 55% of the total mass of the golf club head 5100 and no less than 25% of the total mass of the golf club head 5100 (e.g., between 50 g and 110 g). In certain examples, the first mass of the at least one first material is no more than 45% of the total mass of the golf club head 5100 and no less than 30% of the total mass of the golf club head 5100. The first mass of the at least one first material can be greater than the second mass of the at least one second material. Alternatively, or additionally, the first mass of the at least one first material can be within 10 g of the second mass of the at least one second material.
In some examples, the at least one second material has a second mass no more than 65% of the total mass of the golf club head 5100 and no less than 20% of the total mass of the golf club head 5100 (e.g., between 40 g and 130 g). According to certain examples, the second mass of the at least one second material is no more than 50% of the total mass of the golf club head 5100. The second mass of the at least one second material is less than two times the first mass of the at least one first material in certain examples. The second mass of the at least one second material is between 0.9 times and 1.8 times the first mass of the at least one first material in some examples. In one example, the second mass of the at least one second material is less than 0.9 times, or less than 1.8 times, the first mass of the at least one first material.
The at least one third material has a third mass equal to the total mass of the golf club head 5100 less the first mass of the at least one first material and the second mass of the at least one second material. In one example, the third mass of the at least one third material is no less than 5% of the total mass of the golf club head 5100 and no more than 50% of the total mass of the golf club head 5100 (e.g., between 10 g and 100 g). According to another example, the third mass of the at least one third material is no less than 10% of the total mass of the golf club head 5100 and no more than 20% of the total mass of the golf club head 5100.
According to one example, the cast cup 2104 of the body 2102 of the golf club head 5100 is made from the at least one first material and the at least one first material is a first metal material that has a density between 4.0 g/cc and 8.0 g/cc. In this example, the ring 106 of the body 2102 of the golf club head 5100 is made of a material that has a density between 0.5 g/cc and 4.0 g/cc. According to certain implementations, the first metal material of the cast cup 2104 is a titanium alloy and/or a steel alloy and the material of the ring 106 is an aluminum alloy and/or a magnesium alloy. In some implementations, the first metal material of the cast cup 2104 is a titanium alloy and/or a steel alloy and the material of the ring 106 is a non-metal material, such as a plastic or polymeric material. Accordingly, in some examples, the ring 106 is made of any of various materials, such as titanium alloys, aluminum alloys, and fiber-reinforced polymeric materials.
The ring 106, in some examples, is made of one of 6000-series, 7000-series, or 8000-series aluminum, which can be anodized to have a particular color the same as or different than the cast cup 2104. According to some examples, the ring 106 can be anodized to have any one of an array of colors, including blue, red, orange, green, purple, etc. Contrasting colors between the ring 105 and the cast cup 2104 may help with alignment or suit a user's preferences. In one example, the ring 106 is made of 7075 aluminum. According to some examples, the ring 106 is made of a fiber-reinforced polycarbonate material. The ring 106 can be made from a plastic with a non-conductive vacuum metallizing coating, which may also have any of various colors. Accordingly, in certain examples, the ring 106 is made of a titanium alloy, a steel alloy, a boron-infused steel alloy, a copper alloy, a beryllium alloy, composite material, hard plastic, resilient elastomeric material, carbon-fiber reinforced thermoplastic with short or long fibers. The ring 106 can be made via an injection molded, cast molded, physical vapor deposition, or CNC milled technique.
As described herein, the ring (e.g., the ring 106) of any of the club heads disclosed herein can comprise various different materials and features, and be made of different materials and have different properties than the cast cup (e.g., the cast cup 2104), which is formed separately and later coupled to the ring. In addition to or alternative to other materials described herein, the ring can comprise metallic materials, polymeric materials, and/or composite materials, and can include various external coatings.
In some embodiments, the ring comprises anodized aluminum, such as 6000, 7000, and 8000 series aluminum. In one specific example, the ring comprises 7075 grade aluminum. The anodized aluminum can be colored, such as red, green, blue, gray, white, orange, purple, pink, fuchsia, black, clear, yellow, gold, silver, or metallic colors. In some embodiments, the ring can have a color that contrasts from a majority color located on other parts of the club head (e.g., the crown insert, the sole insert, the cup, the rear weight, etc.).
In some embodiments, the ring can comprise any combination of metals, metal alloys (e.g., Ti alloys, steel, boron infused steel, aluminum, copper, beryllium), composite materials (e.g., carbon fiber reinforced polymer, with short or long fibers), hard plastics, resilient elastomers, other polymeric materials, and/or other suitable materials. Any material selection for the ring can also be combined with any of various formation methods, such as any combination of the following: casting, injection molding, sintering, machining, milling, forging, extruding, stamping, and rolling.
A plastic ring (fiber reinforced polycarbonate ring) may offer both mass savings e.g. about 5 grams compared to an aluminum ring, cost savings as well, give greater design flexibility due to processes used to form the ring e.g. injection molded thermoplastic, and perform similarly to an aluminum ring in abuse testing e.g. slamming the club head into a concrete cart path (extreme abuse) or shaking it in a bag where other metal clubs can repeatedly impact it (normal abuse).
In some embodiments, the ring can comprise a polymeric material (e.g., plastic) with a non-conductive vacuum metallizing (NCVM) coating. For example, in some embodiments, the ring may include a primer layer having an average thickness of about 5-11 micrometers (m) or about 8.5 μm, and under coating layer on top of the primer layer having an average thickness of about 5-11 μm or about 8.5 μm, a NCVM layer on top of under coating layer having an average thickness of about 1.1-3.5 μm or about 2.5 m, a color coating layer on top of the NCVM layer having an average thickness of about 25-35 μm or about 29 μm, and a top coating (UV protection coat) outer layer on top of the color coating layer having an average thickness of about 20-35 μm or about 26 μm. In general, for a NCVM coated part or ring the NCVM layer will be the thinnest and the color coating layer and the top coating layers will be the thickest and generally about 8-15 times thicker than NCVM layer. Generally, all the layers will combine to have a total average thickness of about 60-90 μm or about 75 μm. The described layers and NCVM coating could be applied to other parts other than the ring, such as the crown, sole, forward cup, and removable weights, and it can be applied prior to assembly.
In some embodiments, the ring can comprise a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating or film layer. In some embodiments, the ring can include a paint layer, or other outer coloring layer. Conventionally, painting a golf club heads is all done by hand and requires masking various components to prevent unwanted spray on unwanted surfaces. Hand painting, however, can lead to great inconsistency from club to club. Separately forming the ring not only allows for greater access to the rear portion of the face for milling operations to remove unwanted alpha case and allows for machining in various face patterns, but it also eliminates the need for masking off various components. The ring can be painted in isolation prior to assembly. Or in the case of anodized aluminum, no painting may be necessary, eliminating a step in the process such that the ring can simply be bonded or attached to a cup that may also be fully finished. Similarly if the ring is coated using PVD or NCVM, this coating can be applied to the ring prior to assembly, again eliminating several steps. This also allows for attachment of various color rings that may be selectable by an end user to provide an alignment or aesthetic benefit to the user. Whether the ring is a NCVM coated ring or a PVD coated ring, as mentioned above, it can be colored an array of colors, such as red, green, blue, gray, white, orange, purple, pink, fuchsia, black, clear, yellow, gold, silver, or metallic colors.
The following properties of the golf club heads disclosed herein proceeds with reference to the golf club head 5100. However, unless otherwise noted, the properties described with reference to the golf club head 5100 also apply to the golf club head 5200, the golf club head 300, and the golf club head 400. The golf club head 5100 is made from two of at least one first material, having a density between 0.9 g/cc and 3.5 g/cc, at least one second material, having a density between 3.6 g/cc and 5.5 g/cc, and at least one third material, having a density between 5.6 g/cc and 20.0 g/cc. In a first example, the cast cup 2104 is made of the second material and the ring 106, the crown insert 108, and the sole insert 4110 are made of the first material. In this first example, according to one instance, the cast cup 2104 is made of a titanium alloy, the ring 106 is made of an aluminum alloy, and the crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110 are made of a fiber-reinforced polymeric material. In this first example, according to another instance, the cast cup 2104 is made of a titanium alloy, the ring 106 is made of plastic, and the crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110 are made of a fiber-reinforced polymeric material. According to a second example, the cast cup 2104 is made of the second material, the ring 106 is made of the second material, and the crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110 are made of the first material. In this second example, according to one instance, the cast cup 2104 and the ring 106 are made of a titanium alloy and the crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110 are made of a fiber-reinforced polymeric material.
In some examples, the at least one first material is a fiber-reinforced polymeric material that includes continuous fibers embedded in a polymeric matrix (e.g., epoxy or resin), which is a thermoset polymer is certain examples. The continuous fibers can be long fibers having a length of at least 3 millimeters, 10 millimeters, or even 50 millimeters. In other embodiments, shorter fibers can be used having a length of between 0.5 and 2.0 millimeters. Incorporation of the fiber reinforcement increases the tensile strength, however it may also reduce elongation to break therefore a careful balance can be struck to maintain sufficient elongation. Therefore, one embodiment includes 35-55% long fiber reinforcement, while in an even further embodiment has 40-50% long fiber reinforcement. The continuous fibers, as well as the fiber-reinforced polymeric material in general, can be the same or similar to that described in Paragraph 295 of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0184662, published Jun. 30, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,468,816, issued Oct. 18, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In several examples, the crown insert 108 and the sole insert 4110 are made of the fiber-reinforced polymeric material. Accordingly, in some examples, each one of the continuous fibers of the fiber-reinforced polymeric material does not extend from the crown portion 119 to the sole portion 117 of the golf club head 5100. Alternatively, or additionally, in certain examples, each one of the continuous fibers of the fiber-reinforced polymeric material does not extend from the crown portion 119 to the forward portion 112 of the golf club head 5100. The crown insert 108 is made of a material that has a density between 0.5 g/cc and 4.0 g/cc in one example. The sole insert 4110 is made of a material that has a density between 0.5 g/cc and 4.0 g/cc in one example.
In certain examples, the first material is a fiber-reinforced polymeric material as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/006,561, filed Aug. 28, 2020. Composite materials that are useful for making club-head components comprise a fiber portion and a resin portion. In general the resin portion serves as a “matrix” in which the fibers are embedded in a defined manner. In a composite for club-heads, the fiber portion is configured as multiple fibrous layers or plies that are impregnated with the resin component. The fibers in each layer have a respective orientation, which is typically different from one layer to the next and precisely controlled. The usual number of layers for a striking face is substantial, e.g., forty or more. However for a sole or crown, the number of layers can be substantially decreased to, e.g., three or more, four or more, five or more, six or more, examples of which will be provided below. During fabrication of the composite material, the layers (each comprising respectively oriented fibers impregnated in uncured or partially cured resin; each such layer being called a “prepreg” layer) are placed superposedly in a “lay-up” manner. After forming the prepreg lay-up, the resin is cured to a rigid condition. If interested a specific strength may be calculated by dividing the tensile strength by the density of the material. This is also known as the strength-to-weight ratio or strength/weight ratio.
In tests involving certain club-head configurations, composite portions formed of prepreg plies having a relatively low fiber areal weight (FAW) have been found to provide superior attributes in several areas, such as impact resistance, durability, and overall club performance. FAW is the weight of the fiber portion of a given quantity of prepreg, in units of g/m2. FAW values below 100 g/m2, and more desirably below 70 g/m2, can be particularly effective. A particularly suitable fibrous material for use in making prepreg plies is carbon fiber, as noted. More than one fibrous material can be used. In other embodiments, however, prepreg plies having FAW values below 70 g/m2 and above 100 g/m2 may be used. Generally, cost is the primary prohibitive factor in prepreg plies having FAW values below 70 g/m2.
In particular embodiments, multiple low-FAW prepreg plies can be stacked and still have a relatively uniform distribution of fiber across the thickness of the stacked plies. In contrast, at comparable resin-content (R/C, in units of percent) levels, stacked plies of prepreg materials having a higher FAW tend to have more significant resin-rich regions, particularly at the interfaces of adjacent plies, than stacked plies of low-FAW materials. Resin-rich regions tend to reduce the efficacy of the fiber reinforcement, particularly since the force resulting from golf-ball impact is generally transverse to the orientation of the fibers of the fiber reinforcement. The prepreg plies used to form the panels desirably comprise carbon fibers impregnated with a suitable resin, such as epoxy.
In some examples, the strike plate 943 can be machined from a composite plaque. In an example, the composite plaque can be substantially rectangular with a length between about 90 mm and about 130 mm or between about 100 mm and about 120 mm, preferably about 110 mm±1.0 mm, and a width between about 50 mm and about 90 mm or between about 6 mm and about 80 mm, preferably about 70 mm±1.0 mm plaque size and dimensions. The strike plate 943 is then machined from the plaque to create a desired face profile. For example, the face profile length 912 can be between about 80 mm and about 120 mm or between about 90 mm and about 110 mm, preferably about 102 mm. The face profile width 911 can be between about 40 mm and about 65 mm or between about 45 mm and about 60 mm, preferably about 53 mm. The ideal striking location width 913 can be between about 25 mm and about 50 mm or between about 30 mm and about 40 mm, preferably about 34 mm. The ideal striking location length 914 can be between about 40 mm and about 70 mm or between about 45 mm and about 65 mm, preferably about 55.5 mm. Alternatively, the strike plate 943 can be molded to provide the desired face dimensions and profile.
Additional features can be machined or molded into face the strike plate 943 to create the desired face profile. For example, as shown in
In another example, backside bumps 4230A, 4230B, 4230C, 4230D may be machined or molded into the backside of the strike plate 943. The backside bumps 4230A, 4230B, 4230C, 4230D can be configured to provide for a bond gap. A bond gap is an empty space between the club head body and the strike plate 943 that is filled with adhesive during manufacturing. The backside bumps 4230A, 4230B, 4230C, 4230D protrude to separate the face from the club head body when bonding the strike plate 943 to the club head body during manufacturing. In some instances, too large or too small of a bond gap may lead to durability issues of the club head, the strike plate 943, or both. Further, too large of a bond gap can allow too much adhesive to be used during manufacturing, adding unwanted additional mass to the club head. The backside bumps 4230A, 4230B, 4230C, 4230D can protrude between about 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm, preferably about 0.25 mm. In some embodiments, the backside bumps are configured to provide for a minimum bond gap, such as a minimum bond gap of about 0.25 mm and a maximum bond gap of about 0.45 mm.
Further, one or more of the edges of the strike plate 943 can be machined or molded with a chamfer. In an example, the strike plate 943 includes a chamfer substantially around the inside perimeter edge of the strike plate 943, such as a chamfer between about 0.5 mm and about 1.1 mm, preferably 0.8 mm.
In some embodiments, the strike plate 943 is manufactured from multiple layers of composite materials. Exemplary composite materials and methods for making the same are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/452,370 (published as U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2012/0199282), which is incorporated by reference. In some embodiments, an inner and outer surface of the composite face can include a scrim layer, such as to reinforce the strike plate 943 with glass fibers making up a scrim weave. Multiple quasi-isotropic panels (Q's) can also be included, with each Q panel using multiple plies of unidirectional composite panels offset from each other. In an exemplary four-ply Q panel, the unidirectional composite panels are oriented at 90°, −45°, 0°, and 45°, which provide for structural stability in each direction. Clusters of unidirectional strips (C's) can also be included, with each C using multiple unidirectional composite strips. In an exemplary four-strip C, four 27 mm strips are oriented at 0°, 125°, 90°, and 55°. C's can be provided to increase thickness of the strike plate 943 in a localized area, such as in the center face at the ideal striking location. Some Q's and C's can have additional or fewer plies (e.g., three-ply rather than four-ply), such as to fine tune the thickness, mass, localized thickness, and provide for other properties of the strike plate 943, such as to increase or decrease COR of the strike plate 943.
In some embodiments, the strike face, such as the strike plate 243, of some examples of the golf club head disclosed herein is manufactured from multiple layers of composite materials. Exemplary composite materials and methods for making the same are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/452,370 (published as U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2012/0199282), which is incorporated by reference. In some embodiments, an inner and outer surface of the composite face can include a scrim layer, such as to reinforce the strike face with glass fibers making up a scrim weave. Multiple quasi-isotropic panels (Q's) can also be included, with each Q panel using multiple plies of unidirectional composite panels offset from each other. In an exemplary four-ply Q panel, the unidirectional composite panels are oriented at 90°, −45°, 0°, and 45°, which provide for structural stability in each direction. Clusters of unidirectional strips (C's) can also be included, with each C using multiple unidirectional composite strips. In an exemplary four-strip C, four 27 mm strips are oriented at 0°, 125°, 90°, and 55° C.'s can be provided to increase thickness of the strike face, or other composite features, in a localized area, such as in the center face at the ideal striking location. Some Q's and C's can have additional or fewer plies (e.g., three-ply rather than four-ply), such as to fine tune the thickness, mass, localized thickness, and provide for other properties of the strike face, such as to increase or decrease COR of the strike face.
Additional composite materials and methods for making the same are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,163,119 and 10,046,212, which is incorporated by reference. For example, the usual number of layers for a strike plate is substantial, e.g., fifty or more. However, improvements have been made in the art such that the layers may be decreased to between 30 and 50 layers.
Table 5 below provide examples of possible layups of one or more of the composite parts of the golf club head disclosed herein. These layups show possible unidirectional plies unless noted as woven plies. The construction shown is for a quasi-isotropic layup. A single layer ply has a thickness of ranging from about 0.065 mm to about 0.080 mm for a standard FAW of 70 gsm with about 36% to about 40% resin content. The thickness of each individual ply may be altered by adjusting either the FAW or the resin content, and therefore the thickness of the entire layup may be altered by adjusting these parameters.
The Area Weight (AW) is calculated by multiplying the density times the thickness. For the plies shown above made from composite material the density is about 1.5 g/cm3 and for titanium the density is about 4.5 g/cm3.
In general, a composite face plate or composite face insert may have a peak thickness that varies between about 3.8 mm and 5.15 mm. In general, the composite face plate is formed from multiple composite plies or layers. The usual number of layers for a composite striking face is substantial, e.g., forty or more, preferably between 30 to 75 plies, more preferably, 50 to 70 plies, even more preferably 55 to 65 plies.
In an example, a first composite face insert can have a peak thickness of 4.1 mm and an edge thickness of 3.65 mm, including 12 Q's and 2 C's, resulting in a mass of 24.7 g. In another example, a second composite face insert can have a peak thickness of 4.25 mm and an edge thickness of 3.8 mm, including 12 Q's and 2 C's, resulting in a mass of 25.6 g. The additional thickness and mass is provided by including additional plies in one or more of the Q's or C's, such as by using two 4-ply Q's instead of two 3-ply Q's. In yet another example, a third composite face insert can have a peak thickness of 4.5 mm and an edge thickness of 3.9 mm, including 12 Q's and 3 C's, resulting in a mass of 26.2 g. Additional and different combinations of Q's and C's can be provided for a composite face insert 4110 with a mass between about 20 g and about 30 g, or between about 15 g and about 35 g.
In some examples, the crown insert, such as the crown insert 108, and the sole insert, such as the sole insert 4110, are made of a carbon-fiber reinforced polymeric material. In one example, the crown insert is made of layers of unidirectional tape, woven cloth, and composite plies.
Referring to
In some examples, the golf club head 5100 includes one or more of the following materials: carbon steel, stainless steel (e.g. 17-4 PH stainless steel), alloy steel, Fe—Mn—Al alloy, nickel-based ferroalloy, cast iron, super alloy steel, aluminum alloy (including but not limited to 3000 series alloys, 5000 series alloys, 6000 series alloys, such as 6061-T6, and 7000 series alloys, such as 7075), magnesium alloy, copper alloy, titanium alloy (including but not limited to 6-4 titanium, 3-2.5, 6-4, SP700, 15-3-3-3, 10-2-3, Ti 9-1-1, ZA 1300, or other alpha/near alpha, alpha-beta, and beta/near beta titanium alloys) or mixtures thereof.
In one example, when forming part of the golf club heads disclosed herein, such as when forming part of the strike plate, the titanium alloy is a 9-1-1 titanium alloy. Titanium alloys comprising aluminum (e.g., 8.5-9.5% Al), vanadium (e.g., 0.9-1.3% V), and molybdenum (e.g., 0.8-1.1% Mo), optionally with other minor alloying elements and impurities, herein collectively referred to a “9-1-1 Ti”, can have less significant alpha case, which renders HF acid etching unnecessary or at least less necessary compared to faces made from conventional 6-4 Ti and other titanium alloys. Further, 9-1-1 Ti can have minimum mechanical properties of 820 MPa yield strength, 958 MPa tensile strength, and 10.2% elongation. These minimum properties can be significantly superior to typical cast titanium alloys, such as 6-4 Ti, which can have minimum mechanical properties of 812 MPa yield strength, 936 MPa tensile strength, and −6% elongation. In certain examples, the titanium alloy is 8-1-1 Ti.
In another example, when forming part of the golf club heads disclosed herein, such as when forming part of the strike plate, the titanium alloy is an alpha-beta titanium alloy comprising 6.5% to 10% Al by weight, 0.5% to 3.25% Mo by weight, 1.0% to 3.0% Cr by weight, 0.25% to 1.75% V by weight, and/or 0.25% to 1% Fe by weight, with the balance comprising Ti (one example is sometimes referred to as “1300” or “ZA1300” titanium alloy). In another representative example, the alloy may comprise 6.75% to 9.75% Al by weight, 0.75% to 3.25% or 2.75% Mo by weight, 1.0% to 3.0% Cr by weight, 0.25% to 1.75% V by weight, and/or 0.25% to 1% Fe by weight, with the balance comprising Ti. In yet another representative example, the alloy may comprise 7% to 9% Al by weight, 1.75% to 3.25% Mo by weight, 1.25% to 2.75% Cr by weight, 0.5% to 1.5% V by weight, and/or 0.25% to 0.75% Fe by weight, with the balance comprising Ti. In a further representative example, the alloy may comprise 7.5% to 8.5% Al by weight, 2.0% to 3.0% Mo by weight, 1.5% to 2.5% Cr by weight, 0.75% to 1.25% V by weight, and/or 0.375% to 0.625% Fe by weight, with the balance comprising Ti. In another representative example, the alloy may comprise 8% Al by weight, 2.5% Mo by weight, 2% Cr by weight, 1% V by weight, and/or 0.5% Fe by weight, with the balance comprising Ti (such titanium alloys can have the formula Ti-8Al-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe). As used herein, reference to “Ti-8Al-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe” refers to a titanium alloy including the referenced elements in any of the proportions given above. Certain examples may also comprise trace quantities of K, Mn, and/or Zr, and/or various impurities.
Ti-8Al-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe can have minimum mechanical properties of 1150 MPa yield strength, 1180 MPa ultimate tensile strength, and 8% elongation. These minimum properties can be significantly superior to other cast titanium alloys, including 6-4 Ti and 9-1-1 Ti, which can have the minimum mechanical properties noted above. In some examples, Ti-8Al-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe can have a tensile strength of from about 1180 MPa to about 1460 MPa, a yield strength of from about 1150 MPa to about 1415 MPa, an elongation of from about 8% to about 12%, a modulus of elasticity of about 110 GPa, a density of about 4.45 g/cm3, and a hardness of about 43 on the Rockwell C scale (43 HRC). In particular examples, the Ti-8Al-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe alloy can have a tensile strength of about 1320 MPa, a yield strength of about 1284 MPa, and an elongation of about 10%. The Ti-8Al-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe alloy, particularly when used to cast golf club head bodies, promotes less deflection for the same thickness due to a higher ultimate tensile strength compared to other materials. In some implementations, providing less deflection with the same thickness benefits golfers with higher swing speeds because over time the face of the golf club head will maintain its original shape over time.
In yet certain examples, the golf club head 5100 is made of a non-metal material with a density less than about 2 g/cm3, such as between about 1 g/cm3 to about 2 g/cm3. The non-metal material may include a polymer, such as fiber-reinforced polymeric material. The polymer can be either thermoset or thermoplastic, and can be amorphous, crystalline and/or a semi-crystalline structure. The polymer may also be formed of an engineering plastic such as a crystalline or semi-crystalline engineering plastic or an amorphous engineering plastic. Potential engineering plastic candidates include polyphenylene sulfide ether (PPS), polyethelipide (PEI), polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile-butadience styrene plastics (ABS), polyoxymethylene plastic (POM), nylon 6, nylon 6-6, nylon 12, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polypheylene oxide (PPO), polybothlene terephthalate (PBT), polysulfone (PSU), polyether sulfone (PES), polyether ether ketone (PEEK) or mixtures thereof. Organic fibers, such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, or metallic fiber, can be added into the engineering plastic, so as to enhance structural strength. The reinforcing fibers can be continuous long fibers or short fibers. One of the advantages of PSU is that it is relatively stiff with relatively low damping which produces a better sounding or more metallic sounding golf club compared to other polymers which may be overdamped. Additionally, PSU requires less post processing in that it does not require a finish or paint to achieve a final finished golf club head.
One exemplary material from which any one or more of the sole insert 4110, the crown insert 108, the cast cup 103, the ring 106, and/or the strike face, such as the strike plate 245, can be made from is a thermoplastic continuous carbon fiber composite laminate material having long, aligned carbon fibers in a PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) matrix or base. A commercial example of a fiber-reinforced polymer, from which the sole insert 4110, the crown insert 108, and/or the strike face can be made, is TEPEX® DYNALITE 207 manufactured by Lanxess®. TEPEX® DYNALITE 207 is a high strength, lightweight material, arranged in sheets, having multiple layers of continuous carbon fiber reinforcement in a PPS thermoplastic matrix or polymer to embed the fibers. The material may have a 54% fiber volume, but can have other fiber volumes (such as a volume of 42% to 57%). According to one example, the material weighs 200 g/m2. Another commercial example of a fiber-reinforced polymer, from which the sole insert 4110, crown insert 108, and/or the strike face is made, is TEPEX® DYNALITE 208. This material also has a carbon fiber volume range of 42 to 57%, including a 45% volume in one example, and a weight of 200 g/m2. DYNALITE 208 differs from DYNALITE 207 in that it has a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) matrix or base rather than a polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) matrix.
By way of example, the fibers of each sheet of TEPEX® DYNALITE 207 sheet (or other fiber-reinforced polymer material, such as DYNALITE 208) are oriented in the same direction with the sheets being oriented in different directions relative to each other, and the sheets are placed in a two-piece (male/female) matched die, heated past the melt temperature, and formed to shape when the die is closed. This process may be referred to as thermoforming and is especially well-suited for forming the sole insert 4110, the crown insert 108, and/or the strike face. After the sole insert 4110, the crown insert 108, and/or the strike face are formed (separately, in some implementations) by the thermoforming process, each is cooled and removed from the matched die. In some implementations, the sole insert 4110, the crown insert 108, and/or the strike face has a uniform thickness, which facilitates use of the thermoforming process and ease of manufacture. However, in other implementations, the sole insert 4110, the crown insert 108, and/or the strike face may have a variable thickness to strengthen select local areas of the insert by, for example, adding additional plies in select areas to enhance durability, acoustic properties, or other properties of the respective inserts.
In some examples, any one or more of the sole insert 4110, the crown insert 108, the cast cup 103, the ring 106, and/or the strike face, such as the strike plate 245, can be made by a process other than thermoforming, such as injection molding or thermosetting. In a thermoset process, any one or more of the sole insert 4110, the crown insert 108, the cast cup 103, the ring 106, and/or the strike face, such as the strike plate 245 may be made from “prepreg” plies of woven or unidirectional composite fiber fabric (such as carbon fiber composite fabric) that is preimpregnated with resin and hardener formulations that activate when heated. The prepreg plies are placed in a mold suitable for a thermosetting process, such as a bladder mold or compression mold, and stacked/oriented with the carbon or other fibers oriented in different directions. The plies are heated to activate the chemical reaction and form the crown insert 126 and/or a sole insert. Each insert is cooled and removed from its respective mold.
The carbon fiber reinforcement material for any one or more of the sole insert 4110, the crown insert 108, the cast cup 103, the ring 106, and/or the strike face, such as the strike plate 245, made by the thermoset manufacturing process, may be a carbon fiber known as “34-700” fiber, available from Grafil, Inc., of Sacramento, California, which has a tensile modulus of 234 Gpa (34 Msi) and a tensile strength of 4500 Mpa (650 Ksi). Another suitable fiber, also available from Grafil, Inc., is a carbon fiber known as “TR50S” fiber which has a tensile modulus of 240 Gpa (35 Msi) and a tensile strength of 4900 Mpa (710 Ksi). Exemplary epoxy resins for the prepreg plies used to form the thermoset crown and sole inserts include Newport 301 and 350 and are available from Newport Adhesives & Composites, Inc., of Irvine, California. In one example, the prepreg sheets have a quasi-isotropic fiber reinforcement of 34-700 fiber having an areal weight between about 20 g/m{circumflex over ( )}2 to about 200 g/m{circumflex over ( )}2 preferably about 70 g/m{circumflex over ( )}2 and impregnated with an epoxy resin (e.g., Newport 301), resulting in a resin content (R/C) of about 40%. For convenience of reference, the plipary composition of a prepreg sheet can be specified in abbreviated form by identifying its fiber areal weight, type of fiber, e.g., 70 FAW 34-700. The abbreviated form can further identify the resin system and resin content, e.g., 70 FAW 34-700/301, R/C 40%.
In some examples, polymers used in the manufacturing of the golf club head 5100 may include without limitation, synthetic and natural rubbers, thermoset polymers such as thermoset polyurethanes or thermoset polyureas, as well as thermoplastic polymers including thermoplastic elastomers such as thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyureas, metallocene catalyzed polymer, unimodalethylene/carboxylic acid copolymers, unimodal ethylene/carboxylic acid/carboxylate terpolymers, bimodal ethylene/carboxylic acid copolymers, bimodal ethylene/carboxylic acid/carboxylate terpolymers, polyamides (PA), polyketones (PK), copolyamides, polyesters, copolyesters, polycarbonates, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), cyclic olefin copolymers (COC), polyolefins, halogenated polyolefins [e.g. chlorinated polyethylene (CPE)], halogenated polyalkylene compounds, polyalkenamer, polyphenylene oxides, polyphenylene sulfides, diallylphthalate polymers, polyimides, polyvinyl chlorides, polyamide-ionomers, polyurethane ionomers, polyvinyl alcohols, polyarylates, polyacrylates, polyphenylene ethers, impact-modified polyphenylene ethers, polystyrenes, high impact polystyrenes, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers, styrene-acrylonitriles (SAN), acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylonitriles, styrene-maleic anhydride (S/MA) polymers, styrenic block copolymers including styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene, (SEBS) and styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene (SEPS), styrenic terpolymers, functionalized styrenic block copolymers including hydroxylated, functionalized styrenic copolymers, and terpolymers, cellulosic polymers, liquid crystal polymers (LCP), ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymers (EPDM), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA), ethylene-propylene copolymers, propylene elastomers (such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,525,157, to Kim et al, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference), ethylene vinyl acetates, polyureas, and polysiloxanes and any and all combinations thereof.
Of these preferred are polyamides (PA), polyphthalimide (PPA), polyketones (PK), copolyamides, polyesters, copolyesters, polycarbonates, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), cyclic olefin copolymers (COC), polyphenylene oxides, diallylphthalate polymers, polyarylates, polyacrylates, polyphenylene ethers, and impact-modified polyphenylene ethers. Especially preferred polymers for use in the golf club heads of the present invention are the family of so called high performance engineering thermoplastics which are known for their toughness and stability at high temperatures. These polymers include the polysulfones, the polyethelipides, and the polyamide-imides. Of these, the most preferred are the polysufones. Aromatic polysulfones are a family of polymers produced from the condensation polymerization of 4,4′-dichlorodiphenylsulfone with itself or one or more dihydric phenols. The aromatic polysulfones include the thermoplastics sometimes called polyether sulfones, and the general structure of their repeating unit has a diaryl sulfone structure which may be represented as -arylene-SO2-arylene-. These units may be linked to one another by carbon-to-carbon bonds, carbon-oxygen-carbon bonds, carbon-sulfur-carbon bonds, or via a short alkylene linkage, so as to form a thermally stable thermoplastic polymer. Polymers in this family are completely amorphous, exhibit high glass-transition temperatures, and offer high strength and stiffness properties even at high temperatures, making them useful for demanding engineering applications. The polymers also possess good ductility and toughness and are transparent in their natural state by virtue of their fully amorphous nature. Additional key attributes include resistance to hydrolysis by hot water/steam and excellent resistance to acids and bases. The polysulfones are fully thermoplastic, allowing fabrication by most standard methods such as injection molding, extrusion, and thermoforming.
They also enjoy a broad range of high temperature engineering uses.
Three commercially important polysulfones are a) polysulfone (PSU); b) Polyethersulfone (PES also referred to as PESU); and c) Polyphenylene sulfoner (PPSU).
Particularly important and preferred aromatic polysulfones are those comprised of repeating units of the structure —C6H4SO2-C6H4-O— where C6H4 represents a m- or p-phenylene structure. The polymer chain can also comprise repeating units such as —C6H4-, C6H4-O—, —C6H4-(lower-alkylene)-C6H4-O—, —C6H4-O—C6H4-O—, —C6H4-S—C6H4-O—, and other thermally stable substantially-aromatic difunctional groups known in the art of engineering thermoplastics. Also included are the so called modified polysulfones where the individual aromatic rings are further substituted in one or substituents including
wherein R is independently at each occurrence, a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or a hydrocarbon group or a combination thereof. The halogen atom includes fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine atoms. The hydrocarbon group includes, for example, a C1-C20 alkyl group, a C2-C20 alkenyl group, a C3-C20 cycloalkyl group, a C3-C20 cycloalkenyl group, and a C6-C20 aromatic hydrocarbon group. These hydrocarbon groups may be partly substituted by a halogen atom or atoms, or may be partly substituted by a polar group or groups other than the halogen atom or atoms. As specific examples of the C1-C20 alkyl group, there can be mentioned methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, amyl, hexyl, octyl, decyl and dodecyl groups. As specific examples of the C2-C20 alkenyl group, there can be mentioned propenyl, isopropepyl, butenyl, isobutenyl, pentenyland hexenyl groups. As specific examples of the C3-C20 cycloalkyl group, there can be mentionedcyclopentyl and cyclohexyl groups. As specific examples of the C3-C20 cycloalkenyl group, there can be mentioned cyclopentenyl and cyclohexenyl groups. As specific examples of the aromatic hydrocarbon group, there can be mentioned phenyl and naphthyl groups or a combination thereof.
Individual preferred polymers include (a) the polysulfone made by condensation polymerization of bisphenol A and 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone in the presence of base, and having the main repeating structure
and the abbreviation PSF and sold under the tradenames Udel®, Ultrason® S, Eviva®, RTP PSU, (b) the polysulfone made by condensation polymerization of 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenyl and 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone in the presence of base, and having the main repeating structure
and the abbreviation PPSF and sold under the tradenames RADEL® resin; and (c) a condensation polymer made from 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone in the presence of base and having the principle repeating structure
and the abbreviation PPSF and sometimes called a “polyether sulfone” and sold under the tradenames UltrasonR E, LNP™, Veradel@PESU, Sumikaexce, and VICTREX® resin,” and any and all combinations thereof.
In some examples, one exemplary material from which any one or more of the sole insert 4110, the crown insert 108, the cast cup 103, the ring 106, and/or the strike face, such as the strike plate 245, can be made from is a composite material, such as a carbon fiber reinforced polymeric material, made of a composite including multiple plies or layers of a fibrous material (e.g., graphite, or carbon fiber including turbostratic or graphitic carbon fiber or a hybrid structure with both graphitic and turbostratic parts present).
Examples of some of these composite materials for use in the and their fabrication procedures are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/442,348 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,267,620), Ser. No. 10/831,496 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,974), Ser. Nos. 11/642,310, 11/825,138, 11/998,436, 11/895,195, 11/823,638, 12/004,386, 12/004,387, 11/960,609, 11/960,610, and Ser. No. 12/156,947, which are incorporated herein by reference. The composite material may be manufactured according to the methods described at least in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/825,138, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Alternatively, short or long fiber-reinforced formulations of the previously referenced polymers can be used. Exemplary formulations include a Nylon 6/6 polyamide formulation, which is 30% Carbon Fiber Filled and available commercially from RTP Company under the trade name RTP 285. This material has a Tensile Strength of 35000 μsi (241 MPa) as measured by ASTM D 638; a Tensile Elongation of 2.0-3.0% as measured by ASTM D 638; a Tensile Modulus of 3.30×106 μsi (22754 MPa) as measured by ASTM D 638; a Flexural Strength of 50000 μsi (345 MPa) as measured by ASTM D 790; and a Flexural Modulus of 2.60×106 μsi (17927 MPa) as measured by ASTM D 790.
Other materials also include is a polyphthalamide (PPA) formulation which is 40% Carbon Fiber Filled and available commercially from RTP Company under the trade name RTP 4087 UP. This material has a Tensile Strength of 360 MPa as measured by ISO 527; a Tensile Elongation of 1.4% as measured by ISO 527; a Tensile Modulus of 41500 MPa as measured by ISO 527; a Flexural Strength of 580 MPa as measured by ISO 178; and a Flexural Modulus of 34500 MPa as measured by ISO 178.
Yet other materials include is a polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) formulation which is 30% Carbon Fiber Filled and available commercially from RTP Company under the trade name RTP 1385 UP. This material has a Tensile Strength of 255 MPa as measured by ISO 527; a Tensile Elongation of 1.3% as measured by ISO 527; a Tensile Modulus of 28500 MPa as measured by ISO 527; a Flexural Strength of 385 MPa as measured by ISO 178; and a Flexural Modulus of 23,000 MPa as measured by ISO 178.
Especially preferred materials include a polysulfone (PSU) formulation which is 20% Carbon Fiber Filled and available commercially from RTP Company under the trade name RTP 983. This material has a Tensile Strength of 124 MPa as measured by ISO 527; a Tensile Elongation of 2% as measured by ISO 527; a Tensile Modulus of 11032 MPa as measured by ISO 527; a Flexural Strength of 186 MPa as measured by ISO 178; and a Flexural Modulus of 9653 MPa as measured by ISO 178.
Also, preferred materials may include a polysulfone (PSU) formulation which is 30% Carbon Fiber Filled and available commercially from RTP Company under the trade name RTP 985. This material has a Tensile Strength of 138 MPa as measured by ISO 527; a Tensile Elongation of 1.2% as measured by ISO 527; a Tensile Modulus of 20685 MPa as measured by ISO 527; a Flexural Strength of 193 MPa as measured by ISO 178; and a Flexural Modulus of 12411 MPa as measured by ISO 178.
Further preferred materials include a polysulfone (PSU) formulation which is 40% Carbon Fiber Filled and available commercially from RTP Company under the trade name RTP 987. This material has a Tensile Strength of 155 MPa as measured by ISO 527; a Tensile Elongation of 1% as measured by ISO 527; a Tensile Modulus of 24132 MPa as measured by ISO 527; a Flexural Strength of 241 MPa as measured by ISO 178; and a Flexural Modulus of 19306 MPa as measured by ISO 178.
Any one or more of the sole insert 4110, the crown insert 108, the cast cup 103, the ring 106, and/or the strike face, such as the strike plate 245, can have a complex three-dimensional shape and curvature corresponding generally to a desired shape and curvature of the golf club head 5100. It will be appreciated that other types of club heads, such as fairway wood-type clubs, may be manufactured using one or more of the principles, methods, and materials described herein.
Although not specifically shown, the golf club head 5100 of the present disclosure may include other features to promote the performance characteristics of the golf club head 5100. For example, the golf club head 100, in some implementations, includes movable weight features similar to those described in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,773,360; 7,166,040; 7,452,285; 7,628,707; 7,186,190; 7,591,738; 7,963,861; 7,621,823; 7,448,963; 7,568,985; 7,578,753; 7,717,804; 7,717,805; 7,530,904; 7,540,811; 7,407,447; 7,632,194; 7,846,041; 7,419,441; 7,713,142; 7,744,484; 7,223,180; 7,410,425; and 7,410,426, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
In certain implementations, for example, the golf club head 5100 includes slidable weight features similar to those described in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,775,905 and 8,444,505; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/898,313, filed on May 20, 2013; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/047,880, filed on Oct. 7, 2013; U.S. Patent Application No. 61/702,667, filed on Sep. 18, 2012; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/841,325, filed on Mar. 15, 2013; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/946,918, filed on Jul. 19, 2013; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/789,838, filed on Jul. 1, 2015; U.S. Patent Application No. 62/020,972, filed on Jul. 3, 2014; Patent Application No. 62/065,552, filed on Oct. 17, 2014; and Patent Application No. 62/141,160, filed on Mar. 31, 2015, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
According to some implementations, the golf club head 5100 includes aerodynamic shape features similar to those described in more detail in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0123040A1, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
In certain implementations, the golf club head 5100 includes removable shaft features similar to those described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 8,303,431, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in in their entirety.
According to yet some implementations, the golf club head 5100 includes adjustable loft/lie features similar to those described in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,025,587; 8,235,831; 8,337,319; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0312437A1; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0258818A1; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0122601A1; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0071264A1; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/686,677, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Additionally, in some implementations, the golf club head 5100 includes adjustable sole features similar to those described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 8,337,319; U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2011/0152000A1, 2011/0312437, 2012/0122601A1; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/686,677, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
In some implementations, the golf club head 5100 includes composite face portion features similar to those described in more detail in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/998,435; 11/642,310; 11/825,138; 11/823,638; 12/004,386; 12/004,387; 11/960,609; 11/960,610; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,267,620, which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
According to one embodiment, a method of making a golf club head, such as the golf club head 100, includes one or more of the following steps: (1) forming a body having a sole opening, forming a composite laminate sole insert, injection molding a thermoplastic composite head component over the sole insert to create a sole insert unit, and joining the sole insert unit to the body; (2) forming a body having a crown opening, forming a composite laminate crown insert, injection molding a thermoplastic composite head component over the crown insert to create a crown insert unit, and joining the crown insert unit to the body; (3) forming a weight track, capable of supporting one or more slidable weights, in the body; (4) forming the sole insert and/or the crown insert from a thermoplastic composite material having a matrix compatible for bonding with the body; (5) forming the sole insert and/or the crown insert from a continuous fiber composite material having continuous fibers selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, aramide fibers, carbon fibers and any combination thereof, and having a thermoplastic matrix consisting of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyamides, polypropylene, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyureas, polyamide-amides (PAI), polyether amides (PEI), polyetheretherketones (PEEK), and any combinations thereof; (6) forming both the sole insert and the weight track from thermoplastic composite materials having a compatible matrix; (7) forming the sole insert from a thermosetting material, coating a sole insert with a heat activated adhesive, and forming the weight track from a thermoplastic material capable of being injection molded over the sole insert after the coating step; (8) forming the body from a material selected from the group consisting of titanium, one or more titanium alloys, aluminum, one or more aluminum alloys, steel, one or more steel alloys, polymers, plastics, and any combination thereof; (9) forming the body with a crown opening, forming the crown insert from a composite laminate material, and joining the crown insert to the body such that the crown insert overlies the crown opening; (10) selecting a composite head component from the group consisting of one or more ribs to reinforce the golf club head, one or more ribs to tune acoustic properties of the golf club head, one or more weight ports to receive a fixed weight in a sole portion of the golf club head, one or more weight tracks to receive a slidable weight, and combinations thereof; (11) forming the sole insert and the crown insert from a continuous carbon fiber composite material; (12) forming the sole insert and the crown insert by thermosetting using materials suitable for thermosetting, and coating the sole insert with a heat activated adhesive; and (13) forming the body from titanium, titanium alloy or a combination thereof to have the crown opening, the sole insert, and the weight track from a thermoplastic carbon fiber material having a matrix selected from the group consisting of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyamides, polypropylene, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyureas, polyamide-amides (PAI), polyether amides (PEI), polyetheretherketones (PEEK), and any combinations thereof; and (13) forming a frame with a crown opening, forming a crown insert from a thermoplastic composite material, and joining the crown insert to the body such that the crown insert overlies the crown opening.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment. Similarly, the use of the term “implementation” means an implementation having a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, however, absent an express correlation to indicate otherwise, an implementation may be associated with one or more embodiments.
In the above description, certain terms may be used such as “up,” “down,” “upper,” “lower,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “left,” “right,” “over,” “under” and the like. These terms are used, where applicable, to provide some clarity of description when dealing with relative relationships. But, these terms are not intended to imply absolute relationships, positions, and/or orientations. For example, with respect to an object, an “upper” surface can become a “lower” surface simply by turning the object over. Nevertheless, it is still the same object. Further, the terms “including,” “comprising,” “having,” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to” unless expressly specified otherwise. An enumerated listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive and/or mutually inclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” also refer to “one or more” unless expressly specified otherwise. Further, the term “plurality” can be defined as “at least two.” The term “about” in some embodiments, can be defined to mean within +1-5% of a given value.
Additionally, instances in this specification where one element is “coupled” to another element can include direct and indirect coupling. Direct coupling can be defined as one element coupled to and in some contact with another element. Indirect coupling can be defined as coupling between two elements not in direct contact with each other, but having one or more additional elements between the coupled elements. Further, as used herein, securing one element to another element can include direct securing and indirect securing. Additionally, as used herein, “adjacent” does not necessarily denote contact. For example, one element can be adjacent another element without being in contact with that element.
As used herein, the phrase “at least one of”, when used with a list of items, means different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used and only one of the items in the list may be needed. The item may be a particular object, thing, or category. In other words, “at least one of” means any combination of items or number of items may be used from the list, but not all of the items in the list may be required. For example, “at least one of item A, item B, and item C” may mean item A; item A and item B; item B; item A, item B, and item C; or item B and item C. In some cases, “at least one of item A, item B, and item C” may mean, for example, without limitation, two of item A, one of item B, and ten of item C; four of item B and seven of item C; or some other suitable combination.
Unless otherwise indicated, the terms “first,” “second,” etc. are used herein merely as labels, and are not intended to impose ordinal, positional, or hierarchical requirements on the items to which these terms refer. Moreover, reference to, e.g., a “second” item does not require or preclude the existence of, e.g., a “first” or lower-numbered item, and/or, e.g., a “third” or higher-numbered item.
As used herein, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware “configured to” perform a specified function is indeed capable of performing the specified function without any alteration, rather than merely having potential to perform the specified function after further modification. In other words, the system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware “configured to” perform a specified function is specifically selected, created, implemented, utilized, programmed, and/or designed for the purpose of performing the specified function. As used herein, “configured to” denotes existing characteristics of a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware which enable the system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware to perform the specified function without further modification. For purposes of this disclosure, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware described as being “configured to” perform a particular function may additionally or alternatively be described as being “adapted to” and/or as being “operative to” perform that function.
The present subject matter may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
For purposes of this description, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the embodiments of this disclosure are described herein. The described methods, systems, and apparatus should not be construed as limiting in any way. Instead, the present disclosure is directed toward all novel and non-obvious features and aspects of the various disclosed embodiments, alone and in various combinations and sub-combinations with one another. The disclosed methods, systems, and apparatus are not limited to any specific aspect, feature, or combination thereof, nor do the disclosed methods, systems, and apparatus require that any one or more specific advantages be present, or problems be solved.
Features, properties, characteristics, materials, values, ranges, or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the disclosure are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The disclosure is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The disclosure extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.
Although the operations of some of the disclosed methods are described in a particular, sequential order for convenient presentation, this manner of description encompasses rearrangement, unless a particular ordering is required by specific language set forth below. For example, operations described sequentially may in some cases be rearranged or performed concurrently. Moreover, for the sake of simplicity, the attached figures may not show the various ways in which the disclosed methods, systems, and apparatus can be used in conjunction with other systems, methods, and apparatus.
As used herein, the terms “a,” “an,” and “at least one” encompass one or more of the specified element. That is, if two of a particular element are present, one of these elements is also present and thus “an” element is present. The terms “a plurality of” and “plural” mean two or more of the specified element. As used herein, the term “and/or” used between the last two of a list of elements means any one or more of the listed elements. For example, the phrase “A, B, and/or C” means “A,” “B,” “C,” “A and B,” “A and C,” “B and C,” or “A, B, and C.” As used herein, the term “coupled” generally means physically coupled or linked and does not exclude the presence of intermediate elements between the coupled items absent specific contrary language.
Directions and other relative references (e.g., inner, outer, upper, lower, etc.) may be used to facilitate discussion of the drawings and principles herein, but are not intended to be limiting. For example, certain terms may be used such as “inside,” “outside,”, “top,” “down,” “interior,” “exterior,” and the like. Such terms are used, where applicable, to provide some clarity of description when dealing with relative relationships, particularly with respect to the illustrated embodiments. Such terms are not, however, intended to imply absolute relationships, positions, and/or orientations. For example, with respect to an object, an “upper” part can become a “lower” part simply by turning the object over. Nevertheless, it is still the same part and the object remains the same. As used herein, “and/or” means “and” or “or,” as well as “and” and “or.”
In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the disclosure may be applied, it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only preferred examples and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure. Various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosure is at least as broad as the following claims. We therefore claim all that comes within the scope of these claims and their equivalents.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/137,065, filed Apr. 20, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/712,041, filed Apr. 1, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,666,806, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/171,656, filed Feb. 9, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,318,358, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/131,661, filed Dec. 29, 2020, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63131661 | Dec 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 18137065 | Apr 2023 | US |
| Child | 18888500 | US | |
| Parent | 17712041 | Apr 2022 | US |
| Child | 18137065 | US | |
| Parent | 17171656 | Feb 2021 | US |
| Child | 17712041 | US |
