Patent Application
20080102986
The present invention relates to golf club heads having detachable faces, and more particularly, to a golf club heads constructed of multiple materials and methods for manufacturing the same.
Current high-performance golf club heads are often manufactured from substantially unitary metal or graphite structures. In attempts to maintain low weight, while having large volumes, in the case of drivers (commonly referred to as “woods”), the heads are often made of materials such titanium, steel or graphite composites.
Many performance characteristics are desirable in the case of driver heads, including size, strength, mass distribution/inertia properties and sound. For example, generally, as the size of the heads increases (many approaching 500 cc), the heads tend to be more “forgiving” for off-center hits.
Higher strength heads, particularly with respect to the face of the head, are likewise desirable as reduction of the combined deflection of the face and ball upon impact preserves energy from club to ball. Stated otherwise, using stronger, yet thinner materials in the face provides the ability to decrease the deflection in the ball (where the most energy loss occurs) by increasing the deflection in the face. To that end, faces have been manufactured from stronger materials than the remainder of the head. For example, some heads have faces manufactured of materials such as Beta titanium, which are welded to head bodies made of weaker materials such as cast titanium.
Further still, more and more, golfers seek club heads with specific centers of gravity locations and moments of inertia to control drive characteristics. Further yet, golfers increasingly seek to change certain subjective characteristics such as the sound made upon impact between the club head and the ball. For example, some golfers prefer the hollow “ping” sound of a titanium driver, while others prefer the “dead” or solid sound of a composite head (more like a traditional wood driver).
These various performance attributes combine to allow club designers to tune or enhance certain characteristics of club performance. However, conventional metal design/construction methods are limited by basic properties (e.g., stiffness, strength and density) of the metal as well as by manufacturing limitations (e.g., casting, welding and forming). Similarly, composite heads have limitations including durability “out of plane” or perpendicular to the fiber plane. For example, loads at impact tend to de-laminate the composite layers and yet, when a design is created with sufficient strength to survive the impact loads, the resulting face is very thick which increases stiffness causing more deflection in the ball reducing the conversion of energy to the ball at impact.
Thus, while the above-mentioned attributes are sought, many remain unrealized. Improved heads which can vary stiffness and strength areas redistribute total weight allowing control of the location of center of gravity and moment of inertia and/or are made of lighter and stronger materials, allowing bigger club heads with correspondingly larger “sweet” spots. Further still, clubs which provide “tunable” centers of gravity and moments of inertia are also desirable. Such clubs may be further capable of producing varying impact sounds, and are therefore desirable.
While the way that the present invention addresses the disadvantages of the prior art is discussed in greater detail below, in general, the present invention provides an improved golf club head. For example, a golf club head in accordance with various aspects of the present invention, may be manufactured with a higher volume and have stronger characteristics allowing redistribution of the total weight to control the location of the center of gravity and/or moment of inertia and/or which weigh less, allowing additional weight to be added to specific locations on the clubs, thereby allowing the center of gravity and moment of inertia to be controlled/adjusted. For example, the golf club head may comprise a frame structure and a composite matrix. The golf club head also may have a detachable face, allowing various faces of differing materials to be attached to one body. A detachable face further allows the head to be tuned via placement/rearrangement of weights within the head to change the center of gravity and moment of inertia as well as sound.
A more complete understanding of the present invention may be derived by referring to the detailed description when considered in connection with the Figures, where like reference numbers refer to similar elements throughout the Figures, and:
The following description is of exemplary embodiments of the invention only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description is intended to provide a convenient illustration for implementing various embodiments of the invention. As will become apparent, various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described in these embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth herein. For example, though various portions of the specification refer to particular materials used in connection with golf club heads, numerous other materials, now known or as yet unknown, having desirable properties should be considered within the scope of the present invention.
Additionally, briefly, each and every process for manufacturing hollow items from various materials is not explained herein, however, one skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that various conventional metal and/or composite forming techniques may be used in accordance with the present invention.
That being said, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention and with reference to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
With reference to the exemplary embodiment of
In accordance with various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, filler matrix 130 comprises a composite material such as plastic, graphite, fiberglass, epoxy or any of numerous now known or as yet unknown composite materials, generally selected based on desired properties.
Filler matrix 130 is suitably formed inside frame structure 120. For example, using various processes (such as those described herein) for creating composite devices, filler matrix 130 is suitably bonded to inner surface of frame structure 120 such that filler matrix 130 and frame structure 120 form body combination structure 110. In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, portions of filler matrix 130 extend through apertures 124. In such embodiments, an outer surface 132 of filler matrix 130 is substantially continuous with outer surface 122 of frame structure 120. Continuity can occur from a number of manners including via a molding process, various finishing steps and the like. As such, combination body 110 comprising frame 122 connected to filler matrix 130 is thus provided.
For example, with reference now to
Generally, mold 300 comprises any suitably rigid device having an inner diameter configured in the general shape of club head 100. Such molds are commonly known and often comprises two halves 300A, B such as those illustrated in
For example, in an exemplary embodiment such as is illustrated in
Additionally, in accordance with still further aspects of the present invention and as mentioned above, body combination 110 may be suitably machined, ground or otherwise processed to clean up any minor transition discontinuities between the two materials.
In any event, it should thus be appreciated that any number of “molding” operations, secondary bonding operations or other manufacturing methods such as those now known or as yet unknown may be used in the context of the present invention.
Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the orientation and amount of filler matrix 130 and the orientation and amount of frame structure 122 suitably allows various properties of each material to be enhanced. For example, because filler matrix 130 is typically lighter with a high strength to weight ratio and stronger and stiffer than most metals, club head 100 is also lighter, stiffer, and/or stronger. More particularly, in accordance with another beneficial aspect of the present invention and with reference to the exemplary embodiments of
For example, an ideal driver club head weighs about 195 g to about 200 g. Body combinations 110 in accordance with the present invention weigh about 120 g to about 140 g and a faceplate 140 weighs about 40 g to about 50 g. Thus, the combined weight of body combination 110 and faceplate 140 is about 160 g to about 190 g, leaving about 10 g to about 40 g of additional weight, such as tuning weights 200, which can be strategically added or redistributed in club head 100. Additionally, it should be noted that the forgoing values are merely exemplary and that any number of combinations, most notably with respect to the ability to redistribute weight or added tuning weights, are made possible in accordance with the present invention.
Additionally, as will be described further below, club 100 is hollow, allowing the variable positioning of tuning weights 200 within club head 100 to suitably adjust performance characteristics (such as the location of the center of gravity and moment of inertia) of club 100 as well as change the sound of club 100 via damping the structural elements of club 100.
Additionally, the configuration of apertures 124 are visible on the surface of club 100 and provide for the placement of various indicia (e.g., product name, specifications and the like) on club.
In accordance now with additional aspects of the present invention with reference back to
In accordance with various non-limiting embodiments of the present invention, faceplate 140 may be suitably detachable from body 110. For example, in one embodiment, body frame structure 122 comprises a faceplate aperture 128 having a perimeter 142 substantially contiguous with the perimeter of faceplate 140. Thus, when faceplate 140 is attached to body combination 110, faceplate 140 and body combination 110 integrate substantially seamlessly.
Additionally, in accordance with various alternative aspects of the present invention, body combination 110 may be permanently bonded with faceplate 140 through a welding process such as is illustrated in
As mentioned above, in various embodiments of the present invention, body combination 110 further comprises mechanisms for facilitating releasable attachment of faceplate 140 to body combination 110. For example, at least one of frame structure 120 and/or filler matrix 130 may comprise a faceplate receiving ridge 144 upon which faceplate 140 is retained. In such embodiments, receiving ridge suitably comprises a recessed “lip” which prevent faceplate 140 from passing completely within body combination 110, and, moreover may suitably assist in maintaining a striking surface 146 of faceplate 140 contiguous with outer surface 124. Moreover, in embodiments using a releasably attachable faceplate 140, no thermal protection is needed as no welding is required.
In still further embodiments, and with reference to
Thus, golf heads 100 in accordance with the present invention, provide an ideal driver head large enough to provide an ideal center of gravity location and inspire confidence to the golfer, yet has a thinner and stronger face to yield a high coefficient of restitution value and is durable enough for long term use.
Likewise, heads 100 in accordance with the present invention, allow mass to be concentrated around the perimeter of club 100 and thus inertia properties can be improved, positively impacting the “forgiveness” on off center impacts.
Moreover, due to the inherent improvements in the specific stiffness/strength values of the composite materials (vs. metals), the resulting “hybrid” head body can be significantly lighter than a pure metal head. For example, using titanium and graphite/epoxy, the following material property values are attainable:
Such values suitably create new opportunities to achieve a hybrid structure that has similar stiffness and/or strength to known structures but with less weight. Notably, in the case of club heads 100 in accordance with the present invention, this “saved” weight can now be repositioned inside the head body to alter the location of center of gravity and/or inertia values to help improve trajectory (CG) or forgiveness on off-center hits (inertia properties) or it can be allocated to an adjustable secondary center of gravity/sound type tuning mechanism.
For example, tuning weights 200 can be positioned within club 100 to change such characteristics. For example, experienced golfers may wish to move the center of gravity of club 100 higher up the club, and more toward the crown of the club to reduce backspin, while less experienced golfers may prefer the opposite. Tuning weights may be positioned within club head 200 in any number of manners now known or as yet unknown, preferably using access through faceplate aperture 128. For example, with reference to
Further still the use of weights and/or damping materials attached to club head 100 suitably provides sound changing effects. For example, a weight attached to club head 100 may suitably provided a more “solid” sound when club head 100 strikes the ball, giving the impression club head 100 is not substantially hollow. Additionally, other materials may be added to the interior of club head 100 to achieve similar sound changing results. For example, club head 100 may contain some filler material such as fiberglass, silicone, rubber or other materials.
Thus, in addition to the tangible “objective” benefits of this new design/construction golf head (such as improved inertia/CG properties/magnification capabilities), several more “subjective” benefits exist as well. In addition to the ability to tune the sound characteristics by changing the type/location of materials and/or dampers, the aesthetic elements can also now be optimized.
The surface of the club visible to the golfer at address is the upper crown. In typical pure metal or composite heads, the visual appearance is very uniform. The multi-material nature of the invention allows for contrasting elements/designs not possible before. Any combination of shapes, logos, patterns or alignment features an now be incorporated. Examples of top views are shown in
Finally, it should be appreciated that the present invention has been described above with reference to various exemplary embodiments. However, many changes, combinations and modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the various components may be implemented in alternate ways. These alternatives can be suitably selected depending upon the particular application or in consideration of any number of factors associated with the operation of the system. In addition, the techniques described herein may be extended or modified for use with other types of devices. These and other changes or modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.
This continuation application claims priority to U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 10/712,401 entitled “Multi-Material Golf Club Head,” filed Nov. 12, 2003 which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/425,244 entitled “Multi-Material Hybrid Golf Club Head Design/Construction,” filed Nov. 12, 2002, which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60425244 | Nov 2002 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10712401 | Nov 2003 | US |
| Child | 11969693 | Jan 2008 | US |
