Golf club head with face damping and stress-reduction features

Abstract

An golf club head with a structure that improves the sound and reduces stress placed on the face upon impact with a golf ball is disclosed herein. In particular, the golf club head is an iron with a face having a rear protrusion, also referred to as a piston, with both forward and rearward facing surfaces. The piston is at least partially received within a receptacle provided in the body of the golf club head. The receptacle also includes a pair of bumpers, one of which interacts with the piston to improve the sound of the face upon impact with a golf ball at speeds at which an average golfer would swing the club head, and the other of which reduces the stress placed on the face when the club makes impact with a golf ball at high speeds.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising: a face component comprising a striking face surface, a rear face surface opposite the striking face surface, and a stem extending from the rear face surface, a body comprising a receptacle with a front chamber, a divider wall, and a rear chamber; a front bumper disposed in the front chamber; and a rear bumper at least partially disposed in the rear chamber, wherein the stem comprises a first end connected to the rear face surface and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the receptacle is at least partially defined by a front-side wall, a rear-side wall, a toe-side wall, a heel-side wall, and a floor, wherein the receptacle comprises a front chamber and a rear chamber separated by a divider wall, and wherein the stem extends through an opening in the front-side wall so that the second end of the stem is disposed within the front chamber.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein no portion of the receptacle or the front bumper makes direct contact with the rear surface of the face component.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face component comprises a variable face thickness pattern.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the rear bumper comprises a protrusion that extends into an opening in the divider wall.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least one of the front bumper and the rear bumper comprises a graphene material.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein each of the front bumper and the rear bumper is composed of an elastic material.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein when the golf club head is at address, a first gap is disposed between the plate member and the front bumper and a second gap is disposed between the plate member and the divider wall.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the front bumper at least partially encircles the stem.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein each of the body and the face component is composed of a metal alloy material.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the receptacle extends from a bottom section of the body towards a top section.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face component is a face cup.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the stem extends from the rear face surface at a point located below a geometric face center of the rear face surface measured along a vertical Z axis.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel and titanium alloy.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face component is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel and titanium alloy.

15. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head is an iron-type golf club head.

16. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the front bumper damps vibration in the striking face after the striking face impacts a golf ball.

17. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the rear bumper reduces stress in the striking face after the striking face impacts a golf ball.

18. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the receptacle is integrally formed with the body, and wherein the stem is integrally formed with the face component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a rear elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the golf club head of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the golf club head shown in FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head shown in FIG. 1 along lines 3-3.

(4) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head shown in FIG. 1 along lines 4-4.

(5) FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head shown in FIG. 1 along lines 5-5.

(6) FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the face component of the golf club head shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) The golf club head of the present includes a structure designed to reduce the amplitude and duration of the sound made by the striking face after the golf club head impacts a golf ball, known as damping, without impeding the performance of the striking face with respect to ball velocity. The structure also is designed reduce the stress placed upon the striking face when it makes impact with a golf ball at higher speeds.

(8) A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-6. The golf club head 10 comprises a body 20 having a top line section 21, a bottom section 22, a heel side 23 where a hosel 24 connects with the body 20, and a toe side 25, and a face component 30 comprising a striking face 32 with a front striking surface 34, a rear surface 36 opposite the front striking surface 34, an upper flange 33 extending from an upper edge 31 of the striking face 32, and a lower flange 37 extending from a lower edge 35 of the striking face 32. The striking face 32 has a geometric face center 38 and preferably comprises a variable thickness pattern. When the face component 30 is affixed to the body 20 by welding or otherwise connecting the upper flange 33 to the top line section 21 and the lower flange 37 to the bottom section 22, the two parts define a hollow, rear-facing cavity 40.

(9) The face component 30 also includes a piston 50 comprising a load transfer member 52, also referred to herein as a stem, having a first end 51 extending from or affixed to the rear surface 36 of the striking face 32 and a second end 53 affixed to a plate member 54, which extends perpendicular to the stem 52 and approximately parallel with the rear surface 36 of the striking face 32. The plate member 54 has a forward facing surface 55 and a rearward facing surface 56. The piston 50 preferably is integrally manufactured (e.g., cast, formed, forged) with the face component 30 to ensure structural integrity, though it may be formed separately and attached to the face component 30 via welding, gluing, or other processes known in the art. The stem 52 and plate member 54 preferably are integrally formed with one another, but may in alternative embodiments be welded or otherwise affixed to one another. The piston 50 preferably extends from a spot at or below the geometric face center 38 measured along a vertical Z axis, as shown in FIG. 6.

(10) The body 20 comprises a receptacle 60 that aligns with, and receives, the piston 50. The receptacle 60, which preferably is integrally formed with the body 20 so that it extends from the bottom section 22 of the body, comprises a front chamber 62 sized to receive the stem 52 of the piston 50, a rear chamber 64 sized to receive the plate member 54 of the piston 50, and a divider wall 66 that partially divides the front and rear chambers 62, 64. The divider wall 66 has a through-opening 67 that connects the front and rear chambers 62, 64 so they communicate with one another. The receptacle 60 is defined by heel-side, toe-side, rear-side, and front-side walls 61a, 61b, 61c, 61d and a floor 63. The front-side wall 61d also includes a through-opening 68 sized to receive the stem 52 of the piston 50.

(11) A first bumper 70 comprising a through-opening or slot 72 sized to receive and at least partially encircle the stem 52 is disposed in the front chamber 62. A second bumper 80 comprising a body portion 82 and a protrusion 84 extending approximately perpendicular from the body portion 82 is disposed in the rear chamber 64 so that the protrusion 84 extends through the through-opening 67 in the divider wall 66 and at least partially into the front chamber 62.

(12) When the golf club head 10 is fully assembled and in a resting state (e.g., at address), the bumpers 70, 80 are in their uncompressed states; a first gap 90 is disposed between the forward facing surface 55 of the piston 50 and the first bumper 70, and a second gap 95 is disposed between the rearward facing surface 56 and the divider wall 66 and protrusion 84 of the second bumper 80. Upon impact with a golf ball, the striking face 32, and thus the piston 50, moves rearwards, and then flexes forwards. When the striking face 32 flexes forwards, the forward facing surface 55 of the plate member 54 comes into contact with the first bumper 70, thereby damping the amplitude and duration of the sound made by the face component 30 after the ball has left the striking face 32.

(13) If the golf club head 10 is swung at a high speed by a more powerful or experienced golfer, the striking face 32 will flex further in the rearward direction, such that the piston 50 closes the first gap 90 and the rearward facing surface 56 of the plate member 54 comes into contact with the protrusion 84 of the second bumper 80. The second bumper 80 presses against the rearward facing surface 56 of the plate member and resists the force of the flexure, thereby supporting the striking face 32 and reducing the likelihood of breakage during a high speed impact. This structure allows for selective stress reduction in the striking face 32 depending on the skill and power of the golfer.

(14) The divider wall 66 helps to maintain the gaps 90, 95 and retain the bumpers 70, 80 within their respective portions of the receptacle 60. At no point during address, swing, or impact does the receptacle 60 make direct contact with the rear surface 36 of the striking face—a front gap 96 is maintained between the rear surface 36 and the front side wall 61d by the piston 50 and bumper 70, 70 system.

(15) In each of the embodiments disclosed herein, the bumpers 70, 80 preferably are composed of a graphene material, though in alternative embodiments they may be composed of an elastic material such as rubber. Each of the body 20 and the face component 30 is composed of one or more metal alloy materials, such as stainless steel or titanium alloy. A medallion or other decorative feature (not shown) may also be affixed to the rear surface 36 of the striking face 32.

(16) From the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention and will readily understand that while the present invention has been described in association with a preferred embodiment thereof, and other embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, numerous changes, modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is intended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in the following appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined in the following appended claims.