Golf Club Face Insert

Abstract

A resilient face insert for a golf club head, preferably a putter head, is disclosed herein. In particular, the face insert comprises a plurality of hinge features spaced from a striking surface to ensure consistent ball speed across the striking surface. At least a portion of each hinge feature extends parallel to the striking surface without making contact with the striking surface. In the preferred embodiment, each hinge feature comprises a tab portion that is spaced from the striking surface by a stem portion and that extends parallel to the striking surface. The hinge features may be co-molded with a polymeric backing material having a plurality of parallel grooves in order to further improve performance of the face insert.

Claims

1. A golf club face insert comprising: a striking plate comprising a base portion, at least one hinge feature, and a first thickness; and a backing portion affixed to the striking plate, wherein the backing portion comprises a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness, wherein the at least one hinge feature comprises a stem portion that extends from the base portion at an angle, a tab portion that is spaced from the base portion by the stem portion and extends from the stem portion approximately parallel to the base portion without making contact with the base portion, and a first notch disposed at an intersection between the tab portion and the stem portion, and wherein the tab portion has a top-to-bottom length that is less than a heel-to-toe width.

2. The golf club face insert of claim 1, wherein the angle is between 45 degrees and 90 degrees.

3. The golf club face insert of claim 2, wherein the angle is between 50 degrees and 60 degrees.

4. The golf club face insert of claim 1, further comprising a second notch disposed at an intersection between the stem portion and the base portion.

5. The golf club face insert of claim 4, wherein the first notch extends into an interior surface of the hinge feature, and wherein the second notch extends into an exterior surface of the hinge feature.

6. The golf club face insert of claim 1, wherein the hinge feature has a minimum thickness of no less than 0.005 inch, and a maximum thickness of no more than 0.025 inch.

7. The golf club face insert of claim 1, wherein the length of the tab portion ranges from 0.020 inch to 0.075 inch.

8. The golf club face insert of claim 7, wherein the length of the tab portion ranges from 0.050 inch to 0.060 inch, and wherein the width of the tab portion is at least 1.5 times the length of the tab portion.

9. The golf club face insert of claim 1, wherein the tab portion is spaced from the base portion by a distance ranging from 0.030 inch to 0.060 inch.

10. The golf club face insert of claim 1, wherein the backing portion comprises at least one groove extending horizontally across the backing portion in a heel-to-toe direction, and wherein the groove is disposed above the tab portion of the at least one hinge feature.

11. The golf club face insert of claim 1, wherein the backing portion is composed of a polymeric material, and wherein the striking plate is composed of a metal material.

12. The golf club face insert of claim 11, wherein the backing portion is co-molded with the striking plate.

13. The golf club face insert of claim 1, wherein the at least one hinge feature comprises at least three hinge features aligned along a horizontal heel-to-toe axis, wherein each hinge feature is spaced from each adjacent hinge feature by a distance of 0.020 to 0.060 inch.

14. A golf club face insert comprising: a striking plate comprising a base portion, at least one hinge feature, and a first thickness, wherein the at least one hinge feature comprises a stem portion that extends from the base portion, a tab portion that is spaced from the base portion by the stem portion and extends from the stem portion approximately parallel to the base portion without making contact with the base portion, and a first notch disposed at an intersection between the tab portion and the stem portion, wherein the striking plate comprises at least one partially exposed through-hole, wherein the at least one partially exposed through-hole is at least partially disposed beneath the tab portion of the at least one hinge feature, and wherein the tab portion has a top-to-bottom length that is less than a heel-to-toe width.

15. A golf club face insert comprising: a striking plate comprising a base portion, at least one hinge feature, at least one through-hole, and a first average thickness; a backing portion comprising a front surface, at least one groove extending into the front surface in a heel-to-toe direction, and a second average thickness that is greater than the first average thickness, wherein the striking plate is embedded within the backing portion so that the backing portion at least partially covers the base portion and at least partially fills the at least one through-hole, wherein the at least one hinge feature comprises a stem portion that extends from the base portion and a tab portion that is spaced from the base portion by the stem portion and extends from the stem portion approximately parallel to the base portion without making contact with the base portion, and wherein the tab portion of the at least one hinge feature protrudes from the backing portion proximate a lower edge of the at least one groove.

16. The golf club face insert of claim 15, wherein the at least one groove comprises first and second grooves, wherein the first and second grooves extend parallel with one another, and wherein a plurality of hinge features are aligned in rows at the lower edges of each of the first and second grooves.

17. The golf club face insert of claim 15, wherein the at least one through-hole is at least partially disposed beneath the tab portion of the at least one hinge feature.

18. The golf club face insert of claim 15, wherein the backing portion is composed of a polymeric material, and wherein the striking plate is composed of a metal material.

19. The golf club face insert of claim 15, wherein the tab portion has a thickness of 0.010 to 0.040 inch, and wherein the at least one groove has a depth that is approximately equivalent to the thickness of the tab portion.

20. The golf club face insert of claim 15, wherein the at least one hinge portion comprises a notch disposed at an intersection between the tab portion and the stem portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a putter head sized to receive any of the face inserts of the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the putter head shown in FIG. 1 with a first embodiment of the face insert of the present invention.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the face insert shown in FIG. 2.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the face insert shown in FIG. 3.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a front plan view of a second embodiment of the face insert of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the face insert shown in FIG. 5.

[0017] FIG. 7 is a side plan view of the face insert shown in FIG. 3.

[0018] FIG. 8 is a side plan view of the striking plate shown in FIG. 3.

[0019] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 along lines 9-9.

[0020] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the circled portion of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9.

[0021] FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of the putter head shown in FIG. 1 with a third embodiment of the face insert of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of the putter head shown in FIG. 1 with a fourth embodiment of the face insert of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of the putter head shown in FIG. 1 with a fifth embodiment of the face insert of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 14 is a front perspective view of the putter head shown in FIG. 1 with a third embodiment of the face insert of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Each embodiment of the present invention is directed to a face insert 100 for a golf club head, preferably a putter head 10, which provides consistent ball speed and improved spin across the striking surface. FIG. 1 shows an exemplary putter head 10, which would benefit from any of the embodiments of the face insert 100 of the present invention. The putter head 10 preferably comprises a hosel 15, a face 20 with a recess 22 sized to receive the face insert 100 of the present invention, a heel side 30, a toe side 35, a sole portion 40, a top portion 45, and a rear portion 50 opposite the face 20. A coordinate system is defined by a y-axis extending in a heel-to-toe direction parallel with the face 20, a z-axis extending perpendicular to the y-axis from the sole portion 40 to the top portion 45, and an x-axis extending perpendicular to both the y- and z-axes from the face 20 to rear portion 50.

[0026] A first, preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 7-10, and a second, alternative embodiment is shown in FIGS. 4-5. In these embodiments, the face insert 100 comprises two parts: a backing portion 110 with a plurality of parallel grooves 115 extending along the y-axis in a heel-to-toe direction, and a thin striking plate 120 comprising a planar base portion 122 with a plurality of through-holes 124 and a plurality of hinge features 130.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 9-10, each hinge feature 130 comprises a stem portion 132 that is connected to, and extends at an angle 1 of 45-90 (most preferably approximately 57) away from, the base portion 122, and a tab portion 134 that is spaced from an inner surface 123 of the base portion 122 a distance D.sub.1 of 0.030 inch to 0.060 inch (most preferably approximately 0.40 inch) along the x-axis and extends away from the stem portion 132 and parallel with the base portion 122 along the z-axis. A first notch 136 extends into the inner surface 123 of the hinge feature 130 at the intersection between the stem portion 132 and the tab portion 134, and a second notch 138 extends into the outer surface 121 of the hinge feature 130 at the intersection between the base portion 122 and the stem portion 132. As shown in FIG. 10, each tab portion 134 preferably is disposed over a through-hole 124.

[0028] Each tab portion 134 has a top-to-bottom length L.sub.1 along the z-axis ranging from 0.020 to 0.075 inch, and more preferably approximately 0.047 inch, a heel-to-toe (y-axis) width W.sub.1 that is greater than L.sub.1, and more preferably at least 1.5 times L.sub.1, and a thickness T.sub.5 of 0.010 to 0.040 inch, more preferably approximately 0.020 inch. The base portion 122 of the striking plate 120 preferably has a thickness T.sub.3 of 0.005 to 0.030 inch, more preferably approximately 0.011 inch, and an average vertical length L.sub.3 along the z-axis of 0.100 to 0.200 inch, more preferably approximately 0.150 inch. The stem portion 132 has a thickness of T.sub.4 of 0.010 to 0.040, more preferably approximately 0.021 inch, and an average vertical length L.sub.2 along the z-axis of 0.025 to 0.075 inch, and more preferably approximately 0.056 inch.

[0029] FIGS. 9-10 illustrate how the striking plate 120 and backing portion 110 engage with one other, with the grooves 115 disposed above the tab portions 134 along the z-axis, and the backing portion 110 filling the through-holes 124 underneath the tab portions 134 in the striking plate 120. The backing portion 110 also covers the planar base portion 122 so that the upper surface 135 of each tab portion 134, and each of the grooves 115, is exposed and can connect with a golf ball. The stem portion 132 of each hinge feature 130 extends through the backing portion 110 proximate a lower edge 116 of a groove 115, so that the hinge features 130 are aligned with one another along the one or more grooves 115. Each of the grooves has a depth D.sub.2 that is at least as great as (or, in other embodiments, approximately equivalent to) the thickness T.sub.5 of the tab portion 134. As shown in FIGS. 2-3, the face insert 100 has six rows R.sub.1-6 of hinge features 130, the upper edges 131 of each of which align with a groove 115 in the backing portion 110. Each hinge feature 130 in a row R is preferably spaced from adjacent hinge features in the row by a distance of 0.010 to 0.075 inch, more preferably 0.020 to 0.060 inch.

[0030] When contacted by a golf ball, the tab portions 134 are compressed inwards towards the backing portion 110 and the base portion 122, and provide the face insert 100 with improved elasticity, improving the topspin imparted to the golf ball. The first and second notches 136, 138 improve the bending properties of the tab portions 134, allowing them to flex inwards and outwards more easily. The grooves 115 in the backing portion 110 also contribute to improved spin imparted to the golf ball.

[0031] In the preferred embodiment, the backing portion 110 has the same approximate, trapezoidal shape and z-axis length and y-axis width dimensions as the striking plate 120, while in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-5, the backing portion 110 has significantly larger z-axis length and y-axis width dimensions than the striking plate 120. In each of the embodiments, the backing portion 110 has a significantly larger thickness (measured along the x-axis) than that of the striking plate 120. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the striking plate 120 has an average thickness T.sub.2 that is less than 25% of the overall, average thickness T.sub.1 of the face insert 100. Each of the embodiments of the face inserts 100 disclosed herein preferably has at least five rows R.sub.1-5 of hinge features 130, with at least twenty-five hinge features 130 extending from the striking plate 120 and embedded within the backing portion 110.

[0032] As shown in the first and second embodiments herein, all of the hinge features 130 can be oriented such that each tab portion 134 extends away from the stem portion 132 along the z-axis towards the sole portion 40. This orientation can be altered, however, to control the spin imparted to a golf ball impacted at different locations on the face insert 100. For example, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 11-14, the face insert 100 has a middle section 140, a toe section 142, and a heel section 144, each with hinge features 130 having tab portions 134 that extend in different directions from the tab portions 134 disposed on a different section 140, 142, 144.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 11, the middle section 140 has a first set of hinge features with tab portions 134 extending toward the sole portion 40 along the z-axis, and each of the toe and heel sections 142, 144 have third and second sets, respectively, of hinge features with tab portions 134 extending parallel to the y axis towards the middle section 140. As shown in FIG. 12, the middle section 140 has a first set of hinge features with tab portions 134 extending along the z-axis toward the sole portion 40, the toe section 142 has a third set of hinge features with tab portions 134 extending parallel with the y-axis and toward the toe side 35 of the putter head, and the heel section 144 has a second set of hinge features with tab portions 134 extending parallel to the y-axis and toward the heel side 30 of the putter head. As shown in FIG. 13, the middle section 140 has a first set of hinge features with tab portions 134 extending toward a sole portion 40 along the z-axis, and the toe and heel sections 142, 144 have third and second sets, respectively, of tab portions 134 extending toward the middle section 140 at an angle 2 of 10-75, and more preferably 45, with the y-axis. As shown in FIG. 14, the middle section 140 has a first set of hinge features with tab portions 134 extending toward the sole portion along the z-axis, and the toe and heel sections 142, 144 have third and second sets, respectively, of hinge features with tab portions 134 extending away from the middle section 140 at an angle 3 of 10-75, and more preferably 45, with the y-axis. The angle between the tab portions 134 and the y-axis can change as the distance from a face center 25 increases. In still other, alternative embodiments, the vertical and/or horizontal spacing between the hinge features 130 may vary across the face insert 100, such that more hinge features 130 are located in regions on the face insert 100 where greater resilience is required for improved ball speed.

[0034] The striking plate 120 preferably is composed of a metal alloy material such as stainless steel, titanium alloy, or aluminum alloy, though it may be composed of a rigid polymer material in alternative embodiments. When the striking plate 120 is composed of a metal alloy, the hinge features 130 and through-holes 124 may be stamped, chemical etched, machined, and/or otherwise added to the striking plate 120 by any means known to a person skilled in the art. The backing portion 110 preferably is composed of a polymer such as urethane, and preferably is co-molded onto the striking plate 120 so that the polymer material can flow over portions of the striking plate 120, specifically the base portion 122, and into the through-holes 124 underneath the tab portions 134. In alternative embodiments, however, the backing portion 110 may be permanently attached to the striking plate 120 with an adhesive.

[0035] Though each of the face insert 100 embodiments disclosed herein are shown in connection with a putter head 10, these embodiments may be used with any other golf club head, including drivers, fairway woods, irons, wedges, and hybrids.

[0036] 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.