CN110051997B

CN110051997B - Golf club head with stress reduction feature

Info

Publication number: CN110051997B
Application number: CN201910084681.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: J·A·塞卢加; M·迈尔斯
Original assignee: Callaway Golf Co
Current assignee: Tuogo Lekalawei Brand Co
Priority date: 2016-02-23
Filing date: 2017-02-23
Publication date: 2021-02-19
Anticipated expiration: 2037-02-23
Also published as: GB2547800B; GB2559487A; CN107115642A; GB201702970D0; AU2017201153A1; GB2547800A; KR101859066B1; CN110051997A; AU2017201153B2; GB201800922D0; KR20170099387A; CN107115642B; GB2559487B

Abstract

A golf club head including a body and a plurality of stiffening members is disclosed. The body includes a face section, a sole section, and a crown section, and defines a hollow interior. Each of the plurality of stiffening members extends from the crown section to the sole section to reduce stress exerted on the face section during impact with a golf ball. The stiffening members are all positioned within 0.500 inches of the back surface of the face section measured along a plane perpendicular to the center of the face and within 1 inch of the center of the face section along a horizontal axis parallel to the face section.

Description

Golf club head with stress reduction feature

The present application is a divisional application of an invention patent application having an application date of 2017, 23/2, and an application number of "201710099455.7", entitled "golf club head with stress reduction feature".

Cross-reference to related applications this application is a partial continuation of U.S. patent application No. 14/997,199 filed on 15/1/2016, a partial continuation of U.S. patent application No. 14/788,326 filed on 30/6/2015, and a partial continuation of U.S. patent application No. 14/794,578 filed on 8/7/2015, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to golf club heads. More particularly, the present invention relates to a golf club head with stress reduction features connecting the crown portion with the sole portion and disposed proximate to the striking face section.

Background

The prior art discloses various golf club heads having internal structures. For example, U.S. patent No. 6852038 to Yabu, entitled Golf Club Head And Method of Making The Same, discloses a Golf Club Head with a firm Club (sound bar); U.S. patent No. 7118493 to gallaway, entitled Multiple Material Golf Club Head, discloses a Golf Club Head with a composite tail having an internal stiffening member (sound component) extending upwardly from a sole section of a metallic face member; U.S. patent No. 8834294 to Seluga et al, entitled Golf Club Head With Center Of Gravity adjustment, discloses a Golf Club Head With a tube having a mass for adjusting the CG Of the Golf Club Head; and U.S. patent No. 8900070 to Dawson et al, entitled Weighted Golf Club Head, discloses a Golf Club Head with an interior Weighted lip (weight lip) extending from the sole toward the face. However, the prior art does not disclose an internal structure that increases ball speed by reducing stress in the striking face section at impact, and the mass of the golf club head is minimally increased.

Disclosure of Invention

The golf club head includes an internal structure connecting the crown section to the sole section to reduce stress in the face section during impact with a golf ball. In some embodiments, the inner structure is a hollow tube or solid rod composed of a titanium alloy.

One aspect of the present invention is a golf club head that includes a body with a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a hollow interior. A plurality of stiffening members connect the crown to the sole and are disposed a distance of no more than 0.500 inches from the rear surface of the face (measured along a plane perpendicular to the center of the face). Each of the plurality of reinforcing members may be a hollow tube or a solid rod having any cross-sectional shape. The central stiffening member is located within 0.250 inches of the center of the face and each adjacent stiffening member is located within 1 inch of the center of the face.

Another aspect of the invention is a golf club head comprising: a body including a striking face section, a sole section, and a crown section, the body defining a hollow interior; and at least one stiffening member extending from the crown section to the sole section, wherein the striking face section includes a face center and a rear face surface facing the hollow interior, wherein the crown section includes at least one crown aperture, wherein the at least one crown aperture corresponds to the at least one stiffening member, and wherein the at least one stiffening member is positioned less than 0.500 inches from the rear surface along a vertical plane extending through the face center perpendicular to the striking face section. In some embodiments, the at least one reinforcing member may comprise at least a first reinforcing member, a second reinforcing member, and a third reinforcing member, each reinforcing member may comprise a structure selected from the group consisting of a solid cylindrical rod and a hollow tube. In further embodiments, the solid cylindrical rod may be constructed of a metallic material and the hollow tube may be constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of a composite material and a titanium alloy. In another further embodiment, the first stiffening member may be positioned no more than 0.250 inches from the center of the face along a horizontal axis extending parallel to the striking face section, and each of the second and third stiffening members may be positioned no more than 1 inch from the center of the face along the horizontal axis.

In other embodiments, the at least one stiffening member may be an elongated barrel including an upper portion, a lower portion, and a middle portion extending parallel to the striking face section. In some of these embodiments, the sole may include a sole aperture, which may correspond to a lower portion of the elongate barrel, and the crown aperture may correspond to an upper portion of the elongate barrel. In another of these embodiments, the central portion may be a hollow rectangular structure and the elongated barrel may be constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of composite materials and titanium alloys. In yet another embodiment, the middle portion may include at least two vertical rods extending between the upper and lower portions, and in another embodiment, the middle portion may further include at least two diagonal rods extending between the at least two vertical rods. In yet another embodiment, the middle portion may include at least two piston assemblies.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising: a body including a striking face section, a wand bottom section, and a top section, the body defining a hollow interior; and a plurality of stiffening members each extending from the top section to the stick bottom section, wherein the striking face section comprises a face center and a rear face surface facing the hollow interior, wherein the top section comprises a plurality of apertures, wherein each of the plurality of apertures corresponds to a stiffening member of the plurality of stiffening members, wherein the plurality of stiffening members comprises a first stiffening member, a second stiffening member, and a third stiffening member, and wherein the first stiffening member is positioned no more than 0.250 inches from the face center along a horizontal axis extending parallel to the striking face section. In some embodiments, each of the second stiffening member and the third stiffening member may be positioned no more than 1 inch from the center of the face along the horizontal axis. In another embodiment, at least one of the plurality of reinforcing members may be selected from the group consisting of a solid cylindrical rod and a hollow tube. In another embodiment, each of the plurality of stiffening members may be a solid cylindrical rod constructed of a metallic material, and each of the plurality of stiffening members may be positioned less than 0.500 inches from the rear face surface along a vertical plane extending through the face center perpendicular to the striking face section.

In some embodiments, the rod bottom section may include a plurality of projections extending into the hollow interior, and each of the plurality of projections may correspond to a stiffening member of the plurality of stiffening members. In other embodiments, each of the plurality of stiffening members may have a length in a range from 1 inch to 2.5 inches, and the body may have a volume in a range from 200 cubic centimeters to 475 cubic centimeters.

Having briefly described the present invention, the above and other objects, features, and advantages thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art from the following detailed description of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a first embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the golf club head shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top perspective view of the golf club head shown in fig. 1 with the crown section removed to illustrate the interior.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head shown in FIG. 3 along line 4-4.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head shown in FIG. 3 along line 5-5 without the tube.

Fig. 6 is another view of the embodiment shown in fig. 5.

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention with its striking face section removed.

FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of a third embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention with its striking face section removed.

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention with its striking face section removed.

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention with its striking face section removed.

Detailed Description

As shown in fig. 1-6, a preferred embodiment of a golf club head 10 of the present invention is generally designated. The golf club head 10 includes a body 20 having a sole section 22, a striking face section 30, a return section 32 extending away from an upper edge of the striking face section 30, a hosel 24 for engaging a shaft, a heel end 23, a toe end 25, an upper opening 26, a hollow interior 27, and a heel end 28. The crown section 40 includes a return section 32 and a crown insert 42, the crown insert 42 being placed over the upper opening 26 to enclose the hollow interior 27. Within the hollow interior 27, a plurality of reinforcing members 50 (preferably two to eight) extend upwardly from the base section 22 to the return section 32. In alternative embodiments, the reinforcing members 50 may instead extend to the crown insert 42, with the important thing being that the reinforcing members 50 connect the crown section 40 to the sole section 22.

As shown in fig. 3, the preferred embodiment has three reinforcing

members

50a, 50b, 50 c. In the preferred embodiment, each of the

reinforcement members

50a, 50b, 50c is a solid cylindrical rod constructed of a lightweight, strong metallic material, such as a titanium alloy or steel, although in alternative embodiments each of the

reinforcement members

50a, 50b, 50c may be a hollow tube made of a strong lightweight metal or composite material. In another embodiment, the golf club head 10 may include one or more stiffening members 50 of both solid and hollow tube types. In a preferred embodiment, each stiffening member 50 preferably has a diameter in the range of from 0.050 inches to 0.200 inches and a length in the range of 1 to 2.5 inches. If any reinforcing member 50 is a hollow tube, it preferably has a mass in the range of 0.5 grams to 3 grams, more preferably 1 gram to 2 grams, and most preferably 1.5 grams.

The return section 32 (or in an alternative embodiment, the crown insert 42) preferably includes a plurality of upper apertures 44. Each of the plurality of upper apertures 44 preferably corresponds to one of the reinforcement members 50. The bottom section 22 also includes a plurality of lower holes 46, each lower hole 46 leading to a projection 48 extending upwardly from the bottom section 22 into the hollow interior. Each of the plurality of projections 48 preferably corresponds to a stiffening member 50, the stiffening member 50 preferably being welded to the projections 48, but in an alternative embodiment it may be glued therein. Each of the plurality of reinforcing members 50 may be inserted into the main body 20 via the upper or

lower holes

44, 46.

In an alternative embodiment shown in fig. 7-10, the golf club head 10 has each of the elements of the preferred embodiment except that the return section 32 includes a single upper aperture 80 and the bottom section 22 includes a single lower aperture 85 positioned directly opposite the upper aperture 80. The

apertures

80, 85 are sized to receive an upper portion 92 and a lower portion 94, respectively, of an elongated barrel 90 having a reinforced middle portion 95, examples of which are shown in these figures. The elongated barrel 90 is preferably removable and may have locking features that reversibly attach the upper and

lower portions

92, 94 to the body 20, but in other embodiments it may be permanently attached to the golf club head 10 via welding or bonding.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, the middle portion 95 of the elongated cylinder 90 includes three piston assemblies 100, each piston assembly 100 having a shaft 102 and a tube 104 portion to allow compression of the elongated cylinder 90 when the golf club head 10 impacts a golf ball. When the elongate barrel 90 is placed in compression, the rod 102 is able to slide into the tube 104. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the middle portion 95 of the elongated barrel 90 includes a pair of

vertical rods

110, 112 extending between the upper portion 92 and the lower portion 94 and a pair of

diagonal rods

114, 116 extending between the

vertical rods

110, 112 and forming an "X" shape. The X-shaped structure provides additional support for the

vertical rods

110, 112 and thus the striking face section 30. In the embodiment shown in fig. 9, the central portion 95 of the elongated barrel 90 is a hollow rectangular box 120 constructed of one or more lightweight, strong materials such as carbon composite, steel, aluminum alloy, or titanium alloy.

The middle portion 95 need not be a unitary piece-it can be formed of two or more portions. For example, in the embodiment shown in fig. 10, the central portion 95 of the elongated barrel 90 includes four approximately rectangular braces (strut)130, 132, 134, 136. Each of the braces 130, 132, 134, 136 is formed from two pieces; four

upper brace portions

130a, 132a, 134a, 136a extending downwardly from the upper portion 92 of the elongated barrel 90, and four

lower brace portions

130b, 132b, 134b, 136b extending upwardly from the lower portion 94 of the elongated barrel 90. Each of the upper and

lower brace portions

130a, 130b, 132a, 132b, 134a, 134b, 136a, 136b includes a

mating structure

138a, 138b such that when the elongate barrel 90 is fully assembled, the portions can be securely clamped to one another. For example, in fig. 10, the upper mating structure 138a is a slot and the lower mating structure 138b is a hook sized to lock onto the slot. The

upper brace portions

130a, 132a, 134a, 136a are preferably integrally formed with the upper portion 92, and the

lower brace portions

130b, 132b, 134b, 136b are preferably integrally formed with the lower portion 94.

The elongated barrel 90 may be formed of one or more lightweight, strong materials, but preferably the upper and

lower portions

92, 94 are formed of the same material as the material of the body 20 of the golf club head 10, which may be steel or a titanium alloy. In any of the embodiments shown in fig. 7-10, the various features comprising the central portion 95 may be constructed of carbon composite, steel, titanium alloy, plastic, or other such materials.

As shown in fig. 4, in each of the embodiments disclosed herein, each stiffening member 50 or stiffening midsection 95 of elongated barrel 90 features a location less than 0.500 inches from the rear surface 36 of the striking face section 30 (measured along a vertical plane 60 extending through the face center 34 perpendicular to the striking face section 30). None of the reinforcing members 50 or any portion of the central portion 95 should be disposed outside of this 0.500 inch range. As shown in fig. 5, the centermost structure of the intermediate stiffening member 50b or mid-section 95 is preferably arranged to be within 0.250 inches (toe or heel) of the face center 34 along a horizontal Y-axis 70 extending parallel to the striking face section 30. The outer edges of the other two stiffening

members

50a, 50c or the middle portion 95 of the elongated barrel 90 are preferably each disposed within 1 inch (toe or heel) of the face center 34 along the Y-axis 70.

Positioning the stiffening member 50 or the mid-portion 95 of the elongated barrel 90 in the area of the golf club head 10 defined above and in fig. 4 and 5 has the greatest stress reduction effect on the golf club head 10. If any stiffening members 50 are placed greater than 0.500 inches or outside the range of 0.250/1 inch from the rear surface 36 of the striking face section 30, they will have no significant effect on the stresses placed on the striking face section 30 when the golf club head 10 is in use and use up any mass without producing a significant performance benefit.

In each of the embodiments disclosed herein, the golf club head 10 preferably has a face Characteristic Time (CT) that is close to, but does not exceed, the 257 microsecond ("μ S") limit set by the USGA.

In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, when the golf club head 10 is designed as a driver, it preferably has a volume of from 200 cubic centimeters to 600 cubic centimeters, more preferably from 300 cubic centimeters to 500 cubic centimeters, and most preferably from 420 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters, and most preferably the volume is 460 cubic centimeters. In a preferred embodiment, the golf club head 10 has a volume of approximately 450cc to 460 cc.

The volume of the golf club head 10 will also vary between fairway woods (preferably ranging from 3 to eleven) with a smaller volume than the driver. When designed as a driver, the golf club head 10 preferably has a mass of no more than 215 grams, and most preferably has a mass of 180 to 215 grams; when designed as a fairway wood, the golf club head 10 preferably has a mass of 135 grams to 200 grams, preferably from 140 grams to 165 grams.

In each of the embodiments disclosed herein, the striking Face section 30 preferably has a varying Thickness, such as described in U.S. patent No. 7448960 entitled Golf Club Head With Variable Face Thickness, the relevant portions of which are incorporated herein by reference. Other alternative embodiments Of the Thickness Of the Striking Face section 30 are disclosed in U.S. patent No. 6398666 entitled Golf Club Striking Plate With Variable Thickness, U.S. patent No. 6471603 entitled continuous Golf Club Face, and U.S. patent No. 6368234 entitled Golf Club Striking Plate With oval Thickness area, all owned by Callaway Golf, and the relevant portions thereof are hereby incorporated by reference. Alternatively, the striking face section 30 may have a uniform thickness.

In each of the embodiments disclosed herein, the body 20 is preferably cast from molten metal in a method such as the well-known lost wax casting method. The metal used for casting is preferably titanium or a titanium alloy, such as 6-4 titanium alloy, alpha-beta titanium alloy or beta titanium alloy for forging, and 6-4 titanium for casting. Alternatively, the body 20 is constructed of a 17-4 steel alloy. Additional methods for manufacturing the body 20 include forming the body 20 from flat sheet metal, superplastic forming the body from flat sheet metal, machining the body 20 from a solid block of metal, electrochemically grinding the body 20 from a wrought preform, casting the body using centrifugal casting, casting the body 20 using suspension casting, and similar manufacturing methods.

In other embodiments, the golf club head 10 may have a multi-material composition, such as any of those disclosed in U.S. patent nos. 6244976, 6332847, 6386990, 6406378, 6440008, 6471604, 6491592, 6527650, 6565452, 6575845, 6478692, 6582323, 6508978, 6592466, 6602149, 6607452, 6612398, 6663504, 6669578, 6739982, 6758763, 6860824, 6994637, 7025692, and so forth, 7070517, 7112148, 7118493, 7121957, 7128343, 7121957, 7125344, 7128661, 7163470, 7226366, 7252600, 7258631, 7314418, 7320646, 7387577, 7396296, 7402112, 7407448, 7413520, 7431667, 7438647, 7455598, 7476161, 7491134, 7497787, 7549935, 7578751, 7717807,7749096, and 7749097, the entire disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

From the foregoing, it is believed that those skilled in the relevant art will recognize advantageous advances in the invention and will readily understand that while the invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof and other embodiments illustrated in the drawings, many changes, modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which is not intended to be limited by the foregoing except as set forth in the following claims. Accordingly, the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined in the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body including a striking face section, a bottom section, an upper opening, and a return section extending away from an upper edge of the striking face section and located between the striking face section and the upper opening;

a crown insert placed over the upper opening to enclose a hollow interior;

at least one stiffening member extending from the return section to the bottom section,

wherein the striking face section includes a face center and a rear face surface facing the hollow interior,

wherein the return section comprises at least one return hole,

wherein the at least one return hole corresponds to the at least one reinforcing member, and

wherein all of the at least one stiffening member is positioned less than 13mm or 0.500 inches from the rear face surface along a vertical plane extending through the center of the face perpendicular to the striking face section.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one stiffening member comprises at least a first stiffening member, a second stiffening member, and a third stiffening member.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein one of the stiffening members comprises a solid cylindrical shaft.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 3, wherein the solid cylindrical shaft is composed of a metal material.

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein one of the stiffening members comprises a hollow tube.

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 5, wherein the hollow tube is constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of composite materials and titanium alloys.

7. A golf club head as defined in claim 2, wherein the at least one stiffening member is positioned no more than 6.5mm or 0.25 inches from the face center along a horizontal axis extending parallel to the striking face section.

8. A golf club head as defined in claim 7, wherein each of the second stiffening member and the third stiffening member is positioned no more than 25mm or 1 inch from the center of the face along the horizontal axis.

9. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one stiffening member is an elongated barrel comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, and a middle portion extending parallel to the striking face section.

10. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the bottom section comprises a bottom aperture, wherein the bottom aperture corresponds to the lower portion of the elongated barrel, and wherein the at least one return aperture corresponds to the upper portion of the elongated barrel.

11. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the mid portion is a hollow rectangular structure and wherein the elongated barrel is constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of composite materials and titanium alloys.

12. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the middle portion comprises at least two vertical rods extending between the upper portion and the lower portion.

13. A golf club head as defined in claim 12, wherein the mid portion comprises at least two diagonals extending between the at least two vertical rods.

14. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the mid portion comprises at least two piston assemblies.

15. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein all of the at least one stiffening member is positioned no more than 6.5mm or 0.25 inches from the face center along a horizontal axis extending parallel to the striking face section.

16. A golf club head as defined in claim 15, further comprising second and third stiffening members, all of each of the second and third stiffening members being located no more than 25mm or 1 inch from the center of the face along the horizontal axis.

17. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the at least one stiffening member has a length in a range from 25mm or 1 inch to 63mm or 2.5 inches.

18. A golf club head as defined in claim 15, wherein the body has a volume within a range from 200 cubic centimeters to 475 cubic centimeters.