JP2023093402A - golf club head - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a golf club head which includes a non-metal crown coupled to a frame extremely close to a face.SOLUTION: A golf club head may include: a body having a frame including a front body part having a shaft axis and a hosel part with a hosel bore regulating a shaft axis plane, a rearing part, a crown opening partially formed of the front body part and the rearing part, a face, and a sole; and a non-metal crown which is mounted on the frame, covers the crown opening, regulates an inner cavity, and has a crown leading edge.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 47

Description

[Cross reference to related applications]
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/894,523, filed Aug. 30, 2019, now U.S. Patent No. 11,219,803, Aug. 28, 2020. No. 17/547,519, filed December 10, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/292,708, filed Dec. 22, 2021, all of which are incorporated by reference as if fully written herein. is This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/894,523, filed Aug. 30, 2019, to U.S. Patent Application No. 17/006,561, filed Aug. 28, 2020. No. 17/547,519, filed Dec. 20, 2021, which is a continuation of No. 17/547,519, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

The present disclosure relates to golf clubs. More specifically, this disclosure relates to golf club alignment.

When a golf club head hits a golf ball, a force is seen on the club head at the point of impact. If the impact point coincides with the center face of the golf club head in an area of the club face typically called the sweet spot, the twisting or rolling effect of the force on the golf club is minimized. However, if the point of impact is not aligned with the centerface, eg, outside the sweet spot, the force can twist the golf club head around the centerface. This twisting of the golf club head causes the golf ball to acquire spin. For example, if a typical right-handed golfer hits the ball toward the toe of the club, this can cause the club to rotate clockwise when looking down from the top. This further causes the golf ball to rotate counter-clockwise, ultimately causing the golf ball to curve to the left. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the "gear effect".

Bulge and roll are generally golf club face properties used to compensate for this gear effect. The term "bulge" in golf clubs typically refers to the rounded characteristic of the golf club face from the heel to the toe of the club face.

The term "roll" in golf clubs typically refers to the rounded characteristic of the golf club face from the crown to the sole of the club face. When the club face hits the ball, the ball gets some backspin. Typically, this spin varies more for shots hit below the centerline of the clubface than for shots hit above the centerline of the clubface.

Golf club alignment features such as the golf club head topline are currently painted in an imprecise manner. To paint alignment features on a golf club head, a golf club head manufacturer typically applies a masking sticker that provides a guide in painting the alignment features. However, it is not easy to consistently apply and align masking stickers and other guides on the golf club head. Because the position of the masking sticker ultimately determines the shape and angle of the alignment feature, current manufacturing methods introduce variations between golf club heads manufactured to the same specification, resulting in poor product performance. Variation occurs.

Aspects of the present invention are directed to a golf club head comprising a body including a face, crown and sole that together define an internal cavity, the golf club body including heel and toe portions and a USGA center face. A coating depicting a transition between at least a first portion of the crown including mutually orthogonal x, y and z axes having an origin, the golf club head including an area of shade or color contrasting with the shade or color of the face. or with key alignment features including masking lines.

In some embodiments, a golf club head comprises a body having a face, a sole and a crown, the crown having a first portion having a first color or shade and a second portion having a second color or shade. wherein the face, crown and sole together define an internal cavity, the golf club body including heel and toe portions and mutually orthogonal x, y and z axes having an origin at the USGA centerface. and the golf club head includes a primary alignment including a paint or masking line that depicts the transition between an area of shade or color on the face and at least a first portion of the crown that includes an area of contrasting shade or color The club head also includes a first portion of the crown including an area of shade or color that contrasts with the shade or color of the face and an area of shade or color that contrasts with the shade or color of the first portion. with a secondary alignment feature including a paint or masking line that transitions between the second portion of the crown and the secondary alignment feature is from about 0.5 inch to about 1.7 inch It has a first elongated side having a length and second and third elongated sides extending rearwardly back from the face at an angle to the first elongated side.

In some embodiments, a golf club head comprises a body having a face, a crown and a sole that together define an internal cavity, the golf club body also having heel and toe portions, a portion of the crown having an electronic display. and the electronic display includes an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display for providing active color, the OLED display being divided into a plurality of independently operated electronic display zones.

In some embodiments, a golf club head comprises a body having a face, a crown and a sole that together define an internal cavity, the golf club body also having heel and toe portions, a portion of the crown, or A layer covering at least a portion of the crown of the golf club head is covered with a dielectric coating system.

In some embodiments, a golf club head is provided with a golf club body. A golf club body comprises a face, crown and sole that together define an internal cavity. The golf club body also includes mutually orthogonal x, y and z axes having heel and toe portions and origins at the USGA centerface. At least one of the sole, crown or face may be a composite material at least in part. The golf club head further includes a paint or masking line delineating a transition between at least a first portion of the crown including an area of shade or color that contrasts with the shade or color of the face and a CG _x of 0 to about -4 mm. with the main alignment features including The main alignment features are a Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA) of about -2 to about 10 degrees and a 25 mm target in the heel direction of about -5 to about 2 degrees. Adjusted perceived face angle (SAPFA25H) and 25 mm target in toe direction from 0 to about 9 degrees Adjusted perceived face angle (SAPFA25T) from about 2 to about 9 degrees for 50 mm toe directional target adjusted perceived face angle (SAPFA50T) and radius of curvature (circle fit) from about 300 to about 1000 mm.

In some embodiments, a scoreline is provided at a location on the face that corresponds to the center of gravity at a negative location with respect to the x-axis.

In some embodiments, the toe side roll contour is raised higher than the center face roll profile, the heel side roll profile is not raised higher than the center face roll profile, and the crown side bulge profile is raised higher than the center face roll profile. It is more open than the contour, and the bulge contour on the sole side is more closed than the bulge contour on the center face.

In some embodiments, the golf club body comprises a discretionary mass on the sole positioned at an angle to the hitting face, the discretionary mass along the negative side of the x-axis in the toe direction and Situated in the rearward direction along the positive side of the y-axis.

Several features and components in the following figures are shown to emphasize the general principles of this disclosure. Corresponding features and components throughout the figures may be designated by adapting reference numerals for consistency and clarity.

1 is a toe side view of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1B is a face-side view of the golf club head of FIG. 1A; FIG.

1B is a perspective view of the golf club head of FIG. 1A; FIG.

1B is a top view of the golf club head of FIG. 1A; FIG.

1 is a top view of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a top view of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a top view of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a top view of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a top view of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a top view of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a front view of a device used to measure a targeted perceived face angle in accordance with the present disclosure; FIG.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the laser and camera placement in a device used to measure a targeted perceived face angle in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a golf club head fixture in a 69 device used to measure a targeted perceived face angle in accordance with the present disclosure;

4 is a graph of variance in ball flight versus target adjusted perceived face angle for four clubs having alignment features according to the present disclosure;

1 is a top view of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a top view of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

Reference to the CIELAB color system.

1 is a side view from the toe side of a golf club head in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a side view from the heel side of a golf club head with the sole and crown insert removed in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a top view of a golf club head with a crown insert removed, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a top cross-sectional view of a front portion of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a bottom perspective view of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a bottom perspective view of a golf club head with two sole inserts removed according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a bottom perspective view from the heel side of a golf club head in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a perspective view from the toe side of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure providing elevation markers on the golf club head at various heights relative to the ground plane; FIG.

1 is a front view of a golf club according to one embodiment; FIG.

20b are exaggerated comparisons of the face surface contours as viewed from the heel side, taken along cross-sectional lines AA, BB and CC of FIG. 20a;

20b are exaggerated comparative views of face surface contours, viewed from the top, taken along cross-sectional lines DD, EE and FF of FIG. 20a;

1 is a front view of a golf club face with multiple measurement points and four quadrants; FIG.

FIG. 4B is an isometric view of an exemplary twist face surface plane;

FIG. 4B is a top view of an exemplary twist face plane.

FIG. 12 is an exemplary twisted face plane heel elevation view;

1 shows a front view of a golf club with a predetermined set of measurement points; FIG.

4 is a flowchart of a method according to one or more of the present embodiments;

1 is a top view of a golf club head having engineered alignment features, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a perspective view of a golf club head without a face insert attached, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a perspective view of a golf club head with a face insert attached according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

4 is a flowchart of a method according to one or more of the present embodiments;

1 is a cross-sectional view of a golf club head without a face insert attached, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a cross-sectional view of an upper lip of a golf club head without a face insert attached, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a lower lip of a golf club head without a face insert attached, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a top view of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a perspective view from the toe side of a golf club head without a face insert attached, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a perspective view from the heel side of a golf club head in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a perspective view of a portion of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a perspective view from the rear portion of a golf club head without a crown insert attached, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a view of a portion of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a view of a portion of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a view of a portion of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a view of a portion of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a view of a portion of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

1 is a perspective view from the toe side of two golf club heads, including one golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure and one golf club head according to a prior art club head; FIG.

It is a front view of a face insert.

Fig. 10 is a bottom perspective view of the face insert;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the heel portion of the face insert;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the toe portion of the face insert;

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the polymer layer of the face insert;

46-67 illustrate another exemplary golf club head, as follows.

1 is a front view of a club head; FIG.

FIG. 4 is a toe side view of the front portion of the club head;

FIG. 4 is a toe side view of the entire club head;

FIG. 4 is a heel side view of the club head;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the club head;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the club head;

From the heel side, the hosel area of the club head is shown.

From the front, the hosel area of the club head is shown.

4 is a cross-sectional view showing the toe portion of the club head from the heel side; FIG.

4 is a cross-sectional view showing the heel portion of the club head from the toe side; FIG.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the club head;

1 is a top view of the club head with the crown panel removed; FIG.

FIG. 4 is a heel side view of the club head with the crown and sole panels removed;

FIG. 4 is a toe side view of the club head with the crown and sole panels removed;

1 is a rear view of the club head with the crown and sole panels removed; FIG.

1 is a front view of a club head with a crown panel removed; FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upper front portion of the club head;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upper front portion of the body of the club head;

The toe side portion of the club head is shown with the crown panel removed.

4 shows the heel side portion of the club head with the crown panel removed.

The upper front toe portion of the body of the club head is shown.

The front heel portion of the body of the club head is shown.

The upper front toe portion of the body of the club head is shown.

The front heel portion of the body of the club head is shown.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upper front portion of the club head;

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper front portion of the club head;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upper front portion of the club head;

1 is a partial front view of a club head with a crown panel; FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partial front view of the club head with the crown panel removed;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the club head with the crown panel removed;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the club head with the crown panel removed;

1 is a cross-sectional view of a club head; FIG.

1 is a front view of a club head; FIG.

1 is a front view of a club head; FIG.

1 is a front view of a club head; FIG.

1 is a front view of a club head; FIG.

1 is a perspective view of a club head; FIG.

1 is a perspective view of a club head with a sole insert removed; FIG.

1 is a top view of the club head with the crown and faceplate removed; FIG.

1 is a front view of a club head with the crown and faceplate removed; FIG.

1 is a front view of a club head with the crown and faceplate removed; FIG.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the club head with the crown removed;

1 is a front view of the club head with the crown removed; FIG.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a club head; FIG.

4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the club head; FIG.

1 is a front view of a club head; FIG.

4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the club head; FIG.

4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the club head; FIG.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the crown;

1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of a club head; FIG.

Various golf clubs as well as golf club heads with alignment features are disclosed, along with related methods, systems, devices and various apparatus. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosed golf clubs and golf club heads are described in just a few exemplary embodiments of many. No specific term or description should be considered a limitation on the disclosure or the claims derived therefrom.

The sport of golf is full of many challenges. Game enjoyment is enhanced by addressing the need to hit the golf ball farther, straighter, and better. As one progresses in golf ability, the ability to compete in golf becomes a source of enjoyment. However, simply wanting to hit a golf ball straighter or farther is not enough. As with most things, skill increases with practice through repetition or instruction, as certain elements of the game become easier over time. However, it is also conceivable to improve a person's level of play through technology.

More technological advances in golf club design over the past few decades have emphasized the ability to hit the golf ball farther. Some of these developments include, among others, increased coefficient of restitution (COR), larger golf club heads, lighter golf club heads, graphite shafts for higher club speeds, and center of gravity manipulation to improve spin characteristics. is included. Other developments have addressed a golfer's shot-to-shot variability, including larger golf club heads, higher moments of inertia (MOI), variable face thicknesses to increase COR for off-center shots, and the like. rice field. Yet further developments address the golfer's consistent miss-hits (the most common miss-hits are slices), including, among others, loft and lie connecting sleeves that adjust face angle, movable weights, and slides. Weight technology and flight control technology (FCT) such as adjustable sole pieces (ASP) are included. Such techniques assist golfers in correcting consistent mistakes so that specific errors can be addressed.

As such, modern technology has done much to improve the golfer's experience and to tailor golf clubs to the needs of particular players. However, some methods are more effective than others at achieving desired play outcomes. For example, studies suggest that for a drive of about 280 yards, a 1 degree difference in face angle at impact can cause about 16 yards of lateral dispersion in the resulting shot. Similarly, with a movable weight, a change that moves the balance of the weight by 12 grams by about 50 mm can result in about 15 yards of lateral dispersion in the resulting shot. However, it is also understood that making changes to the lie angle of the golf club head affects the face angle, but to a much lesser extent. As such, the face angle alignment of the golf club head can be adjusted 0.1 degrees open or closed by simply increasing the lie angle by 1 degree. Therefore, for advanced players who are simply trying to adjust the ball flight, adjusting the lie angle may provide a much finer adjustment than adjusting the face angle. However, for many golfers, the slice (a shot that curves to the right for a right-handed golfer, as understood in the art) is the primary mistake, and correction of such shots is critical to the enjoyment of the game. Most important.

One of the major challenges in the game of golf concerns the difference between perception and reality. Golf involves psychological challenges, and as a player's confidence wanes, so too often does their ability to execute a particular shot. Similarly, a player's own perception of the swing or game may differ significantly from reality. Some techniques may help address player perceptions and help understand their misconceptions. For example, the technology disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8,771,095, entitled "CONTRAST-ENHANCED GOLF CLUB HEADS," by Beach et al. Rather, it provides the player with a clearer understanding of his alignment and may improve the player's ability to repeat his shots. However, it may be more useful to provide those players with a way to deal with the misunderstanding and a way to correct it.

We hereby unexpectedly find that all or part of the interface region between the areas of contrasting shades or colors on the crown of the club head and the face of the club head and/or the Alignment features, including all or part of the interface region between multiple areas of contrasting shading or color in different portions, may affect not only the actual alignment of the club head during a shot by the golfer, but also the perceived alignment of the club head by the golfer. We have found that by also taking into account alignment corrections, we can improve performance in the resulting club. One example of a combination of contrasting colors or shades is, for example, black or metallic gray or silver, contrasting with white, but which, at a minimum, provides a "clearly noticeable difference" to the human eye. Other combinations are also included.

A "distinctly noticeable difference" in terms of golf club head color is somewhat subjective based on individual vision, but one scale or axis of luminance (lightness) (L), green (- A three-dimensional system that defines a color space in terms of three channels or scales: the 'a' axis extending from a) to red (+a) and the 'b' axis extending from blue (-b) to yellow (+b) , can be quantified with reference to the CIELAB color system. This three-dimensional axis is shown in FIG.

（Ｌ^＊ _１、ａ^＊ _１およびｂ^＊ _１）と（Ｌ^＊ _２、ａ^＊ _２およびｂ^＊ _２）は、Ｌ、ａ、ｂ空間における２つの色を表し、ΔＥ^＊ _ａｂ＝２．３は、ＣＩＥ１５．２－１９８６において説明されるように、（屋外の日中の光と同様の）基準光源Ｄ６５を使用する光源条件下で「はっきりと顕著な違い」に対する閾値を設定する。 The color difference between two colors can then be quantified using the following formula.

(L ^* ₁ , a ^* ₁ and b ^* ₁ ) and (L ^* ₂ , a ^* ₂ and b ^* ₂ ) represent two colors in the L, a, b space, and ΔE ^* _ab = 2.3 is , CIE 15.2-1986, sets the threshold for "clearly noticeable difference" under lighting conditions using a reference illuminant D65 (similar to outdoor daylight).

Thus, for the alignment features of the golf clubs of the present invention, the contrasting color difference, ΔE ^* _ab , is greater than 2.3, preferably greater than 10, more preferably greater than 20, and even more preferably is greater than 40, even more preferably greater than 60.

For general reference, reference is made to golf club head 100 with reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D. One embodiment of a golf club head 100 is disclosed and described with reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D. 1A, golf club head 100 includes face 110, crown 120, sole 130, skirt 140 and hosel 150. As shown in FIG. The majority of golf club head 100 that does not include face 110 is considered a golf club body for the purposes of this disclosure.

The metal wood club head 100 occupies a volume equal to the volumetric displacement of the club head 100, typically measured in cubic centimeters ( ^cm3 ), assuming any opening is sealed by a substantially flat surface. have. (See United States Golf Association, Procedure for Measuring Club Head Size for Wood Clubs, Nov. 21, 2003, Revision 1.0.) In other words, a golf club head with one or more weight ports in the head. In this case, the weight ports are assumed to be absent or "covered" by some fictitious surface so that club head volume is not affected by the presence or absence of ports. In some embodiments, golf club heads herein can be configured to have a head volume of between about 110 cm ³ and about 600 cm ³ . In more specific embodiments, the head volume is between about 130 cm ³ and about 280 cm ³ , or between about 250 cm ³ and about 500 cm ³ . In even more specific embodiments, the head volume is between about 300 cm ³ and about 500 cm ³ , between about 300 cm ³ and about 360 cm ³ , between about 360 cm ³ and about 420 cm ³ , between about 390 cm ³ and about 500 cm ³ . between, or between about 420 cm ³ and about 500 cm ³ . In some embodiments, the head volume is between about 370 cm ³ and about 500 cm ³ .

For drivers, the golf club head has a volume between approximately 300 cm ³ and approximately 460 cm ³ and a total mass between approximately 145 g and approximately 245 g. For fairway woods, the golf club head 10 has a volume between approximately 100 cm ³ and approximately 250 cm ³ and a total mass between approximately 145 g and approximately 260 g. For utility or hybrid clubs, the golf club head 10 has a volume between approximately 60 cm ³ and approximately 150 cm ³ and a total mass between approximately 145 g and approximately 280 g.

A three-dimensional reference coordinate system 200 is shown. The origin 205 of the coordinate system 200 is located at the center of the face (CF) of the golf club head 100, also referred to as the face center and/or center face (CF). A technique for measuring the center of the hitting face of a golf club is described in U.S.A. S. G. A. See "Golf Club Head Flexibility Measurement Procedure," Revision 2.0, March 25, 2005. Coordinate system 200 has z-axis 206, y-axis 207 and x-axis 208 (as shown in FIG. 1B). Each axis 206,207,208 is orthogonal to each other's axis 206,207,208. The x-axis 208 is tangential to the face 110 and parallel to the ground plane (GP). Golf club head 100 includes a leading edge 170 and a trailing edge 180 . For the purposes of this disclosure, leading edge 170 is defined by a curved line, which is defined by a series of forward-most points, each of which lies in the plane formed by y-axis 207 and z-axis 206. is defined as the forward-most point on golf club head 100 measured parallel to y-axis 207 for any cross-section taken parallel to . Face 110 may include grooves or scorelines in various embodiments. In various embodiments, the leading edge 170 may also be the edge where the curvature of a particular cross-section of the golf club head substantially deviates from the roll and bulge radii.

As can be seen with reference to FIG. 1B, the x-axis 208 is parallel to the GP where the golf club head 100 can be properly solened so that the sole 130 contacts the GP at the desired placement of the golf club head 100. are placed. The y-axis 207 is also parallel to the GP and orthogonal to the x-axis 208 . The z-axis 206 is orthogonal to the x-axis 208, y-axis 207 and GP. Golf club head 100 includes toe 185 and heel 190 . Golf club head 100 includes a shaft axis (SA) defined along the axis of hosel 150 . When assembled as a golf club, golf club head 100 is connected to a golf club shaft (not shown). Typically, the golf club shaft is inserted into shaft bore 245 defined within hosel 150 . As such, the placement of the SA relative to the golf club head 100 can define how the golf club head 100 is used. SA is aligned at an angle 198 to GP. Angle 198 (LA) is known in the art as the lie angle (LA) of golf club head 100 . The SA and GP ground plane intersection points (GPIP) are shown for reference. In various embodiments, the GPIP may be used as a point of reference from which features of the golf club head 100 are measured or referenced. As shown with reference to FIG. 1A, the SA is located far from the origin 205 so that in this embodiment the SA does not directly intersect the origin or any of the axes 206,207,208. In various embodiments, SA may be positioned to intersect at least one axis 206, 207, 208 and/or origin 205. FIG. A z-axis ground plane intersection point 212 may be referred to as the point where the z-axis intersects the GP. The top view seen in FIG. 1D shows another view of golf club head 100 . A shaft bore 245 can be seen defined within the hosel 150 .

Referring back to FIG. 1A, crown height 162 is measured and shown as the height from GP to the highest point of crown 120 measured parallel to z-axis 206 . Golf club head 100 also has an effective face height 163 , which is the height of face 110 measured parallel to z-axis 206 . Effective face height 163 measures from the highest point on face 110 to the lowest point on face 110 proximate leading edge 170 . There is a transition between crown 120 and face 110 such that the highest point on face 110 may differ slightly from embodiment to embodiment. In this embodiment, the highest point on face 110 and the lowest point on face 110 are the points at which the curvature of face 110 substantially deviates from the roll radius. In some embodiments, the deviation that characterizes such points may be a 10% change in radius of curvature. In various embodiments, effective face height 163 may be 2-7 mm lower than crown height 162 . In various embodiments, the effective face height 163 may be 2-12 mm lower than the crown height 162. Effective face position height 164 is the height from GP to the lowest point on face 110 measured in the direction of z-axis 206 . In various embodiments, effective face position height 164 may be 2-6 mm. In various embodiments, effective face position height 164 may be 0-10 mm. Distance 177 of golf club head 100 measured in the direction of y-axis 207 can also be seen with reference to FIG. 1A. Distance 177 is a measure of the length from leading edge 170 to trailing edge 180 . In various embodiments, distance 177 may depend on the loft of the golf club head.

For the purposes of this disclosure, the portions and references disclosed above will remain consistent throughout the various embodiments of this disclosure unless changed. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that references relating to one embodiment may be included in various other embodiments.

As seen with reference to FIG. 2, golf club head 500 includes painted crown 120 and unpainted face 110 . A painted or otherwise contrastable crown is disclosed in US Patent entitled "CONTRAST-ENHANCED GOLF CLUB HEADS" filed March 18, 2011 by Beach et al. to provide alignment aids to golfers. It has been utilized as described in US Pat. No. 8,771,095. Typically, golfers use the crown-to-face transition or topline to align the club with the desired direction of the target line. The topline transition is delineated by a masking line between the painted crown and the unpainted face. While such features may have been described to some extent, the use of alignment biasing features has not been considered in the art. A person of ordinary skill in the art can use the golf club head 500 of the present embodiment in U.S. Pat. It will be appreciated that the high contrast described in can be beneficial in enhancing various alignment features. As such, the disclosure is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

For reference, the face angle tangent 505 is seen in FIG. Face angle tangent 505 indicates a tangent line to center face 205 . The face angle tangent 505 in this embodiment coincides with the x-axis 206 (see earlier figures). A top tangent 510 is also seen in FIG. In this embodiment, top tangent 510 is the line formed tangent to the top of face 110, which in this embodiment coincides with the paint line at the joint between face 110 and crown 120. Because. The top tangent 510 in some embodiments of the present disclosure follows the contours of various paint lines on the crown 120, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that the top tangent 510 does not necessarily match the tangent to the face 110. be. However, in this embodiment, top tangent 510 is parallel to face angle tangent 505 . As such, the crown 120 coating can be described as appearing square to the face angle.

The purpose of emphasizing such features of golf club head 500 is to provide a basis for the discussion of alignment with respect to this disclosure. Through multiple variations of the alignment pattern, it may be possible to influence the golfer to modify his play because he sees misalignment. If the player perceives the golf club head such that the face is open with reference to the target of interest, they will likely attempt to "square" the face by manually closing it. Many golfers do not want to perceive metal wood golf club heads as closed, as it is difficult to modify their appearance. However, even if such a player perceives the metal wood head to be closed, such perception does not mean that the golf club head is consistent with the closed position relative to the intended target.

As can be seen with reference to FIG. 3 , golf club head 600 has a head geometry similar to golf club head 500 . However, golf club head 600 has features that change the perceived angle of face 110 for the user. In this embodiment, the top tangent aligned at angle 615 to the face angle tangent 505 such that the perceived angle of the face (perceived face angle, PFA) differs from the actual alignment of the face angle tangent 505 610. In this embodiment, angle 615 is approximately 4 degrees. In various embodiments, angle 615 may be between 2 and 6 degrees. In various embodiments, angle 615 may be less than 7 degrees. In various embodiments, angle 615 may be between 5 and 10 degrees. In various embodiments, angle 615 may be less than 12 degrees. In various embodiments, angle 615 may be up to 15 degrees. As shown with respect to top tangent 610, top tangent 610 is the contrasting painting of crown 120 drawn by the masking line between the painted crown and the unpainted face relative to the color or shade of face 110. Or in the shading area, an indicator of edge alignment, a line tangent to the edge 614 at the point 612 where the edge 614 of the contrasting crown paint or crown shading intersects a line parallel to the y-axis 207 .

In various embodiments, the perceived angle may be determined by finding a linear best-fit line of various points. For such an approximation, the perceived angular tangent is the best fit point on edge 614 at multiple coordinates of x-axis 208 coinciding with center face 205, point 612, points ±5 mm of CF 205 (points 622a,b ), the CF 205 ±10 mm points (points 624a, b), the CF 205 ±15 mm points (points 626a, b), and the CF 205 ±20 mm points (points 628a, b). Therefore, nine points along edge 614 are defined for the best fit of top tangent 610 . In this embodiment, the perceived angular tangent is the same as the top tangent 610 .

Such a method for determining the perceived angular tangent, however, is such that the edge 614 of the area of paint or shading on the crown 120 that contrasts with the color or shading of the face 110 is not along the toe and heel portions. It is most useful when the slab contains reliefs of different radii. In one such embodiment, a line tangent to edge 614 at point 612 may not be sufficiently representative of the alignment appearance of golf club head 600 . One such example can be seen with reference to FIG.

As seen in FIG. 4, the golf club head 700 includes an edge 714 of an area of paint or shading on the crown 120 that contrasts with the color or shading on the face 110, which is more toe-straight than the previous embodiment. Closer to 185 is aggressively rounded. As such, line 711 literally tangent to edge 714 at point 712 coinciding with y-axis 207 may not fully explain its perception. Such a line would be the top tangent 710 . However, as previously noted with reference to golf club head 600, points 712, 722a,b, 724a,b, 726a,b and 728a,b are perceived to be greater than angle 715 of top tangent 710. can be used to form a best-fit line 730 that aligns with the angle 735 that In various embodiments, perceived angle 735 may be within or above the increments of angle 615, or up to 20 degrees in various embodiments. In most embodiments, the perceived angle 735 may be 8 to 10 degrees. In various embodiments, the perceived angle 735 may be 9 to 10 degrees. In various embodiments, the perceived angle 735 may be between 7 and 11 degrees. In various embodiments, the perceived angle 735 may be between 7 and 8.5 degrees. In various embodiments, alignment may be affected by including alignment features that do not call edges, such as edges 614 , 714 . As seen with reference to FIG. 5, various embodiments of the alignment features may be face angle suggestions, thus providing the golfer with the appearance of alignment without altering the paint line.

As seen in FIG. 5, golf club head 800 includes alignment features 805 . Alignment feature 805 of this embodiment includes at least one elongated side 807, and in this embodiment two elongated sides 807a and 807b. Alignment feature 805 in this embodiment also includes two additional sides 808a and 808b. As can be seen, alignment features 805 are positioned such that at least one elongated side 807 is aligned substantially parallel to the x-axis. As such, a golfer can use alignment feature 805 by aligning the direction of elongated side 807 in an orientation that is approximately perpendicular to the target of interest. Alignment feature 805 has a length 847 measured parallel to x-axis 208 . In this embodiment, length 847 is approximately the diameter of a golf ball, or approximately 1.7 inches. However, in various embodiments, length 847 is 0.5 inch, 0.75 inch, 1 inch, 1.25 inch, 1.5 inch, 1.75 inch, 2 inch, 2.25 inch, 2 .5 inches, or various lengths contained therein. If the length 847 of dominant elongated side 807a or 807b is less than about 0.3 inches, the impact of alignment feature 805 in biasing the golfer's perception is substantially reduced.

However, with sufficient use, alignment feature 805 can become the golfer's primary focus of attention, so by modifying the placement of alignment feature 805 with respect to x-axis 208 (which coincides with face angle tangent 505), , the golfer can bias his shots and thereby modify his results.

As seen with reference to FIG. 6, golf club head 900 includes alignment features 905 . Alignment feature 905 of this embodiment includes one elongated side 907 a on one side of alignment feature 905 , proximate face 110 . Alignment feature 905 includes several potential rear portions. In one embodiment, golf club head 900, similar to golf club head 800, includes an alignment feature 905 that includes a potential second elongated side 907b. In another embodiment, an extended rear portion 907c may also be included on elongated side 907b or may be included separately therefrom. In this embodiment, elongated side 907b is oriented at an angle 915 to face angle tangent 505 .

For embodiments that include a second elongated side 907b, the second elongated side 907b is substantially parallel to the elongated side 907a. As such, this embodiment is similar to golf club head 800 but oriented at angle 915 . With the extended rear portion 907c, the orientation of such an embodiment may appear less oblique and, as a result, may be more effective in altering the golfer's perception of club alignment. A vertical reference line 918 is seen as a reference perpendicular to the elongated side 907a. A vertical reference line 918 intersects the elongated side 907a at a point 919 that bisects the elongated side 907a. In addition, vertical reference line 918 intersects x-axis 208 at intersection 921 in the heel direction of centerface 205 . In this embodiment, the intersection point 921 is in the heel direction of the center face 205 by about 2 mm. In various embodiments, intersection point 921 may be approximately the same as center face 205 . In various embodiments, intersection point 921 may be up to 2 mm heel direction of center face 205 . In various embodiments, intersection point 921 may be up to 5 mm heel direction of center face 205 . In various embodiments, the intersection point 921 may be somewhat in the toe direction of the center face 205 . In various embodiments, intersection point 921 may be at ±2 mm of center face 205 .

Another embodiment of golf club head 1100 , shown in FIG. 7, includes alignment features 1105 . Alignment features include a first elongated side 1107a and a second elongated side 1107b. However, in this embodiment, first elongated side 1107 a is substantially parallel to face angle tangent 505 and x-axis 208 . However, the second elongated side 1107b is oriented at an angle 1115 to the face angle tangent 505 such that the golfer's perception of alignment can be altered.

The preferred method for measuring the perceived face angle observed by golfers is also that most golfers have a dominant left eye and when addressing the ball with the club head, the angle between the left eye and the center face is A direct line of is actually across the topline heel direction of the center face, thus alignment features including the edge of the area of paint or shading on the crown 120 that contrasts against the color or shading on the face 110 are not visible to the golfer. It takes into account the fact that it will have the greatest impact on the perception of the face angle of the This perceived face angle is therefore called the Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA) and is measured.

The apparatus used is shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C and includes a frame holding fixture 1205 for holding golf club shaft 1207 and attached golf club head 1209 in alignment at a 45 degree lie angle. 1203. The face of golf club head 1209 is also set to a 0 degree face angle using face angle gauge 1211 . The face angle gauge may be any commonly used in the industry, such as the De la Cruz face angle gauge. After setting the loft and lie angle, the club is clamped in the fixture using screw clamps 1213 . Frame 1203 also provides mounting points for mounting two cameras 1217 and 1219 and a Calpac Laser CP-TIM-230-9-1L-635 (Fine/Precise Red Line Laser Diode Module Class ii: 1mW/635nm) 1221. 1215. The center of the lens of camera 1219, as the origin, is measured using the procedure in the U.S.G.A. Using the x, y and z axes previously defined with the USGA Center Face, the z, y and z coordinates are positioned (i.e. 766 mm, 149 mm, 1411 mm), where the x coordinate positive The side represents the position of the center face in the heel direction, the positive y coordinate represents the position of the center face in the rear direction, and the positive z coordinate represents the position above the center face. A laser is positioned between the two cameras.

As shown in FIG. 8C, the laser produces a line 1223 with an axis parallel to the camera axis, along the y-axis adjusted so that the line intersects the USGA centerface 1225. project. Then the point 1227 where the line intersects the edge of the area of paint or shading on crown 120 that contrasts with the color or shading on face 110, which in this case corresponds to the white paint line on crown 1229, is marked using a marker. are physically marked on the paint line and serve as data or reference points. The camera is then activated to take an image of the club head including data or reference points 1227 and paint lines 1229 .

The image from the camera can then be an image analyzer software package (any recognized in the art that allows importing an image, and a curve fitting function is used to draw the lines into the image). can be adapted). A best fit line for the paint line is then determined. For most embodiments, the best fit for the paint line results from fitting the line to a quadratic equation of the form y=ax ² +bx+c. Two points are then selected at arc lengths between +/- 0.25 mm from the data points to this best-fit line. A straight line is then drawn between the two points and a line perpendicular to this line is drawn through the data. The Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA) is then measured as the angle between that vertical line and the y-axis.

Using this method, the Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA) of the golf clubs of the present invention may range from -2 degrees to 10 degrees, preferably 0 degrees. degree to 6 degrees, more preferably 0.5 degrees to 4 degrees, even more preferably 1 degree to 2.5 degrees, most preferably 1.5 degrees from 2 degrees.

[several examples]

Using four identical club heads, varying the paint line edge in areas of paint or shading on the crown 120 that contrasts with the color or shading on the face 110 yields a target-adjusted perceived face angle (SAPFA ) was measured.

In addition to the target adjusted perceived face angle (SAPFA), four additional measurements were taken to account for the paint line edge alignment characteristics of the four clubs and these values are summarized in Table 1. there is

In addition to the SAPFA, three additional angles were measured at different points measured from the data along the best fit line to the paint line edge alignment feature determined for the SAPFA. The first angle was taken at a point along the best-fit line at an arc length of 25 mm in the heel direction of the data. Again for SAPFA measurements, two points in arc length between +/−0.25 mm from the 25 mm point were selected. A straight line is then drawn between these two points and a line perpendicular to this line at the 25 mm point. The angle between the vertical line and the y-axis is then measured. This angle is reported as the perceived face angle (“SAPFA _25H ”) targeted 25 mm in the heel direction.

A second angle was taken at a point along the best-fit line at an arc length of 25 mm in the toe direction of the data. Again for SAPFA measurements, two points in arc length between +/−0.25 mm from the 25 mm point were selected. A straight line is then drawn between the two points and a line perpendicular to this line at the 25 mm point. The angle between the vertical line and the y-axis is then measured. This angle is reported as the perceived face angle ("SAPFA _25T ") targeted 25 mm in the toe direction.

In addition, to capture any effect of making the paint line edge alignment feature more rounded toward the toe of the golf club head, a third angle was set at 50 mm arc length in the toe direction of the data at the best fit line Acquired at points along Again for SAPFA measurements, two points in arc length between +/−0.25 mm from the 25 mm point were selected. A straight line is then drawn between the two points and a line perpendicular to this line at the 50 mm point. The angle between the vertical line and the y-axis is then measured. This angle is reported as the target-adjusted perceived face angle of 50 mm toe ("SAPFA _50T ").

Finally, in an attempt to describe the details of the paint line edge alignment feature, the image of the paint line edge alignment feature imported into the image analyzer for the SAPFA measurements was also expressed by the formula (x−a) ² +(y−b ) ² =r ² and the radius of curvature of this circular fit line is determined and reported in Table 1 as radius of curvature (circle fit).

Each club was then hit 6 to 12 times by 10 different players into a blank screen, with no trajectory or other feedback available to the players, using a Trackman3e launch monitor and TPS software package. , total positive variance indicating yards to the right of the center target line, and negative total variance indicating yards to the left of the center target line. Thus, a player who tends to slice the ball, i.e., to produce a ball flight to the right of the target line, will produce a shot closer to the target line if the golf club tends to produce a more negative variance. would have been supported to do so.

The graph of FIG. 9 plots the Target Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA) against the average total variance for each club for 6-12 hits by each player. The data show the target adjusted perceived face angle (SAPFA) of the golf club from -0.88 degrees, through 0.5 degrees, through 3.34 degrees, 5. Adjusting the edge of the area of the crown paint or shading to contrast with the face color or shading to align to 55 degrees results in an edge from 8.6 yards to the right of the target line and 24.5 yards to the left of the target line. To effect an overall change in total variance of 2 yards, i.e. an absolute change in total variance of 32.8 yards from the same clubhead by simply manipulating the appearance of the paint line with the main alignment features. It shows that significant changes will be brought about.

The golf club head of the present invention has an angle of about -2 degrees to about 10 degrees, preferably about 0 degrees to about 6 degrees, more preferably about 0.5 degrees to about 4 degrees, and even more preferably about 1 degree. Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA) of from about 2.5 degrees, most preferably from about 1.5 degrees to about 2 degrees.

The golf club head of the present invention also has a heel direction of 25 mm from about -5 degrees to about 2 degrees, more preferably from about -3 degrees to 0 degrees, even more preferably from about -2 degrees to about -1 degrees. It has a target adjusted perceived face angle (“SAPFA _25H ”).

The golf club head of the present invention also has a 25 mm target adjustment in the toe direction of 0 degrees to about 9 degrees, more preferably about 1 degree to about 4.5 degrees, even more preferably about 2 degrees to about 4 degrees. has a perceived face angle (“SAPFA _25T ”).

The golf club head of the present invention also has a 50 mm target in the toe direction of about 2 degrees to about 9 degrees, more preferably about 3.5 degrees to about 8 degrees, even more preferably about 4 degrees to about 7 degrees. It has an adjusted perceived face angle ("SAPFA _50T ").

The golf club heads of the present invention also have a radius of curvature (circle fit) of from about 300 mm to about 1000 mm, more preferably from about 400 mm to about 900 mm, even more preferably from about 500 mm to about 775 mm.

In other embodiments, in addition to having the first or primary alignment feature described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-4, the golf club head also has a It may have secondary or secondary alignment features, including the alignment features previously described.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, a golf club head 1400 of the present invention has a first portion having a first color or shade and a second portion having a second color or shade. and edge 1402 of the area of paint or shading on the first portion of crown 120 that contrasts with the color or shading of face 110 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and described above. Features can be provided. Further, the club head has a first portion of the crown proximate to the face but rearward of the primary alignment feature and having an area of shade or color contrasting with the shade or color of the face; A secondary alignment feature 1404, drawn by a second painting or masking line that depicts the transition between the shade or color of the portion of the crown and a second portion of the crown having a contrasting shade or color area. Prepare. Secondary alignment features include an elongated side 1406 having a length of about 0.5 inches to about 1.7 inches and a rearward edge of the elongated side 1406 from the face and at an angle to the elongated side 1406 . It has second and third elongated sides 1408a and 1408b extending in a direction.

Target adjusted perceived face angle secondary alignment features ("SAPFA _SAF ") of secondary alignment features comprising elongated side 1406 and second and third elongated sides 1408a and 1408b are , may be measured by importing an image of the club head obtained by measurements for SAPFA. As shown in FIG. 10B, points 1410b and 1410a, which are the innermost ends of radial connecting lines 1408b and 1408a with elongated side 1406, are selected. A best-fit quadratic line is then fit to the secondary alignment features between points 1410a and 1410b, and data 1412 is determined as the center point along the arc-length of the best-fit line, and again with respect to SAPFA measurements. Two points at arc lengths between +/- 0.25 mm were selected. A straight line is then drawn between these two points and a line in the data perpendicular to this line. Then measure the target-adjusted perceived face angle secondary alignment feature ("SAPFA _SAF ") as the angle between this vertical line and the y-axis.

In some embodiments, the golf club head of the present invention also has an angle of about -2 degrees to about 6 degrees, more preferably 0 degrees to about 5 degrees, even more preferably about 1.5 degrees to about 4 degrees. , with a target-adjusted perceived face angle secondary alignment feature (“SAPFA _SAF ”).

The primary and secondary alignment features described herein are typically paint lines that demarcate the edges of areas of contrasting crown paint or shading with respect to face color or shading. take advantage of Preferably, the contrasting colors are white in the crown area and black in the face area. Typically, the painting or shading of a golf club head is performed during manufacture and is therefore fixed for the life of the club unless additional painting is performed after purchase by the owner. It would be highly beneficial if the user could adjust the profile of the alignment features using a simple method that could adjust the face angle perceived by the user in response to the ball pointing trends observed by the golfer on any given day. would be advantageous.

In some embodiments of the golf club head of the present invention, the crown comprises a rotatable or otherwise movable portion, one side of which has a crown contrasting with respect to the color or shading of the face. A desired Perceived Face Angle, PFA, and/or a Target Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (PFA) that has a painted or tinted area edge or produces a desired ball flight. Angle (SAPFA)), and/or a second portion of the crown that can be rotated or translated sufficiently to provide a target-adjusted perceived face angle secondary alignment feature ("SAPFA _SAF "). have a color or shade of The movable part of the crown is loosened to allow rotation or movement and then held in place by a fastening device such as a screw or bolt that is tightened after adjustment to fix the position of the crown.

In addition to the portion of the crown that is movable, other embodiments have a movable layer or cover on the top of the crown, one side of which is contrasting with the color or shade of the face. the edge of the painted or shaded area of the crown, or the desired perceived face angle PFA and/or the target adjusted perceived face angle (SAPFA), and or provide a color or shading of the second portion of the crown that can be rotated or moved sufficiently to provide a target-adjusted perceived face angle secondary alignment feature (“SAPFA _SAF ”). The movable part of the layer or cover is loosened again to allow rotation or movement, and then tightened to fix the position of the movable layer or cover after adjustment, such as a screw or bolt, or other fastening device. is held in position by the fastening means of

In other embodiments, a portion of the crown may include electronic features that can be selectively activated to produce the desired appearance, including but not limited to light emitting diodes (LEDs). , organic LEDs (OLEDs), printed electronics with lighting devices, embedded electronics with lighting devices, electroluminescent devices, and so-called quantum dots.

In other embodiments, a portion of the crown may comprise a coating that changes its properties when exposed to external conditions, including but not limited to thermochromic coatings, photochromic coatings, electrochromic coatings. and paramagnetic paints.

In one preferred embodiment, at least a portion of the crown of the golf club head or a layer covering at least a portion of the crown of the golf club head has an electronic graphics display. The display provides active color and graphics control for either the entire top portion of the crown, or a layer covering at least a portion of the crown, or a portion thereof. The display may be constructed from flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, e-ink technology, digital fabrics, or other known means of active electronic color and graphic display means. For example, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) (eg, light-emitting polymer (LEP) and organic electroluminescent (OEL)) is a light-emitting diode (LED) in which the light-emitting electroluminescent layer is composed of a film of an organic compound. Such layers are typically formed by a simple "printing" process of applying a suitable organic compound onto at least a portion of the crown of the golf club head or onto a carrier substrate such as a layer covering at least a portion of the crown of the golf club head. and a polymer substrate that allows for deposition in rows and columns. The resulting matrix of pixels can emit different colors of light.

In some embodiments, at least a portion of the crown of the golf club head, or a layer covering at least a portion of the crown of the golf club head, is divided into multiple portions that can be controlled differently from one another. For example, one side of the alignment feature has a static face color and the other side has a second static and contrasting face color display capability.

The display is operably connected (eg, via wires) to a microprocessor located on the golf club head. The microprocessor is also operatively connected (eg, via wires) to a data port, eg, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port. A data port allows data to be sent to and received from the microprocessor. Data ports and data transfer protocols are well known to those skilled in the art. A data port (USB port) may be located in the rear facing area of the golf club head.

Data can come from a variety of sources. In some embodiments, an internet website is dedicated to supporting the golf club heads of the present invention. For example, a website may be uploaded (via a data port, via a cable, via a computer) to the microprocessor of the golf club head with downloadable data and protocols (e.g., colors, color patterns, images, etc.). , video content, logos, etc.). As an example, a website may have multiple color patterns as well as a gallery for selecting the displayed colors.

In some embodiments, data may be uploaded from other sources, such as DVDs, CDs, memory devices (eg, flash memory), and the like. Sources may also include cell phones, smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital vending kiosks, and the like. In some embodiments, data may be uploaded and downloaded via other mechanisms, such as wired or wireless mechanisms. Such mechanisms may include Bluetooth®, Infrared Data Link (IrDa), Wi-Fi®, UWB, and the like.

In some embodiments, one or more control buttons are located on the golf club head that allow the user to optionally operate the display. A control button is operatively connected to the microprocessor. The microprocessor is configured to receive input signals from the control buttons and to send output commands to operate the display. The control buttons may be operably connected to the display and/or microprocessor via one or more wires.

The microprocessor and/or display are operably connected to a power source, such as a battery. The battery may be rechargeable. In some embodiments, the battery includes control means for turning the device on and off. All wires, data ports and other electronic systems are adapted to sustain the impact force produced when a golfer strikes a golf ball with the golf club head.

A Method for Providing User Adjustable Alignment Features in Other Embodiments of the Golf Club Head of the Invention, by way of example, published Aug. 9, 2005 and assigned to BASF Corporation. At least a portion of the crown of a golf club head or golf club covered by a dielectric electroluminescent coating system using the materials and methods described in US Pat. No. 6,926,972 to M. Jakobi et al. US Patent No. 6,000,004, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, relates to a layer covering at least a portion of the crown of the head. Using this technique, electrical current (provided by a small battery securely mounted within the golf club head cavity) is selectively used to accentuate (or remove) specific colors, thereby determining alignment feature orientation. Modulating electroluminescence can be used.

In some embodiments, the golf club head may have sensors such as those described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15/996,854, filed June 4, 2018, which incorporated herein by reference. For example, a golf club may have one or more sensors for measuring swing speed, face angle, lie angle, tempo, swing path, relationship between face angle and swing path, dynamic loft and shaft tilt. good. Other measurements include backstroke time, forward stroke time, total stroke time, tempo, impact stroke speed, impact position, backstroke length, backstroke rotation, forward stroke rotation, rotation change, lie and loft. good too. Additional measurements may include golf shot position during play and golf shot distance data. Additional and different measurements may also be captured. Measurements may be taken during the full swing, short game, putting, or other golf swing.

The one or more sensors may include motion sensors, accelerometers, gyro sensors, magnetometers, global positioning system (GPS) sensors, optical markers, or other sensors. The one or more sensors may be attached to the golf club head, integrated into the golf club display, and located on the shaft of the golf club (e.g., proximate the thick end of the golf club grip). (along the shaft or at another location), housed within the golf club grip, and/or attached to or integrated with another portion of the golf club. You can In one embodiment, multiple sensors are provided on a golf club, such as on the same or different portions of the golf club. For example, a first sensor may be attached to or integrated with the golf club head and a second sensor may be housed within the grip of the golf club or attached to the golf club shaft. Additional and different multiple sensor arrangements may be used.

In one embodiment, a golf club display or another electronic feature may display one or more of the plurality of measurements on the crown or another portion of the golf club head. For example, the display or another electronic feature may be a removable display device or a PDA, smart phone, iPhone, iPad, iPod or other computing device. It may be integrated into a user device such as a device. The one or more measurements may be displayed using an application running on the display device or using a device associated with a display or other electronic feature of the golf club head. . In some embodiments, the sensor is a computing device (e.g., personal computer (PC), laptop computer, tablet, smartphone, mobile phone, iPhone, iPad, personal digital assistant (PDA) ), an external device such as a server computer or another computing device, a launch monitor, a club fitting platform, or another device In these embodiments, one or more measurements may be displayed using an application running on an external device, hi some embodiments, one or more sensors interact with an external device, such as a video camera, to Or capture multiple measurements.

Referring back to FIG. 1B, the coordinate system for measuring the center of gravity (CG) position is located at face center 205 . In one embodiment, the positive side of the x-axis 208 projects toward the heel side of the club head and the negative side of the x-axis 208 projects toward the toe side of the golf club head. Further, the positive side of the z-axis 206 projects toward the crown side of the club head and the negative side of the z-axis 206 projects toward the sole side of the golf club head. Finally, the positive side of the y-axis 207 projects parallel to the ground plane toward the rear of the club head. Unless noted otherwise, as used herein, a first position is closer to the face center 205 than a second position along the y-axis 207. is in front of the second position, and similarly, if the first position is further along the y-axis 207 from the face center 205 than the second position, then the first position is ahead of the second position. behind the position. Unless noted otherwise, as used herein, if the first position is further from the hosel portion along the x-axis 208 than the second position, then the first is in the toe direction of the second position, and similarly, if the first position is closer to the hosel portion along the x-axis 208 than the second position, then the first position is the second position. It is in the heel direction of position 2.

In an exemplary embodiment, the CG position projected onto the striking face is considered the "sweet spot" of the club head. The projected CG position is found by balancing the club head on some point. The projected CG positions are generally projected along a line perpendicular to the face of the club head. In some embodiments, the projected CGy (y-axis coordinate) position is less than 2 mm above the center face position, less than 1 mm above the center face position, or up to 1 mm or 2 mm below the center face position 205. It is in. In some embodiments, the golf club head has a CGx (x-axis) coordinate of between about −10 mm and about 10 mm from the center face location 205, a CGy of between about 15 mm and about 50 mm, and a CGy of about −10 mm. and CGz (z-axis coordinate) between about 5 mm. In some embodiments, CGy is between about 20 mm and about 50 mm.

The golf club head also has a moment of inertia defined about three axes that extend through the golf club head CG orientation and generally perpendicular to the ground plane through the CG when the club head is at address. CGz extending through the CG in a heel-toe direction generally parallel to the striking face 110 and generally perpendicular to CGz, and CGy extending in a front-to-back direction and generally perpendicular to CGx and CGz. including. Both CGx and CGy extend generally horizontally with respect to the ground plane when the club head 100 is in the address position.

Many of the club heads and their physical characteristics disclosed herein are described using a "normal address position" as the club head reference position, unless indicated otherwise. At the normal address position, the club head rests on a flat ground plane. Unless noted otherwise, as used herein, "normal address location" means that the vector perpendicular to centerface 205 is substantially in the first vertical plane (i.e., vertical The centerline axis of the hosel bore establishes the shaft axis lying in a second vertical plane, the first vertical plane and the second vertical plane substantially intersect perpendicularly to

A moment of inertia around the golf club head CGx is calculated by the following equation.

In the above equation, y is the distance from the golf club head CGxz plane to the trace mass dm, and z is the distance from the golf club head CGxy plane to the trace mass dm. The golf club head CGxz plane is the plane defined by CGx and CGz. The CGxy plane is the plane defined by CGx and CGy.

A moment of inertia around the golf club head CGy is calculated by the following equation.

In the above equation, x is the distance from the golf club head CGyz plane to the trace mass dm, and z is the distance from the golf club head CGxy plane to the trace mass dm. The golf club head CGyz plane is the plane defined by CGy and CGz. The CGyx plane is the plane defined by CGy and CGx.

Also, the moment of inertia around the golf club head CGz is calculated by the following equation.

In the above equation, x is the distance from the golf club head CGyz plane to the trace mass dm, and y is the distance from the golf club head CGxz plane to the trace mass dm. The golf club head CGyz plane is the plane defined by CGy and CGz.

In certain implementations, the club head has a moment of inertia about CGz between about 450 kg-mm ² and about 650 kg-mm ² and a moment of inertia about CGx between about 300 kg-mm ² and about 500 kg-mm ² . , and a moment of inertia about CGy between about 300 kg·mm ² and about 500 kg·mm ² .

For various reasons, it may be advantageous to orient the center of gravity (CG) of the golf club head in the toe direction. For example, users often hit a golf ball high on the hitting face (eg, +3 to +4 mm on the z-axis) and toe side (eg, -5 to -7 mm on the x-axis). Hitting the ball off-center (ie, at a different location than the projected CG location on the hitting face) generally reduces ball speed and, as a result, reduces the distance traveled by the golf ball.

Furthermore, as explained above, hitting in the face-toe direction will also create a gear effect and create hook spin. Increasing the negative CG x orientation (i.e. -2 to -10 mm on the x-axis) changes the gear effect by decreasing counterclockwise (i.e. for right-handed golfers) spin, which The net result is that the golf ball curves to the left.

Additionally, a negative CGx orientation may be provided to maximize the moment of inertia (MOI) about the z-axis extending through CGz. Working in conjunction with the weight of the hosel of the golf club, the negative CG x-azimuth reduces the weight around the z-axis by strategically distributing the club head weight into corresponding positive and negative bearings on the x-axis. Allows for larger MOI.

Alternatively, it may be advantageous to orient the CG of the golf club head toward the heel. For example, by increasing the positive CG x-azimuth (i.e., +2 to 0 mm on the x-axis), the club head may close faster (i.e., 400-500 rpm), thereby increasing local club head speed. , a higher ball speed is produced, resulting in an increase in the distance traveled by the golf ball.

In certain implementations, the golf club head can have a CGx of between about +2 and about -10mm. For example, CGx for a golf club head with adjustable weights (described below) is between about -3 mm and about -4 mm. In certain implementations, the club head may have a low CGz of less than 0, such as between 0 and about -4mm. In certain implementations, the club head may have a CGz located below the geometric center of the face. In certain implementations, the club head may have a moment of inertia about CGz (also referred to as "Izz") greater than 400 kg- ^mm2 , greater than 460 kg- ^mm2 , or greater than 480 kg- ^mm2 . . The moment of inertia about CGx (also called "Ixx") can be greater than 300 kg·mm ² . The moment of inertia of a golf club head can also be expressed as a ratio, such as the ratio of Ixx to Izz. For example, in some embodiments, the ratio of Ixx to Izz is at most 0.6, or 60%. In one example, a golf club head may have Ixx greater than 300 kg·mm ² and Izz greater than 500 kg·mm ² such that Ixx/Izz is less than or equal to 0.6. In another example, Ixx is greater than 280 kg·mm ² and Izz is greater than 465 kg·mm ² .

In certain implementations, the golf club head may have a Zup of less than 30mm. For example, on the ground, an alternative golf head coordinate system places the head origin at the intersection of the z-axis and the ground plane, thereby providing coordinates on the positive side of the z-axis for all club head features. do. As used herein, "Zup" means the CG z-axis position determined by this above-described ground coordinate system. Zup generally refers to the height of the CG above the ground plane, measured along the z-axis.

In certain implementations, the golf club head has a Delta 1 (i.e., a measure of how rearward the CG lies in the golf club head body) greater than 20, such as greater than 26 in certain implementations. can. More specifically, Delta 1 is the distance between the CG (in a direction straight from the geometric center of the striking face toward the rear of the body of the golf club face) and the hosel axis along the y-axis. It was observed that a lower Delta 1 value results in a lower CG projected onto the golf club head face. Thus, for embodiments of the disclosed golf club head in which the projected CG on the ball-striking club face is lower than the geometric center, reducing Delta 1 allows the projected CG to be lower, and The distance between the geometric center and the projected CG can be increased. Note also that a lower projected CG promotes higher launch and reduced backspin due to the z-axis gear effect. Thus, for certain embodiments of the disclosed golf club heads, the Delta 1 value is relatively low in some instances, thereby reducing the amount of backspin in the golf ball and achieving the desired high launch. And it helps to get low spin trajectory.

United States Golf Association (USGA) regulations limit golf club head shapes, sizes and moments of inertia. Due to these constraints, golf club manufacturers and designers struggle to produce golf club heads with maximum size and moment of inertia characteristics while maintaining all other golf club head characteristics. . For example, one such constraint is the 460 cm ³ volume limit. Generally, volume is measured using a water displacement method. However, the USGA fills any significant cavity in the sole, a series of cavities with a total volume greater than 15 cm ³ .

In some embodiments, as in the case of fairway woods, the golf club head measures between about 100 ^cm3 and about 300 ^cm3 , such as between about 150 ^cm3 and about 250 ^cm3 , or between about 130 ^cm3 and about 190 cm3. ³ , or between about 125 cm ³ and about 240 cm ³ , and a total mass between about 125 g and about 260 g, or between about 200 g and about 250 g. For utility or hybrid clubs, the golf club head has a volume between about 60 cm ³ and about 150 cm ³ , or between about 85 cm ³ and about 120 cm ³ and a volume between about 125 g and about 280 g, or between about 200 g. and a total mass of between about 250 g. For drivers, the golf club head may have a volume between about 300 ^cm3 and about 600 ^cm3 , between about 350 ^cm3 and about 600 ^cm3 , and/or between about 350 ^cm3 and about 500 ^cm3 . , may have a total mass of between about 145 g and about 1060 g, such as between about 195 g and about 205 g.

So far, the CG _x location has been about 4-6mm heel direction. More recently, the CG _x position was moved about -1 mm in the toe direction. The CG _x- position can continue to be in the toe direction, such as the exemplary CG _x- position described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 16/171,237, filed Oct. 25, 2018. US Patent Application, which is hereby incorporated by reference. For example, the club head has a center of gravity (CG), the position of which may be defined with respect to the coordinate system shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1D and described above; has CG _x in the toe direction of the center face, eg, at -2 mm or less in the toe direction. In some embodiments, the club head has a CG _x of 0 to -4 mm. In some embodiments, the club head has a moment of inertia about the z-axis (I _zz ) of 480 to 600 Kg-mm ² , or in some embodiments greater than 490 Kg-mm ² , and about 280 Kg-mm 2 . and a moment of inertia about the x-axis (I _xx ) of from 420 Kg·mm ² , or in some embodiments greater than 280 Kg·mm ² .

There are various methods for positioning the CG orientation of the golf club head. For example, in some embodiments, composite crowns and/or A sole is provided to replace the relatively heavy components of the crown with lighter materials, thereby freeing up discretionary mass to be strategically allocated elsewhere within the golf club head. . In certain embodiments, the crown may comprise a composite material having a density of less than 2 grams per cubic centimeter, such as those described herein and in the incorporated disclosure. In still further embodiments, the composite material has a density of 1.5 grams per cubic centimeter or less, or between 1 gram per cubic centimeter and 2 grams per cubic centimeter. Providing a lighter crown also provides additional discretionary mass to the golf club head that can be used elsewhere within the golf club head to serve the designer's objectives. For example, with discretionary mass, additional weights can be strategically added to the hollow interior of the golf club head, or strategically positioned on the exterior surface of the golf club head ( (Apart from any further CG adjustment made possible by the adjustable weight feature) the effective CG can be shifted forward or backward, in the toe or heel direction, or both, and/ Alternatively, the desirable MOI characteristics described above can be improved.

In some embodiments, the crown and/or sole are, in whole or in part, a composite comprising multiple plies or layers of fibrous material (e.g., graphite or carbon including turbostratic or graphitic carbon fibers). It may be formed from a composite material, such as a carbon composite, formed of fibers, or a hybrid structure in which both graphite and turbostratic portions are present. Some examples of these composite materials for use in metal wood golf clubs and their manufacturing procedures are described in US patent application Ser. No. 10/442,348 (now US Pat. /831,496 (now U.S. Patent No. 7,140,974), 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 12/156,947. , which are incorporated herein by reference.

Alternatively, the crown and/or sole may be formed from the previously referenced polymeric short or long fiber reinforced formulations. Exemplary formulations include a 30% carbon fiber embedded nylon 6/6 polyamide formulation commercially available from RTP Company under the trade designation RTP285. The material has a tensile strength of 35,000 psi (241 MPa) as measured by ASTM D638, a tensile elongation of 2.0-3.0% as measured by ASTM D638, and a tensile elongation of 3.30×10 ⁶ psi ( It has a tensile modulus of 22754 MPa), a flexural strength of 50000 psi (345 MPa) as measured by ASTM D790, and a flexural modulus of 2.60×10 ⁶ psi (17927 MPa) as measured by ASTM D790.

Also included is a polyphthalamide (PPA) formulation, commercially available from RTP Company under the trade name RTP4087UP, embedded with 40% carbon fiber. 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 It has a flexural modulus of 34500 MPa measured by ISO178.

Also included is a polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) formulation commercially available from RTP Company under the trade name RTP1385UP, embedded with 30% carbon fiber. 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 It has a flexural modulus of 23,000 MPa measured by ISO178.

In other embodiments, the crown and/or sole are formed as a two-layer structure having an injection molded inner layer and an outer layer comprising a thermoplastic composite laminate. The injection molded inner layer can be formulated from thermoplastic polymers, preferred materials include polyamide (PA), or thermoplastic urethane (TPU) or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). Typically, the thermoplastic composite laminate structures used to formulate the outer layers are continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastics. Continuous fibers include glass fibers (both roving glass and filament glass), as well as aramid fibers and carbon fibers. Thermoplastic resins with which these fibers are impregnated to make laminate materials include, but are not limited to, polyamides (including but not limited to PA, PA6, PA12, and PA6), polypropylene (PP), thermoplastic polyurethanes or polyureas ( TPU), and polyphenylene sulfide (PPS).

Laminates may be formed in a continuous process in which the thermoplastic matrix polymer and the individual fibrous structure layers are fused together under high pressure into a single consolidated laminate, the layers being fused to form the final laminate. Both the number and the thickness of the final laminate can vary. Typically, multiple laminate sheets are consolidated on a double belt laminating press resulting in a product with less than 2 percent porosity and varying fiber volume anywhere between 35 and 55 percent. , as thin as 0.5 mm and as thick as 6.0 mm, and may contain up to 20 layers. Further information on the structure of such laminate structures and methods of formulation is disclosed in European Patent EP 1 923 420 B1, issued Feb. 25, 2009 to Bond Laminate GMBH, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. incorporated into the specification.

The outer layer composite laminate structure may also be formed from the TEPEX® family of resin laminates available from bonded laminates, a preferred example of which is TEPEX®, a PA66 polyamide formulation containing reinforcing carbon fibers. Dynalite 201, which has a density of 1.4 g/ ^cm3 , a fiber content of 45 vol%, a tensile strength of 785 MPa measured by ASTM D638, a tensile modulus of 53 GPa measured by ASTM D638, ASTM D790 and a flexural modulus of 45 GPa as measured by ASTM D790.

Another preferred example is TEPEX® Dynalite 208, a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) based formulation with reinforced carbon fibers, which has a density of 1.5 g/ ^cm3 , 45 vol% Fiber fraction, Tensile strength of 710 MPa as measured by ASTM D638, Tensile modulus of 48 GPa as measured by ASTM D638, Flexural strength of 745 MPa as measured by ASTM D790, and Flexural modulus of 41 GPa as measured by ASTM D790. have

Another preferred example is TEPEX® Dynalite 207, a polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) based formulation with reinforced carbon fibers, which has a density of 1.6 g/ ^cm3 , 45 vol% fiber minutes, a tensile strength of 710 MPa as measured by ASTM D638, a tensile modulus of 55 GPa as measured by ASTM D638, a flexural strength of 650 MPa as measured by ASTM D790, and a flexural modulus of 40 GPa as measured by ASTM D790. have.

There are various possible ways to form a multilayer composite crown. In some embodiments, the outer layer is formed separately and discretely from the formation of the injection molded inner layer. The outer layer may be formed using known techniques for shaping thermoplastic composite laminates into parts, including but not limited to compression molding or rubber and conformal metal press forming or diaphragm forming.

The inner layer may be injection molded using conventional techniques including but not limited to gluing, welding (preferred welding processes are ultrasonic welding, hot element welding, vibration welding, rotary friction welding or high frequency welding (plastic Handbook, Vol. 3/4, pp. 106-107, Carl Hanser Verlag Munich & Wien 1998)) or adhesive bonding, including calendaring, or mechanical fastening, including riveting or thread interaction. may be secured to the outer crown layer by bonding methods known in the art, including.

Before the inner layer is fixed to the outer layer, the outer surface of the inner layer and/or the inner part of the outer layer may be subjected to the following conditions (Ehrenstein, "Handbuch Kunststoff-Verbindungstechnik", Carl Hanser Verlag Munich 2004, pp. 494-504 for more details). ) may be pretreated by means of one or more of the following treatments.
- Mechanical treatment, preferably by brushing or polishing - Cleaning with a liquid, preferably an aqueous solution or an organic solvent, to remove surface deposits - Flame treatment, preferably with propane gas, natural gas, city gas or butane - Corona treatment (potential load atmospheric pressure plasma)
・Potential-free atmospheric pressure plasma treatment ・Low pressure plasma treatment (air and _O2 atmosphere)
- UV treatment - Chemical pretreatment, e.g. by wet chemistry with vapor phase pretreatment - Primers and coupling agents

A particularly preferred method of formulation may use a so-called hybrid molding process in which a composite laminate outer layer is insert molded into an injection molded inner layer to provide additional strength. Typically, the composite laminate structure is introduced into the injection mold as a heated flat sheet or preferably as a preformed part. During injection molding, an inner layer of thermoplastic material is molded to the inner surface of the composite laminate structure and the materials fuse together to form the crown as a highly integrated part. Typically, the injection molded inner layer is formulated from the same polymer family as the matrix material used in forming the composite laminate structure used to form the outer layer to ensure a good weld bond.

In addition to being formed into the desired shape of the back body of the club head, the thermoplastic inner layer also includes one or more reinforcing ribs to provide strength and/or desirable acoustic properties, and additional tungsten ( (or other metal) may be formed with additional features including one or more weight ports to allow placement of weights.

The thickness of the inner layer is typically about 0.25 to about 2 mm, preferably about 0.5 to about 1.25 mm.

The thickness of the composite laminate structure used to form the outer layer is typically about 0.25 to about 2 mm, preferably about 0.5 to about 1.25 mm, even more preferably 0.5 to 1 mm.

As described in detail in U.S. Patent No. 6,623,378, entitled "METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING AND GOLF CLUB HEAD," filed Jun. 11, 2001 and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Additionally, the crown or outer shell (or sole) may be formed from a composite material such as, for example, carbon fiber reinforced epoxy, carbon fiber reinforced polymer, or polymer. Additionally, US patent application Ser. No. 12/974,437 (now US Pat. No. 8,608,591) describes a golf club head with a lightweight crown and sole.

Composite materials used to construct crowns and/or soles must not only exhibit high strength and stiffness over a wide temperature range, but also exhibit excellent wear and wear behavior and be resistant to stress cracks. Such properties include:
a) Tensile strength at room temperature from about 7 ksi to about 330 ksi, preferably from about 8 ksi to about 305 ksi, more preferably from about 200 ksi to about 300 ksi, even more preferably from about 250 ksi to about 300 ksi (as measured by ASTM D638 and/or ASTM D3039) );
b) a tensile modulus at room temperature of from about 0.4 Msi to about 23 Msi, preferably from about 0.46 Msi to about 21 Msi, more preferably from about 0.46 Msi to about 19 Msi (as measured by ASTM D638 and/or ASTM D3039);
c) bending strength at room temperature of about 13 ksi to about 300 ksi, about 14 ksi to about 290 ksi, more preferably about 50 ksi to about 285 ksi, even more preferably about 100 ksi to about 280 ksi (as measured by ASTM D790);
d) a flexural modulus at room temperature of from about 0.4 Msi to about 21 Msi, from about 0.5 Msi to about 20 Msi, more preferably from about 10 Msi to about 19 Msi (as measured by ASTM D790);

Composite materials useful for forming club head components include a fiber portion and a resin portion. Generally, the resin portion acts as a "matrix" in which the fibers are embedded in a defined manner. In composites for club heads, the fiber portion is constructed as a number of fiber layers or plies impregnated with a resin component. The fibers in each layer have their own orientation, which is typically different from layer to layer and is tightly controlled. The typical number of layers for a hitting face is substantial, for example 40 or more. However, in the case of the sole or crown, the number of layers can be considerably reduced, e.g., 3 or more, 4 or more, 5 or more, 6 or more, examples of which are provided below. During the manufacture of composite materials, multiple layers, each having oriented fibers respectively impregnated with uncured or partially cured resin, each such layer being called a "prepreg" layer placed on top of each other in a “lay-up” fashion. After forming the prepreg layup, the resin hardens into a rigid state. If interested, the 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 testing on certain club head configurations, composite sections formed from prepreg plies with relatively low fiber areal weight (Faw) demonstrated superior impact resistance, durability and overall club performance in several areas. have been found to provide a unique attribute. (Faw is the weight of the fiber portion of a given amount of prepreg, the unit is g/ ^m2 , also abbreviated gsm (grams per square meter).) At or below 120 g/ ^m2 FAW values below, at or below 100 g/m ² , or at or below 70 g/m ² can be particularly effective. As noted, a particularly suitable fibrous material for use in forming the prepreg plies is carbon fiber. More than one fibrous material can be used. However, in other embodiments, prepreg plies having FAW values below 70 g/m ² and above 100 g/m ² may be used. In general, the main disincentive for prepreg plies with FAW values below 70 g/m ² is cost.

In certain embodiments, multiple low FAW prepreg plies may be laminated and still have a relatively uniform distribution of fibers throughout the thickness of the laminated plies. In contrast, at comparable resin content (R/C, in percent) levels, laminated plies of prepreg material with higher FAW have a higher FAW than laminated plies of low FAW material, especially at the interface of adjacent plies. It tends to have more pronounced resin-rich regions. In particular, resin-rich regions tend to reduce the effectiveness of the fiber reinforcement because the forces resulting from golf ball impact are 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. An exemplary carbon fiber is "34-700" carbon fiber (available from Grafil, Sacramento, CA) having a tensile modulus of 234 GPa (34 Msi) and a tensile strength of 4500 MPa (650 Ksi). Another graphil fiber that can be used is "TR50S" carbon fiber, which has a tensile modulus of 240 GPa (35 Msi) and a tensile strength of 4900 MPa (710 ksi). Suitable epoxy resins are types "301" and "350" (available from Newport Adhesives and Composites, Irvine, Calif.). Exemplary resin content (R/C) is between 33% and 40%, preferably between 35% and 40%, more preferably between 36% and 38%.

Each of the plurality of golf club heads described throughout this application may have a separate crown, sole, and/or face, which may be made of, for example, carbon fiber reinforced epoxy, carbon fiber reinforced polymer, or polymer crown. , sole and/or face.

In some embodiments, the CGx, CGy and CGz orientations of the golf club head may be adjustable. For example, in one embodiment, the golf club head includes one or more adjustable weight features, such as weight ports, tracks, and/or slots, one or more weight ports, one or more tracks. , and/or may be provided in conjunction with one or more adjustable weights located in one or more slots. For example, US Pat. No. 9,868,036, incorporated herein by reference, describes a weight track with slidable weights for adjusting the CG orientation of a golf club head. Other adjustable weight features may be used to adjust the CG orientation.

In some embodiments, the CGx, CGy and CGz orientations of the golf club head are positioned in conjunction with the aerodynamic properties of the golf club head. In some implementations, the aerodynamic drag on the golf club head is reduced by the shape of the striking face. For example, the aerodynamic drag forces project shorter toward the heel side of the club head along the positive side of the x-axis 208 and toward the toe side of the golf club head on the negative side of the x-axis 208. It can be reduced by providing a higher protruding hitting face. In other words, the striking face may be provided with a bulge directed at a portion of the face on the negative x-axis. For example, as described below, a golf club head may have a crown height to face height ratio of at least 1.12. As a result of this configuration, more material and mass is provided along the negative x-axis than along the positive x-axis of the striking face; You can direct. This aerodynamic shape naturally tends to move the CGx in the toe direction.

In addition to the features described above, additional aerodynamic shapes are described in US Pat. Nos. 8,858,359 and 9,861,864. For example, various characteristics may be altered to improve the aerodynamics of the golf club head. In various embodiments, the golf club head may have a volume of 430cc to 500cc. In various embodiments, the crown of the golf club head may be free of inversions, dimples, or concave features, so the curvature of the crown may be variable in various embodiments, but the crown may be It remains convex throughout its body.

For example, in one embodiment, the golf club head has a face height of approximately 59.1 mm and a crown height of approximately 69.4 mm. As can be seen, the crown height to face height ratio is 69.4/59.1, or about 1.17. In other embodiments, the golf club head may have a crown height to face height ratio of at least 1.12. Other ratios of crown height to face height may be used. For example, in one embodiment a face height of approximately 58.7 mm may be provided. In this embodiment, the corresponding crown height is approximately 69.4 mm. The ratio of crown height to face height is 69.4/58.7, or about 1.18. Alternatively, in another embodiment, a face height of approximately 58.7mm may be provided. In this embodiment, the corresponding crown height is approximately 69.4 mm. The ratio of crown height to face height is 69.4/58.7, or about 1.18. As such, the ratio of crown height to face height may be between about 1 and about 2 depending on the embodiment.

In another example, a golf club head may have a minimum and/or maximum face area. For example, a larger face area produces more drag (ie, reduces the aerodynamic characteristics of the golf club head). In addition to aerodynamic characteristics, minimum and/or maximum face areas may be defined by other golf club head characteristics such as mass savings and ball speed advantage. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the golf club head has a minimum face area of ^3300mm2 . In other embodiments, the golf club head has a face area of between about 3700 mm ² and about 4000 mm ² . In other embodiments, the golf club head has a face area of between about 3500 mm ² and about 4200 mm ² . In other embodiments, the golf club head has a face area of between about 4100 mm ² and about 4400 mm ² , preferably between about 4200 mm ² and about 4300 mm ² . In yet another embodiment, the golf club head has a maximum face area of approximately 4500 mm ² . Other face areas may be used.

In some implementations, the discretionary mass is strategically positioned at an angle to the striking face 110, such as in the same plane as the golf club head, as the club is designed to go on the downswing. In some embodiments, the discretionary mass is strategically low (along the negative z-axis), rearward (along the positive y-axis 207), and (along the positive y-axis 207) (along the negative side of the x-axis), directing the mass to a location where air flows, thereby reducing aerodynamic drag forces and directing CGx to the negative side of the x-axis.

An example of strategically positioned discretionary mass is described in US Provisional Patent Application No. 62/755,319, which is incorporated herein by reference. For example, as shown in FIGS. 12, 13, 14A, 15-19, the golf club head 300 includes an inertia generator 360 that extends from a position proximate the golf club head center of gravity 350 toward the rear portion of the body. may have an elongated center sole portion 362 that extends generally in the Y direction, but it is also angled in the toe direction as shown and as further described below.

In one or more embodiments, golf club head 300 comprises hollow body 310 defining crown portion 312 , sole portion 314 , skirt portion 316 and striking surface 318 . Striking face 318 may be integrally formed with body 310 or may be attached to the body. Body 310 further has a hosel 320 defining a hosel bore 324 adapted to receive a golf club shaft. Body 310 further includes heel portion 326 , toe portion 328 , front portion 330 and rear portion 332 . At least inertia generator 360, front channel 390, slot or channel insert 395, one or more front channel support ribs 396, front channel, along with optional mass elements and other additional features further described herein. A number of features that may improve playability are included, including additional ribs 397 connecting support ribs 396 and composite panels on soles 344 , 348 and on crown 335 . The front channel 390 has a specific length L (which can be measured as the distance between its toe end to its heel end) and width W (e.g., the forward edge of the front channel 390 as shown in FIG. 14B). and an offset distance OS from the front end or striking face 318 (eg, the distance between the face 318 and the front edge of the front channel 390). During development, the COR feature length L and the offset distance OS from the face were used to manage the stresses that affect the durability, club head sound or first mode frequency, and club head COR value. found to play an important role. All of these parameters play an important role in overall club head performance and user perception.

A front plane 331 extending from the forward-most point of the golf club head and a rear plane 333 extending from the rear-most point of the golf club head. Each of these planes extends from a respective point and is perpendicular to ground plane 317 . Together, the plane may be used to measure the depth of the golf club head from front to back (“club head depth”), as shown in FIG. Midway between front plane 331 and rear plane 333 , midpoint plane 334 extends perpendicular to ground plane 317 . As shown in FIG. 13, center 323 is located on striking face 318 . Also shown is a CG point 325 projected onto the face. The golf club head 300 also has a skirt height 315, which may be measured at the lowest point above the ground plane where the skirt meets the crown. In some embodiments, the skirt height 315 may be between 25mm and 40mm, such as between 30mm and 40mm, or between 30mm and 35mm.

As best shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , center sole portion 362 is an elongated substantially flattened surface that is closer to ground plane 317 than the peripheral portions of sole 314 in the toe and heel directions of inertia generator 360 . have a face. In certain embodiments, the inertia generator 360 is angled such that the rear end of the inertia generator is in the toe direction of the front end. The angle of the inertial generator with respect to the y-axis may be in the range of 10 to 25 degrees, such as between 15 and 25 degrees, such as between 17 and 22 degrees. As shown in FIGS. 14A and 15, openings 366 may be provided in the center sole portion 362, which openings may be used to introduce hot melt into the internal cavity of the golf club head. . Also provided is an inertia generator support rib 368 that may run along the inside of the golf club head under the inertia generator 360 . A cross-section of the inertial generator may be taken along line 24-24. Inertia generator support ribs 368 not only help provide structural support for the inertia generator, but may also help limit any hot melt injected using openings 366 .

As best shown in FIGS. 12 and 15, the inertia generator also has a heel-to-sole surface 361 that slopes upward from center sole portion 362 to sole 314 when viewed in a normal address position. and a toe direction sole surface 363. Heel-direction sole surface 361 may have a generally triangular shape, facing generally forward and in the heel direction (and may be substantially parallel to heel sole insert 344), and the toe direction of the base. A first edge adjacent to the center sole portion 362 extending rearward from the end generally parallel to the center sole portion and from the heel end of the base at a location on the sole 314 to the rear 332 of the golf club head. and a second edge extending from the sole to a “raised” position at or adjacent the heel-facing side of center sole portion 362 . The toe direction sole surface 363 may also have a generally triangular shape, facing generally forward and in the toe direction (and may be substantially parallel to the toe sole insert 348), and the base of the base. A first edge adjacent to the center sole portion 362 extending rearward from the heel end generally parallel to the center sole portion and from the toe end of the base at a location on the sole 314 to the rear of the golf club head. and a second edge extending from the sole at or adjacent to the toe direction side of the center sole portion 362 at 332 to a "raised" position. The inertial generator is configured such that the center of gravity 365 is located in the toe direction of the X-axis and lower than the z-axis (or closer to the ground plane 317) in certain embodiments. In other words, the inertia generator may help move the club's overall center of gravity 350 in the toe direction, as explained above, while also lowering its center of gravity and reducing Zup.

Exemplary values for the inertial generator center of gravity 365 are described below. In certain embodiments, the inertial generator is between −10 mm and −25 mm, such as −15 mm and −20 mm on the x-axis (CG _x ), between 80 mm and 110 mm on the y-axis (CG _y ), For example, it may have a center of gravity 365 relative to the center 323 of the striking face 318 measured between 90 mm and 100 mm, between 0 mm and −20 mm, such as between −10 mm and −20 mm on the z-axis (CG _z ). .

Additionally, the inertia generator, due to its shape and orientation, is configured to generally align with a typical swing path, which allows for increased inertia generated during a golf swing. to Exemplary moments of inertia for golf club head 300 are described below.

As best shown in FIG. 14A, the crown may be formed with a recessed peripheral edge or seat 338 that receives a crown insert 335 so that the crown insert provides a smooth, seamless outer surface. It is preferably either flush with the adjacent surface of the body, or alternatively recessed slightly below the surface of the body. A crown insert 335 may cover a large opening 340 (shown in FIG. 14A) at the top and rear of the body and forms part of the crown 312 of the golf club head. Heel sole insert 344 and toe sole insert 348 may be secured to body 310 to cover heel sole opening 342 and toe sole opening 346, respectively, in the sole-rear direction of the hosel (shown in FIGS. 16 and 18). Heel sole opening 342 has a heel sole ledge 343 for supporting heel sole insert 344 . Similarly, toe sole opening 346 has toe sole ledge 347 for supporting toe sole insert 348 . The golf club head may include a forward mass pad 380 positioned heelward and forward on the sole 314 .

As best shown in FIG. 15, a plurality of characteristic time (“CT”) adjustment screws 375 may be inserted through openings 374 in the striking face. A damping material, such as a tuning foam 376, may be inserted through one or both of these openings into the interior cavity 394 of the golf club head 300 to adjust the CT value. For example, a damping material may be added that, when cured, may reduce the CT time. Further details regarding providing CT value adjustments are provided in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15/857,407, filed December 28, 2017, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference is

An inertia generator mass element 385 , which may comprise steel or tungsten weight members or other suitable material, is positioned on the rear side of inertia generator 360 . Inertia generator mass element 385 is removably affixed to the rear of inertia generator 360 using fastener ports 386 located at the rear of inertia generator 360 and configured to receive fasteners 388 . and fasteners 388 may be removably inserted into fastener ports 386 through openings 387 in inertia generator mass element 385 . Fastener port 386 and opening 387 are loosened or tightened so that fastener 388 either allows movement of inertia generator mass element 385 or locks it in place. It may be threaded, as can be. The fastener interacts with the head used to tighten and loosen the fastener using a tool (not shown) and corresponding threads on fastener port 386 and opening 387 to secure the fastener. To facilitate tightening and loosening 388, it may have a body, which may be, for example, threads.

Fastener port 386 can have any of a number of different configurations for receiving and/or retaining any of a number of fasteners, including simple threaded fasteners such as those described herein. may include fasteners or U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,773,360; 7,166,040; 7,452,285; , 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, It may also include removable weights or weight assemblies such as those described in '426, the entire contents of each of these US patents being incorporated herein by reference.

As shown in FIG. 17, the golf club head hosel 320 allows the shaft to be easily disconnected from the golf club head and provides the user with the ability to selectively adjust the lie angle of the golf club. It has a hosel bore 324 that can accommodate a shaft connection assembly 355 to be obtained. Shaft connection assembly 355 may have a shaft sleeve that may be mounted over the lower end portion of the shaft (not shown) as described in US Pat. No. 8,303,431. A recessed port 378 is provided on sole 314 that extends from sole 314 toward hosel 320 , particularly within hosel bore 324 . A hosel bore 324 extends from hosel 320 through golf club head 310 and opens into a recessed port 378 in sole 314 of golf club head 300 . The hosel bore may include threads configured to interact with fasteners such as screws. The golf club head inserts one end of shaft connection assembly 355 (which is mounted to the lower end portion of the golf club shaft (not shown)) into hosel bore 324 and threads into sole 314 through recessed port 378 . 379 (or other suitable securing device) is inserted upward and, in the illustrated embodiment, screw 379 is tightened into the threaded opening of shaft connection assembly 355 , thereby securing the golf club head to shaft sleeve 302 . It is removably attached to the shaft by the shaft connection assembly 355 by fixing. A screw capture device, such as in the form of an O-ring or washer 381, is placed on the shaft of screw 379 to hold the screw into the golf club head when the screw is loosened to allow removal of the shaft from the golf club head. can be held in place. For embodiments having a shaft connection assembly 355, the club head mass and mass properties, including but not limited to CG position, and moment of inertia associated with measurements utilizing CG position are determined by the attached shaft connection assembly 355 is determined with all components of

A dashed line surrounding the golf club head 300 is shown in FIG. Each of these dashed lines represents a constant distance above the ground plane when the golf club head 300 is in its normal address position, resulting in a golf club head distance taken at one of the respective lines. The cross-section will lie at a consistent height above the ground plane. For example, the 10mm cross-section line 302 represents the cross-section of the golf club head 300 at 10mm above the ground plane. Additionally:
- The 15mm cross-section line 303 represents the cross-section of the golf club head 300 at 15mm above the ground plane:
- The 20mm cross-section line 304 represents the cross-section of the golf club head 300 at 20mm above the ground plane:
- The 25mm cross-section line 305 represents the cross-section of the golf club head 300 at 25mm above the ground plane:
- The 30mm cross-section line 306 represents the cross-section of the golf club head 300 at 30mm above the ground plane:
- The 35mm cross-section line 307 represents the cross-section of the golf club head 300 at 35mm above the ground plane:
• The 40mm cross-section line 308 represents the cross-section of the golf club head 300 at 40mm above the ground plane.

As explained above, the CGx orientation of the golf club head is moved either toward the toe (along the negative x-axis) or toward the heel (along the positive x-axis) to increase the MOI , increased ball speed, and reduced "gear effect," which may be provided to generate certain characteristics of the golf club head. However, directing CGx in the toe direction may result in the striking face of the golf club head remaining open upon impact with the golf ball. In this example, if CGx is oriented along the negative x-axis, it may be more difficult for the user to square (e.g., release) the club head on the downswing, resulting in the user You will hit the ball right (i.e. a "slice" or "block" shot). Conversely, directing CGx toward the heel may result in the hitting face of the golf club head being closed upon impact with the golf ball. In this example, if CGx is oriented along the positive side of the x-axis, the club head may release prematurely, making it easier for the user to prevent the hitting face from closing too early on the downswing. make it difficult and result in the user hitting the ball to the left (ie a "hook" or "pulled" shot). Visual cues may be provided to offset the CGx orientation (i.e., change the perceived angle of the face 110 for the user) to overcome missed shots resulting from negative or positive CGx orientation, This allows the user to hit the ball straighter with fewer mistakes.

As explained above, in some embodiments, one or more features of the golf club head may be provided that change the perceived angle of the face for the user. For example, referring back to FIG. 3, golf club head 600 includes alignment features that change the perceived angle of face 110 for the user. In implementations with a negative CGx orientation, the actual face angle is closed to the perceived topline, while making the perceived topline appear square, while Alignment features are provided that alter the topline. By closing the actual face angle to the perceived topline, the user is able to avoid misses to the right by closing the club head on the downswing and squaring the hitting face at impact with the golf ball. prevent. Conversely, in implementations with a positive CGx orientation, the actual face angle is open to the perceived topline, while making the perceived topline appear square, while making it appear square to the hitting face. Different alignment features are provided that change the topline that is displayed. By opening the actual face angle relative to the perceived topline, the user can avoid misses to the left by opening the club head on the downswing to square the hitting face at impact with the golf ball. prevent.

For example, the alignment feature may be provided as a contrasting paint or shade of crown 120 to the color or shade of face 110 . In this example, the user has the perceived perception produced by a contrasting paint, such as a white or another color paint contrasting with the metal striking face, even though the actual face angle is visible to the user. tend to concentrate on the top line where Users tend to ignore the actual face angle when contrasting paint or shading is provided. Additionally, alignment features may also provide unconscious correction during the swing. Specifically, by perceiving the club to be square when the actual face angle is open or closed to the perceived topline, the user naturally and unconsciously assumes that the golf ball Attempts to square the perceived topline upon impact with , correcting for mistakes caused by CG x orientation.

In some implementations, alignment features may change the perceived topline from about 2 degrees to about 4 degrees open or closed relative to the actual face angle. In some implementations, for each 5 percent change in negative or positive CGx orientation, the perceived topline opens or closes 1 degree relative to the actual face angle (i.e., the actual Opening or closing the perceived topline relative to the face angle will force the user to close or open the actual face angle at the address position. Depending on the golf club, each degree of perceived topline change may affect the lateral dispersion of the resulting shot by a predetermined amount. For example, by changing the driver's perceived top line only once, the variance may be reduced by approximately 5 yards. In another example, a one-time change in the perceived topline of a fairway wood may reduce variance by approximately 3 yards.

In some implementations, the alignment feature may be provided as a parabola defined with respect to the striking face. For example, a point on the parabola for the hitting face may be provided about 2 degrees to about 4 degrees open or closed with respect to the angle of the hitting face. Depending on the golf club, the radius of the alignment feature may affect the lateral dispersion of the resulting shot by a predetermined amount. For example, a single change in the radius of the parabola defining the driver's topline may reduce dispersion by approximately 5 yards. In another example, by changing the radius of the parabola defining the topline of a fairway wood only once, the dispersion may be reduced by approximately 3 yards.

In some embodiments, grooves and/or scorelines in the golf club head may be provided that alter the address position for the user, aligning the address position with the CG orientation. Returning to FIG. 1B, the grooves and/or scorelines are located on the hitting face 110 and are conventionally located at the center of the face (CF) located at the origin 205 of the coordinate system 200 . Orienting CGx along the positive or negative side of the x-axis without moving the scoreline from CF allows the user to address the golf club head to the golf ball without aligning CGx with the golf ball. good. If the user does not align the golf ball with the CGx, the user may hit the golf ball at a location on the hitting face that does not correspond to the CGx location, resulting in reduced ball speed and accuracy of the golf shot. . For example, for positive CGx, hitting the club with CF does not correspond to positive CGx orientation. Furthermore, if the user hits the ball at a position on the hitting face that corresponds to a positive CGx (i.e., toward the toe direction of the scoreline provided for CF), the user may believe the shot was a miss. resulting in the user's misaligned future shots. In some implementations, scorelines and/or grooves offset from the CF at locations on the striking face corresponding to the CGx, CGy and CGz orientations are provided. The scorelines and grooves also serve as alignment aids during addressing. For example, in the negative CGx example, scorelines and/or grooves are positioned in the toe direction of the CF to encourage the user to address and hit the ball more in the toe direction (i.e., aligned with negative CGx). prompt. In this example, the scorelines and/or grooves are positioned in the toe direction of the geometric center of the face. The scorelines and/or grooves are then aligned for maximum performance (ie, maximum ball speed, reduced gear effect, reduced dispersion, etc.).

Further, a golf club design is provided that counteracts the left and right tendencies encountered by a player when the ball impacts high, low, heel and/or toe locations on the club head striking face. be. One such golf club design uses a "torsion" bulge, such as those described in U.S. Patent Nos. 9,814,944 and 10,265,586 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2019/0076705. and roll profiles, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

FIG. 20a shows a plurality of vertical planes 402,404,406 and horizontal planes 408,410,412. More specifically, a toe vertical plane 402, a center vertical plane 404 (passing through the centerface), and a heel vertical plane 406 are measured from the centerface location 414 and separated by a distance of 30 mm. Upper horizontal plane 408, center horizontal plane 410 (passing through centerface 414), and lower horizontal plane 412 are measured from centerface location 414 and are spaced apart from each other by 15 mm.

FIG. 20b shows all three hitting face roll profiles A, B, C superimposed on top of each other as viewed from the heel side of the golf club. Three face contours are defined as face contours that intersect three vertical planes 402 , 404 , 406 . Specifically, the toe-side contour A is represented by a dashed line and is defined by the intersection of the striking face surface and a vertical plane 402 located on the toe side of the striking face. A centerface vertical contour B is represented by a solid line and is defined by the intersection of the strikingface plane and a centerface vertical plane 404 located at the center of the strikingface. A heel-side contour C is represented by a fine dashed line and is defined by the intersection of the striking face surface with a vertical plane 406 located on the heel side of the striking face. Roll contours A, B, and C are considered three different roll contours across the hitting face taken at three different locations to show the variability of roll across the face. The toe side vertical profile A is lofted more with respect to the centerface vertical profile B (has a positive LA degree Δ). The heel side vertical profile C is less lofted (has a negative LA degree Δ) with respect to the centerface vertical profile B.

FIG. 20 b shows loft angle change 434 measured between center face vector 416 located at center face 414 and toe side roll curvature A with face angle vector 432 . A vertical pin distance of 12.7 mm was measured along the toe side roll curvature A from the center position to the crown side and sole side locating the crown side measurement point 430 and the sole side measurement point 428. . A segment line 436 connects the two measurement points. Loft angle vector 432 is perpendicular to segment line 436 . Loft angle vector 432 produces loft angle 434 relative to centerface vector 416 located at centerface point 414 . As illustrated, a larger loft angle is determined by the fact that the loft angle change (LA degrees Δ) is positive with respect to the center face vector 416 and, as with the roll curvature A, with respect to the center face vector 416 indicates an upper or higher point.

FIG. 20c further shows three striking face bulge profiles D, E, F superimposed on top of each other as viewed from the crown side of the golf club. Three face contours are defined as face contours that intersect three horizontal planes 408 , 410 , 412 . Specifically, the crown-side contour D is represented by a dashed line and is defined by the intersection of the striking face surface with an upper horizontal plane 408 located above the striking face toward the crown portion. A centerface contour E is represented by a solid line and is defined by the intersection of the strikingface plane with a horizontal plane 408 located in the center of the strikingface. A sole-side contour F is represented by a fine dashed line and is defined by the intersection of the striking face surface with a horizontal plane 412 located below the striking face. Bulge contours D, E, and F are considered three different bulge contours across the hitting face taken at three different locations to illustrate the variability of the bulge across the face. The crown side bulge profile D is more open (has a positive FA degree Δ defined below) when compared to the centerface bulge profile E. The sole-side bulge profile F is more closed (has a negative FA degree Δ when measured around the center vertical plane).

With the type of "twisted" bulge and roll profile defined above, a ball hitting the top of the face will be affected by the horizontal profile D. A typical shot impacted on the top of the clubface will affect the golf ball and cause it to land to the left of the intended target. However, when the ball is impacted with the "twisted" face profile described above, the horizontal profile D provides a generally right-pointing curvature to counteract the leftward tendency of a typical top-face shot. oppose.

Similarly, a typical shot with an impact location in the lower portion of the clubface will typically land to the right of the intended target. However, when the ball is impacted with the "twisted" face profile described above, the horizontal profile F provides a generally left-pointing curvature to the right-tending of a typical bottom face shot. oppose. It will be appreciated that the contours shown in Figures 20b and 20c are severely distorted for illustrative purposes.

To determine whether 2D contours such as A, B, C, D, E and F are facing left, right, up or down, two measurement points along the contour were placed 18.25 mm from the center position. They can be located side by side, or they can be located 36.5 mm apart from each other. A first imaginary line can be drawn between the two measurement points. Finally, a second imaginary line can be drawn perpendicular to the first imaginary line. The angle between a second imaginary line of contour with respect to a line perpendicular to the centerface position provides an indication of how open or closed the contour is with respect to the centerface contour. Of course, the above method can be implemented in measuring the direction of local curvature provided by CAD software platforms in 3D or 2D models with similar results. Alternatively, the hitting surface of an actual golf club can be laser scanned or profiled to obtain a 2D or 3D contour prior to implementing the above measurement methods. Examples of laser scanning devices that can be used are the GOM Atos Core 185 or the Faro Edge Scan Arm HD. If laser scanning or CAD methods are not available or unreliable, a "black gauge" manufactured by Golf Instruments Co. located in Oceanside, Calif. is used to measure the face angle and loft at specific points. can be measured. An example of the type of gauge that can be used is the M-310 or Digital Manual Combination C-510, which provides a block with four pins for centering the desired measurement point. The horizontal distance between the pins is 36.5 mm, while the vertical distance between the pins is 12.7 mm.

When an operator uses a black gauge to measure a golf club for loft at a desired measurement point, two vertical pins (out of four) are used to locate the two vertical points from between the two vertical pins. Measure the loft for desired equidistant points. When using a black gauge to measure a golf club for face angle at a desired measurement point, two horizontal pins (out of four) are used to measure the face angle for the desired point. The desired point is equidistant from between the two horizontal points positioned by the pins when measuring face angle.

FIG. 20 c shows face angle 420 measured between center face vector 416 located at center face 414 and crown side bulge curvature D with face angle vector 418 . A horizontal pin distance of 18.25 mm is measured along the crown side bulge curvature D from the center position to the heel side and toe side locating the heel side measurement point 426 and the toe side measurement point 424 was done. A segment line 422 connects the two measurement points. Face angle vector 418 is perpendicular to segment line 422 . Face angle vector 418 produces face angle 420 with respect to center face vector 416 located at center face point 414 . As illustrated, the open face angle assumes that the face angle change (FA degree Δ) is positive with respect to the center face vector 416 and is the point to the right as is the case for the bulge curvature D. showing.

FIG. 21 shows the desired measurement point Q0 located in the center of the hitting face 500. FIG. Horizontal plane 522 and vertical plane 502 intersect at the desired measurement point Q0, dividing striking face 500 into four quadrants. Upper toe quadrant 514 , upper heel quadrant 518 , lower heel quadrant 520 and lower toe quadrant 516 all collectively form striking face 500 . In one embodiment, upper toe quadrant 514 is "opener" than all other quadrants. In other words, upper toe quadrant 514 has an aggregate face angle that points to the right. In other words, if multiple uniformly spaced points covering the entire upper toe quadrant 514 (eg, a grid comprising multiple measurement points spaced 5 mm apart) are measured, then any other quadrant will be of greater interest. will have an average face angle pointing to the right of the target.

The term "open" is defined as having a face angle that, at address, is directed generally to the right of the intended target, while the term "closed" is defined as having, at address, Generally defined as having a face angle pointing to the left of the target of interest. In one embodiment, the lower heel quadrant 520 is "closer" than all other quadrants, meaning that it has, in aggregate, a more left facing face angle than any of the other quadrants. do.

If the edge of the striking face 500 is not visually distinct, the edge of the striking face 500 is defined as the point where the striking face radius is less than 127 mm. Three points 0.1 mm apart can be used as the three points used to determine the striking face radius if the radius is not easily calculated in a computer modeling program. The series of points will define the perimeter of the hitting face 500 . Alternatively, if the radius is not readily obtainable in the computer model, a 127 mm curvature gauge can be used to detect the face edge of the actual golf club head. A curvature gauge would be rotated about the center face point to determine the face edge.

In one illustrative example in FIG. 21, face angle and loft are measured for center face point Q0 when readily measurable computer modeling methods are not available, e.g., when an actual golf club head is measured. be done. A black gauge was used to measure horizontal points 36.5 mm apart and centered on the center face point Q0 such that the two horizontal points 506, 508 along the horizontal plane 522 were equidistant from the center face point Q0. The face angle is measured by selecting orientation points 506,508. Two pins from the black gauge mesh these two points to provide the face angle measurement with the angle measurement readout provided. Further, the loft is measured with respect to the Q0 point by selecting two vertical points 512, 510 spaced apart from each other by a vertical distance of 12.7 mm. Two vertical pins from the Black Gauge mesh these two vertical points 512, 510 to provide a loft angle measurement at the readout provided.

The positive x-axis 522 for face point measurements extends from the center face toward the heel and is tangent to the center face. The positive side of the z-axis 502 for face point measurements extends from the center face toward the crown of the club head and is tangent to the center face. As explained below, the xz coordinate system at the center face is utilized to locate multiple points P0-P36 and Q0-Q8 without loft components. The positive side of the y-axis 504 extends from the face center, perpendicular to the face center point, and away from the interior volume of the club head. The positive side of the y-axis 504 and the positive side of the z-axis 502 will be used as reference axes when measuring the face angle and loft angle in a yz coordinate system other than the center face.

FIG. 21 also shows two critical points Q3 and Q6 located at coordinates (0 mm, 15 mm) and (0 mm, -15 mm) respectively. As used herein, the terms "1 degree twist" and "2 degree twist" are defined as the total face angle change between the two critical point locations at Q3 and Q6. . For example, "twist of 1 degree" means that the Q3 point has a twist of 0.5 degrees with respect to the center face Q0, and the Q6 point has a twist of -0.5 degrees with respect to the center face Q0. will show that you have Therefore, the total torsion as an absolute value between the critical points Q3, Q6 is 1 degree, resulting in the term "1 degree torsion".

To better understand what is meant by "twisted face", FIG. 22a is an over-exaggerated version of "10 degree twist" to illustrate the concept as it applies to a golf club hitting face. 6 provides an isometric view of the twisted striking face plane 614 being oriented. Each point located on the golf club face has an associated loft angle change (defined as LA degrees Δ) and face angle change (defined as FA degrees Δ). Each point has an associated loft angle change (defined as LA degrees Δ) and face angle change (defined as FA degrees Δ).

FIG. 22a shows the center face point Q0 and the two critical points Q3, Q6 described above, lying on a twisted plane in an isometric view positive of the x-axis 600, positive of the z-axis 604 and The positive side of the y-axis 602 is shown. The centerface has a vertical axis 604 that passes through the centerface point Q0 and is perpendicular to the twist plane 614. FIG. Similarly, critical points Q3 and Q6 also have reference axes 610, 612 parallel to the centerface normal axis 604. FIG. Reference axes 610, 612 are utilized to measure relative face and loft angle changes at these critical point locations. Critical points Q3, Q6 each have a vertical axis 608, 606 normal to the face. Face angle change is then defined as the change in face angle between the reference axis 610, 612 and the relative vertical axis 608, 606 at the critical point.

FIG. 22b shows a top view of the twisted plane 614 and also shows how the face angle changes between the vertical axes 608, 606 at the critical point and the reference axes 610, 612 parallel to the centerface vertical axis 604. Indicates whether the A positive face angle change +FA degree Δ indicates that the vertical axis at the measured point points to the right of the relative reference axis. A negative face angle change - FA degrees Δ indicates that the vertical axis at the measured point points to the left of the relative reference axis. Face angle change is measured in the plane produced by the positive x-axis 600 and the positive z-axis 604 .

FIG. 22c shows the heel side view of the twisted plane 614 and the loft angle change between the vertical axes 608, 606 and the reference axes 610, 612 at the critical point location. A positive loft angle change + LA degree Δ indicates that the vertical axis at the measured point is pointing above the relative reference axis. A negative loft angle change - LA degrees Δ indicates that the vertical axis at the measured point points down the relative reference axis. Loft angle is measured in the plane generated by the positive side of z-axis 604 and the positive side of y-axis 602 for a given measurement point.

FIG. 23 shows an additional plurality of points Q0-Q8 spaced across the hitting face in a grid pattern. In addition to the critical points Q3, Q6 discussed above, the heel points Q5, Q2, Q8 are spaced 30mm from the vertical axis 700 passing through the centerface. Toe points Q4, Q1, Q7 are spaced 30 mm from a vertical axis 700 passing through the center face. Crown side points Q3, Q4, Q5 are spaced 15 mm from a horizontal axis 702 passing through the centerface. Sole side points Q6, Q7, Q8 are spaced from horizontal axis 702 by 15 mm. Point Q5 is located at coordinate position (30mm, 15mm) in the upper heel quadrant, while point Q7 is located at coordinate position (-30mm, -15mm) in the lower toe quadrant. Point Q4 is located at coordinate position (-30mm, 15mm) in the upper toe quadrant, while point Q8 is located at coordinate position (30mm, -15mm) in the lower heel quadrant.

It is understood that many degrees of twist are contemplated and the described embodiments are not limiting. For example, "twist of 0.25 degrees", "twist of 0.75 degrees", "twist of 1.25 degrees", "twist of 1.5 degrees", "twist of 1.75 degrees ", "twist of 2.25 degrees", "twist of 2.5 degrees", "twist of 2.75 degrees", "twist of 3 degrees", "twist of 3.25 degrees", "3.5 degree twist", "3.75 degree twist", "4.25 degree twist", "4.5 degree twist", "4.75 degree twist", "5 degrees twist", "5.25 degrees twist", "5.5 degrees twist", "5.75 degrees twist", "6 degrees twist", "6.25 degrees" degree twist", "6.5 degree twist", "6.75 degree twist", "7 degree twist", "7.25 degree twist", "7.5 degree twist" twist", "7.75 degree twist", "8 degree twist", "8.25 degree twist", "8.5 degree twist", "8.75 degree twist" , 9 degree twist, 9.25 degree twist, 9.5 degree twist, 9.75 degree twist and 10 degree twist. A golf club is contemplated as another possible embodiment of the present invention. Greater than 0 degrees, between 0.25 degrees and 5 degrees, between 0.1 degrees and 5 degrees, between 0 degrees and 5 degrees, between 0 degrees and 10 degrees, or between 0 degrees and 20 degrees Golf clubs having degrees of twist between are contemplated herein.

Utilizing the grid pattern of FIG. 23, several embodiments with a nominal centerface loft angle of 9.5 degrees, a bulge of 330.2 mm, and a roll of 279.4 mm yield a "0.5 degree twist ”, “1 degree twist”, “2 degree twist” and “4 degree twist”. A comparative club having a "0 degree twist" is provided for reference in contrast to the described embodiments.

For example, if the head has a bulge radius (Bulge) and a roll radius (Roll), define two coupling surfaces for the desired twisted face surface by specifying two different degrees of twist (DEG). is possible. In one embodiment, the striking face has a bulge radius between 228.6mm and 355.6mm. In another embodiment, the striking face has a bulge radius between 228.6mm and 330.2mm. Additional different bulge radii may be used.

Table 1-1 shows the LA degrees Δ and FA degrees Δ relative to the center face for a plurality of points located along the vertical axis 700 and horizontal axis 702 (example points Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q6). For points located away from vertical axis 700 and horizontal axis 702, LA degrees Δ and FA degrees Δ are measured relative to corresponding points located on vertical axis 700 and horizontal axis 702, respectively.

For example, for point Q4 located at coordinates (−30 mm, 15 mm) in the upper toe quadrant of the golf club head, the LA degree Δ is measured relative to point Q3 at (0 mm, 15 mm) having the same vertical axis 700 coordinates. be. In other words, both Q3 and Q4 have the same y-coordinate position of 15mm. Referring to Table 1-1, the LA degree Δ at point Q4 is 0.4 degrees relative to the loft angle at point Q3. The LA degree Δ of point Q4 is measured relative to point Q3 located in the corresponding upper toe horizontal band 704 .

Further, for point Q4 located at coordinates (-30mm, 15mm) in the upper toe quadrant of the golf club head, the FA degree Δ is measured relative to point Q1 at (-30mm, 0mm) having the same horizontal axis 702 coordinates. be done. In other words, both Q1 and Q4 have the same x-coordinate position of -30mm. Referring to Table 1-1, the FA degree Δ at point Q4 is 0.2 degrees relative to the face angle at point Q1. The FA degree Δ of point Q4 is measured relative to point Q1 located in the corresponding upper toe vertical band 706 .

To further illustrate how the LA degrees Δ and FA degrees Δ are calculated for points located in quadrants away from the vertical or horizontal axis, the LA degrees Δ of point Q8 are within the lower heel quadrant horizontal band 708. is measured for the loft angle located at point Q6 of . Similarly, the FA degree Δ of point Q 8 is measured for the face angle located at point Q 2 within the lower heel quadrant vertical band 710 .

In summary, LA degrees Δ and FA degrees Δ for all points located along either horizontal 702 or vertical axis 700 are measured with respect to center face Q0. For points located within a quadrant (such as points Q4, Q5, Q7 and Q8), the LA degree Δ is measured relative to the corresponding point located in the corresponding horizontal band and the FA degree Δ are measured for corresponding points located in corresponding vertical bands. In FIG. 23, not all bands are shown in the figure to improve the clarity of the figure.

The reason that points located within a given quadrant have different procedures for measuring LA and FA degrees Δ is that this method provides a bulge and roll This is to remove any effect of curvature. Otherwise, if points located in a quadrant are measured relative to the centerface, the number of LA degrees Δ and FA degrees Δ will depend on the bulge and roll curvatures. Therefore, any undue influence on specific bulge and roll curvatures is removed by utilizing the horizontal and vertical band method of measuring LA and FA degrees Δ within a quadrant. Therefore, the number of LA degrees Δ and FA degrees Δ in a quadrant should be applicable over any range of bulge and roll curvatures in any given head. The method described above for measuring LA and FA degrees Δ within a quadrant was applied to all examples herein.

Loft clubs with relative LA Δ and FA Δ of 9.5 degrees, 10.5 degrees, 12 degrees, or other lofts commonly used for drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, irons or putters, etc. It can be applied to drivers of any loft, such as corners.

[Relative relationship with center face and band]

In some implementations, the "twisted" bulge and roll contour of the hitting face of the golf club head may change the perceived angle of the face for the user. For example, referring back to FIG. 21, upper toe quadrant 514 is "opener" than all other quadrants of the hitting face, so that the perceived angle of the face at address is You can see it open. The perceived angle of the face resulting from the "twisted" bulge and roll contours of the hitting face can be affected by address factors, such as setting the club's actual face angle closed to the target line of interest. It may cause the user to shift in time, resulting in the user hitting the ball to the left (ie, a "hook" or "pulled" shot). Furthermore, the perceived angle of the face resulting from the "twisted" bulge and roll profile makes the square striking face appear open at address and may be aesthetically unpleasing to the user. Alignment features are provided that alter the perceived topline for the hitting face to modify the perceived angle of the face resulting from "twisted" bulges and roll contours.

In some embodiments, alignment features are provided that change the perceived angle of the face so that the user appears closed to the upper toe quadrant 514 of the hitting face. In other embodiments, alignment features are provided that change the perceived angle of the face so that the user appears closed relative to the actual face angle. In the aforementioned embodiments, the alignment features prevent the open appearance of "twisted" bulges and roll profiles. In some embodiments, the alignment feature may be provided as a color or shade of the crown 120 that contrasts with the color or shade of the face 110, and a decal attached to either the crown 120 or the face 110. or even by a material removal process that removes or textures a coating such as paint, PVD, CPVD, etc. from either the crown 120 or the face 110; , may include using a laser to remove or texture the aforementioned coating. In some embodiments, a contrasting paint or shading extends from crown 120 onto face 110 . In some implementations, negative CGx is provided along with "twisted" bulge and roll contours on the hitting face. In some implementations, a negative CGx prevents some of the alignment problems caused by "twisted" bulge contours and vice versa. For example, "twisted" bulges and roll contours on the striking face may be combined with one or more adjustable weights and/or discretionary masses strategically positioned at an angle to the striking face. may be combined. Other combinations of multiple present embodiments may be provided.

In one embodiment, alignment features are provided that change the perceived angle of the face of the golf club head relative to the "twisted" bulge and roll contours on the hitting face. In this embodiment, golf club performance could also be improved by reducing the lateral dispersion of the golf club head. For example, for a right-handed golfer, lateral dispersion is measured, which indicates that the golf club has a tendency to scatter to right misses. The right miss may be the result of a "twisted" bulge and roll contour that causes the perceived angle of the golf club head's face to appear open. Alignment features may be changed to prevent right misses, such as by changing the perceived face angle to appear closed versus closed relative to the actual face angle. The amount by which the alignment feature can be changed is the amount of lateral variance, such as changing the alignment feature about 1 degree relative to the target line of interest for every lateral variance of about 3-5 yards from the target line of interest. may be based on For a left-handed golfer, if the lateral dispersion is measured, which indicates that the golf club has a tendency to scatter to the left miss, then the alignment feature is closed to the actual face angle. It may be modified to prevent left misses by changing the face angle that is perceived as visible.

In another embodiment, different alignment features are provided that change the perceived angle of the face of the golf club head relative to the "twisted" bulge and roll contours on the hitting face. In this embodiment, golf club performance could also be improved by reducing the lateral dispersion of the golf club head. For example, for a right-handed golfer, lateral dispersion is measured, which indicates that the golf club has a tendency to scatter to the left miss. The left miss may be the result of a "twisted" bulge and roll contour that causes the perceived angle of the golf club head's face to appear closed. Alignment features may be modified to prevent left misses, such as by changing the perceived face angle to appear open versus closed relative to the actual face angle. The amount by which the alignment feature can be changed is the amount of lateral variance, such as changing the alignment feature about 1 degree relative to the target line of interest for every lateral variance of about 3-5 yards from the target line of interest. may be based on For a left-handed golfer, if the lateral dispersion is measured, which indicates that the golf club has a tendency to scatter to the right miss, the alignment feature is closed to the actual face angle. It may be modified to discourage right misses by changing the face angle that is perceived as visible.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24, a method 2400 of determining alignment features for a golf club head, such as in heads with negative CGx, "twisted" bulges and rolls, or another design. offer. This method may be performed using one or more of the multiple golf club head embodiments described above.

At step 2410, the golf club head is provided with alignment features. In one embodiment, the golf club head is a new design that is tested prior to mass production. In this embodiment, the golf club head may include one or more alignment features. The one or more alignment features may be based on a previous design, such as retained topline characteristics from a previous design, or such as based on a computer aided design (CAD) model or another club head design. , may be new alignment features. For example, the golf club head may have undergone a complete modification, such as incorporating significant golf club head shape changes, or may have been slightly redesigned based on a previous golf club head design. In another embodiment, a golf club head may have only minor differences from another golf club head design, such as different lofts that may lead to differences between golf club head designs.

At step 2420, alignment features are measured. For example, in one embodiment using topline as an alignment feature, the topline radius is measured. Other alignment features may be measured. Additionally or alternatively, the Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA) or other metric of the golf club head may also be measured.

At step 2430, the golf club head is tested. For example, a prototype of a new golf club head design is provided for player testing. In this example, one or more players may test golf club heads. Based on the tests, the lateral dispersion of the golf club head may be measured. Other performance metrics may also be measured. Lateral dispersion may suggest that different alignment features may provide better performance, such as less lateral dispersion. In another example, the user's impression of alignment features may also be measured. In this example, different alignment features may improve the attractiveness or confidence of the golf club head to the tester if the golf club head face appears too open or too closed during testing.

At step 2440, alignment features are adjusted. For example, based on testing, one or more alignment features may be adjusted to increase the performance and/or appeal of the golf club head. In this example, the topline radius may be adjusted. Based on the lateral dispersion measured during testing, the topline radius may be adjusted once every 5 yards of lateral dispersion for drivers and 3 yards of lateral dispersion for fairway woods. It may be adjusted once per variance. Other amounts of adjustment may be provided. Additionally, additional and different adjustments may be provided for one or more alignment features.

After adjusting the alignment characteristics, one or more of operations 2430 and 2440 may be repeated for additional testing and/or adjustments. In some embodiments, individual player tests may also be run, such as for individual tour players. At step 2450, the aligned alignment features are provided for manufacturing. For example, after testing and adjusting one or more alignment features, a golf club head design is manufactured.

Discretionary mass is generally removed from various structures that provide mass that can be distributed elsewhere to adjust one or more mass moments of inertia and/or to position the golf club head center of gravity. refers to the mass of material that can be Multiple golf club head walls provide one source of discretionary mass. In other words, the reduction in wall thickness reduces wall mass and provides mass that can be distributed elsewhere. Thin walls, especially thin crowns, provide significant discretionary mass compared to conventional golf club heads.

For example, a golf club head formed from a steel alloy can achieve a discretionary mass of approximately 4 grams for every 0.1 mm reduction in average crown thickness. Similarly, a golf club head formed from a titanium alloy can achieve a discretionary mass of approximately 2.5 grams for every 0.1 mm reduction in average crown thickness. Discretionary mass, achieved by using a thin crown, eg, less than about 0.65 mm, can be used to adjust one or more mass moments of inertia and/or center of gravity location.

To achieve thin walls in the golf club head body, such as a thin crown, the golf club head body may be formed from steel alloys or titanium alloys.

Some examples of titanium alloys that can be used to form any of the hitting faces and/or club heads described herein include titanium, aluminum, molybdenum, chromium, vanadium and/or iron. obtain. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, the alloy comprises 6.5 wt% to 10 wt% Al, 0.5 wt% to 3.25 wt% Mo, 1.0 wt% to 3.0 wt% % Cr, 0.25% to 1.75% V, and/or 0.25% to 1% Fe with the balance Ti. (In one example, it may be referred to as a "1300" titanium alloy).

In another exemplary embodiment, the alloy comprises 6.75 wt% to 9.75 wt% Al, 0.75 wt% to 3.25 wt% or 2.75 wt% Mo, 1.0 wt% % to 3.0 wt % Cr, 0.25 wt % to 1.75 wt % V, and/or 0.25 wt % to 1 wt % Fe, with the balance Ti.

In another exemplary embodiment, the alloy comprises 7 wt% to 9 wt% Al, 1.75 wt% to 3.25 wt% Mo, 1.25 wt% to 2.75 wt% Cr, It may contain 0.5% to 1.5% by weight V and/or 0.25% to 0.75% by weight Fe, the balance being Ti.

In another exemplary embodiment, the alloy comprises 7.5 wt% to 8.5 wt% Al, 2.0 wt% to 3.0 wt% Mo, 1.5 wt% to 2.5 wt% % Cr, 0.75% to 1.25% V, and/or 0.375% to 0.625% Fe with the balance Ti.

In another exemplary embodiment, the alloy comprises 8 wt% Al, 2.5 wt% Mo, 2 wt% Cr, 1 wt% V, and/or 0.5 wt% Fe. and the remainder may contain Ti. Such titanium alloys may 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 the referenced element in any of the proportions given above. It refers to titanium alloys containing Certain embodiments may also contain trace amounts 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 may be significantly superior to other cast titanium alloys, including 6-4Ti and 9-1-1Ti, which may have the minimum mechanical properties noted above. In some embodiments, the Ti-8Al-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe has a tensile strength of about 1180 MPa to about 1460 MPa, a yield strength of about 1150 MPa to about 1415 MPa, and a yield strength of about 8% to about 12%. It may have an elongation, a modulus of about 110 GPa, a density of about 4.45 g/cm ³ , and a hardness of about 43 on the Rockwell C scale (43 HRC). In certain embodiments, 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%.

In some embodiments, the striking face and/or club head body may be cast from Ti-8Al-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe. In some embodiments, the striking face and club head body may be integrally formed from Ti-8Al-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe, depending on the specific properties desired, or can be co-cast.

The mechanical parameters of Ti-8Al-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-8Al-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe, a cast hitting face having this alloy performs better than other alloys when hitting golf balls. may indicate less deflection per unit thickness. This is because the higher tensile strength of Ti-8Al-2.5Mo-2Cr-1V-0.5Fe results in less hitting face deflection, reducing the tendency of the hitting face to flatten with repeated use. This can be particularly beneficial for metal wood type clubs that are configured to hit the ball at high velocities. This ensures that the striking face retains its original valve, roll and "twist" dimensions even in extended use, especially in use by advanced and/or professional golfers who tend to hit the ball at high club speeds. make it possible.

For further details regarding titanium casting, see US Pat. No. 7,513,296, incorporated herein by reference.

Additionally, the thickness of the club hosel is varied to provide additional discretionary mass, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,731,176, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. good too.

As explained above, the location and characteristics of golf club head alignment features, such as the golf club head topline, can be important to golf club performance and aesthetics. For example, a 1 degree change in the perceived face angle of a golf club head may cause lateral dispersion of up to about 5 yards. Similarly, providing alignment features that alter the perceived face angle of the golf club head may correct lateral dispersion caused by other properties of the golf club.

One or more of the present embodiments provide for hard-engineering the location and characteristics of one or more alignment features into the golf club head. For example, instead of masking and painting the topline onto the golf club head, the topline is firmly crafted at the intersection between the cast club head body and the face insert. A club head body, such as a cast club head body, may be painted separately from the face insert and does not require special masking to provide alignment features. In some embodiments, the transition zone between the face and crown may be painted the same color as the rest of the cast club head body, and the transition zone and other portions of the cast club head body may be painted in the same color. Eliminates the need to use masking lines between parts. After painting the cast club head body, the face may be bonded or otherwise attached to the cast portion. Color contrasts, finish differences, and/or texture differences between the cast club head body and face define essential visual cues. For example, the face insert may be monochromatic or multicolored. Similarly, the club head body and/or crown may also be single-colored or multi-colored, and may have one or more alignment features by contrasting with one or more colors of the face insert. I will provide a. In another example, the club head body and/or crown may have one finish, such as glossy, and the face insert may be a different finish, such as matte. In yet another example, the club head body and/or crown may have one texture, such as a visible composite weave pattern, and the face insert may have a different texture, such as a texture that appears uniform or smooth. May have texture. Additionally or alternatively, a crown insert may be coupled or otherwise attached to the cast club head body to provide a visual cue. Accordingly, the topline may be immune to manufacturing variations introduced from user error, and manufactured golf club heads may be more consistent from part to part.

In some embodiments, the face insert is embedded in a cured resin (e.g., epoxy), such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,016,662, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. It is formed from a composite including multiple plies or layers of fibrous material such as graphite or carbon fiber. Composite faceplates for use in metal wood golf clubs are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. 7,140,974), 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 12/156,947. The entirety of these US patent applications are incorporated herein by reference. Composite materials can be made by methods described in at least US patent application Ser. No. 11/825,138, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. In some embodiments, the face insert has a variable thickness, such as those described in US Pat. No. 7,874,938, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

In some embodiments, the face is such as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 15/857,407, filed Dec. 28, 2017, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. can be adjusted (eg, for CT, COR, or another property) as in.

FIG. 25 is a top view of a golf club head having at least one engineered alignment feature; Golf club head 2500 comprises face 110 , crown 120 , sole 130 (not pictured), skirt 140 and hosel 150 . As depicted in FIG. 25, primary alignment features 2514 are provided on the golf club head. A primary alignment feature 2514 may be provided as a top line that is tightly crafted at the intersection of the face 110 of the golf club head 2500 and the casting. The topline transitions between at least a portion of crown 120 having a shade, color, finish, and/or texture that contrasts with and/or differs from the shade, color, finish, and/or texture of face 110 . You can draw. The topline may also describe the transition between face 110 and another portion of the golf club body. In some embodiments, the cast portion of golf club head 2500 , including a portion of crown 120 , is painted a shade or color prior to attaching face 110 . Face 110 may define the properties of primary alignment features 2514 . For example, the size and shape of the face 110 may include the topline position, the topline curvature, the Target Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA) of the golf club head 2500, and the golf club head 2500. Other characteristics of club head 2500 and/or primary alignment feature 2514 may be changed.

In some embodiments, face 110 is provided, at least in part, as a composite material. Other materials may also be used. Face 110 may be coupled to golf club head 2500 . Adhesion, welding (preferred welding processes are ultrasonic welding, hot element welding, vibration welding, rotary friction welding or high frequency welding (Plastics Handbook, Vol. 3/4, pages 106-107, Karl Hanser Verlag) Any bonding method known in the art, including adhesive bonding, including Munich (Carl Hanser Verlag Munich & Wien 1998)) or calendaring, or mechanical fastening, including riveting or thread interaction. may be used. Alternatively, face 110 may be attached to the golf club head in another manner, such as screws, fasteners, epoxy, welding, or another attachment or coupling means. In some embodiments, the face may be welded from behind the face (ie, from inside the cavity of the golf club head). The weld may not completely penetrate the face (eg less than 100% weld penetration). Past club head designs have provided an intersection location between the face 110 and the golf club body casting at an undesirable location for the primary alignment feature 2514 . For example, past intersection locations do not provide aesthetic and visual cue performance due to durability constraints. One or more of the present embodiments provide a bonded face that allows engineered topline locations to provide aesthetic and performance characteristics while maintaining golf club head durability. provide the design of For example, the engineered topline location may follow the shape of the face insert. If the club head test shows lateral dispersion going to the right and/or appears closed, then the shape of the face insert minimizes the lateral dispersion and makes the club head more open. It may be changed as it appears. Similarly, if the club head test shows lateral dispersion going to the left and/or appears open, the shape of the face insert minimizes the lateral dispersion and makes the club head more closed. may be altered to appear to be To maximize performance, the face insert need not be of uniform shape (eg, not an elliptical face insert). For example, in some embodiments, a portion of the face insert extends upward and heel toward the hosel. A portion of the face insert may also extend upward and in the toe direction.

In some embodiments, the golf club head includes secondary alignment features. Referring back to FIG. 25, secondary alignment feature 2516 may depict the transition between crown first portion 2518 and crown second portion 2520 . In one example, crown first portion 2518 may have a shading or color that contrasts with the shading or color of face 110 , and crown second portion 2520 may have a shading or color of crown first portion 2518 . or may have contrasting shades or colors. A secondary alignment feature 2516 may also be hard-crafted into the club head, such as with a crown insert. In some embodiments, the crown insert may be a composite material. Some examples of these composite materials and their manufacturing procedures for use in metal wood golf clubs are described herein and in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 10/442,348 (now 7,267,620), 10/831,496 (now U.S. Patent 7,140,974), 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 12/156,947, which US patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a golf club head having at least one engineered alignment feature without a face insert attached; In this embodiment, the golf club head 2500, or any of the multiple disclosed components, is cast and milled to create a ledge 2622 (not pictured) for receiving the face insert 110, Or it may be formed in any other manner, including metal injection molding and additive manufacturing techniques. Face insert 110 may be provided as a composite material or as a separate material. For example, face insert 110 may be a molded composite that is bonded to ledge 2622 of a golf club head. By coupling face insert 110 to ledge 2622 , the transition between face 110 and crown 120 provides a prominent topline as primary alignment feature 2514 . In some embodiments, face 110 is coupled to ledge 2622 with a seamless transition between face 110 and crown 120 to promote desired aerodynamic and aesthetic characteristics. there is

Characteristics of primary alignment feature 2514 may be defined by face insert 110 . For example, a larger face insert 110 may position alignment feature 2514 higher on golf club head 2500 . Similarly, a smaller face insert 110 may position alignment feature 2514 lower on golf club head 2500 . The shape of the face insert 110 may also provide the desired curvature and/or radius of the topline. Once the desired characteristics of the primary alignment features 2514 are established, the alignment features 2514 are hard-machined into the golf club head 2500 . By tightly crafting the alignment features, they are permanent, non-deformable, and less prone to manufacturing errors associated with painted alignment features using stickers or other masking during manufacturing. enable you to become As such, the primary alignment features may be determined by club head casting, or may be milled, stamped, molded, or otherwise forged into the club head and using face inserts. It may be a feature integrated into the

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a golf club head having at least one engineered alignment feature with a face insert attached; In this embodiment, golf club head 2500 is provided with face insert 110 coupled to ledge 2622 (not pictured). As depicted in FIG. 27, the primary alignment feature 2514 is a well-crafted topline at the intersection of the face 110 and the cast body, such as the first portion of crown 2518 . For a bonded face, the joint between face 110 and crown 120 determines topline 2514 . Other methods of attaching the face insert may be used, such as screws, fasteners, or another attachment method.

Additional features of golf club head 2500 may be facilitated through the use of face insert 110 . For example, by including a notch behind the face insert 110, the golf club head 2500 utilizes Flight Control Technology (FCT) in the hosel 150 and has, among other things, a loft and lie connecting sleeve for adjusting the face angle. enable. Other characteristics of the face insert may provide multiple performance advantages. In one embodiment, the face insert 110 may provide a more precise and uniform face thickness between manufactured golf club heads and allows precise face thickness variability to be incorporated into the golf club head design. may provide. In one embodiment, the molded composite face insert allows for variable thickness across multiple locations on the face. In one embodiment, the center of gravity about the x-axis (CGx) may be more precisely positioned by using a face insert, such as by using a variable thickness face. Further, the CT value (CT) and coefficient of restitution (COR) requirements may be strictly achieved by molding the composite face and bonding the face to the golf club head. The composite face may also be adjustable after installation. In one embodiment, the face insert may provide a CT above about 255 and a COR of about 0.835. In one embodiment, face inserts may be used to provide different bulge and roll characteristics for the user. For example, selection from different face inserts may provide different bulge and roll characteristics, including twisted bulge and roll characteristics. One of a plurality of different face inserts may be selected prior to bonding the face to the golf club head; alternatively, the face inserts may be replaceable by the user or club fitter. . In yet another embodiment, changing the face properties requires that the club head casting be changed to accommodate the new face insert.

In some embodiments, the face insert may be provided as a dark face insert face area having a CIELab luminance (L) of less than about 40, and the light face of the cast club head body and/or crown of the club head. The area has a CIELab luminance between about 50 and about 100. In some embodiments, the difference in luminance (ΔL) between the face insert and the club head body and/or crown is at least 20, at least 30, at least 40, at least 50, at least 60, at least 70, or Other different values greater than about twenty are possible.

In some embodiments, the face insert may be provided with dark face insert surface areas having a CIELab luminance (L) of less than about 40, and the club head body and/or crown of the club head may have a CIELab luminance (L) of less than about 40. A dark surface area with CIELab luminance is provided. For example, the difference in luminance (ΔL) between the face insert and the club head body and/or crown is at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, or in another set of embodiments, about The difference may be less than 20, or less than about 15, or less than about 10, or less than about 5.

In some embodiments, the face insert may be provided as a matte, semi-gloss or low gloss face insert face area having a gloss of less than about 60, about 50 or about 40 gloss units, and the club of the club head Semi-gloss surface areas of the head body and/or crown have CIELab gloss values greater than about 40, about 50, about 60 and about 70 gloss units. For example, a matte or low gloss face insert may have a gloss of less than 10, 8, 5, 4, or 2 gloss units.

Any difference in appearance between the face insert and the club head body and/or crown may be used as an alignment feature. The club head body and/or crown may differ in appearance from the face insert by color, brightness, texture, finish, or other visual differences. Different finishes may be used, such as, for example, glossy, semi-gloss, low gloss, matte or another finish. Different textures may also be used, such as textures, ridges, valleys, material patterns, composite weaves, and other textures manufactured into club head components.

FIG. 28 is a flowchart of a method 2800 for counteracting the tendency of a golf club head to sway laterally. For example, the method may be used to determine alignment characteristics for golf club heads. The method may be performed using one or more of the multiple golf club head embodiments described herein or with another golf club head comprising a face, crown and sole. good.

At step 2810, the main alignment features are provided. For example, a primary alignment feature may include a line that depicts the transition between a portion of the crown and the face. A portion of the crown may comprise an area having a shade or color that contrasts with the shade or color of the face. A primary alignment feature may be hard-crafted into the golf club head using the face of the golf club body. For example, the face may be bonded or otherwise attached to a painted golf club body. The face may be painted or provided with a different shade or color than the crown, or it may be unpainted. In one embodiment, the face is provided with a composite material of a contrasting shade or color to the crown.

At step 2820, the lateral dispersion tendency of the golf club head is measured. The lateral variance trend indicates the average variance from the center target line. For example, a positive lateral variance trend is the average variance to the right of the center target line, and a negative lateral variance trend is the average variance to the left of the center target line. For example, providing a prototype of a new golf club head design for player testing. In this example, one or more players may test golf club heads. Based on the tests, the lateral dispersion of the golf club head may be measured. Other performance metrics may also be measured. Lateral dispersion may suggest that different alignment features may provide better performance, such as less lateral dispersion. In another example, the user's impression of alignment features may also be measured. In this example, different alignment features may improve the attractiveness or confidence of the golf club head to the tester if the golf club head face appears too open or too closed during testing.

At step 2830, primary alignment features are adjusted to provide adjusted primary alignment features, such as to counteract lateral dispersion tendencies of the golf club head. The primary alignment features may also be adjusted in conjunction with changing the face characteristics of the golf club head, such as when providing different bulge and roll characteristics, adjusting CT, and defining other face characteristics. In one embodiment, based on testing, key alignment features may be adjusted to increase the performance and/or attractiveness of the golf club head. In this example, the topline radius may be adjusted. Based on the lateral dispersion measured during testing, the topline radius may be adjusted once every 5 yards of lateral dispersion for drivers and 3 yards of lateral dispersion for fairway woods. It may be adjusted once per variance. Other amounts of adjustment may be provided. Additionally, additional and different adjustments may be provided for one or more alignment features.

After adjusting the alignment characteristics, one or more of operations 2820 and 2830 may be repeated for additional testing and/or adjustments. In some embodiments, individual player tests may also be run, such as for individual tour players. In some embodiments, secondary alignment features are tested and adjusted.

At step 2840, the adjusted primary alignment features are incorporated into the golf club head. In one embodiment, the adjusted primary alignment feature is incorporated into the golf club head by modifying the golf club head. Alignment features may also be provided that are adjusted to manufacture the golf club head. For example, after testing and adjusting one or more alignment features, a golf club head design is manufactured. Accordingly, one or more alignment features are integrally formed into the golf club head, such as with an integrally formed topline alignment feature, while being cast with the golf club head.

FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure without a face insert attached; In some embodiments, the transition from a portion of crown 120 to a face insert (not depicted in FIG. 29) provides the primary alignment feature. For example, FIG. 29 shows a front portion 330 of a golf club head, such as golf club head 2500 or another golf club head. Front portion 330 is configured to receive a face insert (not depicted in FIG. 29), such as face insert 110 or another face insert. Front portion 330 includes face insert support structures 2928A, 2928B. Upper face insert support structure 2928A is adjacent or immediately adjacent to crown 120 . Lower face insert support structure 2928B is adjacent or immediately adjacent sole 130 .

In some embodiments, when attached to face insert support structures 2928A, 2928B, the face insert forms part of the transition area from the face to crown 120 and/or sole 130 . 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 installation of the face insert and, if installed, painted portions of the transition region and/or crown. Provide a face insert color or shade that contrasts against the In other embodiments, the face insert eliminates the need for a transition area from the face to crown 120 and/or sole 130 . In some embodiments, the face insert includes at least a portion of the radius of transition from the face insert to the crown. By forming a portion of the face-to-crown transition radius, club head aerodynamics may be improved by reducing turbulence and increasing annular flow of air passing from the face to the crown.

30A is a cross-sectional view of the upper lip of a golf club head without a face insert attached, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 30A depicts upper face insert support structure 2928A adjacent or immediately adjacent crown 120. FIG. The upper face insert support structure 2928A comprises an upper rear support member 3046A and an upper perimeter member 3048A. Upper rear support member 3046A and upper perimeter member 3048A create an upper undercut recess 3006A that receives the face insert and forms a lip for connecting a portion of crown 120 to upper face insert support structure 2928A.

In some embodiments, the upper face insert support structure 2928A is provided in a shape that flexes in a manner similar to a face insert when a golf club head strikes a golf ball. For example, in some golf club head designs, face insert materials such as composite materials are more flexible or compliant than golf club body materials such as aluminum or titanium alloys. In this example, slots or recesses 3008A may be provided in the upper perimeter member 3048A to increase the flexibility or compliance of the upper face insert support structure 2928A, allowing the face to flex more uniformly. . Additional different shapes may be provided to increase or decrease the 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 and substantially prevent the face insert from detaching or peeling from the golf club body.

FIG. 30B is a cross-sectional view of the lower lip of a golf club head without a face insert attached, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 30B depicts lower face insert support structure 2928B adjacent or immediately adjacent to sole 130. FIG. The lower face insert support structure 2928B has a lower rear support member 3046B and a lower perimeter member 3048B. Lower rear support member 3046B and lower perimeter member 3048B create a lower undercut recess 3006B that receives the face insert and forms a lip to connect a portion of sole 130 to lower face insert support structure 2928B.

In some embodiments, the lower face insert support structure 2928B is provided in a shape that flexes in a manner similar to a face insert when a golf club head strikes a golf ball. In the examples described above, the face insert material is more flexible or compliant than the golf club body material. In this example, slots or recesses 3008B may be provided in the lower perimeter member 3048B to increase the flexibility or compliance of the upper face insert support structure 2928B, allowing the face to flex more uniformly. . Additional different shapes may be provided to increase or decrease the 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 and substantially prevent the face insert from detaching or peeling from the golf club body.

FIG. 31 is a top view of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 31 depicts club head 3100 with hosel 150 , face 110 and centerface location 3110 . Using the centerface location 3110 of face 110 and the centerpoint location 3150 of hosel 150, a centerface y-axis location (CFY) is defined. A positive CFY creates a golf club head onset and extends from the center point location 3150 of the hosel 150 toward the front portion of the golf club head to the center face location 3110 . For example, the onset may cause lateral dispersion, making the face appear too far ahead of the hosel. A negative CFY creates a golf club head offset and extends from the center point location 3150 of the hosel 150 toward the rear portion of the golf club head to the center face location 3110 . A face progression (FP) is defined using the leading edge position 3120 of the face 110 and the center point position 3150 of the hosel 150 . Face progression is related to face position, loft and face height. CFY, face progression and alignment characteristics all affect golf club head performance such as lateral dispersion. For example, if the CFY and/or face progression of the golf club head is changed, one or more alignment features are provided to counteract lateral dispersion created or reduced by the CFY and/or face progression. may be

In some embodiments, a high CFY (eg, greater than about 15 mm, 14 mm, 13 mm, or another CFY) may produce lateral dispersion to the right of the target line of interest. In other embodiments, a low CFY (eg, less than about 15 mm, 14 mm, 13 mm, or another CFY) may produce lateral dispersion to the left of the target line of interest. In some embodiments, CFY is between about 13 mm and about 15 mm.

In some embodiments, high face progression (eg, greater than about 20 mm, 19 mm, 18 mm, or another face progression) may produce lateral dispersion to the right of the target line of interest. In other embodiments, low face progression (eg, less than about 19 mm, 18 mm, 17 mm, or another face progression) may produce lateral dispersion to the left of the target line of interest. In some embodiments, face progression is between about 15 mm and about 20 mm.

In some embodiments, the golf club head has a CFY of 15.5 mm or less; a CFY of 15 mm or less; a CFY of 14.5 mm or less; a CFY of 14 mm or less; a CFY of 13.5 mm or less; face progression of 19 mm or less; face progression of 18 mm or less; face progression of 17 mm or less; and face progression of 16 mm or less. In some embodiments, the golf club head is provided with a CFY of 17.5 mm or less. In another set of embodiments, CFY is at least 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, 11 mm or 12 mm. Similarly, in another set of embodiments, the face progression is at least 10 mm, 11 mm, 12 mm, 13 mm or 14 mm.

FIG. 32 is a perspective view of golf club head 3200 from the toe side. In this embodiment, golf club head 3200 comprises hollow body 3210 . Hollow body 3210 comprises hosel 150 , crown 120 (not pictured) and sole 130 . In some embodiments, hollow body 3210 includes multiple openings to receive face insert 110, crown insert 3220 and/or sole insert 3230 (not pictured). In some embodiments, the hollow body is a metal or composite material frame and the face insert 110, crown insert 3220 and/or sole insert 3230 (not pictured) are at least in part composite material. Hollow body 3210 is cast with ledge 2622 for receiving face insert 110 (not pictured). By coupling face insert 110 to ledge 2622, the transition between face 110 and crown 120 provides a primary alignment feature 2514, such as a topline or another alignment feature. For example, hollow body 3210 may be cast from a titanium alloy, an aluminum alloy, another alloy, or combinations thereof. Hollow body 3210 is painted prior to joining face insert 110 (not pictured), crown insert 3220 (not pictured) and/or sole insert 3230 . One or more alignment features are engineered into the golf club head 3200 by mating face inserts and/or crown inserts. Face insert 110, crown insert 3220 and/or sole insert 3230 are bonded to hollow body 3210, such as by first bonding face insert 110 and then crown insert 3220 after hollow body 3210 is painted. may Alternatively, crown insert 3220 is bonded first, followed by face insert 110 . By bonding multiple inserts after the hollow body 3210 is painted, one or more alignment features are engineered into the golf club head during casting and bonding. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the crown and sole inserts 3220, 3230 are manufactured from a composite material.

In other embodiments, one or more alignment features are engineered 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 hollow body 3210 by, for example, casting protrusions, ridges, or other raised features in hollow body 3210 . In another example, one or more negative witness lines may be cast into hollow body 3210 , such as indentations, valleys, or other recessed features into hollow body 3210 . In some embodiments, a combination of positive and negative witness lines may be provided. One or more witness lines may be painted with hollow body 3210 to provide one or more alignment features. Alternatively or additionally, the Witness Line may be used as a guide for painting one or more alignment features on the golf club head. By casting the witness line in the golf club head during manufacturing, subsequent painting of one or more alignment features may be made more precise on a part-by-part basis.

Returning to FIG. 32, in some embodiments, the hosel 150 may be adjustable, such as through the use of flight control technology (FCT) in the hosel 150. For example, the FCT may have loft and lie connecting sleeves that, among other things, adjust the face angle. The FCT may be adjustable using screws 3255 or another connection. Hosel 150 may also have an outer hosel surface 3251 and an inner hosel surface 3253 . Inner hosel surface 3253 may occupy at least a portion of the face opening or area for receiving face insert 110 (not pictured). A notch or other feature is provided in the face insert 110 to receive at least a portion of the hosel within the face insert 110 to accommodate the inner hosel surface 3253 . As described herein, the notch may reduce CFY and accommodate at least a portion of the hosel within the face insert. Further, by housing a portion of the hosel within the face insert, a portion of the face insert may extend higher above the heel and follow the natural shape of the crown and/or other features of the club head. In some embodiments, face insert 110 couples directly to hosel 150 . By accommodating at least a portion of the inner hosel surface 3253 within the face insert 110 , the center face location 3110 (not depicted) of the face insert 110 is closer to the center point location 3150 (not depicted) of the hosel 150 . , which reduces CFY and increases golf club head performance.

In some embodiments, golf club head 3200 includes slots 3295 and weight tracks 3245 . For example, slots 3295 and/or weight tracks 3245 may be cast into hollow body 3210 . As described below, slot 3295 may increase the durability of the golf club head by allowing at least a portion of hollow body 3210 to flex as well as face insert 110, where face insert 110 is By preventing detachment from the hollow body 3210, it increases the performance of the golf club head and increases the durability of the golf club head. In some embodiments, golf club head 3200 includes one or more characteristic time (CT) adjustment ports. Referring to FIG. 32, a CT tuning port 3275 is provided in the toe portion of hollow body 3210 . Another CT tuning port (not pictured) may be provided in the heel portion of hollow body 3210 . One or more CT tuning ports may be provided at additional and different locations on golf club head 3200, such as face insert 110 or another location. By using one or more CT tuning ports, adhesive or another material may be injected into the golf club head 3200 to reduce or increase the CT of the golf club head. For example, golf club head 3200 may be manufactured with a CT that does not comply with United States Golf Association (USGA) regulations that limit the CT of golf club heads. By injecting adhesive into the CT tuning port 3275, the CT of the golf club head is detuned to comply with USGA regulations.

In some embodiments, the golf club head includes one or more foam inserts. For example, foam insert 3276 is located within hollow body 3210 . An additional foam insert is also provided adjacent the toe portion (not pictured). One or more foam inserts assist in CT tuning the golf club head by securing an adhesive or other material in place within the golf club head while the material solidifies. Additionally, a rear wall may also be provided to further secure while the material solidifies. Accordingly, the foam insert and rear wall prevent adhesive injected into adjustment port 3275 from moving too far toe, heel, and rearward, resulting in a tighter CT adjustment of the golf club head. make it possible. Additional different structures may be provided to secure the injected material during CT tuning.

In some embodiments, the golf club head comprises a multi-material inertial generator. As described herein, inertial generators may also be referred to as aft winglets and center of gravity (CG) lowering platforms. Inertia generator 3285 moves a discretionary mass rearward to increase inertia and move the CG projection on the face of the golf club head lower. For example, the golf club head 3200 includes an inertia generator 3285 that extends rearwardly and angularly in the toe direction from a front portion of the golf club head 3200 to a rear portion of the golf club head 3200 . A multi-material inertial generator may include materials of two or more different densities. For example, inertial generator 3285 includes one or more of low density portion 3286 , medium density portion 3287 and high density portion 3288 .

Low density portion 3286 may be a composite or another material, such as, for example, as part of composite sole panel 3230 or as a separate component. Low density portion 3286 may have a density of less than about 2 g/cc, such as between about 1 g/cc and about 2 g/cc. 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, for example, as part or another component of hollow body 3210 . Medium density portion 3287 is between about 1 g/cc and about 5 g/cc, between about 2.0 g/cc and about 5.0 g/cc, between about 2.5 g/cc and about 4.5 g/cc, etc. , may have a density greater than about 2.7 g/cc. 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, for example, as a rear weight or another component affixed to inertial generator 3285. good too. High density portion 3288 has a density greater than about 7 g/cc. For example, aluminum alloys are often about 2.7 g/cc, titanium alloys are often about 4.5 g/cc, steel alloys are often about 7.8 g/cc, and tungsten alloys are often about 19 g/cc. be.

FIG. 33 is a perspective view of golf club head 3200 from the toe side. 33 provides another view of sole 130 with insert 3230, inertia generator 3285, slot 3295, weight track 3245 and screw 3255. FIG. Inertia generator 3285 is provided as a multi-material inertia generator comprising low density portion 3286 , medium density portion 3287 and high density portion 3288 .

34 is a perspective view of a portion of golf club head 3200. FIG. FIG. 34 shows hosel 150 with outer hosel surface 3251 and inner hosel surface 3253 . As depicted in FIG. 34 , a ledge 2622 for receiving face insert 110 (not depicted) is joined to inner hosel surface 3253 within intersection region 3257 . Face support portions, including ledges 2622 and the like, intersect and join internal hosel surfaces 3253 that allow internal hosel surfaces 3253 to interact with face insert 110 and/or at least partially with the interior thereof. The face support portion may intersect and/or join the inner hosel surface 3253 proximate the crown, proximate the sole, or proximate the crown and sole.

FIG. 35 is a perspective view from the rear portion of golf club head 3200 without crown insert 3220 installed. FIG. 35 shows club head 3200 with hosel 150, internal hosel surface 3253, foam insert 3276 and high density portion 3288. FIG. A ledge 3224 is provided for coupling crown insert 3220 (not pictured). The ledge 3224 is wider and closer to the club head front portion and face to provide additional CT tuning. For example, in addition to supporting crown insert 3220, the width of ledge 3224 is increased to reduce the CT of the club head. In one embodiment, the ledge 3224 width is increased from about 10 mm to about 15 mm proximate to the face. During or after manufacture, material may be removed from the ledge 3224 to increase the CT of the club head, eg, by about 8 to about 10 points. As explained above, CT tuning is typically used to reduce the CT of a club head to meet USGA constraints. If the CT of the club head is determined to be too far below the USGA constraint, the club head can be adjusted using ledge 3224 to increase the CT to approach or exceed the USGA constraint. .

In some embodiments, the golf club head 3200 includes support ribs 3296,3297. For example, support ribs 3296 provide additional support for hollow body 3210 , weight tracks 3245 and/or slots 3295 . Support ribs 3296 may be provided over weight tracks 3245 and in other areas within hollow body 3210 . Support ribs 3297 may be provided to support hollow body 3210 and inertia generator 3285 . As depicted in FIG. 35, hollow body 3210 comprises a platform of material that includes support ribs 3297 and extends in the direction of inertia generator 3285 . Additional and different support ribs may be provided.

36-37 are multiple section views of a golf club head 3200. FIG. FIG. 36 shows an internal hosel surface 3253 that occupies at least a portion of the face opening or area for receiving the face insert 110 (not pictured). By occupying at least a portion of the face opening or area for receiving the face insert 110, face progression and onset may be reduced, increasing the performance of the golf club head 3200.

In some embodiments, golf club head 3200 includes a mass pad 3290 at the heel portion of the golf club head. The mass pad 3290 positions the discretionary mass of the golf club head 3200 toward the heel and may move the CG down and forward to change the CG projection on the face. In some embodiments, removable and/or adjustable weights may be provided in the heel portion instead of or in addition to mass pad 3290 .

38-39 are views of portions of golf club head 3200. FIG. As depicted in FIGS. 38-39, ledge 2622 extends around the entire outside of the face opening to support face insert 110 (not depicted). By extending around the entire outer side, the ledge 2622 supports the entire face insert 110 . In other embodiments, ledge 3224 supports face insert 110 at the heel, toe, crown and sole portions. For example, ledge 2622 supports face insert 110 in an area defined by an approximately 10 mm band around the geometric center of face insert 110 . Other bands around the geometric center of the face insert may be used, such as about 15mm, about 20mm. (Prior art only provided support in the heel and toe regions.) Additional and different structures are used to support the face either around the entire outside of the face or in regions around the geometric center of the face. good too.

40 is a view of a portion of golf club head 3200. FIG. FIG. 40 illustrates an upper face insert support structure 2928A and an upper face insert support structure 2928A provided such that at least a portion of hollow body 3210 flexes in a manner similar to face insert 110 (not pictured) when the golf club head strikes a golf ball. A lower face insert support structure 2928B is shown. Different materials (eg, metal alloys and composites) have different bending properties and typically bend differently from each other. For example, slot or recess 3008A and slot or recess 3008B allow the composite face to flex more uniformly with cast hollow body 3210. FIG. Additional different geometries may be provided within hollow body 3210 . By flexing in a similar manner, the golf club head may be more durable and substantially prevent the face insert from breaking or peeling away from the golf club body.

FIG. 41 is a perspective view from the toe side of two golf club heads 3200, 4100. FIG. Golf club head 3200 is one embodiment of the present disclosure and golf club head 4100 is one embodiment of a prior art club head design. Golf club head 3200 includes a number of features that improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the club head. For example, the prior art club head 4100 has a peak crown height approximately aligned with the center shaft axis of the hosel, referred to as a sharp crown. To promote better aerodynamic properties of the golf club head 3200, the peak crown height is located toward the rear of the hosel, which is referred to as the blunt crown. Referring to FIG. 41, the peak crown height of golf club head 4100 is located forward of the rear-most edge of the hosel by distance C2. To promote better aerodynamic properties, the peak crown height of the golf club head 3200 is located rearward by a distance C1 of the rearmost edge of the hosel. In one embodiment, the peak crown height of the golf club head 3200 is located at least about 15 mm rearward of the rear-most edge of the hosel. Moving the peak crown height rearward allows the airflow to attach to the clubhead longer, promoting better aerodynamics.

The skirt height of golf club 3200 may also improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the golf club head. Golf club head 3200 has a skirt height S1 that can be measured at the lowest point where the skirt meets the crown above the ground plane. 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 between 35 mm. Increasing the skirt height S1 of the golf club head 3200 likewise improves the aerodynamic properties of the golf club head. A golf club body has an overall body height defined, for example, vertically or along the z-axis, from the bottommost portion of the golf club body, or from the ground plane, to the topmost portion of the crown, or to the peak crown height. have In some embodiments, the overall body height is 48 mm or greater, 52 mm or greater, 53 mm or greater, 54 mm or greater, 55 mm or greater, 56 mm or greater, 57 mm or greater, 58 mm or greater, 59 mm or greater, or 60 mm or greater. In further embodiments, the overall body height is 72 mm or less, 70 mm or less, 68 mm or less, 66 mm or less, or 64 mm or less. The golf club body also extends, for example, horizontally or along the y-axis from the leading edge of the golf club body, or from the leading edge position, to the most rearward portion of the golf club head, or to the most rearward portion of the skirt. has a body length defined by In some embodiments, the body length is 98 mm or greater, 102 mm or greater, 106 mm or greater, 109 mm or greater, 112 mm or greater, 115 mm or greater, or 118 mm or greater. In further embodiments, the body length is 133 mm or less, 130 mm or less, 127 mm or less, 126 mm or less, 125 mm or less, 124 mm or less, 123 mm or less, or 122 mm or less.

42 is a front view of face insert 110. FIG. Further details regarding composite faceplate construction and manufacturing processes are described in U.S. Patent No. 7,871,340 and U.S. Published Patent Application Nos. 2011/0275451, 2012/0083361, and 2012/0199282. ing. The composite faceplate is attached to an insert support structure located in an opening in the front portion of the club head. Further details regarding the insert support structure are described in US Pat. No. RE43,801.

Note that in some embodiments, the face insert 110 may be machined from a composite plaque and the face insert and faceplate are used interchangeably throughout, although the face insert 110 may be formed from a metal alloy. Please note. In one example, the composite plaque has a length of 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 length of between about 50 mm and about 90 mm, or between about 6 mm and about 80 mm. , preferably substantially rectangular with a plaque size and dimension width of about 70 mm ± 1.0 mm. Face insert 110 is then trimmed from the plaque to produce the desired face profile. For example, face profile length 4212 is between about 80 mm and about 120 mm, or between about 90 mm and about 110 mm, or between about 94 mm and about 106 mm, or between about 98 mm and about 104 mm, preferably about 102 mm. obtain. face profile width 4211 is between about 40 mm and about 65 mm, or between about 42 mm and about 63 mm, or between about 44 mm and about 61 mm, or between about 46 mm and about 59 mm, or between about 48 mm and about 57 mm; or between about 50 mm and about 55 mm, preferably about 53 mm. The ideal striking location width 4213 may 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 position 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. With continued reference to FIG. 42, the face insert 110 has a face topline perimeter edge 4215 , a face lower perimeter edge 4216 , a face toe transition region 4217 and a face heel transition region 4218 . In one embodiment, the face-toe transition region 4217 is defined by a portion of the perimeter at the toe that has a radius of curvature of less than 10 mm, and in further embodiments less than 9 mm, 8 mm, 7 mm or 6 mm. Similarly, in one embodiment, the face-heel transition region 4218 is defined by a portion of the perimeter at the heel that has a radius of curvature of less than 10 mm, and in further embodiments less than 9 mm, 8 mm, 7 mm, or 6 mm. . Alternatively, face insert 110 can be molded to provide the desired face dimensions and profile.

In embodiments where face insert 110 is machined from a composite plaque, face insert 110 may be machined in one or more operations, such as computer numerical control (CNC) or other operations. For example, starting with a composite plaque, the notch 4220 can be machined out of the plaque first. A peripheral chamfer may then be machined around the periphery of the face insert 110 . Finally, a face profile can be machined from the plaque. In some embodiments, the notch 4220, peripheral chamfer and face profile may each 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 may be performed, such as machining one or more of the notch 4220, peripheral chamfer or face profile that are machined separately from other features of the face. Other sequences of machining multiple features are provided, such as machining notches after the face profile and chamfer, and machining additional features such as bond gap bumps and other features into the face insert 110. obtain. Notch 4220 is not limited to non-metallic faceplates or inserts, and all related disclosures apply equally to metallic faceplates or inserts.

Additional features may be machined, molded, or cast into the face insert 110 to produce the desired face profile. For example, notch 4220 may be machined or molded into the rear side of the heel portion of face insert 110 . For example, notch 4220 at the rear of face insert 110 allows golf club head 2500 to utilize Flight Control Technology (FCT) in hosel 150 . Notch 4220 may be configured to receive at least a portion of the hosel within face insert 110 . Alternatively or additionally, notch 4220 may be configured to receive at least a portion of the club head body within face insert 110 .

In some embodiments, a notch 4220 or another relief portion defines a transition area on the face insert. For example, the notch 4220 or relief portion is adjacent the heel portion of the face and is at least about 50 mm ² and no more than about 300 mm ² , preferably less than about 200 mm ² , more preferably between about 75 mm ² and about 150 mm ² . can have an area. Preferably, the notch area is about 1.5% to about 6% of the exterior area of the face insert (e.g., the outward facing portion of a face configured to strike a golf ball), more preferably the notch area is , about 2% to about 3% of the outer face insert.

The notch may allow for CFY reduction by accommodating at least a portion of the hosel and/or at least a portion of the club body within the face insert, where the ideal striking location of the face insert is the center point location of the hosel. Allows you to get closer to the passing plane. The face insert 110 is configured to provide a CFY of about 18 mm or less and about 9 mm or more, preferably between about 11.0 mm and about 16.0 mm, more preferably about 15.5 mm or less and about 11.5 mm or more. obtain. The face insert 110 may be configured to provide a face progression of about 21 mm or less and about 12 mm or more, preferably about 19.5 mm or less and about 13 mm or more, more preferably about 18 mm or less and about 14.5 mm or more. In some embodiments, the 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, the difference between CFY and face progression is at least 2 mm and no more than 4 mm.

In another example, rear side bumps 4230A, 4230B, 4230C, 4230D may be machined or molded into the rear side of the face insert. Backside bumps 4230A, 4230B, 4230C, 4230D may be configured to provide a coupling gap. A bonding gap is an empty space between the club head body and the face insert that is filled with adhesive during manufacturing. Rear bumps 4230A, 4230B, 4230C, 4230D protrude to separate the face from the club head body when the face insert is bonded to the club head body during manufacturing. In some cases, too large or too small a bond gap can cause durability problems for the club head, face insert, or both. Additionally, too large a bond gap allows far too much adhesive to be used during manufacturing, adding unnecessary additional mass to the club head. Rear bumps 4230A, 4230B, 4230C, 4230D may protrude by between about 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm, preferably about 0.25 mm. In some embodiments, the rear bump is configured to provide a minimum bond gap, such as a minimum bond gap of approximately 0.25 mm, and a maximum bond gap of approximately 0.45 mm.

Additionally, one or more of the edges of face insert 110 may be machined or molded with chamfers. In one example, face insert 110 includes a chamfer substantially around the inner perimeter edge of the face insert, such as a chamfer of between about 0.5 mm and about 1.1 mm, preferably 0.8 mm. In some embodiments, a peripheral chamfer is provided to avoid the face insert 110 bottoming out on the inner diameter of the recessed face opening of the golf club head configured to receive the face insert 110 . By providing a peripheral chamfer, the face insert 110 can fit within a properly recessed face opening despite manufacturing variations and other characteristics of golf club heads produced during the casting process.

43 is a bottom perspective view of face insert 110. FIG. The face insert has heel portion 4341 and toe portion 4342 . Notch 4220 is machined or molded into heel portion 4341 . In this example, face insert 110 has a variable thickness, such as with peak thickness 4343 . Peak thickness 4343 is between about 2 mm and about 7.5 mm, or between about 3.8 mm and about 4.8 mm, preferably 4.1 mm±0.1 mm, 4.25 mm±0.1 mm, or 4.25 mm±0.1 mm. It can be 5 mm±0.1 mm.

In some embodiments, face insert 110 is manufactured from multiple layers of composite material. Exemplary composite materials and methods of forming the same are described in US Patent Application No. 13/452,370 (published as US Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0199282), which is incorporated by reference. In some embodiments, the inner and outer surfaces of the composite face may have scrim layers, such as to reinforce the face insert 110 with glass fibers forming a scrim weave. Multiple quasi-isotropic panels (Q's) may also be included, each Q-panel using multiple plies of unidirectional composite panels offset from each other. In the exemplary four-ply Q-panel, the unidirectional composite panels are oriented at 90°, −45°, 0°, and 45° to provide structural stability in each direction. Clusters of unidirectional strips (C's) may also be included, each C using multiple unidirectional composite strips. In exemplary four strips C, four 27mm strips are oriented at 0°, 125°, 90° and 55°. C's can be provided to increase the thickness of the face insert 110 in localized areas, such as at the centerface at the ideal striking position. Some Q's and C's fine tune the thickness, mass, local thickness, and provide other properties of the face insert 110, such as to increase or decrease the COR of the face insert 110. and may have additional or fewer plies (eg, 3 plies rather than 4 plies).

Additional composite materials and methods for forming the same are described in US Pat. Nos. 8,163,119 and 10,046,212, incorporated by reference. For example, the usual number of layers for striking plates is substantial, for example 50 or more. However, improvements have been made in the art such that the number of layers can be reduced to between 30 and 50 layers.

The table below provides examples of possible layups. These layups represent possible unidirectional plies unless noted as woven plies. The structure shown is for a quasi-isotropic layup. The single layer ply has a thickness ranging from about 0.065 mm to about 0.080 mm for a standard FAW of 70 gsm (grams per square meter) with a resin content of about 36% to about 40%. The thickness of individual plies may be varied by adjusting either Faw or resin content, and thus the thickness of the entire layup may be varied by adjusting these parameters.

In addition to unidirectional composite panels oriented at 90 degrees, −45 degrees, 0 degrees, and 45 degrees, additional Q panels may be provided according to Table 2.

Area weight (AW) is calculated by multiplying the density by the thickness. For the plies shown above formed from a composite material, the density is about 1.5 g/cm ³ and for titanium the density is about 4.5 g/cm ³ .

In one example, the first face insert may have a peak thickness of 4.1mm and an edge thickness of 3.65mm, including 12Q's and 2C's, resulting in a mass of 24.7g. In another example, the second face insert may have a peak thickness of 4.25mm and an edge thickness of 3.8mm, including 12Q's and 2C's, resulting in a mass of 25.6g. Become. 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 C's, additional Thickness and mass are provided. In yet another example, a third face insert may have a peak thickness of 4.5mm and an edge thickness of 3.9mm, including 12Q's and 3C's, resulting in a mass of 26.2g. becomes. Additional different combinations of Q's and C's may be provided for face inserts 110 having masses between about 20g and about 30g, or between about 15g and about 35g. In one series of embodiments, the mass of the face insert 110 is 30g or less, while in further embodiments it is 28g, 26g, 25g, and 24g or less. In a further set of embodiments, the mass of the face insert 110 is at least 16g, while in further embodiments at least 18g, 19g, 20g, 21g, 22g and 23g.

44A is a cross-sectional view of heel portion 4341 of face insert 110. FIG. Heel portion 4341 may have notch 4220 . In embodiments having a chamfer on the inner edge of the face insert 110, no chamfer 4450 may be provided over the notch 4220. Notch 4420 may have a notched edge thickness 4444 that is less than non-notched edge thickness 4445 of face insert 110 . As such, the faceplate perimeter has a face perimeter thickness that can vary from a non-notched edge thickness 4445 to a notched edge thickness 4444 . In one embodiment, notched edge thickness 4444 is at least 10% less than non-notched edge thickness 4445, and in further embodiments at least 15%, 20%, 25%, 30% or 35% less. In another embodiment, the notched edge thickness 4444 is at least 25% of the non-notched edge thickness 4445, and in further embodiments at least 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, or 55%. be. For example, in one embodiment the notch edge thickness 4444 can be between 1.5 mm and 2.1 mm, while in a further embodiment the notch edge thickness 4444 is 3.0 mm or less, 2.0 mm or less. 8 mm or less, 2.6 mm or less, 2.4 mm or less, 2.2 mm or less, 2.0 mm or less, and in one embodiment, more preferably 1.8 mm. In a further set of embodiments, the notch edge thickness 4444 is at least 0.9 mm, and in further embodiments at least 1.0 mm, 1.1 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.5 mm. , and 1.6 mm. In one embodiment, the reduced notch edge thickness 4444 extends over at least 5 mm of the perimeter of the face insert 110, while in further embodiments at least 7.5 mm, 10 mm, 12.5 mm. , 15 mm and 17.5 mm. In another embodiment, the reduced notch edge thickness 4444 extends over 70 mm or less of the perimeter of the face insert 110, while in further embodiments 60 mm, 50 mm, 45 mm, 40 mm, and 35 mm It extends over: In one embodiment, the non-notched edge thickness 4445 is constant over at least 90 mm of the circumference of the face insert 110, while in further embodiments it is constant over at least 110 mm, 130 mm, 150 mm, or 170 mm. constant. In another embodiment, referring to the front view coordinate system of FIG. 61, the non-notched edge thickness 4445 is constant over at least 90 degrees of the circumference of the face insert 110, and in further embodiments at least 135 degrees, It is constant over 180, 225, 270 or 315 degrees. Non-notched edge thickness 4445 is in one embodiment at least 3.1 mm, and in further embodiments at least 3.2 mm, 3.3 mm, 3.4 mm, 3.5 mm, 3.6 mm, 3.7 mm, or 3.8 mm. In a still further set of embodiments, the non-notched edge thickness 4445 is, in one embodiment, 4.9 mm or less, and in further embodiments 4.8 mm, 4.7 mm, 4.6 mm, 4.5 mm. , 4.4 mm, 4.3 mm, 4.2 mm, or 4.1 mm or less. The peak thickness 4343 is, in one embodiment, greater than the non-notched edge thickness 4445, while in a further embodiment the peak thickness 4343 is at least 5%, 10% greater than the non-notched edge thickness 4445. or 15% larger. The peak thickness 4343 is 100% greater than the reduced notch edge thickness 4444 in one embodiment, while in a further embodiment the peak thickness 4343 is greater than the reduced notch edge thickness 4444. At least 110%, 120%, or 130% greater. The peak thickness 4343 is less than 200% of the non-notched edge thickness 4445 in one embodiment, while in a further embodiment the peak thickness 4343 is 190% of the non-notched edge thickness 4445, 180 %, 170%, 160%, 150%, 140%, or less than 130%. The peak thickness 4343 is less than 310% of the reduced notch edge thickness 4444 in one embodiment, while in a further embodiment the peak thickness 4343 is less than 310% of the reduced notch edge thickness 4444. less than 300%, 290%, 280%, or 270%. The peak thickness 4343 is, in one embodiment, at least 3.9 mm, and in further embodiments at least 4.0 mm, 4.1 mm, 4.2 mm, 4.3 mm, 4.4 mm, 4.5 mm, 4 .6 mm, 4.7 mm, or 4.8 mm. In a still further set of embodiments, the peak thickness 4343 is, in one embodiment, 6.0 mm or less, and in further embodiments 5.9 mm, 5.8 mm, 5.7 mm, 5.6 mm, 5.5 mm, 5.4 mm, 5.3 mm, 5.2 mm, 5.1 mm, or 5.0 mm or less.

44B is a cross-sectional view of toe portion 4342 of face insert 110. FIG. Toe portion 4342 includes chamfer 4451 on the inner edge of face insert 110 . The chamfer 4451 has an internal angle from the chamfer surface to the face insert sidewall surface that in one embodiment is at least 110 degrees, and in further embodiments is at least 120 degrees, 130 degrees or 140 degrees. Further, chamfer 4451 has a chamfer length of at least 0.5 mm in one embodiment, and at least 0.6 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.8 mm, or 0.9 mm in further embodiments. In further embodiments, the chamfer length is no greater than 60% of the non-notched edge thickness 4445, and in additional embodiments no greater than 50%, 40%, 35%, 30%, or 25%. In one embodiment, the chamfer 4452 extends over at least 90 mm of the circumference of the face insert 110, while in further embodiments it extends over at least 110 mm, 130 mm, 150 mm, or 170 mm. In another embodiment, referring to the front view coordinate system of FIG. 61, the chamfer 4452 extends through at least 90 degrees of the circumference of the face insert 110, and in further embodiments at least 135 degrees, 180 degrees, 225 degrees. degrees, 270 degrees or 315 degrees. In a further embodiment, the face insert perimeter adjacent reduced notch edge thickness 4444 does not have a chamfer 4452 . In still further embodiments, the notch 4220 has a radius of curvature of 25 mm or less, and in additional embodiments of 22 mm, 19 mm, and 16 mm or less. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the notch 4220 has an acute angle between the notch surface and the face insert sidewall surface. In some embodiments, edge thickness 4445 is between about 3.35 mm and about 4.2 mm, preferably 3.65 mm±0.1 mm, 3.8 mm±0.1 mm, or 3.9 mm±0.1 mm. 1 mm.

45 is a cross-sectional view of polymer layer 4500 of face insert 110. FIG. A polymer layer 4500 may be provided on the outer surface of the face insert 110 to provide enhanced performance of the face insert 110, such as in wet conditions. Exemplary polymer layers are described in US patent application Ser. No. 13/330,486 (patented as US Pat. No. 8,979,669), which is incorporated by reference. Polymer layer 4500 may include polyurethane and/or other polymer materials. The polymer layer may have a polymer maximum thickness 4560 of between about 0.2 mm and about 0.7 mm, or between about 0.3 mm and about 0.5 mm, preferably 0.40 mm±0.05 mm. good. The polymer layer may have a minimum polymer thickness 4570 of between about 0.05 mm and about 0.15 mm, preferably 0.09 mm±0.02 mm. The polymer layers may be configured with alternating maximum thicknesses 4560 and minimum thicknesses 4570 to produce scorelines on the face insert 100 . Additionally, in some embodiments, the thicker areas of polymer layer 4500 between scorelines may be provided with teeth and/or another texture.

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 extending into the face opening (eg, forming a portion of the face opening). The golf club head may 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, the face insert machined from a composite plaque having a larger area than the finished face insert. For example, a composite face insert has a machined peripheral chamfer and a machined notch. The method further comprises enclosing the face opening with a face insert, such as by attaching the face insert to the club head. In some embodiments, the inner hosel surface is received by a 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 sole insert. The method may further comprise attaching the golf club shaft with the shaft sleeve and tightening the 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 comprises a face progression of less than between 10mm and 20mm and a CFY of between 9 and 18mm, preferably less than 16mm.

In some embodiments, the x-axis of the golf club head is tangential to the face and parallel to the ground plane, with negative positions on the x-axis extending from the center face to the toe portion. , the positive position on the x-axis extends from the centerface to the heel portion. In these embodiments, the golf club body's center of gravity relative to the x-axis (CG _x ) may be oriented from about 0 mm to about −10 mm.

In some embodiments, a method of counteracting the tendency of a golf club head to sway laterally is provided. For example, a golf club head may comprise a face, crown and sole that together define an internal cavity, and the body of the golf club head comprises heel and toe portions and are orthogonal to each other and originate at the USGA centerface. It has x, y and z axes. The method may comprise providing a primary alignment feature having a line delineating a transition between at least a first portion of the crown having an area of shade or color that contrasts with the shade or color of the face. The primary alignment feature can be tightly crafted into the golf club head with the face of the golf club body, the golf club head being the first target adjusted perceived face angle ( Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA)). The method also includes measuring the lateral dispersion propensity of the golf club head. Lateral variance trend indicates the mean variance from the center target line, positive lateral variance trend is the mean variance to the right of the center target line, negative lateral variance trend is to the left of the center target line is the mean variance of The method further includes adjusting the primary alignment feature to provide an adjusted primary alignment feature that resists lateral dispersion tendencies of the golf club head, and incorporating the adjusted primary alignment feature into the golf club head. and The primary alignment characteristics that were adjusted were a secondary target adjusted perceived face angle (SAPFA) of about −2 to about 10 degrees and a secondary target adjusted perceived face angle (SAPFA) of about 300 to about 1000 mm. and a radius of curvature (circle fit) of

In some embodiments, the method may also comprise incorporating the adjusted primary alignment feature into the golf club head by modifying the golf club head. In some embodiments, adjusting the primary alignment feature counteracts the golf club head's lateral dispersion tendency by providing the golf club head with a positive lateral dispersion tendency. In some embodiments, adjusting the primary alignment feature counteracts the golf club head's lateral dispersion tendency by providing the golf club head with a negative lateral dispersion tendency. In some embodiments, adjusting the primary alignment feature counteracts the tendency of the golf club head to scatter laterally by reducing the mean scatter from the center target line. In some embodiments, the primary alignment feature is engineered 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 primary alignment feature adjusted is a secondary target adjusted perceived face angle (SAPFA _25H ) and a second target adjusted perceived face angle (SAPFA _25T ) from 0 to about 9 degrees with an adjustment of 25 mm in the toe direction and an adjustment of 50 mm in the toe direction, and a second target adjusted perceived face angle (SAPFA _50T ) of about 2 to about 9 degrees.

ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIVE GOLF CLUB HEADS

46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62 , 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70A, 70B, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, FIG. 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93 and 94 , a faceplate 4610 and an oversized crown 4620, also referred to as a crown panel, that extends to the front of the club head adjacent the upper side of the faceplate 4610, and in some implementations. In configuration, it forms the topline and/or rear perimeter portion of the club head. Crown 4620 and faceplate 4610 may comprise a non-metallic composite material, which in some embodiments results in the formation of a topline in which a portion of the composite material of the crown extends adjacent to a portion of the faceplate. be done. While much of the present disclosure is directed to the relationship of the crown 4620, faceplate 4610 and associated support structure, initially, the present disclosure and relationship will also be directed to the front of the club head adjacent faceplate 4610. It is important to understand that it also applies to a sole plate 4640 having a portion that wraps around it, which at the toe of faceplate 4610 as seen in FIGS. It may occur at the heel of the faceplate 4610, as seen at 79, at the bottom of the faceplate 4610, as seen at FIGS. 76 and 80, and in any combination thereof. Similarly, the present disclosure and relationships also apply to individual plates that may form only part of the skirt, may be located at the toe or heel, and may not form part of the sole. be.

The club head comprises a body 4602 that includes a hosel portion 4604 and provides primary structural support to the club head, may comprise a faceplate 4610 and a crown 4620, and in some embodiments a soleplate 4640, one or Various other components are coupled to the body, which may also include multiple weights (eg, weights 4650, 4640) and/or other features. In some embodiments, the body is attached (e.g., welded, bonded, or mechanically attached) or unitary with the front body portion (labeled 4602) at the heel and toe end. a generally shaped rear ring portion 4630 . Whether attached together or integrally formed, front body portion 4602 and rear ring portion 4630 form a frame that acts as a support structure for the attachment of other components, which includes crown 4620, A faceplate 4610 and/or a soleplate 4640 may be included. Further, as will be disclosed in detail later, the faceplate 4610 is attached to or integrally formed with the frame and/or front body portion 4602 and thus is a separate component as will be disclosed in more detail later. may be, but the use of the term plate does not imply separate components. Likewise, the sole plate 4640 may be attached to or integrally formed with the frame, front body portion 4602 and/or rear ring portion 4630 and as such may be as disclosed in more detail below. However, the use of the term plate does not imply separate components. Thus, in one simple embodiment, the frame is created by front body portion 4602 and rear ring portion 4630, whether joined together or formed together, with upper crown opening 340 in the frame. to form Front body portion 4602 includes a hosel portion 4604 having a hosel bore the center of which defines a shaft axis (SA).

Rear ring portion 4630 may comprise a different material than front body portion 4602 in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the front body portion and rear ring portion are integral components of common material. In one embodiment, the front body portion 4602 and/or the rear ring portion 4630 are formed from a metal alloy, while in a further embodiment the front body portion 4602 and/or the rear ring portion 4630 are made of the metals herein. formed from non-metallic materials, including any of those disclosed in the literature.

The crown 4620 can have a large outer surface area extending over a wider area compared to conventional crowns. The outer perimeter of crown 4620 may be coupled to a recessed ledge in the body such that crown 4620 covers the upper opening of the body. For example, as shown in FIGS. 62 and 63, the crown 4620 may include a front portion 4622 that is coupled to the front or forward ledge 4680 of the body by body panel adhesive 4684 . Front portion 4622 extends over and around the upper front portion of body 4694 and is adjacent top portion 4612 of faceplate 4610 . The body may also include a front opening 4696 that is covered by a faceplate, and the outer peripheral portion of the faceplate 4610 is attached by a face insert adhesive 4616 to the outer peripheral wall of the body, also called ledge wall 4690, as seen in FIG. 4690 or coupled to face support ledge walls 4690 and/or 4692, also referred to as insert recess walls 4692. As seen in FIG. 63, face support ledge wall 4690 has a ledge wall length 4691 measured from ledge wall inner perimeter edge 4695 to insert recess wall 4692 . Similarly, the insert recess wall 4692 is measured along the top from the recess wall leading edge 6100 to the face support ledge wall 4690, while in other portions, such as the exemplary bottom, the insert recess wall 4692, as seen in FIG. It has an insert recess wall length 4693 measured from the forwardmost point of recess wall 4692 to face support ledge wall 4690 . Referring again to FIG. 63, the face support ledge wall 4690 also has a ledge wall thickness 4699 that may vary slightly along the ledge wall length 4691, unless noted otherwise herein. References to ledge wall thickness 4699 in the literature are the average ledge wall thickness 4699 from the ledge wall inner perimeter edge 4695 to the start of the fillet transitioning to the insert recess wall 4692 . Although the face support ledge wall 4690 is shown as continuous around the perimeter of the faceplate 4610, in one embodiment it is discontinuous with a ledge gap of at least X between adjacent discrete ledge wall segments. Yes, and X represents a number from 1 to 10. Further, the face support ledge wall 4690 may be formed from a single material around the perimeter of the faceplate 4610, although in one embodiment the face support ledge wall 4690 is formed from different materials at least It is constructed from two separate parts.

In one embodiment, the upper front portion of body 4694 , front body portion 4602 is completely covered and not visible between crown 4620 and faceplate 4610 . This allows the topline of the club head to be formed by the juncture of crown 4620 and faceplate 4610, which can allow for a very tightly defined topline (the advantage of which is described in detail elsewhere in the specification). In contrast, in conventional club heads, the topline of the club head is often hand painted and is susceptible to variations caused by human error. The precise orientation and location of the topline can be defined by precisely manufacturing the combined shape of the front portion of the crown and the top portion of the faceplate. This also allows intentionally creating slightly different custom topline orientations in different club heads, such as to affect draw bias.

Another advantage is that there is no need to paint the visible upper front portion of the body as in conventional clubheads, which can chip or otherwise be damaged from ball strikes or other impacts. Eliminate surface problems. Unexpectedly, it was discovered that the composite material of the crown is more durable and more resistant to chipping and cracking than conventional painted surfaces on metal bodies. This may be because the composite material of the crown 4620 is adhered to itself and is a stronger bond than the paint layer adhered to the metal body. Additionally, the composite crown material superimposed on the front surface of the body appears to provide a very strong and damage-resistant surface in the upper front region of the club head.

On the toe side of the club head, the toe portion 4624 of the crown 4620 may extend all the way to or beyond the toe-most extent of the club head and may be coupled to the ledge 4680 of the body. As shown in FIG. 64, some embodiments include a rear ring portion 4630 of the body, which may have a complementary ledge 4636 contiguous with ledge 4680, toe of crown 4620. Portions 4624 may be coupled to one or both. The toe ends of the crown 4620 can contact and/or bond to the walls 4688, 4638 where the body steps into a recessed ledge. The wall 4688 in FIG. 64 is also recognized as the toe side stepped wall 4688 shown in FIG. 64 and 65, wall 4638, also referred to as intermediate step-down wall 4638, joins heel-side step-down wall 4689, seen in FIG. In one embodiment, the dimensions associated with stepped walls 4688, 4689, 4638 are identical.

Similarly, on the heel side of the club head, the heel portion 4626 of the crown may extend all the way to the heelmost extent of the club head or farther and may be coupled to the body ledge 4680 of the body. As shown in FIG. 65, the rear ring portion 4630 of the body may have a complementary ring ledge 4636 contiguous with the body ledge 4680 and the heel portion 4626 of the crown 4620 coupled to one or both of them. obtain. The heel end of crown 4620 may contact and/or couple to heel side stepped wall 4689 and/or intermediate stepped wall 4638 where the body steps into recessed ledges 4680,4636. Ring ledge 4636 and intermediate stepped wall 4638 extend around the rear of the club head such that the rear portion of crown 4620 also extends wide to the maximum rearward extent of the club head, as shown in FIGS. can be extended.

As seen in FIG. 56, the top view coordinate system is aligned with the centerface 205 and located at the midpoint of the centerface depth dimension 4999 measured along the vertical centerface plane VCFP. With the club head in the address position, defined at the origin and viewed in FIGS. 1A-1D, from the club head's forward-most point in the vertical centerface plane to the club head's rear-most point in the vertical centerface plane. including the y-axis 207 to . The 0 degree line extends along the vertical centerface plane between the top surface origin and the rear of the club head, and the 90 degree line extends perpendicular to the 0 degree line from the top surface origin to the heel. , the 180 degree line extends perpendicular to the 90 degree line from the top origin and through the center face 205, and the 270 degree line extends perpendicular to the 180 degree line from the top origin to the toe. In one embodiment, crown 4620 is curved downward to create a topline over an area between 170-190 degrees, while in a further embodiment 160-200 degrees, 155- It produces toplines over the regions between 205 degrees, 150-210 degrees, 145-215 degrees, 140-215 degrees, and 135-215 degrees. However, in further embodiments, the crown 4620 extends over any continuous 10 degree range, in further embodiments, any 20 degree range, any 30 degree range, any 40 degree range, any 50 degree range. Over a range of degrees, any range of 60 degrees, any range of 70 degrees, and any range of 80 degrees, bend down to create a top line. In one embodiment, crown 4620 is curved downward to create a full topline. In another embodiment, the crown 4620 is curved downwardly adjacent the perimeter of the faceplate 4610 over an area between 170-190 degrees, while in a further embodiment it is , 160-200 degrees, 155-205 degrees, 150-210 degrees, 145-215 degrees, 140-215 degrees, and 135-215 degrees. However, in further embodiments, the crown 4620 extends over any continuous 10 degree range, in further embodiments, any 20 degree range, any 30 degree range, any 40 degree range, any 50 degree range. It bends downward adjacent the perimeter of faceplate 4610 over a range of degrees, any 60 degree range, any 70 degree range, and any 80 degree range.

Another way of describing these relationships is shown in FIG. 61, centered on the center face 205 with the club head in the address position, 0 degrees vertically upward, 90 degrees horizontally heelward, A front view coordinate system is used with 180 degrees vertically down and 270 degrees in the horizontal toe direction. In another embodiment, the crown 4620 bends downward to abut the perimeter of the faceplate 4610 over an area between 350-10 degrees, while in a further embodiment it is 340-20 degrees. degrees, 335-25 degrees, 330-30 degrees, 325-35 degrees, 320-40 degrees, 315-45 degrees, 310-50 degrees, 305-55 degrees or 300-60 degrees . However, in further embodiments, the crown 4620 extends over any continuous 10 degree range, in further embodiments, any 20 degree range, any 30 degree range, any 40 degree range, any 50 degree range. Adjacent the perimeter of faceplate 4610 over a range of degrees, any 60 degree range, any 70 degree range, any 80 degree range, any 90 degree range, any 100 degree range or any 110 degree range It is bent downwards like In one embodiment, crown 4620 bends downward to abut the perimeter of faceplate 4610 over any contiguous 10-degree range located between the 45-degree line and the 90-degree line, while further In some embodiments, this 10 degree range is extended to 15, 20, 25, or 30 degrees. Similarly, in another embodiment, crown 4620 curves downwardly adjacent the perimeter of faceplate 4610 over any continuous 5 degree range located between the 285 degree line and the 315 degree line, while And, in further embodiments, this 5 degree range is extended to 10, 15, 20, or 25 degrees. [Stop here]

Referring again to the top view of FIG. 56, in another embodiment, the crown 4620 is positioned so that the club head is positioned when looking straight down in top view with the club head in the design address position as seen in FIG. The crown 4620 curves downward along the circumference of the club head to produce the outermost circumference over any continuous 10 degree range from the 90 degree line to the 270 degree line located at the rear of the . While in further embodiments, the 10 degree range is 20 degrees, 30 degrees, 40 degrees, 50 degrees, 60 degrees, 70 degrees, 80 degrees, 90 degrees, 100 degrees, 110 degrees, 120 degrees, 130 degrees. degrees, 140 degrees, 150 degrees, 160 degrees, 170 degrees or a full 180 degrees. Additionally, in further embodiments, the crown 4620 produces an outermost circumference over any continuous 10-degree range located between the 90-degree line and the 135-degree line, while in further embodiments , the 10-degree range is extended to 15, 20, 25, or 30 degrees. Similarly, in further embodiments, crown 4620 produces an outermost circumference over any continuous 10-degree range located between the 270-degree line and the 225-degree line, while in further embodiments , the 10-degree range is extended to 15, 20, 25, or 30 degrees. Furthermore, in another embodiment, the crown 4620 produces an outermost circumference over any contiguous 10-degree range located between the 300-degree line and the 60-degree line, while in a further embodiment: The 10 degree range extends to 15, 20, 25, or 30 degrees. However, in further embodiments, the crown 4620 curves downward along the circumference of the club head over any continuous exposed 10 degree range from the 90 degree line located at the rear of the club head to the 270 degree line. 56, thereby leaving a portion of the rear ring portion 4630 exposed when looking straight down in top view with the club head in the design address position, as seen in FIG. In further embodiments, the continuous exposed 10 degree range extends to at least 15, 20, 25, or 30 degrees. Another set of embodiments limits the continuous exposed 10 degree range to 135 degrees or less, and in further embodiments 125 degrees, 115 degrees, 105 degrees, 95 degrees, 85 degrees, 75 degrees, 65 degrees. , 55 degrees, 45 degrees or 35 degrees or less.

The extent to which crown 4620 bends downward to produce the outermost perimeter may vary. However, in one embodiment, no portion of the crown 4620 extends below a predetermined extent below the elevation of the club head center of gravity 350, referred to as Zup, seen in FIG. In one such embodiment, referring again to FIG. 56, the predetermined range is at least a 5 degree range between a 90 degree line and a 270 degree line located at the rear of the club head, while , in further embodiments, the 5 degree range is 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130 degrees, 140 degrees, 150 degrees, 160 degrees, 170 degrees or a full 180 degrees. In another embodiment, the predetermined range is at least a 5 degree range between a 0 degree line and a 270 degree line located at the rear of the club head, while in a further embodiment the 5 degrees The range extends to 10 degrees, 20 degrees, 30 degrees, 40 degrees, 50 degrees, 60 degrees, 70 degrees, 80 degrees, or a full 90 degrees. In still further embodiments, the predetermined range is at least a 5 degree range between a 0 degree line and a 90 degree line located at the rear of the club head, while in a further embodiment the The 5 degree range extends to 10 degrees, 20 degrees, 30 degrees, 40 degrees, 50 degrees, 60 degrees, 70 degrees, 80 degrees, or a full 90 degrees.

In another embodiment, no portion of crown 4620 extends downward to an altitude below 125% of Zup over a predetermined range. In one such embodiment, referring again to FIG. 56, the predetermined range is at least a 5 degree range between a 90 degree line and a 270 degree line located at the rear of the club head, while , in further embodiments, the 5 degree range is 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130 degrees, 140 degrees, 150 degrees, 160 degrees, 170 degrees or a full 180 degrees.

In still further embodiments, no portion of crown 4620 extends downward to an elevation below 150% of Zup over a predetermined range. In one such embodiment, referring again to FIG. 56, the predetermined range is at least a 5 degree range between a 90 degree line and a 270 degree line located at the rear of the club head, while , in further embodiments, the 5 degree range is 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130 degrees, 140 degrees, 150 degrees, 160 degrees, 170 degrees or a full 180 degrees.

Looking now at the forward portion of the club head between the 90 degree line and the 270 degree line in FIG. , while in another embodiment at least a portion of crown 4620 extends to an altitude below 175% of Zup, and in a still further embodiment at least a portion of crown 4620 extends to 150% of Zup. extends to lower altitudes. Looking now at the forward portion of the club head between the 110 degree line and the 145 degree line in FIG. , while in another embodiment at least a portion of crown 4620 extends to an altitude below 175% of Zup, and in a still further embodiment at least a portion of crown 4620 extends to 150% of Zup. extends to lower altitudes.

Looking now at the forward portion of the club head between the 270 degree line and the 225 degree line in FIG. does not extend downward to the altitude of In one such embodiment, referring again to FIG. 56, the predetermined range is at least a 5 degree range located between the 270 degree line and the 225 degree line of FIG. In some embodiments, the 5 degree range extends to 10 degrees, 15 degrees, 20 degrees, 25 degrees, 30 degrees, 35 degrees, 40 degrees, or a full 45 degrees.

In another embodiment, looking again at the forward portion of the club head between the 270 degree line and the 225 degree line in FIG. Does not extend downward to lower altitudes. In one such embodiment, referring again to FIG. 56, the predetermined range is at least a 5 degree range located between the 270 degree line and the 225 degree line of FIG. In some embodiments, the 5 degree range extends to 10 degrees, 15 degrees, 20 degrees, 25 degrees, 30 degrees, 35 degrees, 40 degrees, or a full 45 degrees.

In still further embodiments, looking again at the forward portion of the club head between the 270 degree line and the 225 degree line in FIG. It does not extend downward to altitudes below 150%. In one such embodiment, referring again to FIG. 56, the predetermined range is at least a 5 degree range located between the 270 degree line and the 225 degree line of FIG. In some embodiments, the 5 degree range extends to 10 degrees, 15 degrees, 20 degrees, 25 degrees, 30 degrees, 35 degrees, 40 degrees, or a full 45 degrees.

In still further embodiments, looking again at the forward portion of the club head between the 270 degree line and the 90 degree line in FIG. It has a specific aerodynamic curvature including any of the relationships disclosed in 17/360,179. Often such a relationship relates to the location of crown apex 4621, or the highest elevation point on crown 4620 above ground plane 317, thereby establishing top surface 4623 seen in FIG. , which includes crown apex 4621 and is parallel to ground plane 317, is called the apex height and is shown as crown height in FIG. Crown 4620 has a crown leading edge 4625 seen in FIGS. 62 and 93 and each point along crown leading edge 4625 has a crown leading edge vertex offset distance 4627 seen in FIG. The vertical distance of any point on the crown leading edge 4625 below 4623 that will vary from the maximum crown leading edge apex offset distance 4627 to the minimum crown leading edge apex offset distance 4627 to the minimum crown leading edge Vertex offset distance 4627 is located on crown leading edge 4625 adjacent highest face point 4611 located at top face elevation 4613 above ground plane 317 . Crown 4620 also has crown perimeter edge 4631 , seen in FIGS. Crown perimeter edge 4631 may include crown-hosel perimeter edge portion 4632 seen in FIG. As seen in FIGS. 53 and 93, in one embodiment, a portion of crown 4620 adjacent crown-hosel outer peripheral edge portion 4632 is upwardly concave.

In one embodiment, referring back to FIGS. 63 and 70B, insert recess wall 4692 has recess wall leading edge 6100 . Similarly, face top line perimeter edge 4215 of FIG. 42 has face top line leading edge 4221 seen in FIGS. 70B and 75, and face bottom perimeter edge 4216 has face bottom leading edge 4222 seen in FIG. . In one embodiment, when analyzing these relationships in a single vertical cross-section parallel to the vertical centerface plane VCFP, the crown leading edge 4625 is within 3 mm of the recess wall leading edge 6100 and the recess wall leading edge 6100 is within 3 mm of the face topline leading edge 4221 and the crown leading edge 4625 is within 3mm of the face topline leading edge 4221, while in a further embodiment the 3mm relationship is 2.5mm, 2.0 mm, 1.5 mm or reduced to 1.0 mm. In a further embodiment, crown leading edge 4625 projects face topline leading edge 4221 by a projected distance 4223 seen in FIG. , means that the crown leading edge 4625 is further forward than the adjacent face topline leading edge 4221 in the direction of the y-axis 207, and in a further embodiment the protruding distance 4223 is 0.15 mm or less. Yes, while in another embodiment, the overhang distance is at least 0.02 mm, 0.04 mm, 0.06 mm, or 0.08 mm. Although this description has focused on relationships within a single vertical cross-section, the front view coordinate system of FIG. 61 may be used to define areas where the disclosed relationships may apply. For example, in one embodiment any of a plurality of salient relationships may apply over any continuous 15 degree range, while in a further embodiment the range is 25 degrees, 35 degrees degrees, 45 degrees, 55 degrees, 65 degrees, 75 degrees, 85 degrees, 95 degrees, 105 degrees, or 115 degrees, and in yet another embodiment, all cross-sections along the face topline perimeter edge 4215. apply. These relationships generally apply to the vertically aligned portion of the face in any vertical cross-section adjacent to the crown leading edge 4625 .

55 and the relationship of the bottom perimeter of face insert 4610, namely face lower perimeter edge 4216 and face lower leading edge, now front body portion 4602 produces the leading edge of the club head. On the other hand, in the embodiment of FIG. 76, soleplate 4640 wraps up adjacent faceplate 4610 and has a soleplate leading edge 4641 . In any case, the protruding relationship just described with respect to crown leading edge 4625 may also apply to recess wall leading edge 6100 in FIG. 55 and/or sole plate leading edge 4641 in FIG.

However, in further embodiments the opposite may be true. Thus, just as the crown leading edge 4625 protrudes so that the golfer does not see the face topline leading edge, a portion of the face lower leading edge 4222 overlaps the adjacent recess wall leading edge in FIG. 6100 and/or may protrude from sole plate leading edge 4641 in FIG. prevent you from noticing Thus, in this embodiment, multiple components are closely positioned such that the face top line leading edge 4221 is slightly recessed relative to the crown leading edge 4625 and at least a portion of the face bottom leading edge 4222 76 so as to protrude from adjacent recess wall leading edge 6100 in FIG. 76 and/or sole plate leading edge 4641 in FIG. In another embodiment, it protrudes no more than 0.15 mm measured in the same manner as the protruding distance 4223 of FIG. It protrudes by 0.08 mm. Although this discussion has focused on relationships within a single vertical cross-section, the front view coordinate system of FIG. 61 may be used to define areas where the disclosed relationships may apply. For example, in one embodiment any of a plurality of salient relationships may apply over any continuous 15 degree range, while in a further embodiment the range is 25 degrees, 35 degrees degrees, 45 degrees, 55 degrees, 65 degrees, 75 degrees, 85 degrees, or 95 degrees. In such an embodiment, transitions of faceplate 4610 recessed relative to adjacent components protruding relative to adjacent components are not apparent along the toe and/or heel perimeter of faceplate 4610. and subtle. In such embodiments, the perimeter of the faceplate 4610 is coplanar with the adjacent components at the coplanar transition points, i.e., neither recessed nor protuberant, and the coplanar transition points on the toe side and heel side. They may have transition points in the same plane. In one embodiment, the elevation of the toe-side co-planar transition point and/or the heel-side co-planar transition point is above the elevation of the center face 205, although in an alternative embodiment, the toe-side co-planar transition point is above the elevation of the center face 205. The elevation of the coplanar transition point and/or the coplanar transition point on the heel side is below the elevation of the center face 205 . In a still further embodiment, the elevation of the coplanar transition point on the heel side is less than the elevation of the coplanar transition point on the toe side.

As seen in FIG. 70B, one embodiment has a face gap 4224 between crown leading edge 4625 and face topline leading edge 4221 . Additionally, a face gap 4224 exists at any point along the faceplate perimeter, whether located on the front body portion 4602 or on the sole plate 4640, between it and adjacent body components. . Face gap 4224 is measured parallel to loft plane 5000 . In one embodiment, the face gap 4224 is 75% or less of the maximum crown thickness 4629 of the portion of the crown 4620 located between the offset loft plane 5100 and the crown leading edge 4625, but in a further embodiment 65%. %, 55%, 45% or 35% or less. In further embodiments, the face gap 4224 is at least 5% of the maximum crown thickness 4629 of the portion of the crown 4620 located between the offset loft plane 5100 and the crown leading edge 4625, but in further embodiments at least 10%, 15%, 20% or 25%. In one embodiment, consistent with several exemplary embodiments, no portion of front body portion 4602 extends into face gap 4224, which means that no portion of front body portion 4602 It means that it does not extend beyond the recess wall leading edge 6100 into the face gap 4224 adjacent the crown leading edge sidewall surface. In one embodiment, the face gap 4224 is 2 mm or less, and in further embodiments 1.5 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.1 mm, 1.0 mm, 0.9 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.6 mm, or 0.5 mm, or less. As with all such relationships, face gap 4224 may be evaluated at any vertical cross-section, and the relationships disclosed may apply to any or all of the vertical cross-sections disclosed. In another embodiment, the face gap 4224 is greater than the protruding distance 4223, and in further embodiments, the face gap 4224 is at least 10%, 20%, or 30% greater than the protruding distance 4223. In further embodiments, the face gap 4224 is less than 250% of the overhang distance 4223, and in further embodiments less than 225%, 200%, 175% or 150%.

In one embodiment, the maximum crown leading edge apex offset distance 4627 seen in FIG. 61 is at least 40% of Zup, but in further embodiments at least 50%, 55%, 60%, 65% or 70% %. However, unlike past one-piece composite club heads, in another embodiment the maximum crown leading edge apex offset distance 4627 is 120% or less of Zup, while in a further embodiment 110%, 100%, 90%, 85%, 80% or 75% or less. In another embodiment, the minimum crown leading edge vertex offset distance 4627 is at least 10% of Zup, while in further embodiments at least 12%, 14%, 16%, 18%, 20%, 22%, 24%, 26%, 28%, 30%, 32%, or 34%. However, in another embodiment, the minimum crown leading edge vertex offset distance 4627 is 35% or less of Zup, while in further embodiments 32.5%, 30%, 29%, 28%, 27%, 26%, 25%, 24%, 23% or 22% or less. In further embodiments, the maximum crown leading edge apex offset distance 4627 is at least 100% greater than the minimum crown leading edge apex offset distance 4627, and in further embodiments at least 125%, 150%, 175% or 200%. be. In one embodiment, the maximum crown leading edge apex offset distance 4627 occurs at a point on the crown leading edge 4625 located between the vertical centerface plane and the hosel portion 4604, and the minimum crown leading edge apex offset distance 4627 is: It occurs at a point on the crown leading edge 4625 located between the vertical centerface plane and the toe 185 . In still further embodiments, the minimum crown leading edge apex offset distance 4627 occurs at a point on the crown leading edge 4625 located between the vertical centerface plane and the parallel plane containing the crown apex 4621 . In another embodiment, the head is split along a vertical centerface plane passing through the centerface 205 and the heel side maximum crown leading edge apex offset distance is compared to the toe side maximum crown leading edge apex offset distance. In, the heel side maximum crown leading edge apex offset distance is at least 10% greater than the toe side maximum crown leading edge apex offset distance, and in further embodiments at least 15%, 20% or 25%. Additionally, in another embodiment, minimum crown leading edge apex offset distance 4627 is greater than effective face position height 164 shown in FIG. 1A.

42 and 61, in the mounted position, the face-to-transition region 4217 is the highest face-to-transition region elevation measured vertically from the ground plane 317 and , the lowest face-to-transition region elevation. In one embodiment, the toe-side crown-face bifurcation point 4800 abuts the face perimeter point at the face-to-transition region 4217 having the highest face-to-transition region elevation, such as the embodiment of FIG. However, in another embodiment, the toe-side crown-face bifurcation point 4800 is at the face-to-transition region 4217 having a face-to-transition region elevation less than the highest face-to-transition region elevation, such as the embodiment of FIG. Adjacent to the face perimeter point. In a still further embodiment, the toe-side crown-face branch point 4800 is adjacent to the face perimeter point at the face-to-transition region 4217 having the lowest face-to-transition region elevation.

42 and 61, in the installed position, the face heel transition area 4218 is the highest face heel transition area height measured vertically from the ground plane 317 and has the lowest face-heel transition zone elevation, measured at . In one embodiment, the heel-side crown-face bifurcation point 4700 abuts the face perimeter point at the face-heel transition region 4218 having the highest face-heel transition region elevation, such as the embodiment of FIG. However, in another embodiment, heel-side crown-face branch point 4700 has a heel-side branch point elevation and toe-side crown-face branch point 4800 has a toe-side branch point elevation, which are separated from ground plane 317 by Measured vertically. In one embodiment, the toe branch point elevation is at least 10% greater than the heel branch point elevation, and in further embodiments at least 15%, 20%, 25% or 30%. However, in another embodiment, the toe branch point elevation is less than 120% greater than the heel branch point elevation, and in further embodiments less than 110%, 100%, 90%, 80% or 70%. .

In one embodiment, the heel-side crown-face branch point 4700 has a heel-side branch point elevation that is greater than the highest face-heel transition region elevation, as seen in FIGS. , the height difference between the two altitudes is no more than 12 mm, and in additional embodiments no more than 10 mm, 8 mm, 6 mm, or 4 mm. However, in another embodiment, the heel-side crown-face bifurcation point 4700 abuts the face perimeter point in a face-heel transition region 4218 having a face-heel transition region elevation less than the highest face-heel transition region elevation. In a still further embodiment, the heel-side crown-face bifurcation point 4700 abuts the face perimeter point at the face-heel transition region 4218 having the lowest face-heel transition region elevation. As seen in FIG. 84, the location of the heel crown-face bifurcation point 4700 may be defined by the heel crown-face bifurcation horizontal offset distance measured from the vertical centerface plane VCFP, which in one embodiment is: At least 40 mm, and in further embodiments at least 42 mm, 44 mm or 46 mm. In another embodiment, the heel-side crown-face bifurcation horizontal offset distance is 70 mm or less, and in additional embodiments 66 mm, 62 mm, 60 mm, 58 mm, 56 mm, or 54 mm or less. Similarly, as seen in FIG. 84, the vertical position of the heel crown-face bifurcation point 4700 may be defined by the heel crown-face bifurcation vertical offset distance measured vertically from the elevation of the center face 205 . In one embodiment, the heel-side crown-face bifurcation vertical offset distance is less than 16 mm above center face 205, and in further embodiments less than 14 mm, 12 mm, 10 mm, 8 mm, or 6 mm. 84, the edge of crown 4620, ie, a portion of crown-hosel outer edge portion 4632, extends from heel-side crown-face bifurcation point 4700 to the vertical anterior hosel seen in FIG. It extends vertically plus or minus 5 degrees to its intersection with plane 3252 . However, in another embodiment, as is apparent from FIG. 72, the edge of crown 4620, ie, a portion of crown-hosel outer edge portion 4632, extends from heelside crown-face bifurcation point 4700 to, in the illustrated embodiment, the center Extending upward to a vertical forward hosel plane 3252 with a curved edge that is concave toward the face 205, in one embodiment the curved edge has a radius of curvature of less than 25 mm; is less than 20 mm, 17.5 mm, 15 mm or 12.5 mm.

Reference is now made again to the front view coordinate system shown in FIG. 61 and the previous disclosure that the face support ledge wall 4690 can be formed from a number of materials around the perimeter of the faceplate 4610 . One such embodiment includes a first ledge wall region formed from a first ledge wall material having a first ledge wall material density and a second ledge wall region having a greater than the first ledge wall material density. A second ledge wall region formed from a second ledge wall material having a ledge wall material density is provided. FIG. 94 shows one such embodiment comprising a first ledge wall region 4710 and a second ledge wall region 4720. FIG. In further embodiments, the second ledge wall material density is at least 25% greater than the first ledge wall material density, and in further embodiments at least 50%, 75%, 100%, 125%, 150%. , 175%, 200%, 225%, 250%, or 275%. In a further embodiment, the first ledge wall material density is less than 5 g/cc, in another embodiment less than 3 g/cc, and in still further embodiments less than 2 g/cc. The second ledge wall material density is in one embodiment at least 4 g/cc, in another embodiment at least 7 g/cc, and in a still further embodiment at least 10 g/cc.

As seen in FIG. 63, the following disclosure provides a single continuous face-supporting ledge wall 4690, a face-supporting ledge wall 4690 comprised of a number of separate sections spaced apart from each other but formed from the same material, or , face-supporting ledge walls 4690 comprising a number of separate sections, whether separate from each other or not, whether formed from different materials or not. Applicable to 4690 embodiments. The ledge wall 4690 has a ledge wall average thickness 4699 from the ledge wall inner perimeter edge 4695 to the start of the fillet transition to the insert recess wall 4692 . One embodiment includes a first ledge wall having a first ledge wall average thickness 4699 from the ledge wall inner perimeter edge 4695 to the start of the fillet transition to the insert recess wall 4692 and similarly the ledge wall inner A second ledge wall having a second ledge wall average thickness 4699 from the perimeter edge 4695 to the beginning of the fillet transition to the insert recess wall 4692 is provided. In one embodiment the second ledge wall average thickness is less than the first ledge wall average thickness, while in another embodiment the second ledge wall average thickness is less than the first ledge wall average thickness at least 10% less than the height, and in further embodiments at least 15% less, 20% less, 25% less, 30% less, or 35% less. In another set of embodiments, the second ledge wall average thickness is 40-80% of the first ledge wall average thickness, in further embodiments 45-75%, 50-70%, or 55-65%. In one particular embodiment, the ledge wall average thickness and/or the first ledge wall average thickness is at least 1.1 mm, the second ledge wall average thickness is no greater than 1.0 mm, and another In embodiments, the ledge wall average thickness and/or the first ledge wall average thickness is at least 1.15 mm and the second ledge wall average thickness is no greater than 0.95 mm, and in another embodiment, The ledge wall average thickness and/or the first ledge wall average thickness is at least 1.20 mm and the second ledge wall average thickness is no more than 0.90 mm, in another embodiment the ledge wall average thickness and/or the first ledge wall average thickness is at least 1.25 mm and the second ledge wall average thickness is no greater than 0.85 mm. In one particular embodiment, the ledge wall average thickness and/or the first ledge wall average thickness is at least 0.875 mm, the second ledge wall average thickness is no greater than 0.86 mm, and another In embodiments, the ledge wall average thickness and/or the first ledge wall average thickness is at least 0.90 mm and the second ledge wall average thickness is no greater than 0.85 mm, and in another embodiment, The ledge wall average thickness and/or the first ledge wall average thickness is at least 0.925 mm and the second ledge wall average thickness is no greater than 0.84 mm, in another embodiment the ledge wall average thickness and/or the first ledge wall average thickness is at least 0.95 mm and the second ledge wall average thickness is no greater than 0.83 mm.

Referring again to the front view coordinate system shown in FIG. 61, in one embodiment, the first ledge wall region 4710 of FIG. 94 includes at least 90 degrees around the perimeter of the faceplate 4610 while further Embodiments include at least 145 degrees, 180 degrees, 190 degrees, 200 degrees, 210 degrees, 220 degrees, 230 degrees, 240 degrees, 250 degrees, 260 degrees, 270 degrees, or 280 degrees. In one embodiment, the first ledge wall region 4710 includes the entire top perimeter located from the 90 degree line to the 270 degree line. In a further embodiment, the first ledge wall region 4710 comprises at least 10 degrees around the perimeter of the faceplate 4610 in the region between the 225-degree line and the 270-degree line, while in a further embodiment: The 10 degree range extends to 15, 20, 25, 30, or 35 degrees. In yet another embodiment, the first ledge wall region 4710 includes at least 10 degrees around the perimeter of the faceplate 4610 in the region between the 135 degree line and the 90 degree line, while in a further embodiment , the 10 degree range is extended to 15, 20, 25, 30, or 35 degrees. In yet other embodiments, the first ledge wall region 4710 includes no more than 350 degrees around the perimeter of the faceplate 4610, while further embodiments include 340 degrees, 330 degrees, 320 degrees, 310 degrees. degrees, 300 degrees, 290 degrees, 280 degrees, 270 degrees, or 260 degrees or less. While in the illustrated embodiment the first ledge wall region 4710 is continuous, in some embodiments it is discontinuous and together with the multiple ranges mentioned above, separate is formed from sections of In fact, one such embodiment comprises at least two distinct sections of first ledge wall region 4710, while further embodiments comprise at least three distinct sections, at least four distinct sections. section, or at least five separate sections.

Similarly, with continued reference to the front view coordinate system shown in FIG. 61, in one embodiment, the second ledge wall region 4720 of FIG. and in further embodiments at least 20 degrees, 30 degrees, 40 degrees, 50 degrees, 60 degrees, 70 degrees, 80 degrees, 90 degrees, or 100 degrees. In one embodiment, the second ledge wall region 4720 comprises at least 10 degrees around the perimeter of the faceplate 4610 in the region between the 180 degree line and the 90 degree line, while in a further embodiment: The 10 degree range extends to 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50 degrees. In yet another embodiment, the second ledge wall region 4720 comprises at least 10 degrees around the perimeter of the faceplate 4610 in the region between the 180 degree line and the 270 degree line, while in a further embodiment , the 10 degree range is extended to 15, 20, 25, 30, or 35 degrees. In yet another embodiment, at least a portion of the second ledge wall region 4720 is located above the Zup, while in a further embodiment at least a portion of the second ledge wall region 4720 is center Located 205 above the face. In one embodiment, the second ledge wall region 4720 comprises at least 5 degrees around the perimeter of the faceplate 4610 in the region between the 270 degree line and the 0 degree line, while in a further embodiment: The 5 degree range extends to 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or 45 degrees. In another embodiment, the second ledge wall region 4720 comprises at least 5 degrees around the perimeter of the faceplate 4610 in the region between the 0 degree line and the 90 degree line, while in a further embodiment: The 5 degree range extends to 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or 45 degrees. In yet other embodiments, the second ledge wall region 4720 comprises no more than 180 degrees around the perimeter of the faceplate 4610, while further embodiments include 170 degrees, 160 degrees, 150 degrees, 140 degrees. degrees, 130 degrees, 120 degrees, 110 degrees, 100 degrees, 90 degrees, or 80 degrees or less. While the second ledge wall region 4720 is continuous in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 94, in some embodiments it is discontinuous and together with the multiple ranges mentioned above. , formed from separate sections. In fact, one such embodiment comprises at least two separate sections of second ledge wall region 4720, while further embodiments comprise at least three separate sections, at least four separate sections. section, or at least five separate sections. The second ledge wall region 4720 is a forward insert that also forms a portion of the sole, as described in detail in US Patent Application Serial No. 17/560,054, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. It may be formed as a part.

The crown can also extend close to and/or into the hosel portion of body 4602 . As shown in FIGS. 50 and 53, the front heel portion of crown 4628 may extend into and around the hosel portion of body 4602, with the front edge extending the front side of the hosel adjacent the heel end of faceplate 4610. covered and wrapped. As shown in FIG. 67, the body may have a recessed surface 4682 cut into the hosel portion to receive the front heel portion of crown 4628. As shown in FIG.

Referring now to FIG. 67, recessed surface 4682 forms a heel side stepped wall extending downwardly around a portion of hosel portion 4604 and around the heel side of the face receiving portion of front body portion 4602. 4689 , the heel side stepped wall 4689 transitions into an insert recess wall 4692 that may be coupled to the side of the faceplate 4610 . Heel side stepped wall 4689 has a heel side stepped wall length 4697 as seen in FIG. As seen in FIG. 66, the front-toe side of the body, ledge 4688, also referred to as the toe side stepped wall 4688, similarly wraps the front-toe portion of the crown down to the toe end of the faceplate. , can wrap around all the way to the insert wall recess 4692 . The toe stepped wall 4688 has a toe stepped wall length 4698 as seen in FIG. Referring again to FIG. 67, the point where heel side stepped wall 4689 intersects insert recess wall 4692 is heel side crown-face bifurcation point 4700 . Referring again to FIG. 66, the point where toe side stepped wall 4688 intersects insert recess wall 4692 is toe side crown-face bifurcation point 4800 . The location of heel-side crown-face branch point 4700 and toe-side crown-face branch point 4800, as well as the step walls, their lengths, and their associated relationship of insert recess walls 4692, all depend on club head performance and Greatly affects durability.

Thus, the top line can extend along the entire top edge of the faceplate 4610 from adjacent heel side stepped wall 4689 at the heel end to adjacent toe side stepped wall 4688 at the toe end. 65, wall 4638, also referred to as intermediate stepped wall 4638, joins heel side stepped wall 4689 to toe side stepped wall 4688. As seen in FIG. The exemplary embodiment not only ensures that the crown leading edge 4625 protrudes from the adjacent portion of the faceplate 4610 at the toe-side crown-face bifurcation point 4800 in FIG. The crown perimeter edge 4631 also protrudes from the adjacent portion of the front body portion 4602 at the toe-side crown-face bifurcation point 4800 in FIG. Thus, all projecting relationships associated with the crown leading edge 4625 also include the intermediate stepped wall 4638 comprising the curvature of the crown 4620 adjacent the crown perimeter edge 4631, the front body portion 4602 and/or the rear ring. Applies to crown perimeter edge 4631 for adjacent portions of portion 4630 . However, an analysis of the curvature of crown 4620 adjacent crown perimeter edge 4631 is performed for vertical head perimeter edge plane 4998 and offset vertical head perimeter edge plane 4997 seen in FIGS. The edge plane 4997 is parallel to the vertical head perimeter edge plane 4998 but offset toward the center of gravity of the club head by a vertical head perimeter offset plane distance. 56, a vertical head perimeter edge plane 4998 is tangent to any analytical point located on the perimeter of the club head. For example, if the analysis point is located where the 270 degree line intersects the club head perimeter, then the vertical head perimeter edge plane 4998 will be approximately parallel to the y-axis and thus to the 0 degree line, while , if the analysis point were located at the intersection of the 315 degree line and the club head circumference, the vertical head circumference edge plane 4998 would be approximately parallel to the 225 degree line. Then, for any analysis point, an evaluation cross-section is cut along a vertical evaluation plane perpendicular to the vertical head perimeter edge plane 4998 and the crown curvature is between the analysis point and the offset vertical head perimeter edge plane 4997. is evaluated in the vertical evaluation plane of Now that this is defined, one skilled in the art will appreciate that all embodiments relating to crown curvature adjacent faceplate 4610, including the disclosed 3-point method, 5-point method, and associated radii of curvature, It will be appreciated that it is applicable to crown curvatures between a vertical head perimeter edge plane 4998 and an offset vertical head perimeter edge plane 4997 .

This is particularly subtle at the heel-side crown-face bifurcation point 4700 seen in FIG. 67 whereby, in one embodiment, the crown-hosel perimeter edge portion 4632 seen in FIGS. Although coplanar with the adjacent front body portion 4602 at the side stepped wall 4689, the crown leading edge 4625 still protrudes from the faceplate 4610 so that the top edge of the faceplate 4610 is aligned with the golfer's face at address. While also ensuring that the crown-hosel peripheral edge portion 4632 is hidden from view, it is clearly visible from the adjacent forward body portion 4602 as it extends upwardly from the heel-side crown-face bifurcation point 4700. This ensures that the heel side stepped wall length 4697 and therewith the curvature of the front body portion 4602, the bond gap promoting features, the insert recess wall length 4693 and the crown 4620 and face thickness of plate 4610. In fact, this is further complicated in embodiments where the crown peripheral edge 4631 also protrudes from the toe side stepped wall 4688 and/or the intermediate stepped wall 4638 . In one embodiment, heel side stepped wall length 4697 is greater than toe side stepped wall length 4698 .

In one embodiment seen in FIGS. 68 and 69 , the insert recess wall length 4693 is not constant around the circumference of the face insert 110 . 61, 66 and 68, at the toe side crown-face branch point 4800, the insert recess wall length 4693 varies by an amount equal to the toe side stepped wall length 4698. FIG. Thus, centered on the center face 205, shown in FIG. 61, 0 degrees vertically upward, 90 degrees horizontally heel, 180 degrees vertically downward, and 270 degrees horizontally toe. Utilizing a certain front view coordinate system, in one embodiment the change in insert recess wall length 4693 occurs in the quadrant between 270 degrees and 0 degrees, while in a further embodiment the The change occurs at a location in the 280-315 degree region, and in additional embodiments the variation occurs at a location in the 285-305 degree or 290-300 degree region. In a further embodiment, ignoring the inner hosel surface 3253 for the moment, seen in FIGS. 67 and 69, at the heelside crown-face bifurcation point 4700, the insert recess wall length 4693 is Changed by an amount equal to wall length 4697, and thus referring back to the front view coordinate system shown in FIG. 61, changes in insert recess wall length 4693 occur in quadrants between 0 and 90 degrees. , in a further embodiment between 45 and 90 degrees, while in another embodiment between 60 and 85 degrees, and in a further embodiment between 70 and 85 degrees is.

67 and 69, a portion of the inner hosel surface 3253 extends beyond a portion of the face support ledge wall 4690, but not the recess wall leading edge 6100 and/or the face. It does not extend past the forwardmost point of the insert recess wall 4692 adjacent the inner hosel surface 3253 which extends beyond a portion of the support ledge wall 4690 . In one embodiment, the curved nature of this portion of the inner hosel surface 3253 creates a varying insert recess wall length 4693, best seen in FIGS. Thus, in one embodiment, referring back to the front view coordinate system shown in FIG. 61, the insert recess wall length 4693 is not constant at certain locations in the 45-135 degree region, while , in a further embodiment it is not constant at a position in the 60-120 degree region, and in a still further embodiment it is not constant at a position in the 70-110 degree region. The insert recess wall length 4693 in any of the regions disclosed in another embodiment varies from the maximum insert recess wall length to the minimum insert recess wall length, where the maximum insert recess wall length is the minimum insert recess wall length. length, while in further embodiments the maximum insert recess wall length is at least 20%, 30%, 40% or 50% greater than the minimum insert recess wall length. In still further embodiments, the maximum insert recess wall length is 150% or less greater than the minimum insert recess wall length, and in additional embodiments, 140%, 130%, 120%, 110%, 100%, and up to 90% larger.

Although the above paragraph discloses a portion of the inner hosel surface 3253 that extends beyond a portion of the face support ledge wall 4690 but does not extend beyond the recess wall leading edge 6100, those skilled in the art will This is how the faceplate 4610 is joined to the front body portion 4602 without the use of the face support ledge wall 4690, for example by butt welding or other butt joining techniques along the insert recess wall 4692. It will be understood that it applies equally to the embodiments. In such embodiments, the front body portion 4602 adjacent the face opening has an inner surface adjacent to the insert recess wall 4692 and the inner hosel surface 3253 extends beyond the adjacent inner surface (i.e., of the insert recess wall 4692). (between the inner edge and the outer edge of the insert recess wall 4692), but apparently does not extend beyond the forwardmost edge of the insert recess wall 4692. Thus, all notch disclosures accommodate the inner hosel surface 3253 extending into the area between the inner edge of the insert recess wall 4692 and the outer edge of the insert recess wall 4692 to achieve all of the disclosed advantages. It is equally applicable to the metal faceplates 4610 and their perimeters so that the

Looking now specifically at the change in insert recess wall length 4693 that occurs at the toe side crown-face bifurcation point 4800 in FIGS. At least 5% less than the recess wall length, and in further embodiments, the minimum insert recess wall length is at least 10%, 15%, 20%, or 25% less than the maximum insert recess wall length. In a further set of embodiments, the minimum insert recess wall length is 5-75% less than the maximum insert recess wall length, while in a further embodiment the minimum insert recess wall length is less than the maximum insert recess wall length. 10-65%, 15-60%, or 20-55% less than the height. In one embodiment, the insert recess wall length 4693 is at least 2 mm, while in further embodiments it is at least 2.5 mm or 3.0 mm, and in further embodiments the insert recess wall length The height 4693 is no greater than 5.0 mm, and in further embodiments no greater than 4.75 mm, 4.5 mm, 4.25 mm, or 4.0 mm.

On the bottom surface of club head 4600, in some embodiments, sole insert 4640 is coupled to sole support ledge 4690 of the body seen in FIG. Yes, the rear and lateral surfaces of sole support ledge 4690 are part of rear ring portion 4630 . Sole insert 4640, like the crown, can include any of the non-metallic low density composite materials disclosed herein to reduce mass.

Although many of the disclosed embodiments relate to the interfaces associated with the crown 4620 coupled to the frame and winding toward the faceplate 4610, all of the disclosed relationships involve one or more faceplates. Equally applies to a sole panel 4640 that wraps toward the plate 4610, a skirt panel that wraps toward the faceplate 4610 at the heel and/or toe, and/or a rear ring portion 4630 that wraps toward the faceplate 4610. be done. For example, FIG. 81 shows a sole insert 4640 that wraps around the front body portion 4602 and terminates in an adjacent faceplate 4610 on the toe side of the club head. In this embodiment, the aforementioned toe-side crown-face branch point 4800 is shown, where a first sole-face branch point 4910 and a second sole-face branch point 4920 are also present. . In this embodiment, a first sole-to-face branch point 4910 occurs where sole insert 4640 is adjacent faceplate 4610 and front body portion 4602 . Similarly, in this embodiment, a second sole-face branch point 4920 occurs where sole insert 4640 is adjacent faceplate 4610 and front body portion 4602 . 81 and 82, sole insert 4640 only wraps around adjacent faceplate 4610 in a region between approximately 285 degrees and 260 degrees, but with reference to the front view coordinate system shown in FIG. , the area may be much larger as seen in FIG. 80 where the second sole-face bifurcation point 4920 is located between 180 degrees and 90 degrees. Additionally, in one embodiment, the second sole-face branch point 4920 may be adjacent to the heel-side crown-face branch point 4700 . 81 and 82 are exposed between crown 4620 and sole insert 4640, specifically between toe-side crown-face branch point 4800 and first sole-face branch point 4910. While this is not required, in one embodiment the first sole-face junction point 4910 has a portion of the front body portion 4602 as seen in FIG. Adjacent toe-side crown-face bifurcation point 4800 without any exposed portion of body portion 4602 . Additionally, sole insert 4640 may wrap around adjacent faceplate 4610 in a number of discrete areas, as seen in the shaded areas of FIGS. Sole insert 4640 may additionally have a third sole-face branch point 4930 and a fourth sole-face branch point 4940, as seen in FIG.

A portion of sole insert 4640 abuts faceplate 4610 at an elevation above center face 205 in one embodiment, while in another embodiment a portion of sole insert 4640 is centered. It is adjacent to faceplate 4610 at some elevation both above face 205 and below centerface 205 . Further, in another embodiment, a portion of sole insert 4640 is adjacent to faceplate 4610 at an elevation above the Zup, while in another embodiment a portion of sole insert 4640 is adjacent to the Zup. and adjacent to the faceplate 4610 at some elevation both above the Zup and below the Zup.

Further, using the front view coordinate system shown in FIG. 61, in one embodiment, sole insert 4640 is positioned on the front body portion such that it abuts the perimeter of faceplate 4610 over any continuous ten degree range. 4602 and in further embodiments any 20 degree range, 30 degree range, 40 degree range, 50 degree range, 60 degree range, 70 degree range, 80 degree range, 90 degree range, 100 degree range , or 110 degree range. In one embodiment, sole insert 4640 curves around front body portion 4602 to abut the perimeter of faceplate 4610 over any contiguous 10 degree range located between the 285 degree line and the 180 degree line. while in further embodiments this 10 degree range is extended to 15, 20, 25 or 30 degrees, while in further embodiments the range is 285 It lies between the degree line and the 225 degree line. In another embodiment, sole insert 4640 curves around front body portion 4602 to abut the perimeter of faceplate 4610 over any continuous 10 degree range located between the 90 degree line and the 180 degree line. while in further embodiments this 10 degree range is extended to 15, 20, 25 or 30 degrees, while in further embodiments the range is 90 Located between the degree line and the 135 degree line. In further embodiments, the sole insert 4640 is curved around the front body portion 4602 to abut the perimeter of the faceplate 4610 over a continuous range of 145 degrees or less, and in further embodiments 135 degrees, 125 degrees, 115 degrees, 105 degrees, 95 degrees, 85 degrees, 75 degrees, 65 degrees, 55 degrees, 45 degrees, 35 degrees, or 25 degrees or less.

Those skilled in the art will recognize, but are not limited to, toe stepped wall 4688, heel stepped wall 4689, intermediate stepped wall 4638, rearing portion 4630, faceplate 4610, insert recess wall length 4693, heel All of the disclosed relationships associated with crown 4620, including side step wall length 4697 and its interface with toe side step wall length 4698, can be applied to sole insert 4640 as well as individual toe skirt inserts and/or heel inserts. It will be appreciated that it applies equally to skirt inserts.

The phrases “adjacent to” or “adjacent the” are used throughout to refer to the proximity of certain components associated with the perimeter of faceplate 4610, i.e., the edge of crown 4620, the edge of sole insert 4640, and/or used in reference to the edge of the skirt panel. Further, unless stated otherwise, use of the term faceplate is not inferred to be limited to individual face components or inserts that are joined to the club head; rather, the perimeter of the faceplate is: (a) a discrete face component that is bonded to the club head and, as in most of the illustrated embodiments, has a distinct outer perimeter edge after bonding; and (b) bonded in the same plane as the club head. , a discrete face component that does not have a distinct outer peripheral edge after bonding, and (c) a club head that is bonded, but after bonding (such as by welding and brazing), as seen in FIGS. is also applicable to individual face components that do not have separate outer peripheral edges, and (d) integrally cast or molded forward portions of the club head, including the striking face. Regardless of these circumstances, the perimeter edge of faceplate 4610 may be readily identified. For situation (a), the perimeter of the faceplate is the separate perimeter edge left when the faceplate is joined to the club head. However, for situation (b), a careful cross-section of the club head or analysis of individual component blueprints will allow one of ordinary skill in the art to identify the outer perimeter edge of faceplate 4610 . For situation (c), if the fusion of the faceplate 4610 and the club head occurred, such as by welding, one skilled in the art would cross-section the club head and locate the center of the fusion perimeter 9010 seen in FIGS. 9099 by an offset distance 9099 of 3 mm to establish the perimeter of the faceplate 9020, or by analyzing the design drawings of the individual components to establish the design component perimeter. By offsetting by an offset distance 9099 of , it would be possible to identify the center of the fused zone 9000 seen in FIG. Often still similar in size to those used in fusion joints, similarly, one skilled in the art will be able to cross-section the club head and offset the center of the joint circumference outwardly by an offset distance 9099 of 3 mm. or by analyzing the design drawings of the individual components to establish the design component perimeter and offsetting the design component perimeter by an offset distance 9099 of 3 mm. It would be possible to identify the center of For situation (d), which involves an integrally cast or molded forward portion of the club head that includes the striking face, the perimeter of the faceplate is defined as a series of points where the striking face radius is less than 127 mm and the radius is If not easily calculated in a computer modeling program, three points 0.1 mm apart along a line passing through centerface 205 may be used as the three points used to determine the striking face radius; Alternatively, a 127 mm curvature gauge aligned with the face center 205 and rotated through 360 degrees in FIG. The position bond establishes the perimeter of the faceplate.

Now, once the perimeter of the faceplate is established, regardless of the structure, it is a matter of determining whether another component is "adjacent to" or "adjacent the" to the perimeter of faceplate 4610. , a number of different methods may be used. The first method is called the compact proximity method, whereby a predefined string can be thought of as a string with a length equal to a predefined proximity distance separating a first end and a second end. A close proximity distance is used whereby the first end of the string is located at a point on the faceplate circumference and the string is in contact with the outer surface of the club head. Other components (i.e., edges of crown 4620, sole insert 4640 and/or skirt insert) are then "adjacent" to the perimeter of faceplate 4610 if contacted by the second end of the string. to)” or “adjacent the”. In one embodiment, the predefined proximity distance is 4 mm, while in further embodiments it is 3 mm, 2 mm, 1 mm or 0.75 mm.

The second method is called the offset plane method. In the offset plane method, a loft plane 5000 is first established in a vertical plane passing through the face center 205 and perpendicular to the shaft axis plane, sometimes referred to as the vertical centerface plane, VCFP for short, loft plane 5000. is defined as the plane tangent to the club head face center 205, as seen in FIG. 70A. The point where the loft plane 5000 touches the face center 205 is called the loft plane origin.

Now that loft plane 5000 has been established and the description of the vertical centerface plane has been completed, the analysis of other vertical cross sections through faceplate 4610 will be described. Again, this procedure is applicable to any vertical cross-section through faceplate 4610 perpendicular to the shaft axis plane, which is the vertical plane perpendicular to ground plane 317 that includes shaft axis SA. For example, referring to FIG. 61, the 0-180 degree line lies within the centerface plane and corresponds to the z-axis 206 . However, in order to analyze the relationship associated with an offset vertical cross-section located at -5 millimeters in the toe direction from the vertical centerface plane, the curvature of faceplate 4610 must be considered. Therefore, loft plane 5000 is shifted −5 millimeters in the toe direction along the 90-270 degree line in FIG. It is translated toward the rear of the club head along the y-axis 207 seen in 1D, thereby establishing a local loft plane 5000 at −5 millimeters in the toe direction. This is the position of the vertical plane at -5mm in the toe direction, whereby the attribute of the vertical cross-section through the clubhead at -5mm in the toe direction is -5mm in the toe direction. and then offset that plane by a predetermined offset plane distance to establish a local offset loft plane 5100 at −5 millimeters in the toe direction, which is used to evaluate club head properties in a vertical cross-section at −5 millimeters in the toe direction. Here, a negative sign is used to indicate that the position is 5 mm along the x-axis 208 in the toe direction, which is the negative direction, while the heel direction is along the x-axis 208 positive direction. is. This process of first translating the loft plane origin along the x-axis 208 to the analysis position and then translating rearward along the y-axis 207 until the loft plane origin contacts the faceplate 4610 can be used for any analysis. It may be repeated to establish a local loft plane 5000 and a local offset loft plane 5100 for the position.

For example, one embodiment evaluates club head properties at the following analysis locations: (a) Generate a vertical centerface section through the club head, including the y-axis and z-axis, parallel to the loft plane and A vertical centerface plane having a centerface offset loft plane that is offset from the loft plane by the offset plane distance; (b) parallel to the vertical centerface plane and a distance of 5 millimeters along the x-axis toward the hosel portion; and a local loft plane at 5 millimeters in the heel direction and a local loft plane at 5 millimeters in the heel direction offset from the local loft plane at 5 millimeters in the heel direction by the offset plane distance (c) parallel to the vertical centerface plane and 5 mm away from the hosel portion along the x-axis; The local loft plane at -5 millimeters in the toe direction, offset by a distance of millimeters, and the toe direction offset from the local loft plane at -5 millimeters in the toe direction by the offset plane distance. at least a first toe direction offset vertical plane producing a -5 mm offset vertical section with a local offset loft plane at a 5 mm position, wherein within the vertical centerface section a portion of the crown leading edge is the centerface Anterior to the offset loft plane, in a 5 mm offset vertical cross-section, a portion of the crown leading edge is anterior to the local offset loft plane 5 mm to the heel, and in a -5 mm offset vertical cross-section, the crown A portion of the leading edge is forward of the local offset loft plane at −5 millimeters in the toe direction. While in a further embodiment, the portion of the crown in the vertical centerface cross-section that is forward of the centerface offset loft plane has a centerface crown radius of curvature of less than 15 mm and in the 5 mm offset vertical cross-section , the portion of the crown anterior to the local offset loft plane at 5 millimeters in the heel direction has a crown radius at 5 millimeters in the heel direction of curvature of less than 15 mm, and within the −5 millimeter offset vertical cross-section , the portion of the crown forward of the local offset loft plane at −5 millimeters in the toe direction has a crown radius at −5 millimeters in the toe direction of less than 15 mm of curvature. Another embodiment also evaluates club head properties at the following locations: (a) parallel to the vertical centerface plane and offset by a distance of 10 millimeters along the x-axis toward the hosel portion; A local loft plane at 10 millimeters in the heel direction and a local offset loft at 10 millimeters in the heel direction that is offset from the local loft plane at 10 millimeters in the heel direction by an offset plane distance. and (b) parallel to the vertical centerface plane and offset away from the hosel portion along the x-axis by a distance of 10 millimeters. and a local loft plane at -10 millimeters in the toe direction and offset from the local loft plane at -10 millimeters in the toe direction by an offset plane distance of -10 millimeters in the toe direction. A second toe direction offset vertical plane that produces a −10 mm offset vertical section with a local offset loft plane of position; where a portion of the crown leading edge within the 10 mm offset vertical section is 10 mm in the heel direction A portion of the crown leading edge in the −10 mm offset vertical cross section is forward of the local offset loft plane at −10 mm in the toe direction. In a further embodiment, the portion of the crown in the 10 mm offset vertical cross-section that is forward of the local offset loft plane at 10 mm in the heel direction is the crown at 10 mm in the heel direction of curvature of less than 15 mm. In a vertical section having a radius of -10 mm offset, the portion of the crown forward of the local offset loft plane located -10 mm in the toe direction is located -10 mm in the toe direction with a curvature of less than 15 mm. has a crown radius of Another embodiment also evaluates club head properties that are: (a) parallel to the vertical centerface plane and offset along the x-axis toward the hosel portion by a distance of 20 millimeters; A local loft plane at 20 millimeters in the heel direction and a local offset loft at 20 millimeters in the heel direction that is offset from the local loft plane at 20 millimeters in the heel direction by an offset plane distance. and (b) parallel to the vertical centerface plane and offset away from the hosel portion along the x-axis by a distance of 20 millimeters. and a local loft plane at -20 millimeters in the toe direction and offset from the local loft plane at -20 millimeters in the toe direction by an offset plane distance of -20 millimeters in the toe direction. A third toe direction offset vertical plane that produces a −20 mm offset vertical section with a local offset loft plane of position; where a portion of the crown leading edge within the 20 mm offset vertical section is 20 mm in the heel direction A portion of the crown leading edge in the −20 mm offset vertical cross-section is forward of the local offset loft plane at −20 mm in the toe direction. In a further embodiment, the portion of the crown in the 20 mm offset vertical cross-section that is forward of the local offset loft plane at 20 mm in the heel direction is the crown at 20 mm in the heel direction of curvature of less than 15 mm. In a vertical section having a radius of -20 mm offset, the portion of the crown forward of the local offset loft plane located -20 mm in the toe direction is located -20 mm in the toe direction with a curvature of less than 15 mm. has a crown radius of Another embodiment also evaluates club head properties that are: (a) parallel to the vertical centerface plane and offset along the x-axis toward the hosel portion by a distance of 30 millimeters; A local loft plane at 30 millimeters in the heel direction and a local offset loft at 30 millimeters in the heel direction that is offset from the local loft plane at 30 millimeters in the heel direction by an offset plane distance. and (b) parallel to the vertical centerface plane and offset away from the hosel portion along the x-axis by a distance of 30 millimeters. and a local loft plane at -30 millimeters in the toe direction and offset from the local loft plane at -30 millimeters in the toe direction by an offset plane distance of -30 millimeters in the toe direction. A fourth toe direction offset vertical plane that produces a −30 mm offset vertical section with a local offset loft plane of position; where a portion of the crown leading edge within the 30 mm offset vertical section is 30 mm in the heel direction A portion of the crown leading edge in the −30 mm offset vertical cross-section is forward of the local offset loft plane at −30 mm in the toe direction. While in a further embodiment, in a 30 mm offset vertical cross-section, the portion of the crown forward of the local offset loft plane located 30 mm in the heel direction is 30 mm in the heel direction with a curvature of less than 15 mm. In a vertical cross-section with a crown radius of -30 mm offset, the portion of the crown forward of the local offset loft plane at -30 mm in the toe direction is -30 mm in the toe direction with a curvature of less than 15 mm. It has a crown radius of millimeters. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that this approach can be applied at any analytical location and that the disclosed relationships are applicable at any one or more of the multiple analytical locations. . Therefore, for clarity, the above steps include analysis of the -Xmm toe vertical plane, thereby attributed the -Xmm toe vertical cross-section through the club head to the -Xmm toe local loft plane 5000. , and then offset that plane by a predetermined offset plane distance to establish a −X mm toe direction local offset loft plane 5100, which plane describes the club head characteristics at the −X mm toe direction vertical cross-section. used to evaluate, whereby -X represents any integer from -1 to -70. In addition, the above steps include analysis of the vertical plane at +X mm in the heel direction, thereby determining the attributes of the vertical cross-section at +X mm in the heel direction through the club head and the local plane at +X mm in the heel direction. relative to the target loft plane 5000, and then offset that plane by a predetermined offset plane distance to establish a local offset loft plane 5100 at +X mm in the heel direction, where the plane Used to evaluate club head properties in a vertical cross section at +X mm, where +X represents any integer from 1 to 70.

This same procedure analyzes a specific vertical cross-section and is applicable to any vertical cross-section but relative to the vertical centerface plane, through the use of the offset loft plane 5100 seen in FIGS. , sole and/or skirt edge) are “adjacent to” or “adjacent the” to the perimeter of the faceplate 4610. It may be repeated at any position along the 270 degree line. As an example, using a vertical centerface cross-section, offset loft plane 5100 is parallel to loft plane 5000 but offset by a predetermined offset plane distance. For any other vertical cross-section, offset loft plane 5100 is parallel to local loft plane 5000 but offset by a predetermined offset plane distance. Then, when analyzing any vertical cross-section, a portion of the component (i.e., the edge of the crown 4620, sole insert 4640 and/or skirt insert) is the offset loft plane 5100 and the loft plane 5000 or local loft plane 5000. If located between any, at this particular analytical position, the component is "adjacent to" or "adjacent the" to the perimeter of faceplate 4610; , this applies to the edge that is vertically above or below the analyzed point, horizontally adjacent to the perimeter of faceplate 4610, as well as along the toe and/or heel portions of the perimeter. It will be appreciated that it may contain edges. In one embodiment, the predetermined offset planar distance is 6 mm, while in further embodiments it is 5 mm, 4 mm, 3 mm, or 2 mm. In another embodiment, the predetermined offset planar distance is less than 150% of the peak thickness 4343, in further embodiments 140%, 130%, 120%, 110%, 100%, 90%, Less than 80%, 70%, 60%, or 50%. Unless specifically identified otherwise in the claims, an offset plane method with a predetermined offset plane distance of 6 mm will be assumed.

As seen in FIGS. 81 and 82 , front body portion 4602 may include a forward ring portion 4950 that extends rearwardly of forward ledge 4680 and connects to rear ring portion 4630 . In one embodiment, the forward ring portion 4950 extends at least 15 mm behind the loft plane 5000 located on the center face 205, while in further embodiments it is at least 20 mm, 25 mm or 30 mm. Additionally, a portion of anterior ring portion 4950 may remain exposed and visible after installation of crown 4620 and/or sole insert 4640 . In the embodiment of Figure 81, the exposed anterior ring portion 4950 has an exposed ring width 4951 that is less than 50% of Zup, and in further embodiments less than 40%, 30% or 20%. In one embodiment, the exposed ring width 4951 is constant, and the front body portion 4602 also has an exposed front body width that matches the exposed ring width 4951 and extends all the way to the perimeter of the faceplate 4610. prepare the part. In a further embodiment, also seen in FIG. 81 , rear ring portion 4630 is exposed at its connection with front ring portion 4950 and has an exposed rear ring width that is the same as exposed ring width 4951 .

As previously disclosed, the rear ring portion 4630 may be integrally formed with a portion of the front body portion 4602 in some embodiments. For example, FIG. 94 shows an embodiment in which the front body portion 4602 comprises separate first and second ledge wall regions 4710,4720. In one embodiment, the first ledge wall region 4710 is integrally formed with a portion of the front body portion 4602 including the forward ledge 4680 and may be integrally formed with the rear ring portion 4630 and its Second ledge wall region 4720, on the other hand, is part of a separate high density component. However, in another embodiment, the rear ring portion 4630 is a separate component on the toe side and/or heel side, but extends all the way to the faceplate 4610, providing separate first ledge wall region 4710 and second ledge wall region 4710. A third ledge wall region located between ledge wall regions 4720 is created. Thus, in this embodiment, the ledge wall region comprises at least three components, a first forming the ledge wall region supporting a portion of the face topline perimeter edge 4215, and a second , support a portion of the face lower perimeter edge 4216 , and a third supports a portion of the faceplate 4610 on the toe side and/or heel side of the faceplate 4610 . As shown in FIG. 51, the sole of body 4602 may also include a forward channel 4670 extending into the interior of the body and a recess for inserting head-shaft fastener 4606. As shown in FIG. Club head 4600 may also include a front sole weight 4660 secured by fasteners 4664 to a receptacle 4662 located on the heel-facing side of the sole of body 4602 . At the rear of the club head, rear weight 4650 may be secured to rear ring portion 4630 by fasteners 4652 . Weights 4660 and 4650 may be used to allocate discretionary mass to the lower surface of the club head to adjust the club head's center of gravity, moment of inertia, and other mass properties.

The amount of discretionary mass that can be assigned to the weights 4660, 4650 in the club head 4600 is primarily due to the reduced volume of the dense metallic material in the body 4602 and the corresponding increased size of the crown, and Due to the presence of lower density components such as sole portion 4640 and crown 4620, faceplate 4610 and/or rear ring portion 4630, it can be substantially larger than conventional wood-type club heads. In particular, the mass of the top-front portion of the club head 4600 causes some of the body's high-density metallic material (e.g., titanium or steel) to be removed in areas around the topline, hosel, and toe and heel skirt areas. It can be reduced by replacing the crown with a lower density material such as a carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite. The structure of club head 4600 may provide maximized volume of lower density materials (eg, composite materials) and/or minimized volume of higher density materials (eg, metallic materials). Club head 4600 may also feature a maximized face area of lower density material and/or a minimum face area of higher density material, with the entire visible topline area being composite material and forward Body portion 4602 is hidden from view in that area. For example, in a top view, substantially none of the forward body portion 4602 is visible except for a small area around the hosel.

Club head 4600 may be assembled with faceplate 4610 coupled to the front face opening of body 4602 before crown 4620, sole panel 4640 and/or skirt panel(s) coupled to the frame. After the faceplate 4610 is optionally sheeted and bonded to the frame, the crown 4620, sole panel 4640 and/or one or more skirt panels are then placed between the crown leading edge 4625 and the perimeter of the faceplate 4610, the sole panel. The front edge of 4640 and the perimeter of faceplate 4610 and/or the front edge of one or more skirt panels and the perimeter of faceplate 4610 can be manipulated to create desired positioning and gaps. Sole panel 4640 and/or one or more skirt panels may be coupled to the body either before or after faceplate 4610 and crown 4620 .

Among the several novel features of the club head 4600, the large non-metallic crown 4620 that extends adjacent to the faceplate 4610 and creates at least a portion of the overall club head perimeter in top view is one of the most interesting. and is one of the biggest challenges in creating and incorporating real world club heads that are durable and perform to the highest standards. Manufacturing the crown 4620 alone can be a challenge due to its three-dimensional shape, which wraps down around the front and sides of the club head and, in some embodiments, tightly wraps around the hosel portion. This makes the fabrication of crown 4620 difficult. Some even said it was not feasible due to draft issues required to release the crown insert from the work. For the first embodiment, design to avoid any undercut in the crown 4620 design and have a 0 to positive draft angle (e.g., 0 degree to 4 degree draft range) to allow release from the mold. Great care was taken inside. Undercut was not a problem for older crown designs that did not wrap at all and certainly did not wrap on many faces.

Once the crown 4620, sole panel 4640 and/or one or more skirt panels are carefully manufactured, they can be joined to the rest of the club head. Bonding agents may include epoxies or other adhesives such as DP420 or DP460, as adhesives perform best in shear. During impact with the ball, the crown 4620 experiences both lateral and vertical forces that can cause the crown 4620 to pop or become detached from the club head over time. In a typical crown insert and club head design, the bonding surfaces are positioned such that the adhesive undergoes shear for lateral forces, but does not undergo shear for any vertical forces. Initially, it was feared that extending the crown 4620 and its bonding area closer to the face would adversely affect durability due to popping of the crown 4620 or cracking of non-metallic materials. Unexpectedly, however, as seen in FIGS. Wrapping onto the front of the adjacent body has been found to produce equal or better durability compared to more typical constructions. An additional bond surface forward of the outer hosel surface 3251 in the crown-to-face transition region provides a bond surface that is more perpendicular to the impact, allowing the adhesive to be sheared in the normal direction by impact, and to better support or resist the extreme vertical forces experienced therein. The disclosed club head 4600 is more durable than previous designs in which the crown did not extend onto the front of the body adjacent the faceplate 4610 or even beyond the outer hosel surface 3251. It was found that

49, 52 and 56, the forwardmost point of the constant diameter portion of the outer hosel surface 3251 defines a vertical forward hosel plane 3252 parallel to the shaft axis plane. If a portion of constant diameter cannot be identified, the location where the shaft or shaft sleeve enters the club head is used, having a bore for receiving the shaft or shaft sleeve and a bearing surface abutting the edge of the shaft sleeve; The most forward point on the support surface is the outer hosel surface 3251 seen in FIG. 52, establishing a vertical forward hosel plane 3252.

As seen in FIG. 56, in one embodiment, the portion of crown leading edge 4625 adjacent faceplate 4610 and/or face topline outer perimeter edge 4215 of FIG. While in further embodiments, a portion of the faceplate 4610 and/or the crown leading edge 4625 adjacent the face topline perimeter edge 4215 is also behind the vertical forward hosel plane 3252 . 61, in one embodiment, the crown leading edge 4625 adjacent to the faceplate 4610 and/or face topline perimeter edge 4215 between the 45 degree line and the 90 degree line is , forward of the vertical forward hosel plane 3252, while the portion of the crown leading edge 4625 adjacent to the faceplate 4610 and/or the face topline outer peripheral edge 4215 between the 315 degree line and the 270 degree line is vertical. Behind the forward hosel plane 3252. In another embodiment, the crown leading edge 4625 adjacent the faceplate 4610 and/or the face topline outer peripheral edge 4215 between the 0 degree line and the 90 degree line is forward of the vertical forward hosel plane 3252, but on the other side. , the portion of crown leading edge 4625 adjacent faceplate 4610 and/or face topline outer edge 4215 between the 315 degree line and the 270 degree line is behind vertical forward hosel plane 3252 . Referring again to FIG. 56, in a further embodiment, at least 4 mm of the crown leading edge 4625 adjacent the faceplate 4610 and/or the face topline perimeter edge 4215 is behind the vertical anterior hosel plane 3252, providing additional implementations. In form, at least 5 mm, 6 mm, or 7 mm. In yet other embodiments, no more than 20 mm of the faceplate 4610 and/or crown leading edge 4625 adjacent to the face topline outer perimeter edge 4215 is behind the vertical forward hosel plane 3252, and in additional embodiments 15 mm, 12 mm or less. .5 mm, 10 mm, or 7.5 mm or less. In another embodiment, a portion of the crown leading edge 4625 and/or face topline outer peripheral edge 4215 between the 0 degree line and the 90 degree line is at least 1 mm forward of the vertical forward hosel plane 3252, and in a further embodiment , at least 1.5 mm, 2.0 mm, 2.5 mm or 3 mm. In yet another embodiment, no portion of the crown leading edge 4625 and/or the face topline outer peripheral edge 4215 between the 0 degree line and the 90 degree line is more than 20 mm forward of the vertical forward hosel plane 3252, and additional in embodiments of 18 mm, 16 mm, 14 mm, or 13 mm or less.

Referring again to FIGS. 70A-70B , the offset plane method also includes an offset loft plane 5100 and an adjacent component ( That is, it is useful in analyzing the curvature of portions of the crown 4620, sole insert 4640 and/or skirt insert). For simplicity of illustration, first examine the curvature of the crown 4620 forward of the centerface offset loft plane 5100 of FIGS. 70A-70B. The curvature of the crown 4620 forward of the offset loft plane 5100 is determined in a vertical cross section such as the vertical centerface plane or any vertical plane offset therefrom in the heel or toe direction. In the region forward of the offset loft plane 5100, the curvature is determined based on three points located on the outer surface of the crown 4620 that are 0.5 mm apart and joined by arcs of constant curvature, thereby: The radius of curvature of that arc is the radius of curvature of crown 4620, which is called the three-point method. In one embodiment, the first of the three points is located at the crown leading edge 4625, while in a further embodiment the first of the three points is located at the offset loft plane 5100 and the crown. Located at the intersection of the 4620 outer surfaces. In yet another embodiment, the three-point method is extended to include additional points, one at the crown leading edge 4625 and one at the intersection of the offset loft plane 5100 and the outer surface of the crown 4620. , at least three additional points uniformly spaced on the outer surface of crown 4620 between that point at crown leading edge 4625 and that point at the intersection of offset loft plane 5100 and the outer surface of crown 4620. , which is a 5-point method whereby the 5 points are joined by a best-fit arc whose radius of curvature is the radius of curvature of crown 4620 .

In one embodiment, the radius of curvature of the crown 4620 forward of the offset loft plane 5100 is determined by the three-point method starting at the crown leading edge 4625 and has a crown radius of curvature of less than 25 mm, and in a further embodiment , 23 mm, 21 mm, 19 mm, 17 mm, 15 mm, 13 mm, 11 mm, 9 mm, or less than 7 mm. In another embodiment, the radius of curvature of the crown 4620 forward of the offset loft plane 5100 is determined by a three-point method starting at the intersection of the offset loft plane 5100 and the outer surface of the crown 4620, with a crown radius of curvature less than 25 mm. and in further embodiments less than 23 mm, 21 mm, 19 mm, 17 mm, 15 mm, 13 mm, 11 mm, 9 mm, or 7 mm. In still further embodiments, the radius of curvature of the crown 4620 forward of the offset loft plane 5100 is determined by the 5-point method and has a crown radius of curvature less than 25 mm, and in further embodiments 23 mm, 21 mm, Less than 19 mm, 17 mm, 15 mm, 13 mm, 11 mm, 9 mm, or 7 mm. Again, all of the embodiments disclosed in the previous three sentences reflect the curvature of crown 4620 in a single vertical cross-section either in the vertical centerface plane or in an offset plane parallel to the vertical centerface plane. do. Nonetheless, any of these embodiments may also be applied to any vertical cross-section passing through faceplate 4610, with reference to the front view coordinate system of FIG. This is because it is convenient to define a region where any of For example, in one embodiment, any of these relationships exist across all vertical cross-sections for a predetermined angular range. In one embodiment, the predetermined angular range is at least 5 degrees, while in further embodiments it is at least 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 degrees. , 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95 or 100 degrees. In further embodiments, any of these relationships exist across all vertical cross-sections passing through the face topline perimeter edge 4215 in FIG. In the illustrated embodiment, the curvature of the anterior ledge 4680, best seen in FIG. Also applies to 4680.

As noted above, this curvature analysis is not limited to the crown 4620, and in fact, as with all of the disclosed relationships, the sole plate 4640 also includes the independent skirt panel and anterior ledge 4680. It applies equally to any component adjacent to 4610, which is not repeated in its entirety for the sake of brevity, but is readily understood by those skilled in the art. For example, FIG. 76 shows an embodiment having a sole plate 4640 that wraps up adjacent the face plate 4610 such that, in the exemplary embodiment, the sole plate leading edge 4641 is the become the leading edge. In one embodiment, the radius of curvature of the sole plate 4640 forward of the offset loft plane 5100 is determined by the three-point method starting at the sole plate leading edge 4641 and has a sole plate radius of curvature of less than 25 mm; In embodiments, less than 23 mm, 21 mm, 19 mm, 17 mm, or 15 mm. In another embodiment, the radius of curvature of the sole plate 4640 forward of the offset loft plane 5100 is determined by the three-point method starting at the intersection of the offset loft plane 5100 and the outer surface of the sole plate 4640, resulting in a sole plate curvature of less than 25 mm. radius, and in further embodiments less than 23 mm, 21 mm, 19 mm, 17 mm, or 15 mm. In still further embodiments, the radius of curvature of the sole plate 4640 forward of the offset loft plane 5100 is determined by the 5-point method and has a sole plate radius of curvature of less than 25 mm, in further embodiments 23 mm, Less than 21 mm, 19 mm, 17 mm, or 15 mm. Again, all of the embodiments disclosed in the previous three sentences reflect the curvature of sole plate 4640 within a single vertical cross-section. Nonetheless, any of these embodiments may also be applied to any vertical cross-section through the faceplate 4610 disclosed herein with respect to the crown 4620 and various analysis points or locations, which is , FIG. 61, to define the region in which any of these embodiments occur. For example, in one embodiment, any of these relationships exist across all vertical cross-sections for a predetermined angular range. In one embodiment, the predetermined angular range is at least 5 degrees, while in further embodiments it is at least 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 degrees. , 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, or 200 degrees. In a further embodiment, any of these relationships exist across all vertical cross-sections passing through the face lower perimeter edge 4216 in FIG. As previously disclosed, the sole insert 4640 may wrap around adjacent the faceplate 4610 in a number of discrete areas, as seen in the shaded areas of FIGS. . One such embodiment comprises at least two separate and distinct regions.

The performance of the binder is important to ensure that the faceplate 4610, crown 4620, sole insert 4640 and/or skirt insert remain in place and do not pop during repeated impacts of the club head with the golf ball. , which is more difficult than it sounds, and the different stiffnesses and deflections of these components, as well as other components of the club head, including the associated support structure and frame, can affect the components adjacent to the faceplate 4610. requires a unique relationship that also takes into account the tight curvature of . This difficulty is further compounded by the use of multiple materials in the exposed outer shell components of the crown 4620, sole insert 4640 and/or skirt insert, and in the underlying support components of the frame. To make this even more complicated, in some embodiments outer shell components such as crown 4620, sole insert 4640 and/or skirt inserts are very thin, while faceplate 4610 is: The fact is that they can be relatively thick and have very different material properties. Additionally, controlling the placement of the outer shell components to achieve the desired relationship to the faceplate 4610 is essential not only for performance, but also for the finished appearance of the club head. For example, referring to FIG. 70A, placement of the crown leading edge 4625 is essential in ensuring that the outer perimeter edge of the faceplate 4610 is not visible when the golfer is addressing the ball. Thus, the position of the crown leading edge 4625 relative to the adjacent edge of the faceplate 4610 along the y-axis 207 seen in FIGS. 1A-1D is as important as the joint spacing along the x-axis 208 and z-axis 206. . In one embodiment, faceplate 4610 is attached using a face bonding agent, crown 4620 is attached using a crown bonding agent, and sole insert 4640 is attached using a sole bonding agent. In one embodiment, the face bonding agent is different from the crown bonding agent and/or the sole bonding agent. In a further embodiment, the face bonding agent has an ASTM D3167 Floating Roller Peel Test Average Peel Load and/or Maximum Peel Load at 24 degrees Celsius that is greater than that of the crown and/or sole bonding agents. In a further embodiment, at 24 degrees Celsius, the face bonding agent average peel load and/or maximum peel load is at least 3 N/cm greater than the crown bonding agent and/or sole bonding agent average peel load and/or maximum peel load. large, while in a further embodiment it is 4 N/cm larger or 5 N/cm larger.

The Bonding Gap Facilitating Feature, abbreviated BGPF for simplicity, ensures proper distribution and thickness of the bonding agent, along with their position, size and relationship to each other, also for accurate placement of the components relative to each other. It is essential for both performance and durability. For example, as seen in FIG. 84, one embodiment has multiple face-ledge BGPFs 7000 extending from face-supporting ledge wall 4690 . As seen in FIGS. 74, 75, 83 and 85, forward ledge 4680 may have forward ledges BGPF 7100 extending from forward ledge 4680, which are multiple face-to-face ridges best seen in FIG. It may have a crown transition BGPF 7200 . A plurality of forward ledges BGPF 7100 protrude from forward ledge 4680, while a subset of face-to-crown transition BGPFs 7200 are part of those adjacent faceplate 4610 defined by any of the previously disclosed methods. are distinguished from those having Rear ring portion 4630 may also have a plurality of rear ring BGPFs 7300 extending from crown support edge 4636 . Any disclosed relationship with respect to any one of the face-ledge BGPF 7000, forward ledge BGPF 7100, face-crown transition BGPF 7200, and/or rearing BGPF 7300 may apply to any of the plurality of BGPFs. .

84, one embodiment includes at least two face-ledge BGPFs 7000 located at an altitude above the center face 205 and at least two face-ledge BGPFs 7000 located at an altitude below the center face 205. Equipped with Face-Ledge BGPF7000. The center of each face-ledge BGPF 7000 along the x-axis 208 lies at a face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 measured horizontally along the x-axis 208 to a vertical centerface plane VCFP that includes the y-axis 207 . In one embodiment, at least one of the plurality of face-ledges BGPF 7000 located at an altitude above center face 205 and in the toe direction of center face 205 is at an altitude above center face 205 and at center face 205 At least one of the plurality of face-ledge BGPFs 7000 located in the heel direction of the base has a first face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 greater than a second face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 . Similarly, in another embodiment, at least one of the plurality of face-ledges BGPF 7000 located at an altitude below center face 205 and in the toe direction of center face 205 is at an altitude below center face 205 and at At least one of the plurality of face-ledge BGPFs 7000 located in the heel direction of the center face 205 has a third face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 that is greater than the fourth face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 . In further embodiments, the first face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 is not equal to the third face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 and/or the second face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 is , is not equal to the fourth face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 . In yet another embodiment, the third face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 is at least 1 mm greater than the first face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 and/or the fourth face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance Distance 7010 is at least 1 mm greater than second face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010, while in further embodiments said at least 1 mm distance is at least 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm or 6 mm. . Yet another embodiment comprises only two face-ledges BGPF 7000 located at an altitude above the center face 205 and only two face-ledges BGPF 7000 located at an altitude below the center face 205. . In one embodiment, there are two face-ledge BGPFs 7000 located at an altitude above the center face 205, the face-ledge BGPFs 7000 being spaced apart by at least 30 mm as measured along the x-axis 208. , in further embodiments at least 35 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm or 50 mm. In another embodiment, there are two face-ledge BGPFs 7000 located at an altitude above the center face 205, the face-ledge BGPFs 7000 being located no more than 90 mm apart as measured along the x-axis 208. and in further embodiments no greater than 80 mm, 75 mm, 70 mm or 65 mm.

Similarly, as best seen in FIG. 83, the plurality of face-crown transition BGPFs 7200 includes at least a first face-crown transition BGPF 7200 located in the toe direction of the face center 205 and in the heel direction of the face center 205. With at least a second face-to-crown transition BGPF 7200 located. The center of each face-to-crown transition BGPF 7200 in the x-axis 208 direction is located at a face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance 7210 measured horizontally along the x-axis 208 direction to the vertical centerface plane VCFP. Thus, the first face-crown transition BGPF 7200 has a first face-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance 7210 and the second face-crown transition BGPF 7200 has a second face-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance 7210. . In one embodiment, the first face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance 7210 is not equal to the second face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance 7210 . In further embodiments, the first face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance 7210 is not equal to the first face-to-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 and/or the second face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance 7210 is not equal to the second face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 . In yet another embodiment, the absolute value of the difference between the first face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance 7210 and the first face-to-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 is at least 1 mm; In some embodiments, it is at least 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, or 5 mm. Similarly, in another embodiment, the absolute value of the difference between the second face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance 7210 and the second face-to-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 is at least 1 mm, while , in further embodiments, at least 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, or 5 mm. In a further embodiment, any face-to-crown transition BGPF 7200 has a face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance 7210 equal to the face-to-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 for any face-to-ledge BGPF 7000 located above center face 705. and/or no face-crown transition BGPF 7200 has a face-crown transition BGPF x-axis It does not have an offset distance 7210. In a further embodiment, any face-to-crown transition BGPF 7200 is face-to-edge within plus or minus 2 mm of the face-to-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 for any face-to-ledge BGPF 7000 located above center face 705 . No crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance 7210 and/or no face-to-crown transition BGPF 7200 has a face-to-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 for any face-to-ledge BGPF 7000 located below the center face 705. While not having a face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance 7210 within the range of plus or minus 2 mm, while in further embodiments the disclosed plus/minus 2 mm range is 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm or 6 mm. can be extended up to In further embodiments, at least a portion of one of the plurality of face-crown transition BGPFs 7200 is located forward of the centerface offset loft plane 5100, while in further embodiments two, three or At least a portion of the four face-to-crown transition BGPFs 7200 lie forward of the centerface offset loft plane 5100 . In one embodiment, each face-crown transition BGPF 7200 is located at least 5 mm from the nearest adjacent face-crown transition BGPF 7200 as measured along the x-axis 208, and in a further embodiment at least 10 mm, 12.5 mm or 15 mm.

Similarly, as best seen in FIG. 83 , the plurality of forward ledges BGPF 7100 includes at least a first forward ledge BGPF 7100 located in the toe direction of face center 205 and at least a first forward ledge BGPF 7100 located in the heel direction of face center 205 . 2 forward ledge BGPF 7100. The center of each forward ledge BGPF 7100 in the x-axis 208 direction is located at a forward ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7110 as measured horizontally along the x-axis 208 direction to the vertical centerface plane VCFP. Accordingly, the first forward ledge BGPF 7100 has a first forward ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7110 and the second forward ledge BGPF 7100 has a second forward ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7110 . In one embodiment, the first anterior ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7110 is not equal to the second anterior ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7110 . In further embodiments, the first anterior ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7210 is not equal to the first face-to-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 and/or the second anterior ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7210 is not equal to the face-to-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 of 2; In yet another embodiment, the absolute value of the difference between the first anterior ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7110 and the first face-to-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 is at least 1 mm, while in a further embodiment is at least 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, or 5 mm. Similarly, in another embodiment, the absolute value of the difference between the second anterior ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7110 and the second face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 is at least 1 mm, while further In embodiments, at least 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, or 5 mm. In a further embodiment, no forward ledge BGPF 7100 has a forward ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7110 equal to face-ledge BGPFx-axis offset distance 7010 for any face-ledge BGPF 7000 located above center face 705. , and/or no forward ledge BGPF 7100 has a forward ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7110 equal to the face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance 7010 for any face-ledge BGPF 7000 located below center face 705 . Another embodiment includes at least two forward ledges BGPF 7100 in close proximity to the shaft axis. An imaginary cylinder with a diameter of 50 mm is positioned on the shaft axis so that the center of the cylinder is on the shaft axis and the cylinder extends parallel to the shaft axis from the ground plane to the highest point on the hosel portion. . And the locations of at least two forward ledges BGPF 7100 are positioned within an imaginary cylinder. In further embodiments the imaginary cylinder has a diameter of 45 mm, while in further embodiments it is 40 mm, 35 mm, 30 mm or 25 m.

As seen in FIG. 63, forward ledge BGPF 7100 extends forward ledge BGPF distance 7120 from adjacent forward ledge 4680 . Similarly, as seen in FIG. 66, face-ledge BGPF 7000 extends from adjacent face-supporting ledge wall 4690 a face-ledge BGPF distance 7020 . Similarly, as seen in FIG. 75, face-to-crown transition BGPF 7200 extends from adjacent anterior ledge 4680 by face-to-crown transition BGPF distance 7220 . In one embodiment, the anterior ledge BGPF distance 7120 and/or the face-to-crown transition BGPF distance 7220 is at least 0.1 mm, and in further embodiments at least 0.15 mm, 0.20 mm, 0.25 mm or 0.1 mm. .30 mm. In another embodiment the anterior ledge BGPF distance 7120, the face-ledge BGPF distance 7020 and/or the face-crown transition BGPF distance 7220 is 0.6 mm or less, in further embodiments 0.5 mm, 0.45 mm, 0.4 mm or 0.35 mm or less. In one embodiment, face-ledge BGPF distance 7020 is less than anterior ledge BGPF distance 7120 and/or face-crown transition BGPF distance 7220 . In a further embodiment, anterior ledge BGPF distance 7120 is equal to face-to-crown transition BGPF distance 7220 . In another embodiment, the face-to-ledge BGPF distance 7020 is at least 3% of the insert recess wall length 4693, and in further embodiments at least 4%, 5% or 6%. In another embodiment, the face-to-ledge BGPF distance 7020 is 10% or less of the insert recess wall length 4693, and in further embodiments 9%, 8%, or 7% or less.

Crown 4620 has a crown thickness 4629 seen in FIG. 70A. In one embodiment, the portion of crown 4620 between offset loft plane 5100 and crown leading edge 4625 has a crown thickness 4629 of less than 0.95 mm, while in a further embodiment 0.90 mm. , 0.85 mm, 0.80 mm, 0.75 mm, 0.70 mm, or less than 0.65 mm. In another embodiment, the portion of crown 4620 between offset loft plane 5100 and crown leading edge 4625 has a crown thickness 4629 of at least 0.35 mm, while in a further embodiment at least 0.40 mm. , 0.45 mm, 0.50 mm, 0.55 mm, 0.60 mm, or 0.65 mm. In another embodiment, the crown thickness 4629 is constant between the offset loft plane 5100 and the crown leading edge 4625, while in a further embodiment the crown thickness 4629 is the forward Constant between ledge rear edge 4683 and crown leading edge 4625 . As seen in FIG. 70B , crown leading edge 4625 occurs at the intersection of the crown leading edge sidewall surface and the crown outer surface, with the crown leading edge sidewall surface extending to the crown inner surface where it is joined to forward ledge 4680 . In one embodiment, the crown leading edge sidewall surface is substantially parallel to the insert recess wall 4692, meaning plus/minus 5 degrees, while in a further embodiment the crown The length of the leading edge sidewall surface is 75% or more of the crown thickness 4629 over the forward ledge 4680, and in further embodiments 85% or 95% or more.

In yet another embodiment, the portion of crown 4620 covering opening 340 extending from forward ledge rear edge 4683 to the inner edge of crown support edge 4636, seen in FIGS. It has a crown thickness 4629 that varies to thickness. In one embodiment, the minimum opening crown thickness is less than the crown thickness 4629 between the forward ledge rear edge 4683 and the crown leading edge 4625 and/or the maximum opening crown thickness is less than the crown thickness 4629 between the forward ledge rear edge 4683 and the crown leading edge 4625. and crown thickness 4629 between crown leading edge 4625 . In one embodiment, the minimum open crown thickness is at least 5% less than crown thickness 4629 between forward ledge rear edge 4683 and crown leading edge 4625, while in a further embodiment at least 10%. , 15%, or 20% smaller. In another embodiment, the maximum open crown thickness is at least 5% greater than crown thickness 4629 between forward ledge rear edge 4683 and crown leading edge 4625, while in further embodiments at least 10%. , 15%, 20%, 25%, 35%, 45%, 55%, 65%, or 75% larger.

One embodiment is integrally formed with crown 4620 and/or sole insert 4640 and has rib length 8010, rib thickness measured in the same direction as adjacent crown thickness 4629, and rib width 8020, FIG. at least one reinforcing rib 8000 seen in . In one embodiment, rib length 8010 is at least 35% of face profile length 4212, and in additional embodiments at least 50%, 60% or 70%. In another embodiment, rib length 8010 is no greater than face profile length 4212, and in additional embodiments is no greater than 90%, 80%, or 75%. In another embodiment, rib width 8020 is predetermined for maximum anterior ledge thickness 4681, minimum anterior ledge thickness 4681, crown thickness 4629, maximum crown thickness 4629, minimum crown thickness 4629 or ledge wall thickness 4699. A predetermined percentage or less, in one embodiment the predetermined percentage is 100%, and in a further embodiment 90%, 80%, 70% or 60%. In another embodiment, the rib width 8020 is at least as large as the maximum anterior ledge thickness 4681 , minimum anterior ledge thickness 4681 , crown thickness 4629 , maximum crown thickness 4629 , minimum crown thickness 4629 , or ledge wall thickness 4699 . A determined percentage, in one embodiment the predetermined percentage is 25%, and in a further embodiment 30%, 35%, 40% or 45%.

In one embodiment, the anterior ledge BGPF distance 7120, the face-to-crown transition BGPF distance 7220 and/or the face-to-ledge BGPF distance 7020 are determined by maximum anterior ledge thickness 4681, minimum anterior ledge thickness 4681, crown thickness 4629, maximum is less than or equal to a predetermined percentage of crown thickness 4629, minimum crown thickness 4629, or ledge wall thickness 4699, in one embodiment the predetermined percentage is 45%, and in a further embodiment , 40%, 35%, 30%, or 25%. In another embodiment, the anterior ledge BGPF distance 7120, the face-to-crown transition BGPF distance 7220 and/or the face-to-ledge BGPF distance 7020 are determined by maximum anterior ledge thickness 4681, minimum anterior ledge thickness 4681, crown thickness 4629, maximum at least a predetermined percentage of the crown thickness 4629, the minimum crown thickness 4629, or the ledge wall thickness 4699, in one embodiment the predetermined percentage is 5%, and in a further embodiment , 10%, 15%, or 20%.

Although face-ledge BGPF 7000, anterior ledge BGPF 7100 and face-crown transition BGPF 7200 are shown as having a round perimeter shape in FIGS. 83-85 and as having a rectangular shape in the embodiments of FIGS. It may have any perimeter shape, including but not limited to rectangular, star, triangular, and including but not limited to concave polygon, constructible polygon, convex polygon, circular polygon. Polygon, Decagon, Digon, Dodecagon, Nonagon, Regular Polygon, Equilateral Polygon, Hexagon, Decagon, Heptagon, Hexagon, Lemoyne Hexagon, Tucker Hexagon, Idecagon, Octagon polygons including but not limited to: angle, pentagon, regular polygon, star and star polygon; Triangles including, but not limited to, point triangles, auxiliary triangles, obtuse triangles, rational triangles, right triangles, scalene triangles, Reuleaux triangles; equilateral parallelograms, rhombuses, rhombuses, and Wittenbauer parallelograms. Rhombus; Square; quadrilateral kite; rational quadrangle; strombus; tangential quadrangle; tangential quadrangle; trapezoid; cubic cycloid; deltoid; ellipse; smoothed octagon; superellipse; Here are just a few examples.

The size and location of the face-ledge BGPF 7000, forward ledge BGPF 7100 and face-crown transition BGPF 7200 are critical to performance and durability. Each BGPF is the surface area of the BGPF intended to be in contact with adjacent components, whether crown 4620, faceplate 4610, sole insert 4640 and/or one or more skirt panels. It has a BGPF contact area. In one embodiment, the BGPF contact area is no greater than 10 mm ² , while in further embodiments no greater than 7.5 mm ² , 6.5 mm ² , 5.5 mm ² , or 4.5 mm ² . In further embodiments, the BGPF contact area is at least 1 mm ² , while in further embodiments at least 1.5 mm ² , 2.0 mm ² , 2.5 mm ² or 3.0 mm ² .

The overall face-ledge BGPF contact area is the sum of the BGPF contact areas of each face-ledge BGPF 7000, and similarly the overall face-crown transition BGPF contact area is the sum of the BGPF contact areas of each face-crown transition BGPF 7200. . In one embodiment, the overall face-crown transition BGPF contact area is at least 5% greater than the overall face-ledge BGPF contact area, while in further embodiments at least 10%, 15%, 20%, or 25% larger. In another embodiment, the overall face-crown transition BGPF contact area is no more than 250% of the overall face-ledge BGPF contact area, while in further embodiments 225%, 200%, 175%, or 150% or less.

The forward ledge 4680 has a forward ledge thickness 4681 seen in FIG. 71 that is located at least 2 mm rearward of the most rearward point on the face support ledge wall 4690 . Forward ledge thickness 4681 may vary from a minimum forward ledge thickness to a maximum forward ledge thickness. In one embodiment, the maximum anterior ledge thickness is at least 1.0 mm, and in further embodiments at least 1.1 mm, 1.2 mm or 1.3 mm. Further, in one embodiment, the minimum anterior ledge thickness is no greater than 0.9 mm, and in further embodiments no greater than 0.85 mm, 0.80 mm, or 0.75 mm. In another embodiment, the maximum anterior ledge thickness occurs for at least 5 mm toe and heel directions from the centerface 205 position measured in the x-axis 208 direction, while in a further embodiment the 5 mm range is: Expands to 7.5mm, 10mm or 12.5mm. In a further embodiment, the minimum anterior ledge thickness occurs for at least 5 mm measured in the x-axis 208 direction, while in a further embodiment the minimum anterior ledge thickness is on the heel side of the face center 205 and While occurring on both toe sides, in still further embodiments the minimum anterior ledge thickness occurs in the region of anterior ledge 4680 aligned above faceplate 4610 . By extending at least a portion of the crown 4620 forward of the various offset loft planes, it unexpectedly increases the forward ledge, due in part to the strength of the crown and associated binders, while maintaining durability. The thickness can be reduced, thereby freeing up mass that can be reassigned elsewhere in the head to achieve more desirable mass characteristics.

As previously mentioned, the relationships between the various components of the club head are critical to achieving desired performance and durability. The disclosed relationships take into account the different stiffnesses and deflections of components, including associated support structures, as well as the tight curvature of components adjacent to faceplate 4610 . This difficulty is further compounded by the use of multiple materials in the exposed outer shell component and the underlying support component of the frame. where it has widely varying material properties while achieving the stiffness required to support the discretionary mass required to achieve the desired center of gravity placement and moment of inertia; While also taking into account the desired flexural properties of the faceplate 4610, the impact force distribution, and associated deformations, while ensuring that the components secured by the bond do not bounce off the club head. To illustrate the intricacies associated with components formed from varying materials, several additional specific embodiments are described; , and their curvature.

Referring now to FIG. 54, front body portion 4602 and rear ring portion 4630 are separate and separate joints that are mechanically joined, adhesively bonded, welded, and/or brazed together. Although they may be components, they may also be formed as a single unitary component, as seen in the fairway wood embodiment of FIG. Additionally, the front body portion 4602 may be formed as a unitary body or as disclosed in detail in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 17/560,054, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. etc., may be composed of multiple components that are joined together. Nonetheless, in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 54, front body portion 4602 includes forward ledge 4680 supportingly engaging a portion of crown 4620 to form a face opening for receipt of faceplate 4610 . The front body portion 4602 has an inner surface exposed to the hollow voids that have been created in the finished club head, and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, such that the outer surface of the forward ledge 4680 is similar to that of the front body portion 4602 . is part of the exterior of the In one embodiment, crown 4620 completely covers anterior ledge 4680 between heel crown-face branch point 4700 and toe crown-face branch point 4800 .

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the front body portion 4602 is formed from a metal alloy having a density of less than 5 g/cc, in a further embodiment less than 3 g/cc, and in a still further embodiment: less than 2 g/cc. In another embodiment, at least a portion of front body portion 4602 located below the elevation of center face 205 is formed from a metal alloy having a density of at least 5 g/cc, and in a further embodiment at least 7 g/cc. is. Thus, in one embodiment, at least a portion of front body portion 4602 located above the elevation of center face 205 is made from a metal alloy having a density of less than 5 g/cc, 3 g/cc, or 2 g/cc. formed, while at least a portion of the front body portion 4602 located below the elevation of the center face 205 is from a metal alloy having a density of at least 5 g/cc, 7 g/cc, 9 g/cc or 11 g/cc. It is formed. In one embodiment, forward ledge 4680 is formed from a metal alloy having a density that is less than or equal to twice the density of crown 4620 and/or sole insert 4640 .

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the front body portion 4602 is formed from a non-metallic material having a density of less than 2 g/cc, in a further embodiment less than 1.75 g/cc, and still further embodiments. In morphology, it is less than 1.5 g/cc. In another embodiment, at least a portion of front body portion 4602 located below the elevation of center face 205 is formed from a metal alloy having a density of at least 5 g/cc, and in a further embodiment at least 7 g/cc. is. Thus, in one embodiment, at least a portion of front body portion 4602 located above the elevation of center face 205 has a density of less than 2 g/cc, 1.75 g/cc, or 1.5 g/cc. while at least a portion of front body portion 4602 located below the elevation of center face 205 has a density of at least 5 g/cc, 7 g/cc, 9 g/cc or 11 g/cc formed from a metal alloy having

In one embodiment, the rear ring portion 4630 is formed from a metal alloy having a density of less than 5 g/cc, in a further embodiment less than 3 g/cc, and in a still further embodiment 2 g/cc. is less than In another embodiment, at least a portion of the rear ring portion 4630 is also formed incorporating a metal alloy having a density of at least 5 g/cc, and in further embodiments at least 7 g/cc, 9 g/cc, 11 g/cc. , 13 g/cc, 15 g/cc or 17 g/cc. Thus, in one embodiment, all of the rear ring portion 4630 located above the elevation of the center face 205 is formed from a metal alloy having a density of less than 5 g/cc, 3 g/cc, or 2 g/cc. while at least a portion of rear ring portion 4630 located below the elevation of center face 205 is formed from a metal alloy having a density of at least 5 g/cc, 7 g/cc, 9 g/cc or 11 g/cc. be done.

In one embodiment, the rear ring portion 4630 is formed from a non-metallic material having a density of less than 2 g/cc, in a further embodiment less than 1.75 g/cc, and in a still further embodiment: less than 1.5 g/cc. In another embodiment, at least a portion of rear ring portion 4630 located below the elevation of center face 205 is formed from a metal alloy having a density of at least 5 g/cc, and in a further embodiment at least 7 g/cc. , 9 g/cc, 11 g/cc, 13 g/cc, 15 g/cc or 17 g/cc. Thus, in one embodiment, all of the rear ring portion 4630 located above the elevation of the center face 205 has a density of less than 2 g/cc, 1.75 g/cc, or 1.5 g/cc. While formed from a non-metallic material, at least a portion of the rear ring portion 4630 located below the elevation of the center face 205 is at least 5 g/cc, 7 g/cc, 9 g/cc, 11 g/cc, 13 g/cc. It is formed from a metal alloy having a density of cc, 15 g/cc or 17 g/cc.

In one embodiment, the crown 4620 is formed from at least 3, 5, or 7 unidirectional prepreg plies each having a crown unidirectional fiber area weight and a crown unidirectional prepreg resin content; , the crown unidirectional fiber area weights of the at least three unidirectional prepreg plies are equal. In a further embodiment, the faceplate 4610 has at least three unidirectional prepreg plies, each equal to the weight of the crown unidirectional fiber area of at least one of the plurality of crown unidirectional prepreg plies. The weight of the face unidirectional fiber area and the face unidirectional prepreg resin content, while in a further embodiment, the weight of the face unidirectional fiber area of the at least three unidirectional face plies is , equal to the weight of at least three crown unidirectional fiber areas of a plurality of crown unidirectional prepreg plies. In another embodiment, crown 4620 comprises at least one prepreg layer that is woven and has a woven layer fiber area weight that is at least 200% of the crown unidirectional fiber area weight. In another embodiment, the weight of the woven layer fiber area is at least 200 gsm, 220 gsm, or 240 gsm, while in another embodiment the weight of the crown unidirectional fiber area is no more than 100 gsm, and In some embodiments, it is 70 gsm or less. In yet another embodiment, the woven layer is a twill layer.

In one embodiment, the sole insert 4640 is formed from at least 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 unidirectional prepreg plies each having a sole unidirectional fiber area weight and a sole unidirectional prepreg resin content. In another embodiment, the sole unidirectional fiber area weights of the at least three unidirectional prepreg plies are equal. In a further embodiment, the weight of the sole unidirectional fiber area is greater than the weight of the crown unidirectional fiber area and/or the weight of the face unidirectional fiber area. In another embodiment, the weight of the sole unidirectional fiber area is at least 20, 30 or 40 gsm greater than the weight of the crown unidirectional fiber area and/or the weight of the face unidirectional fiber area. On the other hand, in another set of embodiments, the weight of the sole unidirectional fiber area is 70, 60, 50, 40 greater than the weight of the crown unidirectional fiber area and/or the weight of the face unidirectional fiber area. or greater than 30 gsm.

Sole insert 4640 may have X sole unidirectional plies, crown 4620 may have Y crown unidirectional plies, and faceplate 4610 may have Z face unidirectional plies. May have plies. In one embodiment, X is greater than Y, while in a further embodiment X is at least 2 greater than Y, and in an even further embodiment X is at least 3 greater than Y. In further embodiments, X is 6 or less greater than Y, and in further embodiments, 5 or 4 or less. Z is in one embodiment at least 4 times X and/or Y, while in a further embodiment Z is at least 5, 6 or 7 times X and/or Y . In another set of embodiments, Z is 15 times or less than X and/or Y, and in further embodiments, 12 times, 10 times or 8 times or less.

Additionally, the resin of the unidirectional prepreg plies is critical to the performance of the various components of the club head and to balancing stiffness, flexability and durability. Thus, the resin of the crown unidirectional prepreg ply has a crown resin stretch that breaks, similarly the sole insert unidirectional prepreg ply has a sole insert resin stretch that breaks, and the face insert unidirectional prepreg ply. has a face insert resin elongation that breaks. In one embodiment, the face insert resin elongation to break is greater than the crown resin elongation to break and/or the sole insert resin elongation to break, while in another embodiment the face insert resin elongation to break is: At least 2%, and in further embodiments at least 2.1%, 2.2% or 2.3%. In another embodiment, the crown resin elongation to break and/or the sole insert resin elongation to break is less than 2%, in further embodiments 1.9%, 1.8%, 1.7%, 1 .6%, or less than 1.5%. In addition, the resin content of the unidirectional plies is also critical, and in one embodiment any of these relationships are face unidirectional prepreg resin content, crown unidirectional prepreg resin content and/or Alternatively, it is realized when the unidirectional prepreg resin content of the sole is changed by less than a predetermined resin content variation. In one embodiment, the predetermined resin content variation is 4%, and in further embodiments is 3%, 2.5%, 2%, 1.5% or 1%. Similarly, in another embodiment, the crown unidirectional prepreg resin content and the sole unidirectional prepreg resin content differ from each other by less than a predetermined resin content variation. The resin content disclosed is the precured resin content of the unidirectional prepreg plies shown. The overall component also has a final cured resin content, specifically a cured face resin content, a cured crown resin content and/or a cured sole resin content. In one embodiment, the cured face resin content is less than the cured crown resin content and/or the cured sole resin content, while in a further embodiment either the cured crown resin content and/or the cured sole resin content is less than the cured face resin content. or both are 40% or more, while in further embodiments the cured face resin content is 39.5% or less. In another embodiment, the cured face resin content is at least 36%, and in further embodiments at least 37% or 38%.

Returning now to embodiments comprising faceplates 4610 welded or brazed in place, such as those seen in FIGS. 86-91, with or without face support ledge walls 4690 seen in FIG. 88, with a sidewall height 4686 seen in FIG. 89, in such an embodiment. Additionally, in these embodiments, faceplate 4610 has a perimeter thickness 9030 at the perimeter of faceplate 9020 . Forward sidewall 4685 may be cast with forward ledge 4680 , milled into forward ledge 4680 , or molded with forward ledge 4680 . In one embodiment, sidewall height 4686 is at least 25% of perimeter thickness 9030, and in further embodiments at least 30%, 35%, 40% or 45%. In another set of embodiments, sidewall height 4686 is 85%, 80%, 75%, 70% or 65% or less of perimeter thickness 9030 . In a further embodiment, sidewall height 4686 is equal to or greater than forward ledge thickness 4681 of a portion of forward ledge 4680 located forward of shaft axis plane and/or offset loft plane 5100 . In further embodiments, the sidewall height 4686 is at least 5%, 10%, or 15% greater than the forward ledge thickness 4681 of the portion of the forward ledge 4680 located forward of the shaft axis plane and/or the offset loft plane 5100. big.

In one embodiment, referring again to FIGS. 63, 70A, 70B and 71, insert recess wall 4692 has a recess wall leading edge 6100, abbreviated RWLE. regarding whether another component is "adjacent to" or "adjacent the" to the perimeter of faceplate 4610 and/or in defining the attributes of these components and their relationships; Any of the relationships disclosed for the concise proximity method and offset plane method apply equally to a third method based on recess wall leading edge 6100, called the RWLE zone method. In this method, when analyzing any vertical cross-section parallel to the vertical centerface plane VCFP, the offset loft plane 5100 is positioned to contact the recess wall leading edge 6100, seen in FIG. called a plane. The RWLE contact loft plane is then rotated about the recess wall leading edge 6100 by the RWLE angle 6010 to establish the RWLE plane 6200 seen in FIG. Establishing intersection 6300, shown is forward ledge 4680 in FIG. 71, but is easily understood with respect to crown 4620 in FIGS. 70A-70B. This process is repeated in multiple vertical cross-sections offset from the vertical centerface plane VCFP in 1 mm increments across the face topline perimeter edge 4215, with a portion of the club head lying forward of the RWLE plane 6200, which is , the portion in front of the RWLE plane intersection 6300 that defines the analysis area 6000 seen in FIGS. 6300 compatible. In one embodiment, any component is “adjacent to” or “adjacent the” to the perimeter of faceplate 4610 if it is within analysis area 6000; and/or all disclosed relationships mentioned with respect to the offset plane method apply equally to the RWLE zone method. In one embodiment, the RWLE angle 6010 is 40 degrees, while in further embodiments it is 35, 30, 25 or 20 degrees.

Referring again to FIG. 70A, the offset plane method also removes adjacent components (i.e. crown 4620, sole insert 4640 and/or skirt insert) roughness. For simplicity of illustration, the crown 4620 is described forward of the offset loft plane 5100, but the relationship applies to any of the other components. A crown 4620 forward of the offset loft plane 5100 is determined in a vertical cross-section, such as the vertical centerface plane, or any vertical plane offset therefrom, and has a forward crown surface roughness. Similarly, faceplate 4610 has a face surface roughness.

Surface texture or roughness can be conveniently characterized based on surface profile, ie, surface height as a function of position on the surface. Surface profiles are typically obtained by probing a sample surface with a Stylus translated across the surface. The deviation of the Stylus as a function of position is recorded to generate the surface profile. In other examples, surface profiles may be obtained based on other contact or non-contact measurements, such as using optical measurements. Surface profiles obtained in this way are often referred to as "raw" profiles. Alternatively, surface profiles for golf club striking surfaces can be functionally evaluated based on the shot characteristics produced when hit with a wet surface.

For convenience, the control layer is defined as a striking face configured to make shots consistent under wet and dry playing conditions. In general, a sufficiently rough or textured striking surface (or other control surface) will reach at least about 2000 rpm, 2500 rpm, Provides 3000 rpm or 3500 rpm ball spin. Such a control surface thus provides substantially the same shot characteristics as obtained with conventional metal woods. Stylus or other measurement-based surface roughness characterization for such control surfaces is described in detail below.

Surface profiles are generally processed to remove surface gradual deviations from flatness. For example, wood-type golf club hitting faces generally have a slight curvature from toe to heel and crown to sole to improve ball trajectory, and the hitting face or cover layer on the hitting face is "raw". The surface profile can be processed to remove these curvature-related contributions. Other slow (ie, low spatial frequency) contributions may also be removed by such processing. Typically, features of size about 1 mm or greater (or spatial frequencies less than about 1/mm) tend to have relatively small contributions of these features to ball spin about horizontal or other axes. can be removed by processing. A "raw" (unprocessed) profile can be spatially filtered to enhance or suppress high or low spatial frequencies. Such filtering may be required in some measurements to comply with various standards such as DIN or other standards. Filtering may be performed by using a processor configured to perform a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT).

Generally, a patterned roughness or texture is applied to a substantial portion of the striking face, or at least to the impact area. For wood-type golf clubs, the impact area is based on the area associated with the inserts used in conventional wood-type golf clubs. For irons, the impact area is the portion of the striking face within 20 mm on either side of the vertical centerline, but without the 6.35 mm wide strips on the top and bottom of the striking face. Generally, such patterned roughness need not extend across the entire striking face, and may be provided only in a central region that does not extend around the perimeter of the striking face.

ｉは、整数ｉ＝１、…、Ｎである。サンプリング長さは概して、打撃面上のラインに沿って、打撃エリアのかなりの部分または全てに亘って延びているが、特に、様々なサンプル長さに亘って実質的に一定の特性を有するパターン化された粗さに対しては、より小さなサンプルが使用され得る。２次元面プロファイルが同様に使用され得るが、１次元プロファイルが概して十分且つ便利である。利便性のため、この算術平均は、本明細書において、平均表面粗さと呼ばれる。 Striking surface roughness can be characterized based on various parameters. As noted above, the face profile is obtained over the sampling length of the striking face and the face curvature is removed. The arithmetic mean R _a is defined as the mean of the absolute values of the profile deviations from the mean line over the sampling length of the surface. For a surface profile over a sampling length containing N surface samples each associated with an average value of deviation Y _i from the mean line, the arithmetic mean R _a is:

i is an integer i=1, . The sampling length generally extends along a line on the striking surface over a substantial portion or all of the striking area, but in particular patterns having substantially constant properties over the various sample lengths. A smaller sample can be used for the refined roughness. A two-dimensional surface profile could be used as well, but a one-dimensional profile is generally sufficient and convenient. For convenience, this arithmetic mean is referred to herein as the average surface roughness.

Surface profiles can also be further characterized based on the reciprocal of the average width _Sm of the profile elements. This parameter is used and described, for example, in one or more standards described by the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) or the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). To establish a value for _Sm , an upper count level (upper surface deviation associated with peaks) and a lower count level (lower surface deviation associated with valleys) are defined. Typically, the upper count level and lower count level are defined as values 5% greater than the average line and 5% less than the average line, although other count levels can be used. The portion of the surface profile that projects upwards beyond the upper count level is called the profile peak, and the portion that projects downwards below a given lower count level is called the profile valley. The width of a profile element is the length of a segment that crosses a profile peak and an adjacent profile valley. S _m is the average of the profile element widths S _mi within the sampling length:

For convenience, this average is referred to herein as the average surface feature width.

In determining _Sm , the following conditions are generally satisfied: 1) peaks and valleys alternate; 2) the intersection of the profile and the average line immediately preceding the profile element is the starting point of the current profile element; , is the end point of the previous profile element; and 3) at the start point of the sampling length, either the profile peak or the profile valley is a miss and the profile element width is not taken into account. Rpc is defined as the reciprocal of the average width _Sm and is referred to herein as the average surface feature frequency.

Ｒ_ｑは、平均ライン、すなわち、以下の数８からのプロファイル偏差のスクエアの算術平均の平方根である。

Another surface profile property is surface profile kurtosis Ku, which relates to the extent to which profile examples are concentrated near the mean line. As used herein, profile kurtosis Ku is defined as follows:

R _q is the mean line, ie the square root of the arithmetic mean of the squares of the profile deviations from Equation 8 below.

Profile kurtosis is associated over the extent to which surface features are pointed or sharpened. For example, a triangular wavefront profile has a kurtosis of about 0.79, a sinusoidal wavefront profile has a kurtosis of about 1.5, and a square wavefront profile has a kurtosis of about 1.

Other parameters that can be used to characterize surface roughness include R _z is included. One or more values or values for surface kurtosis Ku, mean surface feature width S _m and arithmetic mean deviation R _a (average surface roughness) for a particular golf club striking surface and/or other component of the club head A range can be specified.

In one embodiment, the anterior crown surface roughness is the anterior crown average surface roughness cR _a and the face surface roughness is the face average surface roughness fR _a . In one such embodiment, the anterior crown average surface roughness cR _a is at least 1 μm less than the face average surface roughness fR _a , and in a further embodiment at least 1.5 μm less;2. 0 μm smaller, 2.5 μm smaller, or 3 μm smaller. In further embodiments, at least a portion of faceplate 4610 has a face average surface roughness f-R _a of at least 2.0 μm, and in further embodiments of at least 2.5 μm, 3.0 μm, 3.5 μm. , or 4.0 μm. In further embodiments, at least 50% of the outer surface of faceplate 4610 has a face average surface roughness f-R _a of at least 2.0 μm, and in further embodiments at least 2.5 μm, 3.0 μm, 3.5 μm or 4.0 μm. In yet other embodiments, at least 70% of the outer surface of faceplate 4610 has a face average surface roughness f-R _a of at least 2.0 μm, and in further embodiments at least 2.5 μm, 3.0 μm. , 3.5 μm, or 4.0 μm. Similarly, in one embodiment at least 50% of the crown 4620 located forward of the offset loft plane 5100 has a face average surface roughness fR _a of less than 3.0 μm, and in a further embodiment, 2.5 μm, 2.0 μm, or less than 1.5 μm. In another embodiment, at least 75% of the crown 4620 located forward of the offset loft plane 5100 has a face average surface roughness f-R _a of less than 3.0 μm, and in a further embodiment 2.5 μm. , 2.0 μm, or less than 1.5 μm. In yet another embodiment, at least 90% of the crown 4620 located forward of the offset loft plane 5100 has a face average surface roughness fR _a of less than 3.0 μm, and in a further embodiment, 2.0 μm. 5 μm, 2.0 μm, or less than 1.5 μm. Such a relationship balances the revenue reductions and trade-offs with respect to faceplate 4610 performance and club head aerodynamic performance.

Any of the metal alloy components disclosed herein may be cast, forged, stamped, metal injection molded (MIM), metal additive manufacturing (metal AM), and/or freeform combined MIM and metal AM. It may be formed by injection molding. Metal additive manufacturing (metal AM) includes, but is not limited to, powder layer additive manufacturing, metal binder jetting manufacturing, sheet lamination manufacturing, direct energy deposition manufacturing, and bonded powder extrusion. One such embodiment utilizes a powder bed fusion (PBF) method that employs melting and fusing metal powders into a solid using either a laser or an electron beam. This technology includes the following metal additive manufacturing methods: electron beam melting (EBM), direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), selective heat sintering (SHS), selective laser melting (SLM), and selective laser. Sintered (SLS). One such metal binder jetting manufacturing embodiment utilizes metal powder jetted onto a build platform to print objects using either a continuous or drop-on-demand (DOD) approach, followed by A liquid binder is applied to combine the powders layer by layer to build the desired shaped object, followed by post-treatment steps of sintering and/or infiltration to strengthen. One such sheet lamination process involves joining sheets or strips of material together layer by layer to build an object by bonding, ultrasonic welding or ultrasonic additive manufacturing, or brazing. Sheet lamination methods are low temperature processes and can bond different materials together. In embodiments of direct energy deposition fabrication, a focused energy source, such as a laser or electron beam, is directed at the build material to melt and/or heat it while it is simultaneously deposited layer by layer. The use of nozzles may be incorporated to deposit molten material onto designated surfaces that solidify, which may be laser metal deposition (LMD) and/or laser engineered net shape (LENS), and electron beam It may also include powder DED, such as wire DED technology, such as additive manufacturing (EBAM).

Front body portion 4602 and/or rear ring portion 4630 may be made of titanium alloys, steel alloys, boron-filled steel alloys, copper alloys, beryllium alloys, aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, non-metallic materials, composite materials, hard plastics, resilient materials. It may be formed from elastomeric materials and/or short or long fiber carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics and/or any other materials and coatings disclosed herein, as disclosed herein. It may be any method of formation and attachment that can be used. In one embodiment, front body portion 4602, rear ring portion 4630, faceplate 4610, crown 4620 and/or soleplate 4640 may comprise a thermoplastic material such as a fiber reinforced thermoplastic. In certain embodiments, front body portion 4602, rear ring portion 4630, faceplate 4610, crown 4620 and/or soleplate 4640 comprise a polyamide material such as nylon. Specific examples include carbon fiber reinforced (eg, chopped fiber), polyphthalamide (PPA) resins, polycarbonate resins, and the like. The composite material may contain 20% to 60% fibers by mass or volume. Specific examples are 20% to 50% fiber, 30% to 40% fiber, 60% fiber or less, 50% fiber or less, 40% fiber or less, 30% fiber by mass or volume. % fiber or less, etc. In certain embodiments, front body portion 4602, rear ring portion 4630, faceplate 4610, crown 4620 and/or soleplate 4640 may be injection molded. Any of these components may include metal films deposited on their surfaces. The front body portion 4602, rear ring portion 4630, faceplate 4610, crown 4620 and/or soleplate 4640 may comprise PPA or a similar resin corresponding to the primary material for metal film deposition. Front body portion 4602, rear ring portion 4630, faceplate 4610, crown 4620 and/or soleplate 4640 may be made of a composite material such as fiber reinforced plastic or chopped fiber compound (e.g., bulk molding compound or sheet molding compound), or prepreg. It may include injection molded polymers either combined with plies or alone. In one embodiment, the front body portion 4602, rear ring portion 4630, face plate 4610, crown 4620 and/or sole plate 4640 are formed from a polyamide resin to achieve the desired tensile relationship, while still providing the desired tensile relationship. In one embodiment, the polyamide resin comprises fibrous reinforcement, and in yet another embodiment the polyamide resin comprises at least 35% fibrous reinforcement. In one such embodiment, the fiber reinforcement comprises long glass fibers having a length of at least 10 millimeters prior to molding to produce a finished component having fiber lengths of at least 3 millimeters, while and another embodiment comprises a fibrous reinforcement having short glass fibers having a length of at least 0.5-2.0 millimeters prior to molding. Although the incorporation of fiber reinforcement increases the tensile strength of the component, it can also reduce the elongation to break, so maintaining sufficient elongation must be carefully balanced. Thus, one embodiment includes 35-55% long fiber reinforcement, while a still further embodiment includes 40-50% long fiber reinforcement. One specific example is a long glass fiber reinforced polyamide 66 compound with 40% carbon fiber reinforcement, such as XuanWu XW5801 resin, which has a tensile strength of 245 MPa and an elongation at break of 7%. Long fiber reinforced polyamides and the resulting melt properties are more isotropic than those of short fiber reinforced polyamides, mainly due to the three-dimensional network formed by the long fibers developed during injection molding. produce materials for Another advantage of long fiber materials is that they exhibit nearly linear behavior up to break, resulting in less deformation at higher stresses. In one particular embodiment, front body portion 4602, rear ring portion 4630, faceplate 4610, crown 4620 and/or soleplate 4640 are made of polycaprolactam, polyhexamethyleneadipinamide, or hexamethylenediamine adipic acid and caprolactam. provided that other embodiments meet the claimed mechanical properties, polypropylene (PP), nylon 6 (polyamide 6), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), PC / ABS alloys, PPS, PEEK and semi-crystalline engineering resin systems. In one embodiment, at least two of the front body portion 4602, the rear ring portion 4630, the faceplate 4610, the crown 4620 and/or the sole plate 4640 are separately formed from a thermoplastic material having a compatible resin and are in a further embodiment this applies to the front body portion 4602 and the rear ring portion 4630, and in another embodiment this applies to the front body portion 4602 and the rear ring portion 4630. This applies to body portion 4602 and faceplate 4610, and in yet other embodiments this applies to front body portion 4602, rear ring portion 4630 and crown 4620, while in yet further embodiments this applies to: This applies to front body portion 4602, rear ring portion 4630, crown 4620 and faceplate 4610, and in the final embodiment this applies to all five listed components. In another embodiment, a first component selected from front body portion 4602, rear ring portion 4630, faceplate 4610, crown 4620 and/or soleplate 4640 is formed using a thermosetting resin and the same A second component selected from the five components is injection molded and overmolded onto the first component to join the first and second components. In another embodiment, at least two of the front body portion 4602, rear ring portion 4630, face plate 4610, crown 4620 and/or sole plate 4640 are thermoset adhesives located between portions of the two components. The two components are joined by using adhesive tapes or thermoset gaskets and applying heat and/or pressure bonding to the two components together.

In another embodiment, the front body portion 4602, rear ring portion 4630, face plate 4610, crown 4620 and/or sole plate 4640 are injection molded and have a high melt flow rate, i.e. at least 10 g/10 min per ASTM D1238. of melt flow rate (275°/2.16 Kg). In a further embodiment, front body portion 4602, rear ring portion 4630, face plate 4610, crown 4620 and/or sole plate 4640 have a density of less than 1.75 grams per cubic centimeter and a principal tensile strength of at least 200 megapascals. It is formed from predominantly non-metallic materials that have strength; while another embodiment has a density of less than 1.50 grams per cubic centimeter and a tensile strength of at least 250 megapascals. In a further embodiment, front body portion 4602, rear ring portion 4630, face plate 4610, crown 4620 and/or sole plate 4640 have a secondary elongation to break that is 75-200% of the primary percent elongation to break. A secondary having a secondary density of 1.8-3.0 grams per cubic centimeter and a secondary tensile strength greater than the primary tensile strength of at least 200 megapascals while still maintaining percent elongation. It is formed from a suitable metal material. While, in still further embodiments, the secondary metallic material has a secondary percent elongation at break of 100-185% of the primary percent elongation at break, while still maintaining a cubic centimeter have a secondary portion density of 1.8-3.0 grams per gram and a secondary tensile strength greater than the primary tensile strength of at least 250 megapascals; a secondary density of 2.5-4.5 grams per cubic centimeter while maintaining a secondary percent elongation at break of 115-165% of the primary percent elongation at break; and has a secondary tensile strength of at least 475 megapascals.

Some examples of metals and metal alloys that may be used to form the components, in addition to those noted above, include, but are not limited to, carbon steel (e.g., 1020 or 8620 carbon steel), stainless steel ( 304 or 410 stainless steel), PH (precipitation hardening) alloys (e.g. 17-4, C450, or C455 alloys), titanium alloys (e.g. 3-2.5, 6-4, SP700, 15-3- 3-3, 10-2-3, or other alpha/near-alpha, α-beta, and beta/near-beta titanium alloys), aluminum/aluminum alloys (e.g., 3000 series alloys, 5000 series alloys, 6061- 6000 series alloys such as T6, 7000 series alloys such as 7075), magnesium alloys, copper alloys and nickel alloys. In addition to those noted above, some examples of non-metallic composites that may be used to form the component include, but are not limited to, glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP), carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) , metal matrix composites (MMC), ceramic matrix composites (CMC), and natural composites (eg, wood composites). Further, some examples of polymers that can be used to form the component include, but are not limited to, thermoplastic materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, acrylic, PVC, ABS, polycarbonate, polyurethane, polyphenylene oxide ( PPO), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyether block amides, nylons, and engineering thermoplastics), thermoset materials (e.g., polyurethanes, epoxies, and polyesters), copolymers, and elastomers (e.g., natural or synthetic rubber, EPDM, and Teflon). Additionally, as explained above, the face-to-crown transition area is typically painted in conventional wood-type club heads, and this paint chipped over time due to repeated impacts. The inventors anticipate that the front portion of the non-metallic crown 4620 and/or sole insert 4640 will chip or crack due to repeated high face impacts. Surprisingly, however, it has been found that the non-metallic crown 4620 and/or sole insert 4640 hold up as well as, and in some cases are even stronger than, painted club heads. The inventors have not seen any cracks or chips in the non-metallic crown 4620 and/or sole insert 4640 under extreme durability testing.

Another advantage of the club head 4600 is that the larger size of the crown 4620 eliminates the seam between the crown and body that is visible to the golfer from the golfer's field of view at address in traditional wood club heads, resulting in a more defined appearance. and to provide a more accurate and precise topline for visual alignment. Instead, the boundary of the crown 4620 in the club head 4600 is located more in the lateral plane of the club head, where the boundary is less visible while allowing the golfer to focus more on the topline as desired. Less distracting to the golfer. Additionally, the topline produced by the junction of the crown and faceplate is pre-designed by the shape of the component itself, does not rely on hand painting, and allows for greater variability in topline from club head to club head. can bring The present disclosure is not limited to drivers and is intended to apply to fairway woods, hybrids, irons or putters as well.

As previously noted, unique club head constructions have resulted in more discretionary mass and achieving desirable mass properties. For example, Tables 3-5 below provide some mass properties for exemplary embodiments of golf club head 4600, where the club head is oriented at a 0 degree face angle.

In the above table, if a value is not defined herein, the definition used in U.S. Patent No. 10195497 and/or U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 17/722,748 applies and both is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As used in the table above, "BP PROJ" means "projected CG position", also called "balance point" projection, or "CG projection". In fact, CFZ is measured in the same manner as DELTA2, as defined in U.S. Pat. , thereby defining a point called the CFZ point, and the shortest distance from the CFZ point to the shaft axis is the CFZ value.

In club head 4600, crown 4620 measures between 10,000 mm ² and 15,000 mm ² , between 11,000 ^{mm 2} and 15,000 mm ² , between 12,000 mm ² and 15,000 mm ² , 12,500 mm ² and Between 15,000 ^mm2 , between 12,600 ^mm2 and 15,000 ^mm2 , between 12,650 ^mm2 and 15,000 ^mm2 , between 12,700 ^mm2 and 15,000 ^mm2 , 12,750 ^mm2 and 15, 000 mm ² and/or larger outer surface areas such as between 12,800 mm ² and 15,000 mm ² . In certain embodiments, crown 4620 has an external surface area of approximately 12,694 mm ² .

The surface area of the crown support edge (the total ledge area around the upper opening of the body, including ledge portions 4680, 4682 and 4636) is between 3,000 mm ² and 4,000 mm ² , 3,200 mm ² and 3,900 mm ² . between 3,400 mm ² and 3,800 mm ² , between 3,600 mm ² and 3,700 mm ² , and/or between 3,611 mm ² and 3,682 mm ² . The present disclosure includes the subtle interplay of the relationships of the various components, the variables within each component, and the relationships between multiple components that affect the performance, sound, feel, durability and durability of a golf club head. Affects manufacturability. The relationships disclosed are more than the mere optimization, maximization or minimization of a single property or variability, and are often contrary to conventional design thinking, and include durability, acoustic, vibration, fatigue resistance. have been found to achieve a unique balance of trade-offs associated with competing criteria such as, weight, and ease of manufacture. The relationships disclosed are CT number (CT), coefficient of restitution (COR) at a single point such as face center or offset/distributed COR, moment of inertia, deflection of a single component, stiffness of a single component , single component ductility, overall club head stiffness, single component deflection, single component frequency, damping, and/or variation in individual component modal frequencies. A club that does more than maximize or minimize, but rather the relationship achieves a unique balance between these often competing characteristics to improve feel, sound, durability and/or performance Generate a head. Ultimately, the interaction of the numerous components of current golf club heads, especially when they have such varying material properties, can affect the sound and feel of the golf club head as well as its durability, manufacturability and overall performance. performance may also be adversely affected. The aforementioned balance requires trade-offs between competing features that understand the key points of revenue reduction. Further, all related disclosures and relationships apply equally to all embodiments, and they are to be construed as limited to the particular embodiment described when a relationship is referenced. It's important to understand that you shouldn't. The aforementioned balance often requires trade-offs between competing properties that understand the key points of revenue reduction, as disclosed in terms of open and closed ranges for specific variability and relationships. . Proper functioning of each component and the entire club head for each and every shot over the thousands of impacts over the life of the golf club is critical. Accordingly, the present disclosure includes a unique combination of components and relationships that accomplish these goals. Although various characteristics and dimensional relationships of a single component play an essential role in achieving goals, characteristics and/or property relationships across multiple components also play an essential, if less important, role. , are equally important in achieving the goals. In addition, the relative length, width, thickness, geometry and material properties of the various components and their relationship to one another and other design variables disclosed herein may affect performance. , durability, feel, sound, safety and ease of manufacture. In addition, many embodiments identify an upper and/or lower range for the relationship, and extending outside that range may result in poor performance and adversely affect goals. While some relationships may appear unrelated, crown durability extending to the range disclosed herein has clear advantages in terms of topline generation, multiple thicknesses of the forward body portion, and a reduction in stiffness, an associated weight reduction that allows more discretionary mass to be positioned as desired to achieve the disclosed mass properties, and a harsh joint and joint when looking down at the club head at address. Elimination of seams, however, has been avoided in the past due to durability issues. For example, the curvature of the crown near the crown leading edge, the extent to which it extends below the crown apex, especially near the hosel portion, and/or the protruding nature of the crown leading edge relative to the face, or relative to the rearing portion. The nature of the crown perimeter edge protrusion, i.e., the intermediate stepped wall 4638, the relationship of the crown leading edge to the vertical forward hosel plane, the extent to which the crown produces the perimeter of the club head, the heelside crown-face bifurcation point and the toe. Elevation of the side crown-face bifurcation point and/or the intersection of the heel and toe step walls with the insert recess wall and the associated heights of such intersections, notches and their sizes and associated thicknesses. insert recess wall and face support ledge wall properties and their relationship to the faceplate and crown; material properties of various golf club heads and bonding agents; Plays an important role in head durability.

In addition to the various features described herein, any of the golf club heads disclosed herein may also incorporate additional features that may include any of the following features:
1. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,773,360, 7,166,040, 7,452,285, 7,628,707, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 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, movable weight features;
2. U.S. Patent Nos. 7,775,905 and 8,444,505, filed May 20, 2013, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. 13/898,313, a slidable weight feature including those described in more detail in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14/047,880, filed Oct. 7, 2013;
3. Aerodynamic shape features, including those described in more detail in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0123040A1, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety;
4. Removable shaft features, including those described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 8,303,431, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety;
5. US Pat. No. 8,025,587; US Pat. No. 8,235,831; US Pat. No. 8,337,319; 2011/0312437A1, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0258818A1, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0122601A1, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0071264A1, U.S. Patent Application No. 13/686,677 Adjustable loft/lie features including;
6. U.S. Patent No. 8,337,319, U.S. Patent Publication Nos. US2011/0152000A1, US2011/0312437, US2012/0122601A1, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and , adjustable sole features, including those described in more detail in US patent application Ser. No. 13/686,677.

The techniques described herein may also be combined with other features and techniques for golf clubs, such as:
1. U.S. Patent Application No. 12/006,060, U.S. Patent Nos. 6,997,820, 6,800,038, and 6,824,475, the entirety of which are incorporated herein by reference variable thickness face features described in more detail in
2. U.S. patent application Ser. /004,386, 12/004,387, 11/960,609, 11/960,610, and composite faceplates described in more detail in U.S. Patent No. 7,267,620 feature.

It should be noted that in addition to the various features described herein, any of the plurality of golf club heads disclosed herein may also incorporate additional features, see U.S. patent application Ser. 63/292,708, 17/547519, 17/360179, 17/560054, 17/124134, 17/531979, 17/722748, 17/505511, 17/560054, 17/389167, 17/006561, 17/137151, 16/806254, 17/321315, 17/696664, 17/565580, 17 /727963, 16/288499, 17/530331, 17/586960, 17/884027, 13/842011, 16/817311, 17/355642, 17/722748 17/132645, 17/696664, 17/884027, 17/390615, 17/586960, 17/224026, 17/560054, 17/164033, 17/107474, 17/526981, 16/352537, 17/156205, 17/132541, 17/565580, 17/360179, 17/355642, 17 /727963, 17/824727, 17/722632, 17/712041, 17/696664, 17/695194, 17/691649, 17/686181, 63/305777 17/577943, 17/570613, 17/569810, 17/566833, 17/565580, 17/566131, 17/566263, 17/564077, 17/560054, 63/292708, 17/557759, 17/558387, 17/645033, 17/547519, 17/541107, 17/530331, 17 /526981, 17/526855, 17/524056, 17/522560, 17/515112, 17/513716, 17/505511, 17/504335, 17/504327 17/691649, 17/494416, 17/493604, 63/261457, 17/479785, 17/476839, 17/477258, 17/476025, 17/467709, 17/403516, 17/399823, 17/390615, 63/227889, 17/389167, 17/387181, 17/378407, 17 /368520, 17/360179, 17/355642, 17/330033, 17/235533, 17/233201, 17/228511, 17/224026, 17/216185 17/198030, 17/191617, 17/190864, 17/183905, 17/183057, 17/181923, 17/171678, 17/171656, 17/164033, 17/156205, 17/564077, 17/124134, 17/107447, 63/292708, 63/305777, and 63/338,818 Any of the multiple features disclosed in the patent application may be included, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. It should be noted that in addition to the various features described herein, any of the golf club heads disclosed herein may also incorporate additional features, including US Pat. 11213726, 8777776, 7278928, 7445561, 9409066, 8303435, 7874937, 8628434, 8608591, 8740719, 8777776, 9694253, 9683301 , Nos. 9468816, 8777776, 8262509, 7901299, 8119714, 8764586, 8227545, 8066581, 9409066, 10052530, 10195497, 1008624 No. 0, No. Any of the features disclosed in 9914027 and 11219803 may be included, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

The above-described embodiments are merely examples of possible implementations of the disclosed technology, and are set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Any process description or block in a flow diagram should be understood to represent a module, segment or portion of the process for implementing a particular function or stage in the process, which would be appreciated by those reasonably skilled in the art of this disclosure. As will be understood by , functions may not be included or performed at all, and depending on the functionality involved, may be executed out of order from that shown or described, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order. Includes alternative implementations that may be implemented.

Many variations and modifications may be made to the one or more above-described embodiments without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. Further, the scope of the present disclosure includes any and all combinations and subcombinations of all elements, features and aspects disclosed in this specification and the documents incorporated by reference. All such combinations, modifications and variations are herein included within the scope of this disclosure, and all possible claims to individual aspects or combinations of elements or steps are to be supported by this disclosure. is intended.

Claims (20)

A golf club head,
a front body portion having a hosel portion with a hosel bore defining a shaft axis and a shaft axis plane; a rear ring portion; a crown opening partially defined by said front body portion and said rear ring portion; a body having a frame with a sole;
a non-metallic crown attached to the frame, covering the crown opening, defining an internal cavity and having a crown leading edge;
said face having a face center that is an origin with respect to the x, y and z axes and defining a loft plane tangent to said face center, said x-axis being tangent to said origin and parallel to a ground plane; , the y-axis is perpendicular to the x-axis and extends away from the face toward the rear ring portion and parallel to the ground plane; and the z-axis extends vertically from the center of the face. and perpendicular to said ground plane;
a vertical centerface plane containing the y-axis and the z-axis, with a centerface offset loft plane parallel to the loft plane and offset from the loft plane by an offset plane distance. the vertical centerface plane, which produces the face section;
A local loft plane parallel to the vertical centerface plane and offset along the x-axis toward the hosel portion by a distance of 5 millimeters, located 5 millimeters in the heel direction, and 5 millimeters in the heel direction. at least a first heel-direction offset vertical that produces a 5 mm offset vertical cross-section having a local offset loft plane positioned 5 mm in the heel direction offset by said offset plane distance from a local loft plane positioned mm; Plane;
a local loft plane parallel to the vertical centerface plane and offset far from the hosel portion along the x-axis by a distance of 5 millimeters and located at −5 millimeters in the toe direction; generating a -5 mm offset vertical cross-section having a local offset loft plane at -5 mm in the toe direction offset by said offset plane distance from the local loft plane at -5 mm in the direction of at least a first toe offset vertical plane;
with
The offset plane distance is 6 millimeters, a portion of the crown leading edge in the vertical centerface cross-section is forward of the centerface offset loft plane, and a portion of the crown leading edge in the 5-millimeter offset vertical cross-section is Forward of a local offset loft plane located 5 millimeters in the heel direction, and within the -5 millimeter offset vertical cross-section, a portion of the crown leading edge located at -5 millimeters in the toe direction. is anterior to; and
a portion of the non-metallic crown forward of the centerface offset loft plane in the vertical centerface cross-section having a centerface crown radius of curvature of less than 15 mm and toward the heel in the 5-mm offset vertical cross-section; A portion of said non-metallic crown anterior to the local offset loft plane located 5 millimeters at , has a crown radius located 5 millimeters in the heel direction of curvature of less than 15 millimeters and within said -5 millimeter offset vertical cross-section a portion of the non-metallic crown forward of the local offset loft plane at −5 millimeters in the toe direction at and has a crown radius at −5 millimeters in the toe direction of curvature of less than 15 mm;
golf club head. a local loft plane parallel to the vertical centerface plane and offset along the x-axis toward the hosel portion by a distance of 10 millimeters and located 10 millimeters in the heel direction; and a second heel-direction offset vertical cross section having a local offset loft plane at 10 millimeters in the heel direction offset by said offset plane distance from the local loft plane at 10 millimeters in the direction of offset vertical plane;
a local loft plane parallel to the vertical centerface plane and offset far from the hosel portion along the x-axis by a distance of 10 millimeters and located at -10 millimeters in the toe direction; generating a −10 mm offset vertical cross-section having a local offset loft plane at −10 mm in the toe direction offset by said offset plane distance from the local loft plane at −10 mm in the direction; 2 toe direction offset vertical planes;
further comprising
A portion of the crown leading edge in the 10 millimeter offset vertical cross-section is forward of a local offset loft plane located 10 millimeters in the heel direction, and a portion of the crown leading edge in the -10 millimeter offset vertical cross-section. is in front of the local offset loft plane at −10 millimeters in the toe direction;
a portion of the non-metallic crown that is forward of the heel-wise 10 mm local offset loft plane in the 10 mm offset vertical cross-section has a crown radius at a heel-wise 10 mm location of curvature of less than 15 mm; The portion of the non-metallic crown forward of the local offset loft plane at -10 millimeters in the toe direction in the -10 millimeter offset vertical cross section is at -10 millimeters in the toe direction with a curvature of less than 15 mm. having a crown radius;
The non-metallic crown has a crown apex and a top surface parallel to the ground plane, and the crown leading edge is located vertically below the top surface by a crown leading edge apex offset distance;
the golf club head having a center of gravity located at a height Zup above the ground plane; and
a portion of the crown leading edge has a crown leading edge apex offset distance of at least 40% of Zup;
The golf club head of claim 1. a local loft plane parallel to the vertical centerface plane and offset along the x-axis toward the hosel portion by a distance of 20 millimeters and located 20 millimeters in the heel direction; and a third heel-direction offset vertical cross-section having a local offset loft plane at 20 millimeters in the heel direction offset by said offset plane distance from the local loft plane at 20 millimeters in the direction of offset vertical plane;
a local loft plane parallel to said vertical centerface plane and offset far from said hosel portion along said x-axis by a distance of 20 millimeters and located at -20 millimeters in the toe direction; generating a −20 mm offset vertical cross-section having a local offset loft plane at −20 mm in the toe direction that is offset by said offset plane distance from the local loft plane at −20 mm in the direction of 3 toe direction offset vertical planes;
further comprising
A portion of the crown leading edge in the 20 millimeter offset vertical cross-section is forward of a local offset loft plane located 20 millimeters in the heel direction, and a portion of the crown leading edge in the -20 millimeter offset vertical cross-section. is in front of the local offset loft plane at −20 millimeters in the toe direction;
a portion of the non-metallic crown that is forward of the heel-wise 20-millimeter local offset loft plane in the 20-millimeter offset vertical section has a crown radius located 20-millimeters in the heel-direction of curvature of less than 15 mm; The portion of the non-metallic crown that is forward of the local offset loft plane at -20 millimeters in the toe direction in the -20 millimeter offset vertical cross section is at -20 millimeters in the toe direction with a curvature of less than 15 mm. has a crown radius; and
said crown leading edge apex offset distance varies between 10-120% of Zup;
3. The golf club head of claim 2. a local loft plane parallel to the vertical centerface plane and offset along the x-axis toward the hosel portion by a distance of 30 millimeters and located 30 millimeters in the heel direction; and a fourth heel-direction offset vertical cross-section having a local offset loft plane at 30 millimeters in the heel direction offset by said offset plane distance from the local loft plane at 30 millimeters in the direction of offset vertical plane;
a local loft plane parallel to said vertical centerface plane and offset far from said hosel portion along said x-axis by a distance of 30 millimeters and located at −30 millimeters in the toe direction; generating a −30 mm offset vertical cross-section having a local offset loft plane at −30 mm in the toe direction offset by said offset plane distance from the local loft plane at −30 mm in the direction; 4 toe direction offset vertical planes;
further comprising
A portion of the crown leading edge in the 30 millimeter offset vertical cross-section is forward of a local offset loft plane located 30 millimeters in the heel direction, and a portion of the crown leading edge in the -30 millimeter offset vertical cross-section. is in front of the local offset loft plane at −30 millimeters in the toe direction;
a portion of the non-metallic crown that is forward of the heel-wise 30-millimeter local offset loft plane in the 30-millimeter offset vertical section has a crown radius located 30-millimeters in the heel-direction of curvature of less than 15 mm; The portion of the non-metallic crown that is forward of the local offset loft plane at -30 mm in the toe direction in the -30 mm offset vertical cross-section is at -30 mm in the toe direction with a curvature of less than 15 mm. has a crown radius; and
said crown leading edge apex offset distance of a portion of said crown leading edge is at least 60% of Zup;
4. The golf club head of claim 3. (b) the 5-millimeter offset vertical section; (c) the -5-millimeter offset vertical section; (d) the 10-millimeter offset vertical section; (f) said 20 mm offset vertical section; (g) said -20 mm offset vertical section; (h) said 30 mm offset vertical section; and (i) said -30 mm offset vertical section. , extending a protruding distance of 0.02-0.15 millimeters forward of the vertically aligned adjacent portion of said face within
5. The golf club head of claim 4. The hosel portion has a constant diameter portion and a vertical forward hosel plane contacting a forwardmost point on the constant diameter portion and parallel to the shaft axial plane, and being part of the crown leading edge. is forward of the vertical forward hosel plane and a portion of the crown leading edge is rearward of the vertical forward hosel plane;
6. The golf club head of claim 5. In top view, the golf club head is aligned with the center face and extends from a forward-most point of the golf club head in the vertical center-face plane to a rear-most point of the golf club head in the vertical center-face plane. a top view coordinate system having a top view origin at the midpoint of the centerface depth dimension measured along the vertical centerface plane to a 0 degree line along the vertical centerface plane between the top view origin and the a 90 degree line perpendicular to said 0 degree line and extending from said top surface origin toward said hosel portion; and a 180 degree line perpendicular to said 90 degree line and extending from said top surface origin. and through said center face, a 270 degree line extending from said top surface origin perpendicular to said 180 degree line and away from said hosel portion, said non-metallic crown extending from said 300 degree line and said 60 degree line. generating an outermost circumference of the golf club head over a continuous 10 degree range located in between;
7. The golf club head of claim 6. the non-metallic crown produces the outermost circumference of the golf club head over a continuous 180 degree range located between the 270 degree line and the 90 degree line toward the rear of the golf club head;
8. The golf club head of claim 7. No portion of said non-metallic crown extends to a height below Zup over a continuous 30 degree range located between said 270 degree line and said 90 degree line toward the rear of said golf club head. ,
8. The golf club head of claim 7. No portion of said non-metallic crown extends to a height below Zup over a continuous 180 degree range located between said 270 degree line and said 90 degree line toward the rear of said golf club head. ,
9. The golf club head of claim 8. said front body portion having an insert recess wall and a face support ledge wall thereby defining a face opening, said face support ledge wall having a non-metallic face plate coupled thereto;
8. The golf club head of claim 7. the insert recess wall having an insert recess wall length, the non-metallic faceplate having a faceplate perimeter, the insert recess wall length not constant across the faceplate perimeter;
12. The golf club head of claim 11. The front body portion has a forward ledge extending between a heel side step wall and a toe side step wall to a recess wall leading edge, the heel side step wall extending into the insert recess at a heel side crown-face bifurcation point. intersects a wall, the toe side stepped wall intersects the insert recess wall at a toe side crown-face bifurcation point;
13. The golf club head of claim 12. The heel-side crown-face junction point has a heel-side junction point elevation measured vertically from the ground plane, and the toe-side crown-face junction point has a toe-side junction measured vertically from the ground plane. a point elevation, wherein the toe-side junction point elevation is at least 10% greater than the heel-side junction point elevation;
14. The golf club head of claim 13. The front body portion has a forward ledge extending to a recess wall leading edge and the hosel portion has an internal hosel surface, a portion of the internal hosel surface contacting the face support ledge wall and the face support. extending to a point between a ledge wall and said recess wall leading edge;
12. The golf club head of claim 11. The non-metallic faceplate has a faceplate perimeter, the faceplate perimeter has a face perimeter thickness, and the non-metallic faceplate includes the face support ledge wall and the recess wall extending between the face support ledge wall and the recess wall leading edge. a notch is formed to reduce the face perimeter thickness to a notch edge thickness to accommodate a portion of the inner hosel surface;
16. The golf club head of claim 15. the faceplate perimeter has a non-notched edge thickness, the notched edge thickness being at least 20% less than the non-notched edge thickness over at least 5 millimeters of the faceplate perimeter;
17. The golf club head of claim 16. The face support ledge wall has at least a first bond gap promoting feature and a second bond gap promoting feature, both of which extend from the face support ledge wall and are located at an elevation above the face center elevation. , said first bond gap promoting feature is located in the toe direction of the face center by a first face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance measured horizontally along the x-axis to said vertical centerface plane; is located heelward of the face center by a second face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance measured horizontally along the x-axis to said vertical centerface plane, and said first face-ledge the BGPF x-axis offset distance is greater than the second face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance;
12. The golf club head of claim 11. said front body portion having a forward ledge extending to a recess wall leading edge, said forward ledge having at least a first face-to-crown transition bond gap promoting feature and a second face-to-crown transition bond gap promoting feature; both of which extend from said anterior ledge and said first face-to-crown transition bond gap promoting feature is a first face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance measured horizontally along the x-axis to said vertical centerface plane is located in the toe direction of the face center and the second face-crown transition bond gap promoting feature is a second face-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance measured horizontally along the x-axis to said vertical centerface plane heel direction of the face center, wherein the first face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance is not equal to the first face-to-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance, and the second face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance is distance is not equal to said second face-ledge BGPF x-axis offset distance;
19. The golf club head of claim 18. the non-metallic crown produces the outermost circumference of the golf club head over a continuous 40 degree range located between the 270 degree line and the 90 degree line toward the rear of the golf club head;
the frame further has, in part, a sole opening formed by the front body portion and the rear ring portion;
A non-metallic sole insert is attached to the frame and covers the sole opening, and the non-metallic crown has at least three unidirectional prepreg crown plies each containing a crown unidirectional fiber area weight. and said non-metallic sole insert has at least three unidirectional prepreg sole plies each including a sole unidirectional fiber area weight greater than said crown unidirectional fiber area weight, and unidirectional the number of unidirectional prepreg sole plies is greater than the number of unidirectional prepreg crown plies; and
The front body portion has at least a forward ledge including a first face-to-crown transition bond gap promoting feature and a second face-to-crown transition bond gap promoting feature, both of which extend from the forward ledge; One face-to-crown transition bond gap promoting feature is located in the toe direction of the face center by a first face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance measured horizontally along the x-axis to said vertical centerface plane, said a second face-to-crown transition bond gap promoting feature located heelward of the face center by a second face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance measured horizontally along the x-axis to said vertical centerface plane; The first face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance is not equal to the second face-to-crown transition BGPF x-axis offset distance, and the first face-to-crown transition coupling gap promoting feature and the second face-to-crown transition at least a portion of the transition bond gap promoting feature is located forward of said centerface offset loft plane;
8. The golf club head of claim 7.

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