JP3220763U - Golf club having striking surface with support wall - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a golf club head capable of improving performance.
A golf club head (600) has a striking surface (604). A ledge 616 extends from the peripheral contact rim 644 of the golf club head. The striking surface is secured to the club head body 602 near the rim 634. There is a gap between the striking surface and the ledge. An outer peripheral edge 620 of the inner wall 606 is disposed in the gap and in contact with the ledge. The back surface of the striking surface is in contact with a portion of the inner wall.
[Selected figure] Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a golf club provided with a striking surface having a support wall.

  For golfers, the goal is to lower the total score by reducing the total number of swings required to complete the golf round. In order to achieve that goal, golfers often want to hit golf balls long distances. The flight distance of a golf ball depends on both the golfer's skill and the equipment used by the golfer. With respect to golf clubs, the structure of the striking surface, along with the other elements of the club, affect the speed at which the ball pops when struck with the club. For example, when the striking surface contacts the golf ball, the striking surface may provide a spring-like effect that accelerates the speed of the golf ball as it is separated from the club face.

  In one aspect, the invention relates to a golf club head, wherein the golf club head is a club head body comprising a striking surface, an outer peripheral contact rim, and a ledge extending from the outer peripheral contact rim, wherein the striking surface is A club head body fixed to the club head body in the vicinity of an outer peripheral contact rim, the ledge being spaced from the back surface of the striking surface to define a gap between the ledge and the striking surface. An inner wall comprising an outer peripheral edge, wherein at least a portion of the outer peripheral edge is disposed in the gap to contact the ledge, and the back surface of the striking surface contacts a portion of the inner wall. In an embodiment, the ledge extends inwardly from the peripheral contact rim, the ledge is offset from the peripheral contact rim, and the inner wall is substantially parallel to the striking surface. In another embodiment, the outer peripheral edge is tapered. In yet another embodiment, the club head body further comprises a sole, a top line, a heel, and a toe, and the ledge is adjacent to at least one of the sole, the top line, the heel, and the toe. Is located in In yet another embodiment, the outer peripheral edge is in contact with the top line and a portion of the ledge disposed proximate the sole.

  In another embodiment of the above aspect, the heel portion of the outer peripheral edge is not supported by the ledge when the striking surface is in a neutral position. In an embodiment, the heel portion of the outer peripheral edge is in contact with a lip when the striking surface is in a flexed position. In another embodiment, the outer peripheral edge of the inner wall is shaped substantially similar to the outer peripheral edge of the striking surface.

  In another aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head, the golf club head comprising a peripheral contact rim and a body portion comprising a ledge extending inwardly from the at least a portion of the peripheral contact rim, the ledge being An inner plate having a body portion and an edge and a central portion separated from said outer peripheral contact rim, wherein at least a portion of said edge is in contact with said ledge, and said outer peripheral contact rim A fixed striking surface, the striking surface being in contact with the central portion of the inner plate when the striking surface is in the neutral position. In an embodiment, the back side of the striking surface is in contact with the central portion of the inner plate when the striking surface is in a flexed position. In another embodiment, when the edge of the inner plate is tapered and in the flexed position, the back surface of the striking surface and the outer peripheral edge of the inner plate are the back surface of the striking surface and the outer edge of the striking surface. A space is defined between the outer periphery of the inner plate. In yet another embodiment, the inner plate comprises a topline edge, a sole edge, and a heel edge, the topline edge and the sole edge being in contact with the ledge when the striking surface is in the neutral position. There is. In yet another embodiment, (a) the top line edge and the sole edge are in contact with the ledge when the striking surface is in a flexed position, and (b) the heel edge is the In contact with a lip extending from the club head body.

  In another embodiment of the above aspect, the striking surface is fixed in the vicinity of the peripheral contact rim. In an embodiment, the body portion comprises a top line edge, a sole edge, a heel edge and a toe edge, and the ledge substantially comprises the top line edge, the sole edge, the heel edge and the toe edge. In another embodiment extending along the entire length of at least one of the plurality, the ledge includes two ledges, the two ledges being disposed proximate to opposing edges of the peripheral contact rim.

  In another aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head, the golf club head comprising: a peripheral contact rim; and a club head body including a ledge extending inwardly from at least two opposing edges of the peripheral contact rim; An inner wall comprising a striking surface connected to the club head body in the vicinity of an outer peripheral contact rim, a central portion defining a central region, and an edge surrounding the central portion and defining an edge region smaller than the central region. The edge is in contact with the ledge and the back surface of the striking surface is in contact with the central portion and spaced from the edge both when the striking surface is in the neutral position and in the flexed position , And an inner wall. In an embodiment, the distance between the edge in the neutral position and the back surface of the striking surface is larger than the distance between the edge in the flexed position and the back surface of the striking surface. In another embodiment, the central region has an area of about 78% of the total area of the inner wall. In yet another embodiment, the striking surface and the inner wall have substantially similar peripheral shapes.

  This summary of the invention is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary of the invention is not intended to identify significant features or essential features of the invention-specifying matter described in the claims, and is used to limit the scope of the invention-specifying matters described in the claims. It is not intended to be done.

  Non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples are described with reference to the following figures.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a golf club. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a golf club head having a double-walled striking surface and a sole channel. FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a golf club head having a double-walled striking surface and a sole channel. FIG. 1D is a rear view of the golf club head shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a golf club head having a double-walled striking surface and a sole channel. FIG. 2B is a bottom view of the golf club head of FIG. 2A. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a golf club head having a double walled striking surface. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a golf club head having a double walled striking surface and a sole channel. FIG. 4B is a bottom view of the golf club head of FIG. 4A. FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a golf club head of a driver having a double walled striking surface and a sole channel. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 5A. FIG. 5C is a bottom view of the golf club head of FIGS. 5A-5B. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of a golf club head having a rear support wall. 7 is a front view of the club head body of FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. FIG. 9 is a top cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 10A and 10B are enlarged partial side cross-sectional views of the golf club head of FIG. 6 in a neutral position. FIG. 10B is an enlarged partial side cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 6 in a flexed position.

  The techniques described herein contemplate golf club heads such as irons, fairway metals, drivers, or other golf club heads with double-walled striking surfaces, such as contacting an outer striking surface. Golf club head having an inner wall structure. In an embodiment, such club head may comprise a sole channel. One end of the inner wall structure is fixed to the golf club head, while the other end of the inner wall structure is not fixed, and the inner wall structure slides against the back surface of the striking surface. It is possible to Such an inner wall structure contributes to the spring effect of the striking surface, thereby improving the ball speed and striking characteristics from impacts near the center and upper end of the striking surface. The golf club head may also include a sole channel, which produces improved ball speed and launch characteristics for striking near the center and lower end of the striking surface. Thus, the combined use of double-walled striking surfaces and sole channels results in improved launch characteristics such as launch angle, spin characteristics, and ball speed across the entire striking surface from top line to sole. Therefore, improved launch characteristics result in both the shot from the turf and the shot from the tee.

  FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of a golf club head 100 having an inner wall structure 102 and a sole channel 105, and FIG. 1B shows a cross-sectional view of the golf club head 100. 1A-1B are described simultaneously. The golf club head 100 includes a sole portion 104, a toe portion 108, a top line 106, and a striking surface 118 attached to the heel portion 110. The top line 106 is also attached to the rear 112. The inner wall structure 102 extends from the rear 112 towards the striking surface 118 and the first cavity 120 is partially defined in cross section by the rear 112, the top line 106 and the inner wall structure 102. The inner wall structure 102 comprises a fixed end 114 attached to the rear 112 and a non-fixed end 116. The fixed end 114 may be attached to the rear 112 by welding, brazing, or fastening such as screws or rivets by other suitable attachment methods. The non-fixed end 116 is received in the recess 107 in the inner part of the top line 106. The recess 107 is shaped and configured to receive but not lock or secure the non-fixed end 116 of the inner wall structure 102 so that the non-fixed end 116 can move freely therefrom. There is. The inner wall structure 102 also includes a support portion 101 and a contact portion 103. The support portion 101 supports the contact portion 103 in contact with the back surface of the striking surface 118. In the illustrated embodiment, the support 101 is generally V-shaped with an angle from the rear 112 to the striking surface 118, and the components of the support 101 substantially correspond to the striking surface 118. It extends at right angles to the The contact portion 103 extends substantially parallel to the striking surface 118. In order to reduce the friction between the contact portion 103 and the striking surface 118, oil may be lubricated between those elements. This allows the surfaces to slide easily. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the surfaces of those contacting elements are subjected to additional machining or processing to create a very smooth surface, which further reduces the friction between them. Also, the contact portion 103 may be a polymer such as Teflon (registered trademark) coating available from E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Delaware, or vibration, friction, and golf. Other similar materials may be coated to control changes in the sound characteristics that are emitted when striking the ball.

  The striking surface 118 may include thick portions 119 and thin portions 121 and may have a plurality of thicknesses. The thickness of the thick portion 119 is larger than the thickness of the thin portion 121. Because the inner wall structure 102 provides additional support for the thin walled portion 121, the thin walled portion 121 can be thinner than without the inner wall structure 102. In the embodiment, the thickness of the thick portion 119 is about twice the thickness of the thin portion 121. In one embodiment, the thin portion 121 may have a thickness of about 0.9 mm, and the thick portion 119 may have a thickness of about 1.4 mm.

  The thickness of the thin portion 121 of the striking surface 118 and the thickness of the contact portion 103 may be different. For example, the thickness of the contact portion 103 may be approximately twice the thickness of the thin portion 121 of the striking surface 118. In some embodiments, the ratio of the thickness of the contact portion 103 to the thickness of the thin portion 121 of the striking surface 118 may be approximately 1.5: 1, 2.5: 1, or 3: 1. . In other embodiments, the thickness of the contact portion 103 may be approximately the same as the thickness of the thick portion 119 of the striking surface 118.

  The type of material used to create the inner wall structure 102 and the striking surface 118 may be different. As one example, the inner wall structure 102 may be made of a high strength low density material while the striking surface 118 is made of a material of relatively higher density and relatively lower strength. May be As another example, the striking surface 118 may be made of a material having a low modulus, while the inner wall structure 102 may be made of a material having a relatively higher modulus. For example, the striking surface 118 may be made of a steel material and the inner wall structure 102 may be made of a titanium material. In another example, the inner wall structure 102 may be made of a high strength steel, such as maraging steel C350, and the striking surface 118 may be made of a low strength steel, such as maraging steel C300. In the above example using different types of materials, the thickness of the contact portion 103 may be about the same as the thickness of the thin portion 121 of the striking surface 118. Such materials may be coated with a polymer to damp vibrations and manage friction between surfaces. For example, the contact portion 103 can be coated with a low friction polymer.

  Golf club head 100 may also include sole channel 105. The sole channel 105 comprises a leading edge 124 and a trailing edge 126. The sole channel 105 may extend from near the heel portion 110 to the toe portion 108 and may be substantially the same width as the striking surface 118. In the illustrated embodiment, the sole channel 105 separates the rear 112 from the sole portion 104. The fixed end 114 of the inner wall structure 102 is attached to the rear 112 at the trailing edge 126. The sole channel 105 forms a through hole into the second cavity 122 partially defined by the thick portion 119, the sole portion 104, and the inner wall structure 102 (in cross section). In some embodiments, the sole channel 105 is loaded or tensioned with a polymer or other resilient material to prevent debris from entering the second cavity 122. The incorporation of the sole channel 105 can further flex the lower portion of the striking surface 118, thereby providing additional ball speed from golf ball strikes occurring in the area under the striking surface 118.

  FIG. 1C shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a golf club head 100 C having an inner wall structure 102 and a sole channel 105. The golf club head 100C is substantially the same as the golf club head 100 shown in FIG. 1B, so all of its elements will not be described further. However, in the golf club head 100C, the support portion 101C has a curved C shape. Since the curved C-shaped component perpendicular to the striking surface 118 is reduced in size, the curved C-shape of the support portion 101C allows the striking surface 118 and the contact portion 103 to be bent more.

  FIG. 1D shows a rear view of the golf club head 100, 100C shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. The sole channel 105 extends in the direction substantially parallel to the striking surface 118 across the lower end side of the rear portion 112. In the illustrated embodiment, the sole channel 105 separates a portion of the sole portion 104 from the back 112. In some embodiments, the sole channel 105 may have a width W that is approximately the same as the width of the striking surface 118, or the width of the inner wall structure 102, or both. In another embodiment, the width W of the sole channel 105 is approximately equal to or greater than the diameter of the golf ball (i.e., about 1.6 to 1.7 inches). As described above, the sole channel 105 may be stuffed or tensioned with an elastic material.

  2A-2B show a cross-sectional view and a bottom view, respectively, of another golf club head 200, which will be described simultaneously. The golf club head 200 is similar to the above-described golf club head 100, 100C shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. As such, elements that are common to both configurations are similarly labeled, but are not necessarily further described. The inner wall structure 202 includes a support portion 201, a contact portion 203, a fixed end 214, and a non-fixed end 216. The support portion 201 has a curved S-shape, and the contact portion 203 is substantially parallel to the striking surface 218. The striking surface 218 may also include a thick portion 219 and a thin portion 221. Two cavities, a first cavity 220 and a second cavity 222, are also formed.

  The sole channel 205 is located near the striking surface 218. The closeness of the sole channel 205 to the striking surface 218 increases the deflection of the thick portion 219 of the striking surface 218 when striking a golf ball. The trailing edge 226 of the sole channel 205 is formed by the back segment of the sole portion 204 and the front edge 224 of the sole channel 205 is formed by the front segment of the sole portion 204. Because there are fewer sole portions 204 directly attached to the striking surface 218, the thick portion 219 has less resistance to deflection. Thus, the increased deflection can result in an increase in ball speed caused by the ball impact occurring near the thickened portion 219 of the impact surface 218. The sole channel 205 may extend substantially parallel to the striking surface 218, as shown in FIG. 2B. The sole channel 205 may be stuffed or tensioned with an elastic material.

  FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of a golf club head 300. The golf club head 300 is similar to the golf club head described above, so elements common to those components and the golf club head 300 are similarly labeled, but not necessarily further described. . The golf club head 300 includes a striking surface 318 attached to the top line 306, the toe portion 308, and the heel portion 310 but not at least partially attached to the sole portion 304. Thus, the striking surface 318 is effectively hingedly moved at the top line 306 to allow movement of the striking surface 318. In other embodiments, the striking surface 318 may not be attached directly to the toe portion 308 or the heel portion 310.

  The inner wall structure 302 comprises a fixed end 314 and a non-fixed end 316. The fixed end 314 is attached to the front edge of the sole portion 304 just behind the striking surface 318. Since the entire inner wall structure 302 contacts the back surface of the striking surface 318, the inner wall structure 302 may not have a support. However, in some embodiments, the inner wall structure 302 may comprise small supports that allow it to be attached to the sole 304 by welding or other fastening means. Unlike the embodiment shown above, there is only one cavity 320.

  The inner wall structure 302 and the striking surface 318 may be fixed or hinged to effectively move on both sides of the golf club head 300. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the inner wall structure 302 has a fixed end 314 at the sole portion 304 and a non-fixed end 316 near the top line 306, The striking surface 318 has a fixed end at the top line 306 and a non-fixed end near the sole portion 304. Such a configuration allows the inner wall structure 302 to slide relative to the back of the striking surface 318 and to flex separately from the striking surface 318. For example, when striking a golf ball, the striking surface 318 moves upward, while the inner wall structure 302 moves downward.

  In other embodiments, the fixed and non-fixed ends of inner wall structure 302 and striking surface 318 may be reversed from the embodiment shown in FIG. That is, the inner wall structure 302 may have a fixed end at the top line 306 and a non-fixed end near the sole portion 304, and the striking surface 318 may be fixed at the sole portion 304. It may have an end and have a non-fixed end near the top line 306. In yet another embodiment, the inner wall structure 302 may have a fixed end at the toe 308 and a non-fixed end near the heel 310, and the striking surface 318 may be a heel It may have a fixed end at 310 and a non-fixed end near toe 308 or vice versa.

  Furthermore, the striking surface thickness 318 may be uniform as substantially the entire back surface of the striking surface 318 contacts the inner wall structure 302. The thickness of the striking surface 318 may be smaller than the thickness of the inner wall structure 302, and the striking surface 318 and the inner wall structure 302 may be made of different materials.

  4A-4B show cross-sectional and bottom views, respectively, of another golf club head 400 and are described simultaneously. The golf club head 400 is similar to the golf club head described above. Thus, the same elements of the golf club head 400 and the above-described golf club head configuration are similarly labeled, but are not necessarily further described. The inner wall structure 402 of the golf club head 400 comprises a fixed end 414 and a non-fixed end 416. The fixed end 414 may be attached to the sole portion 404, the toe portion 408, and / or the heel portion 410, and the non-fixed end 416 is received within the recess 407 in the interior portion of the top line 406. . In some embodiments, the inner wall structure 402 may be wider than the sole channel 405, and the fixed end 414 of the inner wall structure 402 is outside the sole channel 405 of the toe portion 408 and the heel portion 410. It may be attached to the portion of the sole portion 404 extending to the side. The striking surface 418 has a fixed end at the top line 406 and a non-fixed end near the sole portion 404. Thus, the inner wall structure 402 can slide against the back surface of the striking surface 418. In some embodiments, the striking surface 418 may be attached to the toe portion 408, the heel portion 410, or both.

  The sole channel 405 is located near the front of the golf club head 400 and separates the inner wall structure 402 and the striking surface 418 from the remaining sole portion 404. For example, the leading edge 424 of the sole channel 405 is defined by the fixed end 414 of the inner wall structure 402 and the trailing edge 426 is defined by the sole portion 404. Placing the sole channel 405 further towards the front of the golf club head 400 allows the lower end of the striking surface 418 to flex more easily, in addition to the ball speed generated by the strike at the lower portion of the striking surface 418. it can. The sole channel 405 may be stuffed or tensioned with an elastic material. In some embodiments, a flexible coating coats the bottom of the golf club head 400, for example to prevent wear, with the edge of the striking surface 418 and with the outer edge of any of the inner wall structure 402. May be coated.

  FIG. 5A shows a perspective view of a golf club head 500 of a driver having an inner wall structure 502 and a sole channel 505. 5B shows a cross-sectional view of the golf club head 500, and FIG. 5C shows a bottom view of the golf club head 500. As shown in FIG. 5A-5C are described simultaneously. The golf club head 500 includes a crown 506 and a sole portion 504 attached thereto. Golf club head 500 also includes a striking surface 518 attached to crown 506 and a portion of sole portion 504. The inner wall structure 502 comprises a fixed end 514 attached to the sole portion 504 near the trailing edge 526 of the sole channel 505. The non-fixed end 516 is not fixed to the striking surface 518 or the crown 506. In some embodiments, the crown 506 may include a recess (not shown) for receiving the non-fixed end 516 of the inner wall structure 502, similar to the configuration described above. The inner wall structure 502 also includes a support portion 501 and a contact portion 503. The support portion 501 may have a curved C shape, a curved S shape, or any other shape. The contact portion 503 may contact most of the back surface of the striking surface 518. In some embodiments, substantially the entire back surface of the striking surface 518 is backed by the inner wall structure 502. In some embodiments, the striking surface 518 and the inner wall structure may be comprised of the same or different materials, as described above. Furthermore, the contact portion 103 may be coated with a polymer to control vibration and sound properties and reduce friction. The golf club head 500 also includes (in cross section) a sole portion 504, a crown 506, and a cavity 520 defined in part by the inner wall structure 502.

  Sole channel 505 is incorporated into sole portion 504. In the illustrated embodiment, the leading edge 524 of the sole channel 505 is defined by the lower edge of the striking surface 518, and the trailing edge 526 of the sole channel 505 is defined by the sole portion 504. Thus, sole channel 505 separates a portion of striking surface 518 from sole portion 504. The sole channel 505 may have a width substantially equal to or greater than the diameter of the golf ball. In some embodiments, sole channel 505 may have a width greater than twice the size of the diameter of the golf ball. Many of the benefits and features of the sole channel and inner wall structure described above are also applicable to the golf club head 500. Further, while the sole channel 505 and the inner wall structure 502 are shown in the driver's golf club head 500, such structures are incorporated into fairway metal woods and other metal woods such as hybrid clubs. It is also good.

  FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of a golf club head 600. The golf club head comprises a club head body 602, a striking surface 604, and an inner wall 606 disposed between the body 602 and the striking surface 604, as described in more detail herein. Club head body 602 comprises a perimeter defined by top line 608, sole 610, heel 612, and toe 614, as generally known in the art. Further, each of the striking surface 604 and the inner wall 606 includes an edge or portion disposed proximate to each of the corresponding portions 608, 610, 612, 614 of the club head body 602. Body 602 includes a ledge 616 extending inwardly from the outer periphery of body 602. The ledge 616 provides support along one or more edges of the inner wall 606. In the illustrated construction, the ledge 616 is near but separate from the top line 608, the sole 610, and the toe 614 of the club head body 602. In other embodiments, ledge 616 may extend from each of top line 608, sole 610, heel 612, and toe 614. In other embodiments, the ledges 616 may extend from only two of the features, and they may generally face each other. The ledge 616 comprises a flat or generally flat contact surface 618 that contacts the back surface of the inner wall 606, typically near the outer periphery 620 of the inner wall 606. The ledge 616 may also include a curved edge portion 622 that reduces the stresses on the inner wall 606 as it deflects during use. The club head body 602 may include a rest 624, which may be a raised wall, or other features that may be used to aid in manufacturing. For example, the heel edge 626 of the inner wall 606 can be placed against the rest 624 during manufacturing to ensure its proper positioning. The striking surface 604 may then be secured to the club head body 602 to hold the inner wall 606 therein. Top line 608, sole 610, heel 612, toe 614, inner wall 606, and back wall 623 may define a cavity 627 in golf club head 600. As the inner wall 606 deflects into the cavity 627 during use, the pressure in the cavity 627 may increase. A pressure relief 625 may be defined by a portion of the club head body 602 and by a thin flexible film or other membrane to prevent water and debris ingress while accommodating pressure changes in the cavity 627. It may be covered.

  The inner wall 606 may be, for example, a thin plate made of high strength steel or steel alloy. Exemplary materials include Aermet 320, Aermet 340, and the like. The inner wall 606 has an outer peripheral shape substantially similar to the outer peripheral shape of the club head body 602 (more specifically, the opening 628 generally defined by the ledge 616 therein) or the striking surface 604, or both. It is also good. The inner wall 606 has a central area 630 and an edge area 632 defining the central area 630, the edge area 632 being generally flat. The edge region 632 is tapered such that the thickness of the outer circumferential edge 620 of the inner wall 606 is less than the thickness of the central region 630. In an embodiment, central region 630 may have a thickness between about 1.75 mm and about 1.35 mm. The thickness of central region 630 is desirably about 1.75 mm, about 1.65 mm, or about 1.5 mm, although other thicknesses are also contemplated. The thickness of the inner wall 606 at the outer periphery 620 can be between about 1.35 mm and about 0.8 mm. The thickness of outer perimeter 620 can be about 1.3 mm, about 1.2 mm, or about 1.05 mm. Of course, the thickness at the outer circumferential edge 620 is thinner than the thickness of the central portion 630. The tapered edge region 632 allows the inner wall 606 to flex without exerting a force on the striking surface 604 when hitting a golf ball, and hence the inner wall 606 unintentionally from the club head body 602. Separation is prevented. This is shown in more detail by FIGS. 10A and 10B below.

  The relative sizes of central region 630 and edge region 632 of inner wall 606 may be varied as needed or desired to affect the performance of golf club head 600. Central region 630 may be defined as the region of inner wall 606 that contacts the back of striking surface 604 when golf club head 600 is in the neutral position. Edge region 632 may be defined as the region of inner wall 606 that does not contact the back of striking surface 604 when golf club head 600 is in the neutral position. In an embodiment, central region 630 may represent about 75%, about 78%, or about 80% of the total area of the front of inner wall 606 (where the edge regions are each of the total area of inner wall 606). Represents about 25%, about 22%, and about 20%). Generally, the larger the central region 630 of the inner wall 606, the greater the return force at the striking surface 604 while the inner wall is flexing.

  The striking surface 604 may be generally flat, but may also include a rim 634 that may extend at least partially around the striking portion 636 of the striking surface 604. In this case, the rim 634 is disposed along the top line edge 638, the sole edge 640, and the toe edge 642 of the striking surface 604. These rims 638, 640, 642 are secured to the contact rim 644 on the club head body 602 to secure the striking surface 604 to the club head body 602. The striking surface 604 may be secured to the contact rim 644 by welding, chemical adhesive, frictional contact or the like. In this example, the heel edge 646 of the striking surface 604 does not comprise any portion of the rim 634 and may thus be secured to the flat rest 624. The ledge 616 may extend generally inwardly away from the contact rim 644. The thickness of the striking surface 604 can be about 0.9 mm to about 1.25 mm.

  Certain relationships of thickness between the striking surface 604 and the inner wall 606 can produce particularly desirable results. Exemplary thicknesses of each of these components are described above. For example, a particularly desirable model has been found to have an inner wall thickness to front wall thickness ratio between about 1.2 and about 1.5. In one particular embodiment, the thickness of the inner wall 606 is about 1.5 mm and the thickness of the front wall is about 1.25 mm.

  FIG. 7 shows a front view of the club head body 602 of FIG. The features shown in FIG. 7 are described above in the context of FIG. 6 and thus are not necessarily further described. As mentioned above, the club head body 602 includes a ledge 616 that terminates in a curved edge portion 622. The illustrated club head body 602 comprises a ledge 616 near each of the top line 608, the sole 610, and the toe 614. Thus, the inner wall (not shown) and each of these portions of the ledge 616 (i.e., near the top line 608, the sole 610, and the toe 614) when the inner wall is in the neutral position (i.e., the undeflected position). ) Placed in contact. As the inner wall flexes into the cavity 627, the back of its edge contacts the curved edge portion 622. However, portions of the inner wall near the heel 612 of the club head body 602 work differently. As seen in FIG. 7, the ledge 616 does not extend near the heel 612. Thus, the back of the inner wall in the vicinity of the heel 612 is not supported by the ledge 616 when in the neutral (i.e., undeflected) position. However, as the inner wall flexes, the back surface of the inner wall near the heel 612 contacts the lip 650 extending inwardly from the heel 612. The lip 650 may be generally continuous with the curved edge portion 622 of the ledge 618. The contact between the back of the inner wall and the lip 650 improves the performance of the golf club head. Tests have shown that supporting the inner wall near its entire perimeter does not necessarily improve the performance of the golf club head. In fact, the performance is significantly improved if the inner wall 606 is supported in a neutral position at the edge located near the top line 608, the sole 610 and the toe 614, but not at the heel 612 There is.

  FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the golf club head 600 of FIG. The features illustrated in FIG. 8 are described above in the context of FIGS. 6 and 7, and thus are not necessarily further described. When the rim 634 of the striking surface 604 is secured to the contact rim 644 of the club head body 602, a gap 660 is formed between the ledge 616 and the back 662 of the striking surface 604. A tapered edge region 632 is disposed in the gap 660. In this configuration, the central region 630 of the inner wall 606 contacts the back surface 662 of the striking surface 604. As seen in FIG. 8, the front surface of the tapered edge region 632 does not contact the back surface 662 when in the neutral position. In addition, the tapered outer edge 632 has an outer edge 632 when the inner wall 606 is in a flexed position (eg, when the striking surface 604 strikes a golf ball and both the striking surface 604 and the inner wall 606 flex) due to the taper. Will bend forward, so no reaction force should be exerted on the back surface 662. . This is shown in more detail by FIGS. 10A and 10B below.

  FIG. 9 is a top cross-sectional view of the golf club head 600 of FIG. The features illustrated in FIG. 9 are described above in the context of FIGS. 6-8, and thus are not necessarily further described. In particular, FIG. 9 shows the rest 624 having a first side abutting the heel edge 626 of the inner wall 606 and a second side abutting the striking surface 604 heel edge 646. Further, a lip 65 at the heel edge 626 of the inner wall 606 is illustrated. As shown, the lip 650 defines a projection that is substantially less deep than the ledge contact surface 618 located on the opposite side of the club head body 602. Thus, the deflection of the heel edge 626 of the inner wall 606 is different from the deflection of the toe edge 652 of the inner wall 606. In that case, the various depths of the ledge 616 can alter the performance of the golf club head 600 utilizing the inner wall 606. In these cases, a ledge 616 with longer or shorter contact surfaces 618 may be utilized as needed or desired for a particular application.

  10A is an enlarged partial side cross-sectional view of the golf club head 600 of FIG. 6 in a neutral position, and FIG. 10B is an enlarged partial side cross-sectional view of the golf club head 600 of FIG. FIG. In FIG. 10A, a tapered edge region 632 is shown in the gap 660 between the back surface 662 of the striking surface 604 and the contact surface 618 of the ledge 616. In the illustrated construction, the rim 634 of the striking surface 604 is secured to the contact rim 644 of the club head body 602. The central region 630 of the inner wall 606 is in contact with the four back surfaces 662 of the striking surface 60. In the neutral position, the taper of the edge region 632 defines a first space S 1 between the tapered edge surface 632 and the back surface 662 of the striking surface 604. Referring to FIG. 10B, the deflection of the striking surface 604 resulting from, for example, contact with a golf ball is illustrated. Because the back surface 662 of the striking surface 604 is in contact with the central portion 630 of the inner wall 606, its deflection also causes the inner wall 606 to flex. In response, the tapered edge region 632 disposed near the perimeter of the inner wall 606 flexes forward toward the back surface 662 of the striking surface 604. This reduces the distance between the tapered edge surface 632 and the back surface 662 to a space S2 that is narrower than the space S1. However, due to the shape of the tapered edge region 632, contact with the back surface 662 is reduced or eliminated. This prevents the application of force on the back surface 662, which can help maintain the integrity of the connection between the rim 634 of the striking surface 604 and the contact rim 644 of the club head body 602.

  Although specific embodiments and aspects have been described herein and specific examples have been provided, the technical scope is not limited to these specific embodiments or examples. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize other embodiments and improvements that are within the scope and spirit of the technology. Thus, the specific structures, acts or ideas are only disclosed as illustrated embodiments. The technical scope is defined by the following utility model registration request and its equivalent.

600 golf club head 602 club head body 604 striking surface 606 inner wall 608 top line 610 sole 612 heel 614 toe 616 leg 618 leg contact surface 620 outer peripheral edge 622 edge portion 623 back wall 624 rest 625 pressure relief 626 heel edge 627 hollow 628 opening 634 Rim 636 striking part 638 top line edge 640 sole edge 642 toe edge 644 contact rim 646 heel edge 650 lip 652 toe edge 660 gap 662 back side

Claims (20)

The striking surface,
A club head body comprising an outer peripheral contact rim and a ledge extending from the outer peripheral contact rim, wherein the striking surface is fixed to the club head body in the vicinity of the outer peripheral contact rim, the ledge being a back surface of the striking surface. A club head body spaced apart from the head to define a gap between the ledge and the striking surface;
An inner wall comprising an outer periphery, wherein at least a portion of the outer periphery is disposed in the gap to contact the ledge and the back surface of the striking surface contacts a portion of the inner wall;
Golf club head comprising.   2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ledge extends inwardly from the perimeter contact rim, the ledge is offset from the perimeter contact rim, and the inner wall is substantially parallel to the striking surface. Golf club head.   The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral edge is tapered.   The club head body further comprises a sole, a top line, a heel, and a toe, the ledge being disposed proximate at least one of the sole, the top line, the heel, and the toe. Item 1. The golf club head according to item 1.   5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the outer peripheral edge is in contact with the top line and a portion of the ledge disposed proximate the sole.   5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the heel portion of the outer perimeter is not supported by the ledge when the striking surface is in a neutral position.   7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the heel portion of the outer perimeter is in contact with a lip when the striking surface is in a flexed position.   The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral edge of the inner wall is shaped substantially similar to the outer peripheral edge of the striking surface. A body portion comprising an outer peripheral contact rim and a ledge extending inwardly from the at least a portion of the outer peripheral contact rim, wherein the ledge is separate from the outer peripheral contact rim;
An inner plate having an edge and a central portion, wherein at least a portion of the edge is in contact with the ledge;
A striking surface fixed to said peripheral contact rim, wherein a back surface of said striking surface is in contact with said central portion of said inner plate when said striking surface is in a neutral position;
Golf club head comprising.   10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the back surface of the striking surface contacts the central portion of the inner plate when the striking surface is in a flexed position.   When the edge of the inner plate is tapered and in the bent position, the back surface of the striking surface and the outer peripheral edge of the inner plate are the back surface of the striking surface and the outer peripheral edge of the inner plate 11. The golf club head of claim 10, defining a space between.   10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the inner plate comprises a topline edge, a sole edge, and a heel edge, the topline edge and the sole edge being in contact with the ledge when the striking surface is in a neutral position. Golf club head.   When the striking surface is in the flexed position, (a) the top line edge and the sole edge are in contact with the ledge, and (b) the heel edge is a lip extending from the club head body The golf club head of claim 12 in contact with.   10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the striking surface is fixed near the perimeter contact rim.   The body portion includes a top line edge, a sole edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge, the ledge substantially including at least one of the top line edge, the sole edge, the heel edge, and the toe edge. 10. The golf club head of claim 9, extending along the entire length of the two.   16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the ledge includes two ledges, the two ledges being disposed proximate to opposing edges of the peripheral contact rim. A club head body comprising an outer peripheral contact rim and a ledge extending inwardly from at least two opposing edges of the outer peripheral contact rim;
A striking surface connected to the club head body in the vicinity of the peripheral contact rim;
An inner wall comprising a central portion defining a central region and an edge surrounding said central portion and defining an edge region smaller than said central region, said edge being in contact with said ledge, said striking surface being neutral Whether in position or flexed position, an inner wall, the back surface of said striking surface being in contact with said central portion and spaced from said edge;
Golf club head comprising.   18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein a distance between the edge in the neutral position and the back surface of the striking surface is greater than a distance between the edge in the flexed position and the back surface of the striking surface.   The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the central region has an area of about 78% of the total area of the inner wall.   The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the striking surface and the inner wall have substantially similar peripheral shapes.

Images