KR20140113414A - Golf club head with flexure - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, a golf club head includes: a crown forming an upper surface of the club head; a sole which forms a lower surface of the club head and includes a transferring part, a curved part, and a rear part; a hosel including a shaft bore; and a face forming a ball-hitting surface. The curved part provides compliance during an impact between the golf club head and a golf ball, and is adjusted to vibrate at a predetermined frequency immediately after the impact.

Description

GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH FLEXURE "

Cross-reference to related application

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 618,963, filed on September 14, 2012 and now pending, in U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 720,885, The disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Field of invention

The present invention relates to an improved golf club head. In particular, the present invention relates to a golf club head having a compliant portion.

The complexity of golf club design is well known. The specifications of each component of a club (ie, clubhead, shaft, grip, and sub-components thereof) directly affect the club's performance. Thus, by changing the design specification, the golf club can be adjusted to have certain performance characteristics.

The design of the club head has been studied for a long time. Among the more important considerations in club head design are loft, lie, face angle, horizontal face bulge, vertical face roll, CG, inertia, material selection, And total head weight. While this basic set of criteria is generally the focus of golf clubs engineering, a number of different design aspects must also be addressed. The internal design of the club head may be adjusted to have special characteristics, such as including a hosel or shaft attachment means, perimeter weights on the club head, and a filler in the hollow club head.

In addition, the golf club head must be strong enough to withstand repeated impacts that may occur during a crash of a golf club with a golf ball. The load that occurs during these instantaneous events can produce a peak force in excess of 2,000 pounds. Thus, a major challenge is to design the club face and body to withstand permanent deformation or fracture due to yield or fracture of the material. Conventional hollow metal wood drivers made of titanium typically have a face thickness of greater than 2.5 mm to ensure structural integrity of the club head.

Athletes generally seek a combination of a metal-wood driver and a golf ball that provides maximum distance and landing accuracy. The distance traveled by the ball after impact is determined by the translation speed of the ball, the rotation speed of the ball, or the size and direction of the spin. Environmental conditions such as atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature, wind speed, etc., also affect ball flight. However, this environmental impact can not be controlled by golf equipment manufacturers. Accuracy of golf ball landing is also influenced by various factors. Some of these factors are due to the club head design, such as center of gravity and club face track performance.

The USGA, the governing body of US golf rules, has specifications for the performance of golf balls. These performance specifications specify the size and weight of the qualified golf ball. One USGA rule limits the initial velocity of the ball to 250 feet per second + 2% (or a maximum initial velocity of 255 feet per second) after a given impact. In order to further increase the golf ball travel distance, the velocity of the ball after impact and the coefficient of restitution of the ball-club impact must be maximized while maintaining these rules.

In general, the travel distance of a golf ball is a function of the total kinetic energy exerted on the ball when impacted by the club head, neglecting the environmental impact. During impact, kinetic energy is transmitted from the club, stored as elastic strain energy in the club head, and stored as viscoelastic strain energy in the ball. After impact, the energy stored in ball and club is converted back into kinetic energy in the form of ball translation and rotation speed as well as the club. Because it is not a completely elastic collision, some of the energy is dissipated by the vibration of the club head and the viscoelastic relaxation of the ball. Viscoelastic relaxation is the physical property of polymeric materials used in all golf balls manufactured.

The viscoelastic relaxation of the ball is a parasitic energy source that depends on strain. To minimize this effect, the strain must be reduced. This can be achieved by allowing the club face to be more deformed during impact. Because metal deformation can be purely elastic, the strain energy stored in the club face is returned to the ball after impact, thereby increasing the outbound velocity of the ball after impact.

In particular, various techniques may be used to vary the deformation of the club face, such as uniformly thinning the face, providing a stiffener with a corrugated face in a thinned face, and varying the thickness. These designs should have sufficient structural integrity to withstand repeated impacts without permanently deforming the club face. In general, the conventional club head exhibits a wide variation in the initial velocity of the ball after impact, depending on the impact position on the club face. Thus, there is a need in the art for a clubhead having a wider "sweet zone" or a zone of substantially uniform and high initial velocity of the ball.

Recent technological innovations, such as casting the thickness of the shell consistently thinner and moving to lighter materials such as titanium, making the club head larger, while maintaining a constant weight or even lighter weight, To provide a longer distance. Also, club paces are steadily getting thinner. A thinner face maximizes the coefficient of restitution (COR). The more rebound the face is at impact, the more energy can be applied to the ball, thereby increasing the distance. To make the face thinner, manufacturers moved to a forged, stamped, or machined metal face that is generally stronger than the cast face. A common method is to weld or attach a forged or stamped metal face to a body or sole. A thinner face is more easily broken. The present invention proposes a novel method for maximizing the COR by providing the desired flex and rebound at the face of the club at impact.

The present invention relates to a golf club head including a curved portion that changes compliance characteristics compared to known golf club heads.

In one embodiment, the golf club head includes crown, soul, sidewall, hosel, and face. The crown forms the upper surface of the golf club head, the soul forming the lower surface of the golf club head, and the side wall extending between the crown and the sole. The soul includes a transmission part, a curved part and a rear part. The face forms a ball-striking surface and intersects the transfer section at the leading edge. The bend portion is spaced rearward of the ball-striking surface by the transfer portion. The bend portion includes a front wall portion extending into the cavity formed by the golf club head, a rear wall portion extending into the cavity, and a vertex to which the front wall portion and the rear wall portion are coupled. The bend is spaced from the center of the golf club head by a distance of 20% to 50% of the CG-Z-fc distance between the center of gravity of the golf club head and the center of the geometric face of the golf club head along a horizontal Z- And is spaced from the striking surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred features of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like elements in the various figures.
1 is a side view of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a bottom view of the golf club head of Figure 1;
3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line 3-3 in Fig.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the golf club head of Figure 1, shown in Figure 3 as "Detail A ".
5 is a perspective view of a portion of another embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line 6-6 in Fig.
7 is a side view of another embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
Figure 8 is another side view of the golf club head of Figure 7;
9 is a side view of another embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
Figure 10 is another side view of the golf club head of Figure 9;
11 is a side view of another embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
Figure 12 is a bottom view of the golf club head of Figure 11;
13 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line 13-13 in Fig.
14 is a side view of another embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
15 is a bottom view of the golf club head of Fig.
16 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
17 is an exploded view of the golf club of Fig.
18 is a sectional view of the golf club of Fig. 16;
Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative structure of the golf club head of Figure 16;
20 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the golf club head of the present invention.
Figure 21 is an exploded view of the golf club head of Figure 20;
22 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
23 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
24 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
25 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
26 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
Figure 27 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
28 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
29 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
30 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
31 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
32 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
33 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
34 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
35 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
36 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
37 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of another embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
38 is a bottom view of another embodiment of the golf club head of the present invention.
39 is a side view of the golf club head of FIG.
Figure 40 is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head of Figure 38 taken along line 40-40.
41 is a front view of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
42 is a side view of the golf club head of FIG. 41;
Figure 43 is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head of Figure 41 taken along line 41-41.
44 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
45 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
46 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
47 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
Figure 48 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
Figure 49 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
50 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
51 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
52 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
53 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
54 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of another embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
55 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
56 is a bottom view of the golf club head of FIG. 55;
57 is a bottom view of another embodiment of the golf club head of the present invention.
58 is a front view of a golf club head showing the dimensional characteristics and coordinate system used herein.
59 is a plan view of the golf club of FIG. 58;
60 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the golf club head of FIG. 58;

All numerical ranges, amounts, values, and percentages in the amount of material, moment of inertia, center of gravity, loft and draft angle, etc., in the following detailed description, unless otherwise specified or expressly specified otherwise, , &Quot; about " may be interpreted as if preceded by the word " about ", although the term " about " Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated, the following detailed description and numerical parameters set forth in the appended claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties for which the present invention is intended to be obtained. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the claims, each numerical parameter should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits, and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

Although the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. However, any numerical value inevitably includes certain errors that inevitably arise from the standard deviation found in each test measurement. In addition, where a wide range of numerical ranges are recited herein, it is contemplated that any combination of these values, including the enumerated values, may be used.

The coefficient of restitution or "COR" is a measure of impact efficiency. COR is the ratio of the separation rate to the approach speed. For example, in the case of a golf ball being teed off, the COR may be determined using the following equation:

(M_ball (V_{ball - post} - V_{ball - pre}) + M_club (V_{ball - post} - V_{club - pre})) / M_club (V_{club - pre} - V_{ball - pre})

Where V _{club - post} represents the speed of the club after impact;

V _{ball - post} represents the velocity of the ball after impact;

V _{club - pre} is the velocity of the club before impact (zero for USGA COR conditions);

V _{ball - pre} represents the velocity of the impact ball.

Since the ball is stopped on the golf tee, the initial velocity of the ball during impact is 0.0, so the above equation can be reduced to:

(M _ball V _{ball - post} + M _club (V _{ball - post} - V _{club - pre} )) / M _club (V _{club - pre} )

COR generally depends on the shape and physical properties of the collision bodies. A fully elastic impact has a COR of 1 (1.0), indicating no energy loss, while a completely inelastic or complete plastic impact has a zero (0.0) COR, indicating that impact bodies did not separate after impact, resulting in maximum energy loss . As a result, a high COR value indicates that the velocity and distance of the hole are large.

Referring to Figures 1-4, an embodiment of a golf club head 10 of the present invention is shown. The club head 10 includes a structure that improves the club's behavior when hit by a golf ball, particularly when the lower portion of the face is hit. The club head 10 includes a crown 12, a soul 14, a skirt 16 or sidewall extending between the crown 12 and the soul 14, a face 18 providing a ball- , And a hosel (22). It should be appreciated that the skirt 16 may include curved soul 14 and surrounding portions of the crown 12 toward each other to form a transition between the upper and lower surfaces of the golf club head. The hollow body forms an inner cavity 24 that can remain empty or partially filled. The inner cavity 24, when filled, is preferably filled with a foam material or other low specific gravity material. The golf club head 10 also includes at least one weight mount 34 to allow the total weight of the golf club head to be changed and / or to change the position of the center of gravity, The mounting portion may be included at any position of the golf club head.

When the club head 10 is in the address position, the crown 12 provides the upper surface and the soul 14 provides the lower surface of the golf club head. The skirt 16 extends between the crown 12 and the soul 14 to form a peripheral portion of the club head. The face 18 provides the foremost open-strike surface 20 and includes a crown 12, a soul 14 and a peripheral portion coupled to the skirt 16 to surround the cavity 24. The face 18 includes a toe portion 26 and a heel portion 28 on either side of the geometric center of the face 18. The hosel 22 extends outwardly from the crown 12 and the skirt 16 adjacent the heel portion 28 of the face 18 and provides an attachment structure for the golf club shaft (not shown).

The hosel 22 may have a through bore or blind hosel structure. The hosel 22 is generally a tubular member and extends from the crown 12 through the cavity 24 to the bottom 14 of the club head 10 or between the crown 12 and the soul 14 Location. ≪ / RTI > The proximal end of the hosel 22 can also be terminated at the same height as the crown 12 without extending outwardly from the club head away from the crown 12 as shown in Figs.

The inner cavity 24 may have any volume, but preferably exceeds 100 cm 3, and the golf club head may have a hybrid, fairway or driver type construction. Preferably, the mass of the club head 10 of the present invention is greater than about 150 grams but less than about 220 grams, although the club head may have any suitable weight for a given length to provide the desired total weight and swing weight. The body can be welded together and formed of stamped, forged, cast and / or molded components that can be brazed and / or attached. The golf club head 10 may be comprised of a titanium alloy, any other suitable material, or a combination of materials. Also, a weight member composed of a high density material, such as tungsten, may be coupled to any portion of the golf club head, e.g., a sole.

The face 18 may include a face insert 30 coupled to a face periphery 32 such as a face flange. The face periphery 32 forms an opening for receiving the face insert 30. The face insert 30 is preferably connected to the periphery 32 by welding. For example, a plurality of chad or tabs (not shown) may be provided to form a support for placing the face insert 30, or the face insert may be tacked to a predetermined position, And the peripheral portion 32 may be integrally connected by laser or plasma welding. The face insert 30 may be manufactured by milling, casting, forging or stamping and may be formed from any suitable material such as titanium, titanium alloy, carbon steel, stainless steel, beryllium copper, carbon fiber composites, . In addition, crown 12 or soul 14 may be separately formed and coupled to the remainder of the body.

The thickness of the face insert 30 is preferably about 0.5 mm to about 4.0 mm. In addition, the insert 30 may have a uniform thickness or a variable thickness. For example, the face insert 30 may have a thicker central portion and a thinner outer portion. In another embodiment, the face insert 30 can have two or more different thicknesses, and the transition between the thicknesses can be curved or stepped. Alternatively, the face insert 30 may increase or decrease in thickness toward the toe portion 26, the heel portion 28, the crown 12 and / or the soul 14. It will be appreciated that to change the thickness of the face insert 30, one or both of the co-striking face or back face of the face 18 may have at least one portion that is curved, stepped, or flat.

As described above, the club head 10 includes a structure that improves the behavior of the club when striking the golf ball, particularly when the lower portion of the face impacts the golf ball. The crown, the sole and / or the skirt is formed with a curved portion 36 at the front portion thereof. The curved portion 36 is a generally elongated wrinkle formed in the front portion of the soul 14 extending in the toe direction from the heel.

The curved portion 36 is generally flexible in the anterior / posterior direction so that when at least a portion of the face 18 is deflected locally as the face 18 impacts the golf ball, 18 to a club head 10 that is remote from the club head 10. The golf club head is designed to have two distinct face vibration modes, between about 3000 Hz and about 6000 Hz, and generally the bend is configured to add a separate second face vibration mode. The first face vibration mode mainly includes local deformation of the face when the center face impacts the golf ball. Generally, the deformation profile of the second face vibration mode includes an overall face variation similar to an accordion and provides improved performance against the eccentric impact between the face and the golf ball.

The curved portion 36 is configured to substantially maintain the rigidity of the soul 14 in the crown / soul direction so that the sound of the golf club head is not significantly affected. If the stiffness of the soul is low in the crown / soul direction, the pitch of the sound produced by the club head will generally be low, and a low pitch is generally undesirable.

The curved portion 36 includes the face 18 so that the front portion of the club can be curved differently than it would be bent if the size and / or shape of the face 18 were not changed. In particular, a portion of the golf club head body adjacent to the face is designed to flex elastically during impact. This flexibility reduces the velocity drop of the ball and reduces the backspin that would appear when impacting the ball at locations below the ideal impact location. The ideal impact position is a position on the ball-striking surface that extends through the center of gravity of the golf club head and intersects an axis perpendicular to the ball-striking surface, so that the ideal impact position is generally between about 0.5 mm Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > mm. ≪ / RTI > By providing the curved portion 36 within the soul 14 close to the face 18, if the face 18 impacts the golf ball at a position below the ideal impact position, the club head will lessen the speed of the ball, Reduce spin. Thus, if the ball is impacted at and below the ideal impact position on the club face of the club head of the present invention, then the same impact position on the conventional club head will go farther if the swing characteristics are the same. It is particularly advantageous to place the curved portion 36 in the soul 14 because the ideal impact position is generally higher than the geometric face center in a metal wood type golf club. Thus, a significant portion of the face area will generally lie below the ideal impact location. In addition, golfers have a general tendency to lower impact on the face of the golf ball. However, a similar result may be found in the club head 10 in which the curvature is provided in another part of the club head 10 in contrast to the impact placed from the geometric face center toward the curved part. For example, a club in which a bend is disposed in a crown can improve the performance of the ball impact between the crown and the geometric face center.

In one embodiment, the curved portion 36 is provided substantially curved and generally curved with respect to at least a portion of the leading edge 38 of the club head 10, (D). Preferably, the curved portion 36 is located within 30 mm of the ball-striking surface 20, preferably within 20 mm of the ball-striking surface 20, more preferably between about 5.0 mm and 20.0 mm And is provided at the distance D. For small golf club heads, such as those with fairway wood or hybrid construction, the curved portion 36 is preferably provided within 10 mm of the ball-striking surface 20.

The curved portion 36 is composed of a first member 40 and a second member 42. [ The first member 40 is coupled to the rearward edge of the forward transfer portion 46 of the soul 14 and is deflected from the soul 14 into the inner cavity 24. The second member 42 is coupled to the forward edge of the rear portion of the soul 14 and also deflects from the soul 14 into the inner cavity 24. The ends of the first member 40 and the second member 42 that are away from the soul 14 are coupled to each other at the apex 44. [ Preferably, the curved portion is elongate and extends generally in the toe direction at the heel.

The dimensions of the curved portion 36 are selected to provide the desired flexibility when impacting the ball. As shown in Fig. 4, the curved portion 36 has a height H, a width W, and a curl length C. The height H extends in the Y-axis direction between the outer surface of the soul 14 and the apex 44. The width W is the width of the opening in the sole produced by the curved portion 36 and extends in the Z-axis direction between the junction of the soul 14 and the curved portion 36. The curl length C extends in the Z-axis direction and extends between the sow 14 and the front joint of the curved portion 36 and the apex 44. Preferably, the curved portion 36 has a height greater than 4.0 mm, preferably from about 5.0 mm to about 15.0 mm, more preferably from about 6.0 mm to about 11.0 mm. Also, preferably, the curved portion 36 has a width greater than 4.0 mm, preferably from about 5.0 mm to about 12.0 mm, more preferably from about 7.0 mm to about 11.0 mm. Further, the curved portion has a wall thickness of about 0.8 mm to about 2.0 mm, and the dimensions preferably exceed a length that is at least 25% of the total club head length along the X-axis. The first member 40 also flexes inwardly from the soul into the inner cavity, and preferably has a radius of curvature between about 20.0 mm and about 45.0 mm. Table 1 below discloses the dimensions of embodiments of the present invention that provide more efficient energy transfer and hence higher COR for ball impacts below the ideal impact position of the golf club head.

Table 1

The embodiments of the present invention described above were analyzed using finite element analysis to verify the effect of the golf club head on the vibration response and COR. In particular, a club head without bends (i.e., a reference example) was compared with embodiments of the present invention. Table 2 summarizes the comparison.

Table 2

In the above table, "extra mode" means a mode shape that does not exist without a curved portion, or a natural vibration mode. In general, the extra mode, by itself, represents a face portion that is bent and rotated relative to the rest of the golf club body. In particular, embodiments of the present invention include a curved portion that extends across a portion of the soul, and the extra mode includes a face that rotates about an interface between the face and crown so that the curved portion is bent. The curve is adjusted such that the extra mode occurs at a frequency range of about 2900 Hz to about 4000 Hz, more preferably at about 3600 Hz, which is analyzed to be most effective in increasing the velocity of the ball after impact. In practice, such an adjustment causes the width W of the curved portion to change to a sinusoidal shape immediately after the impact, at a frequency of about 2900 Hz to about 4000 Hz. If the extra mode occurs at a frequency higher or lower than the range, the velocity of the hole may actually be lower than the reference example without the bends. Using the FEA analysis of the first embodiment of the present invention in which the bend portion is adjusted to provide a frequency of less than 2900 Hz, particularly about 2157 Hz, in the extra mode, Head. Also, if it contains too strong a curved portion, it will provide a golf club head that does not include an extra mode, as shown by the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and only the velocity of the ball increases after impact.

The transfer portion 46 of the soul 14 extends between the curved portion 36 and the leading edge 38. It is preferable that the transmitting portion 46 is configured so that the transmitting portion 46 is not bent excessively and the force of the golf ball impact is transmitted to the curved portion 18. [ For example, the transfer portion 46 is oriented so as to be less bent. In particular, the transmission plane tangent to the center of the transmission portion 46 (in both front / rear and heel / toe directions) of the soul 14 forms an angle a with respect to the ground plane. The angle alpha is preferably less than or equal to the loft angle of the golf club head at the address so that the angle between the transmission plane and the ball- It does not bend easily.

The curved portion 36 may be formed in any suitable manner. For example, the curved portion 36 may be cast as part of the soul 14. Alternatively, the curved portion 36 may be stamped or forged as a component of the soul. Further, the curved portion may be formed by including a thickened region and machining a recess in the thickened region to form a curved portion. A spin-milling process may be used to provide the desired recess, and although the spin-milling process is generally disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8,240,021, filed August 14, 2012, as applied to face grooves, By increasing the size of the mill tool and changing the profile of the cutter, the process can be used to machine the curved portion with the desired profile. Generally, the process utilizes a tool having a profiled cutting end to produce the desired curved profile and a rotational axis that is perpendicular to the leading edge of the golf club head and parallel to the soul. The tool then moves along a generally parallel cutting path to the leading edge. As another alternative disclosed in more detail below, a separate bend component can be added to the bend of the soul to further adjust the bend of the soul, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. [

As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the face of the golf club head may include a face insert that is separately stamped, forged and / or machined to be coupled to the body of the golf club head. Alternatively, the entire face may be stamped, forged or cast as part of a homogeneous shell, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, so that there is no need to bond or permanently fix a separate face insert to the body. As a further alternative, the face may be part of a stamped or forged face component, such as a face cup, including portions of a soul, crown and / or skirt. In such an embodiment, the face component is coupled to the remainder of the club head body away from the face plane by a distance of about 0.2 inch to about 1.5 inch. Preferably, the face component includes a transfer portion of the soul extending to the bend, or the face component includes both the transfer portion and the bend portion.

5 and 6, the golf club head 60 includes a crown 62, a soul 64, a skirt 66 extending between the crown 62 and the soul 64, a ball- A face 68 that provides a striking surface 70, and a hollow body that includes a hosel 69. The hollow body forms an internal cavity 74 that can remain empty or can be fully or partially filled.

The curved portion 76 is formed in the front portion of the soul, but alternatively, the curved portion may be formed in the crown and / or skirt. Preferably, the curved portion 76 is a generally elongated corrugation extending in the toe direction at the heel and formed in the forward portion of the soul 64 of the body of the golf club head 60. The curved portion 76 extends from the face 68 to the rear club head 68 so that at least a portion of the face 68 can be deflected locally as well as translated and rotated as a unit when the face 68 impacts the golf ball. 60 to provide a flexible portion.

The curved portion 76 includes the face 68 so that the front portion of the club can be curved differently than it would if it did not change the size and / or shape of the face 68. This flexibility reduces spindle speed degradation in the case of mis-hits, i.e., when impacting the ball at a location remote from the ideal impact location, and reduces spin when impacting below an ideal impact location. For example, by providing the curved portion 76 within the soul 64 close to the face 68, the club head will lessen the speed of the ball when impacting the ball at a position below the ideal impact position. Thus, during use, if the ball is impacted on the bottom of the club face of the club head of the present invention, the same impact position on the club face of a conventional club head will go farther if the swing characteristics are the same.

In one embodiment, the curved portion 76 is provided to be substantially parallel to at least a portion of the leading edge 78 of the club head 60 and is provided within a predetermined distance D from the ball-striking surface 70. Preferably, the curvature 76 is within a distance D of less than 30 mm of the ball-striking surface 70, more preferably within 20 mm of the ball-striking surface 70, most preferably within 10 mm, .

In this embodiment, the curved portion 76 is composed of a first member 80, a second member 82 and a third member 83 and is generally a separate component that is coupled to the soul 64 . The first member 80 is coupled to the rearward edge of the forward transfer portion 65 of the soul 64 and is bent into the inner cavity 74 from the transfer portion 65. The second member 82 is coupled to the forward edge of the rear portion of the soul 64 and also deflects from the soul 64 into the inner cavity 74. The ends of the first member 80 and the second member 82, which are remote from the soul 64, are coupled to each other at the apex 84. Preferably, the curved portion is elongate and extends generally in the toe direction at the heel. The curved portion 76 may be joined, welded, or coupled to the soul 64 using a mechanical fastener, and the material of the curved portion 76 may have a plurality of densities , ≪ / RTI > Young's modulus and dimensions. Further, by configuring the curved portion as a separate component, the curved portion can be replaced to repair the broken curved portion. For example, by forging the curved portion and casting the remainder of the golf club head, The curved portion can be manufactured by a process.

Similar to the embodiments described above, the dimensions of the curved portion 76 are selected to provide the desired resilient flexibility corresponding to the ball impact. The curved portion 76 forms a height H, a width W, and a curl length C. Preferably, the curved portion 76 has a height of more than 4 mm, preferably of about 5 mm to about 15 mm, a width of more than 4 mm, preferably of about 5 mm to about 10 mm, Mm and a wall thickness of about 2.0 mm, the dimensions of which preferably exceed a length of at least 25% of the total club head length along the X-axis.

The curved portion 76 includes a third member 83 that can be used to adjust the flexibility of the curved portion 76. [ The third member 83 can be coupled to an inner surface or an outer surface (shown) of the curved portion 76 to locally increase the rigidity of the curved portion 76. Preferably, the third member 83 is made of a material having a lower specific gravity than the material of at least one member of the first member 80 and the second member 82. The third member 83 may be joined to the first member 80 and the second member 82 using, for example, an adhesive or mechanically coupled, welded, or brazed, for example, by a fastener have. The third member may be composed of a metallic material such as aluminum, or a carbon fiber composite material or a non-metallic material such as polyurethane.

The position, dimensions, and number of bends at the golf club head may be selected to provide the desired behavior. For example, as shown in the golf club head 90 of FIGS. 7 and 8, a plurality of curved portions may be included. The golf club head 90 has a hollow body structure generally formed by the soul 92, the crown 94 skirt 96, the face 98 and the hosel 100. The crown curvature portion 102 is disposed at the front portion of the crown 94 and the soul curving portion 104 is disposed at the front portion of the soul 92. [ Preferably, each curved portion 102, 104 has the same size and dimensions as the curved portions described above.

In another embodiment, a portion of the golf club head body or a curved portion that surrounds the entire golf club head body may be included. 9 and 10, the golf club head 110 includes a hollow body structure (not shown) formed by the soul 112, the crown 114, the skirt 116, the face 118 and the hosel 120, . The curved portion 122 is formed in the front portion of the golf club head and surrounds the periphery of the golf club head. The curved portion 122 is generally formed in a plane parallel to the face plane of the golf club head 110. The distance between the curved portion 122 and the face 118 may vary along its length so that the curved portion 122 adjusts the local effect of providing the flexibility of the golf club head. For example, portions of the curved portion 122 may be further spaced from the face 118 relative to other portions. As shown, in one embodiment, the heel portion and the toe portion of the curved portion 122 are further spaced from the face 118 than the soul and crown portions of the curved portion 122. In addition, the dimensions of the curved portion 122 may also be varied to accommodate the local effect that the curved portion 122 provides for flexibility of the golf club head. As shown, portions of the curved portion 122 may have different heights, widths, and / or curl lengths to vary the behavior of portions of the curved portion 122.

In a further embodiment, as shown in Figures 11-13, the compliant curved portion may be combined with a low density cover member of a multi-material. For example, the golf club head 130 generally has a hollow body structure formed by the soul 132, the crown 134, the skirt 136, the face 138 and the hosel 140. The golf club head 130 also includes a curved portion 142 formed in the front portion of the soul 132 of the golf club head 130. In addition, a cover 144 is included in the golf club head 130 and is configured to cover the outer surface of the curved portion.

Generally, the cover 144 is a strip of material disposed across the curved portion 142 so as to entirely surround the curved portion 142. The cover 144 may have a dimension that covers some or all of the curved portion 142 and may extend to portions of the golf club head 130 that do not include a curved portion. For example, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the cover 144 extends across the curved portion 142 disposed on the soul 132 and covers the curved portion. The cover 144 also forms a part of the crown 134 and the skirt 136. Preferably, the cover 144 is constructed of a material different from the material of the soul 132, the crown 134 and the skirt 136. The cover 144 is coupled to adjacent portions thereof by being welded, brazed, or attached to adjacent portions of the golf club head 130. Preferably, the curved portion and the cover are comprised of a titanium alloy, such as a beta-titanium alloy, having a width between about 2.0 mm and about 20.0 mm and a thickness between about 0.35 mm and about 2.0 mm.

The cover may be included to help address position control of the golf club head as the soul is positioned on the playing surface, as well as to remove undesirable aesthetics of the curved portion. In particular, the cover may be included to adjust the visual face angle of the golf club head when the head is positioned on the playing surface by altering the contact surface of the golf club head. The cover may be configured to surround the periphery of the golf club head to a crown and may include a low density body structure that provides additional discretionary mass, lower and / or deeper center of gravity position and higher moment of inertia by replacing a portion of the material of the periphery. So that the performance and the distance potential can be improved.

In fact, the cover provides crown compliance and the bends provide soul compliance. As a further alternative, the cover can be removed from the curved portion to provide compliance only to portions of the golf club head remote from the soul. In this example, the dimensions of the components are preferably in the ranges described with reference to Figures 11-13.

14 and 15, a golf club head 150 including a curved portion 162 having a spatial relationship that varies with respect to the face plane along the length from the heel to the toe will now be described. Due to the geometry of the golf club head face coupled to the circular stress profile applied to the face during ball impact, the bottom of the face experiences different magnitudes of stresses at different locations from the heel to the toe. Generally, portions of the golf club head at the ends of the heel and toe experience lower stresses than portions of the golf club immediately below the geometric center of the face, and the stress gradient is in the region of the curved portion 162 It is converted to the stress for the soul. The distance of the curved portion with respect to the intersection of the face plane and / or the leading edge / soul of the face is changed to correspond to the amount of relative stress in the various portions. For example, the heel and toe portions of the bend may be offset from the face plane of the golf club head and the leading edge of the golf club head such that the leading edge of the golf club head is more easily flexed, particularly under eccentric ball impact, It is preferable to be disposed close to the leading edge.

The golf club head 150 has a hollow body structure formed by the soul 152, the crown 154, the skirt 156, the face 158 and the hosel 160. The curved portion 162 is formed in the front portion of the golf club head and generally extends across the golf club head in the toe direction at the heel via a soul and a skirt. The curved portion 162 generally includes a central portion 164, a tow portion 166, and a heel portion 168. The portions of the curved portion 162 are spaced apart from each other by a spatial relationship that varies with respect to the face plane such that the center portion 164 is disposed further rearward from the face plane than the toe portion 166 and the heel portion 168 . The curved portion 162 also includes heel and toe extensions 170, 172 extending along the skirt 156 from the heel and toe portions 168, 166 rearwardly, respectively. The heel and toe extensions 170, 172 may extend rearward and meet at one location on the skirt or sole.

In a further embodiment, the bends are provided primarily in a multi-material structure. 16-18, generally speaking, the golf club head 180 includes a hollow body formed by the soul 182, the crown 184, the skirt 186, the face 188 and the hosel 190, Structure, and includes a curved portion 192. The curved portion 192 is included in the front portion of the golf club head 180 and can be configured as a tubular member interposed between the face portion 194 and the rear body portion 196 to form a middle ring, have. The ring has a selected stiffness so that the face can be deformed globally in cooperation with deformation locally occurring at the impact point. Similar to the embodiment described above, the curved portion 192 is adjusted so that the impact has an oscillating frequency of about 2900 Hz to about 4000 Hz across the curve. The properties of the ring are chosen as an additional means for controlling and optimizing the Corresponding Characteristic Time (CT) values across the face, especially for ball impacts far from the ideal impact position.

The curved portion 192 is composed of a material that provides a lower Young's modulus than the adjacent portions of the rear body portion 196 and the face portion 194. Preferably, the curved portion 192, the face portion 194 and the rear body portion 196 are constructed of a material that can be easily coupled, e.g., by welding. For example, the face portion 194 and the rear body portion 196 are preferably comprised of a first titanium alloy, and the curved portion 192 is comprised of a beta-titanium alloy described in more detail below. The curved portion 192 may have a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the adjacent portions as shown in Fig. 18, and the outer surface of the curved portion may be located at the same height as the outer surface of the adjacent portions. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 19, the curved portion 192a may have a thickness different from that of the adjacent portions and the outer surface of the curved portion 192a may be configured to be concave relative to the adjacent portions. As yet another alternative, the curved portion may be configured such that the outer surface of the curved portion is convex or raised relative to adjacent portions.

Alternatively, a carbon composite ring that provides low stiffness can be incorporated into the curved portion 192. The geometry of the joining structure, ring geometry (e.g., ring width and thickness, which can vary depending on the position in the ring), ring position, fiber orientation, type of resin and percentage of resin content all depend on the driver Are parameters that are selected to optimize the flexibility of the curvature 192 to improve the velocity of the ball starting at the entire face of the ball. Preferably, the carbon composite curvature is bonded to the adjacent metallic face portion and the adjacent metallic rear body portion. By way of example, the bend may be a ring having a width in the range of about 12.0 mm to about 20.0 mm and a thickness in the range of about 0.5 mm to about 3.0 mm, and the thickness may vary depending on the location around the periphery.

The golf club head of Figs. 20 and 21 incorporates a bend of a multi-material. The golf club head 200 includes a curved portion 202 including a structure made of a multi-material, though it largely depends on physical properties in order to change the rigidity as well as the curved portion 192. Generally, the golf club head 200 is configured as a hollow body formed by the face portion 204, the curved portion 202, and the rear body portion 206. When the face portion 204, the curved portion 202, and the rear body portion 206 are coupled, they generally face the face 208, the crown 210, the soul 212, the skirt 214 and the hosel 216 Respectively.

The curved portion 202 includes a front member 218, a central member 220, and a rear member 222. Preferably, the front member 218 and the rear member 222 are easily coupled to the face portion 204 and the rear body portion 206 and the central member 220 has a frequency in the range of about 2900 Hz to about 4000 Hz The materials are selected to be thin and flexible enough to provide the extra vibration mode with which they are made. In one embodiment, the front member 218 and the rear member 222 are metallic and the central member 220 is interposed between the front member 218 and the rear member 222 and is composed of a carbon fiber composite material.

Preferably, the rear member 222 is spaced apart from the interface between the face 208 and the front member 218 by at least 6.0 mm, more preferably by at least 12.0 mm. The hosel 216 may be composed of a metallic and / or non-metallic material. In one embodiment, the face portion 204 and the rear body portion 206 are made of a titanium alloy and the front member 218 and the back member 222 are made of a material having a density lower than titanium, For example, aluminum or a magnesium alloy, and the central member 220 is made of a thin carbon fiber composite material having sufficient flexibility to provide a desired frequency response. Further, the front member and / or the rear member may be co-molded with the composite central member. In general, materials are selected to provide adequate bond strength between the components using conventional methods such as adhesive bonding.

The golf club head of the present invention may include a curved portion that extends across the interface between the rear portion of the golf club head and the face, as shown in Figures 22 and 23. [ In general, the golf club head 230 has a hollow body structure formed by the soul 232, the crown 234, the skirt 236, the face 238 and the hosel 240, and the curved portion 242 . The curved portion 242 is included in the front portion of the golf club head 230 and is interposed between the face 238 and the soul 232 and between the crown 234 and the skirt 236.

The bend has a selected stiffness so that the face can be deformed globally in cooperation with the locally occurring deformation at the impact point. Similar to the above-described embodiment, the curved portion 242 is adjusted such that the impact has an oscillating frequency of about 2900 Hz to about 4000 Hz across the curve. The properties of the ring are chosen as an additional means for controlling and optimizing the Corresponding Characteristic Time (CT) values across the face, especially for ball impacts far from the ideal impact position.

The curved portion 242 is generally disposed about the periphery of the face 238 so that it extends from the face of the golf club head 230 to the rear portion of the golf club head such as the soul 232, the crown 234 and the skirt 236 ) Of the transverse curvature. The curved portion 242 may be discontinuous as shown, such as to be interrupted by the hosel portion of the golf club head. The curved portion 242 terminates in a flange that provides a coupling feature for mounting the curved portion 242 to the golf club head 230. It should be understood that the coupling feature may be a surface provided to form butt joints, lap joints, The curved portion 242 includes a face flange 244 and a rear flange 246. Face flange 244 is coupled to peripheral edge 248 of face 238. Portions of the rear flange 246 are coupled to crown flange 250 and soul flange 252, for example, to couple to portions of the peripheral edges of soul 232, crown 234 and skirt 236, do. Preferably, the face and back flanges are between about 2.0 mm and about 12.0 mm.

The curved portion 242 is preferably constructed of a material that provides a lower Young's modulus than adjacent portions of the golf club head. Preferably, the curved portion 242, the face 238 and the rear portion of the golf club head 230 are constructed of materials that can be easily coupled, e.g., by welding. For example, the face 238 and the rear portion are preferably comprised of a first titanium alloy, and the curved portion 242 is comprised of a beta-titanium alloy described in more detail below.

Alternatively, the curved portion 242 may be comprised of a carbon fiber composite ring that provides low stiffness. The geometry of the ring, the geometry of the ring, the location of the rings, the fiber orientation, the type of resin and the percentage of resin content all contribute to the improvement of the speed of the ball starting from the entire face of the driver while maintaining the durability of the golf club head. These are the parameters that are selected to optimize flexibility. Preferably, the carbon composite curvature is bonded to the adjacent metallic face and the adjacent metallic rear body portion.

In another embodiment shown in Fig. 24, the curved portion is coupled to the face member at the transition between the rear portion of the golf club head and the face. For example, the golf club head 260 generally has a hollow body structure formed by the soul 262, the crown 264, the skirt 266, the face 268, the hosel and the curved portion 272. The curved portion 272 is included in the front portion of the golf club head 260 and is generally configured as an annular member interposed between the face 268 and the soul 262 and between the crown 264 and the skirt 266.

Similar to the above-described embodiment, the curved portion 272 is adjusted such that the impact has an oscillating frequency of about 2900 Hz to about 4000 Hz across the curve. The curved portion 272 may be disposed about the periphery of the face 268 to extend from the face of the golf club head 260 to the rear portion of the golf club head such as to the soul 262, the crown 264 and the skirt 266 And extends across the transition curvature. The curved portion 272 terminates in a flange that provides an example of a coupling feature for mounting the curved portion 272 to the golf club head 260. The curved portion 272 includes a face flange 274 and a rear flange 276. The face flange 274 is coupled to the peripheral flange 278 of the face 268. Portions of the rear flange 276 may be coupled to portions of the peripheral edges of the soul 262, crown 264 and skirt 266, such as by being coupled to the crown flange 280 and the soul flange 282, do.

The curved portion 272 is preferably constructed of a material that provides a lower Young's modulus than adjacent portions of the golf club head. Preferably, the curved portion 272, the face 268 and the rear portion of the golf club head 260 are constructed of materials that can be easily coupled, e.g., by welding. For example, the face 268 and the rear portion are preferably comprised of a first titanium alloy, and the curved portion 272 is comprised of a beta-titanium alloy described in more detail below.

25, the golf club head 290 includes an interface member included for use in coupling the curved portion 292 to adjacent portions of the golf club head 290. In the embodiment shown in FIG. The front interface member 294 is interposed between the curved portion 292 and the face member 296. Likewise, the rear interface member 298 is interposed between the curved portion 292 and the rear body member 300.

In this embodiment, the front interface member 294 and the rear interface member 298 are all configured as annular members interposed between adjacent components. The front interface member 294 includes a face flange 302 that is coupled to the face member 296 by lap joints and a curved flange 304 that is coupled to the curved portion 292 by lap joints. A portion of the front interface member 294 is exposed to form a portion of the front surface of the golf club head 290. The interface member 294 separates the front edge of the curved portion 292 from the peripheral edge of the face member 296. The rear interface member 298 includes a rear body flange 306 coupled to the rear body member 300 and a curved flange 308 coupled to the curved portion 292. The rear interface member 298 separates the rear body member 300 from the curved portion 292.

The golf club head 290 has a multi-material construction. In one example, the rear body member 300 and the face member 296 are comprised of a titanium alloy and may be constructed identically with a titanium alloy such as Ti6-4. The front interface member 294 and the rear interface member 298 are constructed of materials selected to be coupled to the material of the face member 296, the curved portion 292 and the rear body member 300. In one example, the interface members are made of an aluminum alloy, and the curved portion is made of a carbon fiber composite material. It should also be appreciated that the interface member 298 need not be configured in a constant cross-sectional shape.

The golf club head 320 shown in FIG. 26 includes interface members that are used to couple the curved portion 322 to adjacent portions of the golf club head 320. The front interface member 324 is interposed between the curved portion 322 and the face member 326. Likewise, the rear interface member 328 is interposed between the curved portion 322 and the rear body member 330.

The front interface member 324 and the rear interface member 328 are both configured as annular members interposed between adjacent components. The front interface member 324 includes a face flange 332 that is coupled to the face member 326 by overlapping engagement. The front interface member 324 also includes a curved flange 334 that is coupled to the front flange 340 of the curved portion 322. A portion of the front interface member 324 is exposed to form a portion of the front surface of the golf club head 320. The interface member 324 separates the front edge of the curved portion 322 from the peripheral edge of the face member 326. The rear interface member 328 includes a rear body flange 336 coupled to the rear body member 330 and a curved flange 338 coupled to the curved portion 322. The rear interface member 328 separates the rear body member 330 and the curved portion 322 from each other.

The golf club head 320 has a multi-material construction. In one example, the rear body member 330 and face member 326 are comprised of a titanium alloy and may be constructed identically with a titanium alloy such as Ti6-4. The front interface member 324 and the rear interface member 328 are constructed of materials selected to be coupled to the material of the face member 326, the curved portion 322 and the rear body member 330. In one example, the interface members are made of an aluminum alloy, and the curved portion is made of a carbon fiber composite material.

Referring to FIG. 27, the golf club head 350 includes a curved portion 352 spaced from the transition portion between the rear portion of the golf club and the face 354. In general, the golf club head 350 has a hollow body structure formed by the soul 356, the crown 358, the skirt 360, the face 354, the hosel and the curved portion 352.

The curved portion 352 is interposed between the rear portion of the golf club head 350 and the face 354. Generally, the curved portion 352 is an annular member having a U-shaped cross-sectional shape to include a front flange 362 and a rear flange 364. [ The front flange 362 is coupled to the face flange 366 of the face 354 and the rear flange 364 is coupled to the flange of the rear portion of the golf club including the crown flange 368 and the soul flange 370 .

An embodiment similar to the embodiment of FIG. 27, but including an alternative flange structure, is shown in FIGS. 28 and 29. 28, the golf club head 380 includes a hollow body structure formed by the soul 382, the crown 384, the skirt 386, the face 388, the hosel and the curved portion 390 . The curved portion 390 is interposed between the rear portion of the golf club head including the soul 382 and the crown 384 and the face 388. The curved portion 390 is a generally annular member that includes a front coupling portion 392 and a rear flange 394. The front coupling portion 392 is a portion of a curved portion 390 that surrounds and is coupled to the face flange 396 to receive at least a portion of the face flange 396. Portions of the rear flange 394 abut the soul flange 398 and the crown flange 400 and are coupled.

29, the golf club head 410 includes a hollow body structure formed by the soul 412, the crown 414, the skirt 416, the face 418, the hosel and the curved portion 420 . The curved portion 420 is interposed between the rear portion of the golf club head including the soul 412 and the crown 414 and the face 418. The curved portion 420 is a generally annular member including a front flange 422 and a rear flange 424. [ The front flange 422 abuts the face flange 426 and is coupled. Portions of the rear flange 424 abut the soul flange 428 and the crown flange 430 and are coupled.

The structure of the curved portions of each embodiment can be selected from a variety of alternatives to provide an adjusted behavior during the impact of the craft. 30 to 34 show various alternative multi-piece structures of the bend. In particular, the illustrated bends include bend components with various alternative geometries. For example, the curved portion 440 of FIG. 30 includes an angled cross-sectional shape and includes a curved component 442 formed as a generally L-shaped member. The bend component 442 is coupled to the rear flange 446 and the front flange 444 of the golf club body 448. As shown, the front flange 444 and the rear flange 446 are converging flanges that are inclined toward each other. The front flange 444 and the rear flange 446 are generally integrated into the soul 450 of the golf club head body 448 at a location near the face 452 of the golf club head. As described above, the curved portion 440 is preferably disposed within about 20 mm of the co-striking face of the face 452, and more preferably between about 5.0 mm and about 20.0 mm. The bend component 442 may be formed by any mechanical coupling process, for example by welding, brazing, mechanical fasteners, diffusion bonding, liquid interface diffusion bonding, super plastic forming and diffusion bonding, and / And may be coupled to the front flange 444 and the rear flange 446. [ To facilitate the coupling process, a structure may be provided that permits access to the inner cavity of the golf club head at the time of manufacture, such as a crown draw-out structure or a face draw-out structure.

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 31, a golf club head 462 includes a curved portion 460 having a corrugated or corrugated cross-sectional shape. The curved portion 460 is composed of a rear flange 468 of the golf club head 462 and a curved component 464 coupled to the front flange 466. The front flange 466 and the rear flange 468 are generally integrated into the soul 472 of the golf club head body 462 at a location near the face 470 of the golf club head. As described above, the curved portion 460 is preferably disposed within about 20 mm of the co-striking face of the face 470, and more preferably between about 5.0 mm and about 20.0 mm. The bend component 464 may be coupled to the front flange 466 and the rear flange 468 by any mechanical coupling process, for example, by the use of welding, brazing, mechanical fasteners, and / .

In a further embodiment, the curved portion is formed of a curved component that is generally channel-shaped with the flange. 32, the golf club head 480 includes a curved component 484 coupled to the flange of the soul 492 of the golf club head 480, for example, by welding, brazing and / As shown in Fig. The curved portion 482 is preferably disposed within about 20 mm of the co-striking face of the face 494, more preferably between about 5.0 mm and about 20.0 mm. In particular, the bend component 484 is a generally channel-shaped member that includes recesses 486 that receive the back flange 490 and portions of the front flange 488. The recesses 486 are spaced apart by a portion of the curved component 484 that is selected to provide a desired spacing between the front flange 488 and the rear flange 490.

In a similar embodiment shown in FIG. 33, the golf club head 500 includes a curved portion 502 formed of a curved component 504 having a channel-shaped cross-section. The bend component 504 is coupled to a flange formed on the soul 506 of the golf club head 500, for example, by welding, brazing and / or adhesive. The curved portion 502 is preferably located within about 20 mm of the co-striking face of the face 508, and more preferably between about 5.0 mm and about 20.0 mm. In particular, the curved component 504 is a generally channel-shaped member that forms a slot that accommodates portions of the rear flange 512 and the front flange 510.

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 34, the golf club head 520 includes a curved portion 522 formed of a curved component 524 having a channel-shaped cross-section. The curved component 524 is configured to have a generally shank tooth-shaped cross-section, and particularly includes a generally curved portion and a generally planar portion that meet at an apex. The curved component 524 is coupled to a flange formed on the soul 526 of the golf club head 520, for example, by welding, brazing and / or adhesive. The curved portion 522 is preferably located within about 20 mm of the co-striking face of the face 528, and more preferably between about 5.0 mm and about 20.0 mm. In particular, the curvature component 524 is a generally channel-shaped member that forms a slot that accommodates portions of the rear flange 532 and the front flange 530.

35, another embodiment of the golf club head 540 includes a curved portion 542 that is similar in shape to the embodiment shown in FIG. 34, but the curved portion 542 includes a soul 546 of the golf club head, As shown in Fig. The curved section 542 is formed of a curved section element 544 having a cross section forming a channel. The curved component 544 is configured to have a generally shank tooth-shaped cross-sectional shape, and particularly includes a first curved portion and a generally planar portion that meet at the apex. The curved component 544 is coupled to a flange formed on the soul 546 of the golf club head 540, for example, by welding, brazing, and / or adhesive. The curved portion 542 is preferably disposed within about 20.0 mm of the co-striking face of the face 548, and more preferably between about 5.0 mm and about 20.0 mm.

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 36, the golf club head 560 includes a curved portion 562. The curved portion 562 is formed of a curved component 564 having a generally tubular cross-section. It should be understood that the curved component 564 is configured to have a generally tubular cross-sectional shape and is shown having an annular cross-sectional shape, but may have any cross-sectional shape. The bend component 564 is coupled to a flange 568 formed on the soul 566 of the golf club head 560, for example, by welding, brazing and / or adhesive. The curved component 564 has a complementary external shape with the flange 568 and provides a coupling surface such that the curved component 564 can be coupled to the flange 568. The curved portion 562 is preferably disposed within about 20.0 mm of the co-striking face of the face 570, and more preferably between about 5.0 mm and about 20.0 mm.

Referring to FIG. 37, in a further embodiment, the golf club head 580 includes a curved portion 582. The curved portion 582 is similar in shape to the embodiment shown in Fig. 34, but the curved portion 582 is oriented so that the cross-section of the generally shark tooth shape is reversed. In particular, the curved portion of the curved portion 582 is disposed further rearward than in the other embodiments shown. As shown, the curved portion 582 is formed by a curved portion 584 having a cross-section that forms a channel, but the curved portion 582, together with the soul 586 of the golf club head 580, As shown in FIG. By changing the orientation of the curved portion with respect to the rest of the golf club head, the stress applied to the curved portion is applied in the other direction, and the curved portion is effectively strengthened as the behavior of the curved portion is changed. As a result, the bend can be adjusted to match the golf club head by changing the orientation. The curved component 584 is coupled to a flange formed on the soul 586 of the golf club head 580, for example, by welding, brazing and / or adhesive. The curved portion 582 is preferably disposed within about 20.0 mm of the co-striking face of the face 588, more preferably between about 5.0 mm and about 20.0 mm, and preferably between about 0.35 mm and 2.0 mm Respectively.

Referring to Figures 38-40, the golf club head 600 includes a elongated cavity providing a curved portion 602 that can be adjusted to provide the desired compliance. For example, the golf club head may include a compliant tube that may be filled or partially filled with a compliant material to control sound, feel and compliance, or may remain empty. The golf club head 600 includes a crown 604, a soul 606, a skirt 608, a face 610 forming a ball-striking surface 611, and a hosel 612, 614 to form a hollow golf club head structure. The curved portion 602 is a three-elongated tubular structure extending generally in the toe direction at the heel, and forms a curved portion cavity 613. In one embodiment, the curved portion 602 includes a golf club head 600 so as to intersect a vertical front-rear plane extending through the geometric center of the face of the golf club head 600 when the golf club head is in the addressed position. Lt; / RTI >

And includes a through hole 616 that provides access to the interior of the curved portion 602 which is closed by a cover 618 that is preferably removably coupled to the curved portion 602 in the through hole 616. [ . As an example, a thread may be formed in the through-hole 616, and the cover 618 may include a tool engagement feature that is threaded into the through-hole 616 and allows the cover 618 to be installed and removed .

Alternatively, the curved portion 602 may be completely or partially filled with an insert 603, such as a high-density elastomeric insert. For example, an elastomeric material, such as a tungsten-impregnated elastomeric material, is inserted into the tubular bend or inserted into one of the other embodiments disclosed herein including an open slot behind the face to create a high density flexible insert. The insert can be used to fill the curves or to fill partially to change the acoustic behavior of the golf club head. A plurality of inserts made of materials having different densities and / or different weight distributions to produce inserts coupled to the bend at different mass and / or weight distributions such that the final weight and mass distribution of the golf club head can be selected Can be provided. The bends may also include openings extending into the inner cavity, and inserts may be used to seal the openings such that dust and water are not introduced into the inner cavity by not exposing the inner cavity to the environment. Exemplary suitable materials include polyurethanes, rubbers, thermoset polymers, thermoplastic polymers, epoxies, foam materials and neoprene. The selected material has a hardness selected to be combined with the curved portion to provide combined flexibility. Preferably, the selected material generally has a hardness in the range of hardness A in the range of 30 to 95 or in the range of hardness D in the range of 45 to 85.

41-43, another embodiment of a golf club head 620 including a curved portion 622 extending outward from the soul 624 of the golf club head will be described. The golf club head 620 is comprised of a crown 626, a soul 624, a skirt 628, a face 630 forming a ball-striking surface 631, and a hosel 632, 634 < / RTI > to form a hollow body structure. In this embodiment, the curved portion 622 traverses the soul 624, traverses the skirt 628 and continues extending across the crown 626 so that the skirt 628 of the golf club head 620, It covers the part.

In a further embodiment, the soul plate is incorporated into the golf club head and is at least partially integrated into the curved portion. 44, the golf club head 640 includes a crown 642, a soul 644, a face 646, a skirt 648 and a sole plate 650, RTI ID = 0.0 > a < / RTI > The soul 644 and the soul plate 650 are combined to form a curved portion 652. The curved portion 652 is a channel-shaped feature that extends generally in the toe direction at the heel and is formed of a first member 654, a second member 656, and a soul plate 650. The first member 654 is coupled to the rearward edge of the forward transfer portion 658 of the soul 644 and is bent into the inner cavity 651 from the soul 644. The second member 656 is coupled to the forward edge of the rear portion of the soul 644 and also deflects from the soul 644 into the inner cavity 651. The ends of the first member 654 and the second member 656, which are remote from the soul 644, are coupled to each other at the apex 660. The second lower end of the second member 656 engages with the forward portion of the soul plate 650 so that the depth of the curved portion 652 is deeper than the thickness of the soul plate 650, 640 to the outer soul surface of the lower portion of the lower soul.

In a fairway wood or hybrid embodiment, which is generally configured to provide a ground plane, only the forward transmission portion 658 of the soul 644 provides a ground plane, and the remainder of the ground plane is provided by the lower surface of the soul plate 650 As such, the soul 644 has a generally stepped configuration. Preferably, the curved portion is elongated and extends generally in the toe direction at the heel.

Further, in this and the following examples, the material of the sole plate is selected to provide a desired mass distribution to the golf club head, which material may have a higher or lower density than the rest of the body material. For example, since the soul plate is generally integral with the curvature relatively close to the face of the golf club head, it may be advantageous to use a high density material for the fairway and hybrid embodiments to keep the center of gravity of the golf club head low On the other hand, a low density material may be advantageous in the driver embodiment, so that the mass of the material otherwise to be dedicated to the soul structure can be distributed to the periphery of the golf club head. The soul plate material is preferably selected from aluminum, titanium, magnesium, zirconium, steel, tungsten and the soul plate may be coupled to the golf club head body by fasteners, brazing, welding, adhesives or any other suitable attachment method. have. In one example, fairway wood is constructed by using titanium for most of the body and brazing steel or tungsten soul plate to the titanium body.

45, the golf club head 670 is configured similar to the golf club head of FIG. 44 by including a soul plate 672 that forms a portion of the curved portion 674, but in this embodiment A soul plate 672 is accommodated in the concave portion of the soul 676 of the golf club head 670. The golf club head 670 is generally hollow and comprises a crown 678, a soul 676, a face 680, a skirt 682 and a soul plate 672, Lt; / RTI >

The curved portion 674 is generally formed of a first member 686, a second member 688, and a soul plate 672. The first member 686 is coupled to the rearward edge of the forward transfer portion 690 of the soul 676 and is bent into the inner cavity 684 from the soul 676. The second member 688 couples to the forward edge of the rear portion of the soul 676 and also deflects from the soul 676 into the inner cavity 684. The ends of the first member 686 and the second member 688, which are away from the soul 676, are coupled to each other at a vertex 692. The second lower end of the second member 688 engages with the forward portion of the soul plate 672 and the rear portion of the curved portion 674 extending from the apex 692 to the outer soul surface of the lower portion of the golf club head 670 It completes.

The soul 676 and the second member 688 are engaged to form a recess in the bottom wall portion of the golf club head 670 that receives the soul plate 672. [ In particular, the lower end of the second member 688 extends below the junction between the second member 688 and the soul 676 to form a shoulder, such as tab 689, Extends below the surface. As a result, in the fairway wood and hybrid embodiments that use the lower surface for grounding, the forward transmission portion 658, soul plate 650, and rear portion of the soul 676 are positioned on the ground lower surface of the golf club head 670 .

46, another embodiment of a golf club head including a sole plate is shown. The golf club head 700 includes a soul plate 702 coupled to the soul 704 to form a portion of the curved portion 706. The curved portion 706 is composed of a first member 708, a second member 710, and a portion of the soul plate 702. First member 708 and second member 710 extend into the inner cavity of golf club head 700 and meet at apex 712. The lower end of the second member 710 extends below the junction between the second member 710 and the soul 704 to form a shoulder or tab 714 which is attached to the shoulder 716 of the soul plate 702, And complementary to each other. The soul 704 has a stepped structure so that the soul plate 702 provides the lowermost surface of the golf club head 700.

47, the golf club head 720 includes a soul plate 722 that covers a through hole 724 included in the soul 726 of the golf club head 720 and forms a portion of the curved portion 730, (722). The through hole 724 may be formed to provide access to the inner cavity of the golf club head and / or to position the soul plate 722 and / or to maintain the overall external shape of the golf club head 720, In order to allow for a larger mass adjustment of the mass. For example, the soul plate 722 may include a protrusion 728 that increases the mass of the soul plate 722 and extends into the aperture 724 and / or into the interior cavity.

48, the golf club head 740 couples the weight member 748 to the golf club head while covering the through hole 744 included in the soul 746 of the golf club head 740. In this embodiment, And a sow plate 742 that provides a weight port for ringing. Preferably, a change or removal of the weight member 748 is effected by the associated soul plate 742 and weight member 748 to provide a more efficient mechanism for changing the swing weight of the golf club, including the golf club head 740. [ The weight port is disposed so as not to change the position of the center of gravity of the weight. In particular, the sole plate 742 includes mounting features such as a threaded bore coupled to a removable weight member 748.

As another alternative, some of the open bends disclosed herein may be fully or partially filled with an insert, such as insert 743, which may be a high-density elastomeric insert. For example, an elastomeric material, such as a tungsten-impregnated elastomeric material, is inserted into the tubular bend or inserted into one of the other embodiments disclosed herein including an open slot behind the face to create a high density flexible insert. The insert can be used to fill the curves or to fill partially to change the acoustic behavior of the golf club head. A plurality of inserts made of materials having different densities and / or different weight distributions to produce inserts coupled to the bend at different mass and / or weight distributions such that the final weight and mass distribution of the golf club head can be selected Can be provided. The bends may also include openings extending into the inner cavity, and inserts may be used to seal the openings such that dust and water are not introduced into the inner cavity by not exposing the inner cavity to the environment. Exemplary suitable materials include polyurethanes, rubbers, thermoset polymers, thermoplastic polymers, epoxies, foam materials and neoprene. The selected material has a hardness selected to be combined with the curved portion to provide combined flexibility. Preferably, the selected material generally has a hardness in the range of hardness A in the range of 30 to 95 or in the range of hardness D in the range of 45 to 85.

Referring to Figure 49, one embodiment of a golf club head including a soul plate and a curved portion will be described. The golf club head 750 includes a crown 752, a soul 754, a skirt 756, a face 758 and a soul plate 760. Although the recess 754 accommodating the soul plate 760 is included in the soul 754, the recess is formed in the recess 760 at the front end of the soul plate 760 and the recess 760 when the soul plate 760 is installed. And the front wall portions 764 of the front wall portion 764 are formed with a gap. As a result, the gap forms a curved portion 766 at the bottom of the golf club head near the face 758.

50, the golf club head 770 includes a stepped soul 772 and a soul plate 774, which are coupled to form a curved portion 775. In the embodiment shown in FIG. The soul 772 includes a forward transfer portion 778 extending rearward from the face 776 toward the transition wall portion 780 of the soul 772 forming the front wall portion of the curved portion 775. A soul plate 774 is coupled to the soul 772 to form a curved portion 775 away from the transition wall portion 780. The soul plate 774 extends from the transition wall portion 780 by a predetermined distance as indicated by a dotted line backward.

Another embodiment of a golf club head includes a concave soul and soul plate coupled to form a curved portion, and a portion of the golf club is shown in FIG. The golf club head 790 includes a soul 792 formed with a recess 794 for receiving the soul plate 796 and the soul and soul plate are combined to form a curved portion 800. In particular, the soul 792 includes a forward transfer portion 798 that includes a transition wall portion 804 extending inwardly from the forward transfer portion 798 to form a portion of the recess 794, And extends between the faces 802 of the heads. The soul plate 796 is received in the recess 794 so that the front portion of the soul plate 796 is spaced from the transfer portion 798 and a generally V-shaped gap is formed in the curved portion 800, Lt; / RTI >

52, one embodiment of a golf club head 810 includes a curved portion 812 and a curved adjustment feature. The golf club head 810 includes a face 820 forming a crown 814, a soul 816, a skirt 818, and a ball-striking surface 822. The soul 816 includes a forward transfer portion 824 extending rearward from the face 820 toward the front wall portion 826 of the curved portion 812. The front wall portion 826 is coupled to the rear wall portion 828 at the apex 830 to form a curved portion 812. The rear portion of the soul 816 extends rearward from the rear wall portion 828 to form the remainder of the soul 816. As shown, the rear portion of the soul 816 may have a varying thickness, for example, by including a thickened region 832 spaced apart from the curved portion 812 by the anchoring portion 834 rearwardly.

The curved portion 812 is elongated and extends in the toe direction at the heel and forms an outer channel in the soul 816. [ The thicknesses of the transfer portion 824, the front wall portion 826, the apex 830, the rear wall portion 828 and the insulating portion 834 are selected to adjust the curvature portion 812 to the desired vibration frequency during impact with the golf ball. The thicknesses t ₁ to t ₇ have a specific relationship and are formed such that the transition portion 824 is transitioned from the first thickness t ₁ adjacent the face to the second thickness t ₂ adjacent the front wall portion 826 do. Front wall 826 has a thickness of approximately transfer part from a thickness (t ₂₎ in which is coupled to the 824 position to the central thickness (t _3), and the vertex (830) (t _4), and substantially the thickness of the same thickness . Similarly, the rear wall portion 828 has a thickness about the same thickness and substantially apex 830. The thickness (t _4), the central thickness (t ₅₎ in, and the thickness of the vertex (834) (t ₆₎ from the at the position that is bonded to . Isolated rearward of the portion 834, the thickness of the sole 816 is changed to a thickness (t ₇₎ from the thickness (t ₆₎ of the insulating part.

As described above, the flexibility added to the golf club head of the present invention in which the curved portion is disposed in the soul reduces the backspin when impacting the golf ball at a position below the ideal impact position. Thus, since the backspin is reduced, the curvature of the ball-striking surface of the golf club head varies above and below the ideal imprint position, so that the shot of the golf ball can be adjusted according to the backspin reduction. The curvature of the ball-striking surface of the golf club between the leading edge of the golf club and the top edge of the face is defined as the "roll" of the face. The golf club head of the present invention preferably has a roll radius on the ideal impact position which is different from the roll radius below the ideal impact position. Alternatively, the roll radius on the geometric face center of the golf club face is different from the roll radius below the geometric face center of the golf club face. Alternatively, the top two-thirds of the faces of the golf club head have roll radii different from the bottom one-third of the face. Preferably, the roll radius of the portion of the ball-striking surface closer to the bend is greater than the portion of the face that is farther from the bend, so that the portion of the ball-striking surface closer to the bend is flatter than the other. For example, in the golf club head 810, the curved portion 812 is disposed on the lower surface of the golf club head, and a portion of the ball-striking surface below the ideal impact position is located on the ball- And has a roll radius R1 larger than the roll radius R2. Preferably, the portion of the ball-striking surface closest to the curvature has a roll radius greater than about 12.0 inches, and more preferably greater than 12.5 inches.

Likewise, the curvature of the ball-striking surface of a golf club between the heel and toe of the face is defined as the "bulge" of the face. The golf club head of the present invention, including the curved portion extending to the skirt of the golf club head, similarly reduces the side spin of the golf ball hit in the case of eccentric impact, It has a bulge radius. Increasing the bulge radius creates a flatter face that increases the hot spot area of the golf club head and provides more efficient energy transfer between the golf club head and the ball by reducing impact slack in the case of eccentric strikes. Preferably, the portion of the ball-striking surface closest to the curvature in the skirt of the golf club head has a bulge radius greater than about 12.0 inches, and more preferably a bullet radius greater than 12.5 inches.

An alternative embodiment of the thickness transition is shown in Figures 52-54. The thickness relationship used herein is used to provide a desired curvature distribution over portions of the golf club head adjacent to the curved portion and the curved portion. 52, the thickness t ₁ , t _{2 of the} transfer portion is at least 50% of the minimum face thickness, more preferably at least 60% of the minimum face thickness, and preferably the thickness t ₁ , Is greater than the thickness t ₂ (t ₁ > t ₂ ). Further, the thickness t ₃ of the front wall portion of the curved portion and the thickness t ₅ of the rear wall portion are different by less than 40%, more preferably less than 30%, still more preferably less than 20%. It is also preferable that the thickness t ₃ of the front wall portion of the curved portion and the thickness t ₅ of the rear wall portion are less than 90% of the minimum thickness of the face, and the thicknesses of the wall portions of the curved portion satisfy the thicknesses t ₁ , t ₂ ) Is preferable. Preferably, the apex of the curved portion has a thickness which is preferably equal to or greater than the thickness t ₅ of the rear wall portion of the curved portion and the minimum thickness t ₃ of the front wall portion. It is also preferable that the thickness t ₄ of the vertex is within 30% of the larger one of the thickness t ₃ of the front wall portion and the thickness t ₅ of the rear wall portion, and 15% Or more.

It is preferable that the thickness of the soul adjacent to the rear wall portion of the curved portion is reduced if the portion of the soul within about 30.0 mm of the rear wall portion of the curved portion has a thickness larger than the thickness of the transmission portion in front of the front wall portion of the curved portion. For example, if the thickness t ₇ of the soul is greater than the minimum thickness of the transfer portion within 30.0 mm of the rear wall portion of the curved portion, the thickness t ₆ of the portion of the soul immediately behind the curved portion is smaller than the minimum thickness of the transfer portion, It is preferable to be smaller than the face thickness. Preferably, the thickness t ₆ is less than 70% of the minimum thickness of the transfer portion, and more preferably less than 60% of the minimum thickness of the transfer portion. Also, the thickness t ₆ is less than 60% of the minimum face thickness, and more preferably less than 50% of the minimum face thickness.

In another embodiment shown in Figure 53, the transfer portion is modified to include a thickness that varies in length L of the transfer portion. The thickness relationship between the soul and the other portions of the curved portion described above is the same as in the above embodiment, and thus is not repeated. In the transfer part, the thickness of the transfer part is almost constant at least 60% of the length L of the transfer part, more preferably at least 70% of the length L of the transfer part. Further, the maximum thickness of the transmitting portion is closer to the face of the golf club head than the front wall portion of the curved portion. The maximum thickness is generally located at thickness t ₁ and the minimum thickness of the transfer section is generally located at the thickness t ₂ shown in FIG. Preferably, the minimum thickness of the transfer portion is greater than or equal to the minimum thickness of the soul of the golf club head. The minimum thickness of the transfer portion is preferably less than 70% of the maximum thickness of the transfer portion, and more preferably less than 60% of the maximum thickness of the transfer portion.

54, the transfer section is modified to include a thickness varying in length L of the transfer section, the thickness of the vertex being such that the thickness t ₅ of the rear wall section of the curved section and the minimum thickness t ₃ , And the thickness of the soul behind the curved portion is almost constant and is generally smaller than the maximum thickness of the transmitting portion. In this embodiment, the thickness of the transfer portion has a substantially linear taper from the portion adjacent to the face to the front wall portion of the curved portion. The linear taper or linear thickness reduction is preferably greater than about 4% (i.e., a thickness reduction of 0.4 mm at a length of 10.0 mm) from the portion adjacent the face to the curved portion, more preferably greater than about 5% Do. In this embodiment, the thickness of the portion of the sole adjacent to the rear wall portion of the curved portion (t ₆₎ and a further sole thickness in the rear from the curved (t ₇₎ are substantially equal, and smaller than the maximum thickness of the transmission.

In an embodiment of a golf club according to the present invention having a loft angle in the range of about 13 to 30, for example, in fairway woods and hybrid type golf club heads, the thicknesses generally have the following ranges: t ₁ ) 1.4 To 2.0 mm; t ₂ ) 1.2 to 1.6 mm; t ₃ ) 1.2 to 1.7 mm; t ₄ ) 1.2 to 2.0 mm; t ₅ ) 1.2 to 1.7 mm; t ₆ ) 0.6 to 1.2 mm; And t ₇ ) 0.6 to 4.0 mm. Similarly, in an embodiment of a golf club according to the present invention having a loft angle in the range of about 6 to 12, for example, in a driver type golf club head, the thicknesses generally have the following ranges: t ₁ ) 2.0 mm; t ₂ ) 0.6 to 1.6 mm; t ₃ ) 0.5 to 1.7 mm; t ₄ ) 0.5 to 2.0 mm; t ₅ ) 0.5 to 1.7 mm; t ₆ ) 0.5 to 1.2 mm; And t ₇ ) 0.5 to 3.0 mm.

Referring now to Figures 55 and 56, the golf club head 840 includes a curved portion 842 that is at least partially covered by a removable member 844. The golf club head 840 includes a crown 846, a soul 848, a skirt 850, a face 852 forming a ball-striking face 854, and a pair of elongated golf club shaft grips 854, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 856 < / RTI >

The curved portion 842 is disposed generally at the front portion of the soul 848 adjacent to the face 852 and includes a mounting portion for the removable member 844. The curved portion 842 includes a front wall portion 858 that engages with the rear wall portion 860 at the apex 862. The rear wall portion 860 extends between the vertex 862 and the mount 864 for the removable member 844. The mount 864 includes a recessed support 866 that receives a removable member 844 that has a lower surface of the removable member 844 attached to the soul 848 when the removable member 844 is mounted, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > or < / RTI > A coupling feature 868 is included to allow the removable member 844 to be removably attached to the golf club head 840. For example, the coupling feature 868 may be a threaded bore, and the removable member 844 may be a sole plate with a weight coupled to the threaded bore using a threaded fastener.

The removable member 844 is sized to engage within the concave mount 864 to form a gap 870 away from the front wall portion 858 of the curved portion 842. Gap 870 provides an opening into curved portion 842 which provides a passage to cavity 872 defined by removable member 844 and curved portion 842. The gap 870 provides a space in which the curved portion 842 can bend during a golf ball impact and the gap 870 allows the front wall portion 858 to move relative to the removable member 844 .

57, the golf club head 880 includes a replaceable shaft system 886 and a curved portion 882 that intersects the mounts of the removable member 884. In this embodiment, the golf club head 880 includes a hollow body structure formed by crown, soul 888, skirt and hosel 890. [ The golf club head 880 includes a removable member 884, such as a weight member, and a portion of the soul 888 includes mounting features for the weight member. In this embodiment, the mounting feature includes a generally cylindrical receiving portion 892 extending from the outer surface of the soul into the interior of the golf club head 880.

The golf club head 880 also includes a curved portion 882 that extends generally in the heel across the forward portion of the soul 888 in the tow direction. Curved portion 882 may have any of the specific structures described in connection with the other embodiments disclosed herein.

The golf club head 880 includes an interchangeable shaft system including a fastener 894 engaged with the head from the sole side. And an access bore 896 extending from the soul 888 toward the hosel 890 to receive the fastener 894.

The sole structures consisting of the receiving portion 892, the curved portion 882 and the access bore 896 intersect so that these structures are created by common portions. In particular, the side walls of the receiving portion 892 intersect the sidewalls of the curved portion 882 such that the structures are engaged at the toe portion of the golf club head 880. Similarly, the side walls of the access bore 896 intersect the sidewalls of the curved portion 882 such that the structures engage at the heel portion of the golf club head 880. The intersection of the structures of the receiving portion 892, the curved portion 882 and the access bore 896 reduces the amount of mass transferred to the additional structures by joining the structures.

The physical properties of the golf club head are generally controlled to provide the desired behavior during impact with the golf club head. At the metalwood golf club head, the mass distribution is controlled to provide the desired center of gravity position and the desired moment of inertia. As shown in Figures 58-60, the center of gravity of the golf club head may be dimensionally related to the number of features on the golf club head. The desired dimension range of the golf club of the present invention is shown in the following table and the negative values indicated in parentheses indicate the direction relative to the reference feature (e.g., fc-face center; g-ground).

The bends of the present invention have a size relative to the position of the center of gravity of the golf club head to provide the desired behavior. It should also be understood that the distances to width W, height H and co-striking surface D can be measured in all embodiments disclosed herein, as shown in Figures 1 and 4. [ Preferably, the distance D from the ball-striking surface to the curved portion is 30.0 mm or less, more preferably 20.0 mm or less, and further preferably 5.0 mm to 20.0 mm. Further, the distance D is preferably between 20% and 50% of the CG-Z-fc distance, and more preferably between 25% and 45% of the CG-Z-fc distance. In addition, the sum of the height and width of the curved portion is preferably within +/- 30% of the CG-Y-g distance and more preferably +/- 20% of the CG-Y-g distance.

The reduction of the backspin provided by the bends of the present invention provides more flexibility in the mass distribution, thereby increasing the moment of inertia of the golf club head. In particular, by incorporating the bends of the present invention into the soul of a golf club head, it provides a ball impact that mimics the launch conditions of a golf club head without a curved portion with a low center of gravity. As a result of the analysis, it was found that the integration of the curved portion of the present invention provides the same effect as lowering the center of gravity of a golf club without a curved portion by about 3.0 mm. However, in order to lower the center of gravity, the mass must be placed at the bottom of the golf club head, and due to the shape of the golf club head, the amount of mass that can be placed at the periphery is increased to increase the moment of inertia. Thus, the bends of the present invention can be used to provide a low center of gravity golf club behavior when additional mass is placed in the periphery of the golf club head to move the center of gravity backward and increase the moment of inertia.

As described above, the bends of the present invention provide locally low stiffness to a portion of the golf club head. Generally, by selecting the geometry of the curved portion, for example, by changing the shape and / or the cross sectional thickness, and / or by selecting the material of the portions of the curved portion, low stiffness can be realized. Materials that can be selected to provide low stiffness curves include beta (beta) or near-beta titanium alloys with low Young's modulus.

The beta-titanium alloy is preferred because it provides a material with a relatively low Young's modulus. The deformation of the plate supported by the periphery under the applied stress is a function of the stiffness of the plate. The stiffness of the plate is directly proportional to the cubic (ie t ³ ) of the Young's modulus and thickness. Thus, comparing two material samples with the same thickness and different Young's moduli, the material with lower Young's modulus under the same applied force will be further deformed. The energy stored in the plate is directly proportional to the deformation of the plate as long as the material is elastically acting, and the stored energy is released as soon as the applied stress is removed. Thus, it is desirable to use materials that can be more deformed and thus store more elastic energy.

Due to the structure of the curved portion, the material generally extends into the cavity of the golf club, which generally causes the CG to rise when the curved portion is placed in the soul or crown of the golf club head. If the curved portion is included in the crown, the height increase of the CG becomes worse. Preferably, in an embodiment using a crown bend, the portion of the crown behind the bend is lower than the portion of the crown in front of the bend for lowering the overall CG of the golf club head. Particularly, the height of the front edge of the crown curved portion is larger than the height of the rear edge of the crown curved portion. Preferably, the height difference is greater than 1.0 mm, more preferably greater than 2.0 mm, and the position of the crown with the maximum height from the ground is between the face and the curved portion of the golf club head.

As shown in the foregoing embodiments, the golf club head may be configured to include, in addition to the curved portion, one or more mounting features for the removable weight to change the overall weight of the golf club head and / or the position of the CG. In one embodiment, a golf club head comprising a curved portion in the soul of a golf club head has a CG-C-sa value of greater than 18.0 mm behind the shaft axis, preferably greater than 33.0 mm at the rear of the center of the face A Z-fc value, and / or an inertial moment value of at least 450 kg-mm 2 about the Y-axis of the golf club head. The golf club head also has at least one removable weight and at least one weight mounting feature that allows the CG of the golf club head to be changed by at least 2.0 mm in one direction.

In order to maximize the speed of the golf ball exiting the face after the impact, it is preferable that the vibration frequency of the golf ball matches the vibration frequency of the golf club face. The vibration frequency of the face depends on the face parameters such as the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of the material, and the geometry of the face. Alpha-beta (? -?) Titanium alloys typically have a Young's modulus in the range of 105 to 120.. On the other hand, current β-titanium alloys have a Young's modulus in the range of 48 to 100..

The choice of material for the golf club head should also take into account the durability of the golf club head through the many impacts of the golf ball. Therefore, the fatigue life of the face should be considered, and the fatigue life depends on the strength of the selected material. Therefore, a golf club head material should be selected that provides the appropriate strength and the highest ball speed to provide an acceptable fatigue life.

β-titanium alloys generally not only provide low Young's modulus, but also generally involve low material strength. The? -titanium alloy can generally be heat treated to increase the strength, but the heat treatment generally increases the Young's modulus. However, the? -Titanium alloy can be cold-worked to increase the strength without significantly increasing the Young's modulus, and since the? -Titanium alloy generally has a body-centered cubic crystal structure, it can generally be widely cold-worked.

Preferably, a material having a strength in the range of about 900 to 1200 MPa and a Young's modulus in the range of about 48 to 100 psi is used for portions of the golf club head. For example, it may be desirable to use such materials for the face and / or curved portion and / or curved portion of the golf club head. Materials exhibiting properties in this range include titanium alloys commonly referred to as "Gum Metals ".

Although less preferred, heat treatment may be used for? -Titanium to provide an acceptable balance of material's Young's modulus and strength. Previous beta-titanium alloy applications generally require heat treatment to maximize the strength of the material without controlling the Young's modulus. When heated, the titanium alloy undergoes a phase transition to the body cubic phase on the dense hexagonal crystal structure?. The temperature at which this phase transformation occurs is called the " beta-transus temperature ". The alloying elements added to titanium generally represent a preference to stabilize either the? Phase or the? Phase, and are therefore termed? Stabilizers or? Stabilizers. By alloying titanium with a predetermined amount of? Stabilizer, it is possible to stabilize? Phase at room temperature. However, if such an alloy is lower than the beta-transester temperature but reheated to an elevated temperature, the? Phase is decomposed and converted to? Phase as specified by thermodynamic rules. Such alloys are referred to as " metastable? -Titanium alloys. "

Thermodynamic laws predict only the formation of the alpha phase, but in practice, when the beta phase decomposes, many non-equilibrium phases appear. These non-equilibrium phases are α ', α ", and ω. These phases have different Young's moduli, and the magnitude of the Young's modulus is generally reported to follow β <α" <ω <α'. Therefore, in the case of intending to increase the strength of? -Titanium through heat treatment, it is expected that it is advantageous to heat-treat the material so as to include? "Phase as a preferable decomposition product, The formation of the α 'phase is promoted by the quenching from the α + β region on the material state diagram, which means that the alloy must be etched from a temperature lower than the β-transus temperature. , a beta-titanium alloy heat treated to maximize the formation of the alpha 'phase from the beta phase is used for a portion of the golf club head.

The heat treatment process is selected to provide the desired phase transformation. Heat treatment parameters such as maximum temperature, holding time, heating rate, and feed rate are selected to produce the desired material composition. In addition, since the effects of various [beta] stabilizing elements are not the same, a heat treatment process can be specified for a selected alloy. For example, Ti-Mo alloys will behave differently than Ti-Nb alloys or Ti-V alloys or Ti-Cr alloys; Mo, Nb, V, and Cr are all beta stabilizers, but their degree of effect is different. The beta transester temperature range of the metastable? -Titanium alloy is from about 700 占 폚 to about 800 占 폚. Thus, for these alloys, the solution treatment temperature range will be about 25-50 deg. C, which is lower than the beta transacting temperature, and substantially, the alloys will be solution treated in the range of about 650 deg. C to about 750 deg. . After cooling, the β-titanium alloy can be aged at a low temperature to further increase the strength. The strength of the solution treated material was measured to be about 650 MPa, while the heat-treated alloy had a strength of 1050 MPa.

Examples of suitable beta titanium alloys include Ti-15Mo-3Al, Ti-15Mo-3Nb-0.3O, Ti-15Mo-5Zr-3Al, Ti-13Mo-7Zr-3Fe, Ti-13Mo, Ti-12Mo-6Zr- Ti-29Nb-15Zr-1.5Fe, Ti-29Nb-10Zr-0.5Si, Ti-29Nb-13Zr-2Cr, Ti-29Nb- Ti-15V-6Cr-4Al, Ti-15V, Ti-12Zr-0.5Fe-0.5Cr, Ti-29Nb-18Zr-Cr-0.5Si, Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr, Ti- Ti-3Al-3Sn, Ti-13V-11Cr, Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al, Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr, Ti-3Al-8V-6Cr- (Ta, Nb, V) + (Ti, Ti, Cr) Ti-Ti alloys, Ti + 13Cr-1Fe-3Al, Ti-6.3Cr-5.5Mo-4.0Al-0.2Si, Ti- (By weight) Ti-36Nb-2Ta-3Zr-0.35O, which is represented by the formula (Zr, Hf, O) Semi-beta titanium alloys may include SP-700, TIMET 18, and the like.

Generally, the face cup or face insert of the golf club head of the present invention is made of high strength alpha-beta or quasi-beta titanium alloys such as Ti-64, Ti-17, ATI425, TIMET 54, Ti-9, TIMET 639 , VL-Ti, KS ELF, SP-700, and the like. In addition, the rear portion of the golf club body (i.e., portions other than the face cup, face insert, bend portion, and curved portion cover) is made of?,? -? Or? Titanium alloys such as Ti-8Al-1V-1Mo, Ti- 1Fe, Ti-5Al-1Sn-1Zr-1V-0.8Mo, Ti-3Al-2.5Sn, Ti-3Al-2V and Ti-64.

As described above, the curved portion may be composed of a separate component and attached to the rest of the golf club head body. For example, the curved component can be stamped and formed from the finished sheet material, and the remainder of the body can be configured as one or more cast components. Since casting can cause mechanical disadvantages, it may be desirable to stamp the curved component rather than cast the curved portion. For example, the casted material may suffer difficulties due to its low mechanical properties compared to the same material in its annealed form. For example, Ti-64 in cast form has about 10% to 20% lower mechanical properties than forged Ti-64. The reason is that the grain size of the castings is considerably larger than the annealed form, and generally finer grain sizes lead to higher mechanical properties of the metallic material.

In addition, titanium castings exhibit a surface layer called the "alpha case, " which is a surface region predominantly of alpha phase titanium due to interstitial oxygen-rich titanium. Although the alpha phase is not harmful per se, it tends to be very strong and fragile, so that during repeated fatigue, e.g., repetitive bending impacts, the alpha case can compromise the durability of the component.

Most titanium alloys are almost impossible to form at room temperature. Therefore, in order to form a titanium alloy, the titanium alloy must be heated to an elevated temperature. The temperature required to form the alloy will depend on the composition of the alloy, and alloys with a higher beta transus temperature will typically require higher molding temperatures. Upon exposure to elevated temperatures, the mechanical properties are lowered as the material cools to ambient temperature. Further, when exposed to elevated temperature, an oxide layer is formed on the surface. This oxide layer is very similar to the "alpha case" described above, except that it does not typically extend deep into the material. Therefore, it is advantageous if the molding temperature can be lowered.

In general, Ti-64 is commonly used in the manufacture of metal-wood golf club heads, so when used as a reference, alloys with a beta- trans-race temperature lower than the beta- trans-shear temperature of Ti-64 can provide significant advantages have. For example, one of these alloys is ATI 425 with a beta transresation temperature in the range of about 957 ° C to 971 ° C, while Ti-64 has a beta transacting temperature of about 995 ° C. Thus, it can be expected that ATI 425 can be formed at lower temperatures than Ti-64. Since ATI 425 has mechanical properties comparable to Ti-64 at room temperature, it is expected that the soul made of ATI 425 alloy will be stronger than the soul made of Ti-64. In addition, ATI 425 generally has better formability than Ti-64, so that in one example where the curved portion is formed of an ATI 425 sheet material, it will experience less cross sectional thinning than a curved portion formed of Ti-64 sheet material. In addition, the ATI 425 can be cold-formed, which will create a stronger component.

In one example, a multi-material golf club head consists of components made of Ti-64 and ATI 425. A body including crown, soul or partial soul, skirt, hosel and face flange can be cast with Ti-64. A portion of the soul is then formed by a curved component made of an ATI 425 sheet material so that the cast Ti-64 body, e.g., in a slot or recess, e.g., with the structure shown in Figures 5 and 6, Can be welded. The forged face insert is then welded to the face flange of the cast Ti-64 to complete the head.

Various manufacturing methods can be used to produce the various components of the golf club head of the present invention. Preferably, all components are joined by welding. The welding process may be passive, such as TIG or MIG welding, or may be automated, such as a laser, plasma, electron beam, ion beam, or a combination thereof. Other bonding processes, such as brazing and adhesive bonding, may be used if necessary or desired due to material selection.

The components can be created using a stamping and molding process, a casting process, a molding process and / or a forging process. As used herein, forging is a process that causes significant changes to the shape of a specimen, such as, for example, starting with a bar and deforming the bar into a sheet, . In addition, forging is carried out at high temperatures and may include changes in the microstructure of the material, for example, changes in the shape of the particles. Molding is commonly used to describe the process of molding a material while maintaining the dimensions of the material substantially, e.g., starting with a sheet material and molding the sheet without significant thickness variations. An example of material selection for parts of a golf club head using a stamping and forming process is as follows:

a) α-β face member + β bend + α-β rear body

b) face member + α-β face insert + β bend + α-β rear body

c) face member + α-β face insert + β bend + β rear body

d) β face member + α- β face insert + β bend + α-β back body (heat treated)

An example of material selection for parts of a golf club head using molded components is as follows:

a) cast α-β face member + cast β-bend + molded α-β rear body

b) molded α-β face member + molded β bend + molded α-β rear body

c) molded α-β face member + molded β-bend section + molded α-β rear body

d) cast α-β face member + cast β-curved section + molded α-β rear body

An example of material selection for parts of a golf club head using forged components is as follows:

a) Forged α-β face member + cast β-bend + cast α-β rear body

b) Forged α-β face member + cast β-curved section + molded α-β rear body

The density of the beta alloy is generally greater than the density of the alpha-beta or alpha alloys. Thus, the use of a beta alloy in various parts of the golf club head will make the mass of those parts larger. Lightweight alloys may be used in the rear portion of the body so that the total mass of the golf club head can be maintained within a desired range, such as between about 170 g and 210 g for a driver type golf club head. Materials such as aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, carbon fiber composites, carbon nanotube composites, glass fiber composites, reinforced plastics and combinations of these materials may be used.

While various embodiments of the invention have been described above, it should be understood that various features of the embodiments may be used singly or in any combination. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to particularly preferred embodiments illustrated herein. It is also to be understood that changes and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. For example, the face insert may have thickness variations in a stepwise, continuous fashion. Also, the shape and location of the slots are not limited to those described herein. Accordingly, all convenient changes that can readily be made by those skilled in the art from the teachings herein, which fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention, should be included as other embodiments of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims (20)

Golf club head,
A crown defining an upper surface of the golf club head;
A soul forming a lower surface of the golf club head, the soul including a transfer portion, a curved portion and a rear portion;
A sidewall extending between the crown and the soul;
A hosel extending from the crown and including a shaft bore; And
Forming a ball-striking surface and including a face at the leading edge intersecting the transmitting portion,
The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the bend portion is spaced rearwardly of the ball-striking surface by the transfer portion and includes a front wall portion extending into a cavity formed by the golf club head, a rear wall portion extending into the cavity, And a vertex to which said rear wall portion is coupled,
Wherein the curvature is between 20% and 50% of the CG-Z-fc distance between the center of gravity of the golf club head and the center of the geometric face of the golf club head along a horizontal Z-axis extending from the front to the rear of the golf club head Striking surface, the ball-
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the curvature is between 25% and 45% of the CG-Z-fc distance between the center of gravity of the golf club head and the center of the geometric face of the golf club head along a horizontal Z-axis extending from the front to the rear of the golf club head Striking surface, the ball-
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sum of the height and width of the curved portion is within 30% of the CG-Yg distance between the center of gravity of the golf club head and the ground along the vertical Y-
Golf club head. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the sum of the height and width of the curved portion is within 20% of the CG-Yg distance between the center of gravity of the golf club head and the ground along the vertical Y-
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the thickness of the transfer portion is at least 50% of the minimum face thickness,
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the thickness of the transfer portion decreases from a position adjacent to the face toward the transfer portion,
Golf club head. The method according to claim 6,
The thickness of the transfer portion is tapered by at least 4%
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the thickness of the transfer portion is substantially constant at least 60% of the length of the transfer portion,
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the thickness of the front wall portion and the thickness of the rear wall portion are different by less than 40% of the thickness of the front wall portion,
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the thickness of the front wall portion and the thickness of the rear wall portion are less than 90%
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the thickness of the vertex is different from the thickness of the front wall part by a thickness of the rear wall part by less than 30%
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the minimum thickness of the transfer portion is less than 70% of the maximum thickness of the transfer portion,
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a thickness of a portion of the soul located within 30.0 mm behind the curved portion is larger than a minimum thickness of the transfer portion and a thickness of the soul immediately behind and adjacent to a rear wall portion of the curved portion is smaller than a minimum thickness of the transfer portion,
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the thickness of the soul in the rear immediately adjacent to the rear wall portion of the curved portion is less than 70%
Golf club head. 15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the thickness of the soul immediately behind and adjacent to the rear wall portion of the curvature is less than 60% of the minimum face thickness,
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Striking surface comprises an upper portion forming a first roll radius and a lower portion forming a second roll radius greater than the first roll radius,
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the curved portion is at least partially filled with a compliant insert, the compliant insert comprising a material having a density of at least 12.0 g / cc.
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a soul plate coupled to the soul within a recess formed at least partially by the curved portion,
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a weight member coupled to the golf club head and intersecting the curved portion,
Golf club head. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the CG-Z-fc distance is at least 33.0 mm and the moment of inertia about a vertical axis extending through the center of gravity is at least 450 kg-
Golf club head.

Images