TWI824972B - Mixed material golf club head - Google Patents

Abstract

A hollow golf club head includes a metallic front body coupled with a composite rear body. The front body includes a strike face and a surrounding frame that extends rearward from a perimeter of the strikeface. The rear body includes a crown member coupled with a sole member. The sole member has a structural layer formed from a filled thermoplastic material, while the resilient layer is bonded to the external surface of the structural layer and is formed from a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite material. The resilient layer has an opening through which a metallic weight pad at least partially extends. The weight pad is bonded to the structural layer and includes an aperture for attaching a metallic weight.

Description

Hybrid golf club head

The present invention relates to golf club heads having hybrid material construction.

Generally speaking, the overall performance of a golf club head depends on a number of important physical parameters (such as volume, mass, etc.), and the total mass is the most important physical parameter of the golf club head. The total mass of a golf club head is the sum of the total structural mass and the total free set mass. Structural quality generally refers to the quality of materials required for the structural resiliency required to enable the club head to withstand repeated impacts. Structural mass is dictated by design, so designers have limited control over specific mass distribution. Conversely, free mass is any additional mass (beyond the minimum structural requirements of a golf club head) that can be added to a club head design to give the club customized performance and/or forgiveness. What is needed in the art is a way to provide all metal golf club heads with maximum freedom to set weight to achieve maximum club head moment of inertia (MOI) and move the center of gravity (CG) down/back.

The present invention provides a golf club head that includes a hybrid material back body and a metal front body that are combined with each other. The metal front body includes a hitting surface and a surrounding frame. The mixed material body includes a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite elastic layer, a molded thermoplastic structural layer, a metal weight pad and a metal weight fixed in the metal weight pad. After mixing materials, the body structure can be greatly Reducing structural mass helps improve the distribution of free-set mass, thereby improving the MOI and CG of the golf club head.

The terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth", etc. in the description and patent application scope are used to distinguish similar components and do not necessarily describe a specific sequence or sequence. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments described herein are capable of operation in a sequence different from that illustrated or described herein. In addition, the words "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to be non-exclusive, so that a process, method, system, object, device or device that includes a set of elements is not necessarily limited to such elements, and Other components not expressly listed or included in such processes, methods, systems, objects, equipment or devices may also be included.

Terms such as "left", "right", "front", "rear", "top", "bottom", "on top", "under" and similar terms in the description and the scope of the patent application are narratives. Sexual purpose does not necessarily refer to a permanent relative position. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances so that embodiments of the apparatus, methods, and/or articles of manufacture described herein are capable of operating in a sequence other than illustrated or described herein.

Before describing the embodiments of the present invention in detail, it should be emphasized that the application and detailed architectural arrangement of components of the present invention are not limited to the following description or those illustrated in the figures. The invention can be implemented through other embodiments and various ways.

Various embodiments of hybrid material construction golf club heads are described below. The hybrid material construction includes a metal front body and a hybrid material rear body. One embodiment of the club head includes a composite back body with a metal weight pad. In these or other embodiments, the back body may include a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite elastomeric layer, a molded thermoplastic structural layer, and metal weights secured within a metal weight pad. In another embodiment, the back body of the club head may comprise a composite material The material crown and bottom have metal weights fixed in metal weight pads. In many embodiments, the golf club head may be a golf wood head (ie, driver, fairway wood, hybrid).

In some embodiments, the club head may be a driver. In such embodiments, the loft angle may be less than about 16 degrees, less than about 15 degrees, less than about 14 degrees, less than about 13 degrees, less than about 12 degrees, less than about 11 degrees, or less than about 10 degrees. Furthermore, in these embodiments, the club head volume may be greater than about 400cc, greater than about 425cc, greater than about 450cc, greater than about 475cc, greater than about 500cc, greater than about 525cc, greater than about 550cc, greater than about 575cc, greater than about 600cc, Greater than about 625cc, greater than about 650cc, greater than about 675cc, or greater than about 700cc. In certain embodiments, the club head volume may be about 400cc to 600cc, 425cc to 500cc, about 500cc to 600cc, about 500cc to 650cc, about 550cc to 700cc, about 600cc to 650cc, about 600cc to 700cc, or about 600cc to 800cc. .

In some embodiments, the club head may include a fairway wood. In such embodiments, the loft angle may be less than about 35 degrees, less than about 34 degrees, less than about 33 degrees, less than about 32 degrees, less than about 31 degrees, or less than about 30 degrees. Furthermore, in these embodiments, the loft angle may be greater than about 12 degrees, greater than about 13 degrees, greater than about 14 degrees, greater than about 15 degrees, greater than about 16 degrees, greater than about 17 degrees, greater than about 18 degrees, Greater than about 19 degrees or greater than about 20 degrees. For example, in some embodiments, the loft angle may be between 12 degrees and 35 degrees, between 15 degrees and 35 degrees, between 20 degrees and 35 degrees, or between 12 degrees and 30 degrees .

In embodiments of the present invention, if the club head is used for a fairway wood, the club head volume is less than about 400cc, less than about 375cc, less than about 350cc, less than about 325cc, less than about 300cc, less than about 275cc, less than about 250cc, Less than about 225cc or less than about 200cc. In these embodiments, the club head volume may be about 150cc to 200cc, about 150cc to 250cc, about 150cc to 300cc, About 150cc to 350cc, about 150cc to 400cc, about 300cc to 400cc, about 325cc to 400cc, about 350cc to 400cc, about 250cc to 400cc, about 250cc to 350cc or about 275cc-375cc.

In certain embodiments, the club head of the present invention may be used in a hybrid club. In such embodiments, the loft angle may be less than about 40 degrees, less than about 39 degrees, less than about 38 degrees, less than about 37 degrees, less than about 36 degrees, less than about 35 degrees, less than about 34 degrees, less than about 33 degrees. , less than about 32 degrees, less than about 31 degrees, or less than about 30 degrees. Furthermore, in these embodiments, the loft angle may be greater than about 16 degrees, greater than about 17 degrees, greater than about 18 degrees, greater than about 19 degrees, greater than about 20 degrees, greater than about 21 degrees, greater than about 22 degrees, greater than About 23 degrees, greater than about 24 degrees, or greater than about 25 degrees.

In embodiments of the present invention, if the head is used in a hybrid head, the head volume is less than about 200cc, less than about 175cc, less than about 150cc, less than about 125cc, less than about 100cc, or less than about 75cc. In certain embodiments, the head volume may be about 100cc to 150cc, about 75cc to 150cc, about 100cc to 125cc, or about 75cc to 125cc.

10: Club head

12:Ground

20:Panel

40: Variable thickness profile

100: club head

104: Front body

108:Post-ontology

112:Crown

116: Bottom

120:Striking surface

124:Heel

128: Toe

136: Surrounding frame

140:Periphery

144: hosel

148:Elastic layer

152: Elastic layer

152: Structural layer

156:Structural layer

156: Weight pad

160:center point

164:High hitting plane

168:Middle plane

170:Inner surface

172:Outer surface

174:Flange

176:hose shaft

180:Ground

184: long axis

188: Surrounding area

190:Transition area

192:Central area

196: Variable thickness profile

200:Turbulator

202: Crown components

204: Crown components

206:Outer surface

208:Post-ontology

208: Bottom parts

212: Weight pad

214:Gasket

216: cavity

220:Metal heavy objects

224:Base

228:hole

230: Fasteners

232:hole

236:Front

240:Peripheral part

244:hole

244:Elastic layer

248: Structural parts

250:Open your mouth

252:Open your mouth

252:Edge

261: Structural Tape

300:Method

310: Steps

320: Steps

330: Steps

340: Steps

The present invention relates to sports equipment, and more particularly to golf club heads and methods thereof.

Figure 1 is a bottom view of a hybrid material golf club head.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 .

Figure 3 is a rear view of the golf club head of Figure 1 .

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 .

Figure 5 is a front plan view of the golf club head of Figure 1 .

Figure 6 is a rear plan view of the front body of the golf club head of Figure 1;

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the front body of the golf club head of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the front body and the rear body of the golf club head in FIG. 1 .

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head of Figure 1 .

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the golf club head weight pad and weight of FIG. 1 .

Figure 11 is an assembly view of the golf club head weight, fasteners and spacers of Figure 1;

Figure 12 is an interior view of the rear body of the golf club head of Figure 1;

FIG. 13 is another interior view of the rear body of the golf club head of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 14 is a flow chart of the golf club head manufacturing method of FIG. 1 .

Other aspects of the present invention can be understood by referring to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

The golf club head 100 embodiment depicted in Figures 1-10 has a metal front body 104 and a rear body 108. The front body 104 and the rear body 108 are fixed together to form a substantially closed/hollow internal volume. Like a general golf club head, the golf club head 100 of the present invention also includes a crown portion 112 and a sole portion 116, which can be divided into a heel portion 124 and a toe portion 128.

In some embodiments, the golf club head 100 includes a metal front body 104 and a composite back body 108, where the back body includes a braided fiber-reinforced thermoplastic elastomeric layer 148, a molded thermoplastic structural layer 152, and a Metal weight pad156. The use of a braided fiber-reinforced thermoplastic elastomeric layer 148 in combination with a molded thermoplastic structural layer 152 reduces structural mass compared to a similar head made entirely of metal.

The use of elastic layer 148 and structural layer 152 to reduce structural weight may be used to reduce the overall weight of the club head 100 (thereby increasing club head speed and/or extending flight distance), or to increase the allowable weight of the golf club head 100. Freely set quality range. In one embodiment, the additional free placement quality obtained by using the composite elastic layer 148 and the composite structural layer 152 can It is reintroduced into the club head 100 in the form of a metal weight pad 156 . Using the lightweight composite back body 108 combined with the metal weight pad 156 allows the club head 100 to place most of its mass in a position that maximizes MOI and CG, thereby increasing forgiveness and increasing hitting distance.

1. Pre-body

Referring to Figures 4-7, the front body 104 of the club head 100 includes a striking surface 120 for striking golf balls. The front body 104 includes a surrounding frame 136 extending rearwardly from the outer perimeter 140 of the ball surface 120, giving the front body 104 a cup-like appearance. Surrounding frame 136 includes an inner surface 170 and an outer surface 172 . In addition, the surrounding frame 136 may include a flange 174 that provides an attachment surface for connecting the front body 104 and the rear body 108 . When the front body 104 and the rear body 108 are combined, the outer surface 172 of the front body 104 forms part of the crown 112 and sole 116 of the club head 100 . The front body 104 further includes a hosel 144 at the heel 124 of the golf club head 100 for receiving the golf club shaft or shaft adapter.

In some embodiments, the ball striking face 120 and surrounding frame 136 may be integrally formed. In other embodiments, the ball striking surface 120 and the surrounding frame 136 may be formed separately and then assembled together. In one embodiment, the hitting surface 120 is forged, and the surrounding frame 136 is cast. Then the hitting surface 120 and the surrounding frame 136 are forged by welding, brazing, plasma welding, low-power laser welding, etc. or other suitable connection technologies.

In many embodiments, the front body 104 is made of a metallic material to withstand repeated impact stress from striking golf balls. In some embodiments, the material of the front body 104 can be stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, steel alloy (such as 455 steel, 475 steel, 431 steel, 17-4 stainless steel, horse nail steel), titanium alloy (such as Ti 7- 4. Ti 6-4, T-9S), aluminum alloy or composite materials. In some embodiments, the material of the hitting face 120 of the golf club head 100 may be stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, steel alloy (for example, 455 steel, 475 steel, 431 steel, 17-4 stainless steel, horse nail steel), titanium alloys (such as Ti 7-4, Ti 6-4, T-9S), aluminum alloys, amorphous metal alloys or composite materials.

The front body 104 has a mass. In some embodiments where the hitting face 120 is separate from the surrounding frame 136 , the mass of the front body 104 is equal to the sum of the mass of the hitting face 120 and the surrounding frame 136 . Depending on the material used for the front body 104, the mass of the front body 104 may range from 40 grams to 140 grams. In most embodiments, the front body 104 has a mass of no more than 140 grams. In some embodiments, the mass of the front body 104 may range from 40 to 50 grams, 50 to 60 grams, 60 to 70 grams, 70 to 80 grams, 80 to 90 grams, 90 to 100 grams, 100 to 110 grams, 110 to 120 grams, 120 to 130 grams or 130 grams to 140 grams.

A. Batting surface

5, 6 and 9, the front body 104 of the golf club head 100 includes a striking face 120 for striking golf balls. The hitting face 120 includes a center point 160 , a loft plane 164 and a midplane 168 . The center point 160 is equidistant from the crown 112 and sole 116 of the club head 100 , and is equidistant from the edge of the face closest to the toe 128 and the edge of the striking face 120 closest to the heel 124 . The loft plane 164 is tangent to the center point 160 of the hitting surface 120 of the club head 100 . The high impact plane 164 intersects the ground 180 .

The thickness of the striking face 120 of the club head 100 is the distance between the striking face 120 and the inner surface 170 of the front body 104 . The thickness of the face 120 varies at different locations, thus defining a variable face thickness (VFT) or variable thickness profile 196. Variable thickness profile 196 has a central region 192 and a peripheral region 188 . In many embodiments, the central region 192 of the variable thickness profile 196 is oval, oval, or egg-shaped. The central area 192 is generally oval in shape and is the base of the hitting surface 120 The portion near the sole 116 and heel 124 extends to the portion of the ball striking surface 120 near the toe 128 and crown 112 .

Referring to FIG. 6 , the central region 192 extends across or at or near the center point 160 of the hitting face 120 such that the center point 160 of the hitting face 120 is located within the central region 192 . Central region 192 contains the maximum thickness of ball striking surface 120 . In many embodiments, the thickness of central region 192 remains substantially uniform. Peripheral area 188 is located around outer perimeter 140 of ball striking face 120 and includes the minimum thickness of ball striking face 120 . In many embodiments, the thickness of peripheral region 188 remains substantially uniform. The thickness of the ball striking face 120 in the central region 192 is greater than the thickness of the ball striking face 120 in the peripheral region 188 . Transition area 190 is located between central area 192 and peripheral area 188 . Transition region 190 includes a varying thickness creating a transition between central region 192 and peripheral region 188 .

In addition, the long axis 184 of the hitting face 120 generally extends from the heel 124 to the toe 128 direction. Major axis 184 intersects center point 160 and forms an angle β with the ground. In many embodiments, major axis 184 reflects the elliptical shape of central region 192 .

The long axis 184 forms an angle with the ground 180 of approximately 20 degrees. For example, the angle formed between the long axis of central region 192 and ground 180 may range from 0 to 60 degrees. In some embodiments, the angle formed between the long axis 184 of the central region 192 and the ground 180 may be 2 to 20, 2 to 30, 5 to 40, 10 to 50, or 15 to 60 degrees. In other embodiments, the angle between the long axis 184 and the ground 180 may be 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59 or 60 degrees. The central region 192 has an angular tendency to cause the longitudinal portion of the egg shape to extend toward the portion with a high CT value above the toe of the hitting surface 120, thereby improving the ball speed when hit.

The oval or oval or egg shape, along with the angle of the central region 192 of the variable thickness profile 196, allows the thickened areas of the hitting face 120 to be in areas where the CT itself is higher, and the thinned areas of the hitting face 120 to be in the CT. The lower area itself. Accordingly, the areas on the hitting surface with higher CT will be reduced, and the areas with lower CT will be increased, causing the CT of the entire hitting surface 120 to be normalized. In many embodiments, the variable thickness profile 196 results in a characteristic time of less than 115 microseconds (μs), less than 110 μs, less than 105 μs, less than 100 μs, less than 95 μs, less than 90 μs, or less than 85 μs. Furthermore, in many embodiments, the variable thickness profile 40 results in an average characteristic time greater than 230 μs, greater than 235 μs, or greater than 240 μs. For example, in many embodiments, the average CT of panel 20 may be 230 μs to 240 μs, 235 μs to 240 μs, or 240 μs to 245 μs.

Furthermore, the angle of the VFT is designed to place the thickened areas of the hitting face 120 in the desired location, thereby reducing the weight of the hitting face 120 compared to a hitting face without the variable thickness profile 196 described above. The additional free-set weight can be redirected to other areas of the clubhead to adjust the clubhead's center of gravity and increase the clubhead's moment of inertia, improving clubhead performance. The illustrated embodiment of the club head 100 having the variable thickness profile 196, as described herein, may save 2.1 grams in weight compared to a similar head without the variable thickness profile 196.

B. Hoseath

The front body 104 of the golf club head 100 includes the hosel 144 . The hosel 144 includes a hosel shaft 176 extending along the center of the hole in the hosel 144 . Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6 , in this example, the hosel coupling mechanism of the golf club head 100 includes the hosel 144 and a bushing (not shown). The bushing can be coupled to the golf shaft (not shown). end. The bushing may be coupled to the hosel 144 in a variety of configurations, thereby allowing the golf shaft to be secured to the hosel 144 at a variety of angles relative to the hosel shaft 176 . but in other In one example, the shaft may be fixed to hosel 144 in a manner that cannot be adjusted. In the illustrated embodiment, from the front view of the golf club head 10 ( FIG. 1 ), the hosel shaft 176 and the ground 12 form an angle α. The angle α shown in the figures is about 60 degrees, but in other configurations the angle α can be about 40 to 80 degrees (eg, about 40 degrees, about 45 degrees, about 50 degrees, about 55 degrees, about 60 degrees, about 65 degrees, about 70 degrees, about 75 degrees or about 80 degrees).

In addition, an angle θ is formed between the hosel axis 176 and the long axis 184 . In many embodiments, the angle θ formed between hosel axis 176 and long axis 184 may be between 60 and 140 degrees. In most embodiments, the minimum angle θ formed between hosel axis 176 and major axis 184 is approximately 60 degrees. In some embodiments, the angle θ formed between the hosel axis 176 and the long axis 184 may be 60 to 70 degrees, 70 to 80 degrees, 80 to 90 degrees, 90 to 100 degrees, 100 to 110 degrees, 110 to 120 degrees, 120 to 130 degrees or 130 to 140 degrees. In one embodiment, the angle θ formed between hosel axis 176 and long axis 184 may be 80 to 90 degrees.

C. Surrounding frame

The peripheral frame 136 of the front body 104 of the golf club head 100 extends rearwardly from the entire periphery 140 of the ball striking surface 120 . The surrounding frame 136 further includes a flange 174 operable to couple the front body 104 and the rear body 108 .

The flange 174 provides a surface on which the rear body 108 can be connected to achieve overlapping. The flange 174 extends rearwardly from the entire surrounding frame 136 and forms a stepped structure descending from the outer surface 172 of the surrounding frame 136 . In many embodiments, the front body 104 flange 174 serves to allow the rear body portion to overlap the flange 174 via epoxy, glue, welding, gluing, laser-assisted metal-to-plastic welding, brazing, or any other suitable process. coupled to the front body 104 using a connection method. Utilize overlapping convex The edge 174 can ensure that the front body 104 and the rear body 108 are firmly coupled without using any mechanical fasteners.

In addition, the surrounding frame 136 includes an outer surface 172 and an inner surface 170 that may provide additional aerodynamic features to improve the overall speed of the golf club head. The surrounding frame 136 of the front body 104 of the golf club head 100 may include additional aerodynamic features, such as turbulators 200 . The turbulator 200 may be used to reduce club head drag and increase club 100 speed. The turbulator 200 is described in detail in U.S. Patent No. 9,555,294, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

2. Post-ontology

Referring to FIG. 4 and FIGS. 8 to 13 , the rear body 108 of the club head 100 includes a crown component 204 , a sole component 208 and a weight pad 212 . The crown member 204 and the sole member 208 are integrated to form a portion of the crown 112 and sole 116 of the golf club head 100 . When the front body 104 and the rear body 108 are combined, the outer surface 172 of the front body 104 , the crown member 204 and the sole member 208 form the entire crown 112 and sole 116 of the golf club head 100 . The bottom member 208 of the rear body 108 may further include a composite elastic layer 152, a composite structural layer 156, and a metal weight pad 212.

In this design, the rear body 108 may include a blend of molded thermoplastic material (eg, injection molded thermoplastic material) and fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite material. As used herein, molded thermoplastic materials rely on the polymer itself to provide structure and rigidity to the final component. Molded thermoplastic materials are made through molding techniques such as injection molding, so that the material becomes free-flowing when heated to a temperature above the melting point of the polymer. Molded thermoplastic materials that have been mixed with filler materials are called filled thermoplastic (FT) materials. Filled thermoplastics flow freely when heated/melted. To promote flow characteristics, the fill material generally includes a maximum dimension of less than about 25 mm, or more often Isolated particulate matter less than about 12 mm. For example, the filler material may include separated particulate matter having a maximum dimension of 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm or 10 mm. Filling materials suitable for use in this design may be, for example, glass beads or discontinuous reinforcing fibers composed of carbon, glass or aromatic polyamide polymers.

In contrast to molded and filled thermoplastics, fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) materials typically include one or more layers of uni- or multi-directional fiber cloth extending across a majority of the polymer area. Unlike the reinforcing fibers used in FT materials, the fibers used in FRC may be larger/longer in their maximum dimension and have sufficient size and properties to become a continuous cloth separated from the polymer. When formed with thermoplastic polymers, the continuous fibers contained therein generally do not flow even when the polymer has melted and flowed.

FRC materials are typically formed by first setting the fibers into the desired arrangement and then absorbing enough polymer material into the fiber material to create rigidity. In this manner, the resin content of the FT material may be greater than about 45% by volume or, more preferably, greater than about 55% by volume, while the resin content of the FRC material may be less than about 45% by volume, or preferably less than about 35% by volume. % volume ratio. Traditionally, the polymer matrix of FRC materials is a two-part thermosetting epoxy, but thermoplastic polymers can also be used as the matrix. In many cases, FRC materials are pre-prepared before final manufacturing, and this intermediate material is often called prepreg. If thermoset polymers are used, the prepreg is partially cured to an intermediate form and then final cured when the prepreg is formed into its final shape. If a thermoplastic polymer is used, the prepreg may comprise a cooled thermoplastic matrix that is subsequently heated and molded into the final shape. This technique can be used to create complex and lightweight geometries such as rear body 108 without sacrificing strength.

A. Crown components

Posterior body 108 contains crown member 204 . 4 and 9 , the crown member 204 includes an outer surface 206 such that when the rear body 108 and the front body 104 are engaged, the outer surface 206 of the crown member 204 and the outer surface 172 of the surrounding frame 136 form the golf club head 100 The entire crown 112. The outer surface 206 of the crown member 204 generally has a concave curvilinear shape relative to the ground 180 . The curvilinear shape of the crown member 204 allows the rear body 208 to seamlessly engage the front body 104 when the crown member is placed entirely over the flange 174 of the front body 104 .

In many embodiments, the crown member 204 is constructed of carbon fiber fabric without any composite interlayers or unidirectional composite interlayers. In one embodiment, the shaped fiber-reinforced composite material from which crown component 204 is made may include woven glass or carbon fiber reinforcement layers embedded in a polymer matrix. In such embodiments, the polymer matrix is preferably a thermoplastic material such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyether ether ketone (PEEK) or polyamide, such as PA6 or PA66. In other embodiments, the crown component 204 may be made of a filled thermoplastic material with glass beads or discontinuous glass, carbon or aromatic polyamide polymer fiber fillers embedded therein, and the basic thermoplastic material may be, for example, , polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyetheretherketone (PEEK) or polyamide. In other embodiments, the crown component 204 may be constructed from a hybrid material that is a combination of a filled thermoplastic material and a formed fiber reinforced composite material.

B. Bottom parts

Rear body 108 includes bottom member 208 . Referring to FIGS. 4 and 9 , the sole member 208 includes a structural layer 156 and an elastic layer 152 to provide a lightweight yet strong sole 116 for the golf club head 100 . The elastic layer 152 is tangential to the ground 180 and the structural layer 156 is on top of the elastic layer 152 and inside the golf club head 100 .

In one embodiment, the hybrid construction of the base member 208 has both a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite elastomeric layer 152 and a molded thermoplastic structural layer 156 . In a preferred embodiment, the molded thermoplastic structural layer 156 may be formed using a filled thermoplastic material such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), or polyamide ( It is made of thermoplastic materials such as PA6 or PA66) embedded with glass beads or discontinuous glass, carbon or aromatic polyamide polymer fiber fillers. The elastomeric layer 152 may comprise a reinforced layer of woven glass, carbon fiber or aromatic polyamide polymer fibers embedded in a thermoplastic polymer matrix including, for example, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) or polyamide, such as PA6 or PA66. In a specific embodiment, the crown component 202 and the elastic layer 152 may each comprise a woven carbon fiber fabric embedded in polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and the structural layer 156 may comprise a filled polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) polymer.

Structural layer 156 may generally include a front portion 236 and a peripheral portion 240 defining the periphery of base member 208 . When the club head 100 is assembled, the front portion 236 is coupled to the metal front body 104 and the outer peripheral portion 240 is coupled to the crown component 204 . The structural layer 156 has a plurality of holes 244 located within the periphery, each extending through the thickness of the structural layer 156 . Furthermore, the structural layer 156 may include one or more structural members 248 extending from the front portion 236 between at least two of the holes 244 . Additionally, as described below, the structural layer 156 may be configured to include a metal weight pad 212 and metal weights 220 .

The elastic layer 152 can be combined with the structural layer 156 to directly abut or cover at least a portion of the front portion 236 , the peripheral portion 240 and the plurality of structural members 248 . Therefore, when viewed from the outside of the club head 100, the elastic layer 152 can completely cover each of the plurality of holes 244. Likewise, the interior of the elastic layer 244 may contain one or more structural members 248 as selective reinforcing structures, similar to ribs or gussets.

Regarding the polymeric construction of both crown component 204 and base component 208, the filled thermoplastic material or fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite material used preferably includes one or more materials with sufficient Engineering polymers that have strength and/or strength/weight ratio properties that enable them to withstand typical use while helping to reduce design weight. Specifically, the material of the golf club head 100 must be able to effectively withstand the stress caused by the impact between the hitting surface 120 and the golf ball without causing a substantial increase in the total weight of the golf club head 100 . Overall, preferred polymers have a yield tensile strength greater than about 60 MPa (neat polymer), and when fillers are included, a yield tensile strength greater than about 110 MPa, or more preferably greater than about 180 MPa, and More preferably, it is greater than about 220MPa. In certain embodiments, suitable filled thermoplastic polymers may have a yield tensile strength of about 60 MPa to about 350 MPa. In certain embodiments, these polymers may have densities in the filled and unfilled states from about 1.15 to about 2.02, and preferably have melting temperatures greater than about 210°C, or more preferably greater than about 250°C.

C. Weight pad

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 9-11 , in many embodiments, structural layer 156 may include a weight pad 212 . The weight pad 212 includes a cavity 216 that can be used to receive a metal weight 220 . In some embodiments, the weight pad 212 is disposed toward the rearmost point of the club head 100 and thus may be integrated and/or directly coupled to the rear portion 132 of the structural layer 156 . In some embodiments, the elastic layer 152 may have a hole or opening 252 for a portion of the weight pad 212 to extend therethrough. In some embodiments, the opening 250 is separated from the front body 104 by a minimum distance of at least 25 mm, or at least 30 mm, or at least 35 mm (measured along the outer surface of the club head). As shown in FIG. 9 , when the assembly is completed, the outer surface of the weight pad 212 may be flush with the directly adjacent outer surface of the bottom member 208 and/or the elastic layer 152 . In this manner, a portion of the weight pad 212 may form part of the outer sole 116 of the golf club head 100 . Additionally, in certain embodiments, the inner surface of the weight pad 212 may be exposed to the interior of the club head. The function of the weight pad 212 is to provide dense rearward mass to improve the overall MOI of the golf club head. Due to composite rear body 108 The weight is greatly reduced, so the freely set mass can be concentrated in the area where the weight pad 212 and the weight 220 are located.

The weight pad 212 may include any desired shape that places the greatest amount of mass possible around the perimeter of the rear portion 132 of the golf club head 100 . The shape of the weight pad 212 may be any of the following: a circle, a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a trapezoid, a pentagon, a curve, a peach, or any other polygon or shape with at least one curved surface. In one embodiment, the weight pad 212 may be generally trapezoid-shaped. In another embodiment, weight pad 212 may be approximately rectangular. Additionally, in another embodiment, the weight pad 212 may be slightly rounded. Or, in another embodiment, the weight pad 212 may be slightly triangular in shape.

In most embodiments, the weight pad 212 may be made of metal, thereby providing a dense rearward portion to improve the overall MOI of the golf club head 100 . In some embodiments, the material of the weight pad 212 may be stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, steel alloy (such as 455 steel, 475 steel, 431 steel, 17-4 stainless steel, horse nail steel), titanium alloy (such as Ti 7 -4, Ti 6-4, T-9S), aluminum alloy or composite materials. In one embodiment, weight pad 212 may be stainless steel. The weight pad 212 may be forged or cast and then secured to the bottom member 208 of the rear body 108 .

The weight pad 212 is secured within the opening 250 in the elastic layer 152 via one or more techniques that provide a strong structural bond. Due to differences in material type/material surface energy, as well as the relatively high component mass and contact surface area, simply using conventional adhesive may not be able to withstand the force generated when the golf club hits the golf ball. To solve this problem, at least a portion of the weight pad can be integrated into the structural layer 156 and/or the elastic layer 152 by encapsulating at least a portion of the weight pad. In this way, the material strength of the encapsulation layer can bring about a more durable and reliable bonding effect than using surface adhesive alone. Referring to Figures 9 and 13, suitable packaging methods may include covering the edge 252 of the weight pad 212 with structural tape 261, directly wrapping at least a portion of the weight pad 212 in the structural layer 156, or placing the weight A portion of the pad is wrapped between adjacent layers of elastic layer 152 . The above techniques may be used in place of or in conjunction with chemical adhesives between the weight pad and bottom member 208 .

In one configuration, weight pad 212 may be attached to bottom member 208 without the use of any mechanical fasteners. In one embodiment, the weight pad 212 is cast, and the structural layer 156 is formed on at least an edge 252 of the weight pad 212 via, for example, insert injection molding or a co-molding technique. As mentioned above, the filled thermoplastic construction of the structural layer 156 is particularly suitable for receiving the weight pad 212 due to its ability to form complex geometries and extend around the edges in a structurally stable manner. Depending on the geometry of the weight pad, this connection technique may be more difficult to achieve with fixed-shape tape or FRC.

The cavity 216 in the weight pad 212 extends inwardly from the weight pad 212 . In the illustrated embodiment, cavity 216 is circular. In other embodiments, cavity 216 may include any shape. For example, the shape of the cavity 216 may include a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, a rectangle, an octagon, or any other polygon or shape with at least one curved surface. The cavity 216 forms a groove in which the metal weight 220 can be fixed. The metal weight 220 can add a freely set weight to the golf club head 100, thereby further improving the MOI and CG of the golf club head 100. In addition, through the arrangement of the cavity 216 and the metal weight 220, different metal weights with different densities can be movably attached to the golf club head 100 to change its overall weight.

The depth of the cavity 216 is measured from the base 224 of the cavity 216 in a direction generally perpendicular to the base 224 to the outer contour of the bottom member 208 . In many embodiments, the cavity 216 depth is between 0.10 inches and 0.50 inches. In some embodiments, the depth of cavity 216 is less than 0.50 inches, less than 0.45 inches, less than 0.40 inches, less than 0.35 inches, less than 0.30 inches, less than 0.25 inches, less than 0.20 inches, or less than 0.15 inches. .

Furthermore, cavity 216 includes holes 228 in base 224 . The hole 228 extends inwardly from the base 224 of the cavity 216 toward the crown 112 of the golf club head 100 . In some embodiments, the holes 228 may include threads that mate with the threads of the fastener 230 to secure the metal weight 220 within the cavity 216 . In other embodiments, the holes 228 may not be threaded and may be used with self-tapping or self-drilling fasteners.

Metal weight 220 may be positioned within cavity 216 of weight pad 212 . In the illustrated embodiment, weight 220 is circular to correspond to the shape of cavity 216 . In other embodiments, the weight 220 may comprise any geometric shape corresponding to the shape of the cavity 216 (such as a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, a rectangle, a trapezoid, an octagon, or any other polygon or shape having at least one curved surface). shape).

The metal weight 220 further includes a hole 232 extending through the entire weight 220 . The hole 232 is substantially similar in size to the hole 228 of the cavity 216, and when the weight is placed in the cavity 216, the hole 232 of the weight 220 is aligned with the hole 228 of the cavity 216. In most embodiments, the hole 232 does not have threads, so that the fastener 230 can be threadedly fixed to the hole 228 of the weight pad 212 after passing through the weight 220 . In addition, in some embodiments, the gasket 214 can be disposed in the cavity 216 first, and then the metal weight 220 is placed in the cavity 216 .

D. Assembly

FIG. 14 depicts a method 300 of manufacturing a golf club head 100 having an integrally integrated elastomeric layer 152 , a structural layer 156 , and a metal weight 220 of a sole member 208 . The method 300 includes thermoforming a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite material into the outer shell portion of the club head 100 at step 310 . The thermoforming procedure may involve, for example, preheating a thermoplastic prepreg to a forming temperature at least above the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic polymer, shaping the prepreg into a shell shape shape and then trim the formed parts to the appropriate size.

After the composite material shell is formed into an appropriate shape, in step 320, the filled polymer support structure can be directly contacted with the shell through injection molding. This process is usually called insert forming. In this process, the housing is placed directly in a heated mold that is provided with a gated cavity that exposes part of the housing. The molten polymer is forced into the cavity to mix directly with the molten polymer of the heated composite shell, or to partially bond with the softened shell. After the model cools, the polymer of the composite shell and the supporting structure hardens together to form a welded relationship. If the polymer of the shell and the polymer of the support structure are compatible with each other, the bonding effect will be better, and if the two components include a common thermoplastic resin component, the bonding effect will be even further. Although insert molding is the preferred technique for forming this structure, other molding techniques, such as compression molding, may also be used.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 14 , after the bottom component 208 is formed through steps 310 and 320 , the FRC crown component 204 can be combined with the bottom component 208 to substantially complete the structure of the body 108 (step 330 ). In a preferred embodiment, the material of the crown component 204 can be a thermoplastic FRC material, and can be formed into a desired shape using a thermoforming technique similar to that described in step 310 . The crown component 204 made of thermoplastic composite material can be combined with the bottom component 208 through local welding technology. The above-mentioned welding technology can be, for example, laser welding or ultrasonic welding. If the polymer is conductive, resistance welding can also be used. If the crown member 204 is formed from a thermoset polymer, the crown member 204 may be coupled to the base member 208 using, for example, adhesive or mechanical fastening techniques (studs, screws, screws, mechanical interference fit, etc.).

Then in step 340, the rear body 108 including the fixed rear crown component 204 and the bottom component 208 may be bonded to the metal front body 104. Although adhesives can hold most metals, one or more adhesion promoters or surface treatments may be required to strengthen the bond between the adhesive and the back body 108 polymer. combination.

3. Advantages

Utilizing mixed-material rear body construction significantly reduces structural weight without sacrificing any design flexibility and provides a reliable way to reintroduce free-setting quality. While this design could be made entirely from a filled thermoplastic, such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), as described above, the use of fiber-reinforced composites provides a stronger and lighter construction over a continuous outer surface. On the contrary, the full FRC design cannot be easily incorporated into the heavy load receiving structure and therefore cannot be easily utilized to increase the free installation mass.

The advantage of a hybrid golf club head with metal weight pads over those without metal weight pads is that the metal weight pads can be used to change and replace metal weights while providing a durable and reliable metal weight installation. Location. Compared with golf club heads without metal weight pads, metal weight pads can withstand the torsional force acting on the weight pad when weights are added. Furthermore, metal weight pads allow manufacturers to adjust manufacturing tolerances by replacing metal weights (that is, the ideal swing weight of the entire club head changes between 206 grams and 209 grams), or adjust according to customer demand specifications ( For example, golfers can weight their club heads, from 206 grams to 209 grams).

Replacement of one or more elements within the scope of the claimed patent will constitute a modification, not a repair. Furthermore, this specification has described benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems of the present application with reference to specific embodiments. However, such benefits, advantages, solutions to problems and any elements that may cause or highlight such benefits, advantages or solutions shall not be construed as key, required or essential features or elements of any or all claimed patent scopes. Unless such benefits, advantages, solutions or elements are expressly mentioned in the patent application.

Since the rules of golf may evolve over time (for example, golf standards organizations and/or governing entities such as the United States Golf Association (USGA), Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A), etc. may adopt new rules or eliminate or modify old rules) , the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture of golf equipment described herein may or may not comply with the rules of golf at a particular point in time. Accordingly, golf equipment of the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may be compliant or non-compliant golf equipment when advertised, marketed, and/or sold. The devices, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.

The above example takes a golf club as an example and explains its device, method and manufacturing object. The devices, methods and articles of manufacture described herein may also be applied to other types of sporting goods, such as hockey sticks, tennis rackets, fishing rods, ski poles, etc.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned embodiments and/or limitations are not contributed to the public based on the principle of contribution if they meet the following conditions: (1) they are not explicitly claimed in the scope of the patent application; and (2) the scope of the patent application is based on the theory of equality. equivalent or partial equivalents of the elements and/or limitations in the

The various features and advantages of the present invention are as described in the following items:

Article 1: A golf club head, which includes: a metal front body, including a hitting face and a surrounding frame extending rearwardly from the outer periphery of the hitting face; wherein the hitting face has a center point, an edge The hitting surface is tangent to the loft plane of the center point, and a middle plane extending from the heel through the center point to the toe and perpendicular to the loft plane; a rear body coupled to The metal front body, wherein the rear body and the front body form a substantially hollow structure with a cavity therebetween; the rear body includes a crown component and a bottom component, wherein the bottom component is coupled to the crown component, wherein The bottom component includes: a structural layer formed of a filled thermoplastic material, the structural layer including a plurality of holes extending through the thickness of the structural layer; and an elastic layer bonded to the The outer surface of the structural layer, such that the elastic layer extends across each of the plurality of holes, wherein the elastic layer is formed of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite material and defines an opening; a metal weight pad extends at least partially through the elastic layer The opening is combined with the structural layer, wherein the metal weight pad includes a hole for a metal weight to be installed; and wherein the structural layer and the elastic layer each include a common thermoplastic resin component, and wherein the structural layer is Directly bonded to the elastic layer without the need for an intermediate adhesive.

Article 2: The golf club head as described in Article 1, wherein the metal front body further includes a flange retracted from the outer surface of the surrounding frame; wherein the structural layer of the base member is bonded to the flange; and wherein the outer surface of the elastic layer of the bottom member is flush with the outer surface of the surrounding frame.

Article 3: The golf club head as described in Article 2, wherein the metal front body further includes an extending wall coupling the peripheral frame to the flange; wherein the structural layer of the base member includes a structure a member extending from the weight pad toward the metal front body; wherein the structural member is operable to impart a dynamic load between the weight pad and the extension during impact between the hitting face and a golf ball. transfer between walls.

Article 4: A golf club head as described in any of Articles 1-3, including a center of gravity of the head located at a point measured from the loft plane in a direction perpendicular to the loft plane. At the head CG depth, and at a head CG height measured from the midplane in a direction perpendicular to the midplane; wherein the head CG depth is greater than 1.7 inches.

Article 5: The golf club head as described in any one of Articles 1-4, wherein the metal front body further includes a hitting surface insert and a receiving frame; wherein the density of the receiving frame is greater than the hitting surface Blocks.

Article 6: The golf club head as described in any of Articles 1-5, wherein the mass of the front body does not exceed 140 grams and the total mass of the golf club head does not exceed 210 grams.

Article 7: The golf club head as described in any of Articles 1-6, wherein a mechanical fastener fixes the metal weight in the hole of the metal weight pad; wherein the metal weight in the structural layer The holes in the weight pad contain threads, and the metal weight does not have threads.

Article 8: The golf club head as described in any of Articles 1-7, wherein the mass of the metal weight is in the range of 5 grams to 30 grams.

Article 9: A golf club head, which includes: a metal front body, including a hitting face and a surrounding frame extending backward from the outer periphery of the hitting face; wherein the hitting face has a center point, an edge The hitting surface is tangent to the loft plane of the center point, and a middle plane extending from the heel through the center point to the toe and perpendicular to the loft plane; a rear body coupled to The metal front body, wherein the rear body and the front body form a substantially hollow structure with a cavity therebetween, the rear body includes a crown component and a bottom component, wherein the bottom component is coupled to the crown component, wherein the The bottom component includes: a structural layer made of a filled thermoplastic material and bonded to the crown component, the structural layer including a plurality of holes extending through the thickness of the structural layer; and an elastic layer bonded to the outer surface of the structural layer. On the surface, the elastic layer can resist the metal front body and extend across the plurality of holes without using an intermediate adhesive; wherein the structural layer is formed of a first material, and the first material includes a first A first plurality of fibers in a thermoplastic polymer, and the elastic layer is formed from a second material, the second material includes a second plurality of fibers disposed in a second thermoplastic polymer, wherein the first plurality of fibers in the first material The volumetric amount of the first thermoplastic polymer is greater than the volumetric amount of the second thermoplastic polymer in the second material; wherein the structural layer and the elastic layer each comprise a common thermoplastic resin component, and wherein the structural layer It is directly combined with the elastic layer without using an intermediate adhesive; and the structural layer of the bottom component includes a metal weight pad, wherein the metal weight pad includes a hole for installing a metal weight.

Article 10: The golf club head as described in Article 9, wherein the metal front body further includes a flange retracted from the outer surface of the surrounding frame; wherein the structural layer of the sole component is bonded to the flange. edge; and wherein the outer surface of the elastic layer of the bottom member is flush with the outer surface of the surrounding frame.

Article 11: The golf club head as described in any one of Articles 9-10, wherein the metal front body further includes an extension wall for coupling the surrounding frame to the flange; wherein the base member The structural layer includes a structural member extending from the weight pad toward the metal front body; wherein the structural member is operable to cause a dynamic load on the weight during impact between the hitting face and a golf ball. Transfer between heavy pads and this extended wall.

Article 12: The golf club head as described in any of Articles 9-11, wherein the first thermoplastic polymer is directly bonded to the second thermoplastic polymer.

Article 13: The golf club head as described in any one of Articles 9-12, wherein the first plurality of fibers includes a plurality of discontinuous fibers, the largest dimension of each of which is less than 0.43 inches.

Article 14: The golf club head as described in any one of Articles 9-13, wherein the second plurality of fibers includes a plurality of continuous fibers woven into a cloth.

Article 15: The golf club head as described in any of Articles 9-14, wherein the first thermoplastic polymer and the second thermoplastic polymer are the same.

Article 16: The golf club head as described in any of Articles 9-15, wherein the mass of the front body does not exceed 140 grams and the total mass of the golf club head does not exceed 210 grams.

Article 17: A golf club head as described in any of Articles 9-16, including a head center of gravity located at a point measured from the loft plane in a direction perpendicular to the loft plane. At the head CG depth, and at a head CG height measured from the midplane in a direction perpendicular to the midplane; wherein the head CG depth is greater than 1.7 inches.

Article 18: The golf club head as described in any of Articles 9-17, wherein the metal front body further includes a hitting face insert and a receiving frame; wherein the density of the receiving frame is greater than the hitting face Blocks.

Article 19: The golf club head as described in any of Articles 9-18, wherein a mechanical fastener fixes the metal weight in the hole of the metal weight pad; wherein the metal weight in the structural layer The holes in the weight pad contain threads, and the metal weight does not have threads.

Article 20: The golf club head as described in any of Articles 9-19, wherein the mass of the metal weight is in the range of 5 grams to 30 grams.

104: Front body

120:Striking surface

144: hosel

152: Structural layer

152: Elastic layer

156:Structural layer

156: Weight pad

204: Crown components

206:Outer surface

212: Weight pad

212: cavity

236:Front

240:Peripheral part

244:hole

244:Elastic layer

248: Structural parts

Claims (20)

A golf club head, which includes: a heel, and a toe opposite to the heel; a metal front body, which includes: a hitting face, and a surrounding frame extending rearwardly from the outer periphery of the hitting face ; Wherein, the hitting surface has: a center point, a loft plane along the hitting surface that is tangent to the center point, and a vertical hitting plane extending from the heel through the center point to the toe, and is vertical At the middle plane of the high impact plane; a rear body coupled to the metal front body, wherein the rear body and the metal front body form a substantially hollow structure with a cavity therebetween, wherein the rear body The body includes a crown component and a bottom component, wherein the bottom component is coupled to the crown component, and wherein the bottom component includes: a structural layer made of a molded thermoplastic material, the structural layer having a plurality of holes, each extending through the thickness of the structural layer, and an elastic layer bonded to an outer surface of the structural layer such that the elastic layer extends through each of the plurality of holes; a metal weight pad, Combined with the structural layer, the metal weight pad includes a hole for a metal weight to be installed therein; and a head center of gravity is located from the high impact plane in a direction perpendicular to the high impact plane. at a head CG depth measured above, and at a head CG height measured from the midplane in a direction perpendicular to the midplane; wherein the head CG depth is greater than 1.7 inches; and wherein The crown component contains a non-metallic material. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the molded thermoplastic material of the structural layer of the base member is a filled thermoplastic material. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the elastic layer of the bottom member is formed of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite material. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the crown component includes a crown filler thermoplastic layer. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the crown filler thermoplastic layer includes the same material as the structural layer of the base member. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the crown component includes a crown filler thermoplastic layer and a crown elastic layer. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the crown filler thermoplastic layer is formed of a first material, the first material includes a first plurality of fibers disposed in a first thermoplastic polymer, and The crown elastic layer is formed of a second material that includes a second plurality of fibers disposed in a second thermoplastic polymer. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the first thermoplastic polymer and the second thermoplastic polymer share a thermoplastic resin. For example, the golf club head of claim 7, wherein the first plurality of fibers includes a plurality of discontinuous fibers, each of which has a largest dimension less than 0.43 inches; and The second plurality of fibers includes a plurality of continuous fibers woven into a fabric. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the structural layer of the bottom member and the elastic layer of the bottom member each comprise a common thermoplastic resin component, and The structural layer and the elastic layer are directly combined without using an intermediate adhesive. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the crown member presents a curved shape that is substantially concave relative to a ground surface. For example, the golf club head of claim 1, wherein The metal front body further includes a flange retracted from the outer surface of the surrounding frame; The structural layer of the bottom component is bonded to the flange; and An outer surface of the bottom member is flush with an outer surface of the surrounding frame. For example, the golf club head of claim 1, wherein the mass of the metal front body does not exceed 140 grams, and the total mass of the golf club head does not exceed 210 grams. For example, the golf club head of claim 1, wherein: A mechanical fastener secures the metal weight in the hole of the metal weight pad; The holes in the metal weight pad in the structural layer include threads; and This metal weight does not have threads. For example, the golf club head of claim 1, wherein the mass of the metal weight is in the range of 5 grams to 30 grams. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a part of the metal weight pad is encapsulated in the structural layer of the bottom component to increase the connection strength between the metal weight pad and the structural layer. For example, the golf club head of claim 1, wherein: The golf club head further includes an encapsulation layer between the metal weight pad and the structural layer of the sole component; and The encapsulation layer is a structural tape that extends to cover an edge of the metal weight pad and forms a strong bond between the metal weight pad and the structural layer of the bottom component. For example, the golf club head of claim 1, wherein: The metal weight pad extends through an opening in the structural layer of the base member; and The opening is spaced at least 25 mm from the metal front body. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein an inner surface of the metal weight pad is exposed to an interior of the golf club head. For example, the golf club head of claim 1, wherein the metal weight pad includes a material selected from the following metals: stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, and steel alloy.

Images