Golf club heads with variable face thickness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11247106-B2
Application number	US-202016920504-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2020
Priority date	Jul 3, 2020
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

A club head with a variable face thickness includes a body having a toe, heel, sole, and top portion. The loft angle LA and the club head mass mh satisfy mh=2.1 g/degree*LA+a, where 190 g<a<210 g, and the club head has a blade length less than 80 mm. A striking face of the club head has a face center, and defines a face plane. A virtual center plane extends vertically through the face center perpendicularly to the face plane. A center of gravity of the club head is located not more than 2.0 mm from the virtual center plane, and a moment of inertia about a vertical axis extending through the center of gravity satisfies: Izz>mh*9.3 cm2. In one aspect, a face insert including the striking face has a mass mf such that mf/mh is less than or equal to 0.22.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:
a golf club head main body having a toe, a heel opposite the toe, a sole, and a top portion opposite the sole;
a loft angle LA;
a golf club head mass mh, wherein:
mh=2.1 g/degree*LA+ a ; and
190 g< a <210 g;

a blade length less than 80 mm;
a striking face having a face center, wherein the striking face defines a face plane and comprises:
a central region including the face center;
an intermediate region at least partially surrounding the central region;
an upper region above the central region;
a lower region below the central region; and
a toe region toe-ward of the central region,
wherein each of the central region, the upper region, the lower region, and the toe region comprises a maximum width and an average thickness and the intermediate region is disposed between the central region and each of the upper region, the lower region, and the toe region,
wherein the intermediate region has an average thickness greater than that of each of the central region, the upper region, the lower region, and the toe region; and
wherein at least one of the toe region, the upper region, and the lower region comprises, on a rear surface thereof, an elongate groove having a width no less than about 2.0 mm;

a virtual center plane that extends vertically through the face center perpendicularly to the face plane;
a center of gravity of the golf club head located not more than 2.0 mm from the virtual center plane; and
a moment of inertia about a vertical axis extending through the center of gravity, Izz, that satisfies: Izz>mh*9.3 cm 2 .

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the upper region, the lower region, and the toe region respectively comprise on a rear surface thereof an upper groove extending generally in a heel to toe direction, a lower groove extending generally in a heel to toe direction, and a toe groove extending generally in a top to bottom direction.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the central region includes a heel-side region that has a greater thickness than a toe-side region.

4. The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the central region tapers in thickness from the heel-side region to the toe-side region.

5. A golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:
a golf club head main body having a toe, a heel opposite the toe, a sole, and a top portion opposite the sole;
a loft angle LA;
a golf club head mass mh, wherein:
mh=2.1 g/degree*LA+ a ; and
190 g< a <210 g;

a blade length less than 80 mm;
a striking face having a face center, wherein the striking face defines a face plane and includes:
a sweet spot corresponding to a first coefficient of restitution COR1; and
an auxiliary location on the striking face spaced at least 7.5 mm from the sweet spot corresponding to a second coefficient of restitution COR2, where: COR2≥0.98*COR1;

a virtual center plane that extends vertically through the face center perpendicularly to the face plane;
a center of gravity of the golf club head located not more than 2.0 mm from the virtual center plane; and
a moment of inertia about a vertical axis extending through the center of gravity, Izz, that satisfies: Izz>mh*9.3 cm 2 .

6. The golf club head of claim 5 , wherein the auxiliary location is spaced at least 7.5 mm toe-ward of the sweet spot.

7. The golf club head of claim 5 , wherein the striking face includes a weighted COR greater than or equal to 0.79.

8. The golf club head of claim 5 , further comprising a topline thickness of no more than 6.5 mm.

9. A golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:
a golf club head main body having a toe, a heel opposite the toe, a sole, and a top portion opposite the sole;
a face insert having a mass mf fixedly attached to the golf club head main body and including a striking face that defines a face plane;
a loft angle LA;
a golf club head mass mh, wherein:
mh=2.1 g/degree*LA+ a ; and
190 g< a <210 g;

a blade length less than 80 mm;
a center of gravity; and
a moment of inertia about a vertical axis extending through the center of gravity, Izz, that satisfies: Izz>mh*9.3 cm 2 ;
wherein, a ratio mf/mh is less than or equal to 0.22.

10. The golf club head of claim 9 , wherein the face insert comprises:
a central region including the face center;
an intermediate region at least partially surrounding the central region;
an upper region above the central region;
a lower region below the central region; and
a toe region toe-ward of the central region,
wherein each of the central region, the upper region, the lower region, and the toe region comprises a maximum width and an average thickness, and the intermediate region is disposed between the central region and each of the upper region, the lower region, and the toe region, and
wherein the intermediate region has an average thickness greater than that of each of the central region, the upper region, the lower region, and the toe region.

11. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the upper region, the lower region, and the toe region respectively comprise, on a rear surface thereof, an upper groove extending generally in a heel to toe direction, a lower groove extending generally in a heel to toe direction, and a toe groove extending generally in a top to bottom direction.

12. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the toe region, the upper region, and the lower region comprises, on a rear surface thereof, an elongate groove having a width no less than about 2.0 mm.

13. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the central region includes a heel-side region that has a greater thickness than a toe-side region.

14. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein the central region tapers in thickness from the heel-side region to the toe-side region.

15. The golf club head of claim 9 , wherein the striking face includes:
a sweet spot corresponding to a first coefficient of restitution COR1;
an auxiliary location on the striking face spaced at least 7.5 mm from the sweet spot corresponding to a second coefficient of restitution COR2, where: COR2≥0.98*COR1.

16. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein COR2≥0.99*COR1.

17. The golf club head of claim 9 , wherein the striking face includes a weighted COR greater than or equal to 0.79.

18. The golf club head of claim 9 , further comprising a topline thickness of no more than 6.5 mm.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Rubber Ind

Inventors

• Munson Anthony
• Lambeth Jacob
• Brekke Dustin

Classifications

• A63B53/0475

  with one or more enclosed cavities · CPC title

• A63B53/04 Primary

  Heads · CPC title

• A63B53/047 Primary

  iron-type · CPC title

• A63B53/0408

  characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness · CPC title

• A63B53/0458

  with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate · CPC title