Club heads having reinforced club head faces and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12048866-B2
Application number	US-202318358876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2023
Priority date	May 15, 2014
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

A golf club head including a face element having a face surface, a rear surface, and a reinforcement device with a reinforcement element that extends out from the rear surface of the face element toward a rear end and away from a front end of a golf club head. The reinforcement element includes a looped rib having an outer perimeter surface and an inner perimeter surface. The face surface is nearer to the rear surface proximal to the face center than proximal to the face perimeter. The outer perimeter surface of the reinforcement element is filleted with the rear surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A golf club head comprising:
a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end;
a front end and a rear end opposite the front end;
a toe end and a heel end opposite the toe end;
a face element comprising:
a face surface located at the front end and comprising a face center and a face perimeter; and
a rear surface located at the rear end and being opposite to the face surface, the rear surface comprising a rear center opposite the face center and a rear perimeter; and
a first rear surface portion corresponding to a part of the rear surface covered by the face perimeter; and
a second rear surface portion corresponding to a part of the rear surface not covered by the face perimeter;
and

a reinforcement element located at the rear surface;
wherein:
the reinforcement element extends out from the rear surface toward the rear end and away from the front end;
the reinforcement element comprises a looped rib having an outer perimeter surface and an inner perimeter surface;
the reinforcement element covers an area greater than or equal to approximately 25 percent of a surface area of the second rear surface portion;
the face element is thinner inside the inner perimeter surface than outside the outer perimeter surface;
the outer perimeter surface of the reinforcement elements is filleted with the rear surface; and
the inner perimeter surface comprises a largest rib span of greater than or equal to 0.609 centimeters.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the face surface comprises one or more scoring lines extending between the toe end and the heel end.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the golf club head comprises an iron-type golf club head.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
the rear surface is nearer to the face surface at the face center than proximal to the face perimeter; or
a center thickness from the face center to the rear center is less than or equal to 0.203 centimeters.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the looped rib further comprises a varying thickness.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the reinforcement element comprises a uniform transition thickness.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:
the inner perimeter surface of the looped rib is filleted with the rear surface wherein:
the looped rib has a filet radius of greater than or equal to 0.012 centimeters.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:
the looped rib has a rib height comprising:
a rib height of less than or equal to approximately 0.512 cm.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:
the looped rib comprises a cavity defined by the inner perimeter surface and the rear surface; and
the cavity contains an insert weighing between 5 grams and 10 grams.

10. The golf club head of claim 9 wherein:
the insert comprises an elastomer or a foam.

11. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:
a rib thickness between the inner perimeter surface of the looped rib and the outer perimeter surface of the looped rib is approximately 0.0508 centimeters to approximately 1.448 centimeters.

12. A golf club head comprising:
a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end;
a front end and a rear end opposite the front end;
a toe end and a heel end opposite the toe end;
a body comprising:
a shell structure;
a face element; and
a plurality of reinforcement elements;

wherein:
the shell structure of the body surrounds and defines a hollow void;
wherein:
the shell structure is comprised of a first material;
wherein:
the shell structure is filled with a filler material different from the first material the face element comprises:
a face surface located at the front end and comprising a face center and a face perimeter; and
a rear surface located at the rear end and being opposite to the face surface, the rear surface comprising a rear center opposite the face center and a rear perimeter; and

a first rear surface portion corresponding to a part of the rear surface covered by the face perimeter; and
a second rear surface portion corresponding to a part of the rear surface not covered by the face perimeter;
and

the plurality of reinforcement elements are located at the rear surface and extends out from the rear surface toward the rear end and away from the front end;
the plurality of reinforcement elements have an outer perimeter surface and an inner perimeter surface;
the plurality of reinforcement elements covers an area greater than or equal to approximately 25 percent of a surface area of the second rear surface portion;
the face element is thinner inside the inner perimeter surface than outside the outer perimeter surface;
the outer perimeter surface of the plurality of reinforcement elements are filleted with the rear surface; and
the inner perimeter surface comprises a largest rib span of greater than or equal to 0.609 centimeters.

13. The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein:
the hollow void is at least partially filled with a filler material; and
the filler material differs from a material of the shell structure.

14. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein:
the hollow void is fully filled with a filler material.

15. The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein:
each reinforcement element of the plurality of reinforcement elements comprises a cavity defined by the inner perimeter surface and the rear surface; and
the cavity contains the filler material.

16. The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein:
the filler material comprises a plastic foam.

17. The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein:
the face surface comprises one or more scoring lines extending between the toe end and the heel end.

18. The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein at least one of:
the rear surface is nearer to the face surface at the face center than proximal to the face perimeter; or
a center thickness from the face center to the rear center is less than or equal to 0.203 centimeters.

19. The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein:
each reinforcement element of the plurality of reinforcement elements comprises an elliptical looped rib.

20. The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein:
the plurality of reinforcement elements have a uniform transition thickness.

Assignees

• Karsten Mfg Corp

Inventors

• Morales Eric J
• Stokke Ryan M
• Cole Eric V
• Bacon Cory S

Classifications

• Y10T29/49828

  Progressively advancing of work assembly station or assembled portion of work · CPC title

• A63B53/0458

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

• A63B53/0454

  Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate · CPC title

• A63B53/0408

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

• A63B60/54

  with means for damping vibrations · CPC title