Golf club

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018169486-A1
Application number	US-201815881430-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 26, 2018
Priority date	May 21, 2014
Publication date	Jun 21, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment the golf club head includes three main components, a frame component, a rear cap component, and a striking plate.
In another embodiment the club head may also comprise a front component, which is manufactured as a single unitary piece, and a rear cap component. The front component may also be overmolded by a thermoplastic polymeric outer portion which may or may not cover the striking face and which provides additional reinforcement at the load bearing sections of the club head and allows a more facile connection to the rear cap component.
In another embodiment, a club head having a main body, crown insert, sole insert and metal face plate frame is formed by forming the sole insert and crown insert from a polymeric material using a thermoforming or thermosetting process and then injection molding the main body over the sole insert, crown insert and metal face plate frame.

First claim

1 . A golf club head having a face, sole, crown, heel and toe, the golf club head comprising:
a front component made of a metal or metal alloy, the front component having surfaces forming at least a portion of a face, sole, crown, heel and toe, the front component defining a through opening in the face; a rear body joined to the front component to provide a hollow club head having an interior volume, the rear body comprising at least in part a polymeric material wherein at least a portion of the rear body is formed of an injection molded inner layer and outer composite layer bonded to the inner layer along a common abutting surface, the inner layer and outer composite layer forming a bonded laminate construction with no separation there between; and a face plate attached to the front component to enclose the opening, the face plate being supported only along a periphery thereof.

2 . The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the front component defines a weight receiving opening for receiving one or more fixed or moveable weights.

3 . The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the face plate is supported only along its periphery.

4 . The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the front component comprises a material selected from the group of titanium, one or more titanium alloys, aluminum, one or more aluminum alloys, steel, one or more steel alloys, and any combinations thereof.

5 . The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the rear body comprises a material selected from the group of thermoset polymers, thermoplastic polymers, and any combinations thereof.

6 . The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the rear body comprises a material selected from the group of thermoset polyurethanes, thermoset polyureas, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyureas, polyamides (PA), polyketones (PK), polyphenylene sulfides (PPS), polyphthalamides (PPA), thermoplastic urethane (TPU) and any combination thereof.

7 . The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the inner layer and outer composite layer each have a thickness of about 0.25 mm to about 2 mm.

8 . The golf club head of claim 7 wherein the injection-molded inner layer includes a material selected from the group of thermoset polyurethanes, thermoset polyureas, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyureas, polyamides (PA), polyketones (PK), polyphenylene sulfides (PPS), polyphthalamides (PPA), thermoplastic urethane (TPU) and any combination thereof.

9 . The golf club head of claim 7 wherein the outer composite layer is a continuous fiber composite laminate material.

10 . The golf club head of claim 7 wherein the inner and outer layers each include materials having compatible polymer matrices to facilitate bonding therebetween.

11 . A golf club head having a face, sole, crown, heel, and toe, the club head comprising:
a face component having surfaces defining the face, a portion of the sole, a portion of the crown, a portion of the toe, and a portion of the heel; and a rear shell joined to the face component to provide a club head having an interior volume, the rear shell comprising at least two layers including an injection molded inner layer and an outer composite layer which are bonded to one another along a common abutting surface; wherein the face component includes a striking face and a thermoplastic polymeric outer portion overmolded on the striking face, the striking face being supported only at its periphery by the outer portion.

12 . The golf club head of claim 11 wherein the face component is made of a metal or metal alloy.

13 . The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein the face component comprises a material selected from the group of titanium, one or more titanium alloys, aluminum, one or more aluminum alloys, steel, one or more steel alloys, and any combinations thereof.

14 . The club head of claim 11 wherein the rear shell comprises material selected from the group of thermoset polymers, thermoplastic polymers, and any combinations thereof.

15 . The club head of claim 11 wherein the outer composite layer is a continuous fiber composite laminate material.

16 . The club head of claim 1 wherein the rear body is joined to the front component by one or more of a crown insert, sole insert or skirt insert.

17 . The club head of claim 16 wherein the one or more inserts are overmolded by the rear body and create a discontinuity between the front component and the rear body to form a channel.

Assignees

• Taylor Made Golf Co

Inventors

• Wester Christian Reber
• Sargent Nathan T
• Nielson Joseph Reeve
• Harbert Christopher John
• Jeon Hong G

Classifications

• A63B2209/02

  with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres · CPC title

• A63B60/00

  Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like · CPC title

• A63B60/52

  with slits · CPC title

• A63B53/06

  adjustable · CPC title

• A63B53/0466 Primary

  wood-type · CPC title