Golf club head having supported striking face

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024115914-A1
Application number	US-202318542143-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 15, 2023
Priority date	Mar 11, 2022
Publication date	Apr 11, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A golf club head includes: a striking face; a top portion; a sole extending; a support bar protruding rearwardly from the striking face; an intermediate wall extending between the sole and the support bar; and a front cavity between the striking face and the intermediate wall, wherein, when the golf club head is in an address position on a ground plane, a greatest cavity height distance in a cross-sectional plane, as measured along a first direction perpendicular to the ground plane and from the ground plane to a top of the front cavity closest to the top portion is less than 70% of a greatest club height distance in the cross-sectional plane, as measured along the first direction and from the ground plane to the top portion, wherein the cross-sectional plane is perpendicular to the ground plane and taken at Face Center.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An iron type golf club head, comprising:
a striking face having a substantially flat outermost surface, and having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge; a top portion extending rearward from the upper topline edge; a sole extending rearward from the lower leading edge; a support bar protruding rearwardly from the striking face and extending in a toe-heel direction of the golf club head; an intermediate wall extending between the sole and the support bar; and a front cavity defined at least in part by the striking face, the intermediate wall, the support bar, and the sole, wherein, when the golf club head is in an address position on a ground plane, a greatest cavity height distance in a cross-sectional plane, as measured along a first direction perpendicular to the ground plane and from the ground plane to a top of the front cavity closest to the top portion is less than 70% of a greatest club height distance in the cross-sectional plane, as measured along the first direction and from the ground plane to the top portion, wherein the cross-sectional plane is perpendicular to the ground plane and taken at Face Center.

2 . The iron type golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising one or more polymer materials at least partially filling the front cavity.

3 . The iron type golf club head of claim 1 , wherein a volume of the front cavity is less than 8,500 mm 3 .

4 . The iron type golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the volume of the front cavity is less than 7,000 mm 3 .

5 . The iron type golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cradle defining at least part of the sole; and a rear cavity positioned rearward to the front cavity, and defined at least partially by the cradle and the intermediate wall, wherein the intermediate wall fluidically separates the front and rear cavities.

6 . The iron type golf club head of claim 1 , wherein an opening is defined in a toe or a heel of the golf club head and exposes the front cavity to an exterior of the golf club head, and
wherein the opening is at least partially filled with a first polymer material.

7 . The iron type golf club head of claim 1 , wherein a sole slot is defined at least partly in the sole and exposes the front cavity to an exterior of the golf club head, and
wherein the sole slot is at least partially filled with a first polymer material.

8 . The iron type golf club head of claim 7 , wherein a top slot is defined at least partly in the support bar and exposes the front cavity to the exterior of the golf club head, and
wherein the top slot is at least partially filled with the first polymer material or a second polymer material different from the first polymer material.

9 . An iron type golf club head, comprising:
a striking face having a lower leading edge and an upper topline edge; a top portion extending rearward from the upper topline edge; a sole extending rearward from the lower leading edge; a support bar protruding rearwardly from the striking face, extending in a toe-heel direction of the golf club head, and positioned between the sole and the top portion; an intermediate wall extending between the sole and the support bar; and a front cavity defined at least in part by the striking face, the intermediate wall, the support bar, and the sole, and having a volume of less than 8,500 mm 3 .

10 . The iron type golf club head of claim 9 , wherein the volume of the front cavity is less than 7,000 mm 3 .

11 . The iron type golf club head of claim 9 , wherein a sole slot is defined at least partly in the sole that exposes the front cavity to an exterior of the golf club head.

12 . The iron type golf club head of claim 11 , wherein the support bar covers an entire top of the front cavity.

13 . The iron type golf club head of claim 11 , wherein a top slot is defined in the support bar and exposes a top of the front cavity to the exterior of the golf club head, and
wherein the top slot is at least partially filled with a first polymer material.

14 . The iron type golf club head of claim 13 , wherein the sole slot is at least partially filled with a second polymer material different from the first polymer material.

15 . The iron type golf club head of claim 13 , wherein the sole slot is filled with the first polymer material.

16 . The iron type golf club head of claim 9 , further comprising one or more polymer materials at least partially filling the front cavity.

17 . The iron type golf club head of claim 16 , wherein the front cavity is partially filled by the one or more polymer materials, and part of the front cavity is void.

18 . An iron type golf club head, comprising:
a striking face having a substantially flat outermost surface, and having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge; a top portion extending rearward from the upper topline edge; a sole extending rearward from the lower leading edge; a support bar protruding rearwardly from the striking face and extending in a toe-heel direction of the golf club head; an intermediate wall extending between the sole and the support bar; a front cavity defined at least in part by the striking face, the intermediate wall, the support bar, and the sole; and one or more polymer materials at least partially filling the front cavity, wherein, when the golf club head is in an address position on a ground plane, a greatest cavity height distance in a cross-sectional plane, as measured along a first direction perpendicular to the ground plane and from the ground plane to a top of the front cavity closest to the top portion is less than 75% of a greatest club height distance in the cross-sectional plane, as measured along the first direction and from the ground plane to the top portion, wherein the cross-sectional plane is perpendicular to the ground plane and taken at Face Center, and wherein an opening is defined in a toe or a heel of the golf club head that exposes the front cavity to an exterior of the golf club head.

19 . The iron type golf club head of claim 18 , wherein a volume of the front cavity is less than 8,500 mm 3 .

20 . The iron type golf club head of claim 18 , wherein the opening is in the toe of the golf club head, and a first polymer material at least partially fills the opening and at least partially fills the front cavity.

Assignees

• Acushnet Co

Inventors

• Yi Sang
• Carr Kyle

Classifications

• A63B53/0475 Primary

  with one or more enclosed cavities · CPC title

• A63B53/0412

  Volume · CPC title

• A63B53/0408 Primary

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

• A63B53/042

  the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head · CPC title

• A63B53/0425

  the face insert comprising two or more different materials · CPC title