Multi-material golf club head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9352198-B2
Application number	US-201313922754-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2013
Priority date	Jul 21, 2006
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

The invention provides a golf club head that uses a light-weight material for part of the body and a strong material for a face-to-sole transition to provide a durable face with a high coefficient of restitution. The club head may have a first body part and a second body part. Material of the first body part extends down from a face member, bends around a face-sole transition, and continues into a sole return member to provide at least a portion of a ball-striking face and a sole surface. The first body part also provides a hosel. The second body part provides a significant proportion of the volume of the club head (e.g., at least about a third or even a majority). The low-density of the second body part allows for inclusion of one or more high-density third body parts to optimize mass distribution.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A golf club head comprising:
a first body part providing a hosel and at least a part of a sole portion of the club head, the first body part comprising a front surface bent around a face-sole transition and providing at least a portion of a ball-striking face and at least a part of a downward-facing surface of the sole portion;
a low-density body part coupled to a rear surface of the first body part and providing at least a part of the sole portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion of the club head; and
a high-density body part coupled to the sole portion, wherein the high-density body part is provided as a plurality of separate pieces that are attached to the sole portion.

2. A golf club head comprising:
a first body part providing a hosel and at least a part of a sole portion of the club head, the first body part comprising a front surface bent around a face-sole transition and providing at least a portion of a ball-striking face and at least a part of a downward-facing surface of the sole portion;
a low-density body part coupled to a rear surface of the first body part and providing at least a part of the sole portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion of the club head; and
a high-density body part coupled to the sole portion, wherein the high-density body part has a density of at least 7.5 g/cc.

3. A golf club head comprising:
a first body part providing a hosel and at least a part of a sole portion of the club head, the first body part comprising a front surface bent around a face-sole transition and providing at least a portion of a ball-striking face and at least a part of a downward-facing surface of the sole portion;
a low-density body part coupled to a rear surface of the first body part and providing at least a part of the sole portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion of the club head; and
a high-density body part coupled to the sole portion, wherein the high-density body part comprises tungsten.

4. A golf club head comprising:
a first body part providing a hosel and at least a part of a sole portion of the club head, the first body part comprising a front surface bent around a face-sole transition and providing at least a portion of a ball-striking face and at least a part of a downward-facing surface of the sole portion;
a low-density body part coupled to a rear surface of the first body part and providing at least a part of the sole portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion of the club head; and
a high-density body part coupled to the sole portion, wherein the high-density body part is in the form of a bar.

5. A golf club head comprising:
a first body part providing a hosel and at least a part of a sole portion of the club head, the first body part comprising a front surface bent around a face-sole transition and providing at least a portion of a ball-striking face and at least a part of a downward-facing surface of the sole portion;
a low-density body part coupled to a rear surface of the first body part and providing at least a part of the sole portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion of the club head; and
a high-density body part coupled to the sole portion, wherein the high-density body part is coupled to both the first and the low-density body parts.

6. A golf club head comprising:
a first body part providing a hosel and at least a part of a sole portion of the club head, the first body part comprising a front surface bent around a face-sole transition and providing at least a portion of a ball-striking face and at least a part of a downward-facing surface of the sole portion;
a low-density body part coupled to a rear surface of the first body part and providing at least a part of the sole portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion of the club head; and
a high-density body part coupled to the sole portion, wherein the low-density body part provides at least a third of a volume of the club head.

7. A golf club head comprising:
a first body part providing a hosel and at least a part of a sole portion of the club head, the first body part comprising a front surface bent around a face-sole transition and providing at least a portion of a ball-striking face and at least a part of a downward-facing surface of the sole portion;
a low-density body part coupled to a rear surface of the first body part and providing at least a part of the sole portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion of the club head; and
a high-density body part coupled to the sole portion, wherein the low-density body part provides a majority of a volume of the club head.

8. A golf club head comprising:
a first body part comprising: a sole member providing at least a part of a downward-facing surface of a sole portion of the club head, a face member providing at least a part of a ball-striking face and extending down around a face-sole transition and into the sole member, and a hosel extending upwards from a heel-side portion of the face member; and
a second body part coupled to a back surface of the first body part and providing at least part of the sole portion of the club head, wherein the second part contributes at least a third of a volume of the club head.

9. A golf club head comprising:
a front component formed of a first material and comprising a face member, a face-sole transition bend at a lower portion of the face member, a sole return extending back from the face-sole transition bend, and a hosel extending from the front component, wherein a front surface of the front component provides at least a portion of a ball-striking face; and
a back component formed of a second material distinct from the first material and attached to a back surface of the face member and cooperating with the front component to provide a main body of the club head, wherein the back component provides at least a quarter of a volume of the club head.

10. A golf club head comprising:
a front component formed of a first material and comprising a face member, a face-sole transition bend at a lower portion of the face member, a sole return extending back from the face-sole transition bend, and a hosel extending from the front component, wherein a front surface of the front component provides at least a portion of a ball-striking face; and
a back component formed of a second material distinct from the first material and attached to a back surface of the face member and cooperating with the front component to provide a main body of the club head, further comprising a high-density component disposed on the main body of the club head.

11. The club head of claim 10 , further wherein the back component is also attached to an upper surface of the sole return.

12. The club head of claim 11 , wherein the sole return and back component cooperate to provide a downward facing surface of a sole of the club head, wherein the downward facing surface faces downward when the club head is at address.

Assignees

• Cobra Golf Inc

Inventors

• Roach Ryan L
• Curtis Andrew

Classifications

• A63B69/0002

  for baseball · CPC title

• A63B60/54

  with means for damping vibrations · CPC title

• A63B53/047

  iron-type · CPC title

• A63B53/0475 Primary

  with one or more enclosed cavities · CPC title

• A63B60/02

  Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass (A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence) · CPC title