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Multiple material iron-type golf club head

Multiple material iron-type golf club head description/claims

This invention relates generally to golf equipment and, in particular, to golf club heads.

Iron-type golf clubs are intended primarily for second and later shots rather than tee shots. Often they are used for hitting shots from bare ground or sand as well as from turf. Accordingly, conventional iron-type golf clubs are designed so that the club head and, in particular, the sole of the club head are made of a durable material such as iron, stainless steel or like. It is generally desirable for an iron-type golf club head to have perimeter weighting to increase its moment of inertia to resist twisting. It is also desirable for an iron-type golf club head to have a low center of gravity to enhance the ability of the club head to launch the golf ball in an appropriate trajectory and for the club head to be forgiving on off-center hits. Conventional iron-type golf clubs accomplish some of these goals through the use of cavity back club heads, tuning ports in the club heads and, more recently, lightweight forged or rolled titanium club head faces attached to heavier perimeter members.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a golf club head incorporating features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a face plate insert according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the club head of FIG. 1 taken along line 3-3;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, similar to FIG. 2, of another embodiment of the face plate insert; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view, similar to FIG. 3, of a club head including the face plate insert of FIG. 4.

The drawing figures are intended to illustrate the general manner of construction and are not necessarily to scale. In the detailed description and in the drawing figures, specific illustrative examples are shown and herein described in detail. It is understood, however, that the drawing figures and the detailed description are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but are merely illustrative and intended to teach one of ordinary skill how to make and/or use the invention claimed herein and for setting forth the best mode for carrying out the invention.

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, an iron golf club head 10 incorporating features of the present invention is preferably composed of two main components, a perimeter member 12 and a face plate insert 14. The perimeter member 12 is preferably composed of a relatively dense material such as stainless steel, carbon steel, beryllium-copper, or other material having a density of least 7.0 grams per cubic centimeter. The perimeter member has a sole wall 16, a heel wall 18 extending upwardly from heel end 20 of sole wall 16, a toe wall 22 extending upwardly from toe end 24 of sole wall 16, and a top wall 26 extending from an upper end 28 of heel wall 18 to an upper end 30 of toe wall 22. Perimeter member 12 further comprises a hosel 32 having a hosel bore 34 for receiving a golf club shaft (not shown).

Face plate insert 14 is preferably formed of a core member 36 and a shell member 38 that encases core member 36. Preferably, core member 36 is composed of a material such as aluminum, thermoplastic, thermosetplastic or foam metal having a bulk density of less than 2.7 grams per cubic centimeter. Core member 36 is preferably a solid prism having substantially the same shape as finished face plate insert 14 but smaller in overall size. Core member 36 preferably has a thickness alpha (a) in the range of 0.025 to 0.040 inches, and preferably between 0.035 and 0.040 inches.

Shell member 38 comprises a metallic coating that fully encases core member 36. Preferably, shell member 38 comprises a nickel iron nanometal having a grain size on the order of 10 to 50 nanometers. Shell member 38 comprises a front wall 40, a rear wall 42 and a perimeter wall 44. Front wall 40 has a front surface 47 arranged for impacting a golf ball. Preferably, front wall 40 has a thickness beta (β) between 0.030 and 0.050 inch, rear wall 42 has a thickness gamma (γ) between 0.015 and 0.025 inch, and perimeter wall 44 preferably has a thickness delta (δ) between 0.015 to 0.030 inch.

Shell member 38 may be sintered onto core member 36 to form face plate insert 14, however, shell member 38 is preferably applied to core member 36 by an electroplating or electroforming process such as the electroplating process for applying nanometals practiced by Power Metal Technologies, Inc. of Carlsbad, Calif. This process applies coatings that are in excess of 0.010 inches in thickness as opposed to conventional chrome and other protective coatings which are typically less than 0.001 inch thick or less than 1% of the thickness of the part being coated. All of the thicknesses β, γ and δ are at least 1% as thick, and preferably at least 10% as thick, as the thickness α of core member 36. As can be determined from an examination of FIG. 2, face plate insert 14 has an exceptionally high area moment of inertia as a result of the displacement between front wall 40 and rear wall 42. Consequently, a face plate insert constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is lighter, stiffer and yet more forgiving than prior art face plate inserts.

Face plate insert 14 further includes a plurality of grooves 46 disposed in front wall 40. Grooves 46 are preferably U-shaped in cross-section with substantially vertical walls meeting the front surface 47 of face plate insert 14 along a fillet having a radius of 0.010±0.001 inch. Because front wall 40 is formed by an electrodeposition process, rather than casting, the tolerance on the U-shaped grooves 46 can be held to these close tolerances without the necessity of secondary machining.

As shown in FIG. 3, face plate insert 14 may be attached to perimeter member 12 by any conventional means but in the illustrative embodiment is attached to perimeter member 12 by placing face plate insert 14 into a recess 48 formed in perimeter member 12 until it comes to rest against ledge 50. Recess 48 is formed by the sole, heel, toe and top walls 16, 18, 22 and 26, respectively, of perimeter member 12. A deformable lip 52 is then deformed until it presses against shell front wall 40 to form a crimp joint that permanently retains face plate insert 14 in place. Face plate 14 may, however, be attached by unconventional means such as nanobonding in which dissimilar metals are bonded on a submicroscopic level.

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• Utility Patent

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