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Golf club headRelated Patent Categories: Games Using Tangible Projectile, Golf, Club Or Club Support, Head, Vibratory Wave (e.g, Shock Wave, Etc.) Modifying FeatureGolf club head description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070149313, Golf club head. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a golf club head and, more particularly, to a technique for controlling vibration of a golf club head by a viscoelastic body. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] A technique for controlling vibration of a golf club head has been developed to improve the hitting impression or adjust the hitting sound on impact. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-313777 discloses a golf club head having a viscoelastic body. When the viscoelastic body is attached, the vibration on impact is absorbed by the viscoelastic body to improve the hitting impression and decrease the hitting sound that is offensive to the player's ear. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-6763 discloses analyzing the vibration mode of a golf club head by a computer to correct the thickness and the like of the materials that form the golf club head. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-102877 discloses providing a metal rib to a part corresponding to the antinode of the secondary bending vibration of a golf club head. [0003] As such a method of controlling the vibration of a golf club head, the simplest is a method of mounting a viscoelastic body in a golf club head, as in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-313777. Conventionally, the viscoelastic body may be mounted on the rear surface of the face portion because this is where the impact is input, or on the sole portion in order to lower the barycenter of the golf club. Not many studies have been made, however, on that portion to mount the viscoelastic body which is effective in vibration suppression. Therefore, the viscoelastic body may not exhibit its vibration suppressing function effectively. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0004] The present invention has been made in order to overcome the deficits of prior art. [0005] According to the aspects of the present invention, there is provided a hollow golf club head having a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a side portion, the head comprising a viscoelastic body to be mounted in at least one of the face portion, the crown portion, the sole portion, and the side portion, wherein the viscoelastic body is mounted in a part of a portion where the viscoelastic body is to be mounted, the part corresponding to a antinode of a primary vibration mode. [0006] According to the hollow golf club head, the viscoelastic body is mounted in the part of the portion where the viscoelastic body is to be mounted, the part corresponding to the antinode of the primary vibration mode. The part corresponding to the antinode of the primary vibration mode is where the magnitude of the vibration becomes the largest. Therefore, when the viscoelastic body is mounted in this portion, the vibration of the golf club head can be suppressed more effectively. [0007] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0008] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. [0009] FIG. 1A is a view showing the outer appearance of a golf club head A according to an embodiment of the present invention; [0010] FIG. 1B is a sectional view of the golf club head A taken along the line X-X of FIG. 1A; [0011] FIG. 2A is a view showing a three-dimensional model 100 of the golf club head A created by a computer; [0012] FIG. 2B is a view showing a three-dimensional mesh model 101 of the golf club head A created by the computer; [0013] FIG. 3A is a graph showing an example of a frequency response function obtained by vibration mode analysis; and [0014] FIGS. 3B to 3D are views showing examples of vibration modes in the vicinities of a plurality of natural frequencies. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0015] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail in accordance with the accompanying drawings. [0016] FIG. 1A is a view showing the outer appearance of a golf club head A according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a sectional view of the golf club head A taken along the line X-X (extending through substantially the center in the toe-to-heel direction) of FIG. 1A. The golf club head A forms a hollow body, and its circumferential wall constitutes a face portion 10 which forms a golf ball hitting surface, a crown portion 20 which forms the upper surface of the golf club head A, a sole portion 30 which forms the bottom surface of the golf club head A, and a side portion 40 which forms the toe-side, heel-side, and back-side side surfaces of the golf club head A. The golf club head A also has a hosel portion 50 to which a shaft is to be attached. [0017] The golf club head A can be made of, e.g., a titanium-based metal material. Various types of manufacturing methods can be employed to make the golf club head A to have a hollow structure. For example, the crown portion 20, sole portion 30, side portion 40, and hosel portion 50 may be formed integrally, and a face member which forms the face portion 10 may be fixed to the resultant integrally formed component, thus forming a hollow structure. Alternatively, the face portion 10, crown portion 20, side portion 40, and hosel portion 50 may be formed integrally, and a sole member which forms the sole portion 30 may be fixed to the resultant integrally formed component, thus forming a hollow structure. [0018] Although the golf club head A is a golf club head that is to be used as a driver, the present invention can be applied to a wood type golf club head including a fairway wood or the like other than the driver as well, a utility type golf club head, and other hollow golf club heads. [0019] Viscoelastic bodies 51 and 52 are mounted in the crown portion 20 and sole portion 30, respectively, of the golf club head A. Examples of viscoelastic materials that form the viscoelastic bodies 51 and 52 include IIR (butyl bromide composition), NBR (acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber), natural rubber, silicone rubber, styrene-based rubber, and the like. The viscoelastic bodies 51 and 52 can also be formed by mixing a metal powder or the like in the viscoelastic materials described above to adjust their specific gravities. Preferably, the viscoelastic bodies 51 and 52 are made of viscoelastic materials with loss coefficients (so-called tan .delta.) the peak values of which are 0.3 or more. If the loss coefficients are 0.3 or more, a higher vibration attenuating effect can be obtained. The viscoelastic bodies 51 and 52 may be mounted on the circumferential wall of the golf club head A by, e.g., fixing with an adhesive or fixing with screws. Continue reading about Golf club head... Full patent description for Golf club head Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Golf club head patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Golf club head or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Golf club head groove configuration Next Patent Application: Golf club head Industry Class: Games using tangible projectile ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Golf club head patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.34199 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Medical: Surgery , Surgery(2) , Surgery(3) , Drug , Drug(2) , Prosthesis , Dentistry 174 |
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