U.S. patent application number 10/983647 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-11 for wood-type golf club head.
This patent application is currently assigned to Fu Sheng Industrial Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Shou-Te Lan.
Application Number | 20060100031 10/983647 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36317008 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060100031 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lan; Shou-Te |
May 11, 2006 |
Wood-type golf club head
Abstract
A wood-type golf club head includes a body and a crown plate.
The body includes a striking face and a crown. An opening is
defined in the crown of the body. The crown further includes an
engaging section between a front edge delimiting the opening and a
top end of the striking face. The crown plate is bonded to the
crown of the body and covers the opening of the body. The crown
plate includes a front engaging portion having a thickness greater
than a remaining portion of the crown plate. The front engaging
portion is bonded with the front engaging section of the body for
improving impact-resistance property of the crown plate.
Inventors: |
Lan; Shou-Te; (Taoyuan
County, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BIRCH STEWART KOLASCH & BIRCH
PO BOX 747
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22040-0747
US
|
Assignee: |
Fu Sheng Industrial Co.,
Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
36317008 |
Appl. No.: |
10/983647 |
Filed: |
November 9, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/345 ;
473/349 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 53/0408 20200801;
A63B 2209/023 20130101; A63B 53/0466 20130101; A63B 53/0437
20200801 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/345 ;
473/349 |
International
Class: |
A63B 53/04 20060101
A63B053/04 |
Claims
1. A wood-type golf club head comprising: a body including a
striking face and a crown, an opening being defined in the crown of
the body, the crown further including an engaging section between a
front edge delimiting the opening and a top end of the striking
face; and a crown plate bonded to the crown of the body and
covering the opening of the body; the crown plate including a front
engaging portion having a thickness greater than a remaining
portion of the crown plate, the front engaging portion being bonded
with the front engaging section of the body for improving
impact-resistance property of the crown plate.
2. The wood-type golf club head as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
crown plate includes a plurality of layers made of one of light
metals and light non-metal light materials.
3. The wood-type golf club head as claimed in claim 2 wherein the
layers are made of materials selected from the group comprising
aluminum, magnesium, titanium, aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy,
titanium alloy, carbon fibers, and Kevlar fibers.
4. The wood-type golf club head as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
front engaging portion of the crown plate includes a length ranging
from 10 mm to 40 mm.
5. The wood-type golf club head as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
front engaging portion of the crown plate includes a thickness
ranging from 0.6 mm to 1 mm.
6. The wood-type golf club head as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
front engaging portion of the crown plate includes a length greater
than that of the engaging section of the body.
7. The wood-type golf club head as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
front engaging portion of the crown plate includes a front end that
is flush with the striking face of the body.
8. The wood-type golf club head as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
engaging section of the body includes a recessed portion
communicated with the opening, and wherein the front engaging
portion of the crown plate is engaged with the recessed
portion.
9. The wood-type golf club head as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
front engaging portion of the crown plate is bonded with an upper
face of the engaging section of the body.
10. The wood-type golf club head as claimed in claim 5 wherein the
remaining portion of the crown plate includes a thickness ranging
from 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm.
11. The wood-type golf club head as claimed in claim 4 wherein the
front engaging portion of the crown plate includes a thickness
ranging from 0.6 mm to 1 mm.
12. The wood-type golf club head as claimed in claim 11 wherein the
remaining portion of the crown plate includes a thickness ranging
from 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm.
13. The wood-type golf club head as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
recessed portion of the engaging section of the body faces
outward.
14. The wood-type golf club head as claimed in claim 13 wherein the
front engaging portion of the crown portion has a length greater
than that of the recessed portion of the engaging section of the
body.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a golf club head. In
particular, the present invention relates to a wood-type golf club
head.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,592 discloses a multiple material golf
club head comprised of a face component and an aft-body. The face
component is composed of a single piece of metal and includes a
striking plate portion and a return portion extending laterally
inward from the perimeter of the striking plate portion. The
aft-body has a crown portion and a sole portion. The crown portion
includes a crown under portion which is mounted under the return
portion to enhance the flexibility of the striking plate portion,
providing a greater coefficient of restitution (COR). The crown
portion further includes a thicker section following the crown
under portion and a thinner remaining portion having a thickness
the same as that of the crown under portion. The crown portion and
the sole portion are engaged with the return portion and made from
materials different from that of the return portion.
[0005] Multiple material wood-type golf club heads are popular
among golf players. However, the impact-resistance property of the
crown portion of the above-mentioned wood-type club head is not
improved. The present invention is intended to provide a solution
in this regard.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a wood-type
golf club head with improved impact-resistance property.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a
wood-type golf club head comprises a body and a crown plate. The
body includes a striking face and a crown. An opening is defined in
the crown of the body. The crown further includes an engaging
section between a front edge delimiting the opening and a top end
of the striking face. The crown plate is bonded to the crown of the
body and covers the opening of the body. The crown plate includes a
front engaging portion having a thickness greater than a remaining
portion of the crown plate. The front engaging portion is bonded
with the front engaging section of the body for improving
impact-resistance property of the crown plate.
[0008] Preferably, the crown plate includes a plurality of layers
made of light metals or light non-metal light materials. The layers
may be made of materials selected from the group comprising
aluminum, magnesium, titanium, aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy,
titanium alloy, carbon fibers, and Kevlar fibers.
[0009] In an embodiment, the front engaging portion of the crown
plate includes a length ranging from 10 mm to 40 mm, the front
engaging portion of the crown plate includes a thickness ranging
from 0.6 mm to 1 mm, and the remaining portion of the crown plate
includes a thickness ranging from 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm.
[0010] Preferably, the front engaging portion of the crown plate
includes a length greater than that of the engaging section of the
body.
[0011] In an embodiment of the invention, the front engaging
portion of the crown plate includes a front end that is flush with
the striking face of the body. The front engaging portion of the
crown plate is bonded with an upper face of the engaging section of
the body.
[0012] In another embodiment of the invention, the engaging section
of the body includes a recessed portion communicated with the
opening, and the front engaging portion of the crown plate is
engaged with the recessed portion. The recessed portion of the
engaging section of the body faces outward. The crown portion has a
length greater than that of the recessed portion of the engaging
section of the body.
[0013] Other objects, advantages and novel features of this
invention will become more apparent from the following detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of a wood-type
golf club head in accordance with the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is an exploded sectional view of the wood-type golf
club head in FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a crown plate of the
wood-type golf club head in FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the crown plate in
FIG. 3;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a modified embodiment of the
wood-type golf club head in accordance with the present invention;
and
[0019] FIG. 6 is an exploded sectional view of the wood-type golf
club head in FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a wood-type golf club head in
accordance with the present invention comprises a body 2 and a
crown plate 1. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the crown plate 1
includes a plurality of layers 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, and 1f. The
crown plate 1 includes a front engaging portion 11 and a rear
engaging portion 12. The front engaging portion 11 has a thickness
greater than that of the rear engaging portion 12. Further, the
rear engaging portion 12 extends downward with respect to a main
portion of the crown plate 1.
[0021] Still referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the layers 1a, 1b, 1c,
1d, 1e, and 1f are made of identical or different light metals or
non-metal light materials, such as aluminum, magnesium, titanium,
aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, titanium alloy, impregnated
graphite fabric made of carbon fibers, or Kevlar fibers. The Kevlar
fibers are poly-p-phenylene terephthalamide sold by Dupont Inc.
under the name Kevlar.RTM.. These layers 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, and 1f
are preferably bonded together by epoxy. Alternatively, these
layers 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, and 1f can be bonded by adhesives of
solvent-release type, pressure-sensitive type, heat-sensitive type,
or chemically-reactive type.
[0022] The layers 1c and 1d are of smaller sizes and forms a part
of the front engaging portion 11. The length of the front engaging
portion 11 ranges from 10 mm to 40 mm and the thickness of the
front engaging portion 11 ranges from 0.6 mm to 1 mm. The remaining
portion of the crown plate 1 (including the rear engaging portion
12) has a thickness ranges from 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. By this
arrangement, the front engaging portion 11 reinforces the strength
of the crown plate 1.
[0023] Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the body 2 is made of a
relatively heavier metal or alloy. The body 2 includes a striking
face 21, an opening 22, a front engaging section 23, a rear
engaging section 24, and a sole 25. The striking face 21 is formed
on a front face of the body 2 for striking a golf ball. The opening
22 is defined in a crown of the body 1 for reducing the weight in
the upper portion of the body 1. The front engaging section 23 is
formed between a front edge delimiting the opening 22 and a top end
of the striking plate 21. The rear engaging section 24 is formed
between a rear edge delimiting the opening 22 and a rear end of the
sole 25. The curvatures of the front engaging section 23 and the
rear engaging section 24 substantially and respectively correspond
to those of the front engaging portion 11 and the rear engaging
portion 12 of the crown plate 1.
[0024] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the crown plate 1 is bonded by an
adhesive (e.g., epoxy) to the body 2 and covers the opening 22,
with the front engaging portion 11 bonding with an upper face of
the front engaging section 23 and with the rear engaging portion 12
bonding with a rear face of the rear engaging section 24. The
length of the front engaging portion 11 of the crown plate 1 is
greater than that of the front engaging section 23 of the body 2.
Further, a front end of the front engaging portion 11 is flush with
the striking face 21. A rear end of the rear engaging portion 12 is
flush with the sole 25. The thickness of the body 1 at the front
engaging portion 11 is increased, which significantly improves the
impact-resistance property.
[0025] The wood-type golf club head thus obtained was subject to a
cannon shot test. A high center line C.sub.H is defined above a
horizontal line center line C of the striking face 21. The
wood-type golf club head is shot at the high center line C.sub.H
with golf balls at a velocity of 56 m/sec. The front engaging
portion 11 has a thickness of 0.85 mm (which leads to an increase
of 0.5 g in the weight of the crown plate 1) while the thickness of
the remaining portion of the crown plate 1 is 0.6 mm. The result of
the cannon shot test showed that the front engaging portion 11 of
the crown plate 1 in accordance with the present invention did not
crack after being shot for more than 1600 times.
[0026] A similar cannon shot test was carried out on a conventional
wood-type golf club head with a crown plate (or crown portion) made
of carbon fibers and having a uniform thickness of 0.6 mm. The
result of the cannon shot test showed that the front engaging
portion of the crown plate cracked after being shot for 500
times.
[0027] By means of increasing the thickness of the front engaging
portion 11 of the crown plate 1 of the present invention,
concentration of momentum is avoided, leading to improved
impact-resistance property for the crown plate 1.
[0028] FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a second embodiment of the present
invention. In this embodiment, the front engaging section 23
includes an outwardly facing recessed portion 26 that communicates
with the opening 22. The rear engaging section 24 includes an
outwardly facing recessed portion 26 that communicates with the
opening 22. The recessed portions 26 have curvatures respectively
corresponding to those of the front engaging portion 11 and the
rear engaging portion 12 of the crown plate 1. The length of the
front engaging portion 11 is longer than the recessed portion 26 of
the front engaging section 23. In assembly, the front and rear
engaging portions 11 and 12 of the crown plate 1 are respectively
bonded to the recessed portions 26 of the front and rear engaging
sections 23 and 24 of the body 1. The thickness of the body 1 at
the front engaging portion 11 is increased, which significantly
improves the impact-resistance property of the crown plate 1.
[0029] While the principles of this invention have been disclosed
in connection with specific embodiments, it should be understood by
those skilled in the art that these descriptions are not intended
to limit the scope of the invention, and that any modification and
variation without departing the spirit of the invention is intended
to be covered by the scope of this invention defined only by the
appended claims.
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