U.S. patent application number 11/580490 was filed with the patent office on 2007-02-08 for metal-organic composite golf club head.
This patent application is currently assigned to Karsten Manufacturing Corporation. Invention is credited to John C. Bliss, Anthony D. Serrano, John A. Solheim.
Application Number | 20070032313 11/580490 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35220950 |
Filed Date | 2007-02-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070032313 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Serrano; Anthony D. ; et
al. |
February 8, 2007 |
Metal-organic composite golf club head
Abstract
A golf club head is formed of a hollow body, the rear body
portion of which includes a metallic stringer that extends along
the crown-skirt interface and a plurality of ribs intersecting the
metallic stringer to form a lattice frame, the openings of which
are filled with an organic composite material such as graphite
epoxy. An additional aperture formed in the skirt is also filled
with the same graphite epoxy material. Because the graphite epoxy
is lighter than the surrounding metal frame, the rear body portion
of the golf club head is lighter than a comparable all metal club
head. Yet, the presence of the metallic stringer and frame renders
the metal-organic composite rear body portion substantially stiffer
than a comparable all-composite rear body portion.
Inventors: |
Serrano; Anthony D.;
(Peoria, AZ) ; Bliss; John C.; (Glendale, AZ)
; Solheim; John A.; (Phoenix, AZ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KARSTEN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
LEGAL DEPARTMENT
2201 WEST DESERT COVE
PHOENIX
AZ
85029
US
|
Assignee: |
Karsten Manufacturing
Corporation
Phoenix
AZ
|
Family ID: |
35220950 |
Appl. No.: |
11/580490 |
Filed: |
October 13, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10936396 |
Sep 8, 2004 |
|
|
|
11580490 |
Oct 13, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/349 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 53/0437 20200801;
A63B 53/0433 20200801; A63B 53/0408 20200801; A63B 53/0462
20200801; A63B 53/045 20200801; A63B 53/0458 20200801; A63B
2053/0491 20130101; A63B 53/0466 20130101; A63B 2209/023
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/349 |
International
Class: |
A63B 53/00 20060101
A63B053/00 |
Claims
1. A method of fabricating a golf club head comprising: forming a
hollow body having a heel end and a toe end, said hollow body
further comprising a metallic face and a metallic rear body
portion, said metallic rear body portion comprising a crown, a
sole, a skirt and an arcuate perimeter region extending
substantially continuously from said toe end to said heel end along
a junction between said crown and said skirt; and attaching
non-metallic material to said hollow body to form a portion of one
of said crown and said skirt, wherein the step of attaching said
non-metallic material to said hollow body region comprises:
positioning said nonmetallic material inside said hollow body;
forcing said nonmetallic material against an inner surface of said
hollow body to cause said nonmetallic material to conform to at
least part of the inner surface of said hollow body; and curing
said nonmetallic material so that it forms said portion of one of
said crown and said skirt.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming an aperture in
said portion of one of said crown and said skirt.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising forming said aperture
in said crown.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein said non-metallic material spans
said aperture.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein said non-metallic material is
forced at least partially into said aperture.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising: providing a mold
having a mold cavity, said mold cavity having an inner surface
corresponding to an outer surface of said metallic rear body
portion; and placing said hollow body in said mold cavity, wherein
the step of forcing said nonmetallic material against the inside
surface of said hollow body further includes causing at least a
portion of said nonmetallic material to conform to said inner
surface of said mold cavity.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of forcing said
nonmetallic material against the inner surface of said hollow body
comprises inserting a bladder into-said hollow body and inflating
the bladder.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said arcuate perimeter region
forms the rearwardmost portion of said hollow body.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said non-metallic material
comprises a plastic selected from the group consisting of a thermo
plastic and a thermoset plastic.
10. A method of fabricating a golf club head comprising: forming a
hollow body having a heel end and a toe end, said hollow body
further comprising a metallic face and a metallic rear body
portion, said metallic rear body portion comprising a crown, a
sole, a skirt and an arcuate perimeter region extending
substantially continuously from said toe end to said heel end along
a junction between said crown and said skirt; forming an aperture
in one of said crown and said skirt; and attaching lightweight,
non-metallic material to said hollow body to extend from proximal
said arcuate perimeter region toward said metallic face to form a
portion of one of said crown and said skirt, wherein the step of
attaching the lightweight, non-metallic material to said hollow
body comprises: positioning a layer of the lightweight, nonmetallic
material inside said hollow body; forcing said layer of the
lightweight, nonmetallic material against an inner surface of said
hollow body to cause said layer of the lightweight, nonmetallic
material to conform to at least part of the inner surface of said
hollow body; and curing said layer of the lightweight, nonmetallic
material so that it forms said portion of one of said crown and
said skirt.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising forming said
aperture in said crown.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein said layer of the lightweight,
non-metallic material spans said aperture.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein said layer of the lightweight,
nonmetallic material is forced at least partially into said
aperture.
14. The method of claim 10, further comprising: providing a mold
having a mold cavity, said mold cavity having an inner surface
corresponding to an outer surface of said metallic rear body
portion; and placing said hollow body in said mold cavity, wherein
the step of forcing said layer of the lightweight, nonmetallic
material against the inner surface of said hollow body also
includes causing at least a portion of said layer of nonmetallic
material to conform to said inner surface of said mold cavity.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of forcing said layer
of the lightweight, nonmetallic material against the inner surface
of said hollow body comprises inserting a bladder into said hollow
body and inflating the bladder.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein said arcuate perimeter region
forms the rearwardmost portion of said hollow body
17. The method of claim 10, wherein said lightweight, non-metallic
material comprises a plastic selected from the group consisting of
a thermo plastic and a thermoset plastic.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein said plastic comprises a
fiber-reinforced plastic.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein said fiber-reinforced plastic
comprises a fiber-reinforced organic resin.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein said fiber-reinforced plastic
comprises at least one layer of prepreg graphite-epoxy.
Description
[0001] This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/936,396
filed Sept. 8, 2004.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to golf clubs and, in
particular, to so-called metal wood drivers.
[0003] Recent developments in golf club design have included
improvements in drivers, which are clubs used primarily to strike a
golf ball resting on a golf tee. These improvements have resulted
in drivers with club heads consisting of a hollow shell usually
made of metal, such as steel, aluminum, or titanium. One example of
a golf club head consisting of a hollow metal shell is disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,160 to Rugge, et al. In an effort to obtain
better and better performance from these hollow metal wood drivers,
however, golf club manufactures have increased the head volume from
a moderate volume of 250 cubic centimeters as disclosed in Rugge,
et al. to over 400 cubic centimeters in recent years. The striking
face of a metal wood driver must be of a certain minimal thickness
in order to withstand the impact forces generated upon impact with
a golf ball. Accordingly, as head size increases, less and less
material is available for fabricating the crown, sole and skirt of
the club head while maintaining the club head of these
super-oversized drivers within acceptable weight limitations (i.e.,
around 200 grams mass).
[0004] More recently, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,604, one golf club
manufacturer has suggested a club head having a metallic face
bonded to an aft body composed of a non-metal material such as a
composite or thermoplastic material. The lightweight plastic rear
body enables more metal to be dedicated to the striking face,
however, many golfers dislike the impact sound produced by a club
head having a low resonance, highly damped non-metallic rear body.
Moreover, because of the discontinuity between the all-composite or
thermoplastic rear body and the striking face, the striking face is
not significantly supported by the rear body. Consequently, more
material must be dedicated to striking face itself, thereby
canceling out much of the weight savings attributable to the
non-metallic rear body.
[0005] Accordingly, what is needed is a club head having a
metal-organic composite rear body, which is integral to the
striking face and therefore maintains some of the stiffness (and
frequency) of a fully-metallic rear body, while still providing a
lightweight rear body structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention comprises a golf club head formed of a
hollow body having a metallic face and a rear body portion forming
a shell at least a portion of which is made of a metal-organic
composite material. According to a preferred embodiment, the rear
body portion of the club head includes a metallic stringer that
extends along a crown-skirt interface and a plurality of ribs
intersecting the metallic stringer to form a lattice frame, the
openings of which are filled with an organic composite material
such as graphite epoxy. In the preferred embodiment, the lattice
frame forms at least a portion of the crown of the rear body
portion. An additional aperture formed in the skirt is also filled
with the same graphite epoxy material. Because the graphite epoxy
is lighter than the surrounding metal lattice frame, the rear body
portion of the golf club head is lighter than a comparable all
metal club head. Yet, the presence of the metallic stringer and
lattice frame renders the metal-organic composite rear body portion
substantially stiffer than a comparable all-composite rear body
portion.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The present invention will be better understood from a
reading of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings figures in which like references
designate like elements and, in which:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a front view of a golf club head incorporating
features of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the golf club head of
FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a top view of the golf club head of FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 4 is a toe-end side view of the golf club head of FIG.
1;
[0012] FIG. 5 is a heel-end side view of the golf club head of FIG.
1;
[0013] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the golf club head of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head of
FIG. 6 taken along line 7-7;
[0015] FIG. 8 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of a golf
club head incorporating features of the present invention; and
[0016] FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of another alternative
embodiment of a golf club head incorporating features of the
present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] 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
should be 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.
[0018] With reference to FIGS. 1-7, and in particular FIGS. 1 and
2, golf club head 10 comprises a hollow body 12 formed of a metal
material having a front wall including a face 14 for impacting a
golf ball, and a hosel 16 adapted to receive a golf club shaft (not
shown). Hollow body 12 further comprises a rear body portion 18,
which is made up of a crown 20, a sole 22 and a skirt 24 that form
a shell. Crown 20 and skirt 24 meet at apex 26 which comprises an
area having a small cross sectional radius of curvature 27 (FIG. 7)
and which extends in an arcuate path (as viewed in FIG. 3) from a
position proximal the heel end 28 of hollow body 12 to a position
proximal the toe end 30 of hollow body 12.
[0019] The region surrounding apex 26 forms an arcuate perimeter
region 32 that smoothly blends the high crown curve of apex 26 into
the low crown curve of crown 20 and skirt 24. Arcuate perimeter
region 32 preferably extends 0.700 inches above and 0.700 inches
below the peak of apex 26, preferably 0.350 inches above and 0.350
inches below the peak of apex 26 and most preferably about 0.250
inches above and 0.250 inches below the peak of apex 26. Arcuate
perimeter region 32 is unsupported above and below by any of the
metal forming hollow body 12 for at least a portion of its
span.
[0020] Hollow body 12 may be assembled from a series of forged
metal pieces that are welded or brazed together, but in the
illustrative embodiment of FIGS. 1-7, comprises a titanium
investment casting. Crown 20 is formed with a solid return portion
33 that extends rearward from face 14 and a series of apertures 34
proximal the rear end of hollow body 12. Skirt 24 is formed with
solid return portions 35 and 37 that extend rearward from face 14
and an aperture 36 proximal the rear end of hollow body 12.
Apertures 34 and 36 cooperate to form a metallic stringer 38 that
extends along a portion of the arcuate perimeter region 32 as well
as a plurality of ribs 40 that support stringer 38 along a portion
of its span. In the illustrative embodiment, a second stringer 42
disposed radially inward from stringer 38 is tied to ribs 40 to
form an open lattice frame.
[0021] Apertures 34 and 36 are filled with a material that is of
lower density than the relatively denser metallic hollow body 12.
The material may be a lightweight non-metallic material 44 such as
thermoplastic, or thermoset plastic, or preferably a fiber
reinforced organic resin such as fiberglass-epoxy,
fiberglass-polyester, ceramic-fiber epoxy, aramid-epoxy or other
fiber-organic resin composites. Preferably, the non-metallic
material comprises graphite-epoxy, which is laid up on the interior
surface 46 (FIG. 7) of hollow body 12 extending across all of the
stringers 38, 42 and ribs 40 to form a part titanium part carbon
graphite composite rear body portion 18.
[0022] In the illustrative embodiment of FIGS. 1-7, non-metallic
material 44 comprises prepreg layers of graphite epoxy which are
laid up on the interior surface 46 of hollow body 12 covering
apertures 34, 36 and an inflatable bladder (not shown) is then
inserted into the cavity 48 of hollow body 12 through one of the
apertures 50 and 52 disposed in the bottom of weight pockets 54 and
56. Hollow body 12 is placed in a mold cavity (not shown) that
conforms to the outer surface of the hollow body 12. The bladder is
then inflated and the mold heated to cure the prepreg epoxy.
[0023] By eliminating metal from portions of the crown 20 and the
skirt 24, as represented by apertures 34 and 36, the illustrative
embodiment of FIGS. 1-7 accomplishes a club head 10 in excess of
400 cubic centimeters in volume with the hollow body 12 weighing
from 150 to 170 grams and the composite filler weighing from 10 to
40 grams. In doing so, the face 14 can be increased to at least
5.00 square inches (preferably approximately 5.30 square inches)
with a maximum thickness of between 0.110 and 0.160 inches proximal
the geometric center 58 (FIG. 7) of the face 14 tapering downward
to a lesser thickness of 0.070 to 0.090 inches towards the
perimeter 60 of the face 14. This is accomplished without
sacrificing structural integrity and without exceeding the desired
total weight of about 200 grams mass. Moreover, the presence of the
metallic stringers 38, 42 and ribs 40, which are integrally
attached to the face 14 (i.e., formed as a single casting, welded
or brazed together as opposed to adhesively bonded or attached with
fasteners) provide support for the face 14 not present in pure
composite back body designs while also maintaining the desirable
dominant natural frequency of at least 3,500 hertz.
[0024] With reference to FIG. 8, an alternative embodiment of a
metal-organic composite golf club head in accordance with the
present invention comprises a hollow body 62 having a crown 64. A
series of apertures 66 are formed in crown 64 in three rows, which
form a plurality of ribs 68, an outer metallic stringer 70 as well
as inner metallic stringers 72 and 74, each of the inner metallic
stringers 72 and 74 being displaced radially inward from stringer
70. As with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7, apertures 66 are filled
with a lightweight non-metallic material, preferably a graphite
epoxy to seal the interior cavity of hollow body 62 and to provide
a smooth exterior surface.
[0025] With reference to FIG. 9, another alternative embodiment of
a metal-organic composite golf club head in accordance with the
present invention comprises a hollow body 82 having a crown 84 and
a skirt 86. As with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7, crown 84 and skirt
86 each have a metallic return portion 88 and 90, respectively,
that extends rearward from the face of the club head. Single large
apertures 92 and 94 are formed in crown 84 and skirt 86 which
results in a metallic stringer 96 that extends almost the full
length of arcuate perimeter region 98 of hollow body 82. As with
the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7, apertures 92 and 94 are filled with a
lightweight non-metallic material, preferably a graphite epoxy.
[0026] Although certain illustrative embodiments and methods have
been disclosed herein, it will be apparent from the foregoing
disclosure to those skilled in the art that variations and
modifications of such embodiments and methods may be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly,
it is intended that the invention should be limited only to extent
required by the appended claims and the rules and principals of
applicable law.
* * * * *