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.

1 . A golf club head comprising: 
 a hollow body having a heel end, a toe end, a front wall and a rear body portion;    said front wall including a metal face adapted for impacting a golf ball; and    said rear body portion forming a shell, at least a portion of which is made from a metal/organic composite material.    
   
   
       2 . The golfclub head of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said rear body portion comprises a metal frame having a plurality of apertures and at least one layer of fiber reinforced organic resin extending across a portion of said metal frame covering at least one of said plurality of apertures.    
   
   
       3 . The golfclub head of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said metal face and said metal frame are formed of the same metallic material.    
   
   
       4 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein: 
 said metal face and said metal frame are integral.    
   
   
       5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said rear body portion comprises a crown made from a metal organic composite material.    
   
   
       6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said rear body portion comprises a skirt made from a metal organic composite material.    
   
   
       7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said hollow body includes a metal portion which ranges by weight from 150-170 grams, and the portion of said rear body portion made from said composite material ranges from 10-40 grams.    
   
   
       8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said metal face has a maximum thickness of from 0.110 to 0.160 inches proximal the geometric center of the face, tapering toward a thinner region proximal the heel and toe ends of said club head.    
   
   
       9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said metal face has an area of at least 5.00 square inches.    
   
   
       10 . A golfclub head comprising: 
 a hollow body having a heel end, a toe end, a front wall and a rear body portion, said front wall including a metallic face adapted for impacting a golf ball, said rear body portion including a crown, a sole and a skirt, the crown and the skirt meeting along an arcuate perimeter region;    a metallic stringer integrally attached to said front wall and extending along at least a portion of said arcuate perimeter region; and    a composite filler extending from said metallic stringer generally toward said front wall to form at least a portion of said hollow body.    
   
   
       11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein: 
 said composite filler forms at least a portion of said skirt of said hollow body.    
   
   
       12 . The golfclub head of  claim 10 , wherein said composite filler forms at least a portion of said crown of said hollow body.  
   
   
       13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 a second composite filler extending from said metallic stringer toward said sole to form at least a portion of the skirt of said hollow body.    
   
   
       14 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of ribs intersecting said metallic stringer to form a lattice frame that supports said composite filler.    
   
   
       15 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a second stringer displaced radially inward from said first stringer.    
   
   
       16 . The golf club head of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a third stringer displaced radially inward from said second stringer.    
   
   
       17 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein: 
 said hollow body is at least 400 cubic centimeters in volume.    
   
   
       18 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein: 
 said front wall and said metallic stringer are formed together as a unitary piece.    
   
   
       19 . The golfclub head of  claim 10 , wherein: 
 said front wall and said metallic stringer are formed together as a unitary casting.    
   
   
       20 . A golf club head comprising: 
 a hollow body having a heel end, a toe end, a front wall and a rear body portion, said front wall including a metallic face adapted for impacting a golf ball, said rear body portion including a metallic lattice frame having a plurality of ribs intersecting at least one stringer; and    at least one layer of fiber reinforced organic resin extending across said metallic lattice frame covering said plurality of apertures.    
   
   
       21 . A method of fabricating a golf club comprising: 
 forming club head having a crown, a sole, a skirt, a heel end and a toe end, said club head comprising a hollow body having an integral metallic face and a metallic rear body portion, said metallic rear body portion including an arcuate perimeter region extending continuously from said toe end to said heel end; and    attaching a fiber reinforced organic resin to said metallic perimeter region to extend from said metallic perimeter region toward said metallic face to form at least a portion of one of said crown and said skirt of said club head.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein: 
 the step of attaching the fiber reinforced organic resin to said metallic perimeter region to form at least a portion of one of said crown and said skirt of said club head comprises:    placing said hollow body in a mold cavity;    laying up a prepreg composite inside said hollow body;    inserting a bladder into said hollow body and inflating the bladder to force the prepreg to conform to an inner surface of said hollow body; and    curing the prepreg composite to form said portion of one of said crown and said skirt of said club head.    
   
   
       23 . A golf club head comprising: 
 a hollow body made of high density material, said hollow body having a heel end, a toe end, a front wall and a rear body portion;    said rear body portion including a crown, a sole, a skirt extending between said crown and said sole, and an arcuate perimeter region formed where said crown and said skirt meet;    a stringer spaced radially inwardly from said arcuate perimeter region and a plurality of ribs connecting said arcuate perimeter region and said stringer; and    said arcuate perimeter region, said stringer and said ribs defining a lattice which includes a plurality of apertures formed in said crown.    
   
   
       24 . The golf club head of  claim 23 , further comprising a layer of low density material filling said apertures in said lattice.  
   
   
       25 . The golf club head of  claim 24 , wherein said high density material is metal and wherein said low density material is resin.  
   
   
       26 . The golf club head of  claim 23 , wherein said plurality of apertures comprises five apertures located between said arcuate perimeter region and said stringer.  
   
   
       27 . The golf club head of  claim 23 , further comprising another stringer located radially inward from said first-mentioned stringer and being connected to said first-mentioned stringer by said plurality of ribs.  
   
   
       28 . The golf club head of  claim 27 , wherein said plurality of apertures comprises five apertures located between said arcuate perimeter region and said first-mentioned stringer and five apertures located between said first-mentioned stringer and said another stringer.  
   
   
       29 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein said thinner region has a thickness of 0.070 to 0.090 inches.