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 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;    said arcuate perimeter region, said stringer and said ribs defining a lattice which includes a plurality of apertures formed in said crown; and    low density material filling said apertures in said lattice.    
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said high density material is metal and wherein said low density material is resin.  
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of apertures comprises at least four apertures located between said arcuate perimeter region and said stringer.  
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein said plurality of apertures comprises five apertures located between said arcuate perimeter region and said stringer.  
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , 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.  
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein said plurality of apertures further comprises at least four apertures located between said first-mentioned stringer and said another stringer.  
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , 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.  
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said stringer extends from proximate the toe end of said hollow body in a direction that is substantially parallel to said arcuate perimeter region.  
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein said ribs extend transverse to said direction.  
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein one of said apertures is located proximate the toe end of said hollow body, and wherein none of said apertures is located proximate the heel end of said hollow body.  
     
     
         11 . 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, said stringer extending from proximate the toe end of said hollow body in a direction that is substantially parallel to said arcuate perimeter region;    said arcuate perimeter region, said stringer and said ribs defining a lattice which includes a plurality of apertures formed in said crown, one of said apertures being located proximate the toe end of said hollow body, none of said apertures being located proximate the heel end of said hollow body; and    low density material filling said apertures in said lattice.    
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein said plurality of apertures comprises two rows of apertures arranged radially inwardly from said arcuate perimeter region.  
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein said two rows of apertures each includes at least four apertures.  
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein said two rows of apertures each includes five apertures.  
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein said plurality of apertures comprises three rows of apertures arranged radially inwardly from said arcuate perimeter region.  
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein said three rows of apertures each includes at least four apertures.  
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein said three rows of apertures each includes five apertures.  
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein said high density material is metal.  
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein said low density material is a layer of graphite epoxy.  
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein said low density material is organic resin.