US2012083361A1PendingUtilityA1

Golf club-heads having a particular relationship of face area to face mass

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Assignee: BEACH TODD PPriority: Dec 19, 2006Filed: Dec 15, 2011Published: Apr 5, 2012
Est. expiryDec 19, 2026(~0.4 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Todd P. BeachBing-Ling ChaoPeter L. Larsen
A63B 2209/023A63B 53/0466A63B 2209/02A63B 60/00A63B 2209/00A63B 53/0458A63B 53/0416A63B 53/0425A63B 53/0408
51
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Claims

Abstract

Golf clubs and club-heads for same are disclosed. An exemplary club-head has a hollow body and a face plate. The body defines a front opening and a face support, wherein the face plate is affixed to the face support and covers the front opening. The “face portion” of the club-head has a face area (A f , in mm 2 ) and a face mass (M f , in grams), wherein A f ≧5400 mm 2 , and in a plot of M f as a function of A f , M f is below M f =0.0072(A f )+18. At least a portion of the face plate can be made of composite. E.g., the face plate can include a composite plate made of carbon fiber and cured epoxy resin. The strike face of the face plate can include a composite plate and a cap bonded to the composite plate on the strike face. The cap can be made of a metallic material, such as (but not limited to) titanium alloy or stainless steel.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A club-head for a golf club, comprising:
 a hollow body defining a front opening having a face support;   a face plate affixed to the face support and covering the front opening; and   a hosel;   wherein a face portion comprises the face plate, the front opening face support, and a portion of the hollow body of the golf club head located from a tangent plane of the face plate to approximately 12 mm rearward from the tangent plane of the face plate but not including the hosel; and   wherein the face portion of the club-head has a face area (A f , in mm 2 ) and a face portion mass (M f , in grams), A f ≧5400 mm 2  and a club-head COR≦0.830, and the face mass M f  satisfies the inequality M f <0.0072(A f )+18.   
     
     
         2 . The club-head of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises at least one wall made of metal. 
     
     
         3 . The club-head of  claim 2 , wherein the metal comprises titanium alloy. 
     
     
         4 . The club-head of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the face plate comprises a composite material. 
     
     
         5 . The club-head of  claim 4 , wherein the face plate comprises a composite plate. 
     
     
         6 . The club-head of  claim 5 , wherein the composite plate comprises carbon fiber and cured epoxy resin. 
     
     
         7 . The club-head of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the face plate has a strike face; and   the face plate comprises a composite plate and a cap bonded to the composite plate on the strike face.   
     
     
         8 . The club-head of  claim 7 , wherein the cap comprises a metallic material. 
     
     
         9 . The club-head of  claim 1 , wherein the face plate has a substantially uniform thickness. 
     
     
         10 . The club-head of  claim 1 , wherein the face plate has a variable thickness. 
     
     
         11 . The club-head of  claim 10 , wherein peripheral regions of the face plate are thinner than a central region of the face plate. 
     
     
         12 . The club-head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the face plate has a strike face;   the face plate comprises a composite plate and a metal cap bonded to the composite plate on the strike face;   the composite plate has a substantially uniform thickness; and   the metal cap has a substantially uniform thickness.   
     
     
         13 . The club-head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the face plate has a strike face;   the face plate comprises a composite plate and a metal cap bonded to the composite plate on the strike face;   the composite plate has a variable thickness; and   the metal cap has a substantially uniform thickness.   
     
     
         14 . The club-head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the face plate has a strike face;   the face plate comprises a composite plate and a metal cap bonded to the composite plate on the strike face; and   the body comprises body walls comprising a titanium alloy.   
     
     
         15 . The club-head of  claim 1 , wherein A f  is within a range of 5400 to 10,000 mm 2 . 
     
     
         16 . The club-head of  claim 15 , wherein A f  is within a range of 7000 to 10,000 mm 2 . 
     
     
         17 . The club-head of  claim 15 , wherein A f  is within a range of 8500 to 10,000 mm 2 . 
     
     
         18 . A golf club, comprising:
 a club-head, comprising a hollow body and a face plate, the body defining a front opening having a face support, and the face plate being affixed to the face support and covering the front opening;   a hosel; and   a shaft affixed to the hosel;   wherein a face portion of the club-head comprises the face plate, the front opening face support, and a portion of the hollow body of the club-head located from a tangent plane of the face plate to approximately 12 mm rearward from the tangent plane of the face plate but not including the hosel; and   wherein the face portion of the club-head has a face area (A f ; in mm 2 ) and a face portion mass (M f , in grams), A f ≧5400 mm 2  and a club-head COR≦0.830, and the face mass satisfies the inequality M f ≦0.0072(A f )+18.   
     
     
         19 . The golf club of  claim 18 , configured as a driver. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club of  claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of the face plate comprises a composite material. 
     
     
         21 . The golf club of  claim 20 , wherein the face plate comprises a composite plate. 
     
     
         22 . The golf club of  claim 21 , wherein the composite plate comprises carbon fiber and cured epoxy resin. 
     
     
         23 . The golf club of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the face plate has a strike face; and   the face plate comprises a composite plate and a cap bonded to the composite plate on the strike face.   
     
     
         24 . The golf club of  claim 23 , wherein the cap comprises a metallic material. 
     
     
         25 . The golf club of  claim 24 , wherein the body comprises a titanium alloy. 
     
     
         26 . The golf club of  claim 18 , wherein the face plate has a substantially uniform thickness. 
     
     
         27 . The golf club of  claim 18 , wherein the face plate has a variable thickness. 
     
     
         28 . The golf club of  claim 18 , wherein A f  is within a range of 5400 to 10,000 mm 2 . 
     
     
         29 . The golf club of  claim 28 , wherein A f  is within a range of 7000 to 10,000 mm 2 . 
     
     
         30 . The golf club of  claim 28 , wherein A f  is within a range of 8500 to 10,000 mm 2 .

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