Golf Club Head

Abstract

A golf club head designed to act under impact load as a bridge comprising a face; an inertial support system; a rear structure; and a force transfer system, under impact load the force transfer system, in cooperation with the inertial support system, elongating the rear structure and controlling the bending of the face, the pattern of bending of the face being a substantially bridge-like pattern of bending or a substantially modified bridge-like pattern of bending.

1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body defining a face in a front section, a crown, a sole, a toe section, a heel section, and a rear section, the face having a front side and a back side;   a substantially polygonal or substantially arch structure connected at its ends to the back side of the face at two or more points;   a radial extending from the distal side of the substantially polygonal or substantially arch structure to the rear section; and   a torsion control structure located within the opening formed between the back side of the face, the rear section of the club, and the inner edges of the radial.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head according to  claim 1  in which the torsion control structure is a cross-brace, an insert, a combination of a cross-brace and an insert, or a combination of a cross-brace and a portion of an insert. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head according to  claim 3  in which the insert has a constant wall thickness, a varying wall thickness, or a profiled wall thickness. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head according to  claim 1  in which the torsion control structure is reconfigurable or replaceable. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head according to  claim 1  in which a substantial area of the face is at least 25% of the face. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head according to  claim 6  in which the at least 25% of the face is substantially centered between the toe section and the heel section with a height approximately equal to the height of the front side of the face. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head according to  claim 1  in which the substantially polygonal or substantially arch structure and the radial are separated into a top portion and a bottom portion. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head according to  claim 8  further comprising a strut connecting a top portion and a bottom portion of the separated substantially polygonal or substantially arch structure, a top portion and a bottom portion of the separated radial, a top portion of the separated substantially polygonal or substantially arch structure to a bottom portion of the separated radial, or a bottom portion of the separated substantially polygonal or substantially arch structure to a bottom portion of the separated radial. 
     
     
         9 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body defining a face in a front section, a crown, a sole, a toe section, a heel section, and a rear section, the face having a front side and a back side;   a substantially polygonal or substantially arch structure connected at its ends to the back side of the face at two or more points;   a radial extending from the distal side of the substantially polygonal or substantially arch structure to the rear section;   a torsion control structure located within the opening formed between the back side of the face, the rear section of the club, and the inner edge of the radial; and   under impact load the substantially polygonal or substantially arch structure, the radial, and the torsion control structure controlling the bending of the face to provide a first value of deflection in the center of the face and a second value of deflection in an area away from the center of the face, the second value of deflection being greater than the first value of deflection.   
     
     
         10 . The golf club head according to  claim 9  in which the torsion control structure is a cross-brace, an insert, a combination of a cross-brace and an insert, or a combination of a cross-brace and a portion of an insert. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head according to  claim 10  in which the insert has a constant wall thickness, a varying wall thickness, or a profiled wall thickness. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head according to  claim 9  in which the torsion control structure is reconfigurable or replaceable. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head according to  claim 9  in which a substantial area of the face is at least 25% of the face. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head according to  claim 13  in which the at least 25% of the face is substantially centered between the toe section and the heel section with a height approximately equal to the height of the front side of the face. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head according to  claim 9  in which the substantially polygonal or substantially arch structure and the radial are separated into a top portion and a bottom portion. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head according to  claim 15  further comprising a strut connecting a top portion and a bottom portion of the separated substantially polygonal or substantially arch structure, a top portion and a bottom portion of the separated radial, a top portion of the separated substantially polygonal or substantially arch structure to a bottom portion of the separated radial, or a bottom portion of the separated substantially polygonal or substantially arch structure to a bottom portion of the separated radial. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head according to  claim 1  in which, under impact load, the substantially polygonal or substantially arch structure, the radial, and the torsion control structure control the bending of the face to provide approximately the same value of deflection and rate of deflection over a substantial area of the face.