Golf club heads with improved sound characteristics

Abstract

Golf club heads with improved sound can be provided while implementing an adjustable loft, lie, and face angle adjustment system. A face portion is attached to the front portion of the golf club head. A sleeve is received in the hosel portion having a sleeve bore, a threaded portion, and an anti-rotation portion. A screw inserted into a sole opening in the sole portion configured to engage the threaded portion of the sleeve.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A golf club comprising:
 a golf club head with a body having a front portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a hosel portion, the body comprised of a first material;   a hosel bore located in the hosel portion;   a sleeve having a sleeve bore, a threaded portion, and an anti-rotation portion, the sleeve being configured to be received in the hosel portion;   a screw configured to engage the threaded portion of the sleeve, the screw also configured to be inserted into a sole opening in the sole portion;   a first longitudinal axis defined by the sleeve bore;   a second longitudinal axis defined by the hosel bore of the hosel portion;   an offset angle located between the first longitudinal axis and second longitudinal axis, the offset angle being between 0 degrees and 4 degrees;   a face portion comprising a second material and being configured to be attached to the front portion of the body, the face portion having a face size surface area being at least at least 4,500 mm 2 ;   a coefficient of restitution greater than 0.79 and a characteristic time greater than 220 μs;   a loudness of the club head is less than 240 sones upon striking a golf ball at about 110 mph, measured by a microphone positioned at  64  inches above the golf ball, wherein the face portion has a characteristic time slope of greater than 10 and less than 150.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the second material is a composite material having a layup-to-fiber ratio of greater than 0.5 but less than 1. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the second material is a composite material having a strength-to-modulus fiber ratio of greater than 1 and less than 10. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club of  claim 3 , wherein the second material includes a strength-to-modulus layup ratio of greater than 0.5 and less than 10. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the face portion further includes a face insert;
 a recess that receives the face insert and defines a face insert depth;   a rear support member having an end point thickness; and   a face insert ratio between 0.5 and 10, the face insert ratio being defined as the face insert depth divided by the end point thickness.   
     
     
         6 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein a peak un-weighted acoustic amplitude of the club head is less than 114 dB, a peak A-weighted sound pressure level of the club head is less than 5 Pa as measured by the microphone positioned at  64  inches above the golf ball. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the face portion includes a face insert having a face insert area and a face insert area-to-face size ratio of greater than 0.65 and less than 1. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club of  claim 7 , wherein the golf club head further includes a maximum sound power-to-frequency ratio greater than 1*10 −5  watts/hertz and less than 4.5*10 −5  watts/hertz. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club has a head volume between 400 cc to about 475 cc. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club of  claim 8 , wherein the golf club head has a frequency-to-volume ratio of greater than 6.0 hertz/cc and less than 16 hertz/cc. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club head includes frequency-to-offset angle ratio between 1,000 Hz/degree to 7,000 Hz/degree. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the sole opening is located adjacent to a non-undercut portion. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club of  claim 12 , wherein a heel-side rear support member is integral with an internal hosel tube structure. 
     
     
         14 . A golf club comprising:
 a golf club head with a body having a front portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a hosel portion, the body comprised of a first material;   a face portion comprising a second material and being configured to be attached to the front portion of the body;   a sleeve having a sleeve bore, a threaded portion, and an anti-rotation portion, the sleeve being configured to be received in the hosel portion;   a screw configured to engage the threaded portion of the sleeve, the screw also configured to be inserted into a sole opening in the sole portion;   a first longitudinal axis defined by the sleeve bore;   a second longitudinal axis defined by a hosel bore of the hosel portion;   an offset angle located between the first longitudinal axis and second longitudinal axis, the offset angle being between 0 degrees and 4 degrees;   a peak un-weighted acoustic amplitude of the club head is less than 113 dB upon striking a golf ball at about 110 mph, measured by a microphone positioned at  64  inches above the golf ball, wherein the face portion has a characteristic time slope of greater than 10 and less than 150.   
     
     
         15 . The golf club of  claim 14 , wherein the second material is a composite material having a layup-to-fiber ratio of greater than 0.5 but less than 1. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club of  claim 14 , wherein the second material is a composite material having a strength-to-modulus fiber ratio of greater than 1 and less than 10. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club of  claim 14 , wherein the second material is a composite material having a strength-to-modulus layup ratio of greater than 0.5 and less than 10. 
     
     
         18 . A golf club comprising:
 a golf club head with a body having a front portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a hosel portion, the body comprised of a first material;   a face portion comprising a second material and being configured to be attached to the front portion of the body;   a sleeve having a sleeve bore, a threaded portion, and an anti-rotation portion, the sleeve being configured to be received in the hosel portion;   a screw configured to engage the threaded portion of the sleeve, the screw also configured to be inserted into a sole opening in the sole portion;   a first longitudinal axis defined by the sleeve bore;   a second longitudinal axis defined by a hosel bore of the hosel portion;   an offset angle located between the first longitudinal axis and second longitudinal axis, the offset angle being between 0 degrees and 4 degrees;   a peak A-weighted sound pressure level of the club head is less than 5 Pa upon striking a golf ball at about 110 mph, measured by a microphone positioned at 64 inches above the golf ball, wherein the face portion has a characteristic time slope of greater than 10 and less than 150.   
     
     
         19 . The golf club of  claim 18 , wherein the second material is a composite material having a strength-to-modulus layup ratio of greater than 0.5 and less than 10. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club of  claim 18 , wherein the second material is a composite material having a layup-to-fiber ratio of greater than 0.5 but less than 1.