Golf Club and Golf Club Head with Stiffening Element

Abstract

Golf club and golf club head structures include a ball striking face, a frame member and a perimeter stiffening element. The frame member may extend rearwardly from a perimeter of the ball striking face. The perimeter stiffening element may extend along at least a portion of the perimeter of the ball striking face and further may extend from the ball striking face to the frame member. The thickness of the ball striking face may be less than or equal to 2.0 mm. The cross-sectional area of the perimeter stiffening element may be greater than or equal to 10 mm 2 . The golf club head may be a wood-type club head.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wood-type golf club head, comprising:
 a ball striking face;   a frame member extending rearwardly from a perimeter of the ball striking face; and   a perimeter stiffening element extending along at least a portion of the perimeter of the ball striking face and extending from the ball striking face to the frame member,   wherein the thickness of the ball striking face is less than or equal to 2.0 mm, and wherein the cross-sectional area of the perimeter stiffening element is greater than or equal to 10 mm 2 .   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the frame member is less than or equal to 1.0 mm. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the out-of-plane bending stiffness (EI B ) of the perimeter stiffening element ranges from 1500 in 2 -lb to 2500 in 2 -lb. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the torsional stiffness (GJ) of the perimeter stiffening element ranges from 1200 in 2 -lb to 1600 in 2 -lb. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the coefficient of restitution of the club head is greater than or equal to 0.830. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the perimeter stiffening element is greater than or equal to 4.0 mm and the width of the perimeter stiffening element is greater than or equal to 3.0 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional area of the perimeter stiffening element is greater than or equal to 15 mm 2 . 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the ball striking face, the frame member and the perimeter stiffening element are unitarily formed. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the ball striking face, the frame member and the perimeter stiffening element are formed of a titanium material. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the thickness of the ball striking face adjacent to the perimeter stiffening element to the thickness of the frame member adjacent to the perimeter stiffening element is greater than or equal to approximately 1.5:1. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the ball striking face adjacent to the perimeter stiffening element ranges from approximately 0.5 mm to approximately 2.5 mm. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the frame member adjacent to the perimeter stiffening element ranges from approximately 0.25 mm to approximately 1.25 mm. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the thickness of the perimeter stiffening element to the width to the perimeter stiffening element is greater than or equal to 1:1. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the thickness of the perimeter stiffening element to the thickness of the ball striking face adjacent to the perimeter stiffening element ranges from approximately 2:1 to approximately 4:1. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the perimeter stiffening element ranges from approximately 2.5 mm to approximately 7.5 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the width of the perimeter stiffening element has a value that is within ±20% of the value of the thickness of the perimeter stiffening element. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the perimeter stiffening element is integrally joined to the frame member. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the perimeter stiffening element is integrally joined to the ball striking face. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the club head has an interior cavity. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the club head has a volume greater than or equal to 440 cc. 
     
     
         21 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the ball striking face has an area greater than or equal to 32 cm 2 . 
     
     
         22 . A golf club comprising:
 a wood-type golf club head having:
 a ball striking face; 
 a frame member extending rearwardly from a perimeter of the ball striking face; and 
 a perimeter stiffening element extending along at least a portion of the perimeter of the ball striking face and extending from the ball striking face to the frame member, 
 wherein the thickness of the ball striking face is less than or equal to 2.0 mm, and wherein the cross-sectional area of the perimeter stiffening element is greater than or equal to 10 mm 2 ; and 
   a shaft attached to the golf club head.   
     
     
         23 . A golf club head, comprising:
 a ball striking face configured to flex inward upon contacting a golf ball;   a frame member extending around and integrally joined to the ball striking face; and   a perimeter stiffening element extending around at least majority of a perimeter of the ball striking face, the perimeter stiffening element being integrally joined to an interior surface of the ball striking face and to an interior surface of the frame member,   wherein the ball striking face has a thickness adjacent to the perimeter stiffening element that ranges from approximately 1.25 mm to approximately 2.5 mm, and   wherein the frame member has a thickness adjacent to the perimeter stiffening element that ranges from approximately 0.40 mm to approximately 1.0 mm,   wherein the perimeter stiffening element has a cross-sectional area greater than or equal to 20 mm 2 , and   wherein the coefficient of restitution of the club head is greater than or equal to 0.830.   
     
     
         24 . A wood-type golf club head having a volume greater than or equal to 440 cc and a ball striking face area greater than or equal to 32 cm 2 , the golf club head comprising:
 a ball striking face;   a frame member extending rearwardly from a perimeter of the ball striking face; and   a perimeter stiffening element located along at least a majority of the perimeter of the ball striking face, the perimeter stiffening element extending from the ball striking face to the frame member,   wherein a thickness of the perimeter stiffening element is greater than or equal to a thickness of the ball striking face adjacent to the perimeter stiffening element, and wherein a width of the perimeter stiffening element is greater than or equal to a thickness of the frame element adjacent to the perimeter stiffening element.   
     
     
         25 . The golf club head of  claim 24 , wherein the thickness of the perimeter stiffening element is greater than one-and-a-half times the thickness of the ball striking face. 
     
     
         26 . The golf club head of  claim 24 , wherein the thickness of the perimeter stiffening element is greater than twice the thickness of the ball striking face. 
     
     
         27 . The golf club head of  claim 24 , wherein the width of the perimeter stiffening element is greater than twice the thickness of the frame element. 
     
     
         28 . The golf club head of  claim 24 , wherein the width of the perimeter stiffening element is greater than triple the thickness of the frame element. 
     
     
         29 . The golf club head of  claim 24 , wherein the thickness of the perimeter stiffening element is greater than or equal to the width of the perimeter stiffening element. 
     
     
         30 . The golf club head of  claim 24 , wherein the thickness of the ball striking face adjacent to the perimeter stiffening element is greater than the thickness of the frame member adjacent to the perimeter stiffening element. 
     
     
         31 . The golf club head of  claim 24 , wherein the coefficient of restitution of the club head is greater than or equal to 0.830.