Golf club head with external and internal ribs

Abstract

A hollow-type golf club head, when oriented in a reference position, includes: a striking wall; a sole portion; a top portion having an exterior surface and an interior surface; a hosel extending from the top portion and defining a hosel axis; and a plurality of external ribs located on the exterior surface of the top portion. The plurality of external ribs are each generally elongate in a front-to-rear direction, and at least one internal rib is located on the interior surface of the top portion and is generally elongate in the front-to-rear direction. The at least one internal rib is spaced from the plurality of external ribs by a distance D1 no less than 2 mm as considered in top view of the club head.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hollow-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:
 a striking wall having a striking face configured to impact a golf ball, the striking face including a face center and a central apex:   a sole portion;   a top portion having an exterior surface and an interior surface;   a hosel extending from the top portion and defining a hosel axis;   a plurality of external ribs located on the exterior surface of the top portion, the plurality of external ribs: (i) each being generally elongate in a front-to-rear direction, (ii) spaced apart from each other by a distance D2 that is between 10 mm and 20 mm, (iii) spaced rearwardly from the central apex by a distance D3 between 25 mm and 45 mm, and (iv) including at least:
 a first external rib; and 
 a second external rib located toe-ward of the first external rib; and 
   at least one internal rib (i) located on the interior surface of the top portion, (ii) generally elongate in the front-to-rear direction, and (iii) when viewed in a top view, located between the first external rib and the second external rib and entirely spaced from the first external rib and the second external rib by a distance of at least 2 mm.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of external ribs converges in the rearward direction. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of external ribs further includes a third external rib located heel-ward of the first external rib. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising a virtual vertical plane that extends in the front-to-rear direction and intersects the face center, wherein the first external rib extends along the virtual vertical plane. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising a moment of inertia Izz about a virtual vertical axis passing through a center of gravity, Izz being no less than 4600 g*cm 2    
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising a club head depth and a center of gravity having a center of gravity depth D4, measured rearward of and perpendicular to the striking wall, that is no less than 30% of the club head depth. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising a volume no less than 360 cc. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the distance D2 is between 12 mm and 18 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a center of gravity of the club head is located toe-ward of the face center. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the top portion further includes a step-down portion in which a crown of the club head moves towards the sole portion. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one internal rib extends closer to the striking face than does the step-down portion. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one internal rib is entirely spaced from the first external rib and the second external rib by a distance between 4 mm and 6 mm. 
     
     
         13 . A hollow-type golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:
 a striking wall having a striking face configured to impact a golf ball, the striking face including a face center and a central apex:   a sole portion;   a top portion;   a hosel extending from the top portion and defining a hosel axis;   a plurality of external ribs located on the exterior surface of the top portion, the plurality of external ribs: (i) each being generally elongate in a front-to-rear direction, (ii) spaced apart from each other by a distance D2 that is between 10 mm and 20 mm, (iii) spaced rearwardly from the central apex by a distance D3 no less than 10 mm, and (iv) including at least:
 a first external rib; and 
 a second external rib located toe-ward of the first external rib; and 
   at least one internal rib (i) located on the interior surface of the top portion, (ii) generally elongate in the front-to-rear direction, and (iii) when viewed in a top view, located between the first external rib and the second external rib and entirely spaced from the first external rib and the second external rib by a distance of at least 2 mm.   
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the distance D3 is between 20 mm and 45 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , further comprising a virtual vertical plane that extends in the front-to-rear direction and intersects the face center, wherein the first external rib extends along the virtual vertical plane. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of external ribs further includes a third external rib located heel-ward of the first external rib. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the top portion further includes a step-down portion in which a crown of the club head moves towards the sole portion. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one internal rib extends closer to the striking face than does the step-down portion. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one internal rib is entirely spaced from the first external rib and the second external rib by a distance between 4 mm and 6 mm.