Golf club head having supported striking face

Abstract

An iron type golf club head, including: a body, including: a striking face having a substantially flat outermost surface and one or more grooves defined in the outermost surface, and having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge, a top portion extending rearward from the upper topline edge, a sole extending rearward from the lower leading edge, and an intermediate wall partly defining a front cavity between the striking face and the intermediate wall, wherein the intermediate wall has a front surface facing an interior surface of the striking face and extending between an interior surface of the sole and an interior surface of the top portion, and wherein the front surface of the intermediate wall and the interior surface of the striking face are substantially parallel; and a first polymer material at least partially filling the front cavity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An iron type golf club head, comprising:
 a body, comprising:
 a striking face having a substantially flat outermost surface and one or more grooves defined in the outermost surface, and having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge, 
 a top portion extending rearward from the upper topline edge, 
 a sole extending rearward from the lower leading edge, and 
   an intermediate wall partly defining a front cavity between the striking face and the intermediate wall,
 wherein the intermediate wall has a front surface facing an interior surface of the striking face and extending between an interior surface of the sole and an interior surface of the top portion, and 
 wherein the front surface of the intermediate wall and the interior surface of the striking face are substantially parallel; and 
 a first polymer material at least partially filling the front cavity. 
   
     
     
         2 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the front cavity has a volume of less than about 15,000 mm 3 . 
     
     
         3 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the front cavity has a volume of less than about 13,000 mm 3 . 
     
     
         4 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein the front cavity has a volume of less than about 11,000 mm 3 . 
     
     
         5 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first polymer material fills more than about 70% of the front cavity. 
     
     
         6 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the first polymer material fills more than about 75% of the front cavity. 
     
     
         7 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein the first polymer material fills more than about 80% of the front cavity. 
     
     
         8 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising a back portion coupled between the sole and the top portion,
 wherein a rear cavity is defined between the intermediate wall and the back portion, and   wherein the intermediate wall has an opening that couples the front cavity to the rear cavity.   
     
     
         9 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein an opening is defined in the body that exposes the front cavity to an exterior of the golf club head, and the opening is at least partially in at least one of the sole, the top portion, or a toe of the body. 
     
     
         10 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first polymer material is in contact with the interior surface of the striking face, and
 wherein the golf club head further comprises a second polymer material in the front cavity that at least partially engages the first polymer material.   
     
     
         11 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the second polymer material fills less than about 30% of the front cavity. 
     
     
         12 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the second polymer material fills less than about 25% of the front cavity. 
     
     
         13 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the second polymer material fills less than about 20% of the front cavity. 
     
     
         14 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first polymer material fills at least part of a lower portion of the front cavity proximal to the sole, and the golf club head further comprises a second polymer material that fills another portion of the front cavity that is separated from the sole by the first polymer material. 
     
     
         15 . An iron type golf club head, comprising:
 a body, comprising:
 a striking face having a substantially flat outermost surface and one or more grooves defined in the outermost surface, and having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge, 
 a top portion extending rearward from the upper topline edge, 
 a sole extending rearward from the lower leading edge, and 
 a back portion coupled between the sole and the top portion, and being positioned rearward from the striking face, wherein the striking face, the top portion, the sole, and the back portion at least partially surround a primary cavity in the body; 
   an intermediate wall dividing the primary cavity into a front cavity between the striking face and the intermediate wall, and a rear cavity between the intermediate wall and the back portion; and   a plurality of different polymer materials at least partially filling the front cavity.   
     
     
         16 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of different polymer materials comprises:
 a first polymer material in contact with an interior surface of the striking face, and   a second polymer material that at least partially engages the first polymer material.   
     
     
         17 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein a front surface of the first polymer material in contact with the interior surface of the striking face covers only a portion of the interior surface of the striking face, and
 wherein the second polymer material is in contact with a different portion of the interior surface of the striking face.   
     
     
         18 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of different polymer materials comprises:
 a first polymer material filling at least part of a lower portion of the front cavity proximal to the sole, and   a second polymer material filling another portion of the front cavity and being separated from the sole by the first polymer material.   
     
     
         19 . The iron type golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein the intermediate wall has a pair of openings that respectively couple the front cavity to the rear cavity, and the intermediate wall comprises a panel extending between the pair of openings and at least partially through the primary cavity in a direction substantially perpendicular to a toe-heel direction, and
 wherein the panel protrudes forward toward the striking face at a center portion of the panel, and a first polymer material of the plurality of different polymer materials fills at least part of the front cavity and part of the rear cavity such that the first polymer material contacts both a front surface of the center portion of the panel facing the striking face and a rear surface of the center portion of the panel facing away from the striking face.   
     
     
         20 . An iron type golf club head, comprising:
 a body, comprising:
 a striking face having a substantially flat outermost surface and one or more grooves defined in the outermost surface, and having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge, 
 a top portion extending rearward from the upper topline edge, 
 a sole extending rearward from the lower leading edge, and 
   an intermediate wall partly defining a front cavity between the striking face and the intermediate wall, the front cavity having a volume of less than about 15,000 mm 3 ; and   a first polymer material at least partially filling the front cavity,   wherein a first opening is defined in the body and exposes the front cavity to an exterior of the golf club head.