Ball striking device having a covering element

Abstract

A ball striking device may include a ball striking plate having a front surface configured to strike a ball and a rear surface opposite the front surface. The ball striking device may include a covering element located behind the rear surface. The covering element may be affixed to the rear surface of the ball striking plate with an adhesive member. The adhesive member may include a double-sided tape. Further, a thickened portion of the ball striking plate may be located behind a desired-contact region of the ball striking plate and the covering element may be affixed thereto. The covering element may be a highly-contoured element. The ball striking device may be a golf club head.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a ball striking plate having a front surface configured to strike a ball and a rear surface opposite the front surface;   a rear cavity that is at least partially bounded by the rear surface of the ball striking plate;   a frame extending rearwardly from a perimeter of the ball striking surface, forming a cup-like configuration;   a covering element extending from the frame and at least partially extending over the rear surface of the ball striking plate;   wherein:
 the covering element comprises a center portion, a heel-side portion extending from the center portion, a toe-side portion extending from the center portion opposite the heel-side portion, and an exterior surface; 
 the covering element comprises surface features to form a highly contoured topographical exterior surface; 
 the covering element comprises a maximum-to-minimum height ratio of at least 5; and 
 the covering element is affixed to the rear surface of the ball striking plate. 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the frame in conjunction with the ball striking plate has a generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the toe-side portion is smaller than the heel side portion. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the heel-side portion comprises a first thickness that increases from a top edge of the ball striking plate to a bottom edge of the ball striking plate, and wherein the toe-side portion comprises a second thickness that increases from the top edge of the ball striking plate to the bottom edge of the ball striking plate. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the covering element is located within a cavity encompassed by the frame. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the covering element extends over a majority of the rear surface of the ball striking plate. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the surface features can be chosen from a group comprising of flanges, knobs, ribs, channels, dimples, depressions, undercuts, step changes, and substantially vertical slopes. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the covering element can be affixed to the rear surface by adhesives, press fits, interference fits, snap fits, thermal fits, mechanical fasteners, co-molding or casting. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein the adhesive can be a liquid-type adhesive. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein the mechanical fasteners can be chosen from a group consisting of threaded screws, non-threaded pins and clasps. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the covering element is formed of a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polyester resins, epoxy resins, phenolic resins, phenol-aldehyde resins, furan resins, urea formaldehyde resins, melamine resins, acetylene and poly-olefin resins, silicone resins, polyphenylene sulfides (PPS), polyacrylic acid (PAA), cross-linked polyethylene (PEX, XLPE), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET, PETE), polyphenyl ether (PPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), polylactic acid (PLA), polypropylene (PP), polybutylene (PB), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyamide (PA), polyimide (PI), polycarbonate (PC), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyurethane (PU or TPU), polyester (PEs), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polyoxymethylene (POM), polysulfone (PES), styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), styrene maleic anhydride (SMA), and PEBAX. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the polymeric material has a Shore D hardness of 60 to 100. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the covering element extends over a majority of the ball striking plate rear surface. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the covering element visually forms between 50% and 100% of the rear cavity. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the covering element is formed by a method selected from the group consisting of injection molding, compression molding, or 3D printing. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a material used to form the covering element has a lower modulus of elasticity than a material used to form the ball striking plate.