Golf Club Head With Heel And Toe Stiffeners

Abstract

A golf club head with plate-like, heel and toe side internal stiffeners is disclosed herein. Each stiffener has a planar portion extending approximately parallel with a portion of the striking face, and is entirely disposed within an interior cavity of the golf club head. The heel side stiffener is connected to top, sole, and heel walls of the club head, with a toe-side edge unconnected to any other portion of the head, and the toe side stiffener is connected to the top, sole, and toe walls of the club head, with a heel-side edge unconnected to any other portion of the head. The toe and heel side edges may have large concavities that distribute mass away from the geometric face center and toward the heel and toe sides of the golf club head.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body comprising a front wall, a sole portion, a return portion, a heel side wall, and a toe side wall, the body defining an interior cavity;   a heel side stiffener comprising a first planar front surface, a first planar rear surface, a first upper edge connected to the return portion, a first lower edge connected to the sole portion, a first heel edge connected to the heel side wall, a first toe edge, and a first interior edge defining a first through-hole in the heel side stiffener; and   a toe side stiffener comprising a second planar front surface, a second planar rear surface, a second upper edge connected to the return portion, a second lower edge connected to the sole portion, a second toe edge connected to the toe side wall, a second heel edge, and a second interior edge defining a second through-hole in the toe side stiffener;   wherein the first toe edge is spaced a distance of at least 1 inch measured along a horizontal y-axis from the second heel edge;   wherein the first toe edge is spaced a first distance of at least 0.25 inch measured along a horizontal y-axis from a geometric face center of the front wall; and   wherein the second heel edge is spaced a second distance of at least 0.65 inch measured along the horizontal y-axis from the geometric face center of the front wall.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the second planar front surface comprises a second planar front surface area, wherein the second through-hole comprises a second through-hole area measured in the same plane as the second planar front surface, and wherein the second through-hole area is greater than the second planar front surface area. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first planar front surface comprises a first planar front surface area, wherein the first through-hole comprises a first through-hole area measured in the same plane as the first planar front surface, and wherein the first through-hole area is greater than the first planar front surface area. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first toe edge is spaced a distance of approximately 1.2 inch from the geometric face center, and wherein the second heel edge is spaced a distance of approximately 1.4 inch from the geometric center. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein each of the heel side stiffener and the toe side stiffener has a maximum thickness of 0.2 inch. 
     
     
         7 . A golf club head comprising:
 a hybrid-type body comprising a sole portion, a front wall comprising a striking face surface, a return portion, a heel side wall, and a toe side wall, wherein the hybrid-type body defines an interior cavity;   a heel side stiffener comprising a first planar front surface having a first planar front surface area, a first planar rear surface, a first upper edge connected to the return portion, a first lower edge connected to the sole portion, a first heel edge connected to the heel side wall, a first toe edge, and a first interior edge defining a first through-hole in the heel side stiffener having a first through-hole area that is greater than the first planar front surface area; and   a toe side stiffener comprising a second planar front surface having a second planar front surface area, a second planar rear surface, a second upper edge connected to the return portion, a second lower edge connected to the sole portion, a second toe edge connected to the toe side wall, a second heel edge, and a second interior edge defining a second through-hole in the toe side stiffener having a second through-hole area that is greater than the second planar front surface area;   and   wherein each of the first and second planar front surfaces extends approximately parallel with the striking face surface.   
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein the first toe edge is spaced a distance of at least 1 inch measured along a horizontal y-axis from the second heel edge. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein the first toe edge is spaced a first distance of at least 0.25 inch measured along a horizontal y-axis from the geometric face center, and wherein the second heel edge is spaced a second distance of at least 0.65 inch measured along the horizontal y-axis from the geometric face center.