Golf club head

Abstract

Described herein is a golf club head that comprises a body and a strike plate. The body comprises a heel portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, and a top portion. The strike plate comprises an outer peripheral edge and at least a portion of a strike face. Furthermore, the strike plate is welded to the body via a peripheral weld between the outer peripheral edge of the strike plate and the body. The outer peripheral edge of the strike plate comprises at least one welded portion, welded to the body via the peripheral weld, and at least one non-welded portion, not welded to the body.

1 . An iron-type golf club head, comprising:
 a body made of a body material, comprising a heel portion, a first part of a sole portion, a toe portion, a top portion, a hosel, a plate opening, and a back portion having a rear wall extending from the sole portion to the top portion; and   a strike plate, made of a strike plate material, welded to the body and closing the plate opening, thereby creating an internal cavity, and creating a strike face;   wherein:
 the strike plate comprises a second part of a sole portion angled relative to the strike face, and a majority of a face-to-sole transition region between the strike face and the sole portion; 
 the internal cavity extends from the second part of the sole portion to the top portion and is defined by portions of the back portion, the rear wall, the top portion, the strike face, the first part of the sole portion, and the second part of the sole portion; 
 the iron-type golf club head further comprises a recess in the back portion and the recess is open toward the strike plate; 
 the iron-type golf club head further comprises an elastomer material contacting the back portion and a back surface of the strike plate, and the elastomer material has an elastomer material depth measured from the back surface of the strike plate in a direction perpendicular to an exterior surface of the strike plate, the elastomer material depth varies from a maximum elastomer material depth to a minimum elastomer material depth, and the maximum elastomer material depth is greater than a maximum thickness of the strike plate; 
 the iron-type golf club head further comprises an internal weight comprising tungsten and located at least partially in the recess and configured such that no portion of the internal weight defines an exterior surface of the golf club head, the internal weight does not contact the back surface of the strike plate, and at least a portion of the internal weight is located above the second part of the sole portion; 
 the elastomer material extends to an elastomer elevation that is greater than a maximum elevation of the internal weight; 
 at least a portion of the second part of the sole portion is welded along the first part of the sole portion; and 
 the iron-type golf club head has a club head volume of 40-80 cc. 
   
     
     
         2 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 in an address position, a highest point on the top portion defines a maximum top portion elevation above a ground plane, a second plane is parallel to the ground plane and is located at a second plane elevation that is one-half of the maximum top portion elevation; and   the elastomer material has a first elastomer material depth at a first location above the second plane, the elastomer material has a second elastomer material depth at a second location below the second plane, and the elastomer material has a third elastomer material depth at a third location located below the first location and above the second location, wherein the third elastomer material depth is greater than the first elastomer material depth, and the third elastomer material depth is greater than the second elastomer material depth.   
     
     
         3 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the third location is below the second plane. 
     
     
         4 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein, in the address position, the internal weight does not extend above the second plane. 
     
     
         5 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein the internal weight has an internal weight depth measured from a face-side weight surface to a back-side weight surface, in the direction perpendicular to the exterior surface of the strike plate, and the maximum elastomer material depth is greater than the internal weight depth. 
     
     
         6 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the rear wall has a minimum rear wall thickness less than the maximum thickness of the strike plate. 
     
     
         7 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein in an address position and within a vertical center face section passing through a center face:
 a center-face highest point on the top portion defines a maximum center-face top portion elevation above the ground plane, a second center-face plane is parallel to the ground plane and is located at a second center-face plane elevation that is one-half of the maximum center-face top portion elevation; and   the elastomer material has a first center-face elastomer material depth at a first center-face location above the second center-face plane, the elastomer material has a second center-face elastomer material depth at a second center-face location below the second center-face plane, and the elastomer material has a third center-face elastomer material depth at a third center-face location located below the first center-face location and above the second center-face location, wherein the third center-face elastomer material depth is greater than the first center-face elastomer material depth, and the third center-face elastomer material depth is greater than the second center-face elastomer material depth.   
     
     
         8 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein the third center-face location is below the second center-face plane. 
     
     
         9 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein a portion of the strike plate extends further toward than the second part of the sole portion. 
     
     
         10 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein the body has an injection port extending through the toe portion, the elastomer material is inserted through the injection port, and the injection port is closed with an external plug. 
     
     
         11 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein, in the address position, the second part of the sole portion has a strike plate rearwardmost edge, and the elastomer material extends rearward of the strike plate rearwardmost edge. 
     
     
         12 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein an upper portion thickness of the strike plate located at an elevation above the internal weight is less than the maximum thickness of the strike plate. 
     
     
         13 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the elastomer material fills the internal cavity, the elastomer material comprises a silicone, and the body material is a carbon steel alloy. 
     
     
         14 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein, in the address position, a first point on a ground plane is defined by an intersection of a strike face plane with the ground plane, and the second part of the sole portion extends no more than  8  mm rearward of the first point. 
     
     
         15 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the elastomer material extends to a top of the internal cavity, and the strike plate material is different than the body material. 
     
     
         16 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein a portion of a weld seam along a top perimeter of the strike plate is on the strike face and is below the top portion. 
     
     
         17 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein a portion of the rear wall at an elevation below the top perimeter of the strike plate has a rear wall thickness less than a strike plate thickness adjacent the top perimeter of the strike plate. 
     
     
         18 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein the internal cavity extends above the top perimeter of the strike plate. 
     
     
         19 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein the elastomer material fills the internal cavity, the elastomer material comprises a silicone, the body material is a carbon steel alloy, and the elastomer material contacts a portion of the internal weight. 
     
     
         20 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein an upper portion thickness of the strike plate located at an elevation above the internal weight is less than the maximum thickness of the strike plate, and the elastomer material is a cure-in-place material. 
     
     
         21 - 30 . (canceled)