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 steel 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 steel strike plate material different than the steel body 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 forming a portion of the sole portion; 
 the internal cavity is defined by at least a portion of the second part of the sole portion, and the internal cavity extends from the second part of the sole portion to the top portion; 
 the iron-type golf club head further comprises a cure-in-place elastomer material that contacts a back surface of the strike plate and an interior surface of the second part of the sole portion; 
 the iron-type golf club head further comprises a tungsten internal weight that is configured such that no portion of the tungsten internal weight defines an exterior surface of the iron-type golf club head, and the tungsten internal weight does not contact the back surface of the strike plate; 
 in an address position and within a vertical section, the internal cavity has:
 a first cavity depth at a first elevation where the tungsten internal weight is nearest the back surface of the strike plate, with the first cavity depth measured from the back surface of the strike plate to the tungsten internal weight at the first elevation, in a direction perpendicular to an exterior surface of the strike plate; 
 a second cavity depth is measured at a second elevation above the first elevation, with the second cavity depth measured from the back surface of the strike plate to the back portion in the direction perpendicular to the exterior surface of the strike plate, and the second cavity depth is greater than the first cavity depth; 
 a third cavity depth is measured at a third elevation above the second elevation, with the third cavity depth measured from the back surface of the strike plate to the back portion, in the direction perpendicular to the exterior surface of the strike plate, and the third cavity depth is less than the second cavity depth; 
 a fourth cavity depth is measured at a fourth elevation below the first elevation, with the fourth cavity depth measured from the back surface of the strike plate to the nearer of the back portion or the tungsten internal weight, in the direction perpendicular to the exterior surface of the strike plate, and the fourth cavity depth is greater than the first cavity depth; and 
 the cure-in-place elastomer material extends below the fourth elevation and has an elastomer material depth measured from the back surface of the strike plate in the direction perpendicular to the exterior surface of the strike plate, and the elastomer material depth is greater than a maximum thickness of the portion of the strike plate forming the strike face; 
 
 at least a portion of the second part of the sole portion is welded along the first part of the sole portion at a sole weld seam; 
 the body has a body opening, and the cure-in-place elastomer material is injected through the body opening to cure in place within the internal cavity; 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 the 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 tungsten internal weight does not extend above the second plane. 
     
     
         3 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein in the address position the rear wall has a minimum rear wall thickness less than the maximum thickness of the portion of the strike plate forming the strike face, and the minimum rear wall thickness is located above a maximum elevation of the tungsten internal weight. 
     
     
         4 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein in the address position a portion of the strike plate forming the strike face extends further toeward than the second part of the sole portion. 
     
     
         5 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein the portion of the strike plate forming the strike face has a strike plate perimeter, and at least a portion of the strike plate perimeter is welded to the body at a plate perimeter weld seam, and a portion of the plate perimeter weld seam extends further toeward than the sole weld seam. 
     
     
         6 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein a portion of the second part of the sole portion has a thickness that is less than the maximum thickness of the portion of the strike plate forming the strike face. 
     
     
         7 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein the third cavity depth is greater than the first cavity depth, and the internal cavity is defined by portions of the back portion, the rear wall, the top portion, the strike face, and the second part of the sole portion. 
     
     
         8 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein in the address position a maximum cavity depth in the vertical section, measured from the back surface of the strike plate to the back portion, is located at an elevation above the first elevation. 
     
     
         9 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein the cure-in-place elastomer material comprises at least one of a silicone, a polyurethane, or a foam. 
     
     
         10 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein in the address position the second part of the sole portion has a strike plate rearwardmost edge, and at least a portion of the cure-in-place elastomer material extends to the strike plate rearwardmost edge. 
     
     
         11 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein the cure-in-place elastomer material contacts the back portion. 
     
     
         12 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein a portion of the iron-type golf club head is a chrome-molybdenum steel alloy. 
     
     
         13 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein the steel body material is a 8620 carbon steel alloy. 
     
     
         14 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein the top portion includes a ledge that abuts the back surface of the strike plate. 
     
     
         15 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein in the address position, a portion of the strike plate located at an elevation above the tungsten internal weight has an upper portion thickness that is less than the maximum thickness of the portion of the strike plate forming the strike face. 
     
     
         16 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein the upper portion thickness is located adjacent a perimeter of the strike plate. 
     
     
         17 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein a portion of the plate perimeter weld seam along a top perimeter portion of the strike plate is on the strike face below the top portion, and at least a portion of the internal cavity extends above a portion of the plate perimeter weld seam along the top perimeter portion of the strike plate. 
     
     
         18 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein in the address position a portion of the rear wall at an elevation below the plate perimeter weld seam along the top perimeter portion of the strike plate has a rear wall thickness less than a strike plate thickness adjacent the plate perimeter weld seam along the top perimeter portion of the strike plate. 
     
     
         19 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein in the address position the second part of the sole portion has a strike plate rearwardmost edge, and at least a portion of the cure-in-place elastomer material extends rearward of the strike plate rearwardmost edge. 
     
     
         20 . An iron-type golf club head, comprising:
 a body made of a steel 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 steel strike plate material different than the steel body 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 forming a portion of the sole portion; 
 the internal cavity is defined by at least a portion of the second part of the sole portion, and the internal cavity extends from the second part of the sole portion to the top portion; 
 the iron-type golf club head further comprises a cure-in-place elastomer material that contacts a back surface of the strike plate and an interior surface of the second part of the sole portion; 
 the iron-type golf club head further comprises a tungsten internal weight that is configured such that no portion of the tungsten internal weight defines an exterior surface of the iron-type golf club head, and the tungsten internal weight does not contact the back surface of the strike plate; 
 in an address position and within a vertical section, the internal cavity has:
 a first cavity depth at a first elevation where the tungsten internal weight is nearest the back surface of the strike plate, with the first cavity depth measured from the back surface of the strike plate to the tungsten internal weight at the first elevation, in a direction perpendicular to an exterior surface of the strike plate; 
 a second cavity depth is measured at a second elevation above the first elevation, with the second cavity depth measured from the back surface of the strike plate to the back portion in the direction perpendicular to the exterior surface of the strike plate, and the second cavity depth is greater than the first cavity depth; 
 a third cavity depth is measured at a third elevation above the second elevation, with the third cavity depth measured from the back surface of the strike plate to the back portion, in the direction perpendicular to the exterior surface of the strike plate, the third cavity depth is less than the second cavity depth, and the third cavity depth is greater than the first cavity depth; and 
 the cure-in-place elastomer material has an elastomer material depth measured from the back surface of the strike plate in the direction perpendicular to the exterior surface of the strike plate, and the elastomer material depth is greater than a maximum thickness of the portion of the strike plate forming the strike face; 
 
 at least a portion of the second part of the sole portion is welded along the first part of the sole portion at a sole weld seam; 
 the body has a body opening, and the cure-in-place elastomer material is injected through the body opening to cure in place within the internal cavity; and 
 the iron-type golf club head has a club head volume of 40-80 cc. 
   
     
     
         21 . (canceled)