Golf club face including voids

Abstract

A golf club face including voids is disclosed herein. In accordance with the presently disclosed technology, the golf club face may include a front surface to impact a golf ball, a rear surface, and a plurality of two or more voids between the front surface and the rear surface distributed in a pattern.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club face comprising:
 a front surface to impact a golf ball;   a rear surface; and   a plurality of two or more voids between the front surface and the rear surface distributed in a pattern.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club face of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of two or more voids have a volume of between about 0.05 mm 3  to about 8.5 mm 3 . 
     
     
         3 . The golf club face of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of two or more voids are spherical. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club face of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of two or more voids are distributed radially around a center of the golf club face. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club face of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of two or more voids are cylindrical. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club face of  claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of two or more voids extend across the golf club face horizontally. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club face of  claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of two or more voids extend across the golf club face vertically. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club face of  claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of two or more voids are spaced apart by at least 1 diameter length from a center of adjacent ones of the plurality of two or more voids. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club face of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of two or more voids have different volumes. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club face of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of two or more voids extend radially outward from a center of the golf club face. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club face of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club face further comprises a fill material to fill each of the plurality of two or more voids. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club face of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of two or more voids are offset toward the front surface from a midplane. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club face of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club face has a diameter-to-thickness ratio between about 0.5 to about 1.0, wherein the diameter-to-thickness ratio is defined as 
       
         
           
             
               
                 Diameter 
                 - 
                 To 
                 - 
                 Thickness 
                 ⁢ 
                     
                 Ratio 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   
                     a 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     diameter 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     of 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     one 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     of 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     the 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     multiple 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     voids 
                   
                   
                     a 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     thickness 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     of 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     the 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     golf 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     club 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     face 
                   
                 
                 . 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         14 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face, wherein the face comprises:
 a front surface to impact a golf ball; 
 a rear surface opposite the front surface; and 
 a body extending between the front surface and the rear surface, wherein the body comprises a plurality of two or more voids distributed in a pattern. 
   
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of two or more voids have a volume of between about 0.05 mm 3  to about 25.0 mm 3 . 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of two or more voids are spherical. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein at least some of the plurality of two or more voids have different volumes. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of two or more voids are offset toward the front surface from a midplane between about 0.025 mm to about 2.00 mm. 
     
     
         19 . A method of forming voids in a golf club face, the method comprising:
 forming an initial face insert, wherein the initial face insert comprises:
 an initial front surface, wherein the initial front surface comprises a first set of ribs; 
 an initial rear surface opposite the initial front surface, wherein the initial rear surface comprises a second set of ribs opposite the first set of ribs; and 
 an initial body extending between the initial front surface and the initial rear surface; and 
   cooling the initial face insert to form an intermediate face insert thereby forming a plurality of two or more voids in an intermediate body between the first set of ribs and the second set of ribs.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising removing the first set of ribs and the second set of ribs to form a final face insert, wherein the final face insert comprises:
 a front surface intended to impact a golf ball;   a rear surface opposite the front surface; and   a body extending between the front surface and the rear surface, wherein the body comprises the plurality of two or more voids.