Multi-material golf club head

Abstract

A multi-material golf club head having an improved performance is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention relates to a multi-material golf club head having a metallic frontal portion and a lightweight aft portion with an addition of an internal ribbon support member. The lightweight aft portion could be formed of a multi-layered sandwich material with at least one layer having low damping properties. The lightweight aft portion may be formed out of a lightweight crown sub-shell and a lightweight sole sub-shell, both of which combine to receive a weighting system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a frontal striking face portion located at a frontal portion of said golf club head, and   an aft body portion, attached to a rear of said frontal striking face portion;   wherein said aft body portion further comprises a lightweight shell, said lightweight shell further comprises;
 a rear opening located at a rear recessed skirt portion of said lightweight shell, 
 wherein said rear opening further comprises a plurality of two or more female alignment features, 
   wherein said golf club head further comprises a weighting system sandwiching a rear portion of said lightweight shell, said weighting system further comprises;
 an inner weight housing further comprising;
 a through bore, and 
 a plurality of two or more male alignment features, 
 wherein said plurality of two or more male alignment features are adapted to engage said plurality of two or more female alignment features, an outer weight housing having an internally facing protrusion adapted to engage said through bore, and 
 
 a high-density weight adapted to engage said internally facing protrusion of said outer weight housing. 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of an external surface of said internal weight housing mates with at least a portion of an internal surface of said lightweight shell,
 wherein at least a portion of an internal surface of said external weight housing mates with at least a portion of an external surface of said lightweight shell, and   wherein no portion of said high-density weight engages said inner weight housing.   
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein said internal weight housing further comprises an H shaped internal ribbing structure. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein said H shaped internal ribbing structure further comprises;
 a toe side vertical rib,   a heel side vertical rib, and   a horizontal rib connecting said toe side vertical rib to said heel side vertical rib.   
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein both said toe side vertical rib and said heel side vertical rib have the same height. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein said toe side vertical rib and said heel side vertical rib have different heights. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein said toe side vertical rib has a height of between about 29.0 mm and about 33.0 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein said horizontal rib has a distance of between about 21.0 mm and about 25.0 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein said external surface of said internal weight housing further comprises a plurality of glue bumps. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein said lightweight shell further comprises;
 a lightweight crown sub-shell, and   a lightweight sole sub-shell.   
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein said lightweight crown sub-shell and said lightweight sole sub-shell are joined together via a lap joint,
 wherein said lap joint is located away from a skirt portion of said golf club head.   
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein said plurality of two or more female alignment features are formed in both said lightweight crown sub-shell and said lightweight sole sub-shell. 
     
     
         13 . A golf club head comprising:
 a frontal striking face portion located at a frontal portion of said golf club head, and   an aft body portion, attached to a rear of said frontal striking face portion;   wherein said aft body portion further comprises a lightweight shell, said lightweight shell further comprises;
 a lightweight crown sub-shell, 
 a lightweight sole sub-shell, and 
 a rear opening located at a rear recessed skirt portion of said lightweight shell, 
 wherein said rear opening further comprises a plurality of two or more female alignment features, 
   wherein said golf club head further comprises a weighting system sandwiching a rear portion of said lightweight shell, said weighting system further comprises;
 an inner weight housing further comprising;
 a plurality of two or more male alignment features, 
 wherein said plurality of two or more male alignment features are adapted to engage said plurality two or more of female alignment features, an outer weight housing adapted to engage said inner weight housing, and a high-density weight adapted to engage said outer weight housing. 
 
   
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein no portion of said high-density weight engages said inner weight housing. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein an external surface of said inner weight housing further comprises a plurality of glue bumps. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein said inner weight housing has a body contact area of greater than about 1800 mm 2 . 
     
     
         17 . A golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein said inner weight housing has a weighting contact area of greater than about 500 mm 2 . 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein a ratio of a body contact area over a weighting contact area is greater than about 3.25. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein said ratio of said body contact area over said weighting contact area is greater than about 3.5. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 19 , wherein said ratio of said body contact area over said weighting contact area is greater than about 3.60.