Golf club having composite substrate with embedded indicia and methods for embedding indicia in composite substrates on golf clubs

Abstract

Golf club heads have an opening for receiving a panel with embedded indicia. The panel extends over the opening and includes a composite layer having an interior surface and an exterior surface, embedded indicium coupled to the exterior surface of the composite layer, and a resin layer covering the embedded indicium and the exterior surface of the composite layer. By contemporaneously encapsulating the indicium and composite layer, the resin layer increases durability and prevents the indicium from peeling or falling off of the sole panel upon repeated impacts of the golf club head with a golf ball.

1 . A golf club head, comprising:
 a body comprising a strike face, a crown, a sole, a rear, a toe end, a heel end, and a skirt portion;   the body further comprising a sole recessed ledge offset inwardly from an exterior surface of the sole and extending around a perimeter of a sole opening such that the sole recessed ledge defines the sole opening;
 a sole panel coupled to the sole recessed ledge and extending over the sole opening, the sole panel comprising:
 a sole panel composite layer having a sole panel interior surface and a sole panel exterior surface; 
 a sole panel indicium coupled to the sole panel exterior surface; and 
 a sole panel resin layer covering the sole panel indicium and the sole panel exterior surface, wherein the sole panel resin layer has a smooth outer surface. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises a crown opening and a crown panel configured to cover the crown opening. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the crown panel comprises:
 a crown panel composite layer having a crown panel interior surface and a crown panel exterior surface;   a crown panel indicium coupled to the crown panel exterior surface; and   a crown panel resin layer covering the crown panel indicium and the crown panel exterior surface, wherein the crown panel resin layer has a smooth outer surface.   
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the sole panel indicium is positioned on a backing layer comprising adhesive prior to assembly of the sole panel. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the sole panel composite layer further comprises seven plies of fiber reinforced composite. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the sole panel resin layer comprises a transparent resin that maintains visibility of the sole panel indicium from an exterior of the golf club head. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the sole panel indicium has a thickness measured from an indicium top surface to an indicium bottom surface of 0.004 inch. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the sole panel indicium comprises a peripheral edge extending from an indicium top surface to an indicium bottom surface, a contour of the peripheral edge is concave, and a thickness of the peripheral edge extends outwardly from the indicium top surface to the indicium bottom surface. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the sole panel indicium comprises an indicium material;   the body comprises a body material; and   the body material is the same as the indicia material.   
     
     
         10 . A golf club head, comprising:
 a body comprising a strike face, a crown, a sole, a rear, a toe end, a heel end, and a skirt portion;   the body further comprising:
 a crown recessed ledge offset inwardly from an exterior surface of the crown and extending around a perimeter of a crown opening such that the crown recessed ledge defines the crown opening; 
 a crown panel coupled the crown recessed ledge and extending over the crown opening, the crown panel comprising:
 a crown panel composite layer having a crown panel interior surface and a crown panel exterior surface; 
 a crown panel indicium coupled to the crown panel exterior surface; and 
 a crown panel resin layer covering the crown panel indicium and the crown panel exterior surface, wherein the crown panel resin layer has a smooth outer surface; 
 
 a sole recessed ledge offset inwardly from an exterior surface of the sole and extending around a perimeter of a sole opening such that the sole recessed ledge defines the sole opening; 
 an extension piece integral with a sole recessed ledge forward side and extending rearward to a sole recessed ledge rear side; and 
 a sole panel coupled to the sole recessed ledge and extending over the sole opening, the sole panel comprising:
 a sole panel composite layer having a sole panel interior surface and a sole panel exterior surface; 
 a sole panel indicium coupled to the sole panel exterior surface; and 
 a sole panel resin layer covering the sole panel indicium and the sole panel exterior surface, wherein the sole panel resin layer has a smooth outer surface. 
 
   
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the sole panel indicium is positioned on a backing layer comprising adhesive prior to assembly of the sole panel. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the sole panel further comprises seven plies of fiber reinforced composite. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the sole panel resin layer comprises a transparent resin that maintains visibility of the indicium from an exterior of the golf club head. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the sole panel indicium has a thickness measured from an indicium top surface to an indicium bottom surface of 0.004 inch. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , further comprising an adjustable weighting system. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , further comprising an adjustable hosel feature. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the sole panel indicium comprises a peripheral edge extending from an indicium top surface to an indicium bottom surface, a contour of the peripheral edge is concave, and a thickness of the peripheral edge extends outwardly from the indicium top surface to the indicium bottom surface. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the sole panel indicium comprises an indicium material;   the body comprises a body material; and   the body material is the same as the indicium material.   
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the sole panel indicium comprises an indicium material;   the body comprises a body material; and   the body material is different from the indicium material.