Golf club head with variable thickness face

Abstract

A golf club head with improved striking face is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention relates to a golf club head wherein the striking face has a central region of increased thickness and surrounding regions having decreasing thickness to improve the performance of the golf club head.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a toe portion;   a heel portion opposite said toe portion;   a topline;   a sole opposite said topline;   a hosel located at said heel portion configured to receive a shaft; and   a striking face having a front surface configured to contact a golf ball and a rear surface opposite said front surface,   wherein said front surface of said striking face includes a plurality of scorelines extending in a heel-to-toe direction,   wherein said rear surface of said striking face comprises:
 a central region overlapping at least a portion of a face center of said striking face; 
 a perimeter region formed along an outer perimeter of said rear surface of said striking face; 
 a first transition region extending from said central region to said perimeter region in a direction towards said toe portion; 
 a second transition region extending from said central region to said perimeter region in a direction towards said heel portion; 
 a third transition region extending from said central region to said perimeter region in a direction towards said topline; and 
 a fourth transition region extending from said central region to said perimeter region in a direction towards said sole, 
   wherein said central region has a constant thickness measured from said front surface of said striking face to said rear surface of said striking face, and   wherein said first transition region, said second transition region, said third transition region, and said fourth transition region each decrease in thickness from said central region towards said perimeter region.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said central region has a height in a sole-to-topline direction that increases in a toeward direction. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said central region has a thickness less than 2.2 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein said first transition region has a minimum thickness less than 1.75 mm, said second transition region has a minimum thickness less than 1.6 mm, said third transition region has a minimum thickness less than 1.95 mm, and said fourth transition region has a minimum thickness less than 1.95 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said central region defines a maximum thickness of said striking face. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a minimum thickness of said first transition region is greater than a minimum thickness of said second transition region. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein a minimum thickness of said third transition region and a minimum thickness of said fourth transition region are both greater than said minimum thickness of said first transition region. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said first transition region has a constant taper which creates a first transition angle between said front surface of said striking face and said rear surface of said striking face,
 wherein said second transition region has a constant taper which creates a second transition angle between said front surface of said striking face and said rear surface of said striking face,   wherein said third transition region has a constant taper which creates a third transition angle between said front surface of said striking face and said rear surface of said striking face,   wherein said fourth transition region has a constant taper which creates a fourth transition angle between said front surface of said striking face and said rear surface of said striking face,   wherein said second transition angle is greater than said first transition angle, and   wherein said fourth transition angle is less than said third transition angle.   
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein said first transition angle is between 0.2° and 0.8°,
 wherein said second transition angle is between 0.6° and 1.2°, 
 wherein said third transition angle is between 3° and 8°, and 
 wherein said fourth transition angle is between 1° and 3°. 
 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein said striking face further comprises a ledge forming at least a portion of said sole,
 wherein a radiused portion is formed between said rear surface of said striking face and said ledge,   wherein said radiused portion comprises:
 a central radiused region; 
 a toeward radiused region located toeward of said central radiused region; and 
 a heelward radiused region located heelward of said central radiused region, 
   wherein said central radiused region defines a maximum radius of said radiused portion between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm,   wherein said toeward radiused region has a decreasing radius from said central radiused region toward said toe portion,   wherein said heelward radiused region has a decreasing radius from said central radiused region toward said heel portion,   wherein said toeward radiused region has a minimum radius less than 1.6 mm, and   wherein said heelward radiused region has a minimum radius less than 1.6 mm.   
     
     
         11 . A golf club head comprising:
 a toe portion;   a heel portion opposite said toe portion;   a topline;   a sole opposite said topline;   a hosel located at said heel portion configured to receive a shaft; and   a striking face having a front surface configured to contact a golf ball and a rear surface opposite said front surface,   wherein said front surface of said striking face includes a plurality of scorelines extending in a heel-to-toe direction,   wherein said rear surface of said striking face comprises:
 a central region overlapping at least a portion of a face center of said striking face; 
 a perimeter region formed along an outer perimeter of said rear surface of said striking face; 
 a first transition region extending from said central region to said perimeter region in a direction towards said toe portion; and 
 a second transition region extending from said central region to said perimeter region in a direction towards said heel portion, 
   wherein said central region has a constant thickness measured from said front surface of said striking face to said rear surface of said striking face, and   wherein said first transition region and said second transition region each decrease in thickness from said central region towards said perimeter region.   
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein said central region defines a maximum thickness of said striking face. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein a minimum thickness of said first transition region is greater than a minimum thickness of said second transition region. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein said central region has a thickness less than 2.2 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein said first transition region has a minimum thickness less than 1.75 mm, and
 wherein said second transition region has a minimum thickness less than 1.6 mm.   
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein said first transition region has a constant taper which creates a first transition angle between said front surface of said striking face and said rear surface of said striking face, and
 wherein said second transition region has a constant taper which creates a second transition angle between said front surface of said striking face and said rear surface of said striking face.   
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein said second transition angle is greater than said first transition angle. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein said first transition angle is between 0.2° and 0.8°, and
 wherein said second transition angle is between 0.6° and 1.2°. 
 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein said striking face further comprises a ledge forming at least a portion of said sole,
 wherein a radiused portion is formed between said rear surface of said striking face and said ledge,   wherein said radiused portion comprises:
 a central radiused region; 
 a toeward radiused region located toeward of said central radiused region; and 
 a heelward radiused region located heelward of said central radiused region, 
   wherein said central radiused region defines a maximum radius of said radiused portion between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm,   wherein said toeward radiused region has a decreasing radius from said central radiused region toward said toe portion,   wherein said heelward radiused region has a decreasing radius from said central radiused region toward said heel portion,   wherein said toeward radiused region has a minimum radius less than 1.6 mm, and   wherein said heelward radiused region has a minimum radius less than 1.6 mm.   
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 19 , wherein said central region has a height in a sole-to-topline direction that increases in a toeward direction.