Golf club head with improved striking 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 is further comprised out of a thickened central region, located near a geometric center of the striking face portion, a central transition region extending outward radially from the thickened central region, a thinned intermediate region, extending outward radially from the central transition region, a thickened stress reducing region, extending outward radially from the thinned intermediate region, and a thinned perimeter region, extending outward radially from the thickened stress reducing region, all of which combine to form the improved striking face.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face portion, located at a frontal portion of said golf club head, adapted to impact a golf ball; and   a body portion, attached to a rear of said striking face portion,   wherein said striking face portion further comprises;
 a frontal striking surface, wherein said frontal striking surface is substantially planar, and 
 an internal rear surface,
 wherein said frontal striking surface and said internal rear surface combine to further comprises;
 a thickened central region, located near a geometric center of said striking face portion, having a first thickness, 
  said first thickness measures a thickness of said striking face portion between said frontal striking surface and said internal rear surface, 
 a central transition region, extending outward radially from said thickened central region, having a variable thickness, 
  said variable thickness measures a thickness of said striking face portion between said frontal striking surface and said internal rear surface, 
 a thinned intermediate region, extending outward radially from said central transition region, having a third thickness, 
  said third thickness measures a thickness of said striking face portion between said frontal striking surface and said internal rear surface, 
 a thickened stress reducing region, extending outward radially from said thinned intermediate region, having a fourth thickness, 
  said fourth thickness measures a thickness of said striking face portion between said frontal striking surface and said internal rear surface, and 
 a thinned perimeter region, extending outward radially from said thickened stress reducing region, having a fifth thickness, 
 
 
   wherein said thickened stress reducing region only partially encircles said thinned intermediate region.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said thickened stress reducing region further comprises;
 an upper thickened stress reducing region, and   a lower thickened stress reducing region,   wherein said fourth thickness of both said upper thickened stress reducing region and said lower thickened stress reducing region is a thickest portion of said striking face portion.   
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein both said upper thickened stress reducing region and said lower thickened stress reducing region have a T over H ratio of between about 0.6 to 1.1, said T over H ratio defined as; 
       
         
           
             
               
                 T 
                 ⁢ 
                     
                 over 
                 ⁢ 
                     
                 H 
                 ⁢ 
                     
                 Ratio 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   Thickness 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   T 
                   ⁢ 
                   4 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   o 
                   ⁢ 
                     
                   f 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Thickened 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Stress 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Reducing 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Region 
                 
                 
                   Height 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   H 
                   ⁢ 
                   4 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   of 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Thickened 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Stress 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Reducing 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Region 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
       wherein said height H 4  measures the height of said thickened stress reducing region from said intermediate region and said thinned perimeter region. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein said T over H ratio is between about 0.7 to about 0.9. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein said T over H ratio is about 0.8. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said internal rear surface can be divided into a clock grid comprising at least;
 a 12 o'clock ray,   a 1 o'clock ray,   a 2 o'clock ray,   a 3 o'clock ray,   a 4 o'clock ray,   a 5 o'clock ray,   a 6 o'clock ray,   a 7 o'clock ray,   an 8 o'clock ray,   a 9 o'clock ray,   a 10 o'clock ray, and   an 11 o'clock ray;   wherein said thickened stress reducing region is located only at a region consisting of an upper region between said 9 o'clock ray and said 2 o'clock ray and a lower region between said 3 o'clock ray and said 9 o'clock ray.   
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein said thickened stress reducing region is located only at a region consisting of an upper region between said 10 o'clock ray and said 2 o'clock ray and a lower region between said 4 o'clock ray and said 8 o'clock ray. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein said fourth thickness is greater than said first thickness. 
     
     
         9 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face portion, located at a frontal portion of said golf club head, adapted to impact a golf ball; and   a body portion, attached to a rear of said striking face portion,   wherein said striking face portion further comprises;
 a frontal striking surface, wherein said frontal striking surface is substantially planar, and 
 an internal rear surface,
 wherein said frontal striking surface and said internal rear surface combine to further comprises;
 a thickened central region, located near a geometric center of said striking face portion, having a first thickness, 
  said first thickness measures a thickness of said striking face portion between said frontal striking surface and said internal rear surface, 
 a central transition region, extending outward radially from said thickened central region, having a variable thickness, 
  said variable thickness measures a thickness of said striking face portion between said frontal striking surface and said internal rear surface, 
 a thinned intermediate region, extending outward radially from said central transition region, having a third thickness, 
  said third thickness measures a thickness of said striking face portion between said frontal striking surface and said internal rear surface, 
 a thickened stress reducing region, extending outward radially from said thinned intermediate region, having a fourth thickness, 
  said fourth thickness measures a thickness of said striking face portion between said frontal striking surface and said internal rear surface, and 
 a thinned perimeter region, extending outward radially from said thickened stress reducing region, having a fifth thickness, 
 
 wherein said internal rear surface can be divided into a clock grid comprising at least;
 a 12 o'clock ray, 
 a 1 o'clock ray, 
 a 2 o'clock ray, 
 a 3 o'clock ray, 
 a 4 o'clock ray, 
 a 5 o'clock ray, 
 a 6 o'clock ray, 
 a 7 o'clock ray, 
 an 8 o'clock ray, 
 a 9 o'clock ray, 
 a 10 o'clock ray, and 
 an 11 o'clock ray; 
 
 
   wherein said fourth thickness is greater than said first thickness.   
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein said thickened stress reducing region further comprises;
 an upper thickened stress reducing region, and   a lower thickened stress reducing region,   wherein said upper thickened stress reducing region is disconnected from said lower thickened stress reducing region.   
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein said upper thickened stress reducing region and said lower thickened stress reducing region has a same height. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein said upper thickened stress reducing region and said lower thickened stress reducing region has a different height. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein a height of said upper thickened stress reducing region is smaller than a height of said lower thickened stress reducing region. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein said upper thickened stress reducing region is located between said 9 o'clock ray and said 2 o'clock ray. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein said upper thickened stress reducing region is located between said 10 o'clock ray and said 2 o'clock ray. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein said lower thickened stress reducing region is located between said 9 o'clock ray and said 3 o'clock ray. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein said lower thickened stress reducing region is located between said 8 o'clock ray and said 4 o'clock ray. 
     
     
         18 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face portion, located at a frontal portion of said golf club head, adapted to impact a golf ball; and   a body portion, attached to a rear of said striking face portion,   wherein said striking face portion further comprises;
 a frontal striking surface, wherein said frontal striking surface is substantially planar, and 
 an internal rear surface,
 wherein said frontal striking surface and said internal rear surface combine to further comprises;
 a thickened central region, located near a geometric center of said striking face portion, having a first thickness, 
  said first thickness measures a thickness of said striking face portion between said frontal striking surface and said internal rear surface, 
 a central transition region, extending outward radially from said thickened central region, having a variable thickness, 
  said variable thickness measures a thickness of said striking face portion between said frontal striking surface and said internal rear surface, 
 a thinned intermediate region, extending outward radially from said central transition region, having a third thickness, 
  said third thickness measures a thickness of said striking face portion between said frontal striking surface and said internal rear surface, 
 a thickened stress reducing region, extending outward radially from said thinned intermediate region, having a fourth thickness, 
  said fourth thickness measures a thickness of said striking face portion between said frontal striking surface and said internal rear surface, and 
 a thinned perimeter region, extending outward radially from said thickened stress reducing region, having a fifth thickness, 
 
 
   wherein said thickened stress reducing region further comprises;   an upper thickened stress reducing region, and   a lower thickened stress reducing region,   wherein said fourth thickness of both said upper thickened stress reducing region and said lower thickened stress reducing region is a thickest portion of said striking face portion.   
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein a height of said upper thickened stress reducing region is smaller than a height of said lower thickened stress reducing region. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 19 , wherein said height of said upper thickened stress reducing region is about 0.5 mm smaller than said height of said lower thickened stress reducing region.