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EP-4301478-B1 - GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH VIBRATIONAL DAMPING SYSTEM

EP4301478B1EP 4301478 B1EP4301478 B1EP 4301478B1EP-4301478-B1

Inventors

  • MILLEMAN, Travis, D.
  • SCHIER, Matthew, T.
  • ALEXANDER, Murphy, R.
  • SIMONET, Mitchell, J.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220302

Claims (18)

  1. An iron-type golf club head (100) comprising: a strike face (102) comprising a geometric center and a back face (104) opposite the strike face (102); a heel portion (106); a toe portion (110) opposite the heel portion (106); a top rail (120); a sole (118) opposite the top rail (120); a rear wall (114) extending upward from the sole (118) at least partially towards the top rail (120); wherein the rear wall (114) comprises a rear wall top edge (134) defining a rear wall top edge inner side; an insert cavity (122) formed by at least an inner surface (126) of the rear wall (114) and a lower portion (132) of the back face (104); wherein the insert cavity (122) comprises an insert cavity opening (124) extending between the rear wall top edge (134) and the lower portion (132) of the back face (104); wherein the insert cavity (122) comprises an insert cavity base (136) formed by an inner surface of the sole (118); a damping system comprising: an insert (140) disposed within the insert cavity (122); a badge (170) attached to an upper portion (162) of the back face (104) and spaced apart from the insert (140), defining a clearance gap (165) between the insert (140) and badge (170); wherein the damping system defines a damping system coverage area measured as a combined surface area of the back face (104) contacted by the insert (140) and the badge (170); wherein: a lip (137) is formed on the rear wall top edge (134) inner side; and the rear wall top edge (134) and the badge (170) are separated, defining a gap (168) between the rear wall top edge (134) and the badge (170); the damping system coverage area is greater than 19.4 cm 2 (3.0 in 2 ); and the damping system coverage area is greater than 85% of an available surface area of the back face (104).
  2. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the strike face (102) comprises a plurality of grooves (105) extending in a heel-to-toe direction; and wherein the club head comprises a blade length measured as a heel-to-toe distance between a heel-most extent of the plurality of grooves and a toe-most extent of the strike face.
  3. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 2, further comprising a ground plane tangent to the sole (118) at an address position and a coordinate system; wherein the coordinate system comprises: an X-axis extending in a heel-to-toe direction parallel to the ground plane; a Y-axis orthogonal to the X-axis and extending in a top rail-to-sole direction; a Z-axis orthogonal to the X-axis and the Y-axis and extending in a front-to-back direction; wherein the club head (100) further comprises an Iyy moment of inertia measured about the Y-axis; wherein the Iyy moment of inertia is greater than 0.252 g·m 2 (390 g·in 2 ); and wherein a ratio between the Iyy moment of inertia and the blade length is greater than 0.065 g·m 2 (100 g·in).
  4. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 1, further comprising a rear cavity (160) bounded, at least partially, by the top rail (120), the heel portion (106), the toe portion (110), and the rear wall (114); wherein the top rail (120) forms a top rail rear edge (186), the heel portion (106) forms a heel rear edge (188), and the toe portion (110) forms a toe rear edge (190); wherein the top rail rear edge (186), the heel rear edge (188), the toe rear edge (190), and the rear wall top edge (134) form a rear cavity opening (164); and wherein the rear cavity (160) extends from the rear cavity opening (164) to the upper portion (162) of the back face (104).
  5. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 4, wherein the badge (170) fills between 75% and 99% of a volume of the rear cavity (160).
  6. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the insert (140) comprises an insert bottom surface (146) abutting the insert cavity base (136) and an insert top surface (142) proximate the insert cavity opening (124); and wherein the insert top surface (142) is below the geometric center of the strike face (102).
  7. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the badge (170) comprises badge top edge (172) and a badge bottom edge (174); and wherein a thickness of the badge (170) increases from the badge top edge (172) to the badge bottom edge (174).
  8. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 7, wherein the badge bottom edge (174) entirely covers the insert cavity opening (124).
  9. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the badge (170) comprises an adhesive layer (176) coupled to the back face (104) and a rigid layer (178) exposed to an exterior of the club head (100).
  10. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 9, wherein the adhesive layer (176) comprises a viscoelastic material.
  11. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the available surface area of the back face (104) is greater than 19.4 cm 2 (3.0 in 2 ).
  12. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the badge (170) comprises an adhesive layer (176) in contact with the upper portion (162) of the back face (104), a rigid layer (178) opposite the adhesive layer (176) and exposed to a rear exterior of the club head (100), and a filler layer (180) disposed between the adhesive layer (176) and the rigid layer (178).
  13. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 12, wherein the rigid layer (178) of the badge (170) comprises a hardness greater than 80 HRB.
  14. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the strike face (102) comprises a plurality of score lines (105), the plurality of score lines (105) comprise a spacing distance less than 3.05 mm (0.12 inch).
  15. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the top rail (120) comprises a top rail thickness between 3.81 mm and 7.62 mm (0.15 inch and 0.30 inch).
  16. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 1, further comprises a rear perimeter comprising a top rail rear edge (186), a heel portion rear edge (188), a toe portion rear edge (190), and a sole rear edge (192).
  17. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 16, wherein the rear wall (114) is recessed with respect to the rear perimeter.
  18. The iron-type golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the damping system coverage area is between 60% and 85% of a total surface area of the strike face (102).

Description

CROSS REFERENCE PRIORITIES This claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/200,348, filed March 02, 2021; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/187,800, filed May 12, 2021. TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to golf club heads and, more particularly, relates to golf club heads comprising a high moment of inertia and damping systems configured to damp club head vibrations at impact. BACKGROUND Golf club design takes into account several performance factors including ball flight characteristics, sound characteristics, and feel characteristics. Ball flight characteristics (such as ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, forgiveness, etc.) generally depend on the mass properties of the club head, including the center of gravity (CG) position and the club head moment of inertia (MOI). The sound characteristics (e.g. the acoustic response of the club head at impact) and the feel characteristics (e.g. the vibrations of the club head felt in the hands of the golfer at impact) of the club head generally depend on the vibrational response of the club head at impact. The sound and feel of the club head are determined by the vibrational response of the club head at impact. At impact, the club head vibrates at a variety of natural frequencies (also known as "modes" of vibration) comprising a variety of different amplitudes. The club head design and construction determine the variety of different amplitudes that occur at the variety of natural frequencies. Natural frequencies with high amplitudes are considered "dominant" and contribute most significantly to the sound of the club head. If the amplitude of the dominant frequencies is too high, the club head can sound loud and displeasing to the golfer. Natural frequencies with amplitudes lower than that of the dominant frequency are considered "residual" and contribute to a "ringing" sensation in the club head, wherein the sound of impact and the vibrational sensation felt in the golfer's hands are undesirably sustained. By reducing the amplitude of said natural frequencies, the overall volume, harshness, and ringing of the club head can be minimized, providing a muted, pleasing sound and feel at impact. The process of reducing said amplitudes is hereafter referred to as "damping." Mass damping refers to the damping of vibrations by increasing mass at or near the location where the vibration occurs. "Viscoelastic damping" refers to the damping of vibrations by applying a material with viscoelastic properties at or near the location where the vibration occurs. The sound and feel characteristics can be improved by damping dominant vibrations in the club head via the allocation of mass in certain areas or the inclusion of vibration-damping material into the club head. Ideally, a golf club head achieves a combination of desirable ball flight, sound, and feel characteristics. However, design features that improve certain club head ball flight characteristics may have a negative effect on the sound and feel of the club head, and vice versa. Certain types of golf club heads, particularly iron-type golf club heads, are desirable with respect to certain characteristics above, but undesirable with respect to others. For example, a cavity-back iron may be very forgiving, but sound and feel harsh and "clacky." In contrast, a forged or muscle-back iron may comprise desirable sound and feel characteristics but lack a high level of forgiveness. There is a need in the art for an iron-type club head that comprises a combination of the forgiveness of a cavity-back type iron and the desirable sound and feel of a muscle-back iron. US9662549B proposes an iron-type golf club head with body wall aperture. US2020/353325 proposes an iron-type golf club head. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is defined by the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To facilitate further description of the embodiments, the following drawings are provided in which: FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a golf club head according to a first embodiment.FIG. 2 illustrates a rear view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 comprising an insert cavity and a rear cavity.FIG. 3 illustrates a rear view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 comprising a badge.FIG. 4 illustrates a cross section view from the toe side of the golf club head of FIG. 1 comprising an insert cavity and a rear cavity.FIG. 5a illustrates a cross section view from the toe side of the golf club head of FIG. 1 comprising an insert cavity, an insert, a rear cavity, and a badge.FIG. 5b illustrates a close-up cross section view from the toe side of the golf club head of FIG. 1 comprising an insert cavity, and insert, a rear cavity and a badge.FIG. 6 illustrates a rear view of an insert.FIG. 7 illustrates a cross section view of from the rear of the golf club head of FIG. 1.FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.FIG. 9 illustrates a rear view of a golf club head according to a second embodiment.FI