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US-12623122-B2 - Multi-material golf club head

US12623122B2US 12623122 B2US12623122 B2US 12623122B2US-12623122-B2

Abstract

A multi-material golf club head wherein the junction between the two different components made from different materials are seamlessly incorporated within existing visual cues of a golf club head is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention adjusts the design of the bond between the two different components to reflect the needs of the golf club head at the various visual cues around the perimeter of the golf club head.

Inventors

  • Richard L. Cleghorn

Assignees

  • ACUSHNET COMPANY

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20230103

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A golf club head comprising: a body portion further comprising; a main body chassis having an upper hosel opening and a lower hosel opening, wherein said main body chassis forms a striking face portion that defines a forwardmost vertical plane, and wherein said main body chassis further comprises a recess around a perimeter of said main body chassis, an upper hosel component adapted to engage said upper hosel opening, and a lower hosel component adapted to engage said lower hosel opening, and a crown portion wrapping around a skirt of said golf club head forming at least a portion of a sole, wherein said crown portion overlaps said body portion at said recess of said body portion, and wherein a forwardmost point of said crown portion is located less than about 17.5 mm away from said forwardmost vertical plane and forms a portion of an uppermost point of said striking face.
  2. 2 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein said upper hosel component is made out of a different material than said main body chassis.
  3. 3 . The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein said lower hosel component is made out of a different material than said main body chassis.
  4. 4 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein said forwardmost point of said crown portion is located less than about 16.5 mm away from said forwardmost vertical plane.
  5. 5 . The golf club head of claim 4 , wherein said forwardmost point of said crown portion is located less than about 15.5 mm away from said forwardmost vertical plane.
  6. 6 . The golf club head of claim 5 , wherein said crown portion has a first density, and said body portion has a second density, wherein said first density is less than said second density.
  7. 7 . The golf club head of claim 6 , wherein said crown portion is made from a material having a density of less than about 2.0 g/cc.
  8. 8 . The golf club head of claim 7 , wherein said body portion is made from a material having a density of about 4.5 g/cc.
  9. 9 . The golf club head of claim 5 , wherein said recess further comprises a frontal crown recess, wherein said frontal crown recess defines a crown transition overlap length, a rear sole recess, wherein said rear sole recess defines a rear overlap length, and a hosel portion recess, wherein said hosel portion recess defines a hosel overlap length, wherein said crown transition overlap length is greater than about 12 mm and less than about 25 mm.
  10. 10 . The golf club head of claim 9 , wherein said crown transition overlap length is greater than about 13 mm and less than about 24 mm.
  11. 11 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein said crown transition overlap length is greater than about 14 mm and less than about 23.5 mm.
  12. 12 . A golf club head comprising: a body portion further comprising; a main body chassis having an upper hosel opening, wherein said main body chassis forms a striking face portion that defines a forwardmost vertical plane, and wherein said main body chassis further comprises a recess around a perimeter of said main body chassis, an upper hosel component adapted to engage said upper hosel opening, and a crown portion wrapping around a skirt of said golf club head forming at least a portion of a sole, wherein said crown portion overlaps said body portion at said recess of said body portion, and wherein a forwardmost point of said crown portion is located less than about 17.5 mm away from said forwardmost vertical plane and forms a portion of an uppermost point of said striking face.
  13. 13 . The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein said main body chassis forms a striking face portion that defines a forwardmost vertical plane, and wherein said main body chassis further comprises a recess around a perimeter of said main body chassis, said recess further comprises; a frontal crown recess, wherein said frontal crown recess defines a crown transition overlap length, a rear sole recess, wherein said rear sole recess defines a rear overlap length, and a hosel portion recess, wherein said hosel portion recess defines a hosel overlap length, and wherein said crown transition overlap length is greater than about 12 mm and less than about 25 mm.
  14. 14 . The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein said crown transition overlap length is greater than about 13 mm and less than about 24 mm.
  15. 15 . The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein said crown transition overlap length is greater than about 14 mm and less than about 23.5 mm.
  16. 16 . The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein a forwardmost point of said crown portion is located less than about 17.5 mm away from said forwardmost vertical plane.
  17. 17 . The golf club head of claim 16 , wherein said crown transition overlap length is greater than about 13 mm and less than about 24 mm.
  18. 18 . The golf club head of claim 17 , wherein said crown transition overlap length is greater than about 14 mm and less than about 23.5 mm.
  19. 19 . A golf club head comprising: a body portion further comprising; a main body chassis having a lower hosel opening, wherein said main body chassis forms a striking face portion that defines a forwardmost vertical plane, and wherein said main body chassis further comprises a recess around a perimeter of said main body chassis, a lower hosel component adapted to engage said lower hosel opening, and a crown portion wrapping around a skirt of said golf club head forming at least a portion of a sole, wherein said crown portion overlaps said body portion at said recess of said body portion, and wherein a forwardmost point of said crown portion is located less than about 17.5 mm away from said forwardmost vertical plane and forms a portion of an uppermost point of said striking face.
  20. 20 . The golf club head of claim 19 , wherein said lower hosel component is made out of a different material than said main body chassis.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a Continuation-In-Part (CIP) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/725,075, filed on Apr. 20, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a multi-material golf club head wherein the junction between the two different components made from different materials are seamlessly incorporated within existing visual cues of a golf club head to provide an aesthetically pleasing joint between the two components. More specifically, the present invention relates to identifying the existing visual cues of a golf club head together with the different bonding needs of the golf club head at the desirable visual cue, and continuously adjusting the design of the joint between the two different components depending on the needs of the golf club head at across the entire junction between the two different components. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Utilizing multiple materials to design a golf club head has been around for a long time. U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,363 to Jepson et al. illustrates one of the earliest attempts to utilize multiple materials to improve the performance of a golf club head via the utilization of wood, metal, and plastic. Despite all of the advantages associated with the utilization of material, two of the biggest drawbacks associated with multi-material golf club head are 1) the difficulties in securely joining materials to withstand the impact forces with a golf ball, and 2) preserving the aesthetics of the golf club to minimize the distractions associated with the differing visuals of the different material. U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,348 to Wargo illustrates one of the earliest examples of utilizing threaded fasteners to secure a heavy secondary golf club component to the main chassis of the golf club head. U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,348 to Wargo utilizes replaceable inserts that have their weights and characteristics varied by controlling the amount and location of a layer of weightly material attached thereto. U.S. Pat. No. 7,037,214 to Nakahara et al. illustrates the utilization of a lightweight material to replace the crown portion of a golf club via flanges wherein the ratio of the specific gravities is equal to or superior to 1.3. The bond between a thin crown piece and the chassis of the golf club head creates a unique set of challenges, as lightweight materials tend not to bond well to metallic materials, and the bond usually creates a visual delineation that is undesirable visually. Hence, based on the above, it can be seen that there is a need in the art for a multi-material golf club head that not only is capable of achieving a secure bond between the different components, there is a need to do it in an aesthetically pleasing way. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising of a body portion and a crown portion. The body portion further comprises a striking face, a hosel, and a portion of a sole, wherein the striking face portion defines a forwardmost vertical plane, and wherein the body portion further comprises a recess around a perimeter of the body portion. The crown portion wraps around a skirt of the golf club head forming at least a portion of the sole, wherein the crown portion overlaps the body portion at the recess of the body portion; wherein a forwardmost point of the crown portion is located less than about 17.5 mm away from the forwardmost vertical plane. In another aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising of a body portion and a crown portion. The body portion further comprises a striking face, a hosel, and a portion of a sole, wherein the striking face portion defines a forwardmost vertical plane, and wherein the body portion further comprises a recess around a perimeter of the body portion. The recess further comprises a frontal crown recess, wherein the frontal crown recess defines a crown transition overlap length, a rear sole recess, wherein the rear sole recess defines a rear overlap length, and a hosel portion recess, wherein the hosel portion recess defines a hosel overlap length. The crown portion wraps around a skirt of the golf club head forming at least a portion of the sole, wherein the crown portion overlaps the body portion at the recess of the body portion, and wherein the crown transition overlap length is greater than about 12 mm and less than about 25 mm. In another aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising of a body portion and a crown portion. The body portion further comprises a striking face, a hosel, and a portion of a sole, wherein the striking face portion defines a forwardmost vertical plane, and wherein the body portion further comprises a recess around a perimeter of the body portion. The recess further comprises a frontal crown recess, wherein the frontal crown recess defines a crown transition overlap length,