GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH IMPROVED STRIKING FACE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THEREOF

Abstract

A golf club head includes a striking face portion configured to strike a golf ball; a body portion extending rearwardly from the striking face portion and including a sole portion and a crown portion; and a face insert covering an opening in the golf club head and including: a front portion including at least part of the striking face portion, and a top portion extending rearwardly from the front portion and including at least part of the crown portion; and a thickened stress reducing region forming at least part of a ring that extends around at least part of an outer perimeter of the face insert.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present disclosure relates to golf club heads with an improved striking face.

2. Description of the Related Art

A golf club typically has a golf club head and a shaft attached to a hosel of the golf club head. Metalwood type golf club heads include a striking face, a crown extending rearwardly from a top of the striking face, and a sole extending rearwardly from a bottom of the striking face. The striking face is the portion of the golf club head that strikes a golf ball during a golf swing, and thus experiences the greatest level of stress. The thickness of the striking face can be reduced to increase deflection of the striking face during a golf swing, which can in turn increase ball speed. However, because the striking face experiences high levels of stress during a golf swing, thinning down the striking face too much can jeopardize the structural integrity of the striking face. It is also possible for a golf club head to become non-compliant with certain rules of golf if the thickness and rigidity of the striking face is reduced too much. It is in view of this technical background that the present disclosure is provided.

This background sections is provided only for purposes of introducing certain background material relating to the present disclosure and, thus, is not an admission of prior art.

SUMMARY

This Summary section introduces some features of nonlimiting and non-exhaustive examples of the present disclosure, and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

According to an aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head including a striking face portion configured to strike a golf ball; a body portion extending rearwardly from the striking face portion and including a sole portion and a crown portion; and a face insert covering an opening in the golf club head and including a front portion including at least part of the striking face portion, and a top portion extending rearwardly from the front portion and including at least part of the crown portion; and a thickened stress reducing region forming at least part of a ring that extends around at least part of an outer perimeter of the face insert.

In some examples, the golf club head includes a thinned intermediate region between the thickened stress reducing region and a central region that overlaps with a center of the striking face portion, wherein a thickness of the thinned intermediate region is less than a thickness of the central region and a thickness of the thickened stress reducing region.

In some examples, the striking face portion has a lower leading edge and an upper topline edge opposite to the lower leading edge; the sole portion extends rearwardly from the lower leading edge; the crown portion extends rearwardly from the upper topline edge; and a topmost portion of the thickened stress reducing region is on the crown portion and spaced apart from the upper topline edge.

In some examples, a lowermost portion of the thickened stress reducing region is on the striking face portion and separated from the lower leading edge.

In some examples, the thickened stress reducing region is separated from the face insert.

In some examples, the face insert includes a different material than the body portion.

According to another aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head including a striking face portion configured to strike a golf ball; a body portion extending rearwardly from the striking face portion and including a sole portion and a crown portion; and an opening at least partly in the striking face portion; a face insert covering the opening; and a thickened stress reducing region forming at least part of a ring that extends from the striking face portion onto the crown portion.

In some examples, a thickness of the thickened stress reducing region is greater than a thickness of an intermediate region adjacent to the thickened stress reducing region, and the thickened stress reducing region protrudes inwardly into a cavity of the golf club head.

In some examples, the striking face portion has a variable thickness that is greatest at a thickened central region, decreases radially from the thickened central region towards the intermediate region, and increases radially from the intermediate region towards the thickened stress reducing region.

In some examples, the thickened stress reducing region is at least partly on the body portion, and the intermediate region is at least partly on the face insert.

In some examples, the thickened stress reducing region is at least partly on the face insert.

In some examples, the striking face portion has a lower leading edge and an upper topline edge, and the face insert is spaced apart from the lower leading edge and extends across the upper topline edge over part of the crown portion.

In some examples, the face insert includes a forged sheet metal.

According to another aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head including a striking face portion configured to strike a golf ball; a body portion extending rearwardly from the striking face portion and including a sole portion and a crown portion; and an opening at least partly in the striking face portion and the crown portion; a face insert covering the opening; and a first thickened stress reducing region at least partly extending along the striking face portion.

In some examples, the golf club head includes a heel, a hosel disposed at the heel and configured to couple to a golf club shaft, and a toe opposite to the heel, wherein the face insert has an L-shape in a cross-sectional view in a plane perpendicular to a toe-heel direction.

In some examples, the opening is separated from the sole portion.

In some examples, the first thickened stress reducing region extends from the striking face portion over at least part of the crown portion.

In some examples, the golf club head includes a second thickened stress reducing region separated from the first thickened stress reducing region.

In some examples, each of the first and second thickened stress reducing regions includes a first linear portion extending linearly along a first direction, and a second linear portion extending linearly from the first linear portion along a second direction different from the first direction.

In some examples, the golf club head includes a thickened central region overlapping a center of the striking face portion, and a ring-shaped thinned intermediate region between the thickened central region and the first thickened stress reducing region.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings, together with the specification, illustrate nonlimiting and non-exhaustive examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 depicts a frontal perspective view of a golf club head according to some examples.

FIG. 2 depicts a partially exploded perspective view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts an internal rear view of the striking face portion of the golf club head of FIG. 1 cut along the line 3′-3′ in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 depicts a heel-to-toe cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 along the line 4′-4′ in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 depicts an enlarged frontal portion of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 depicts an internal rear view of the striking face portion of the golf club head in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention cut along line 3-3′ as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 illustrate a cross-sectional view of the golf club head in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention taken along line 4′-4′ as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 depicts an internal rear view of the striking face portion of the golf club head in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention cut along line 3-3′ as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 illustrate a cross-sectional view of the golf club in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention taken along line 4′-4′ as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 depicts an internal rear view of the striking face portion of the golf club head in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention cut along line 3-3′ as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the golf club head in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention taken along line 4′-4′ shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 depicts an internal rear view of the striking face portion of the golf club head in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention cut along line 3-3′ as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional views of the golf club head in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention taken along line 4′-4′ shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 depicts an internal rear view of the striking face portion of the golf club head in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention cut along line 3-3′ as shown in FIG. 1

FIG. 15 illustrates a cross-sectional views of the golf club head in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention taken along line 4′-4′ shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 16 depicts an internal rear view of the striking face portion of the golf club head in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention cut along line 3-3′ as shown in FIG. 1

FIG. 17 illustrates a cross-sectional views of the golf club head in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention taken along line 4′-4′ shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Nonlimiting and non-exhaustive examples of golf club heads including a face insert and a thickened stress reducing region will now be described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. The face insert may be shaped such that it extends from a striking face portion over part of a crown portion, and the thickened stress reducing region may be positioned at least partly on the crown portion. By extending the face insert onto the crown portion, a thickness of the striking face portion around an upper topline edge of the striking face portion can be decreased, which can increase golf ball speed and launch angle by increasing deflection in the upper region of the striking face portion. This can raise the height of a sweet spot area on the striking face portion for striking a golf ball. Extending the face insert onto the crown portion can also result in some of the stress experienced during a golf swing to be moved rearwardly onto the crown portion. Additionally, the thickened stress reducing region can absorb and redistribute part of the stress that the golf club head is subjected to during a golf swing. Accordingly, positioning part of the thickened stress reducing region on the crown portion, such as around the portion of the face insert that extends onto the crown portion, can allow the thickness of the upper region of the striking face portion to be further thinned down without jeopardizing its structural integrity. The uniquely shaped face insert and thickened stress reducing can therefore work synergistically together to improve ball speed and launch angle while maintaining the structural soundness of the golf club head.

It will be understood that, although the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, processes, or other features, these elements, processes, or features should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, process, or feature from another element, process, or feature. Thus, a first element, process, or feature discussed herein could be termed a second element, process, or feature, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and/or the present specification, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly so defined herein.

Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath”, “below”, “lower”, “under”, “above”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or in operation, in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements or features described as “below” or “beneath” or “under” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example terms “below” and “under” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and “including,” specify the presence of stated elements, processes, and/or other features, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements, processes, and/or features. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Expressions such as “at least one of,” when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list. Further, the use of “may” when describing embodiments of the present disclosure refers to “one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.”

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on”, “connected to”, “coupled to”, “attached to”, or “adjacent to” another element, it can be directly on, connected to, coupled to, attached to, or adjacent to the other element, or one or more intervening element(s) may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to”, “directly coupled to”, “directly attached to”, or “immediately adjacent to” another element, there are no intervening elements present. Similar terms and phrases should be understood in a similar manner to encompass both direct and indirect affiliations between two or more elements being discussed. In addition, it will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “between” two elements, it can be the only element between the elements, or one or more intervening elements may also be present.

As used herein, the phrase “at least part” includes part or all of the stated item, the phrase “at least partly” includes the stated item partly or entirely, and similar phrases should be interpreted in a similar manner.

Also, any numerical range recited herein is intended to include all sub-ranges of the same numerical precision subsumed within the recited range. For example, a range of “1.0 to 10.0” is intended to include all subranges between (and including) the recited minimum value of 1.0 and the recited maximum value of 10.0, that is, having a minimum value equal to or greater than 1.0 and a maximum value equal to or less than 10.0, such as, for example, 2.4 to 7.6. Any maximum numerical limitation recited herein is intended to include all lower numerical limitations subsumed therein and any minimum numerical limitation recited in this specification is intended to include all higher numerical limitations subsumed therein. Accordingly, Applicant reserves the right to amend this specification, including the claims, to expressly recite any sub-range subsumed within the ranges expressly recited herein.

FIG. 1 depicts a frontal perspective view of a golf club head 100 according to some examples. The golf club head is depicted as a metalwood golf club head. In some other examples, the golf club head may be a hybrid golf club head. FIG. 2 depicts a partially exploded perspective view of the golf club head 100 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 depicts a rear view of the striking face portion 102 of the golf club head 100 of FIG. 1 wherein the cut occurs along the line 3′-3′ in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 depicts a heel-to-toe cross-sectional view of the golf club head 100 of FIG. 1 along the line 4′-4′ in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 depicts an enlarged frontal portion of the golf club head shown in FIG. 4.

Referring concurrently to FIGS. 1-5, the golf club head 100 may include a striking face portion 102 configured to strike a golf ball, a rear portion 103 surrounding a perimeter of the striking face portion 102 and extending rearwardly from the striking face portion 102, a heel 131, a hosel 133 disposed at the heel 131 and configured to couple to a golf club shaft, and a toe 132 opposite to the heel 131. The striking face portion 102 may include a lower leading edge 105, an upper topline edge 106 opposite to the lower leading edge 105, an external surface 110 forming part of an exterior surface of the golf club head 100, and an internal surface 112 opposite to the external surface 110 and facing a cavity of the golf club head. The striking face portion 102 may extend between the heel 131 and the toe 132 and between the lower leading edge 105 and the upper topline edge 106.

In some examples, the body portion 103 may include the toe 132, the heel 131, a sole portion 136, extending rearwardly from the lower leading edge 105, and a crown portion 137 extending rearwardly from the upper topline edge 106. The sole portion 136 and the crown portion 137 may be joined at a skirt of the golf club head 100. As shown in FIG. 4, in some examples, a recessed channel 150 may be formed in the sole portion 136. The recessed channel 150 may accommodate an adjustable weight assembly configured to allow a center of gravity (COG) to be controllably adjusted.

The golf club head 100 may further include a frame 154 and a face insert 104 that is attached to a frame 154 to at least partly cover an opening 160 in the frame 154. In some examples, the golf club head 100 may further include a crown piece 156 that forms part of the crown portion 137 and that is attached to the frame 154 to cover another opening in the frame 154. In some other examples, the crown piece 156 is not included. During the manufacturing of the golf club head 100, the frame 154, the face insert 104, and the crown piece 156 may be fabricated separately and then attached (e.g., via welding, adhesive, etc.) together. For ease of illustration, in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, two joints are identified as 152A and 152B where the face insert 104 is attached to the frame 154 at a lower boundary and an upper boundary, respectively.

The frame 154 and the face insert 104 may be formed of different materials and/or manufactured via different techniques. In some examples, the face insert 104 includes a forged sheet metal, which can increase the strength and durability of the striking face portion 102. This can be desirable because the striking face portion 102 tends to be subjected to higher stresses than the body portion 103. The frame 154, which may form at least part of the body portion 103, may include a cast material (e.g., metal) formed in a mold. This can be desirable because the frame 154 may have a complex shape that is more easily formed via casting than forging or other processes.

The frame 154 may include at least part of the body portion 103 (e.g., at least part of the crown portion 137 and at least part of the sole portion 136). In some examples, the frame 154 may also form a portion of the striking face portion 102 that borders at least part of the face insert 104. The opening 160 in the frame 154 may have a face opening portion 162, which extends through the striking face portion 102, and a crown opening portion 164, which extends through the crown portion 137. The face opening portion 162 and the crown opening portion 164 may be joined together to form a single, integral opening.

The face insert 104 may have a shape and size corresponding to a shape and size of the opening 160 such that the face insert 104 can at least partly cover the opening 160 when attached to the frame 154. For example, as depicted in the example of FIGS. 1-5, the face insert 104 may have an L-shape in a cross-sectional view (e.g., the cross-sectional view of FIGS. 4-5). The face insert 104 may have a front portion 107 that forms at least part of the striking face portion 102, and a top portion 108 that extends from the front portion 107 and forms at least part of the crown portion 137. The front portion 107 may cover at least part of the face opening portion 162, and the top portion 108 may cover at least part of the crown opening portion 164. The front portion 107 and the top portion 108 may be integrally joined together and may include (e.g., be) the same material. For example, the front portion 107 and the top portion 108 may include a single piece of forged material.

The golf club head 100 may have a thickened stress reducing region 320 at least partly on the striking face portion 102 and/or at least partly on the crown portion 137. The thickened stress reducing region 320 may be positioned between two thinned regions, as explained in more detail below. This thickened portion may disproportionately absorb more stress experienced by the golf club head during a golf swing compared to the adjacent thinner portions. The thickened portion can therefore be strategically positioned to control the distribution of stress through the golf club head.

The thickened stress reducing region may extend in a linear fashion between the two thinned regions. For example, the thickened stress reducing region 320 may have an elongated shape that extends along a line that forms at least part of a loop (e.g., a closed loop, such as a closed ring) or a rib. In the example depicted in FIGS. 1-5, the thickened stress reducing region 320 forms a closed loop shape. In examples where the line does not form a closed loop, such as in some of the examples discussed below with reference to FIGS. 6-13, the line may extend between two ends of the thickened stress reducing region 320, and a length of the thickened stress reducing region 320 between the two ends may be substantially larger (e.g., larger by a factor of at least 5, at least 10, at least 15, at least 30, or at least 50) than a width (e.g., a minimum width) of the thickened stress reducing region 320 between the two thinned regions.

The thickened stress reducing region 320 may be at least partly on the frame 154 and/or at least partly on the face insert 104. In the example depicted in FIGS. 1-5, the thickened stress reducing region 320 is entirely on the frame 154 and surrounds, and is adjacent to, the opening 160 and the face insert 104. Other examples are also within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the thickened stress reducing region 320 may be entirely on the frame 154 and may partly surround, and be adjacent to, the opening 160 and the face insert 104. In some other examples, the thickened stress reducing region 320 may be entirely on the face insert 104. For example, the thickened stress reducing region 320 may surround (e.g., extend along) at least part of an outer perimeter of the face insert 104. In some other examples, a first portion of the thickened stress reducing region 320 may be on the frame 154 and a second portion of the thickened stress reducing region 320 may be on the face insert 104. These first and second portions of the thickened stress reducing region 320 may meet (e.g., may be continuous or contiguous with each other) at a boundary between the frame 154 and the face insert 104.

The thickened stress reducing region 320 may be at least partly on the striking face portion 102 and/or at least partly on the body portion 103 (e.g., at least partly on the crown portion 137). In the example depicted in FIGS. 1-5, the thickened stress reducing region 320 is partly on the striking face portion 102 and partly on the crown portion 137. As explained above, positioning at least part of the thickened stress reducing region 320 on the crown portion 137 (e.g., on the crown portion 137 and separated or spaced rearwardly away from the upper topline edge 106 of the striking face portion 102) can shift some of the stress experienced by the golf club head during a golf swing rearwardly to the thickened stress reducing region 320. This can allow the upper region of the face insert 104 to be thinned down without jeopardizing the structural integrity of the face insert 104. In this way, the shapes of the face insert 104 and of the thickened stress reducing region 320 can work together synergistically to improve ball speed and launch angle to improve a player's overall golf performance. Other examples are also encompassed within the present disclosure. For example, the thickened stress reducing region 320 may be entirely on the crown portion 137 or entirely on the striking face portion 102.

In the example depicted in FIGS. 3-4, a topmost portion of the thickened stress reducing region 320 is on the crown portion 137 and spaced apart from the upper topline edge 106 by a second length L2, as measured along a length direction that is perpendicular to the toe-heel direction of the golf club head 100 and parallel to a level ground plane when the golf club head is in the address position. The address position, as defined by the current application, sets up the golf club head at an orientation that has a lie angle of 60 degrees similar to the requirements of the USGA. Once the lie angle is set at 60 degrees, the face angle of the golf club head is set to be square, which is defined as having a face angle of 0 degrees. In some examples, the second length L2 corresponds to a length (e.g., a greatest length) of the top portion 108 of the face insert 102. For example, the face insert 102 may extend across the crown portion 137 by the second length L2. The golf club head 100 may have a first length L1 between a rearmost portion 158 and a frontmost portion 159 of the golf club head 100, as measured along the length direction. In the depicted example, the frontmost portion 159 corresponds to a portion of the lower leading edge 105. In some examples, the second length L2 may be less than 20%, less than 15%, or less than 10% of the first length L1 and/or greater than 1%, greater than 3%, greater than 5%, or greater than 10% of the first length L1. For example, the second length L2 may be between 5% and 10% of the first length L1. In some examples, the second length L2 may be greater than 1.0 mm, greater than 3.0 mm, or greater than 5.0 mm. The second length L2 may be less than 20.0 mm, less than 15.0 mm, or less than 10.0 mm. For example, the second length L2 may be between 1.0 mm and 20.0 mm, between 5.0 mm and 15.0 mm, or between 7.5 mm and 12.5 mm.

In some examples where the thickened stress reducing portion 320 is at least partly on the striking face portion 102, the stress reducing portion 320 (e.g., a lowermost portion of the stress reducing portion 320) may be on the striking face portion 102 and separated from (e.g., spaced apart from) the lower leading edge 105 of the striking face portion 102. For example, the stress reducing portion 320 does not extend onto the sole portion 136 in some examples.

In some examples, the internal surface 112 of the golf club head 100 has variable contours such that the striking face portion 102 has a variable face thickness. Varying the thickness of a striking face may entail increasing the thickness in one or more regions (e.g., a center region) and/or reducing the thickness in one or more other regions (e.g., a perimeter region around the center region) to adjust the characteristics of the golf club head 100. This can improve ball speed by reducing the total mass of the striking face while also increasing tolerance for off-center golf shots and broadening the sweet spot area of the striking face. In some examples, the striking face portion 102 may have a thickened central region 314, a central transition region 316 at least partly around the thickened central region 314, a thinned intermediate region 318 at least partly around the central transition region 316, the thickened stress reducing region 320 at least partly around the thinned intermediate region 318, and a thinned perimeter region 322 at least partly around the thickened stress reducing region 320. As described above, the thickened stress reducing region 320 can absorb, and thus redistribute, stress experienced by the golf club head 100 during a golf swing. This can shift stress away from the thinner regions of the golf club head to allow the thickness of the thinner regions to be further reduced while maintaining suitable strength and structural integrity.

In some examples, the thickened central region 314 may overlap a center (e.g., geometric center) of the striking face portion 102. The thickened central region 314 may have a substantially constant (e.g., within 10%, within 5%, or within 1% of an average) thickness.

The central transition region 316 may have a thickness that is less than a thickness of the thickened central region 314 and that decreases along a direction away from the thickened central region 314. For example, the central transition region 316 may form a ring around the thickened central region 314, and the thickness of the central transition region 316 may decrease radially away from the thickened central region 314.

The thinned intermediate region 318 may have a thickness less than the thickness of the central transition region 316 and may form a ring around the central transition region 316. In some examples, the thinned intermediate region 318 has a substantially constant (e.g., within 10%, within 5%, or within 1% of an average) thickness. The central transition region 316 may be at least partly between the thickened central region 314 and the thinned intermediate region 318.

The thickened stress reducing region 320 may have a thickness greater than the thickness of the thinned intermediate region 318 and may form a ring around the thinned intermediate region 318. In some examples, the thickened stress reducing region 320 may have a substantially constant (e.g., within 10%, within 5%, or within 1% of an average) thickness. The thinned intermediate region 318 may be at least partly between the central transition region 316 and the thickened stress reducing region 320.

The thinned perimeter region 322 may have a thickness less than the thickness of the thickened stress reducing region 320 and may form a ring around the thickened stress reducing region 320. The thickened stress reducing region 320 may be at least partly between the thinned intermediate region 318 and the thinned perimeter region 322 such that the thickened stress reducing region 320 protrudes away from the adjacent thinned regions 318, 322 and inwardly into the golf club head 100 (e.g., into a cavity of the golf club head 100). A portion of the thickened stress reducing region 320 on the striking face portion 102 may protrude rearwardly from the striking face portion 102, and a portion of the thickened stress reducing region 320 on the crown portion 137 may protrude downwardly towards the sole portion 136.

FIG. 5 depicts upper and lower central transition regions 316A and 316B of the central transition region 316, upper and lower thinned intermediate regions 318A and 318B of the thinned intermediate region 318, upper and lower thickened stress reducing region 320A and 320B of the thickened stress reducing region 320, and upper and lower thinned perimeter region 322A and 322B of the thinned perimeter region 322. FIG. 5 shows the heights and thicknesses of various regions of the striking face portion 102, face insert 104, and surrounding regions of the golf club head 100. The heights may be measured along a height direction. The height direction may be parallel to a plane that is substantially parallel to the external surface 110 of the striking face portion 102, for example, parallel to a line that is perpendicular to a toe-heel direction of the golf club head 100 and that extends between the lower leading edge 105 and the upper topline edge 106. The thicknesses may be measured along a thickness direction between the external surface 110 and the internal surface 112, for example, along a direction perpendicular to one or both of the external surface 110 and the internal surface 112. In some example, the thickness of a region is a minimum or average thickness of the region between the external and internal surfaces 110 and 112.

A height H1 of the thickened central region 214 may be between about 4.0 mm and about 15.0 mm, and a thickness T1 of the thickened central region 214 may be less than about 3.6 mm. As used herein, the term “about”, when used in conjunction with a numerical value, may mean within 10%, within 5%, or within 1% of the stated value.

A height H2-a of the upper central transition region 316a may be between about 7.0 mm and about 11.0 mm, and a height H2-b of the lower central transition region 316b may be between about 13.0 mm and about 17.0 mm. In some examples, one or both of the heights H2-a and H2-b may be larger than the height H1.

The upper thinned intermediate region 318a may include a first portion 318a1 on the front portion 107 of the face insert 104 and a second portion 318a2 on the top portion 108 of the face insert 104. The first portion 318a1 may extend from the upper central transition region 316a to the upper topline edge 106 of the striking face portion 102 by a height H3-a, and the second portion 318a2 may extend from the upper topline edge 106 rearwardly by the second length L2. The height H3-a may be between about 7.5 mm and about 10.0 mm, and a thickness T3-a 1 of the first portion 318a1 may be less than about 2.5 mm. A thickness T3-a2 of the second portion 318a2 may be equal to or, in some examples, less than, the thickness T3-a1 of the first portion 318a1. For example, the thickness T3-a2 may be less than about 2.0 mm or less than about 1.5 mm. The lower thinned intermediate region 318b may have a height H3-b that is between about 6.5 mm and about 8.5 mm. A thickness T3-a of the lower thinned intermediate region 318b may be less than about 2.5 mm.

The upper thickened stress reducing region 320a may have a third length L3 as measured along the length direction. The third length L3 may be between about 4.0 mm and about 6.0 mm, and a thickness T4-a of the upper thickened stress reducing region 320a may be between about 3.6 mm and about 4.4 mm. A height H4-b of the lower thickened stress reducing region 320b may be between 4.0 mm and about 6.0 mm, and a thickness T4-b of the lower thickened stress reducing region 320b may be between about 3.6 mm and about 4.4 mm. In some examples, a ratio of the thickness T4-a to the length L3 and/or a ratio of the thickness T4-b to the height H4-b may be between about 0.6 to 1.1.

A thickness T5-a of the upper thinned perimeter region 322a may be less than about 2.5 mm. A height H5-b of the lower thinned perimeter region 322b may be between 2.3 mm and about 3.3 mm, and a thickness T5-b of the lower thinned perimeter region 322b may be less than about 3.0 mm.

In some examples, the thickness of the thickened stress reducing region 320 may be greater than one or both of the thinned intermediate region 318 and the thinned perimeter region 322 by a factor that is at least 1.3, at least 1.4, at least 1.5, or at least 2.0, and that is less than 4.0, less than 3.5, or less than 3.0.

FIG. 6 illustrates an internal rear view of the striking face portion 102 cut along line 3′-3′ in FIG. 1, and FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the golf club head 100 of FIG. 1 along the line 4′-4′ according to some other examples. The example of FIGS. 6-7 differs from the examples of FIGS. 3-5 in that the thickened stress reducing region 620 includes only the upper half of the closed ring of the example of FIGS. 3-5. In FIGS. 6-7, the golf club head includes a thickened central region 614, a central transition region 616 around the thickened central region 614, a thinned intermediate region 618 around the central transition region 616, the thickened stress reducing region 620 partly around the thinned intermediate region 618, and the thinned perimeter region 622 around the thickened stress reducing region 620.

FIG. 8 illustrates an internal rear view of the striking face portion 102 cut along line 3′-3′ in FIG. 1, and FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the golf club head 100 of FIG. 1 along the line 4′-4′ according to some other examples. The example of FIGS. 8-9 differ from the examples of FIGS. 3-5 in that the thickened central region and central transition region are not included, and the thickened stress reducing region 820 is in the form of an arc-shaped rib that is entirely on the front portion 107 of the face insert 104. In FIGS. 8-9, the golf club head includes a first thinned region 818 on one side of the thickened stress reducing region 820 and a second thinned region 822 on the opposite side of the thickened stress reducing region 820. The thickened stress reducing region 820 extends between a heel-side end 820H and a toe-side end 820T. The heel-side end 820H is positioned heelward on the striking face portion 102 from a center (e.g., geometric center) of the striking face portion 102, and the toe-side end 820T is positioned toeward on the striking face portion 102 from the center of the striking face portion 102. The thickened stress reducing region 820 arcs upward from a center portion 820C toward the toe-side end 820T and the heel-side end 820H such that the center portion 820C is closer to the lower leading edge 105, and farther from the upper topline edge 106, than the toe-side end 820T and the heel-side end 820H. The entire thickened stress reducing region 820 may be positioned above the center of the striking face portion 102.

FIG. 10 illustrates an internal rear view of the striking face portion 102 cut along line 3′-3′ in FIG. 1, and FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the golf club head 100 of FIG. 1 along the line 4′-4′ according to some other examples. The example of FIGS. 10-11 differ from the examples of FIGS. 3-5 in that the thickened central region and central transition region are not included, and two separate thickened stress reducing regions are included and are entirely on the face insert 104. In FIGS. 10-11, the golf club head includes a first thickened stress reducing region 1020 and a second thickened stress reducing region 1021 that is spaced apart from the first thickened stress reducing region 1020. The first thickened stress reducing region 1020 extends from a bottom end 1020B, positioned on the front portion 107 and closest to the lower leading edge 105, to a top end 1020T positioned on the top portion 108. The first thickened stress reducing region 1020 bends at an intermediate portion 1020I between the top and bottom ends 1020B and 1020T. A first portion of the first thickened stress reducing region 1020 extends substantially linearly between the bottom end 1020B and the intermediate portion 1020I, and a second portion of the first thickened stress reducing region 1020 extends substantially linearly between the intermediate portion 1020I and the top end 1020T. The intermediate position 1020 is positioned at, or near to, the upper topline edge 106 such that the first portion is substantially entirely (e.g., at least 85%, at least 90%, or at least 95%) on the front portion 107 while the second portion is substantially entirely (e.g., at least 85%, at least 90%, or at least 95%) on the top portion 108.

The second thickened stress reducing region 1021 is shaped in a similar manner as the first thickened stress reducing region 1020 and may be substantially mirror symmetric to the first thickened stress reducing region 1020 about a plane perpendicular to the toe-heel direction. A first portion of the second thickened stress reducing region 1021 extends from a bottom end 1021B to an intermediate portion 1021I, and a second portion of the second thickened stress reducing region 1021 extends from the intermediate portion 1021I to a top end 1021T. The first and second thickened stress reducing regions 1020 and 1021 are shaped such that the first portions thereof extend towards each other as they extend from the bottom ends 1020B and 1021B towards the intermediate portions 1020I and 1021I, and such that the second portions thereof extend away from each other as they extend from the intermediate portions 1020I and 1021I towards the top ends 1020T and 1021T. The first and second thickened stress reducing regions 1020 and 1021 may be closest to each other at their respective intermediate positions 1020I and 1021I. The first and second thickened stress reducing regions 1020 and 1021 may be surrounded by a first thinned region 1018 on the front portion 107 and a second thinned region 1022 on the top portion 108.

FIG. 12 illustrates an internal rear view of the striking face portion 102 cut along line 3′-3′ in FIG. 1, and FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the golf club head 100 of FIG. 1 along the line 4′-4′ according to some other examples. The example of FIGS. 12-13 is similar to the example of FIGS. 10-11 except for the shape of the two thickened stress reducing regions. In FIGS. 12-13, the golf club head includes a first thickened stress reducing region 1220 and a second thickened stress reducing region 1221 that is spaced apart from the first thickened stress reducing region 1220. The first thickened stress reducing region 1220 extends from a bottom end 1220B to an intermediate portion 1220I, and from the intermediate portion 1220I to a top end 1220T. The second thickened stress reducing region 1221 extends from a bottom end 1221B to an intermediate portion 1221I, and from the intermediate portion 1221I to a top end 1221T. The intermediate portions 1220I and 1221I may be positioned at or near the upper topline edge 106. First portions of the first and second thickened stress reducing regions 1220 and 1221 may extend from the bottom ends 1220B and 1221B to the intermediate portions 1220I and 1221I, and second portions of the first and second thickened stress reducing regions 1220 and 1221 may extend from the intermediate portions 1220I and 1221I to the top ends 1220T and 1221T. The first and second thickened stress reducing regions 1220 and 1221 may be shaped and oriented such that the first portions are substantially parallel (e.g., within 10%, within 5%, or within 1% of being exactly parallel) to each other and the second portions are substantially parallel (e.g., within 10%, within 5%, or within 1% of being exactly parallel) to each other. For example, a distance between the first and second stress reducing regions 1220 and 1221 (e.g., as measured along a toe-heel direction) may be substantially constant (e.g., within 10%, within 5%, or within 1% of an average distance). The first and second thickened stress reducing regions 1220 and 1221 may be surrounded by a first thinned region 1218 on the front portion 107 and a second thinned region 1222 on the top portion 108.

FIG. 14 illustrates an internal rear view of the striking face portion 102 cut along line 3′-3′ in FIG. 1, and FIG. 15 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the golf club head 100 of FIG. 1 along the line 4′-4′ according to some other examples. The example of FIGS. 14-15 differ from the examples of FIGS. 3-5 in that the thickened stress reducing region forms a closed loop entirely above the thickened central region 1414. The golf club head of FIGS. 14-15 includes the thickened central region 1414, a central transition region 1416 around the thickened central region 1414, a first thinned region 1418 on the front portion 107 and partly around the central transition region 1416, the thickened stress reducing region 1420 that forms a closed loop extending across both the front portion 107 and the top portion 108, a second thinned region 1422 surrounded by the closed loop of the thickened stress reducing region 1420, and a third thinned region 1423 on the top portion 108 and adjacent to the thickened stress reducing region 1420. The closed loop formed by the thickened stress reducing region 1420 may be positioned above the thickened central region 1414, and a portion of the central transition region 1416 may be immediately adjacent to a bottommost portion of the thickened stress reducing region 1420 (e.g., directly between the thickened central region 1414 and the bottommost portion of the thickened stress reducing region 1420).

FIG. 16 illustrates an internal rear view of the striking face portion 102 cut along line 3′-3′ in FIG. 1, and FIG. 17 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the golf club head 100 of FIG. 1 along the line 4′-4′ according to some other examples. The example of FIGS. 16-17 differ from the examples of FIGS. 3-5 in that the thickened central region and the central transition region are not included. The golf club head of FIGS. 16-17 includes a thickened stress reducing region 1620 that forms a closed loop extending over the front portion 107 and the top portion 108. The thickened stress reducing region 1620 is surrounded on the outside of the closed loop by a first thinned region 1618 on the front portion 107 and a third thinned region 1623 on the top portion 108, and on an inside of the closed loop by a second thinned region 1622.

Features from an embodiment, or from multiple embodiments, described in the present disclosure may be combined with each other, partially or entirely, and may be technically interlocked and operated in various ways, and the embodiments described herein may be implemented independently of each other or in conjunction with each other.

Although specific embodiments are described herein, the scope of the technology is not limited to those specific embodiments. Moreover, while different embodiments may be described separately, such embodiments and examples may be combined with one another in implementing the technology described herein. One skilled in the art will recognize other embodiments or improvements that are within the scope and spirit of the present technology. Therefore, the specific elements, features, and processes are disclosed only as example embodiments. The scope of the technology is defined by the following claims and any equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a striking face portion configured to strike a golf ball;

a body portion extending rearwardly from the striking face portion and comprising a sole portion and a crown portion; and

a face insert covering an opening in the golf club head and comprising: a front portion comprising at least part of the striking face portion, and a top portion extending rearwardly from the front portion and comprising at least part of the crown portion; and

a thickened stress reducing region forming at least part of a ring that extends around at least part of an outer perimeter of the face insert.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a thinned intermediate region between the thickened stress reducing region and a central region that overlaps with a center of the striking face portion,

wherein a thickness of the thinned intermediate region is less than a thickness of the central region and a thickness of the thickened stress reducing region.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the striking face portion has a lower leading edge and an upper topline edge opposite to the lower leading edge;

the sole portion extends rearwardly from the lower leading edge;

the crown portion extends rearwardly from the upper topline edge; and

a topmost portion of the thickened stress reducing region is on the crown portion and spaced apart from the upper topline edge.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein a lowermost portion of the thickened stress reducing region is on the striking face portion and separated from the lower leading edge.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the thickened stress reducing region is separated from the face insert.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face insert comprises a different material than the body portion.

7. A golf club head comprising:

a striking face portion configured to strike a golf ball;

a body portion extending rearwardly from the striking face portion and comprising a sole portion and a crown portion; and

an opening at least partly in the striking face portion;

a face insert covering the opening; and

a thickened stress reducing region forming at least part of a ring that extends from the striking face portion onto the crown portion.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein a thickness of the thickened stress reducing region is greater than a thickness of an intermediate region adjacent to the thickened stress reducing region, and the thickened stress reducing region protrudes inwardly into a cavity of the golf club head.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the striking face portion has a variable thickness that is greatest at a thickened central region, decreases radially from the thickened central region towards the intermediate region, and increases radially from the intermediate region towards the thickened stress reducing region.

10. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the thickened stress reducing region is at least partly on the body portion, and the intermediate region is at least partly on the face insert.

11. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the thickened stress reducing region is at least partly on the face insert.

12. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein:

the striking face portion has a lower leading edge and an upper topline edge; and

the face insert is spaced apart from the lower leading edge and extends across the upper topline edge over part of the crown portion.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the face insert comprises a forged sheet metal.

14. A golf club head comprising:

a striking face portion configured to strike a golf ball;

a body portion extending rearwardly from the striking face portion and comprising a sole portion and a crown portion; and

an opening at least partly in the striking face portion and the crown portion;

a face insert covering the opening; and

a first thickened stress reducing region at least partly extending along the striking face portion.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, further comprising a heel, a hosel disposed at the heel and configured to couple to a golf club shaft, and a toe opposite to the heel,

wherein the face insert has an L-shape in a cross-sectional view in a plane perpendicular to a toe-heel direction.

16. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the opening is separated from the sole portion.

17. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the first thickened stress reducing region extends from the striking face portion over at least part of the crown portion.

18. The golf club head of claim 14, further comprising a second thickened stress reducing region separated from the first thickened stress reducing region.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second thickened stress reducing regions comprises a first linear portion extending linearly along a first direction, and a second linear portion extending linearly from the first linear portion along a second direction different from the first direction.

20. The golf club head of claim 14, further comprising:

a thickened central region overlapping a center of the striking face portion, and

a ring-shaped thinned intermediate region between the thickened central region and the first thickened stress reducing region.