IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,777,777
Granted Patent B2
US 8,777,777 · App. 13/407,559 · Granted Jul 15, 2014

Reinforced faces of club heads and related methods

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,777,777
App. No.
13/407,559
Granted
Jul 15, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Some embodiments include a reinforced face of a club head. Other embodiments for related reinforced faces of club heads and related methods are also disclosed.

Claims (167)

1. A club head comprising:

a front face, the front face comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface; and

one or more reinforcing structures;

wherein:

the one or more reinforcing structures are coupled with the front face at the back surface;

the one or more reinforcing structures consist of a solidified welding material;

the one or more reinforcing structures are devoid of adjoining structure other than the back surface of the front face; and

at least one of the one or more reinforcing structures comprises at least one of:

(a) a width of approximately 0.1905 centimeters to approximately 0.3175 centimeters;

(b) a length of approximately 1.000 centimeters to approximately 5.000 centimeters; or

c) a thickness of approximately 0.0381 centimeters to approximately 0.1905 centimeters.

2. The club head of claim 1 wherein:

the front face comprises a first titanium material;

the one or more reinforcing structures comprise a second titanium material; and

the first titanium material is at least one titanium material grade above the second titanium material.

3. The club head of claim 1 wherein:

the front face comprises a front face material; and

the solidified welding material comprises a filler material.

4. The club head of claim 1 wherein:

the front face comprises a front face material;

the solidified welding material comprises a filler material; and

at least one of the front face material or the filler material comprises titanium.

5. The club head of claim 1 wherein:

the one or more reinforcing structures form one or more layers at the back surface; and

each of the one or more layers substantially forms one of a spiral pattern or a multi-striped pattern.

6. The club head of claim 1 wherein:

the one or more reinforcing structures alter at least one of:

(a) a strength of the front face;

(b) a vibrational frequency of the front face; or

(c) a Young's modulus of elasticity of the front face.

7. The club head of claim 1 wherein:

the front surface comprises a front surface portion;

the back surface comprises a back surface portion approximately corresponding and opposite to a target strike zone of the front surface portion; and

the one or more reinforcing structures are coupled to at least part of the back surface portion of the back surface of the front face.

8. The club head of claim 1 wherein:

the front face comprises a perimeter edge; and

the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface are distanced away from the perimeter edge.

9. The club head of claim 1 wherein:

the one or more reinforcing structures comprise a plurality of reinforcing layers at the back surface;

the plurality of reinforcing layers comprise:

a first reinforcing layer aligned in a first direction; and

a second reinforcing layer aligned in a second direction different than the first direction;

and

the first and second reinforcing layers intersect each other.

10. A club head comprising:

a front face, the front face comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface; and

one or more reinforcing structures;

wherein:

the one or more reinforcing structures are coupled with the front face at the back surface;

the one or more reinforcing structures consist of a solidified welding material;

the one or more reinforcing structures are devoid of adjoining structure other than the back surface of the front face;

the front face comprises a front face material;

the solidified welding material comprises a filler material; and

the filler material comprises the front face material.

11. A club head comprising:

a front face, the front face comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface;

one or more reinforcing structures; and

a void adjacent to the back surface;

wherein:

the one or more reinforcing structures are coupled with a non-edge portion of the front face at the back surface;

the one or more reinforcing structures consist of a solidified welding material;

the one or more reinforcing structures are bounded by only the back surface and the void when the one or more reinforcing structures are coupled with the front face at the back surface;

the front face comprises a front face material;

the solidified welding material comprises a filler material;

the one or more reinforcing structures form one or more layers at the back surface;

at least one of the one or more layers substantially forms one of a spiral pattern, a cross pattern, or a striped pattern;

the club head comprises one of a driver-type club head, a fairway wood-type club head, a hybrid-type club head, an iron-type club head, a wedge-type club head, or a putter-type club head; and

at least one of the one or more reinforcing structures comprises at least one of:

(a) a width of approximately 0.1905 centimeters to approximately 0.3175 centimeters;

(b) a length of approximately 1.000 centimeters to approximately 5.000 centimeters; or

(c) a thickness of approximately 0.0381 centimeters to approximately 0.1905 centimeters.

12. The club head of claim 11 wherein:

the one or more reinforcing structures alter at least one of:

(a) a strength of the front face;

(b) a vibrational frequency of the front face; or

(c) a Young's modulus of elasticity of the front face.

13. The club head of claim 11 wherein:

the one or more layers comprise:

a first reinforcing layer; and

a second reinforcing layer intersected with the first reinforcing layer.

14. A method comprising:

providing a front face of a club head, the front face comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface; and

providing one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face;

wherein:

the one or more reinforcing structures consist of a solidified welding material;

the one or more reinforcing structures are devoid of adjoining structure other than the front face; and

providing the front face comprises at least one of:

before providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face, cleaning at least the back surface of the front face;

before providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face, smoothing at least the back surface of the front face; or

cutting a sheet of front face material with one of a laser or a water jet to form the front face.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein:

providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:

coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at a non-edge portion separate from a perimeter edge of the back surface.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein:

providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:

coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at a non-edge portion of the back surface;

and

coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface comprises:

welding a filler material to the back surface of the front face, the solidified welding material comprising the filler material.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein:

providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:

coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface;

coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface comprises:

welding a filler material to the back surface of the front face, the solidified welding material comprising the filler material;

and

welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face comprises:

arc welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein:

providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:

coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface;

coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface comprises:

welding a filler material to the back surface of the front face, the solidified welding material comprising the filler material;

welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face comprises:

arc welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face;

and

arc welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face comprises one of:

metal inert gas welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face; or

tungsten inert gas welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein:

providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:

coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface, wherein the front face comprises a front face material;

and

coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface comprises:

welding a filler material to the back surface of the front face while the front face material and the filler material are in an annealed condition, the solidified welding material comprising the filler material.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein:

providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:

coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface;

and

coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface comprises:

welding a filler material to the back surface of the front face, the solidified welding material comprising the filler material; and

shielding the one or more reinforcing structures with one or more inert gases while welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein:

providing the front face comprises providing a front face material; and

providing the one or more reinforcing structures comprises providing a filler material, wherein the solidified welding material comprises the filler material.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein:

providing the one or more reinforcing structures comprises:

arranging the one or more reinforcing structures in one or more layers, and

arranging each of the one or more layers to form one of a spiral pattern or a multi-striped pattern.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein:

providing the one or more reinforcing structures comprises altering at least one of:

(a) a strength of the front face;

(b) a vibrational frequency of the front face; or

(c) a Young's modulus of elasticity of the front face.

24. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

providing a club head, the club head comprising one of a driver-type club head, a fairway wood-type club head, a hybrid-type club head, an iron-type club head, a wedge-type club head, or a putter-type club head;

wherein:

providing the club head comprises providing the front face and providing the one or more reinforcing structures.

25. A method comprising:

providing a front face of a club head, the front face comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface; and

providing one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face;

wherein:

the one or more reinforcing structures consist of a solidified welding material;

the one or more reinforcing structures are devoid of adjoining structure other than the front face;

providing the front face comprises providing a front face material; and

providing the one or more reinforcing structures comprises providing a filler material, the filler material comprising the front face material.

26. A method comprising:

providing a front face of a club head, the front face comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface; and

providing one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face;

wherein:

the one or more reinforcing structures consist of a solidified welding material;

the one or more reinforcing structures are devoid of adjoining structure other than the front face;

the one or more reinforcing structures comprise a plurality of reinforcing layers at the back surface;

the plurality of reinforcing layers comprise:

a first reinforcing layer aligned in a first direction; and

a second reinforcing layer aligned in a second direction different than the first direction;

and

the first and second reinforcing layers intersect each other.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 1, 2012
From: COLE, ERIC V.; MORALES, ERIC J.
To: KARSTEN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 027791/0121 →