Granted Patent B2

US 9,033,819 · App. 13/472,811 · Granted May 19, 2015

Abstract

Claims (38)

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body having a forward surface and a rear surface; and

a striking plate secured to the forward surface of the club head body, the striking plate defining at least a portion of a striking surface having a plurality of striking surface grooves;

wherein the striking plate consists essentially of an alloy of nickel and cobalt having a nickel concentration of at least about 55% and a cobalt concentration of at least about 10%.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the cobalt concentration is less than about 45%.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the nickel concentration is less than about 90%.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the cobalt concentration is from about 20% to about 35%.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the nickel concentration is from about 65% to about 80%.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the striking plate has a maximum thickness that is less than about 0.50 mm.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the striking plate has a maximum thickness that is less than about 0.40 mm.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the striking plate has a maximum thickness that is less than about 0.25 mm.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the forward surface of the club head body defines a recessed region, and wherein the striking plate is secured to the club head body within the recessed region.

10. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body having a forward surface and a rear surface;

a backing plate having a forward surface and a rear surface, with the rear surface of the backing plate being secured to the forward surface of the club head body; and

a striking plate having a forward surface and a rear surface, with the rear surface of the striking plate being secured to the forward surface of the club head body, the striking plate defining at least a portion of a striking surface having a plurality of striking surface grooves;

wherein the striking plate consists essentially of an alloy of nickel and cobalt having a nickel concentration of at least about 55% and a cobalt concentration of at least about 10%.

11. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the cobalt concentration is less than about 45%.

12. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the nickel concentration is less than about 90%.

13. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the cobalt concentration is from about 20% to about 35%.

14. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the nickel concentration is from about 65% to about 80%.

15. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body having a forward surface and a rear surface; and

a striking plate secured to the forward surface of the club head body, the striking plate defining at least a portion of a striking surface having a plurality of striking surface grooves;

wherein the striking plate consists essentially of an alloy of nickel and cobalt having a nickel concentration of at least about 55% and a cobalt concentration of at least about 10%, and

wherein said striking plate is prepared by a method comprising:

providing a mandrel having a negative physical representation of a golf club striking plate;

electroforming a striking plate using the mandrel; and

attaching the electroformed striking plate to a body of the golf club head.

16. The golf club head of claim 15 wherein the step of providing a mandrel comprises:

providing a master of a golf club head striking plate;

manufacturing the mandrel from the master.

17. The golf club head of claim 16 , wherein the step of providing a mandrel from the master comprises electroforming the mandrel.

18. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein the step of electroforming a striking plate comprises:

placing the mandrel into an electrolytic bath;

electroforming a striking plate sheet using the mandrel, with the striking plate sheet comprising a plurality of striking plates;

removing the striking plate sheet and mandrel from the electrolytic bath; and

separating each of the plurality of striking plates from the striking plate.

Assignments (13)