Golf club head or other ball striking device with face having modulus variance
View Patent ↗A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface, an inner surface opposite the ball striking surface, and a thickness defined between the ball striking surface and the inner surface, and a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face. The face has a modulus gradient across the thickness of the face, such that the modulus of the face varies at different distances from the ball striking surface. The face may also include at least one of an insert, a composite material, a multi-layered structure, and/or a portion treated by a surface treatment to contribute to the modulus gradient.
1. A golf club head comprising:
a face having a ball striking surface, an inner surface opposite the ball striking surface, and a thickness defined between the ball striking surface and the inner surface, the face comprising a multi-layered structure extending across the thickness of the face comprising a first layer having a first modulus, a second layer having a second modulus that is different from the first modulus, and third layer having a third modulus that is different from the first modulus and the second modulus, wherein the multi-layered structure comprises an insert forming at least a portion of the face and extending across at least a portion of the thickness of the face, the insert forming at least one of the first and second layers; and
a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face.
2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the insert comprises at least the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer.
3. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the insert is located within a recess on the ball striking surface, and wherein the first layer is positioned between the insert and the inner surface.
4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the insert forms at least a portion of the ball striking surface.
5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the insert is located behind the ball striking surface, and wherein the first layer is positioned between the insert and the ball striking surface.
6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the first layer and the second layer are positioned between the insert and one of the ball striking surface and the inner surface.
7. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the insert is formed of a composite material.
8. The golf club head of claim 7 , wherein the composite material is a layered composite material.
9. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 1 and a shaft connected to the head.
10. A golf club head comprising:
a face having a ball striking surface, an inner surface opposite the ball striking surface, and a thickness defined between the ball striking surface and the inner surface, the face comprising a multi-layered structure extending across the thickness of the face comprising a first layer having a first modulus and a second layer having a second modulus that is different from the first modulus, wherein the multi-layered structure further comprises a third layer having a third modulus that is different from the first modulus and the second modulus, and wherein the multi-layered structure has a modulus gradient across the thickness of the face; and
a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face.
11. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the modulus of the first layer is the highest of the multi-layered structure, and the first layer is positioned farthest from the ball striking surface.
12. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the modulus of the first layer is the highest of the multi-layered structure, and the first layer forms a portion of the ball striking surface.
13. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the modulus of the first layer is the lowest of the multi-layered structure, and the first layer is positioned farthest from the ball striking surface.
14. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the modulus of the first layer is the lowest of the multi-layered structure, and the first layer forms a portion of the ball striking surface.
15. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the modulus gradient has a higher modulus at the ball striking surface than at an area behind the ball striking surface.
16. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the modulus gradient has a lower modulus at the ball striking surface than at an area behind the ball striking surface.
17. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the modulus gradient has a higher modulus at the ball striking surface and at the inner surface than at an area located between the ball striking surface and the inner surface.
18. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 10 and a shaft connected to the head.
19. A wood-type golf club head comprising:
a face having a ball striking surface, an inner surface opposite the ball striking surface, and a thickness defined between the ball striking surface and the inner surface; and
a wood-type body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face, the body and the face defining an internal cavity behind the face,
wherein the face further comprises a multi-layered structure extending across the thickness of the face comprising a first layer having a first modulus, a second layer having a second modulus, and a third layer having a third modulus, wherein at least one of the second modulus and the third modulus is different from the first modulus, and wherein the multi-layered structure has a modulus gradient across the thickness of the face.
20. The wood-type golf club head of claim 19 , wherein the first modulus, the second modulus, and the third modulus are all different.
21. The wood-type golf club head of claim 19 , further comprising a fourth layer having a fourth modulus, wherein at least one of the second modulus, the third modulus, and the fourth modulus is different from the first modulus.
22. The wood-type golf club head of claim 21 , wherein the first, second, third, and fourth layers are layered in respective order, with the first layer forming at least a portion of the ball striking surface and the fourth layer forming at least a portion of the inner surface, and wherein the first modulus is the highest of the multi-layered structure.
23. The wood-type golf club head of claim 21 , wherein the first, second, third, and fourth layers are layered in respective order, with the first layer forming at least a portion of the ball striking surface and the fourth layer forming at least a portion of the inner surface, and wherein the fourth modulus is the highest of the multi-layered structure.
24. The wood-type golf club head of claim 21 , wherein the first, second, third, and fourth layers are layered in respective order, with the first layer forming at least a portion of the ball striking surface and the fourth layer forming at least a portion of the inner surface, and wherein the first modulus and the fourth modulus are higher than the second modulus and the third modulus.
25. A wood-type golf club comprising the wood-type golf club head of claim 19 and a shaft connected to the head.
26. The golf club head of claim 19 , wherein the modulus of the first layer is the highest of the multi-layered structure, and the first layer is positioned farthest from the ball striking surface.
27. The golf club head of claim 19 , wherein the modulus of the first layer is the highest of the multi-layered structure, and the first layer forms a portion of the ball striking surface.
28. The golf club head of claim 19 , wherein the modulus of the first layer is the lowest of the multi-layered structure, and the first layer is positioned farthest from the ball striking surface.
29. The golf club head of claim 19 , wherein the modulus of the first layer is the lowest of the multi-layered structure, and the first layer forms a portion of the ball striking surface.
30. The golf club head of claim 19 , wherein the modulus gradient has a higher modulus at the ball striking surface than at an area behind the ball striking surface.
31. The golf club head of claim 19 , wherein the modulus gradient has a lower modulus at the ball striking surface than at an area behind the ball striking surface.
32. The golf club head of claim 19 , wherein the modulus gradient has a higher modulus at the ball striking surface and at the inner surface than at an area located between the ball striking surface and the inner surface.
33. A golf club head comprising:
a face having a ball striking surface, an inner surface opposite the ball striking surface, and a thickness defined between the ball striking surface and the inner surface, wherein the face comprises a multi-layered structure extending across the thickness of the face comprising a first layer having a first modulus, a second layer having a second modulus, and a third layer having a third modulus, wherein at least one of the second modulus and the third modulus is different from the first modulus; and
a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face,
wherein the face has a modulus gradient across the thickness of the face such that the modulus of the face varies at different distances from the ball striking surface.
34. The golf club head of claim 33 , wherein the modulus of the face at the ball striking surface is higher than the modulus of the face at a point spaced inwardly from the ball striking surface.
35. The golf club head of claim 33 , wherein the modulus of the face is greatest at the ball striking surface.
36. The golf club head of claim 33 , wherein the modulus of the face is greatest at the inner surface.
37. The golf club head of claim 33 , wherein the modulus of the face at the ball striking surface and the modulus of the face at the inner surface are higher than the modulus of the face at any point between the ball striking surface and the inner surface.
38. The golf club head of claim 33 , wherein the modulus gradient of the face has a stepped gradient configuration.
39. The golf club head of claim 33 , wherein at least one of the ball striking surface and the inner surface of the face has a surface treatment changing the modulus of the areas of the face proximate the surface treatment.
40. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 33 and a shaft connected to the head.