Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads
View Patent ↗Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a body portion with a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, a front portion having a face portion with a front surface and a back surface, an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and between the face and back portions, and an elastic polymer material in the interior cavity, and a bonding portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.
1. A golf club head comprising:
a body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion with a plurality of weight portions, and a front portion having a face portion with a thickness extending between a front surface and a back surface, the thickness being less than or equal to 1.5 millimeters (0.06 inch);
an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and between the face and back portions;
an elastic polymer material injection molded in the interior cavity to structurally support the face portion during impact with a golf ball;
a bonding portion coupled between the back surface of the face portion and the elastic polymer material;
wherein a greater number of weight portions of the plurality of weight portions are located on the back portion below a horizontal midplane of the body portion than above the horizontal midplane, and
wherein at least one weight portion of the plurality of weight portions is constructed from a different material than the body portion.
2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the elastic polymer material comprises at least one of a thermoplastic elastomer material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material.
3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the bonding portion comprises a uniform coating or a substantially uniform coating of a bonding material on the back surface of the face portion.
4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the bonding portion comprises a portion partially or entirely made of an adhesive material.
5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1 , wherein the face portion comprises a substantially uniform thickness from at or proximate to the top portion to at or proximate to the sole portion.
6. A golf club head comprising:
a body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion with a plurality of weight portions, and a front portion having a face portion with a front surface and a back surface;
an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and between the face and back portions;
an elastic polymer material injection molded in the interior cavity, the elastic polymer configured to structurally support the face portion during impact with a golf ball;
a bonding portion in the interior cavity configured to couple the elastic polymer material to the back surface,
wherein a greater number of weight portions of the plurality of weight portions are located on the back portion below a horizontal midplane of the body portion than above the horizontal midplane, and
wherein a greater number of weight portions of the plurality of weight portions are closer to the toe portion than the heel portion.
7. A golf club head as defined in claim 6 , wherein the elastic polymer material comprises at least one of a thermoplastic elastomer material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material.
8. A golf club head as defined in claim 6 , wherein the face portion comprises a thickness extending between the front and back surfaces of less than or equal to 1.5 millimeters (0.06 inch).
9. A golf club head as defined in claim 6 , wherein the face portion comprises a substantially uniform thickness from at or proximate to the top portion to at or proximate to the sole portion, and wherein the thickness extends less than or equal to 1.5 millimeters (0.06 inch) between the front and back surfaces.
10. A golf club head as defined in claim 6 , wherein the bonding portion comprises a bonding material comprising an adhesive material.
11. A golf club head as defined in claim 6 , wherein the bonding portion comprises a uniform coating or a substantially uniform coating of a bonding material on the back surface of the face portion.
12. A golf club head comprising:
a body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion with a plurality of weight portions, and a front portion having a face portion with a front surface, a back surface, a plurality of grooves on the front surface, and a thickness extending between the front and back surfaces of less than or equal to 1.5 millimeters (0.06 inch);
an interior cavity extending between the top and sole portions and between the face and back portions;
a structural support portion comprising an elastic polymer material injection molded in the interior cavity, the structural support portion extending between the front and back portions within the interior cavity and attached to the back surface of the face portion, the structural support portion configured to structurally support the face portion during impact with a golf ball;
wherein a greater number of weight portions of the plurality of weight portions are located on the back portion below a horizontal midplane of the body portion than above the horizontal midplane, and
wherein a greater number of weight portions of the plurality of weight portions are closer to the toe portion than the heel portion, and
wherein at least one weight portion of the plurality of weight portions is constructed from a different material than the body portion.
13. A golf club head as defined in claim 12 , wherein the elastic polymer material is injection molded in the interior cavity from at least one port on the body portion connected to the interior cavity.
14. A golf club head as defined in claim 12 , wherein the structural support portion comprises at least one of a thermoplastic elastomer material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material injection molded in the interior cavity.
15. A golf club head as defined in claim 12 , wherein the structural support portion comprises a non-foaming injection moldable elastic polymer material.
16. A golf club head as defined in claim 12 , wherein the face portion comprises a substantially uniform thickness from at or proximate to the top portion to at or proximate to the sole portion.
17. A golf club head as defined in claim 12 further comprising a bonding portion configured to attach the structural support portion to the back surface of the face portion.
18. A golf club head as defined in claim 12 further comprising a bonding portion configured to attach the structural support portion to the back surface of the face portion, wherein the bonding portion comprises a bonding material comprising an adhesive material.
19. A golf club head as defined in claim 12 further comprising a bonding portion configured to attach the structural support portion to the back surface of the face portion, wherein the bonding portion comprises a uniform coating or a substantially uniform coating of a bonding material on the back surface of the face portion.
20. A golf club head as defined in claim 12 , wherein the back surface of the face portion comprises one or more channels extending across the back surface and configured to engage a portion of the structural support portion.