IP Library Granted Patent US 12,616,881
Granted Patent B2
US 12,616,881 · App. 15/173,278 · Granted May 5, 2026

Golf club head

Inventor: Masatoshi Kato (Kobe, JP)
Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
A63B53/0466A63B53/0408A63B53/0416A63B53/0433A63B53/0458
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,616,881
App. No.
15/173,278
Granted
May 5, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a golf club head in which the restitution performance of a lower part of the face portion can be improved. The golf club head of the invention includes a head body having a crown portion, a sole portion and an opening surrounded by the crown portion and the sole portion, and a face member closing the opening of the head body. The face member is formed in a cup shape having a tabular face portion for hitting the ball and a peripheral portion extending from a periphery of the face portion and joined to an end surface of the opening. The peripheral portion includes a first peripheral region joined to the crown portion and a second peripheral region joined to the sole portion. The second peripheral region is more than 1.6 times larger in width than the first peripheral region, and has a width larger than 8 mm.

Claims (52)

1 . A golf club head comprising:

a golf club head body having a crown portion, a sole portion, a face portion, and a hosel portion, and having an opening surrounded by the crown portion and the sole portion; and

a face member comprising said face portion, and the face member closing the opening of the golf club head body,

wherein:

the face member is formed in a cup shape having the face portion that is tabular and hits a ball and a peripheral portion that extends from a periphery of the face portion and is joined to an end surface of the opening,

the peripheral portion includes a first peripheral region joined to the crown portion and a second peripheral region joined to the sole portion,

a width K1 of the first peripheral region is defined as the length in the face-back direction in the case where the head body is cut in a vertical plane passing through the center of the face,

a width K2 of the second peripheral region is defined as the length in the face-back direction in the case where the head body is cut in a vertical plane passing through the center of the face,

the width K2 of the second peripheral region is larger than the width K1 of the first peripheral region,

the width K2 is more than 1.6 times larger than the width K1,

the width K2 of the second peripheral region is larger than 8 mm,

when P1 is defined as a plane that intersects an axis of the hosel portion and extends from the toe-heel direction, the entirety of the first peripheral region is disposed face side from said P1,

a frontal thick-walled portion is formed in an inner wall surface of the sole portion,

the frontal thick-walled portion is thicker than the second peripheral region,

a joining portion is formed between the frontal thick-walled portion and the second peripheral region,

a length of the joining portion in a face-back direction is 10 mm or less, and

a ratio F2/F1 is 1.25 to 10.0, wherein F1 is a height of the frontal thick-walled portion from a undersurface of the sole portion, and F2 is a maximum length of the frontal thick-walled portion in the face-back direction.

2 . The golf club head according to claim 1 ,

wherein a central thin-walled portion is further formed in the inner wall surface of the sole portion, the central thin-walled portion is arranged on the back side than the frontal thick-walled portion and is thinner than the frontal thick-walled portion.

3 . The golf club head according to claim 2 ,

wherein a length of the central thin-walled portion in a toe-heel direction is formed so as to decrease toward the back side.

4 . The golf club head according to claim 2 ,

wherein at least a part of the central thin-walled portion is placed on a placement surface in a reference state and the remaining portion of the central thin-walled portion inclines upward toward the back side.

5 . The golf club head according to claim 1 ,

wherein a peripheral thick-walled portion is further formed in the inner wall surface of the sole portion, the peripheral thick-walled portion surrounds at least part of the frontal thick-walled portion.

6 . The golf club head according to claim 5 ,

wherein the peripheral thick-walled portion is thinner than the frontal thick-walled portion.

7 . The golf club head according to claim 5 ,

wherein the peripheral thick-walled portion is at least partially larger in width on the heel side than on the toe side.

8 . The golf club head according to claim 5 , wherein the peripheral thick-walled portion is formed to have a substantially U-shape projecting toward the back side.

9 . The golf club head according to claim 5 ,

wherein at least a part of the peripheral thick-walled portion is placed on a placement surface in a reference state and the remaining portion of the peripheral thick-walled portion inclines upward toward the back side.

10 . The golf club head according to claim 5 ,

wherein a peripheral thin-walled portion is further formed in the inner wall surface of the sole portion, the peripheral thin-walled portion is arranged on the back side of the peripheral thick-walled portion, so as to surround the peripheral thick-walled portion, and is thinner than the peripheral thick-walled portion.

11 . The golf club head according to claim 10 ,

wherein at least a part of the peripheral thin-walled portion is placed on a placement surface in a reference state and the remaining portion of the peripheral thin-walled portion inclines upward toward the back side.

12 . The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein an end surface of the peripheral portion of the face member and the end surface of the opening of the golf club head body joined thereto are substantially the same thickness, and are joined by welding.

13 . The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein an end surface of the first peripheral region of the face member is thicker than the end surface of the opening at the crown portion of the golf club head body.

14 . A golf club head comprising:

a golf club head body having a crown portion, a sole portion and a hosel portion, and having an opening surrounded by the crown portion and the sole portion; and

a face member closing the opening of the golf club head body,

wherein:

the face member is disposed in a face side other than a surface which passes through an axis of the hosel and extends in a toe-heel direction,

the face member is formed in a cup shape having a tabular face portion that hits a ball and a peripheral portion that extends from a periphery of the face portion and is joined to an end surface of the opening,

the peripheral portion includes a first peripheral region joined to the crown portion and a second peripheral region joined to the sole portion,

a width K1 of the first peripheral region is defined as the length in the face-back direction in the case where the head body is cut in a vertical plane passing through the center of the face,

a width K2 of the second peripheral region is defined as the length in the face-back direction in the case where the head body is cut in a vertical plane passing through the center of the face,

the width K2 of the second peripheral region is more than 1.6 times larger than the width K1 of the first peripheral region,

the second peripheral region increases in width toward a sole portion side from both ends which are joined to the first peripheral region,

the width K2 of the second peripheral region is larger than 8 mm,

the sole portion includes a joining portion that is joined to the second peripheral region and a frontal thick-walled portion arranged on a back side of the joining portion, the frontal thick-walled portion is thicker than the joining portion and the second peripheral region, and

a length of the frontal thick-walled portion in a toe-heel direction decreases toward a back side of the frontal thick-walled portion.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Apr 17, 2018
From: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
To: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 045959/0204 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 6, 2016
From: KATO, MASATOSHI
To: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
Reel/Frame 038890/0649 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-115330 · Jun 5, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160354656A1 · Dec 8, 2016
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