IP Library Granted Patent US 9,868,037
Granted Patent B1
US 9,868,037 · App. 15/219,850 · Granted Jan 16, 2018

Golf club head with textured striking face

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,868,037
App. No.
15/219,850
Granted
Jan 16, 2018
Kind
B1
Abstract

A golf club head includes a striking face with a plurality of scorelines. A first virtual vertical plane is perpendicular to the striking face and passes through a toe-wardmost extent of the scorelines, and a second virtual vertical plane is parallel to the first virtual vertical plane and passes through a heel-wardmost extent of the scorelines. A central region bounded by the first virtual vertical plane, the second virtual vertical plane, and a striking face periphery has a first average surface roughness Ra1 of between about 40 μin and about 180 μin. And a majority of a toe region bounded by the first vertical plane and the striking face periphery is textured to have a second average surface roughness Ra2 no less than 1.5 times Ra1.

Claims (35)

1. A golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:

a loft greater than 15 degrees;

a heel portion;

a toe portion;

a sole portion;

a top portion; and

a striking face, the striking face comprising:

a striking face periphery;

a plurality of scorelines, wherein a first virtual vertical plane is perpendicular to the striking face and passes through a toe-wardmost extent of the scorelines and a second virtual vertical plane is parallel to the first virtual vertical plane and passes through a heel-wardmost extent of the scorelines;

a central region bounded by the first virtual vertical plane, the second virtual vertical plane, and the striking face periphery, the central region having a first average surface roughness Ra1 of between about 40 μin and about 180 μin; and

a toe region bounded by the first vertical plane and the striking face periphery, a majority of the toe region being textured to have a second average surface roughness Ra2 no less than 1.5 times Ra1.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the central region comprises a plurality of first micro-grooves and the toe region comprises a plurality of second micro-grooves.

3. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first micro-grooves and the plurality of second micro-grooves follows an arcuate path in its entirety.

4. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first micro-grooves and the plurality of second micro-grooves comprises milled lines.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the golf club head is a wedge-type golf club head.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein Ra2 is greater than 300 μin.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein Ra2 is at least two times greater than Ra1.

8. The golf club head of claim 7 , wherein Ra2 is at least three times greater than Ra1.

9. A golf club head comprising:

a loft greater than 15 degrees;

a heel portion;

a toe portion;

a sole portion;

a top portion; and

a striking face, the striking face comprising:

a face center;

a central striking face region bounded by a first virtual circle located in a plane of the striking face, centered at the face center, and having a radius no less than 10 mm, the central striking face region having a first average surface roughness Ra1 no greater than about 180 μin; and

a peripheral striking face region bounded by a second virtual circle, located entirely outside of the central region and having a radius no less than 10 mm, the peripheral striking face region having a second average surface roughness Ra2 no less than about 270 μin.

10. The golf club head of claim 9 , wherein Ra1 is greater than about 40 μin.

11. The golf club head of claim 9 , wherein the central striking face region comprises a plurality of first micro-grooves and the peripheral striking face region comprises a plurality of second micro-grooves.

12. The golf club head of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of first micro-grooves have a first depth D1 of less than about 0.025 mm and the plurality of second micro-grooves have a second depth D2 of greater than about 0.025 mm.

13. The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein D2 is at least two times greater than D1.

14. The golf club head of claim 9 , wherein Ra2 is at least two times greater than Ra1.

15. The golf club head of claim 9 , wherein the loft is greater than 35 degrees.

16. The golf club head of claim 9 , wherein the golf club head is an iron-type or wedge-type golf club head.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Jan 3, 2019
From: DUNLOP SPORTS CO., LTD.
To: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 048002/0320 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 26, 2016
From: RIPP, PATRICK; BRUNSKI, JEFF D.
To: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
Reel/Frame 039472/0624 →