IP Library Granted Patent US 11,504,588
Granted Patent B2
US 11,504,588 · App. 16/434,162 · Granted Nov 22, 2022

Rusty oxidizable metal face golf club head

Inventors: Peter Barker (Escondido, CA); Paul Demkowski (Cardiff, CA); Giancarlo Bruschi (San Diego, CA); Bill Price (Santa Ana, CA)
Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
A63B53/047A63B60/00A63B53/0445A63B2209/00
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,504,588
App. No.
16/434,162
Granted
Nov 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Described herein is a golf club head. The golf club head comprises a heel portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, opposite the heel portion, a top portion, opposite the sole portion, a rear portion, and a front portion, opposite the rear portion and comprising a strike face. An outer surface of at least the rear portion and at most a limited part of the strike face is made of a non-oxidizable metal material. At least a part of the strike face is made of an oxidizable metal material.

Claims (38)

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body formed of oxidizable metal material, the body including:

a heel portion;

a sole portion;

a toe portion opposite the heel portion;

a top portion opposite the sole portion;

a rear portion; and

a front portion opposite the rear portion and including a planar strike face having a plurality of grooves;

wherein:

a first oxidation-prevention coating covers at least a portion of the body including a portion of the rear portion, the heel portion, and the sole portion;

an entirety of the planar strike face, including all the surfaces of the plurality of grooves and all the surfaces between the plurality of grooves, is not covered by the first oxidation-prevention coating;

a second oxidation-prevention coating is removably attached to at least a portion of the planar strike face via an adhesive material, wherein the second oxidation-prevention coating is a non-metallic material; and

the second oxidation-prevention coating is formed with an opening to expose a portion of the planar striking face.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive adheres the second oxidation-prevention coating to the strike face with an adhesion strength, with respect to the oxidizable metal material, of within 0.15 and 1.35 of 26 oz/in (280 N/m).

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein the non-permanent second oxidation-prevention coating includes a non-stick tab coupled to the second oxidation-prevention coating.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein the second oxidation-prevention coating seals an underlying area of the planar striking face from environmental exposure thereby inhibiting oxidation until removal of the second oxidation-prevention coating.

5. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 1 , further comprising a non-stick tab coupled to a periphery of the second oxidation-prevention coating.

6. An iron-type golf club head, comprising:

a body formed of an oxidizable metal material, the body comprising:

a heel portion;

a sole portion;

a toe portion opposite the heel portion;

a top portion opposite the sole portion;

a rear portion; and

a front portion opposite the rear portion and including a planar strike face having a plurality of grooves;

wherein:

all the surfaces of the plurality of grooves and all the surfaces between the plurality of grooves, are exposed oxidizable metal material; and

a first oxidation-prevention coating permanently covers and prevents oxidation of at least a portion of the body including at least a portion of the rear portion and the heel portion, wherein a surface area of the planar strike face is not permanently covered by the first oxidation-prevention coating;

the surface area of the planar strike face not permanently covered by the first oxidation-prevention coating divided by the total volume of the body is at least 0.05 per mm, inclusive, and a ratio of the surface area of the planar strike face not permanently covered by the first oxidation-prevention coating divided by the total surface area of the planar strike face is at least 0.70, inclusive;

the total volume of the body excludes a hosel portion of the body and is measured from a par line of the golf club head to a toe-ward most portion of the golf club head;

a second oxidation-prevention coating is temporarily and removably attached to at least a portion of to the planar strike face, wherein the non-permanent second oxidation-prevention coating is a non-metallic material; and

the second oxidation-prevention coating is formed with an opening to expose a portion of the planar striking face.

7. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 6 , wherein the first oxidation-prevention coating comprises a copper alloy.

8. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 6 , wherein the first oxidation-prevention coating comprises a nickel alloy.

9. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 6 , wherein the first oxidation-prevention coating comprises a chrome alloy, wherein the surface area of the planar strike face not permanently covered by the first oxidation-prevention coating divided by the total volume of the body is no more than 0.12 per mm, and the ratio of the surface area of the planar strike face not permanently covered by the first oxidation-prevention coating divided by the total surface area of the planar strike face is at least 0.75.

10. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 6 , wherein the first oxidation-prevention coating is formed using a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique.

11. The iron-type golf club head according to claim 6 , wherein the first oxidation-prevention coating is formed using a quench-polish-quenching (QPQ) technique, and the second oxidation-prevention coating is formed with an opening to expose a portion of the planar striking face through the second oxidation-prevention coating.

12. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of grooves has a most-toeward end, and the most-toeward end of at least two of the plurality of grooves are not vertically aligned, the planar strike face is milled and has a loft of 45 degrees or more, and the rear portion includes at least two circular cavities.

Assignments (9)
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jan 16, 2025
From: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069986/0349 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jan 14, 2025
From: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069895/0523 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: KOOKMIN BANK
To: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
Reel/Frame 058983/0516 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: KOOKMIN BANK
To: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
Reel/Frame 058978/0211 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 7, 2022
From: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058963/0671 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 7, 2022
From: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058962/0415 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Aug 24, 2021
From: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
To: KOOKMIN BANK, AS SECURITY AGENT
Reel/Frame 057300/0058 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Aug 24, 2021
From: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
To: KOOKMIN BANK, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057293/0207 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 25, 2019
From: BARKER, PETER; DEMKOWSKI, PAUL; BRUSCHI, GIANCARLO; PRICE, BILL
To: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050832/0806 →