Golf club head with reinforced channel
A golf club head with a channel sized to receive one or more adjustable weights and an external support structure that bridges, and thereby supports, the channel without unduly interfering with weight adjustment is disclosed herein. The support structure, which includes one or more stiffening members on the exterior of the golf club head, improves the sound quality of the golf club head, and is particularly useful to attenuate the lower frequency mode shapes associated with slider channel geometry in golf club heads.
1. A golf club head comprising:
a body comprising a sole with a channel; and
a support structure comprising at least one stiffening member, the support structure bridging at least a portion of the channel,
wherein the at least one stiffening member comprises an Area Member representing the area of the at least one stiffening member that bridges the channel,
wherein the channel comprises a Total Channel Area,
wherein the support structure comprises a Total Member Area, which is equivalent to
∑
i
=
1
n
Area
Member
i
,
wherein n=the number of stiffening members,
wherein
Member
ratio
=
Total
Member
Area
Total
Channel
Area
,
and
wherein Member Ratio is no less than 0.001 and no greater than 1.
2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein Member Ratio is no less than 0.02 and no greater than 0.90.
3. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein Member Ratio is no less than 0.10 and no greater than 0.50.
4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one stiffening member comprises a first stiffening member and a second stiffening member.
5. The golf club head of claim 4 , wherein the first stiffening member is disposed proximate a first end of the channel, and wherein the second stiffening member is disposed proximate a second end of the channel.
6. The golf club head of claim 4 , wherein the first stiffening member is spaced from a first end of the channel by a first distance, wherein the first stiffening member is spaced from the second stiffening member by a second distance, and wherein the first distance is approximately equal to the second distance.
7. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the support structure is integrally formed with the body.
8. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the support structure is formed separately from the body and is affixed to the body.
9. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the body comprises first and second recesses on opposite sides of the channel, and wherein the support structure sits at least partially within the first and second recesses.
10. The golf club head of claim 9 , wherein first and second ends of the support structure are welded, brazed, or affixed via adhesive within the first and second recesses, respectively.
11. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the support structure is affixed to the body with one or more adhesives, brazes, or welds.
12. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one stiffening member is an approximately rectangular plate that is removably affixed to the body.
13. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one stiffening member has an hourglass shape.
14. A golf club head comprising:
a body comprising a sole with a channel; and
a support structure comprising a plurality of planar stiffening members, the support structure bridging at least a portion of the channel,
wherein each stiffening member of the plurality of planar stiffening members comprises an Area Member representing the area of each planar stiffening member that bridges the channel,
wherein the channel comprises a Total Channel Area,
wherein the support structure comprises a Total Member Area, which is equivalent to
∑
i
=
1
n
Area
Member
i
,
wherein n=the number of planar stiffening members,
wherein
Member
ratio
=
Total
Member
Area
Total
Channel
Area
,
and
wherein Member Ratio is no less than 0.001 and no greater than 1.
15. The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein at least one stiffening member of the plurality of stiffening members comprises a rib extending along a longitudinal axis of the at least one stiffening member.
16. The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein each stiffening member of the plurality of stiffening members comprises a thickness of 0.015 to 0.150 inch.
17. The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein at least one stiffening member of the plurality of stiffening members bridges a midpoint of the channel.
18. The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein at least one stiffening member of the plurality of stiffening members is composed of a material that differs from a material of the body.
19. The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein at least one stiffening member of the plurality of stiffening members has an hourglass shape.
20. The golf club head of claim 19 , wherein each stiffening member of the plurality of stiffening members has an hourglass shape.