IP Library Granted Patent US 7,261,645
Granted Patent B2
US 7,261,645 · App. 11/050,774 · Granted Aug 28, 2007

Golf club head

Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,261,645
App. No.
11/050,774
Granted
Aug 28, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

A hollow golf club head comprises: a metal member made of at least one kind of metal material having at least one opening in a crown portion thereof; and a FRP member made of a fiber reinforced resin attached to the metal member so as to cover the opening, the fiber reinforced resin formed from a plurality of prepreg plies each having a magnitude covering the opening, and the prepreg plies comprising a plurality of unidirectional plies each having fibers aligned along an unidirection, wherein the unidirectional plies comprise at least “n” kinds of (in this case, “n” is an integral number not less than 3 and not more than 6) plies which are laminated in a state in which directions of the fibers are differentiated, and in a standard condition of being grounded on a horizontal plane at prescribed lie angle and loft angle, the directions of the fibers of the “n” kind of unidirectional plies seeing through a plane intersect at an angle (180/n) degrees obtained by substantially dividing 180 degrees by the integral number n in the crown portion.

Claims (38)

1. A hollow golf club head comprising:

a metal member made of at least one kind of metal material having at least one opening in a crown portion thereof; and

a FRP member made of a fiber reinforced resin attached to the metal member so as to cover the opening,

the fiber reinforced resin formed from a plurality of prepreg plies each having a magnitude covering the opening, and

the prepreg plies comprising a plurality of unidirectional plies each having fibers aligned along an unidirection, wherein

the unidirectional plies comprise at least “n” (in this case, “n” is an integral number not less than 3 and not more than 6) kinds of plies each having fibers aligned in different directions, the “n” kinds plies being used in successive unidirectional plies,

the unidirectional plies are laminated without directly laminating the same kind of two plies, and

in a standard condition of the club head being grounded on a horizontal plane and oriented at its lie angle and its loft angle, the directions of the fibers of the “n” kind of unidirectional plies, in plan view, intersect at an angle (180/n) degrees obtained by substantially dividing 180 degrees by the integral number n in the crown portion.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein the prepreg plies comprise at least one cloth ply having woven fibers extending in two directions and arranged on an outermost side thereof.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein the unidirectional plies comprise at least one 0° direction ply having a fiber orientation of 0° with respect to a head longitudinal direction parallel to a normal line drawn from a head gravity point to a club face, in a plan view in the standard condition.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein the unidirectional plies comprise only non 0° direction plies having a fiber orientation of larger than 0° or smaller than 0° with respect to a head longitudinal direction parallel to a normal line drawn from a head gravity point to a club face, in a plan view in the standard condition.

5. A hollow golf club head comprising:

a metal member made of at least one kind of metal material having at least one opening being provided astride a crown portion and a side portion of the club head; and

a FRP member made of a fiber reinforced resin attached to the metal member so as to cover the opening,

the FRP member comprising a main part forming a part of the crown portion and a side part folded from the main part to the side portion to form a part of the side portion of the club head,

the fiber reinforced resin formed from a plurality of prepreg plies each having a magnitude covering the opening,

each prepreg ply being provided with at least one slit to make it easy to form the side part by folding, and

the prepreg plies comprising a plurality of unidirectional plies each having fibers aligned along an unidirection, wherein

the unidirectional plies comprise at least “n” (in this case, “n” is an integral number not less than 3 and not more than 6) kinds of plies each having fibers aligned in different directions,

in a standard condition of the club head being grounded on a horizontal plane and oriented at its lie angle and its loft angle,

the directions of the fibers of the “n” kind of unidirectional plies, in plan view, intersect at an angle (180/n) degrees obtained by substantially dividing 180 degrees by the integral number n in the crown portion.

6. The golf club head according to claim 5 , wherein the prepreg plies comprise at least one cloth ply having woven fibers extending in two directions and arranged on an outermost side thereof.

7. The golf club head according to claim 5 , wherein the unidirectional plies comprise at least one 0° direction ply having a fiber orientation of 0 degree with respect to a head longitudinal direction parallel to a normal line drawn from a head gravity point to a club face, in a plan view in the standard condition.

8. The golf club head according to claim 5 , wherein the unidirectional plies comprise only non 0° direction plies having a fiber orientation of larger than 0 degree or smaller than 0 degree with respect to a head longitudinal direction parallel to a normal line drawn from a head gravity point to a club face, in a plan view in the standard condition.

9. A hollow golf club head comprising:

a metal member made of at least one kind of metal material having at least one opening in a crown portion of the club head; and

a FRP member made of a fiber reinforced resin attached to the metal member so as to cover the opening,

the fiber reinforced resin formed from a plurality of prepreg plies each having a magnitude covering the opening,

the prepreg plies comprising

a plurality of unidirectional plies each having fibers aligned along an unidirection and

at least one cloth ply having woven fibers extending in two directions and arranged on the outermost side,

each fiber of each unidirectional ply being allocated by arranging bundle bodies each consisting of fiber filaments of from 6000 to 40000 bundled previously, and

each fiber of the cloth ply being allocated by arranging bundle bodies each consisting of fiber filaments being smaller than that of the bundle body of the unidirectional ply, wherein

the unidirectional plies comprise at least “n” (in this case, “n” is an integral number not less than 3 and not more than 6) kinds of plies each having fibers aligned in different directions,

in a standard condition of the club head being grounded on a horizontal plane and oriented at its lie angle and its loft angle,

the directions of the fibers of the “n” kind of unidirectional plies, in plan view, intersect at an angle (180/n) degrees obtained by substantially dividing 180 degrees by the integral number n in the crown portion.

10. The golf club head according to claim 9 , wherein the unidirectional plies comprise at least one 0° direction ply having a fiber orientation of 0 degree with respect to a head longitudinal direction parallel to a normal line drawn from a head gravity point to a club face, in a plan view in the standard condition.

11. The golf club head according to claim 9 , wherein the unidirectional plies comprise only non 0° direction plies having a fiber orientation of larger than 0 degree or smaller than 0 degree with respect to a head longitudinal direction parallel to a normal line drawn front a head gravity point to club face, in a plan view in the standard condition.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 16, 2005
From: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
To: SRI SPORTS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 016561/0471 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 7, 2005
From: OYAMA, HITOSHI
To: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 016293/0282 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2004-085227 · Mar 23, 2004 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20050215352A1 · Sep 29, 2005