CN108853974B - Iron golf club with mark - Google Patents

Abstract

A golf club head with multilevel indicia is disclosed. More specifically, the golf club head according to the present invention is an iron-type golf club head having a multi-level indicia that contacts the rear surface of the striking face of the golf club head on one level, and a second level of the multi-level indicia contacts the rear surface of the cavity created by the chassis of the golf club head. The gap created between the striking face of the golf club head and the rear of the chassis can be filled with a fluid having a temperature variable viscosity that provides shock absorption.

Description

Iron golf club with mark

Cross reference to related applications

This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/252/674, filed 2016, 8, 31, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to iron golf clubs having indicia. More specifically, an iron-type golf club head having indicia located near a rear portion of the iron-type golf club head that provides support for the golf club head is disclosed. The rear indicia of such iron-type golf club heads typically have multiple levels of indicia establishing multiple different depths, allowing the insert to contact not only the rear exterior surface of the golf club head, but also the rear of the impact. This multilevel indicia not only provides an improvement in the overall aesthetics of the golf club head, it also improves the damping properties of the iron-type golf club head.

Background

Golf tournaments typically involve the use of a large variety of different equipment. In general, a golfer may have several different types of clubs that differ in three main categories: wooden, iron, and push rods. Although different golfers may have different types of golf clubs in a package that they prefer, almost all of them say that their iron-type golf clubs play a critical role in their golf game.

Within the iron category, the types of golf clubs are generally divided into two main categories, muscle-back irons and cavity-back irons. A muscle-backed iron may generally be defined as a golf club formed from a single piece of metal, with portions of increased thickness referred to as "muscle portions. Muscle back irons have existed since the early days of golf, and U.S. patent No.2,007,377 to Link exemplifies the early design of muscle back irons. Cavity back irons, on the other hand, may generally refer to golf clubs that create an opening near the back of the golf club head. Although cavity back irons can generally have an open cavity exposed as shown in U.S. patent No.4,826,172 to Antonious, cavity back irons can also include a closed open configuration creating an enclosed volume as shown in U.S. patent No.5,766,092 to Mimeur et al.

While the muscle-back iron still maintains the gold standard as a better golfer's positioning equipment (go to equipment), the invention of the cavity-back iron provides significant performance advantages over conventional muscle-back irons. First and foremost, by removing weight from the back of the golf club, cavity back irons may generally be able to increase the moment of inertia of the golf club head by placing weight near the perimeter pole of the golf club head. In addition to increasing the moment of inertia, cavity back irons can further improve the performance of iron golf club heads by increasing the distance of the iron golf club head. In general, golf clubs can achieve greater distances by increasing the restitution of the striking face, and cavity-back irons can be achieved by thinning the striking face.

Due to the fact that cavity-backed irons require an opening in the rear portion of the golf club head that is not appealing in appearance, golf club designers have attempted to remedy this deficiency by adding indicia to fill the open cavity. One example of an attempt at a marker to help achieve this goal is provided by U.S. patent No.8,920,261 to Taylor et al.

Continuing with our discussion focusing on cavity-back irons, as discussed above, to improve the performance of these types of irons, golf club designers often attempt to create extremely thin faces to allow for more deflection of the face during impact with a golf ball. The increased deflection of the face during impact with a golf ball will generally allow the golf ball to travel farther than the thicker face counterpart, thereby increasing the performance of the cavity back iron type golf club. U.S. patent No.7,008,331 to Chen illustrates one of the earlier embodiments of an experiment with a thin face iron club to increase the performance of an iron-type golf club head.

Recognizing that thinner materials are generally less durable than thicker materials, golf club designers have attempted to resist the durability issues associated with thinning the face portion. One example of one way to address this problem is provided in U.S. patent No.8,961,336 to Parsons et al: some structural support is provided to the thinned face by filling the internal cavity of the closed volume iron golf club head with a polymer.

Despite all attempts to improve the performance of iron-type golf club heads, none of the designs in the current industry have provided an aesthetically appealing way to address the growing need for strength and toughness of the striking face, as the striking face becomes thinner and thinner to improve the performance of cavity irons; especially a cavity iron rod, which may or may not have a hollow cavity that allows for filling.

Disclosure of Invention

One aspect of the present invention is a golf club head including a striking face portion located at a front portion of the golf club head; a chassis connected to a rear of the face portion, creating a rear cavity having an opening, wherein the opening provides access to a rear surface of the face portion, and a multi-level marker further comprising a first level and a second level attached to the cavity. The rear cavity of the chassis also includes at least one support tab around a perimeter of the rear cavity, and wherein a first level of the multi-level indicia substantially contacts a rear surface of the striking face portion and the second level substantially contacts a rear surface of the support tab.

In another aspect of the present invention, an iron-type golf club head includes a striking face portion located at a front portion of the golf club head; a chassis connected to a rear of the face portion, creating a rear cavity having an opening, wherein the opening provides access to a rear surface of the face portion, and a multi-level indicium that further includes a first level and a second level attached to the rear cavity, wherein the first level of the multi-level indicium substantially contacts the rear surface of the face portion and the second level substantially contacts the rear surface of the cavity, and wherein the multi-level indicium is subjected to compressive forces only upon impact with a golf ball.

In another aspect of the invention, the rear surface of the striking face creates gaps and voids with the lower front portion of the muscular portion of the chassis, and a fluid having a temperature variable viscosity at least partially fills the gaps, contacting the rear surface of the striking face portion and the lower front portion of the muscular portion of the chassis.

In another aspect of the invention, the fluid having a temperature variable viscosity at least partially fills the gap and the void, connecting the gap and the void.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following drawings, description, and claims.

Drawings

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective rear view of a golf club head according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a golf club head according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an enlarged rear view of a multilevel indicia according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an enlarged front view of a multilevel indicia according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

3 FIG. 35 3 illustrates 3 a 3 front 3 view 3 of 3 a 3 golf 3 club 3 head 3 according 3 to 3 an 3 exemplary 3 embodiment 3 of 3 the 3 present 3 invention 3, 3 allowing 3 cross 3- 3 section 3 line 3 A 3- 3 A 3' 3 to 3 be 3 more 3 clearly 3 shown 3; 3

3 FIG. 36 3 illustrates 3 a 3 cross 3- 3 sectional 3 view 3 of 3 a 3 golf 3 club 3 head 3 according 3 to 3 an 3 exemplary 3 embodiment 3 of 3 the 3 present 3 invention 3 taken 3 along 3 section 3 line 3 A 3- 3 A 3' 3 shown 3 in 3 FIG. 35 3; 3

3 FIG. 37 3 illustrates 3 a 3 cross 3- 3 sectional 3 view 3 of 3 a 3 chassis 3 of 3 a 3 golf 3 club 3 head 3 according 3 to 3 an 3 exemplary 3 embodiment 3 of 3 the 3 present 3 invention 3 taken 3 along 3 cross 3- 3 sectional 3 line 3 A 3- 3 A 3' 3 shown 3 in 3 FIG. 35 3; 3

3 FIG. 3 8 3 illustrates 3 a 3 cross 3- 3 sectional 3 view 3 of 3 the 3 multilevel 3 indicia 3 according 3 to 3 an 3 exemplary 3 embodiment 3 of 3 the 3 present 3 invention 3 taken 3 along 3 the 3 cross 3- 3 sectional 3 line 3 A 3- 3 A 3' 3 shown 3 in 3 FIG. 35 3; 3

FIG. 9 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a golf club head according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates another exploded perspective view of a golf club head according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

3 FIG. 3 11 3 illustrates 3 a 3 cross 3- 3 sectional 3 view 3 of 3 a 3 golf 3 club 3 head 3 according 3 to 3 an 3 alternative 3 embodiment 3 of 3 the 3 invention 3 taken 3 along 3 section 3 line 3 A 3- 3 A 3' 3 shown 3 in 3 FIG. 35 3; 3 And

3 FIG. 3 12 3 illustrates 3 a 3 cross 3- 3 sectional 3 view 3 of 3 a 3 golf 3 club 3 head 3 according 3 to 3 an 3 alternative 3 embodiment 3 of 3 the 3 invention 3 taken 3 along 3 section 3 line 3 A 3- 3 A 3' 3 in 3 FIG. 35 3. 3

Detailed Description

The following detailed description describes the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

A number of inventive features are described below and each feature can be used independently of the other or in combination with other features. However, any single inventive feature may not solve any or all of the problems discussed above, or may only solve one of the problems discussed above. Additionally, one or more of the problems discussed above may not be fully solved by any of the features described below.

FIG. 1 of the drawings shows a perspective view of agolf club head 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As seen in fig. 1, the type ofgolf club head 100 shown here is a cavity back iron golf club head with acavity 103 at the rear of thechassis 102 of thegolf club head 100. Thecavity 103 shown in this embodiment of the invention may be substantially covered with amulti-level marker 104 attached to thecavity 103. In addition to themultilevel indicia 104, fig. 1 of the drawings also shows additional components for fitting inside theentire cavity 103 to complete thegolf club head 100. Thecentral lumen marker 106 shown in FIG. 1 illustrates one of the additional components; wherein thecentral cavity mark 106 is designed and shaped to fit within an interior opening 105 created in themulti-level mark 104 itself. Finally, thegolf club head 100 shown in fig. 1 shows theexternal indicia 108 attached to the exterior surface of themultilevel indicia 104 to complete thegolf club head 100. The introduction of themulti-level indicia 104 shown in this embodiment of the invention allows theopen cavity 102 to be covered with aesthetically appealing indicia while providing a chassis for additional indicia to be attached without departing from the scope and content of the invention.

Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings shows an exploded perspective view of agolf club head 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, allowing the relationship between the various components described in fig. 1 to be more clearly shown. First and foremost, it can be seen here in fig. 2 that thechassis 202 of thegolf club head 200 may be formed separately from thestriking face portion 201. Thestriking face portion 201 shown in this embodiment may be generally formed of a steel type material to withstand the violent impact applied by a golf ball; however, in alternative embodiments of the present invention, thestriking face portion 201 may be made of alternative high strength materials (such as titanium) without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. In addition to the above, it is noted herein that thestriking face 201 may generally contain asole tab 210 near the bottom of thestriking face 201, thesole tab 210 corresponding to an undercut (not shown) in thechassis 202 of the body of thegolf club head 200. Thissole protrusion 210 is generally beneficial in situations where thestriking face 201 is made of a different material than thechassis 202 of thegolf club head 200; as thesole protrusions 210 allow the weld line to be removed from areas where high stresses occur during impact with a golf ball.

Fig. 2 also shows achassis 202 of the golf club head with acavity 203 at the rear of thechassis 202, creating a cavity iron. In addition tocavity 203, the exploded view ofgolf club head 200 also shows aninterior opening 205 withincavity 203, whereinterior opening 205 interfaces with the rear surface ofstriking face 201. This opening is critical to the present invention because it allows themultilevel indicia 204 to make contact with thestriking surface 201 via theinterior opening 205, allowing themultilevel indicia 204 to provide structural support for thegolf club head 200. Themulti-level indicia 204 shown in fig. 2 has anauxiliary cavity 207 corresponding to the size and shape of theinternal opening 205, not only to facilitate engagement of theinternal opening 205 with one of themulti-level indicia 204, but also to allow an additionalcentral cavity indicia 206 to be added to the rear of themulti-level indicia 204. The additionalcentral cavity indicia 206 shown in fig. 2 creates additional indicia of aesthetic complexity to thegolf club head 200 itself; and at the same time, provides some structural integrity to theauxiliary lumen 207 of themulti-level marker 204. Finally, the exploded view of thegolf club head 200 shows theexternal indicia 208 attached to the perimeter of themultilevel indicia 204.

Fig. 3 of the drawings shows an enlarged rear perspective view of the multilevel indicia 302, allowing this very critical component of the golf club head to be shown in greater detail. As previously discussed, the rear perspective view of the multi-level indicia 302 includes theauxiliary lumen 307, establishing the multi-level aspect of themulti-level indicia 304. However, an enlarged front perspective view is required for a true understanding of the multi-size and multi-level aspects of themulti-level indicia 304. Fig. 4 of the drawings shows a front perspective view of amultilevel indicia 404 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In this front perspective view, two different "levels" may be identified, which may be important in a cross-sectional view of the golf club head that will be shown later. First and foremost, it can be seen that themulti-level indicium 404 has afirst level 412, whichfirst level 412, in the assembled state, would be the surface that contacts the striking face 201 (shown in FIG. 2). This front perspective view of themulti-level indicia 404 shows, in addition to thefirst level 412, asecond level 414, whichsecond level 414 is in an assembled state, to contact a rear facing surface of the back of the chassis of the golf club head. Alternatively, it can be said that thesecond level 414 of themulti-level indicia 404 circumferentially surrounds thefirst level 412 of themulti-level indicia 404, creating a recess or auxiliary cavity 307 (see fig. 3) near the central portion of themulti-level indicia 404.

In order to provide a clearer understanding of the relationship of the various components, a cross-sectional view of the golf club head is highly beneficial. 3 however 3, 3 before 3 introducing 3 the 3 cross 3- 3 sectional 3 view 3 of 3 the 3 golf 3 club 3 head 3, 3 FIG. 35 3, 3 illustrating 3 a 3 frontal 3 view 3 of 3 the 3 golf 3 club 3 head 3 500 3, 3 is 3 provided 3 such 3 that 3 cross 3- 3 section 3 line 3 A 3- 3 A 3' 3 may 3 be 3 shown 3. 3 Here in fig. 5, the cross-section line a _ a' is shown bisecting the golf club head in the front-to-back plane, passing through the center of the bisecting line of the golf club head.

3 fig. 36 3 of 3 the 3 drawings 3 shows 3 a 3 cross 3- 3 sectional 3 view 3 of 3 the 3 golf 3 club 3 head 3 600 3 taken 3 along 3 cross 3- 3 sectional 3 line 3 a 3- 3 a 3' 3 shown 3 in 3 fig. 35 3. 3 The cross-sectional view of thegolf club head 600 allows for a clearer illustration of the various relationships between the components. In this cross-sectional view, it can be seen that thestriking surface 601 is located at the front of thegolf club head 600, with thestriking surface 601 having asole protrusion 610 extending rearward from the sole of thestriking surface 601. Behind the perimeter of thestriking face 601 is thechassis 602 of thegolf club head 600, where it provides a portion of the top line (topline) and a portion of the sole. In addition to creating additional exterior components of thegolf club head 600, thechassis 602 also creates acavity 203 with an opening 205 (see fig. 2) to allow themultilevel indicia 604 to engage multiple surfaces of thegolf club head 600.

In this embodiment of the invention, thefirst level 612 of themulti-level indicia 604 is located at the front of thegolf club head 600 and engages the rear surface of thestriking surface 601 to help absorb and dampen the strong effects of impact with a golf ball. It should be noted herein that thefirst step 612 of themulti-level indicia 604 and the rear surface of thestriking face 601 may also include thin indicia of thepolymeric material 620 having a thickness of less than about 1.5mm, more preferably less than about 1.25mm, and most preferably less than about 1.0 mm. Thepolymeric material 620 in this embodiment of the invention may generally have adhesive properties that create a bond between the rear surface of thestriking face 601 and thefirst level 612 of themulti-level indicium 604. In addition to providing the above-mentioned adhesive properties, thepolymer material 620 may generally provide some shock absorption and structural integrity to the overallgolf club head 600. Finally, in an alternative embodiment of the present invention, thepolymeric material 620 may be an eyelet type attachment mechanism that utilizes theopening 205 to help attach themultilevel indicia 604 to thestriking face 601. In this embodiment herein, thesecond level 614 of themulti-level marker 604 is shown as a forward facing level of themulti-level marker 604 that is placed at a more rearward position. In this embodiment, thesecond stage 614 generally engages a rearward facing surface of the cavity 203 (see fig. 2) on thechassis 602 to help distribute and disperse the impact forces experienced by thefirst stage 612 of themulti-stage marker 604.

The different levels of themulti-level flag 604 are so critical to the present invention that it is worth examining it in more detail here. First and foremost, it is important to recognize that: the relationship established by thefirst stage 612 and thesecond stage 614 allows the stress of the impact force to be dispersed in a completely unique manner. More specifically, by contacting themultilevel indicia 604 at the front surface on thefirst level 612 and thesecond level 614, the present invention eliminates the compressive force on themultilevel indicia 604 and utilizes the tensile force on themultilevel surface 604. The tensile force on themultilevel indicia 604 in this embodiment preferably exceeds the compressive force because it distributes the impact force to the rear of thechassis 602 of thegolf club head 600 without adding additional pressure.

As a corollary of the unique force profile achieved by themulti-level marker 604, fig. 6 of the drawings also shows another unique feature of themulti-level marker 604. More specifically, themulti-level indicia 604 according to the present invention may generally have afirst level 612 and asecond level 614 that contact two different surfaces at two or more different depths within the cavity 203 (see FIG. 2) of thegolf club head 600. In this embodiment, the depth of thefirst level 612 is completely recessed and surrounded by the depth of thesecond level 614, creating a very uniquemulti-level mark 604 that allows themulti-level mark 604 to contact thegolf club head 600 at different depths.

To help illustrate the various dimensions discussed above, the cross-sectional views of thechassis 702 and themulti-level marker 804 shown in fig. 7 and 8, respectively, have been isolated. First, fig. 7 of the drawings shows a cross-sectional view of achassis 702 of agolf club head 700 along with astriking face 701. The striking face located furthest from thecavity 703 created by thechassis 702 of thegolf club head 700 forms a first cavity depth having a first depth d 1. Thesupport protrusion 715 at the rear of thechassis 702 forms a second cavity depth d 2. One ormore support tabs 715 provide a surface for the second level of the multi-level indicia to contact the chassis. In this current embodiment of the invention, the multilevel indicia 704 contacts thegolf club head 700 near the top portion of thegolf club head 700 at the second cavity depth d2, and contacts thegolf club head 700 near the center portion of thegolf club head 700 at the first cavity depth d1 before returning to contact thegolf club head 700 near the sole portion of thegolf club head 700 at the originally stated second cavity depth d 2. In this embodiment of the invention, d1 is always greater than d2, and d1 may be generally greater than about 3.0mm, more preferably greater than about 3.25mm, and most preferably greater than about 3.5 mm. On the other hand, d2 may generally be less than about 2.5mm, and preferably less than about 2.25mm, and most preferably less than about 2.0mm, all without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.

Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings shows a cross-sectional view of amulti-level marker 804, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. This enlarged cross-sectional view of themulti-level marker 804 may show the thickness of themulti-material marker 804, with the majority of themulti-material marker 804 being of thickness d3, with particular portions of themulti-material marker 804 being of reduced material thickness d4 to accommodate external markers. The thickness d3 shown in this current exemplary embodiment is generally between about 0.8mm to about 1.2mm, more preferably between about 0.9mm to about 1.1mm, and most preferably about 1.0 mm. The reduced material thickness d4 of themulti-material marker 804 in this exemplary embodiment is generally less than about 0.9mm, more preferably less than about 0.8mm, and most preferably less than about 0.75mm, all without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.

In addition to illustrating material thicknesses, fig. 8 of the drawings also shows afirst level 812 and asecond level 814 at two different levels of themulti-level indicia 804. In addition to two labels at different levels, FIG. 8 of the drawings may be used to help identify the relative angles of the first andsecond stages 812, 814 at the angle θ 1.θ 1 in the present exemplary embodiment of the invention may generally be between about 0 to about 20 degrees, more preferably between about 0 to about 10 degrees, and most preferably between about 0 to about 5 degrees.

Fig. 9 of the drawings shows an exploded perspective view of agolf club head 900 according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. In this exploded perspective view, the various components of thegolf club head 900 may be more clearly shown, illustrating the relationship between each of the components. Similar to the previous discussion, thegolf club head 900 may include a base component, such as astriking face portion 901, thestriking face portion 901 having asole protrusion 910 attached to the front of thechassis 202. Thechassis 902 may have aninterior opening 905 that allows the rear surface of thestriking face portion 901 to be exposed to components at the rear of thegolf club head 900, such as thefirst marker 904 and the secondinterior marker 906. Generally,polymeric material 920 may be attached to the front surface offirst marker 904, wherepolymeric material 920 has adhesive properties to allowmarker 904 to be easily attached.

In addition to the above components, the exploded perspective view of thegolf club head 900 shown in fig. 9 also allows for the temperaturevariable viscosity fluid 922 to be shown as it fills the void (shown later as 1022 in fig. 10) in the bottom of thechassis 902. Placingfluid 922 having a variable viscosity oftemperature 922 in this location allows fluid 922 having a variable viscosity of temperature to contact the rear surface ofstriking face portion 901, providing shock absorption and improving the sound ofgolf club head 900. In addition to filling voids 1022 (shown in fig. 10),fluid 922, which has a temperature variable viscosity, also fills the gap betweenface portion 901 and the front surface ofchassis 902. To illustrate the void 1024 (shown in fig. 10) created by thechassis 902, fig. 10 is provided as an exploded perspective view from the front.

Fig. 10 of the drawings shows a front exploded view of agolf club head 1000 in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, the exploded view of thegolf club head 1000 shown in fig. 10 allows thevoid 1024 within thechassis 1002 to be more clearly shown. Showing the interior of thechassis 1002 allows the physical boundaries of the temperaturevariable viscosity fluid 1022 to be more clearly shown. Thus, it can be seen that as the temperaturevariable viscosity fluid 1022 is introduced to the rear of thestriking face portion 1001 via theinterior opening 1005, the viscous nature of the temperaturevariable viscosity fluid 1022 will cause it to generally conform to the shape of the interior of thechassis 1002. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated herein, fluid 1022 will have a weight of between about 2.0 grams and about 8.0 grams, and more preferably between about 2.5 grams and about 7.5 grams, and most preferably between about 3.0 grams and about 7.0 grams, all without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.

Although fig. 9 and 10 illustrate thefluids 922 and 1022 having variable viscosities as exhibiting the same shape as the void 1024 created by thechassis 1002, the actual shape of the fluid 1022 having variable viscosities may differ slightly depending on the actual flow characteristics thefluid 1022 has. In one embodiment of the invention, the temperature and viscosity may cause the position of the fluid 1022 to be more toward the toe portion (toe), while in another embodiment, the temperature and viscosity may cause the position of the fluid 1022 to be more toward the heel portion (heel), all without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. It should be noted here that regardless of the actual shape assumed by thefluid 1022, it is important that a portion of the fluid 1022 remain near the gap created by thestriking face portion 1001 and the front of thechassis 1002. This gap allows the fluid 1022 to provide a shock absorbing effect, thus minimizing unpleasant sounds and minimizing the feel of thegolf club head 1000 when thegolf club head 1000 strikes a golf ball.

The temperaturevariable viscosity fluid 1022 used in this preferred embodiment of the present invention may generally be a pressure sensitive adhesive designed to behave differently at different temperatures. More specifically, fluid 1022 in this embodiment may be a hot melt type material from h.b. fuller having part number HL-2814. The temperature-variable viscosity of fluid 1022 may be more specifically defined as having a viscosity of 4,125cP (mpa.s) at 300 ° F and a viscosity of 2,010cP (mpa.s) at 350 ° F. Having a variable viscosity at different temperatures allows the fluid 1022 to exhibit different properties, which may allow the fluid to reach locations in thegolf club head 1000 that are subject to significant vibration, and may help address sound and feel issues. In addition to viscosity values, it should also be recognized that thepreferred fluid 1022 may have a loop tack of 45 ounces with a 180 degree peel strength (60s/75F, 1 milliliter) of 2.2 pounds/inch. These properties help identify the tackiness of the fluid 1022 and how the fluid will attach to the rear surface of thestriking face portion 1001.

To illustrate the specific relationships between the various components shown in this alternative embodiment of the invention, a cross-sectional view of agolf club head 1100 is provided in fig. 11. 3 figure 3 11 3 of 3 the 3 accompanying 3 drawings 3 is 3 a 3 cross 3- 3 sectional 3 view 3 of 3 an 3 alternative 3 embodiment 3 of 3 the 3 invention 3 taken 3 along 3 the 3 cross 3- 3 sectional 3 line 3 a 3- 3 a 3' 3 shown 3 in 3 figure 35 3. 3 The cross-sectional view ofgolf club head 1100 shows that fluid 1122 is filled from the back side ofchassis 1102 throughinterior opening 1105. The fluid 1122 may flow downward by gravity and fill the void 1024 at the lower portion of thechassis 1102 via the gap 1026 established between the rear surface of thestriking face 1101 and the front lower portion of thechassis 1102. This gap 1026 may typically have a small distance d5 of between about 1.0mm to about 3.0mm, more preferably d5 of between about 1.5mm to about 2.5mm, and most preferably d5 of about 1.5 mm.

The gap 1026 distance d5 having the small distance identified above is critical to the proper operation of the present invention because it provides a sufficiently small gap 1026 for which the temperaturevariable viscosity fluid 1122 can provide support for thestriking face portion 1101 while also contacting the front surface of the sole main portion (muscle) of thechassis 1102. In addition to this, the gap 1026 also needs to be large enough to allow the fluid 1022 to flow through the gap 1026 and reach the void 1022 at the bottom of thegolf club head 1100. This gap 1026 distance d5 not only allows the fluid 1122 to remain sandwiched between thestriking face portion 1101 and thechassis 1102, but also allows thefluid 1122, which has a temperature variable viscosity, to flow toward thelower void 1124 portion of thechassis 1102 without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.

Fig. 12 of the drawings shows a cross-sectional view of agolf club head 1200 according to an alternative embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, it can be seen that the fluid 1222 fills only thegap 1126 portion of thegolf club head 1200 and does not fill the void 1224 portion. This embodiment of the invention may be preferred where less fluid 1222 is needed, and the concentration of fluid 1222 at thegap 1226 produces the desired damping without the need to addadditional fluid 1222.

Except in the operating examples, or where otherwise expressly indicated, all numerical ranges, amounts, values and percentages such as those for amounts of material, moments of inertia, center of gravity positions, inclination angles, design angles, various performance ratios, and others in the preceding portions of the specification are to be construed as if prefaced by the word "about", even if the term "about" does not expressly appear in the stated values, amounts or ranges. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the foregoing specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. Further, when numerical ranges of varying scope are set forth herein, it is contemplated that any combination of these values, including the recited values, can be used.

It should of course be understood that changes could be made in the foregoing to the exemplary embodiments of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims (19)

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a striking face portion located at a front portion of the golf club head;

a chassis connected to a rear of the striking face portion creating a rear cavity having an opening, wherein the opening provides access to a rear surface of the striking face portion,

wherein the rear surface of the striking face portion and a lower front portion of a muscle portion of the chassis create a gap and a void;

wherein the gap is located above and connected to the void, an

A fluid having a temperature variable viscosity that at least partially fills the gap, contacts the rear surface of the striking face and the lower front portion of the muscle portion of the chassis,

wherein the fluid has a viscosity of 4,125mPa.s at 300 ° F and a viscosity of 2,010mPa.s at 350 ° F.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the fluid at least partially fills the void other than filling the gap.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the fluid has a ring viscosity of 45 ounces.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the fluid has a 180 degree peel strength of 2.2 pounds per inch.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the fluid has a mass between 2.0 grams and 8.0 grams.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the fluid has a mass between 2.5 grams and 7.5 grams.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the fluid has a mass between 3.0 grams and 7.0 grams.

8. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the gap has a distance between 1.0mm and 3.0 mm.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the gap has a distance between 1.5mm and 2.5 mm.

10. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the gap has a distance of 1.5 mm.

11. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the fluid at least partially fills the void.

12. A golf club head as defined in claim 11, wherein the fluid continuously fills the gap and the void.

13. A golf club head, comprising:

a striking face portion located at a front portion of the golf club head;

a chassis connected to a rear of the striking face portion creating a rear cavity having an opening, wherein the opening provides access to a rear surface of the striking face portion,

wherein the rear surface of the striking face portion and a lower front portion of a muscle portion of the chassis create a gap and a void;

wherein the gap is located above and connected to the void, an

A fluid having a temperature-variable viscosity that at least partially fills the gap and the void, connects the gap and the void, and

wherein the fluid contacts the rear surface of the striking face and the lower front portion of the muscle portion of the chassis,

wherein the fluid has a viscosity of 4,125mPa.s at 300 ° F and a viscosity of 2,010mPa.s at 350 ° F.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the gap has a distance between 1.0mm and 3.0 mm.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the gap has a distance between 1.5mm and 2.5 mm.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the gap has a distance of 1.5 mm.

17. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the fluid has a mass between 2.0 grams and 8.0 grams.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the fluid has a mass between 2.5 grams and 7.5 grams.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the fluid has a mass between 3.0 grams and 7.0 grams.

Images