阅读说明：本技术 高尔夫球杆头 (Golf club head ) 是由 斯蒂芬·S·墨菲 尼克·弗雷姆 理查德·L·克莱格霍恩 皮特·索拉科 查尔斯·E·戈尔登 于 2019-07-23 设计创作，主要内容包括：本文公开了一种高尔夫球杆头,其能够在使用轻量复合材料的同时,保留全金属高尔夫球杆头的金属声学特征。更具体地,根据本发明的高尔夫球杆头产生了经由面板构件屏障与后减重室协同作用的前声室。(Disclosed herein is a golf club head that is capable of retaining the metal acoustic features of an all metal golf club head while using a lightweight composite material. More specifically, the golf club head according to the present invention creates a front sound chamber that cooperates with a rear weight reduction chamber via a panel member barrier.)

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a front sound chamber at a front side of the golf club head, the front sound chamber being made of a first metal material and having a first volume, an

A rear drop weight chamber located rearward of the front acoustic chamber, the rear drop weight chamber being at least partially made of a second material and having a second volume, the second material being a lightweight material and having a density of 0.5g/cc to 3.0g/cc,

wherein the front sound chamber and the rear weight reduction chamber are separated by a panel member that bifurcates the golf club head by being connected to a crown and a sole,

wherein the density of the second material is lower than the density of the first material, an

Wherein a front-to-rear volume ratio of the golf club head, defined as the first volume of the front sound chamber divided by the second volume of the rear drop weight chamber, is less than 0.50.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the front-to-rear volume ratio is less than 0.40.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 2, wherein the front-to-rear volume ratio is less than 0.35.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the front sound chamber has a volume of less than 230cc and the rear drop weight chamber has a volume of greater than 230 cc.

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 4, wherein the front sound chamber has a volume of less than 150cc and the rear drop weight chamber has a volume of greater than 310 cc.

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 5, wherein the front sound chamber has a volume of less than 100cc and the rear drop weight chamber has a volume of greater than 360 cc.

7. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the face plate member is 0.3mm to 0.7 mm.

8. A golf club head according to claim 7, wherein a thickness of the face plate member is 0.4mm to 0.6 mm.

9. A golf club head according to claim 8, wherein a thickness of the face plate member is 0.5 mm.

10. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the golf club head is generated with a critical time T_{Critical point of}A sound for more than 0.01 second and less than 0.02 second; the critical time T_{Critical point of}Defined as the sound from peak amplitude A_maxOscillating to said peak amplitude A_maxThe amount of time spent at the 10% point.

11. A golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein the critical time T_{Critical point of}Greater than 0.015 seconds and less than 0.02 seconds.

12. A golf club head as defined in claim 11, wherein the critical time T_{Critical point of}Greater than 0.0175 seconds and less than 0.02 seconds.

13. A golf club head, comprising:

a front sound chamber at a front side of the golf club head, the front sound chamber being made of a first metal material and having a first volume, an

A rear drop weight chamber located rearward of the front acoustic chamber, the rear drop weight chamber being at least partially made of a second material and having a second volume, the second material being a lightweight material and having a density of 0.5g/cc to 3.0g/cc,

wherein the density of the second material is lower than the density of the first material,

wherein the front sound chamber and the rear weight reduction chamber are separated by a panel member that bifurcates the golf club head by being connected to a crown and a sole, an

Wherein the panel member is multi-faceted.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the face plate member further comprises:

an upper sub-panel member which is provided with a plurality of sub-panels,

an intermediate sub-panel member, and

a lower sub-panel member having a lower surface,

wherein all of the sub-panel members are positioned at different angles relative to the striking face.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the face plate member further comprises two or more pressure relief holes.

16. A golf club head according to claim 15, wherein the two or more pressure relief holes are located within a middle sub-panel member portion of the panel member.

17. A golf club head according to claim 14, wherein the upper sub-panel member and the middle sub-panel member form an angle Θ of 10 degrees to 15 degrees, and the lower sub-panel member and the middle sub-panel member form an angle β of 16 degrees to 20 degrees.

18. A golf club head according to claim 17, wherein the upper sub-panel member and the middle sub-panel member form an angle θ of 12 degrees to 14 degrees, and the lower sub-panel member and the middle sub-panel member form an angle β of 17 degrees to 19 degrees.

19. A golf club head according to claim 18, wherein the upper sub-panel member and the middle sub-panel member form an angle θ of 13 degrees, and the lower sub-panel member and the middle sub-panel member form an angle β of 18 degrees.

20. A golf club head, comprising:

a front sound chamber at a front side of the golf club head, the front sound chamber being made of a first metal material and having a first volume, an

A rear drop weight chamber located rearward of the front acoustic chamber, the rear drop weight chamber being at least partially made of a second material and having a second volume, the second material being a lightweight material and having a density of 0.5g/cc to 3.0g/cc,

wherein the density of the second material is lower than the density of the first material,

wherein the front sound chamber and the rear weight reduction chamber are separated by a panel member that bifurcates the golf club head by being connected to a crown and a sole, an

Wherein the panel member is curved away from the front side of the golf club head such that a center of the panel member is located farther from a striking face than at a crown and sole of the panel member.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to a new and improved golf club head having a secondary barrier behind a striking face portion via a face plate member. The face plate member allows the golf club head to incorporate foreign material at the rear tail of the golf club head without sacrificing performance. More specifically, the secondary barrier retains the acoustic characteristics of a metal golf club head while allowing the rear tail of the golf club head to be made of foreign materials that typically degrade the acoustic characteristics of the golf club head.

Background

The use of lightweight materials in golf club heads is well known. The use of lightweight materials in golf club heads removes the mass of certain portions of the golf club head and allows it to be redistributed into more optimized areas. U.S. patent US6,612,938 to Murphy et al describes one of the earlier attempts to use exotic materials, such as prepreg material layers, for golf club heads.

However, while the potential benefits of discretionary mass are obtained with such lightweight materials, there are often some disadvantages associated with the use of such materials. More specifically, the use of such lightweight materials is often accompanied by undesirable acoustic characteristics that make the golf club less popular with golfers regardless of performance.

US patent US5,064,197 to Eddy, 1991, provides one of the early attempts to adjust the acoustic characteristics of a golf club by providing a first front chamber in the head that opens toward the club head face, where the front chamber vibrates at a given dominant frequency.

U.S. patent US8,651,975 to Soracco provides another example of an attempt to address the acoustic characteristics associated with golf clubs using foreign materials. More specifically, Soracco provides a golf club head having a sound tuning composite member forming at least a portion of a surface of the golf club head.

Finally, U.S. patent US8,849,635 to Hayase et al surpasses at least the basic design of the acoustic characteristics of a golf club head and even attempts to predict the modal damping ratio of a composite golf club head.

Despite the above attempts, no reference has been made to provide a way to improve the performance of golf club heads by providing a way to improve the performance of golf club heads using all advanced materials, while at the same time providing a thorough way to address the degradation of the acoustic characteristics of golf club heads. Thus, from the above, it can be seen that a golf club head design is desired that enables the goals of introducing exotic lightweight materials to increase discretionary mass and achieve desirable acoustic characteristics while minimizing the undesirable sound and feel of the golf club head.

Disclosure of Invention

One aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising: a front sound chamber at a front side of a golf club head made of a first metal material and having a first volume, and a rear drop weight chamber at a rear of the front sound chamber made at least partially of a second material and having a second volume, the second material being a lightweight material and having a density of 0.5g/cc to 3.0g/cc, wherein the front sound chamber and the rear drop weight chamber are separated by a panel member that bifurcates the golf club head by being connected to a crown portion and a sole portion, wherein the density of the second material is lower than the density of the first material, and wherein a front-to-rear volume ratio of the golf club head is less than about 0.35, the front-to-rear volume ratio being defined as the first volume of the front sound chamber divided by the second volume of the rear drop weight chamber.

In another aspect of the invention is a golf club head comprising: a front sound chamber at a front side of the golf club head made of a first metal material and having a first volume, and a rear weight-reduction chamber at a rear of the front sound chamber made at least partially of a second material and having a second volume, the second material being a lightweight material and having a density of 0.5g/cc to 3.0g/cc, wherein the front sound chamber and the rear weight-reduction chamber are separated by a panel member that bifurcates the golf club head by being connected to a crown and a sole, wherein the second material has a density that is lower than a density of the first material, and wherein the panel member further comprises an upper sub-panel member, a middle sub-panel member and a lower sub-panel member, and all three sub-panel members are all positioned at different angles relative to a striking face.

Another aspect of the invention is a golf club head comprising: a front sound chamber at a front side of a golf club head made of a first metal material and having a first volume, and a rear drop weight chamber at a rear of the front sound chamber made at least partially of a second material and having a second volume, the second material being a lightweight material and having a density of 0.5g/cc to 3.0g/cc, wherein the front sound chamber and the rear drop weight chamber are separated by a panel member that bifurcates the golf club head by being connected to a crown and a sole, and wherein the second material has a density that is lower than a density of the first material, wherein the panel member is bent away from the front side of the golf club head such that a center of the panel member is positioned further from a striking face than at the crown and sole of the panel member.

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 front perspective view of a golf club head according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a rear perspective view of a golf club head according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a partial rear perspective view of a golf club head according to the present invention with the crown removed to show the interior components;

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a golf club head according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a golf club head according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a partial rear perspective view of a golf club head according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a partial rear perspective view of a golf club head according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a partial rear perspective view of a golf club head according to even another alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a golf club head according to another alternative embodiment of the present invention;

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

FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a golf club head according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 illustrates a partial rear perspective view of a golf club head according to another alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a golf club head according to another alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 14 illustrates a partial rear perspective view of a golf club head according to another alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 15 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a golf club head according to another alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 16 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a golf club head according to even another alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a golf club head according to even another alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 illustrates a time series chart representing sound amplitude of a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 illustrates a time series chart representing sound amplitude for an exemplary prior art golf club head;

FIG. 20 illustrates a spectrum of frequencies and power of sounds of a golf club head, according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

fig. 21 shows a spectrum of frequencies and powers of sounds of a golf club head according to the related art.

Detailed Description

The following detailed description describes the best presently contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. The following 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.

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

FIG. 1 of the drawings shows a perspective view of a golf club head 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The golf club head 100 shown in fig. 1 provides only a schematic illustration of the exterior components of the golf club head 100, and does not show the interior components of the golf club head 100. More specifically, the golf club head 100 generally has a striking surface 102 disposed at a front portion of a frame 101 of the golf club head 100, a sole portion 106 located at a sole portion of an aft portion of the frame 101, and a crown portion 104 located at a top portion of the aft portion of the frame 101. The striking face 102 and frame 101 (which includes a front portion and a skirt) may generally be made of a first material having a density of about 4.0g/cc to about 4.7g/cc, more preferably about 4.1g/cc to about 4.6g/cc and most preferably about 4.4 g/cc. The first material may in most cases generally be a titanium metal material such as titanium 8-1-1, ATI 425 titanium, SP700 titanium, KS 120 titanium, KS 100 titanium, Ti 6-4 or any other type of titanium material having the above-mentioned densities without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. However, in alternative embodiments of the present invention, the first material may be a ball-and-socket structure of steel, aluminum, copper, tungsten, steel, tin, silver, gold, platinum, or any other suitable metallic material without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. The crown 104 and sole 106 according to this embodiment of the invention may be made of a second lightweight material having a lower density than the remainder of the golf club head to achieve the desired weight reduction without departing from the scope and content of the invention. The second lightweight material has a density of 0.5g/cc to 3.0 g/cc. The second lightweight material can be made of an aluminum type material having a density of about 2.5g/cc to about 2.9g/cc, a magnesium material having a density of about 1.738g/cc, and a wood material having a density as low as 0.6g/cc, although fiber reinforced plastic composite type materials having a density of about 1.2g/cc to about 1.8g/cc, which are most commonly used, can be used. More information regarding composite materials having low fiber areal mass in golf club heads can be found in us patent publication 2015/0360094 to Deshmukh, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Although not visible in fig. 1, the golf club head 100 according to this embodiment of the invention may be internally divided into a front sound chamber and a rear weight reduction member, which results in a dual chamber golf club head 100 capable of achieving improved performance characteristics by increasing the overall discretionary weight of the golf club head while preserving the acoustic characteristics of the golf club head 100.

FIG. 2 of the drawings shows a rear perspective view of a golf club head 200 according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. The golf club head 200 may generally include components very similar to those shown in fig. 1, including a metal frame 201, a striking face 202, a crown 204, and a sole 206. At this angle shown in fig. 2, however, the internal components of the golf club head 200 may be more clearly shown if the crown 204 cover is removed for display purposes.

FIG. 3 of the drawings shows a perspective view of a golf club head 300 with a crown cover removed, according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Removing the crown cover allows the interior components of the golf club head 300 to be more clearly shown. More specifically, fig. 3 of the drawings shows the rear drop weight chamber components of a golf club head 300. The rear weight reduction chamber shown here is created by separating the front acoustic chamber from the rear weight reduction chamber by a panel member 310. The panel member 310 according to this embodiment of the present invention may be generally multi-faceted. More specifically, the face member 310 shown in FIG. 3 includes at least one face or bend that divides the face member 310 into different subcomponents to further improve the acoustic characteristics of the golf club head 300. The face of the panel member 310 shown in fig. 3 may produce three different sub-panel members 310a, 310b, and 310 c. The upper sub-panel member 310a may be generally connected to the crown of the golf club head 300; the middle sub-panel member 310b may be generally connected to the bottom of the upper sub-panel member 310 a; and the sole sub-panel member 310c may be generally connected to the sole of the middle sub-panel member 310b and to the sole of the golf club head 300.

In addition to the display panel member 310, fig. 3 of the drawings provides a cross-sectional view of the golf club head 300 that also shows a plurality of circular pressure relief holes 312a and 312b in the middle sub-panel member 310b of the panel member 310. Whenever the design of the golf club head 300 makes it necessary to use them, the plurality (two or more) of pressure relief holes 312a and 312b allow the pressure accumulated in the front sound chamber during impact with a golf ball to travel toward the rear weight-reduction chamber to minimize undesirable acoustic effects. In this exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of pressure release holes 312a and 312b may have an open area of about 15mm to about 25mm, more preferably about 17mm to about 23mm, and most preferably about 20 mm. It should be noted herein that although the present embodiment shows two pressure release holes 312a and 312b, the present invention may introduce only one pressure release hole 312 or more than two pressure release holes 312 without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. Further, although the present embodiment of the present invention shows the pressure release holes 312a and 312b located in the middle sub-panel member 310b, they may be located in other portions of the panel member 310 to achieve similar objects without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. Indeed, in alternative embodiments of the present invention, the golf club head 300 may be constructed without any pressure relief holes 312a and 312b without departing from the scope and content of the present invention (see FIG. 7).

Finally, FIG. 3 of the drawings also shows a plurality of ribs 314a and 314b connected to the bottom sub-panel member 310c and the bottom to provide structural rigidity to the panel member 310 to further adjust the acoustic characteristics of the golf club head 300 without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. It should be noted that although fig. 3 shows two ribs 314a and 314b, the present invention introduces ribs 314a and 314b only when the acoustic characteristics of the golf club head 300 require further adjustment. Indeed, in alternative embodiments, 1 rib, 3 ribs, or any plurality of ribs may be used as desired without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. Indeed, in extreme cases, the current design may not introduce any ribs at all (see fig. 6).

FIG. 4 of the drawings shows an exploded view of a golf club head 400 according to one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 4 an exploded view of the golf club head 400 shown here allows the relationship between the various components to be more clearly shown. More specifically, fig. 4 introduces the ability that the sole 406 of the golf club head may be detached from the frame 401 of the golf club head 400. The sole 406 and crown 404 cooperate to create the aforementioned rear weight-reduction chamber, which is again separated from the front acoustic chamber by the panel member 410. This exploded front view, with the striking face 402 removed, allows the front acoustic chamber to be more clearly shown, and also shows a front view of the panel member 410. Similar to the above discussion, the panel member 410 may be further divided into an upper sub-panel member (not shown in fig. 4), a middle sub-panel member 410b and a lower sub-panel member 410c, all of which simultaneously introduce the same pressure release holes 412a and 412b (not shown in fig. 4).

The cross-sectional view of the golf club head 400 may be of greater help to more clearly show the relationship between the front sound chamber and the rear weight reduction chamber. Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings does so entirely by providing a cross-sectional view of a golf club head 500 in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of this invention. While the foregoing discussion has suggested the presence of a front sound chamber 520 and a rear weight reduction chamber 522 within the golf club head 500, the cross-sectional view of the golf club head 500 identifies here the front sound chamber 520 and the rear weight reduction chamber 522, which are separated by the panel member 510 and which bifurcate the golf club head. The front acoustic chamber 520 shown here includes the front of the golf club head 500 frame and the striking face 502 insert. The rear weight reduction chamber 522 may generally include at least one composite panel that helps achieve weight reduction goals for the golf club head 500. As used herein, the phrase "composite material" may refer to any material in general terms having two or more different materials combined together, but in a preferred embodiment of the invention, fiber reinforced plastic is the general material. In this particular embodiment shown in fig. 5, the golf club head 500 incorporates two composite panels by incorporating a lightweight composite crown 504 and a lightweight composite sole 506 to maximize weight reduction; in alternative embodiments, however, any of the described components may be used alone without the other components without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.

In addition to showing the relationship between the front sound chamber 520 and the rear weight reduction chamber 522, the cross-sectional view of the golf club head 500 shown in FIG. 5 also provides a perspective of the volumes relative to each other to create a very critical volume ratio. First and foremost, this cross-sectional view is taken along a plane passing through the golf club head from front to back, and along the center down through the center of the face. The golf club head 500 may have a typical front to back volume ratio of less than about 0.50, more preferably less than about 0.40, and most preferably less than about 0.35; wherein the front-to-back volume ratio is defined by the following equation (1):

volume equation (1) of front-rear volume ratio of front sound chamber 520/rear weight reduction chamber 522

More specifically, the volume of the front acoustic chamber 520 may generally be less than about 230cc, more preferably less than about 150cc, and most preferably less than about 100 cc; the volume of the rear lightening chamber 522 may then be greater than about 230cc, more preferably greater than about 310cc, and most preferably greater than about 360 cc.

The panel member 510 of the illustrated embodiment of the invention may generally have a thickness d1 of about 0.1mm to about 2.0mm, more preferably about 0.25mm to about 1.0mm, and most preferably about 0.5 mm. The thickness of the face plate member 510 is important and critical to the proper functioning of the golf club head 500 because it creates the necessary barrier between the front sound chamber 520 and the rear weight reduction chamber 522. If the thickness d1 of the panel member 510 is too thick, the relationship between the vibrations of the front acoustic chamber 520 and the rear weight-reduction chamber 522 may no longer be synchronized, which eliminates the efficiency of the front acoustic chamber 520. Alternatively, if the thickness d1 is too thin, the degree of correlation between the two chambers may be too high, which may cause the composite material used for the rear weight reduction chamber 522 to over-damp the acoustic signature. It is noted herein that although the thickness d1 is shown herein as being constant throughout the face plate member 510, the thickness may vary depending on the needs of the golf club head 500 without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.

Fig. 5 of the drawings also shows the placement of the face member 510 relative to the front striking surface of the golf club head 500. In such exemplary embodiments of the invention, the top of the panel member 510 may be generally positioned at a distance d2 of about 8mm to about 36mm, more preferably about 9mm to about 24mm, and most preferably about 10 mm. The bottom of the panel member 510 may be positioned at a distance d3 of about 13mm to about 51mm, more preferably about 14mm to about 45mm, and most preferably about 15 mm. It should be noted here that the distance d3 is here intentionally greater than the distance d2 to produce the desired acoustic characteristics in the front acoustic chamber 520. To achieve this acoustic characteristic, the specific ratio between the distance d2 at the top and the distance d3 at the bottom is kept at about 0.45 to 0.70, more preferably about 0.50 to about 0.60, most preferably about 0.55; which is referred to as the panel offset ratio. The panel shift ratio is defined by the following equation (2):

panel offset ratio distance d2 from frontal plane crown/distance d3 from frontal plane sole

Equation (2) fig. 5 of the drawings also shows a specific geometry for creating panel member 510, wherein a three-sided panel member 510 creates a unique geometry wherein the center of panel member 510 is further away from striking face 502 to increase the volume of front sound chamber 520. In other words, it can be stated that the panel member has a unique geometry in which the center of the panel member 510 is further away from the striking face 502 than the panel member 510 at the crown 504 and sole 506 portions.

More specifically, a careful inspection of the panel member 510 of FIG. 5 may reveal that the upper sub-panel member may form an angle θ of about 10 degrees to about 15 degrees, more preferably about 12 degrees to about 14 degrees, and most preferably about 13 degrees with the intermediate sub-panel member, the lower sub-panel member and the intermediate sub-panel member form an angle β of about 16 degrees to about 20 degrees, more preferably about 17 degrees to about 19 degrees, and most preferably about 18 degrees, it should be noted herein that, like the intentional difference between distances d2 and d3, the angular difference of the upper sub-panel member and the lower sub-panel member is intentional and critical in achieving the desired acoustic characteristics of the golf club head 500, as it changes the angle of the panel.

Finally, FIG. 5 shows a different method of joining the crown 504 composite panel and the sole 506 composite panel as it relates to the frame of the golf club head 500. In such embodiments of the invention, the crown 504 composite panel may be connected to the golf club head 500 generally via a recessed exterior created in the club head 500, with the sole 506 composite panel being connected to the golf club head 500 via an open interior created in the crown 504 area. This combination of different attachment mechanisms is beneficial to the present invention because it allows for different unique configurations, which were previously difficult to achieve. In one example, the internal connections of the bottom 506 composite will allow the addition of internal ribs, where such internal ribs would not be physically possible if the connections were external. Although the present invention shows the crown 504 composite being external and the sole 506 composite being internal, the two joining methods could be reversed with the crown 504 being internally mounted without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.

Fig. 6 of the drawings shows a golf club head 600 in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which the face plate member 610 does not require any ribs. This alternative embodiment still introduces a multi-faceted panel member 610 that divides the panel member 610 into three separate sub-components and still uses the pressure relief holes 612a and 612b to achieve the desired acoustic performance. It should be noted that the necessity and placement of the ribs and pressure relief holes 612a and 612b will generally depend on the shape, contour, choice of materials, and the acoustic characteristics it produces of the golf club head 600, and that any of these components may exist independently of one another without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. In this current embodiment shown in fig. 6, the golf club head 600 may exhibit sufficient structural rigidity at the bottom in the face plate member 610, but the acoustic attenuation within the front sound chamber builds up excessive pressure and needs to be released via the pressure release holes 612a and 612 b.

Indeed, fig. 7 of the drawings shows only one of the alternative embodiments of the present invention in which a golf club head 700 incorporates a plurality of ribs 714a and 714b without the need for pressure relief holes. Such an embodiment may be preferred when the acoustic characteristics of the golf club head are undesirable due to the lack of rigidity at the bottom of the face plate member 710.

Fig. 8 of the drawings shows a golf club head 800 in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, wherein a panel member 810 separating the front sound chamber and the rear weight reduction chamber may include a super-high pressure relief vent 812 to help achieve different acoustic frequencies that may be required for the golf club head 800. In this embodiment of the invention, the area of the super large pressure relief hole 812 is typically greater than about 2,000mm²And more preferably greater than about 2,200mm²Most preferably greater than about 2,400mm². The super large pressure relief hole 812 may be desirable in situations where the acoustic performance of the golf club head 800 requires such a design.

To illustrate the relationship between the front sound chamber and the rear weight reduction chamber in this alternative embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is provided herein to show a cross-sectional view of a golf club head 800 according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. In this cross-sectional view, it can be seen that the super large pressure relief holes 812 provide a large connection between the front acoustic chamber 820 and the rear weight-reduction chamber 822, which not only serves the aforementioned acoustic performance, but may also provide additional weight reduction also from the panel member 810.

Fig. 10 and 11 provide rear open and cross-sectional views of a golf club head 1000 in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which the super high pressure relief holes 1012 created in the panel member 1010 may be covered with a lightweight panel 1016 to restore some of the acoustic features and provide greater separation between the front sound chamber 1020 and the rear weight reduction chamber 1022. The lightweight panels 1016 may be attached using different attachment means, such as gluing, screwing, swaging, to name a few. One thing to appreciate is that because the lightweight panel 1016 is placed away from the front contact area, impact stresses are less, which allows for simpler attachment means.

Fig. 12 and 13 provide rear open and cross-sectional views of a golf club head 1200 in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, wherein the face plate member 1210 may take a slightly different shape than the previous embodiments. More specifically, fig. 12 and 13 show a golf club head 1200 with a panel member 1210 that curves away from the front of the golf club head 1200 rather than being faceted into three distinct regions as shown in the previous embodiments. Alternatively, it may be stated that the shape of panel member 1210 is continuously curved, and that the center of panel member 1210 is positioned further away from striking face 1202 than the crown 1204 and sole 1206 portions of panel member 1210. Having a panel member 1210 that includes a continuous curvature may be beneficial in certain embodiments where the acoustic characteristics of the front acoustic chamber 1220 require more vibration where the convergence point of previous designs would have destroyed such vibration. Additionally, the rear weight loss chamber 1222 may also benefit by minimizing the volume within the chamber. It should be noted that while the embodiment of the present invention shown in fig. 12 and 13 does not incorporate any ribs or pressure relief holes, they may be incorporated into such a design depending on the acoustic needs of the golf club head 1200 without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.

Fig. 14 and 15 provide rear open and cross-sectional views of a golf club head 1400 according to even another alternative embodiment of the present invention, where the panel member 1410 is a completely vertical wall. A panel member having a substantially vertical wall shape is generally less desirable in producing suitable acoustic characteristics in the front acoustic chamber 1420 because the substantially vertical panel member 1410 may hinder the golf club head 1400's ability to generate the vibrations needed to achieve the desired sound. Instead, the rear weight reduction chamber 1422 is adjusted accordingly. However, in extreme cases where the profile of the golf club head 1400 requires such a design, such alternative embodiments of the invention will provide a golf club head 1400 that can achieve the desired acoustic characteristics.

Fig. 16 and 17 provide exploded perspective and cross-sectional views of a golf club head 1600 in accordance with even another alternative embodiment of the present invention. In this alternative embodiment of the invention, the golf club head 1600 is split into two separate components: a front metal portion 1630 and a rear composite portion 1632. It should be noted that the front metal portion 1630 and the rear composite portion 1632 refer to the external physical components that make up the golf club head 1600, while the front sound chamber 1620 and the rear weight reduction chamber 1622 refer to the internal components within the golf club head 1600. In this embodiment of the invention, the external physical components of the golf club head 1600 are the striking face 1602, a front metal portion 1630 (which has a front opening and forms the face plate member 1610) and a rear composite portion 1632. The exploded view of the golf club head 1600 shown in fig. 16 shows the differences between the two embodiments of the present invention, particularly when compared to the exploded view of the golf club head 400 (shown in fig. 4). More specifically, it can be seen here that the embodiment shown in fig. 16 has any metal components removed completely from the rear of the golf club head 1600, and has composite material used completely in the rear half of the golf club head 1600 to further reduce weight.

To illustrate the relationship between the external physical components and the internal components, fig. 17 provides a cross-sectional view of a golf club head 1600. In this cross-sectional view of the golf club head 1600, it can be seen that the front sound chamber 1620 is formed entirely through the front metal portion 1630, similar to all of the previously described embodiments. However, the rear composite portion 1632 shown in this cross-sectional view shows that the entire back of the golf club head 1600 is made of a composite material, which makes the front sound chamber 1620 even more important in creating proper acoustic characteristics. In this embodiment of the invention, the trailing composite portion 1632 is bonded to the leading metal portion 1630 via a lap joint, with the trailing composite portion 1632 underlying the leading metal portion 1630. This type of unique construction of placing composite material underneath a metal material may be beneficial for the performance of golf club head 1600 because it particularly facilitates the use of internal ribs to provide structural rigidity to composite materials that tend to require such support. It should be noted herein, however, that while the golf club head shown in this embodiment of the present invention shows a lap joint, numerous other types of joints may be used so long as it is capable of connecting the front metal portion 1630 and the rear composite portion 1632 without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.

Many of the foregoing discussions have involved the use of a front acoustic chamber to produce desired acoustic characteristics for golf club heads using different designs and embodiments. Thus, the invention would be inadvertent if no more information was provided about what acoustic characteristics it achieved.

FIG. 18 of the drawings shows a time series diagram of sound amplitudes produced by a golf club head of the present invention according to one embodiment of the present invention. As the foregoing discussion shows, the sound of a golf club head according to the present invention is one of the key factors in determining the performance of a golf club head. Before discussing the entry into actual data, it is worth stating that the measured parameters of the present invention will yield the results shown in FIG. 18. The time-series diagram being obtained using a sound recorder, e.g.

A DH-P2 portable high definition stereo recorder collects the audio curves along with an a-weighted microphone. The recording was recorded at a distance of 39 inches from the impact between the golf club head and the golf ball, which was determined to be the distance closest to the simulated golfer's ear, as if he or she had been playing golf. The data was sampled at 44.1Hz to resolve the appropriate frequency.

Turning to the actual data shown in FIG. 18, we can see that on the x-axis, the time of sound recording is shown in 0.01 second increments; on the other hand, the amplitude (millivolts) of the sound is shown on the y-axis. In the present sound recording shown in FIG. 18, it can be seen that the sound recording begins at a time 1844 just prior to impact with a golf ball and forms a sine wave that reaches a peak amplitude A at a point in time 1840_max. Once the sound reaches peak amplitude A at time point 1840_maxThe amplitude begins to resonate and begins to drop until it completely dissipates. But before it dissipates, it is worth noting the point at which the amplitude drops to the peak amplitude a_maxBelow 10%, it is particularly noticeable because it defines a point in time 1842 at which the sound amplitude becomes a boundary line where the bare ear becomes negligible. Due to the natural tendency of sound to oscillate as shown in fig. 18, it was determined for practical visual observation that sound oscillation actually reached below the peak amplitude a_max10% of the time can be difficult. Thus, to help facilitate easy determination and to help pinpoint the natural vibration variations of these sonograms, the time at the amplitude is determined using a running average of the 5 most recent data points. To mark the peak amplitude A_maxWhich is said to occur at time point 1842 shown in fig. 18. In the present exemplary embodiment of the invention, the peak amplitude A_maxTypically about 0.50 millivolts, which occurs at time point 1840 of about 0.007 seconds; and a 10% reduced peak amplitude A_maxIs at time point 1842 of about 0.025 seconds. The time that occurs between these time points 1840 and 1842 is identified is critical because it helps define the critical time T_{Critical point of}. Critical time T_{Critical point of}A way to quantify the quality and desirability of the sound of a golf club head upon impact with a golf ball is provided. In the present embodiment of the invention, the critical time T_{Critical point of}May be about 0.018 seconds.

Typical critical time T for a golf club head according to the present invention_{Critical point of}Can be greater than about 0.01 seconds and less than about 0.02 seconds, and more preferably greater than about 0.015 secondsSeconds and less than about 0.02 seconds, and most preferably greater than about 0.0175 seconds and less than about 0.02 seconds, without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. In other words, it can be stated that the sound amplitude is from the peak amplitude A_maxTravel to peak amplitude a_maxThe time taken for 10% of the amplitude of the signal is defined as the critical time T_{Critical point of}And is typically greater than about 0.01 seconds and less than about 0.02 seconds, more preferably greater than about 0.015 seconds and less than about 0.02 seconds, and most preferably greater than about 0.0175 seconds and less than about 0.02 seconds.

Fig. 19 of the accompanying drawings provides an illustration of a time series diagram of a prior art golf club head incorporating a composite crown technology that fails to identify the importance of the sound component of the golf club head. As can be seen from FIG. 19, not only the peak amplitude A_max(close to about 0.25 millivolts) is significantly lower than the golf club heads of the present invention and the amplitude is lost quickly, resulting in a critical time T of less than about 0.01 seconds_{Critical point of}. In such an exemplary prior art golf club head, peak amplitude A_maxOccurs at a time of about 0.008 seconds and a 10% reduced peak amplitude A_maxOccurs at a time of about 0.015 seconds, which results in a critical time T of about 0.007 seconds_{Critical point of}Significantly less than the T of the golf club head of the present invention of about 0.01 seconds to 0.02 seconds_{Critical point of}And (3) a range. The time series of this prior art, shown in fig. 19, generally produces undesirable sound, which the present invention avoids by adjusting the thickness ranges of the different materials and their respective layers.

Fig. 20 provides more information about the acoustic characteristics of a golf club head according to the present invention that produces a desirable sound. Although the amplitude and duration of the sound are important factors, it does not depict the entire picture about capturing the golf club head sound. More specifically, the third component in accurately capturing the sound of a golf club head is the frequency of the sound emitted by the golf club head during impact with a golf ball. Fig. 20 accurately provides this information by displaying a spectrogram, which provides a visual representation of the spectrogram of a sound frequency as it changes over time. Although the spectrum provided in fig. 20 includes much information, a key feature to focus on is a dominant acoustic frequency 2046 that occurs at frequencies above 3500 kHz. The dominant frequency is determined by shading determined in the power/frequency table 2048 on the right side of the spectrogram itself shown in figure 20.

Similar to the discussion above regarding the amplitude of the current golf club head of the present invention, for a true understanding of the spectrogram of the acoustic characteristics of the current golf club head, a prior art golf club head that includes undesirable acoustic characteristics is presented herein in fig. 21. FIG. 21 of the accompanying drawings provides a spectrogram of a prior art golf club head having a composite material that produces undesirable acoustic characteristics. Even a rough examination of the spectrogram shown in fig. 21 shows a clear difference from the spectrogram of the present invention golf club head shown in fig. 20. More specifically, a close examination of FIG. 21 reveals that the dominant acoustic frequency 2146 occurs at a frequency of about 2100kHz, which is significantly less than 3500 kHz. This gap between this prior art golf club head and the present invention golf club head at a frequency of approximately 1400kHz, in combination with the rapid over-damping of the golf club head excursion, explains the aforementioned difference between desirable and undesirable acoustic characteristics.

Finally, it is worth noting here that the face plate member typically has its own resonant frequency greater than 3300kHz, which when combined with other structures of the golf club head, produces the above-described golf club head resonant frequency.

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 position, loft, draft, various performance ratios, and others in the preceding portions of the specification are to be understood as beginning with 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 different ranges are set forth herein, it is understood that any combination of these values, including the recited values, can be used.

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