CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/429,692, filed on Jan. 4, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present application generally relates to golf clubs, and more particularly, to golf club heads with apertures and methods to manufacture golf club heads.

BACKGROUND

A golf club head, and in particular the crown of the golf club head, may be divided into several regions for purposes of illustrating the effects of forces generated by the impact of a golf ball against the face of the golf club head. The first region is in communication with the impact surface defined by the face of the golf club head such that the impact of a golf ball at the face directly causes internal stresses to be generated by the impact force of the golf ball that travels through and directly affects the first region of the crown. In addition, a second region of the golf club head may be defined along the crown between the first region and the back of the golf club head such that relatively lower stress and vibration should be felt in the second region by the forces generated after the impact of a golf ball against the face in comparison to the first region of the golf club head.

Many golf club heads are formed with a number of relatively large apertures defined along the second region of the crown in order to lessen the weight of the golf club head and/or change its center of gravity. However, this arrangement of large apertures can cause a disproportionate or uneven distribution of internal stresses through the second region of the crown when a golf ball strikes the face of the golf club head. In particular, stress risers, which are pockets of concentrated stress, can develop in the material of the crown between the apertures. Stress risers are caused when internal stresses generated by the impact force of a golf ball are distributed unevenly through the second region of the crown and focused on particular portions of the golf club head. This disproportional distribution of internal stresses through the second region of the crown can cause the structural failure of the golf club head over time as the area between the apertures crack or otherwise fail because of the excessive internal stresses being generated in the second region of the crown due to the bending forces being focused on a particular area of the crown after repeated impacts with a golf ball.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of one embodiment of a golf club head illustrating a plurality of apertures.

FIG. 2 is a perspective rear view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective side view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 illustrating the arrangement of the plurality of apertures along the crown of the golf club head.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of FIG. 6 illustrating the plurality of apertures defined within a recess of the golf club head.

FIG. 8 is a simplified illustration of the golf club head of FIG. 1 showing a first plane and the parallel association of the first plane with a loft plane defined by a face of the golf club head for illustrating the division between a first region and a second region of the golf club head.

FIG. 9 is a top view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 showing the division of the golf club head into the first region and the second region by a bell-shaped curve established by the first plane.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of four apertures of the plurality of apertures of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 11A-E are schematic diagrams of a plurality of apertures according to various embodiments.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating a method of manufacturing the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 is a top view of a portion of a crown of a golf club head according to another embodiment illustrating the arrangement of the plurality of apertures along the crown of the golf club head.

FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the golf club head of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a simplified illustration of the golf club head of FIG. 13 showing a first plane and the parallel association of the first plane with a loft plane defined by a face of the golf club head for illustrating the division between a first region and a second region of the golf club head.

FIG. 16 is a top view of the golf club head of FIG. 13 showing the division of the golf club head into the first region and the second region by a bell-shaped curve established by the first plane.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart illustrating a method of manufacturing the golf club head of FIG. 13.

FIG. 18 is a top view of a golf club head according to another embodiment illustrating the arrangement of the plurality of apertures along the crown of the golf club head.

FIG. 19 is a bottom view of the golf club head of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a simplified illustration of the golf club head of FIG. 18 showing a first plane and the parallel association of the first plane with a loft plane defined by a face of the golf club head for illustrating the division between a first region and a second region of the golf club head.

FIG. 21 is a top view of the golf club head of FIG. 18 showing the division of the golf club head into the first region and the second region by a bell-shaped curve established by the first plane.

FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of several apertures of the plurality of apertures of the golf club head of FIG. 18.

FIG. 23 is a flow chart illustrating a method of manufacturing the golf club head of FIG. 18.

FIG. 24 is a top view of a golf club head according to another embodiment illustrating the arrangement of the plurality of apertures along the crown of the golf club head.

FIG. 25 is a bottom view of the golf club head of FIG. 24.

FIG. 26 is a simplified illustration of the golf club head of FIG. 24 showing a first plane and the parallel association of the first plane with a loft plane defined by a face of the golf club head for illustrating the division between a first region and a second region of the golf club head.

FIG. 27 is a top view of the golf club head of FIG. 24 showing the division of the golf club head into the first region and the second region by a bell-shaped curve established by the first plane.

FIG. 28 is a flow chart illustrating a method of manufacturing the golf club head of FIG. 24.

FIG. 29 is a graph illustrating stress profiles of golf club heads according to several embodiments.

FIGS. 30-35 are several embodiments of golf club heads used for the stress profiles illustrated in FIG. 29.

FIG. 36 is another graph illustrating stress profiles of golf club heads according to several embodiments.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding elements among the view of the drawings. The headings used in the figures should not be interpreted to limit the scope of the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A golf club head may be divided into several regions for purposes of illustrating the effects of forces generated by the impact of a golf ball against face of the golf club head. As noted above, the first region is in communication with the impact surface defined by the face of the golf club head such that the impact of a golf ball at the face directly causes internal stresses generated by the force of the impact with the golf ball to travel through and directly affect the first region of the golf club head. A second region of the golf club head may be defined between the first region and the back of the golf club head such that a relatively lower stress and vibration are experienced in the second region by the forces generated after the impact of a golf ball against the face in comparison to the first region.

Referring to the drawings, an embodiment of a golf club head is illustrated and generally indicated as 100 in FIG. 1. In general, the golf club head 100 may include a face 102, a sole 105, a heel 106, a toe 110, and a plurality of grooves 115. The golf club head 100 may be a single piece or include multiple portions manufactured together. In one example, the golf club head 100 may be a hollow body formed by a casting process or other suitable type of manufacturing process. In addition, the face 102 may be an integral part of the golf club head 100. Alternatively, the face 102 may be a separate piece from or an insert for a body of the golf club head 100.

The golf club head 100 includes a hosel 108 that defines an aperture 113 configured to engage a shaft (not shown). In particular, the shaft may engage the golf club head 100 on one end and engage a grip (not shown) on an opposite end. For example, the golf club head 100 may be a wood-type golf club, such as a driver-type golf club head, a fairway wood-type golf club head (e.g., 2-wood golf club, 3-wood golf club, 4-wood golf club, 5-wood golf club, 6-wood golf club, 7-wood golf club, 8-wood golf club, or a 9-wood golf club), a hybrid-type golf club head or any other suitable type of golf club head with a hollow body or a body with one or more cavities, apertures, recesses or channels. Although the above examples may depict and/or describe a wood-type golf club head (e.g. driver-type golf club head, a fairway-type golf club head, a hybrid-type golf club head), the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein may be applicable to other suitable types of golf club heads.

In addition, the face 102 may be formed adjacent the hosel 108 and provides a surface for striking a golf ball (not shown). The face 102 may be made from one or more metals or metal alloys such as a steel material, a titanium material, a titanium alloy material, a titanium-based material, a combination thereof, one or more composite materials, one or more plastic materials, or other suitable type of materials: however, the face 102 may be made from the same material(s) that constitute the golf club head 100 as described in greater detail below. In particular, the face 102 may include a plurality of grooves, generally shown as 115 in FIG. 1. The golf club head 100 further includes a back 111 formed opposite the face 102 with the sole 105 being defined between the back 111 and the face 102. As further shown, a crown 109 is formed opposite the sole 105, while the face 102 is defined by the heel 106 formed adjacent the hosel 108 and the toe 110 defined at the far end of the face 102. The face 102 further includes a top edge 104 defined between the crown 109 and the face 102 as well as a leading edge 103 defined between the sole 105 and the face 102. In one embodiment, the back 111 may define a cavity 132 configured to receive an insert 134 in order to change the center of gravity and the moment of inertia of the golf club head 100: however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard. Although the golf club head 100 may conform to rules and/or standards of golf defined by various golf standard organizations, governing bodies, and/or rule establishing entities, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard.

Referring to FIG. 9, in one embodiment the crown 109 may include a first region 118 and a second region 120 with a bell-shaped curve 122 that may define the boundary between the first and second regions 118 and 120. Details of the bell-shaped curve are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 7,892,111, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. The first region 118 may sustain and endure relatively more stress than the second region 120 in response to an impact on the face 102 of the golf club head 100 by an object such as a golf ball (not shown). In one example, the bell-shaped curve 122 may include a first point 125, a second point 126 and a third point 127. The first point 125 may be located at or proximate the toe 110 of the golf club head 100, while the second point 126 may be located at or proximate the heel 106 of the golf club head 100. The third point 127 may be located at or proximate a midpoint defined between the first and second points 125 and 126 with the third point 127 being defined closer to the back 111 of the golf club head 100 than first and second points 125 and 126.

As shown in FIG. 8, the bell-shaped curve 122 that defines the boundary between the first and second regions 118 and 120 of the crown 109 may be determined by the relationship between a loft angle 114 of the face 102 and a first plane 116 separated by a predetermined distance D1. In one embodiment, the predetermined distance D1 may be defined as the distance between the top edge 104 of the face 102 and the first plane 116 at the location where first plane 116 intersects the crown 109. For example, the predetermined distance D1 may be greater than one inch. Alternatively, the predetermined distance D1 may be defined as the distance between the leading edge 103 of the face 102 and the location of the first plane 116 where the first plane 116 intersects the sole 105. In addition, the position of the first plane 116 may be established by the orientation or angle of the loft angle 114 of the golf club head 100. In one embodiment, the loft angle 114 may be established by the angle of the face 102 for a particular golf club head 100. For example, the loft angle 114 for a driver-type golf club head may range between 6Â° to 16Â°, while the loft angle 114 for a fairway-type golf club head may range between 12Â° to 30Â°. The loft angle 114 for a hybrid-type golf club head may range between 16Â° to 34Â°. As such, the location of the bell-shaped curve 122 along the crown 109, may be determined by the intersection of the first plane 116 with the crown 109 to establish the location of either the first and second points 125 and 126 (FIG. 9), or the third point 127 of the bell-shaped curve 122.

Referring to FIGS. 1-7, one embodiment of the golf club head 100 may further include a plurality of apertures 112 formed within a recess 128 defined by a perimeter 124 located in the second region 120 of the crown 109. In one example, the bell-shaped curve 122 may define a portion of the perimeter 124 that communicates with the first region 118. The recess 128 may also form a recess lip 136 defined along the perimeter 124 such that the recess 128 is positioned relatively lower on the crown 109 than the first region 118.

FIG. 10 shows a schematic view of four of the apertures 112. Each aperture 112 may have a diameter DA and be spaced apart from an adjacent aperture by a perimeter-to-perimeter distance PP and a center-to-center distance CC. If the apertures 112 are spaced apart at a fixed distance CC, the diameter DA and the distance PP inversely affect each other since increasing the diameter DA reduces the distance PP and decreasing the diameter DA increases the distance PP. For example, as shown by the apertures 112A (i.e., larger aperture shown with dashed lines), the diameter DA1 is larger than the diameter DA of the apertures 112. Accordingly, the distance PP1 is smaller than the distance PP. In another example, as shown by apertures 112B (i.e., smaller aperture shown with dashed lines); the diameter DA2 is smaller than the diameter DA of the apertures 112. Accordingly, the distance PP2 is larger than the distance PP.

The apertures 112A may represent a maximum aperture size for the fixed distance CC. Any aperture size larger than the noted maximum may reduce the distance PP to such an extent that the strength and structural resilience of the golf club head 100 may be compromised. The maximum aperture size, however, may vary depending on physical properties of the golf club head, such as materials from which the crown 109 is constructed and/or thickness of the crown 109. For example, increased rigidity in the material from which the crown 109 is constructed may allow a greater maximum aperture size.

The apertures 112B may represent a minimum aperture size for the fixed distance CC. Any aperture size smaller than the noted minimum may diminish the properties imparted on the golf club head due to having the apertures 112 on the crown 109 as described herein. The minimum aperture size, however, may vary depending on physical properties of the golf club head, such as materials from which the crown is constructed and/or thickness of the crown. For example, reduced rigidity in the material from which the crown 109 is constructed may reduce the minimum allowable aperture size.

Referring to FIG. 10, a line 119 schematically and generally represents the face 102. The apertures 112 are arranged in a diamond pattern relative to the line 119. However, any aperture pattern and/or orientation may be used to provide the properties for the golf club head as described herein.

Referring to FIGS. 11A-E, several examples of different aperture patterns are shown. In FIG. 11A, the apertures 112 are arranged in a square pattern. In FIG. 11B, six apertures 112 surround a center aperture 112 to resemble a hexagonal pattern. In FIG. 11C, the apertures 112 are arranged in a triangular pattern. In FIG. 11D, the apertures 112 are arranged in a large square pattern with a large center section 121 that does not include any apertures. In FIG. 11E, the apertures 112 are arranged in a random pattern. The patterns of FIGS. 11A-E are exemplary and illustrate the numerous possibilities for aperture patterns on the crown. Furthermore, if the apertures 112 have different sizes, then the number of possible aperture patterns may increase.

In the above exemplary description of FIG. 10, the distance CC was assumed to be fixed while the diameter DA and the distance PP are varied. However, as illustrated in FIGS. 11A-E, any of the parameters DA, PP or CC may be varied or fixed to provide a certain aperture size, distance, pattern, orientation and/or distribution on the crown 109. For example, if the diameter DA is fixed, i.e., a certain aperture size is preferred, then the distance CC and the distance PP directly affect each other. For example, reducing the distance CC also reduces the distance PP. In another example, if the distance PP is fixed, i.e., apertures having the same perimeter-to-perimeter distance PP are preferred, then both the distance CC and the diameter DA may be varied to provide a preferred distribution configuration of apertures 112 on the crown 109. Thus, any one or more of the parameters DA, PP and CC can be changed for each pair of adjacent apertures 112 to provide certain aperture sizes, inter-aperture distances, patterns, orientation and/or distribution patterns on the crown 109.

In one example, a ratio of the distance PP to the diameter DA may be fixed according to the following formula:

PP=DAÂ·R

Where R represents a constant. R may be determined based on experimental results, some of which are provided in detail below. According to one example, experimental results with different aperture configurations have pointed to R having a value of 1.23 for a golf club head having certain physical characteristics and material properties to provide sufficient strength and structural resilience to the golf club head while removing near optimum or optimum amount of mass from the crown. The noted experimental results are described in detail herein. Accordingly, if the diameter DA is 0.093â€³ (0.2 cm), the distance PP is 0.115â€³ (0.3 cm).

In one aspect, the plurality of apertures 112 located in the recess within the second region 120 of the crown 109 removes mass from one portion of the golf club head 100 and moves that mass to another more optimal location of the golf club head 100, while still providing sufficient strength and structural resilience to the golf club head 100. In addition, the plurality of apertures 112 provides a generally more even distribution of forces through the crown 109 after impact of the face 102 with a golf ball (not shown) as compared to a crown 109 without having any apertures. This structural arrangement of a plurality of apertures 112 prevents impact forces on the face 102 from being focused at particular portions of the golf club head 100 during travel of these forces through the second region 120 of the crown 109, and in particular to those portions of the crown 109 defined between the plurality of apertures 112. This generally more even distribution of force through the crown 109 after impact by the plurality of apertures 112 also prevents structural failure of the golf club head 100 over time that can be caused by stress risers or stress collectors focusing impact forces at particular areas of the crown 109 caused by the uneven distribution of these forces through the second region 120 after impact as discussed above.

In one embodiment, a protective cover 130 may be engaged to the crown 109 to cover the plurality of apertures 112. The protective cover 130 may be constructed from any type of metallic, artificial or natural materials. For example, the protective cover 130 may be a film or tape made from a polycarbonate or polymeric material having an adhesive on one side that permits the protective cover 130 to adhere to and cover either a portion or the entire crown 109. In some embodiments, the protective cover 130 may be made from a polycarbonate material that exhibits high impact-resistance, while also having low scratch-resistance. In other embodiments, the protective cover 130 may be made from any type of polymeric material, such as polyethylene, neoprene, nylon, polystyrene, polypropylene or combinations thereof. In another embodiment the protective cover 130 may be a rigid cover made from the same material(s) discussed above that allow for structural engagement of the protective cover 130 along the perimeter 124 of the recess 128 to cover the plurality of apertures 112. In either of these arrangements, the protective cover 130 permits the area of the second region 120 of the crown 109, for example the area of the recess 128, to be at the same level as the first region 118 of the crown 109; however, the protective cover 130 does not have to provide any structural reinforcement to the crown 109 that is necessary for protective covers used with prior art golf club heads having larger apertures. The apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard.

While the above embodiments may describe a golf club head 100 including a recess (e.g., recess 128), the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein may not include a recess. For example, the plurality of apertures 112 may be defined along the second region 120 of the crown 109 such that the second region 120 is flush with the first region 118. As such, some embodiments of the golf club head 100 do not require either a recess 128 to define an area for forming the plurality of apertures 112 and/or a protective cover 130 to encase or otherwise cover the plurality of apertures 112.

In other embodiments, each of the plurality of apertures 112 may have a range of diameters. The diameter of each aperture 112 of the plurality of apertures 112 may be between 0.005 inches to 0.40 inches (e.g., 0.0127 cm to 1.016 cm). The lower range values may be 0.005 inches (0.0127 cm), 0.006 inches (0.0152 cm), 0.007 inches (0.0178 cm), 0.008 inches (0.0203 cm), 0.009 inches (0.0229 cm), 0.01 inches (0.0254 cm), 0.02 inches (0.0508 cm), 0.03 inches (0.0762 cm), or 0.04 inches (0.1016 cm). The upper range of the diameter of the apertures 112 may be 0.32 inches (0.813 cm), 0.33 inches (0.838 cm), 0.34 inches (0.864 cm), 0.35 inches (0.889 cm), 0.36 inches (0.914 cm), 0.37 inches (0.940 cm), 0.39 inches (0.991 cm), or 0.40 inches (0.1.016 cm).

In another example, the range of the diameter of each aperture 112 of the plurality of apertures 112 may be between 0.05 inches (0.127 cm) to 0.31 inches (e.g., 0.05 inches (0.127 cm), 0.06 inches (0.152 cm), 0.07 inches (0.179 cm), 0.08 inches (0.203 cm), 0.09 inches (0.229 cm), 0.10 inches (0.254 cm), 0.11 inches (0.279 cm), 0.12 inches (0.305 cm), 0.13 inches (0.330 cm), 0.14 inches (0.356 cm), 0.15 inches (0.381 cm), 0.16 inches (0.406 cm), 0.17 inches (0.432 cm), 0.18 inches (0.457 cm), 0.19 inches (0.483 cm), 0.20 inches (0.508 cm), 0.21 inches (0.533 cm), 0.22 inches (0.559 cm), 0.23 inches (0.584 cm) 0.24 inches (0.610 cm), 0.25 inches (0.635 cm), 0.26 inches (0.660 cm), 0.27 inches (0.686 cm), 0.28 inches (0.711 cm), 0.29 inches (0.737 cm), 0.30 inches (0.762 cm), or 0.31 inches (0.787 cm)). In yet another example, the diameter of each aperture 112 of the plurality of apertures 112 may be 0.022 inches (0.0559 cm), 0.020 inches (0.0508 cm), 0.018 inches (0.0457), or 0.016 inches (0.0406 cm), or may be 0.26 inches (0.660 cm), 0.27 inches (0.689), 0.28 inches (0.711 cm), or 0.29 inches (0.737 cm). In another embodiment, the diameter of each aperture 112 of the plurality of apertures 112 may be 0.093 inches (0.236 cm).

Although some of the above examples may describe all of the plurality of apertures 112 having an identical diameter or a substantially similar diameter, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods are not limited in this regard, For example, two or more apertures of the plurality of apertures 112 may have different diameters (e.g., the diameters of the plurality of apertures 112 may vary from one aperture to another). In particular, as described in detail below, a first aperture may be associated with a first diameter and a second aperture may be associated with a second diameter. The first diameter being greater than the second diameter.

In one embodiment, each aperture 112 of the plurality of apertures 112 may have a diameter no greater than 0.30 inches (0.762 cm). In another embodiment, each aperture 112 of the plurality of apertures 112 may have a diameter no greater than 0.25 inches (0.635 cm). In other embodiments, the plurality of apertures 112 may have diameters no greater than 0.20 inches (0.508 cm), while other embodiments, each of the plurality of apertures 112 may have diameters no greater than 0.175 inches (0.444 cm), 0.150 inches (0.381 cm), 0.125 inches (0.312 cm), 0.100 inches (0.254), 0.093 inches (0.236 cm), 0.075 (0.191 cm), or 0.050 (0.127 cm), respectively. In addition, the number of apertures 112 defined along the second region 120 of the crown 109 depends on the diameter of the plurality of apertures 112. For example, a golf club head 100 having an aperture diameter of 0.25 inches (0.635 cm) may have about 60 apertures, while a golf club head 100 having an aperture diameter of 0.093 inches (0.236 cm) may have about 576 apertures. In another example, a golf club head 100 having a combination of aperture diameters of 0.093 inches (0.236 cm) and 0.040 inches (0.102 cm) may have about 1500 apertures; however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard. In particular, the number and/or size of the pluralityy of apertures 112 may vary based on the volume of the golf club head 100 (e.g., a golf club head less than or equal to 470 cc).

The plurality of apertures 112 may also define different configurations and sizes. For example, the plurality of apertures 112 may have a round-shaped configuration, an oval-shaped configuration, a diamond-shaped configuration, a square-shaped configuration, a rectangular-shaped configuration, a hexagon-shaped configuration, a pentagon-shaped configuration, a linear-shaped configuration, and/or a non-linear-shaped configuration. In addition, the plurality of apertures 112 may have different diameters or configurations within a particular pattern. Finally, the pattern of the apertures 112 within the second region 120 may define a repeating pattern, non-repeating pattern, symmetrical pattern and/or non-symmetrical pattern; however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard. Further, while the above examples may describe the plurality of apertures 112 being located on the crown 109 of the golf club head 100, the plurality of apertures 112 may be located on other portion(s) of a golf club head (e.g., the sole only, the crown and the sole, etc).

In one embodiment, the golf club head 100 may be made from steel, steel alloy, titanium, titanium alloy (e.g., titanium 6-4 or titanium 8-1-1). In other embodiments, the golf club head 100 may be made from one or more materials including titanium, titanium alloys, magnesium, magnesium alloys, titanium aluminides, fiber-based composites, and metal matrix composites or mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, the fiber-based composite may be carbon fiber, fiberglass, or KEVLARÂ® or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the percentage of titanium may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 99% for titanium alloys and 100% for a golf club head 100 made entirely of 100% titanium. In other embodiments, the percentage of fiberglass may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%. In yet other embodiments, the percentage of KEVLARÂ® may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%. In some embodiments, the KEVLARÂ® may be any type of para-aramid synthetic fiber. In some embodiments the percentage of carbon fiber may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%. In some embodiments, the golf club head 100 may be 50% titanium and 50% of one or more of the fiber-based composite(s), although in other embodiments a golf club head according to the disclosure may constitute any of the percentages for titanium noted above in combination with one or more respective percentages of the fiber-based composite(s).

Referring to FIG. 12, a flow chart illustrates one method for manufacturing the golf club head 100 with a plurality of apertures 112. At block 1000, a mold (not shown) is provided for forming the golf club head 100. At block 1002, the golf club head 100 is formed using the mold having the face 102, sole 105, heel 106, toe 110, back 111, crown 109, and hosel 108 defining the aperture 113 configured to engage the shaft. In one embodiment, the crown 109 formed by the mold is defined between the back 111 and front edge 104 of the golf club head 100. In addition, the recess 128 may be defined along the crown 109 using the mold. At block 1004, the plurality of apertures 112 is formed along the crown 109. The plurality of apertures 112 may be formed using a stamping process that forms the apertures 112 entirely through the material of the crown 109. In the alternative, a plurality of small recesses (not shown) may be formed into but not entirely through the material of the crown 109 rather than the plurality of apertures 112; however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard. At block 1006, the protective cover 130 may be configured to engage and cover the plurality of apertures 112 within the perimeter 124 defined along the portion of the crown 109. As discussed above, the protective cover 130 may be a film or tape made from a polycarbonate or plastic material having an adhesive on one side that permits the protective cover 130 to adhere to and cover either a portion or the entire crown 109, while in another embodiment the protective cover 130 may be rigid cover that is structurally engaged along the perimeter 124 defined by the recess 128 to cover the plurality of apertures 112. In either of these arrangements, the protective cover 130 permits the area of the second region 120 of the crown 109, for example the recess 128, to be at the same level as the first region 118 of the crown 109; however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard.

Although a particular order of actions is illustrated in FIG. 12, these actions may be performed in other temporal sequences. For example, two or more actions depicted in FIG. 12 may be performed sequentially, concurrently, or simultaneously. Alternatively, two or more actions depicted may be performed in reversed order. Further, one or more actions depicted in FIG. 12 may not be performed at all. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.

Referring to FIG. 13-17, another embodiment of a golf club head is illustrated and generally indicated as 200. In general, the golf club head 200 may include a face 202, a sole 205, a heel 206, and a toe 210. The golf club head 200 may also include a plurality of grooves 215 on the face 202. The golf club head 200 may be a single piece or include multiple portions manufactured together. In one example, the golf club head 200 may be a hollow body formed by a casting process or other suitable type of manufacturing process. In addition, the face 202 may be an integral part of the golf club head 200. Alternatively, the face 202 may be a separate piece from or an insert for a body of the golf club head 200.

The golf club head 200 includes a hosel 208 that defines an aperture 213 configured to engage a shaft (not shown). In particular, the shaft may engage the golf club head 200 on one end and engage a grip (not shown) on an opposite end. For example, the golf club head 200 may be a wood-type golf club, such as a driver-type golf club head, a fairway wood-type golf club head (e.g., 2-wood golf club, 3-wood golf club, 4-wood golf club, 5-wood golf club, 6-wood golf club, 7-wood golf club, 8-wood golf club, or a 9-wood golf club), a hybrid-type golf club head or any other suitable type of golf club head with a hollow body or a body with one or more cavities, apertures, recesses or channels. Although the above examples may depict and/or describe a wood-type golf club head (e.g., driver-type golf club head, a fairway-type golf club head, a hybrid-type golf club head), the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein may be applicable to other suitable types of golf club heads.

In addition, the face 202 may be formed adjacent the hosel 208 and provides a surface for striking a golf ball (not shown). The face 202 may be made from one or more metals or metal alloys such as a steel material, a titanium material, a titanium alloy material, a titanium-based material, a combination thereof, one or more composite materials, one or more plastic materials, or other suitable type of materials; however, the face 202 may be made from the same material(s) that constitute the golf club head 200 as described in greater detail below. In particular, the face 202 may include a plurality of grooves 215. The golf club head 200 further includes a back 211 formed opposite the face 202 with the sole 205 being defined between the back 211 and the face 202. As further shown, a crown 209 is formed opposite the sole 205, while the face 202 is defined by the heel 206 formed adjacent the hosel 208 and the toe 210 defined at the far end of the face 202. The face 202 further includes a top edge 204 defined between the crown 209 and the face 202 as well as a leading edge 203 defined between the sole 205 and the face 202. Although the golf club head 200 may conform to rules and/or standards of golf defined by various golf standard organizations, governing bodies, and/or rule establishing entities, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard.

Referring to FIG. 16, in one embodiment the crown 209 may include a first region 218 and a second region 220 with a bell-shaped curve 222 that may define the boundary between the first and second regions 218 and 220. Details of the bell-shaped curve are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 7,892,111. The first region 218 may sustain and endure relatively more stress than the second region 220 in response to an impact on the face 202 of the golf club head 200 by an object such as a golf ball (not shown). In one example, the bell-shaped curve 222 may include a first point 225, a second point 226 and a third point 227. The first point 225 may be located at or proximate the toe 210 of the golf club head 200, while the second point 226 may be located at or proximate the heel 206 of the golf club head 200. The third point 227 may be located at or proximate a midpoint defined between the first and second points 225 and 226 with the third point 227 being defined closer to the back 211 of the golf club head 200 than first and second points 225 and 226.

As shown in FIG. 15, the bell-shaped curve 222 that defines the boundary between the first and second regions 218 and 220 of the crown 209 may be determined by the relationship between a loft angle 214 of the face 202 and a first plane 216 separated by a predetermined distance D1. In one embodiment, the predetermined distance D1 may be defined as the distance between the top edge 204 of the face 202 and the first plane 216 at the location where first plane 216 intersects the crown 209. For example, the predetermined distance D1 may be greater than one inch. Alternatively, the predetermined distance D1 may be defined as the distance between the leading edge 203 of the face 202 and the location of the first plane 216 where the first plane 216 intersects the sole 205. In addition, the position of the first plane 216 may be established by the orientation or angle of the loft angle 214 of the golf club head 200. In one embodiment, the loft angle 214 may be established by the angle of the face 102 for a particular golf club head 200. For example, the loft angle 214 for a driver-type golf club head may range between 6Â° to 16Â°, while the loft angle 214 for a fairway-type golf club head may range between 12Â° to 30Â°. The loft angle 214 for a hybrid-type golf club head may range between 16Â° to 34Â°. As such, the location of the bell-shaped curve 222 along the crown 209, may be determined by the intersection of the first plane 216 with the crown 209 to establish the location of either the first and second points 225 and 226 (FIG. 16), or the third point 227 of the bell-shaped curve 122.

Referring to FIG. 13, one embodiment of the golf club head 200 may further include a plurality of apertures 212 formed within a recess 228 defined by a perimeter 224 located in the second region 220 of the crown 209. In one example, the bell-shaped curve 222 may define a portion of the perimeter 224 that communicates with the first region 218. The recess 228 may also form a recess lip 236 defined along the perimeter 224 such that the recess 228 is positioned relatively lower on the crown 209 than the first region 218. The golf club head 200 also may include reinforcing ribs 219 in the second region 220 for increasing rigidity of the crown 209 at certain locations on the crown 209. In the example of FIG. 13, three reinforcing ribs, which are referred to as reinforcing ribs 219A-C are provided on the crown 209. The reinforcing ribs 219A-C may be defined by areas of the crown 209 that do not include the apertures 212. Accordingly, the reinforcing ribs 219 may be formed on the crown 209 by not forming apertures 212 on portions of the crown 209 that define the reinforcing ribs 219.

As shown in the example of FIG. 13, the reinforcing rib 219A may be generally perpendicular to the face 202 and bifurcate into the reinforcing ribs 219B and 219C to form a generally Y-shaped reinforcing structure. The reinforcing rib 219A may extend from the proximate to the third point 227 of the bell-shaped curve 222 toward the back 211. Accordingly, the impact force on the face 202 may be partly transferred to the reinforcing rib 219A. At a certain location in the second region 220, the reinforcing ribs 219B and 219C disperse or spread the impact force to the back 211. FIG. 13 shows one example of the reinforcing ribs 219, which are specifically shown as reinforcing ribs 219A-C. However, any reinforcing rib configuration can be provided on the crown 209. The width, length, orientation of each reinforcing rib 219 may depend on the size of the crown 209, the thickness or the crown 209, the sizes, distribution patterns, and other properties of the apertures 212, and/or the materials from which the crown 209 is constructed. For example, the reinforcing ribs 219A-C can be strategically located on the crown 220 to coincide with the highest stress locations on the crown 209 resulting from impact forces on the face 202. Generally, the width of a reinforcing rib may be greater than the greatest dimension of the apertures 212. For example, if the apertures 212 are circular, then the width of the reinforcing ribs 219 may be greater than the diameter of the apertures 212. Furthermore, the width of the reinforcing ribs 219 may be greater than the largest distance between any two adjacent apertures 212.

The reinforcing ribs 219 provide structural reinforcement for the crown 209 or regions of the crown 209 that experience large impact forces or high stresses. The reinforcing ribs 219 may also assist in evenly distributing the high stresses throughout the crown 209. Accordingly, due to the presence of the reinforcing ribs 219, the sizes, patterns, orientations, shapes and/or distribution of the apertures 212 may be different as compared to the apertures 112 of the embodiment described above according to FIGS. 1-12. For example, having reinforcement ribs 219 on the crown 209 may allow a larger aperture density (i.e., apertures per area), which may be achieved by having a larger number of apertures that are closer to each other. In another example, the size of the apertures 212 may be increased while the distance between the apertures 212 may be reduced as compared to the apertures 112 due to the presence of the reinforcing ribs 219. Therefore, the shapes, sizes, orientations, patterns or other characteristics of the reinforcing ribs 219 may directly affect the shapes, sizes, orientations, distribution patterns, or other characteristics of the apertures 212 to achieve similar results as the embodiments of FIGS. 1-12.

In one aspect, the plurality of apertures 212 located within the second region 220 of the crown 209 removes mass from one portion of the golf club head 200 and moves that mass to another more optimal location of the golf club head 200, while still providing sufficient strength and structural resilience to the golf club head 200. In addition, the plurality of apertures 212 provides a generally more even distribution of forces through the crown 209 after impact of the face 202 with a golf ball (not shown) as compared to a crown 209 without having any apertures. This structural arrangement of a plurality of apertures 212 prevents impact forces on the face 202 from being focused at particular portions of the golf club head 200 during travel of these forces through the second region 220 of the crown 209, and in particular to those portions of the crown 209 defined between the plurality of apertures 212. However, at the particular locations where stresses are high relative to other regions of the crown 209, reinforcing ribs 219 can be provided. This generally more even distribution of force through the crown 209 after impact by the plurality of apertures 212 and the reinforcing ribs 219 also prevents structural failure of the golf club head 200 over time that can be caused by stress risers or stress collectors focusing impact forces at particular areas of the crown 209 caused by the uneven distribution of these forces through the second region 220 after impact as discussed above.

In one embodiment, a protective cover 230 may be engaged to the crown 209 to cover the plurality of apertures 212. The protective cover 230 may be constructed from any type of metallic, artificial or natural materials. For example, the protective cover 230 may be a film or tape made from a polycarbonate or polymeric material having an adhesive on one side that permits the protective cover 230 to adhere to and cover either a portion or the entire crown 209. In some embodiments, the protective cover 230 may be made from a polycarbonate material that exhibits high impact-resistance, while also having low scratch-resistance. In other embodiments, the protective cover 230 may be made from any type of polymeric material, such as polyethylene, neoprene, nylon, polystyrene, polypropylene or combinations thereof. In another embodiment the protective cover 230 may be a rigid cover made from the same material(s) discussed above that allow for structural engagement of the protective cover 230 along the perimeter 224 of the recess 228 to cover the plurality of apertures 212. In either of these arrangements, the protective cover 230 permits the area of the second region 220 of the crown 209, for example the area of the recess 228, to be at the same level as the first region 218 of the crown 209; however, the protective cover 230 does not have to provide any structural reinforcement to the crown 209 that is necessary for protective covers used with prior art golf club heads having larger apertures. The apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard.

While the above embodiments may describe a golf club head 200 including a recess (e.g., recess 228), the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein may not include a recess. For example, the plurality of apertures 212 and the reinforcing ribs 219 may be defined along the second region 220 of the crown 209 such that the second region 220 is flush with the first region 218. As such, some embodiments of the golf club head 200 do not require either a recess 228 to define an area for forming the plurality of apertures 212 and the reinforcing ribs 219 and/or a protective cover 230 to encase or otherwise cover the plurality of apertures 212.

In other embodiments, each of the plurality of apertures 212 may have a range of diameters. The diameter of each aperture 212 of the plurality of apertures 212 may be between 0.005 inches to 0.40 inches (e.g., 0.0127 cm to 1.016 cm). The lower range values may be 0.005 inches (0.0127 cm), 0.006 inches (0.0152 cm), 0.007 inches (0.0178 cm), 0.008 inches (0.0203 cm), 0.009 inches (0.0229 cm), 0.01 inches (0.0254 cm), 0.02 inches (0.0508 cm), 0.03 inches (0.0762 cm), or 0.04 inches (0.1016 cm). The upper range of the diameter of the apertures 112 may be 0.32 inches (0.813 cm), 0.33 inches (0.838 cm), 0.34 inches (0.864 cm), 0.35 inches (0.889 cm), 0.36 inches (0.914 cm), 0.37 inches (0.940 cm), 0.39 inches (0.991 cm), or 0.40 inches (0.1.016 cm).

In another example, the range of the diameter of each aperture 212 of the plurality of apertures 212 may be between 0.05 inches (0.127 cm) to 0.31 inches (e.g., 0.05 inches (0.127 cm), 0.06 inches (0.152 cm), 0.07 inches (0.179 cm), 0.08 inches (0.203 cm), 0.09 inches (0.229 cm), 0.10 inches (0.254 cm), 0.11 inches (0.279 cm), 0.12 inches (0.305 cm), 0.13 inches (0.330 cm), 0.14 inches (0.356 cm), 0.15 inches (0.381 cm), 0.16 inches (0.406 cm), 0.17 inches (0.432 cm), 0.18 inches (0.457 cm), 0.19 inches (0.483 cm), 0.20 inches (0.508 cm), 0.21 inches (0.533 cm), 0.22 inches (0.559 cm), 0.23 inches (0.584 cm) 0.24 inches (0.610 cm), 0.25 inches (0.635 cm), 0.26 inches (0.660 cm), 0.27 inches (0.686 cm), 0.28 inches (0.711 cm), 0.29 inches (0.737 cm), 0.30 inches (0.762 cm), or 0.31 inches (0.787 cm)).

In yet another example, the diameter of each aperture 212 of the plurality of apertures 212 may be 0.022 inches (0.0559 cm), 0.020 inches (0.0508 cm), 0.018 inches (0.0457), or 0.016 inches (0.0406 cm), or may be 0.26 inches (0.660 cm), 0.27 inches (0.689), 0.28 inches (0.711 cm), or 0.29 inches (0.737 cm). In another embodiment, the diameter of each aperture 212 of the plurality of apertures 212 may be 0.093 inches (0.236 cm).

Although some of the above examples may describe all of the plurality of apertures 212 having an identical diameter or a substantially similar diameter, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods are not limited in this regard, For example, two or more apertures of the plurality of apertures 212 may have different diameters (e.g., the diameters of the plurality of apertures 212 may vary from one aperture to another). In particular, as described in detail below, a first aperture may be associated with a first diameter and a second aperture may be associated with a second diameter. The first diameter being greater than the second diameter.

In one embodiment, each aperture 212 may have a diameter no greater than 0.30 inches (0.762 cm). In another embodiment, each aperture 212 may have a diameter no greater than 0.25 inches (0.635 cm). In other embodiments, the plurality of apertures 212 may have diameters no greater than 0.20 inches (0.508 cm), while other embodiments, each of the plurality of apertures 212 may have diameters no greater than 0.175 inches (0.444 cm), 0.150 inches (0.381 cm), 0.125 inches (0.312 cm), 0.100 inches (0.254), 0.093 inches (0.236 cm), 0.075 (0.191 cm), or 0.050 (0.127 cm), respectively. In addition, the number of apertures 212 defined along the second region 220 of the crown 209 depends on the diameter of the plurality of apertures 212. For example, a golf club head 200 having an aperture diameter of 0.25 inches (0.635 cm) may have about 60 apertures, while a golf club head 200 having an aperture diameter of 0.093 inches (0.236 cm) may have about 576 apertures. In another example, a golf club head 100 having a combination of aperture diameters of 0.093 inches (0.236 cm) and 0.040 inches (0.102 cm) may have about 1500 apertures; however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard. In particular, the number and/or size of the plurality of apertures 212 may vary based on the volume of the golf club head 200 (e.g., a golf club head less than or equal to 470 cc).

The plurality of apertures 212 may also define different configurations and sizes. For example, the plurality of apertures 212 may have a round-shaped configuration, an oval-shaped configuration, a diamond-shaped configuration, a square-shaped configuration, a rectangular-shaped configuration, a hexagon-shaped configuration, a pentagon-shaped configuration, a linear-shaped configuration, and/or a non-linear-shaped configuration. In addition, the plurality of apertures 212 may have different diameters or configurations within a particular pattern. Finally, the pattern of the apertures 212 within the second region 220 may define a repeating pattern, non-repeating pattern, symmetrical pattern and/or non-symmetrical pattern; however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard. Further, while the above examples may describe the plurality of apertures 212 being located on the crown 209 of the golf club head 200, the plurality of apertures 212 may be located on other portion(s) of a golf club head (e.g., the sole only, the crown and the sole, etc).

The number and size of the apertures 212 and the number and size of the reinforcing ribs 219 may affect each other. For example, a crown having large apertures that are relatively close to each other may require a greater number of reinforcing ribs or wider/larger reinforcing ribs to provide sufficient strength and structural resilience for the golf club head. Smaller apertures that are relatively far apart from each other, however, may not need a larger number of reinforcing ribs or wider/larger reinforcing ribs to provide sufficient strength and structural resilience for the crown.

In one embodiment, the golf club head 200 may be made from steel, steel alloy, titanium, titanium alloy (e.g., titanium 6-4 or titanium 8-1-1). In other embodiments, the golf club heads according to the disclosure may be made from one or more materials including titanium, titanium alloys, magnesium, magnesium alloys, titanium aluminides, fiber-based composites, and metal matrix composites or mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, the fiber-based composite may be carbon fiber, fiberglass, or KEVLARÂ® or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the percentage of titanium may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 99% for titanium alloys and 100% for a golf club head 200 made entirely of 100% titanium. In other embodiments, the percentage of fiberglass may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%. In yet other embodiments, the percentage of KEVLARÂ® may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%. In some embodiments, the KEVLARÂ® may be any type of para-aramid synthetic fiber. In some embodiments the percentage of carbon fiber may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%. In some embodiments, the golf club head 200 may be 50% titanium and 50% of one or more of the fiber-based composite(s), although in other embodiments a golf club head according to the disclosure may constitute any of the percentages for titanium noted above in combination with one or more respective percentages of the fiber-based composite(s).

Referring to FIG. 17, a flow chart illustrates one method for manufacturing a golf club head 200 with a plurality of apertures 212. At block 2000, a mold (not shown) is provided for forming the golf club head 200. At block 2002, the golf club head 200 is formed using the mold having the face 202, sole 205, heel 206, toe 210, back 211, crown 209, and hosel 208 defining the aperture 213 configured to engage the shaft. In one embodiment, the crown 209 formed by the mold is defined between the back 211 and front edge 204 of the golf club head 200. In addition, the recess 228 may be defined along the crown 209 using the mold. At block 2004, the plurality of apertures 212 is formed along the crown 109. The plurality of apertures 212 may be formed using a stamping process that forms the apertures 212 entirely through the material of the crown 209. In the alternative, a plurality of small recesses (not shown) may be formed into but not entirely through the material of the crown 209 rather than the plurality of apertures 212; however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard. In one example, the reinforcing ribs 219 may be formed at block 2004 by not forming the apertures 212 on sections of the crown 209 that correspond to the locations of the reinforcing ribs 219. However, other methods for providing the reinforcing ribs 219 may be used. For example, after forming the plurality of apertures at block 2004, the reinforcing ribs 219 may be formed by attaching rib-shaped pieces to the crown 209 with an adhesive, by welding, soldering or other fixation methods.

At block 2006, the protective cover 230 may be configured to engage and cover the plurality of apertures 212 within the perimeter 224 defined along the portion of the crown 209. As discussed above, the protective cover 230 may be a film or tape made from a polycarbonate or plastic material having an adhesive on one side that permits the protective cover 230 to adhere to and cover either a portion or the entire crown 209, while in another embodiment the protective cover 230 may be rigid cover that is structurally engaged along the perimeter 224 defined by the recess 228 to cover the plurality of apertures 212. In either of these arrangements, the protective cover 230 permits the area of the second region 220 of the crown 209, for example the recess 228, to be at the same level as the first region 218 of the crown 209; however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard.

Although a particular order of actions is illustrated in FIG. 17, these actions may be performed in other temporal sequences. For example, two or more actions depicted in FIG. 17 may be performed sequentially, concurrently, or simultaneously. Alternatively, two or more actions depicted may be performed in reversed order. Further, one or more actions depicted in FIG. 17 may not be performed at all. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.

Referring to FIG. 18-23, another embodiment of a golf club head is illustrated and generally indicated as 300. In general, the golf club head 300 may include a face 302, a sole 305, a heel 306, and a toe 310. The golf club 300 may also include a plurality of grooves 315 on the face 302. The golf club head 300 may be a single piece or include multiple portions manufactured together. In one example, the golf club head 300 may be a hollow body formed by a casting process or other suitable type of manufacturing process. In addition, the face 302 may be an integral part of the golf club head 300. Alternatively, the face 302 may be a separate piece from or an insert for a body of the golf club head 300.

The golf club head 300 includes a hosel 308 that defines an aperture 317 configured to engage a shaft (not shown). In particular, the shaft may engage the golf club head 300 on one end and engage a grip (not shown) on an opposite end. For example, the golf club head 300 may be a wood-type golf club, such as a driver-type golf club head, a fairway wood-type golf club head (e.g., 2-wood golf club, 3-wood golf club, 4-wood golf club, 5-wood golf club, 6-wood golf club, 7-wood golf club, 8-wood golf club, or a 9-wood golf club), a hybrid-type golf club head or any other suitable type of golf club head with a hollow body or a body with one or more cavities, apertures, recesses or channels. Although the above examples may depict and/or describe a wood-type golf club head (e.g., driver-type golf club head, a fairway-type golf club head, a hybrid-type golf club head), the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein may be applicable to other suitable types of golf club heads.

In addition, the face 302 may be formed adjacent the hosel 308 and provides a surface for striking a golf ball (not shown). The face 302 may be made from one or more metals or metal alloys such as a steel material, a titanium material, a titanium alloy material, a titanium-based material, a combination thereof, one or more composite materials, one or more plastic materials, or other suitable type of materials; however, the face 302 may be made from the same material(s) that constitute the golf club head 300 as described in greater detail below. In particular, the face 302 may include a plurality of grooves 315. The golf club head 300 further includes a back 311 formed opposite the face 302 with the sole 305 being defined between the back 311 and the face 302. As further shown, a crown 309 is formed opposite the sole 305, while the face 302 is defined by the heel 306 formed adjacent the hosel 308 and the toe 310 defined at the far end of the face 302. The face 302 further includes a top edge 304 defined between the crown 309 and the face 302 as well as a leading edge 303 defined between the sole 305 and the face 302. Although the golf club head 300 may conform to rules and/or standards of golf defined by various golf standard organizations, governing bodies, and/or rule establishing entities, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard.

Referring to FIG. 21, in one embodiment the crown 309 may include a first region 318 and a second region 320 with a bell-shaped curve 322 that may define the boundary between the first and second regions 318 and 320. Details of the bell-shaped curve are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 7,892,111. The first region 318 may sustain and endure relatively more stress than the second region 320 in response to an impact on the face 302 of the golf club head 300 by an object such as a golf ball (not shown). In one example, the bell-shaped curve 322 may include a first point 325, a second point 326 and a third point 327. The first point 325 may be located at or proximate the toe 310 of the golf club head 300, while the second point 326 may be located at or proximate the heel 306 of the golf club head 300. The third point 327 may be located at or proximate a midpoint defined between the first and second points 325 and 326 with the third point 327 being defined closer to the back 311 of the golf club head 300 than first and second points 325 and 326.

As shown in FIG. 21, the bell-shaped curve 322 that defines the boundary between the first and second regions 318 and 320 of the crown 309 may be determined by the relationship between a loft angle 314 of the face 302 and a first plane 316 separated by a predetermined distance D1. In one embodiment, the predetermined distance D1 may be defined as the distance between the top edge 304 of the face 302 and the first plane 316 at the location where first plane 316 intersects the crown 309. For example, the predetermined distance D1 may be greater than one inch. Alternatively, the predetermined distance D1 may be defined as the distance between the leading edge 303 of the face 302 and the location of the first plane 316 where the first plane 316 intersects the sole 305. In addition, the position of the first plane 316 may be established by the orientation or angle of the loft angle 314 of the golf club head 300. In one embodiment, the loft angle 314 may be established by the angle of the face 302 for a particular golf club head 300. For example, the loft angle 314 for a driver-type golf club head may range between 6Â° to 16Â°, while the loft angle 314 for a fairway-type golf club head may range between 12Â° to 30Â°. The loft angle 314 for a hybrid-type golf club head may range between 16Â° to 34Â°. As such, the location of the bell-shaped curve 322 along the crown 309, may be determined by the intersection of the first plane 316 with the crown 309 to establish the location of either the first and second points 325 and 326 (FIG. 21), or the third point 327 of the bell-shaped curve 132.

Referring to FIGS. 18 and 22, one embodiment of the golf club head 300 may further include a plurality of first apertures 312 and a plurality of second apertures 317 formed within a recess 328 defined by a perimeter 234 located in the second region 320 of the crown 309. The second apertures 317 are smaller than the first apertures 312 as described in detail below. In one example, the bell-shaped curve 322 may define a portion of the perimeter 334 that communicates with the first region 318. The recess 328 may also form a recess lip 336 defined along the perimeter 334 such that the recess 328 is positioned relatively lower on the crown 309 than the first region 318.

In one aspect, the plurality of apertures 312 and 317 located within the second region 320 of the crown 309 removes mass from one portion of the golf club head 300 and moves that mass to another more optimal location of the golf club head 300, while still providing sufficient strength and structural resilience to the golf club head 300. In addition, the plurality of apertures 312 and 317 provides a generally even distribution of forces through the crown 309 after impact of the face 302 with a golf ball (not shown) as compared to a crown 309 without having any apertures. This structural arrangement of a plurality of apertures 312 and 317 prevents impact forces on the face 302 from being focused at particular portions of the golf club head 300 during travel of these forces through the second region 320 of the crown 309, and in particular to those portions of the crown 309 defined between the plurality of apertures 312 and 317. This generally even distribution of force through the crown 309 after impact by the plurality of apertures 312 also prevents structural failure of the golf club head 300 over time that can be caused by stress risers or stress collectors focusing impact forces at particular areas of the crown 309 caused by the uneven distribution of these forces through the second region 320 after impact as discussed above.

Referring to FIG. 22, an enlarged schematic view showing the arrangement of the apertures 312 and 317 is shown. The configuration and arrangement of the apertures 312 may be similar to the apertures 112 described above. Accordingly, each aperture 312 may have a diameter DA 1, be spaced apart from an adjacent aperture 312 by a perimeter-to-perimeter distance PP1, and have a center-to-center distance CC1 with an adjacent aperture 312. A group of four apertures 312 defines a center section 319 (shown with dashed lines), which may be smaller, as large as, or larger than each aperture 312. Depending on the physical properties of a club head 300 and/or the crown 309, such as materials of construction, dimensions, thicknesses, etc., additional mass may be removed from the center sections 319 without degrading the strength and structural resilience of the crown 309. The additional mass to be removed from the crown 309 may be realized by the apertures 317 in the center sections 319. The apertures 317 may be sized according to the physical properties of the club head so that the remaining portions of the center sections 319 can provide sufficient strength and structural resilience for the crown 309. Thus, the sizes, spacing, patterns, orientations, distribution and other characteristics of the apertures 312 and 317 can be determined to provide optimum or near optimum removal of mass from the crown 309 without negatively affecting the strength and structural resilience of the crown 209.

In one embodiment, a protective cover 330 may be engaged to the crown 309 to cover the plurality of apertures 312 and 317. The protective cover 330 may be constructed from any type of metallic, artificial or natural materials. For example, the protective cover 330 may be a film or tape made from a polycarbonate or polymeric material having an adhesive on one side that permits the protective cover 330 to adhere to and cover either a portion or the entire crown 309. In some embodiments, the protective cover 330 may be made from a polycarbonate material that exhibits high impact-resistance, while also having low scratch-resistance. In other embodiments, the protective cover 330 may be made from any type of polymeric material, such as polyethylene, neoprene, nylon, polystyrene, polypropylene or combinations thereof. In another embodiment the protective cover 330 may be a rigid cover made from the same material(s) discussed above that allow for structural engagement of the protective cover 330 along the perimeter 234 of the recess 328 to cover the plurality of apertures 312 and 317. In either of these arrangements, the protective cover 330 permits the area of the second region 320 of the crown 309, for example the area of the recess 328, to be at the same level as the first region 318 of the crown 309; however, the protective cover 330 does not have to provide any structural reinforcement to the crown 309 that is necessary for protective covers used with prior art golf club heads having larger apertures. The apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard.

While the above embodiments may describe a golf club head 300 including a recess (e.g., recess 328), the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein may not include a recess. For example, the plurality of apertures 312 and 317 may be defined along the second region 320 of the crown 309 such that the second region 320 is flush with the first region 318. As such, some embodiments of the golf club head 300 do not require either a recess 328 to define an area for forming the plurality of apertures 312 and 317 and/or a protective cover 330 to encase or otherwise cover the plurality of apertures 312 and 317.

In other embodiments, each of the plurality of apertures 312 and 317 may have a range of diameters. The diameter of each aperture 312 may be between 0.005 inches to 0.40 inches (e.g., 0.0127 cm to 1.016 cm). The lower range values may be 0.005 inches (0.0127 cm), 0.006 inches (0.0152 cm), 0.007 inches (0.0178 cm), 0.008 inches (0.0303 cm), 0.009 inches (0.0329 cm), 0.01 inches (0.0254 cm), 0.02 inches (0.0508 cm), 0.03 inches (0.0762 cm), or 0.04 inches (0.1016 cm). The upper range of the diameter of the apertures 312 may be 0.32 inches (0.813 cm), 0.33 inches (0.838 cm), 0.34 inches (0.864 cm), 0.35 inches (0.889 cm), 0.36 inches (0.914 cm), 0.37 inches (0.940 cm), 0.39 inches (0.991 cm), or 0.40 inches (0.1.016 cm). In another embodiment, the diameter of each aperture 312 of the plurality of apertures 312 may be 0.093 inches (0.236 cm)

In another example, the range of the diameter of each aperture 312 may be between 0.05 inches (0.127 cm) to 0.31 inches (e.g., 0.05 inches (0.127 cm), 0.06 inches (0.152 cm), 0.07 inches (0.179 cm), 0.08 inches (0.303 cm), 0.09 inches (0.329 cm), 0.10 inches (0.254 cm), 0.11 inches (0.279 cm), 0.12 inches (0.305 cm), 0.13 inches (0.330 cm), 0.14 inches (0.356 cm), 0.15 inches (0.381 cm), 0.16 inches (0.406 cm), 0.17 inches (0.432 cm), 0.18 inches (0.457 cm), 0.19 inches (0.483 cm), 0.30 inches (0.508 cm), 0.31 inches (0.533 cm), 0.32 inches (0.559 cm), 0.33 inches (0.584 cm) 0.34 inches (0.610 cm), 0.25 inches (0.635 cm), 0.26 inches (0.660 cm), 0.27 inches (0.686 cm), 0.28 inches (0.711 cm), 0.29 inches (0.737 cm), 0.30 inches (0.762 cm), or 0.31 inches (0.787 cm)).

In yet another example, the diameter of each aperture 312 may be 0.022 inches (0.0559 cm), 0.020 inches (0.0508 cm), 0.018 inches (0.0457), or 0.016 inches (0.0406 cm), or may be 0.26 inches (0.660 cm), 0.27 inches (0.689), 0.28 inches (0.711 cm), or 0.29 inches (0.737 cm). In another embodiment, the diameter of each aperture 312 of the plurality of apertures 312 may be 0.093 inches (0.236 cm).

As described above, the apertures 317 are formed in the center sections 319, which are regions that are defined by four of the apertures 312. The size of the apertures 317 may be based upon the size of the center sections 319 and/or the size of the apertures 312. For example, the diameter of the apertures 317 may be a fraction of the diameter of the apertures 312, such as â…”, Â½, or â…“ the diameter of the apertures 312. Accordingly, with reference to FIG. 22, the size of the apertures 312 and 317 may be based on the following formula:

DA2=FÂ·DA1

Where DA2 is the diameter of the apertures 317, DA1 is the diameter of the apertures 312 and F is a factor that defines the relationship between the diameters DA2 and DA1. For example, F can have any value from 0.001 to approximately 1. However, F=1 would result in the apertures 312 and 317 having the same diameter, which is similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-12. In another example, with reference to FIG. 22, the size of the apertures 317 may be determined so that the perimeter-to-perimeter distance PP1 between an aperture 312 and an adjacent aperture 317 is the same as the perimeter-to-perimeter distance PP1 between two adjacent apertures 312. Thus, the size of the apertures 312 and 317 may be determined in any manner or based on any mathematical relationship so that mass is removed from the crown 309 without negatively affecting the performance, the strength and the structural resilience of the club head 300 and/or optimizing or near optimizing the performance of the club head 300.

Although some of the above examples may describe all of the plurality of apertures 312 having an identical diameter or a substantially similar diameter, and/or the plurality of apertures 317 having an identical diameter or substantially similar diameter, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods are not limited in this regard, For example, two or more apertures of the plurality of apertures 312 may have different diameters (e.g., the diameters of the plurality of apertures 312 may vary from one aperture to another). In another example, two or more apertures of the plurality of apertures 317 may have different diameters (e.g., the diameters of the apertures 317 may vary from one aperture to another).

In one embodiment, each aperture 312 may have a diameter no greater than 0.30 inches (0.762 cm). In another embodiment, each aperture 312 may have a diameter no greater than 0.25 inches (0.635 cm). In other embodiments, the plurality of apertures 312 may have diameters no greater than 0.20 inches (0.508 cm), while other embodiments, each of the plurality of apertures 312 may have diameters no greater than 0.175 inches (0.444 cm), 0.150 inches (0.381 cm), 0.125 inches (0.312 cm), 0.100 inches (0.254), 0.093 inches (0.236 cm), 0.075 (0.191 cm), or 0.050 (0.127 cm), respectively. Because the apertures 312 defined the size of the center section 319, the size of the apertures 317 depends on the size of the apertures 312 as described in detail above.

The number of apertures 312 defined along the second region 320 of the crown 309 depends on the diameter of the plurality of apertures 312. For example, a golf club head 300 having an aperture diameter of 0.25 inches (0.635 cm) may have about 60 apertures, while a golf club head 300 having an aperture diameter of 0.093 inches (0.236 cm) may have about 576 apertures. In another example, a golf club head 300 having a combination of aperture diameters of 0.093 inches (0.236 cm) and 0.040 inches (0.102 cm) may have about 1500 apertures; however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard. In particular, the number and/or size of the plurality of apertures 312 may vary based on the volume of the golf club head 300 (e.g. a golf club head less than or equal to 470 cc). Referring to FIG. 22, each aperture 317 is surrounded by four apertures 312, or each aperture 312 is surrounded by four apertures 317. Accordingly, the number of apertures 312 and 317 may be slightly less or more than the number of apertures 312.

The plurality of apertures 312 and 317 may also define different configurations and sizes. For example, the plurality of apertures 312 may have a round-shaped configuration, an oval-shaped configuration, a diamond-shaped configuration, a square-shaped configuration, a rectangular-shaped configuration, a hexagon-shaped configuration, a pentagon-shaped configuration, a linear-shaped configuration, and/or a non-linear-shaped configuration. Accordingly, the shape of the apertures 317 may be similar to the shape of the apertures 312. However, the shape of the apertures 317 may be different than the shape of the apertures 312. In addition, the plurality of apertures 312 and 317 may have different diameters or configurations within a particular pattern. Finally, the pattern of the apertures 312 and 317 within the second region 320 may define a repeating pattern, non-repeating pattern, symmetrical pattern and/or non-symmetrical pattern; however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard. Further, while the above examples may describe the plurality of apertures 312 and 317 being located on the crown 309 of the golf club head 300; the plurality of apertures 312 and/or 317 may be located on other portion(s) of a golf club head (e.g., the sole only, the crown and the sole, etc).

In one embodiment, the golf club head 300 may be made from steel, steel alloy, titanium, titanium alloy (e.g., titanium 6-4 or titanium 8-1-1). In other embodiments, the golf club head 300 may be made from one or more materials including titanium, titanium alloys, magnesium, magnesium alloys, titanium aluminides, fiber-based composites, and metal matrix composites or mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, the fiber-based composite may be carbon fiber, fiberglass, or KEVLARÂ® or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the percentage of titanium may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 99% for titanium alloys and 100% for a golf club head 300 made entirely of 100% titanium. In other embodiments, the percentage of fiberglass may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%. In yet other embodiments, the percentage of KEVLARÂ® may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%. In some embodiments, the KEVLARÂ® may be any type of para-aramid synthetic fiber. In some embodiments the percentage of carbon fiber may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%. In some embodiments, a golf club head according to the disclosure may be 50% titanium and 50% of one or more of the fiber-based composite(s), although in other embodiments a golf club head according to the disclosure may constitute any of the percentages for titanium noted above in combination with one or more respective percentages of the fiber-based composite(s).

Referring to FIG. 23, a flow chart illustrates one method for manufacturing a golf club head 300 with a plurality of apertures 312 and 317. At block 3000, a mold (not shown) is provided for forming the golf club head 300. At block 3002, the golf club head 300 is formed using the mold having the face 302, sole 305, heel 306, toe 310, back 311, crown 309, and hosel 308 defining the aperture 313 configured to engage the shaft. In one embodiment, the crown 309 formed by the mold is defined between the back 311 and front edge 304 of the golf club head 300. In addition, the recess 328 may be defined along the crown 309 using the mold. At blocks 3004A and 3004B, the plurality of apertures 312 and 317, respectively, are formed along the crown 309. The plurality of apertures 312 may be formed using a stamping process that forms the apertures 312 entirely through the material of the crown 309. In the alternative, a plurality of recesses (not shown) may be formed into but not entirely through the material of the crown 109 rather than the plurality of apertures 312; however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard. The plurality of apertures 312 and 317 may be formed simultaneously by the same stamping process. In other words, the stamping mold includes projections corresponding to the apertures 312 and 317 so that both apertures 312 and 317 can be made in one step. Therefore, the blocks 3004A and 3004B may represent a single process. However, the apertures 312 and 317 may be formed separately. For example, at block 3004A, the apertures 312 may be formed with one stamping process using a mold, while at block 3004B, the apertures 317 are formed with another stamping process using a different mold.

At block 3006, the protective cover 330 may be configured to engage and cover the plurality of apertures 312 and 317 within the perimeter 324 defined along the portion of the crown 309. As discussed above, the protective cover 330 may be a film or tape made from a polycarbonate or plastic material having an adhesive on one side that permits the protective cover 330 to adhere to and cover either a portion or the entire crown 309, while in another embodiment the protective cover 330 may be rigid cover that is structurally engaged along the perimeter 324 defined by the recess 328 to cover the plurality of apertures 312 and 317. In either of these arrangements, the protective cover 330 permits the area of the second region 320 of the crown 309, for example the recess 328, to be at the same level as the first region 318 of the crown 309; however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard.

Although a particular order of actions is illustrated in FIG. 23, these actions may be performed in other temporal sequences. For example, two or more actions depicted in FIG. 23 may be performed sequentially, concurrently, or simultaneously. Alternatively, two or more actions depicted may be performed in reversed order. Further, one or more actions depicted in FIG. 23 may not be performed at all. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.

Referring to FIG. 24-28, another embodiment of a golf club head is illustrated and generally indicated as 400. In general, the golf club head 400 may include a face 402, a sole 405, a heel 406, and a toe 410. The golf club 400 may also include a plurality of grooves 415 on the face 402. The golf club head 400 may be a single piece or include multiple portions manufactured together. In one example, the golf club head 400 may be a hollow body formed by a casting process or other suitable type of manufacturing process. In addition, the face 402 may be an integral part of the golf club head 400. Alternatively, the face 402 may be a separate piece from or an insert for a body of the golf club head 400.

The golf club head 400 includes a hosel 408 that defines an aperture 413 configured to engage a shaft (not shown). In particular, the shaft may engage the golf club head 400 on one end and engage a grip (not shown) on an opposite end. For example, the golf club head 400 may be a wood-type golf club, such as a driver-type golf club head, a fairway wood-type golf club head (e.g., 2-wood golf club, 3-wood golf club, 4-wood golf club, 5-wood golf club, 6-wood golf club, 7-wood golf club, 8-wood golf club, or a 9-wood golf club), a hybrid-type golf club head or any other suitable type of golf club head with a hollow body or a body with one or more cavities, apertures, recesses or channels. Although the above examples may depict and/or describe a wood-type golf club head (e.g., driver-type golf club head, a fairway-type golf club head, a hybrid-type golf club head), the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein may be applicable to other suitable types of golf club heads.

In addition, the face 402 may be fowled adjacent the hosel 408 and provides a surface for striking a golf ball (not shown). The face 402 may be made from one or more metals or metal alloys such as a steel material, a titanium material, a titanium alloy material, a titanium-based material, a combination thereof, one or more composite materials, one or more plastic materials, or other suitable type of materials; however, the face 402 may be made from the same material(s) that constitute the golf club head 400 as described in greater detail below. In particular, the face 402 may include a plurality of grooves 415. The golf club head 400 further includes a back 411 formed opposite the face 402 with the sole 405 being defined between the back 411 and the face 402. As further shown, a crown 409 is formed opposite the sole 405, while the face 402 is defined by the heel 406 formed adjacent the hosel 408 and the toe 410 defined at the far end of the face 402. The face 402 further includes a top edge 404 defined between the crown 409 and the face 402 as well as a leading edge 403 defined between the sole 405 and the face 402. Although the golf club head 400 may conform to rules and/or standards of golf defined by various golf standard organizations, governing bodies, and/or rule establishing entities, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard.

Referring to FIG. 27, in one embodiment the crown 409 may include a first region 418 and a second region 420 with a bell-shaped curve 422 that may define the boundary between the first and second regions 418 and 440. Details of the bell-shaped curve are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 7,892,111. The first region 418 may sustain and endure relatively more stress than the second region 420 in response to an impact on the face 402 of the golf club head 400 by an object such as a golf ball (not shown). In one example, the bell-shaped curve 422 may include a first point 425, a second point 426 and a third point 427. The first point 425 may be located at or proximate the toe 410 of the golf club head 400, while the second point 426 may be located at or proximate the heel 406 of the golf club head 400. The third point 427 may be located at or proximate a midpoint defined between the first and second points 425 and 426 with the third point 427 being defined closer to the back 411 of the golf club head 400 than first and second points 425 and 426.

As shown in FIG. 27, the bell-shaped curve 422 that defines the boundary between the first and second regions 418 and 440 of the crown 409 may be determined by the relationship between a loft angle 414 of the face 402 and a first plane 416 separated by a predetermined distance D1. In one embodiment, the predetermined distance D1 may be defined as the distance between the top edge 404 of the face 402 and the first plane 416 at the location where first plane 416 intersects the crown 409. For example, the predetermined distance D1 may be greater than one inch. Alternatively, the predetermined distance D1 may be defined as the distance between the leading edge 403 of the face 402 and the location of the first plane 416 where the first plane 416 intersects the sole 405. In addition, the position of the first plane 416 may be established by the orientation or angle of the loft angle 414 of the golf club head 400. In one embodiment, the loft angle 414 may be established by the angle of the face 102 for a particular golf club head 400. For example, the loft angle 414 for a driver-type golf club head may range between 6Â° to 16Â°, while the loft angle 414 for a fairway-type golf club head may range between 12Â° to 30Â°. The loft angle 414 for a hybrid-type golf club head may range between 16Â° to 34Â°. As such, the location of the bell-shaped curve 422 along the crown 409, may be determined by the intersection of the first plane 416 with the crown 409 to establish the location of either the first and second points 425 and 426 (FIG. 27), or the third point 427 of the bell-shaped curve 142.

Referring to FIG. 24, one embodiment of the golf club head 400 may further include a plurality apertures 412A-F formed within a recess 428 defined by a perimeter 424 located in the second region 420 of the crown 409. The plurality of apertures 412A-F represent one example of apertures on the crown 409. Accordingly, reference number 412 may be used herein to generally refer to the apertures 412A-F. In one example, the bell-shaped curve 422 may define a portion of the perimeter 424 that communicates with the first region 418. The recess 428 may also form a recess lip 436 defined along the perimeter 424 such that the recess 428 is positioned relatively lower on the crown 409 than the first region 418.

In one aspect, the plurality of apertures 412A-F removes mass from one portion of the golf club head 400 and moves that mass to another more optimal location of the golf club head 400, while still providing sufficient strength and structural resilience to the golf club head 400. In addition, the plurality of apertures 412A-F provides a generally more even distribution of forces through the crown 409 after impact of the face 402 with a golf ball (not shown) as compared to a crown 409 without having any apertures. This structural arrangement of a plurality of apertures 412A-F prevents impact forces on the face 402 from being focused at particular portions of the golf club head 400 during travel of these forces through the second region 420 of the crown 409, and in particular to those portions of the crown 409 defined between the plurality of apertures 412A-F. This generally more even distribution of force through the crown 409 after impact by the plurality of apertures 412A-F also prevents structural failure of the golf club head 400 over time that can be caused by stress risers or stress collectors focusing impact forces at particular areas of the crown 409 caused by the uneven distribution of these forces through the second region 420 after impact as discussed above.

The apertures 412A-F progressively increase in size from near the bell-shaped curve 422 to the back 411 of the golf club head 400. As shown in FIG. 24, the apertures 412A are the closest apertures to the bell-shaped curve 422 and are the smallest of the apertures 412A-F. The apertures 412B are slightly larger. Similarly, the apertures 412C-E increase in diameter until apertures 412F near the back 411 of the golf club head 400. As discussed in detail herein, the impact forces near the face 402 are transferred by the crown 409 from the face 402 toward the back 411 of the golf club head 400. Accordingly, the impact forces dissipate through the crown, and therefore, the impact forces are higher near the face 402 and progressively decrease in a direction toward the back 411 of the golf club head 400. The progressive variation in the size of the apertures 412A-F may be configured to correspond with the progressive decrease in the impact forces traversing through the crown 409 from the face 402 to the back 411 of the golf club head 400. Therefore, a near optimum amount of mass may be removed from the crown 409 in a progressive manner from the bell-shaped curve 422 to the back 411 without compromising the strength and structural resilience of the golf club head 400.

In one embodiment, a protective cover 430 may be engaged to the crown 409 to cover the plurality of apertures 412A-F. The protective cover 430 may be constructed from any type of metallic, artificial or natural materials. For example, the protective cover 430 may be a film or tape made from a polycarbonate or polymeric material having an adhesive on one side that permits the protective cover 430 to adhere to and cover either a portion or the entire crown 409. In some embodiments, the protective cover 430 may be made from a polycarbonate material that exhibits high impact-resistance, while also having low scratch-resistance. In other embodiments, the protective cover 430 may be made from any type of polymeric material, such as polyethylene, neoprene, nylon, polystyrene, polypropylene or combinations thereof. In another embodiment the protective cover 430 may be a rigid cover made from the same material(s) discussed above that allow for structural engagement of the protective cover 430 along the perimeter 424 of the recess 428 to cover the plurality of apertures 412. In either of these arrangements, the protective cover 430 permits the area of the second region 420 of the crown 409, for example the area of the recess 428, to be at the same level as the first region 418 of the crown 409; however, the protective cover 430 does not have to provide any structural reinforcement to the crown 409 that is necessary for protective covers used with prior art golf club heads having larger apertures. The apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard.

While the above embodiments may describe a golf club head 400 including a recess (e.g., recess 428), the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein may not include a recess. For example, the plurality of apertures 412A-F may be defined along the second region 420 of the crown 409 such that the second region 420 is flush with the first region 418. As such, some embodiments of the golf club head 400 do not require either a recess 428 to define an area for forming the plurality of apertures 412A-F and/or a protective cover 430 to encase or otherwise cover the plurality of apertures 412A-F.

In other embodiments, the plurality of apertures 412A-F may have a range of diameters. The diameter of each aperture 412A-F may be between 0.005 inches to 0.40 inches (e.g. 0.0127 cm to 1.016 cm). The lower range values may be 0.005 inches (0.0127 cm), 0.006 inches (0.0152 cm), 0.007 inches (0.0178 cm), 0.008 inches (0.0403 cm), 0.009 inches (0.0429 cm), 0.01 inches (0.0254 cm), 0.02 inches (0.0508 cm), 0.03 inches (0.0762 cm), or 0.04 inches (0.1016 cm). The upper range of the diameter of the apertures 412A-F may be 0.32 inches (0.813 cm), 0.33 inches (0.838 cm), 0.34 inches (0.864 cm), 0.35 inches (0.889 cm), 0.36 inches (0.914 cm), 0.37 inches (0.940 cm), 0.39 inches (0.991 cm), or 0.40 inches (0.1.016 cm).

In another example, the range of the diameter of each aperture 412A-F may be between 0.05 inches (0.127 cm) to 0.31 inches (e.g., 0.05 inches (0.127 cm), 0.06 inches (0.152 cm), 0.07 inches (0.179 cm), 0.08 inches (0.403 cm), 0.09 inches (0.429 cm), 0.10 inches (0.254 cm), 0.11 inches (0.279 cm), 0.12 inches (0.305 cm), 0.13 inches (0.330 cm), 0.14 inches (0.356 cm), 0.15 inches (0.381 cm), 0.16 inches (0.406 cm), 0.17 inches (0.432 cm), 0.18 inches (0.457 cm), 0.19 inches (0.483 cm), 0.40 inches (0.508 cm), 0.41 inches (0.533 cm), 0.42 inches (0.559 cm), 0.43 inches (0.584 cm) 0.24 inches (0.610 cm), 0.25 inches (0.635 cm), 0.26 inches (0.660 cm), 0.27 inches (0.686 cm), 0.28 inches (0.711 cm), 0.29 inches (0.737 cm), 0.30 inches (0.762 cm), or 0.31 inches (0.787 cm)).

In yet another example, the diameter of each aperture 412A-F may be 0.022 inches (0.0559 cm), 0.020 inches (0.0508 cm), 0.018 inches (0.0457), or 0.016 inches (0.0406 cm), or may be 0.26 inches (0.660 cm), 0.27 inches (0.689), 0.28 inches (0.711 cm), or 0.29 inches (0.737 cm). In another embodiment, the diameter of each aperture 412A-F may be 0.093 inches (0.236 cm). The number of apertures 412A-F defined along the second region 420 of the crown 409 depends on the diameters of the apertures 412A-F. The number and/or size of the plurality of apertures 412A-F may vary based on the volume of the golf club head 400 (e.g., a golf club head less than or equal to 470 cc).

In the above, exemplary sizes for the apertures 412A-F are provided. Because the apertures 412A-F progressively increase in size, the smallest aperture 412A may fall within the smaller of the above-described aperture sizes and the largest aperture 412F may fall within the larger of the above-described aperture sizes, with the sizes of the apertures 412B-E falling in between the sizes of the apertures 412A and 412F.

The plurality of apertures 412A-F may also define different configurations and sizes. For example, the plurality of apertures 412A-F may have a round-shaped configuration, an oval-shaped configuration, a diamond-shaped configuration, a square-shaped configuration, a rectangular-shaped configuration, a hexagon-shaped configuration, a pentagon-shaped configuration, a linear-shaped configuration, and/or a non-linear-shaped configuration. In addition, each row of apertures 412A, 412B, 412C, 412D, 412E and 412F may have a different shape than the apertures of an adjacent row. Furthermore, the apertures in each row of apertures 412A-F may have different shapes and/or sizes than adjacent apertures in the same row. The pattern of the apertures 412A-F within the second region 120 may define a repeating pattern, non-repeating pattern, symmetrical pattern and/or non-symmetrical pattern; however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard. Further, while the above examples may describe the plurality of apertures 412A-F being located on the crown 409 of the golf club head 400, the plurality of apertures 412 may be located on other portion(s) of a golf club head (e.g., the sole only, the crown and the sole, etc). The exemplary apertures 412A-F define six rows of progressively enlarging apertures. However, more or less rows, columns, or diagonally oriented apertures can be provided on the crown 409 that progressive increase and/or change in configuration.

In one embodiment, the golf club head 400 may be made from steel, steel alloy, titanium, titanium alloy (e.g., titanium 6-4 or titanium 8-1-1). In other embodiments, the golf club head 400 may be made from one or more materials including titanium, titanium alloys, magnesium, magnesium alloys, titanium aluminides, fiber-based composites, and metal matrix composites or mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, the fiber-based composite may be carbon fiber, fiberglass, or KEVLARÂ® or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the percentage of titanium may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 99% for titanium alloys and 100% for a golf club head 400 made entirely of 100% titanium. In other embodiments, the percentage of fiberglass may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%. In yet other embodiments, the percentage of KEVLARÂ® may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%. In some embodiments, the KEVLARÂ® may be any type of para-aramid synthetic fiber. In some embodiments the percentage of carbon fiber may be 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%. In some embodiments, a golf club head according to the disclosure may be 50% titanium and 50% of one or more of the fiber-based composite(s), although in other embodiments a golf club head according to the disclosure may constitute any of the percentages for titanium noted above in combination with one or more respective percentages of the fiber-based composite(s).

Referring to FIG. 28, a flow chart illustrates one method for manufacturing a golf club head 400 with a plurality of apertures 412A-F. At block 4000, a mold (not shown) is provided for forming the golf club head 400. At block 4002, the golf club head 400 is formed using the mold having the face 402, sole 405, heel 406, toe 410, back 411, crown 409, and hosel 408 defining the aperture 413 configured to engage the shaft. In one embodiment, the crown 409 formed by the mold is defined between the back 411 and front edge 404 of the golf club head 400. In addition, the recess 428 may be defined along the crown 409 using the mold. At block 4004A, the apertures 412A are formed along the crown 409. At block 4004B, the apertures 412B are formed along the crown 409. The process for forming the apertures 412C-E similarly continues until at block 4004F, the apertures 412F are formed along the crown 409. According to the example described above, the plurality of apertures 412A-F may be formed using a stamping process that forms the apertures 412 entirely through the material of the crown 409. In the alternative, a plurality of recesses (not shown) may be formed into but not entirely through the material of the crown 409 rather than the plurality of apertures 412A-F; however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard. The plurality of apertures 412A-F may be formed simultaneously on the crown 409. For example, the stamping mold may include projections corresponding to all of the apertures 412A-F so that the apertures 412A-F can be formed with a single stamping process. However, any of the rows of apertures 412A, 412B, 412C, 412D, 412E or 412F may be formed on the crown 409 by a separate stamping mold and/or process. For example, the apertures 412A may be formed by a first stamping mold in a first stamping process, the apertures 412B may be formed by a second stamping mold in a second stamping process, the apertures 412C may be formed by a third stamping mold in a third stamping process, the apertures 412D may be formed by a fourth stamping mold in a fourth stamping process, the apertures 412E may be formed by a fifth stamping mold in a fifth stamping process, and the apertures 412F may be formed by a sixth stamping mold in a sixth stamping process. Thus, the apertures 412A-F may be formed in a single process or multiple processes.

At block 4006, the protective cover 430 may be configured to engage and cover the plurality of apertures 412 within the perimeter 424 defined along the portion of the crown 409. As discussed above, the protective cover 430 may be a film or tape made from a polycarbonate or plastic material having an adhesive on one side that permits the protective cover 430 to adhere to and cover either a portion or the entire crown 409, while in another embodiment the protective cover 430 may be rigid cover that is structurally engaged along the perimeter 424 defined by the recess 428 to cover the plurality of apertures 412. In either of these arrangements, the protective cover 430 permits the area of the second region 420 of the crown 409, for example the recess 428, to be at the same level as the first region 418 of the crown 409; however, the apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods described herein are not limited in this regard.

Although a particular order of actions is illustrated in FIG. 28, these actions may be performed in other temporal sequences. For example, two or more actions depicted in FIG. 28 may be performed sequentially, concurrently, or simultaneously. Alternatively, two or more actions depicted may be performed in reversed order. Further, one or more actions depicted in FIG. 28 may not be performed at all. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.

Referring to FIG. 29, a graph is shown illustrating the results of tests that were conducted on six different golf club heads to determine the stress characteristics generated by each respective golf club head after impact of a golf ball against the face of each golf club head. The tests were performed by measuring the amount of stress generated at the center of the crown over time for each golf club head. All of the golf club heads used in the tests were made from the same titanium alloy with the only difference being the size and arrangement of apertures in the crown with the exception of the reference golf club head having a solid crown. The graph includes a time line to illustrate the level of stress values generated at the center of the crown over time during and after impact of the golf ball. In addition, the time line includes a first vertical reference line 800 representing the time of peak impact as the golf ball is in contact with the face and a second reference line 810 representing the end of the golf ball's contact with the face of the golf club head. Accordingly, the time period between the two reference lines 800 and 810 represent the time the golf ball is in actual contact with the face of the golf ball head during impact.

FIGS. 30-35 show the club heads 900, 910, 920, 930, 940 and 950, respectively, which are used for the tests as described herein. The club head 900 is a reference club head, which does not have any apertures. The club head 910 is similar to the club head 100 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-12 and includes a plurality of apertures 912. In the embodiment of FIG. 31, each of the apertures 912 has a diameter of 0.093 inch (0.2 cm). The club head 920 is also similar to the club head 100 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-12 and includes a plurality of apertures 922. However, each of the apertures 922 has a diameter of 0.3 inch (0.8 cm). Thus, the apertures 922 are larger than the apertures 912. The club head 930 include two large apertures 932 with a reinforcing member 939 defining the apertures 932 on each side of the reinforcing member 939. The club head 940 includes three large apertures 942 with two reinforcing members 949 defining the apertures 942 on each side thereof. The club head 950 includes a plurality of apertures 952 and a large kidney-shaped aperture 954 near the back of the club head 950.

As shown in the graph of FIG. 29, the above-described club heads were tested by measuring the stress on generally the center of each club's respective crown upon striking a golf ball with the face of each golf club. The club head 900 was used as a reference club head to provide an upper end metric for gauging the performance of the other golf club heads during and after the impact of the golf ball against the face. As the golf club head 900 generates a much smaller stress value with minimal or no oscillations over time at the center of the crown during and after impact of the golf ball, such a golf club head was considered an excellent reference or control golf club head for comparing the stress profiles of golf club heads having apertures of various sizes formed in the crown.

As discussed above, the club heads of FIGS. 30-35 are similar in size and shape and are constructed from the same materials. Accordingly, a stress vs. time plot (hereinafter referred to as the stress profile) for each of the golf club heads of FIGS. 30-35 shows the effect of aperture size and configuration on the stress profile of each club head when striking a golf ball. The stress profile of the reference club head 900 may represent an optimum stress profile relative to the stress profiles of the other club heads of FIGS. 31-35. Thus, the stress profile of each of the club heads of FIGS. 31-35 can be compared to the stress profile of the reference club head 900 to determine the optimum club head aperture size and configuration among the club heads of FIGS. 31-35. The fewer the number of apertures and/or the smaller the size of apertures on a club head, the closer the stress profile of the club head may resemble the stress profile of the reference club head 900. However, having fewer apertures and/or smaller apertures may not provide sufficient weight reduction in the club head or sufficient shift in the center of gravity of the club head to improve the performance of the club head as compared to the club head 900. Therefore, an optimum aperture size may be defined as an aperture size that provides a stress profile that is as close as possible to the stress profile of the club head 900, while also providing the greatest weight reduction and shift in the center of gravity of the club head to optimize the performance of the club during use by an individual. Accordingly, an optimum range for an aperture size may be defined by a range of aperture sizes proximate to the optimum aperture size, where an aperture size falling within the range provides a near optimum stress profile, weight reduction and center of gravity shift.

As shown in the graph, the performance characteristics of the reference golf club head 900 during impact of the golf ball against the face shows a peak stress value of only about 5,000 psi which quickly tapers off to a stress value of between 500-1000 psi with minimal or no oscillations as the golf ball continued to impact the face. Golf club head 910 seems to exhibit a similar stress profile as the golf club head 900. Golf club head 910 reached a peak stress value of about 14,000 psi which also quickly tapered off to a value range of between 3,000-6,000 psi with minimal or no oscillations in the stress values after impact.

In contrast, golf club head 920 with the apertures having a diameter of 0.30 inches reached a peak stress value of about 23,000 psi with continuing oscillation of the stress values ranging between 4,000 psi to a peak value of about 24,000 psi well after the golf ball left the face of the golf club head 920 after impact. Golf club heads 930 and 940 showed even higher peak stress values and wider range of continual oscillations. Golf club head 950 having the plurality of apertures and the kidney-shaped aperture arrangement showed lower peak stress values than the golf club heads 930 and 940, but higher stress values than the club head 910 with large continual oscillations in the tested time frame. In particular, golf club head 930 reached a high stress value of about 45,000 psi during impact with the golf ball and a peak stress value of about 55,000 psi after impact with continual oscillations of those stress values ranging as low as about 9,000 psi and as high as about 55,000 psi in a single oscillation. Golf club head 940 reached a high stress value of about 53,000 psi during impact with the golf ball and a peak stress value of about 80,000 psi after impact with the golf ball with sharp and relatively high peak stresses. Such high peak stress values relative to the elastic limit of the titanium alloy used to manufacture the golf club head may lead to structural failure of the golf club head. For example, titanium alloy has an elastic limit of between 115,000 psi to 125,000 psi and that it is desirable that the peak stress value be below 20% of that elastic limit, or about 23,000-25,000 psi. Based on the test results, golf club head 920 has a peak stress value that is approximately 20% of the elastic limit and golf club heads 930 and 940 reach a peak stress value that is approximately 32% and 44%, respectively, of the elastic limit. Golf club head 950 has a peak stress value that is slightly above the elastic limit. In comparison, the golf club head 910 and the reference golf club head 900 reach a peak stress value that is approximately 11% and 4%, respectively, which is substantially lower than the golf club heads 920, 930, 940 and 950. As such, the golf club head 910 has a stress profile that is substantially lower than the other golf club heads 920, 930, 940 and 950 with apertures formed in the crown.

The results of these tests on the above-described six golf club heads with respect to the reference golf club head 900 show that the golf club head 910 with the apertures having a diameter of 0.093 inches has a substantially similar stress profile as the reference golf club head 900. In particular, both the reference golf club head 900 and the golf club head 910 have stress values that form a substantially bell-shaped distribution during impact in that the stress values gradually rise and peak during impact and then gradually decrease with little or no oscillations after impact. This non-oscillatory stress profile may be preferred because it applies less stress to the golf club head that can eventually cause structural failure of the golf club head and also provides for a proportional distribution of forces through the crown after impact with the golf ball. As noted above, this proportional distribution of forces may be preferred since it does not cause stress risers or stress collectors to be generated.

In contrast, as noted above, the golf club heads 920, 930, 940 and 950 having apertures larger than golf club head 910 showed significantly higher peak stress values at the center of the crown and an oscillatory stress profile that is undesirable since such peak stress values in combination with continued oscillations of stress values have been found to cause structural failure of the golf club head over time after repeated impacts by the golf ball. In one test, the number of impacts against the face of the subject golf club head may be between 1,000-2,000 impacts, 2,000-4,000 impacts, or 4,000 impacts or greater. Virtual impact analysis showed that structural failure occurred at the face and not along the crown of the golf club head 910, while structural failure of the other golf club heads 920, 930, 940 and 950 occurred only at the crown, and in particular at those portions of the crown between the apertures due to high stress risers as compared to the golf club head 910.

In another graph illustrated in FIG. 36, the stress profile of another embodiment of the golf club head, designated 960, having a plurality of apertures with diameters of 0.25 inches (e.g., 0.64 cm) that fall within the range to provide optimal performance is shown. The stress profile of golf club head 960 was compared with the stress profiles of the reference golf club head 900, the golf club head 910 with apertures having diameters of 0.093 inches (e.g., 0.24 cm), and the golf club head 920 with apertures having diameters of 0.30 inches (e.g. 0.76 cm). As shown in the graph of FIG. 36, golf club head 960 having apertures of 0.25 inches (e.g., 0.64 cm) reaches a peak stress value of about 22,000 psi during impact similar to golf club head 920 having apertures of 0.30 inches; however, the stress values of the golf club head 920 continue to oscillate after impact to substantially the same peak stress values (e.g., between 20,000 psi-22,000 psi) while the stress values of the golf club head 960 gradually decrease during impact and oscillate at much lower stress values ranging between 10,000 psi-12,000 psi to about 4,000 psi. The range of stress values for the golf club head 920 of between 4,000 psi to 22,000 psi (18,000 psi) is a much greater range of oscillation for bending the golf club head 920 than the range of 5,000 psi-10,000 psi (5,000 psi) of golf club head 960, which would generate less bending. As such, the golf club head 960 may establish the upper limit for the size of the apertures according to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-12. In other words, golf club heads according to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-12 having apertures with diameters 0.25 inches (e.g., 0.64 cm) or less may fall within the range to provide optimal performance, while golf club heads having apertures with diameters greater than 0.25 inches may fall outside the range to provide optimal performance, depending on the material construction and other physical characteristics of the golf club head.

Referring to FIG. 36, tests were conducted on a modified reference club 980 to illustrate that the stress profile of a solid club golf club head with a crown depth that is half as thick as the reference golf club head 900 (e.g., 0.015 inches or 0.04 cm) is substantially similar to the stress profile of the golf club head 910 with a plurality of apertures 112 each having a diameter of 0.093 inches (e.g., 0.24 cm) that falls within the range of optimal performance. As shown, golf club head 910 having a plurality of apertures 912 each with a diameter of 0.093 inches has a similar stress profile as the modified reference golf club head 980 with half as much thickness as the reference golf club head 900, thereby proving that the golf club head 910 having a plurality of apertures 912 has similar a similar stress profile performance as a golf club head made from a solid construction.

The above tests were conducted on club heads having similar sizes, geometries, materials of construction, crown thicknesses (except for club head 980), and other physical characteristics. Among the group of golf club heads 30-35, the golf club head 31 having apertures of 0.093 inches appeared to yield near optimum results. However, for club heads having a different sizes, geometries, materials of construction, crown thickness and/or other physical characteristics than the golf club heads 30-35, an aperture size other than 0.093 inches may yield near optimum results. For example, for a club head that is larger than the club heads 31, an aperture size that is larger than 0.093 inches may yield near optimum results. Thus, although the experimental results discussed above find an aperture size of 0.093 inches to yield the best result among the group of tested club heads 31-35, the experimental results do not limit an aperture size to a particular size for achieving near optimum or optimum results. Furthermore, the experimental results illustrate the effects of aperture configurations on the vibration and stress characteristics of golf club heads without limiting the aperture configurations to a particular configuration for achieving a preferred result.

In the embodiments described herein, the crown is hollow. Accordingly, when a ball is struck with the face of the golf club head, the vibrations of the crown produce sounds inside the crown, which are then emitted from the apertures on the crown similar to a guitar or violin or percussion instruments such as drums. The sizes, orientations, distribution patterns, shapes and other properties of the apertures and/or the crown may affect the sound that is produced by the golf club head when striking a ball. Accordingly, if a certain type of sound is preferred, the apertures and/or the crown can be configured to nearly produce or produce the certain type of sound. For example, a distinct sound may be produced by a certain aperture configuration associated with a certain brand of golf club so as to foster brand recognition among golfers.

Furthermore, the golf club heads with apertures and methods of manufacture discussed herein may be implemented in a variety of embodiments, and the foregoing discussion of these embodiments does not necessarily represent a complete description of all possible embodiments. Rather, the detailed description of the drawings, and the drawings themselves, disclose at least one preferred embodiment of golf club heads with edge configuration and methods of manufacture, and may disclose alternative embodiments of golf club heads with apertures and methods of manufacture. It is intended that the scope of golf club heads with apertures and methods of manufacture shall be defined by the appended claims.

All elements claimed in any particular claim are essential to golf clubs with apertures or methods of manufacture claimed in that particular claim. Consequently, replacement of one or more claimed elements constitutes reconstruction and not repair. Additionally, benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described with regard to specific embodiments. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element or elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced, however, are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all of the claims.

While the invention has been described in connection with various aspects, it will be understood that the invention is capable of further modifications. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptation of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention, and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within the known and customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains.