Golf club head with face wall flexure control system

Abstract

A metal club head designed for increased flexure at ball impact including a face wall reinforcing network that increases in thickness from the perimeter wall to a point near the face wall geometric center.

1 . A golf club head, comprising: a face wall, a perimeter wall surrounding at least a major portion of the face wall and attached to a perimeter of the face wall, said club head having a shaft receiving hosel therein, said face wall having a geometric center and extending outwardly from that center 360 degrees toward the perimeter wall, said face wall increasing in effective thickness from a point A (t a ) near the perimeter wall toward the geometric center to an effective thickness (t b ) at a point B near the geometric center where t b /t a  is at least 3.0.  
     
     
         2 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 1 , wherein t b /t a  is in the range of about 3.0 to 7.0.  
     
     
         3 . A golf club head, comprising: a face wall, a perimeter wall surrounding at least a major portion of the face wall and attached to a perimeter of the face wall, said club head having a shaft receiving hosel therein, said face wall having a geometric center and extends outwardly from that center 360 degrees toward the perimeter wall, said face wall increasing in effective thickness from a point A (t a ) near the perimeter wall in a horizontal direction toward the geometric center to an effective thickness t b  at a point B near the geometric center, where the effective thickness (t) of the face wall increases at a constant rate or higher from point A to point B.  
     
     
         4 . A golf club head, comprising: a face wall, a perimeter wall surrounding at least a major portion of the face wall and attached to a perimeter of the face wall, said club head having a shaft receiving hosel therein, said face wall having a geometric center and extending outwardly from that center 360 degrees toward the perimeter wall, said face wall having a substantially uniform thickness, and means for increasing the effective thickness of the face wall from near the perimeter wall to a point near the geometric center including a rib network formed integrally with the face wall, said rib network increasing thickness from near the perimeter wall to a point near the geometric center.  
     
     
         5 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the rib network includes a generally annular or elliptical rib formed integrally with the face wall near the geometric center of the face wall and extending rearwardly therefrom a substantial distance.  
     
     
         6 . A golf club head as defined in claims  4  or  5 , wherein the rib network includes a plurality of ribs extending from about the geometric center generally radially toward the perimeter wall.  
     
     
         7 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of ribs increase in height from near the perimeter wall to a point near the geometric center at a constant rate or higher.  
     
     
         8 . A wood club head, comprising: a face wall having a loft and being curved in a horizontal plane defining bulge and curved in a vertical plane defining roll, a perimeter wall surrounding and enclosing the face wall, said face wall having a substantially uniform thickness, and means for increasing the effective thickness of the face wall from near the perimeter wall to a point near the geometric center including a rib network formed integrally with the face wall with at least a plurality of the ribs extending from the point near the geometric center to the perimeter wall, said plurality of ribs having an increasing thickness from near the perimeter wall to the point near the geometric center.  
     
     
         9 . A wood club head as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the rib network includes a generally annular or elliptical rib formed integrally with the face wall and extending rearwardly therefrom a substantial distance, said annular or elliptical rib having a center approximately near the geometric center of the club face, the plurality of ribs extending integrally from the annular or elliptical rib generally radially toward the perimeter wall.  
     
     
         10 . A wood club head as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of ribs increase in height from near the perimeter wall to the point near the geometric center at a constant rate or higher.  
     
     
         11 . A wood club head as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the ribs increase in height from near the perimeter wall to the point near the geometric center and are exponentially curved.