Golf club head providing enhanced acoustics

Abstract

An golf club head is provided, having enhanced sound and feel characteristics. The club head has a hollow main body including a ball-striking face, a sole, a crown, a hosel, and a side portion extending rearwardly from the face. The body further includes a heel region adjacent to the hosel and a toe region opposing the heel region, and it defines a volume of at least 100 cc. The club head further includes a stiffening member disposed within the body and attached to both the sole and the crown. The member is spaced apart from the striking face and disposed within the body in a region having a first zone extending less than half the distance from the heel region to the toe region and a second zone extending less than half the distance from a rearmost point, thereby forming a local stiffness zone in the body to influence vibration modes and acoustic properties of the club head in a prescribed manner.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A golf club head, comprising: 
 a hollow main body including a ball-striking face, a sole, a crown, a hosel, and a side portion extending rearwardly from the face, the body further including a heel region adjacent to the hosel and a toe region opposing the heel region, wherein the body defines a volume of at least 100 cc; and    a stiffening member attached to both the sole and the crown, spaced apart from the striking face, and disposed within the body in a region having a first zone extending less than half the distance from the heel region to the toe region and a second zone extending less than half the distance from a rearmost point; wherein the member is configured to form a local stiffness zone in the body to influence vibration modes and acoustic properties of the club head in a prescribed manner.    
     
     
         2 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the body has a volume of at least 150 cc and is formed of one or more titanium alloys.  
     
     
         3 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the body is formed of one or more steel alloys.  
     
     
         4 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the member is substantially the same thickness as a section of the heel region adjacent to the member.  
     
     
         5 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the member is a solid piece.  
     
     
         6 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the member has at least one opening formed therein.  
     
     
         7 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 1 , wherein all portions of the member are closer to a rearmost point of the body than to a center point of the face.  
     
     
         8 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the member is less than 2 mm thick.  
     
     
         9 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the member is about 1 mm thick.  
     
     
         10 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the member is attached at the heel region and extends less than half the distance from the heel region to the toe region.  
     
     
         11 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the member is planar and is angled about 45 degrees relative to the striking face.  
     
     
         12 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the member is planar and is substantially normal to a vertical, tangential plane of the heel region at the junction the member.  
     
     
         13 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising an additional element spaced apart from the face and attached to an inner surface of the body.  
     
     
         14 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the member has two side ends connected to the body thereby isolating the additional element within the local stiffness zone.  
     
     
         15 . A golf club head as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the additional element comprises a weight member at least partly formed of a polymeric material.  
     
     
         16 . A method of enhancing the acoustic quality of a golf club head, comprising the steps of: 
 forming a hollow main body including a ball-striking face, a sole, a crown, a hosel, and a side portion extending rearwardly from the face, the body having a heel region adjacent to the hosel and a toe region opposing the heel region, wherein the body defines a volume of at least 100 cc; and    providing a stiffening member attached to both the sole and the crown, spaced apart from the striking face, and disposed within the body in a region having a first zone extending less than half the distance from the heel region to the toe region and a second zone extending less than half the distance from a rearmost point; wherein the member is configured to form a local stiffness zone in the body to influence vibration modes and acoustic properties of the club head in a prescribed manner.    
     
     
         17 . A method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the step of providing the member is performed by casting the member of a metallic material integrally with at least the side portion.  
     
     
         18 . A method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the forming step further includes the steps of casting at least the top and side portions of a metallic material and welding the striking face to an opening at a front of the body.  
     
     
         19 . A method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the forming step further includes the steps of casting at least the bottom and side portions of a metallic material and attaching the top portion to an opening at a top of the body.  
     
     
         20 . A method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the step of providing the member is performed by welding the member to the top, side and bottom portions of the body.  
     
     
         21 . A method as defined in  claim 16 , further comprising the step of attaching an additional element to an inner surface of the body.  
     
     
         22 . A method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the step of providing the member includes forming the member of a metallic material using one of forging, casting and stamping methods.  
     
     
         23 . A method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the step of providing the member includes forming the member with at least one opening therein.  
     
     
         24 . A method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the step of providing the member includes forming the member with at least one cutout along at least one end of the member  
     
     
         25 . A method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the step of providing the member includes forming the member of a non-metallic material to have a stiffness at least as great as the material of the body of the club head.