Metal-organic composite golf club head

Abstract

A golf club head is formed of a hollow body, the rear body portion of which includes a metallic stringer that extends along the crown-skirt interface and a plurality of ribs intersecting the metallic stringer to form a lattice frame, the openings of which are filled with an organic composite material such as graphite epoxy. An additional aperture formed in the skirt is also filled with the same graphite epoxy material. Because the graphite epoxy is lighter than the surrounding metal frame, the rear body portion of the golf club head is lighter than a comparable all metal club head. Yet, the presence of the metallic stringer and frame renders the metal-organic composite rear body portion substantially stiffer than a comparable all-composite rear body portion.

1 . A method of fabricating a golf club head comprising: 
 forming a hollow body having a heel end and a toe end, said hollow body further comprising a metallic face and a metallic rear body portion, said metallic rear body portion comprising a crown, a sole, a skirt and an arcuate perimeter region extending substantially continuously from said toe end to said heel end along a junction between said crown and said skirt; and    attaching non-metallic material to said hollow body to form a portion of one of said crown and said skirt, wherein the step of attaching said non-metallic material to said hollow body region comprises:    positioning said nonmetallic material inside said hollow body;    forcing said nonmetallic material against an inner surface of said hollow body to cause said nonmetallic material to conform to at least part of the inner surface of said hollow body; and    curing said nonmetallic material so that it forms said portion of one of said crown and said skirt.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming an aperture in said portion of one of said crown and said skirt.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising forming said aperture in said crown.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said non-metallic material spans said aperture.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said non-metallic material is forced at least partially into said aperture.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 providing a mold having a mold cavity, said mold cavity having an inner surface corresponding to an outer surface of said metallic rear body portion; and    placing said hollow body in said mold cavity, wherein the step of forcing said nonmetallic material against the inside surface of said hollow body further includes causing at least a portion of said nonmetallic material to conform to said inner surface of said mold cavity.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the step of forcing said nonmetallic material against the inner surface of said hollow body comprises inserting a bladder into-said hollow body and inflating the bladder.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said arcuate perimeter region forms the rearwardmost portion of said hollow body.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said non-metallic material comprises a plastic selected from the group consisting of a thermo plastic and a thermoset plastic.  
   
   
       10 . A method of fabricating a golf club head comprising: 
 forming a hollow body having a heel end and a toe end, said hollow body further comprising a metallic face and a metallic rear body portion, said metallic rear body portion comprising a crown, a sole, a skirt and an arcuate perimeter region extending substantially continuously from said toe end to said heel end along a junction between said crown and said skirt;    forming an aperture in one of said crown and said skirt; and    attaching lightweight, non-metallic material to said hollow body to extend from proximal said arcuate perimeter region toward said metallic face to form a portion of one of said crown and said skirt, wherein the step of attaching the lightweight, non-metallic material to said hollow body comprises:    positioning a layer of the lightweight, nonmetallic material inside said hollow body;    forcing said layer of the lightweight, nonmetallic material against an inner surface of said hollow body to cause said layer of the lightweight, nonmetallic material to conform to at least part of the inner surface of said hollow body; and    curing said layer of the lightweight, nonmetallic material so that it forms said portion of one of said crown and said skirt.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising forming said aperture in said crown.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said layer of the lightweight, non-metallic material spans said aperture.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said layer of the lightweight, nonmetallic material is forced at least partially into said aperture.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 providing a mold having a mold cavity, said mold cavity having an inner surface corresponding to an outer surface of said metallic rear body portion; and    placing said hollow body in said mold cavity, wherein the step of forcing said layer of the lightweight, nonmetallic material against the inner surface of said hollow body also includes causing at least a portion of said layer of nonmetallic material to conform to said inner surface of said mold cavity.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the step of forcing said layer of the lightweight, nonmetallic material against the inner surface of said hollow body comprises inserting a bladder into said hollow body and inflating the bladder.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said arcuate perimeter region forms the rearwardmost portion of said hollow body  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said lightweight, non-metallic material comprises a plastic selected from the group consisting of a thermo plastic and a thermoset plastic.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said plastic comprises a fiber-reinforced plastic.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said fiber-reinforced plastic comprises a fiber-reinforced organic resin.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said fiber-reinforced plastic comprises at least one layer of prepreg graphite-epoxy.