Acoustically tunable golf club head

Abstract

A golf club head includes a cantilever face member having a front surface, a fixed end and a free end. A resonating cavity is defined behind the cantilever face member so that, when the front surface of the cantilever face member impacts a golf ball , the cantilever face member oscillates in a bending mode and generates an acoustic response in the resonating cavity. One or more tines may be disposed in the resonating cavity to alter the acoustic response. The tines may be selected from a plurality of tines having different length dimensions and frequencies.

1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body having a front face, a heel end, a toe end, a first end wall, a second end wall opposite said first end wall, and a back wall extending between said first and second end walls;   said front face including a cantilever face member having a front surface for impacting a golf ball and a back surface facing said back wall;   said cantilever face member having a fixed end and a free end;   said fixed end of said cantilever face member being attached to said first end wall;   said free end of said cantilever face member being adjacent but spaced from said second end wall; and   said front face, said first and second end walls, and said back wall together defining a resonating cavity behind said cantilever face member so that, when said front surface of said cantilever face member impacts a golf ball, said cantilever face member oscillates in a bending mode and generates an acoustic response in said resonating cavity.   
   
   
       2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said free end of said cantilever face member includes an end surface facing said second side wall;   said second end wall has an inner surface facing said first side wall; and   said end surface on said free end of said cantilever face member and said inner surface of said second side wall are spaced apart to define a gap therebetween.   
   
   
       3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said second end wall comprises an end surface facing said cantilever face member; and   said end surface of said second end wall is spaced from said back surface of said cantilever face member to define a gap therebetween.   
   
   
       4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said cantilever face member is substantially parallel to and spaced from said back wall. 
   
   
       5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one tine in said resonating cavity; and   said at least one tine being a cantilevered member having a length dimension, said at least one tine disposed substantially parallel to said cantilever face member and extending from said first side wall toward said second side wall   
   
   
       6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein said at least one tine is selected from a plurality of tines having different length dimensions. 
   
   
       7 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein the tines of said plurality of tines have resonant frequencies between 20 Hz and 40,000 Hz. 
   
   
       8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one tine in said resonating cavity; and   said at least one tine being a cantilevered member having a length dimension, said at least one tine disposed substantially parallel to said cantilever beam member extending from said second end wall toward said first end wall.   
   
   
       9 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein said at least one tine is selected from a plurality of tines having different length dimensions. 
   
   
       10 . The golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein the tines of said plurality of tines have resonant frequencies between 20 Hz and 40,000 Hz. 
   
   
       11 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 first and second tines in said resonating cavity;   said first tine being a cantilevered member disposed substantially parallel to said cantilever face member extending from said first end wall toward said second end wall; and   said second tine being a cantilevered member disposed substantially parallel to said cantilever face member extending from said second end wall toward said first end wall.   
   
   
       12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein said first and second tines are removably mounted in said body. 
   
   
       13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein said first and second tines are attached to said first and second end walls by having root portions of said first and second tines mounted in T- slots formed in said first and second end walls. 
   
   
       14 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , further comprising a fret member disposed between and contacting said first and second tines. 
   
   
       15 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said body includes a plate which at least partially closes off said cavity at its bottom. 
   
   
       16 . The golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein said plate includes apertures opening into said cavity. 
   
   
       17 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body having a front face, a heel end, a toe end, a first end wall, a second end wall opposite said first end wall, and a back wall extending between said first and second end walls;   said front face including a cantilever face member having a front surface for impacting a golf ball and a back surface facing said back wall;   said cantilever face member having a fixed end and a free end;   said fixed end of said cantilever face member being attached to said first end wall;   said free end of said cantilever face member having an end surface spaced from an inner surface of said second end wall to define a gap therebetween;   said front face, said first and second end walls, and said back wall together defining a resonating cavity behind said cantilever face member so that, when said front surface of said cantilever face member impacts a golf ball, said cantilever face member oscillates in a bending mode and generates an acoustic response in said resonating cavity;   first and second tines in said resonating cavity;   said first tine being a cantilevered member extending from said first end wall toward said second end wall; and   said second tine being a cantilevered member extending from said second end wall toward said first end wall.   
   
   
       18 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body having a front face, a heel end, a toe end, a first end wall, a second end wall opposite said first end wall, and a back wall extending between said first and second end walls;   said front face including a cantilever face member having a front surface for impacting a golf ball and a back surface facing said back wall;   said cantilever face member having a fixed end and a free end;   said fixed end of said cantilever face member being attached to said first end wall;   said back surface of said cantilever face member being spaced from an end surface of said second end wall to define a gap therebetween;   said front face, said first and second end walls, and said back wall together defining a resonating cavity behind said cantilever face member so that, when said front surface of said cantilever face member impacts a golf ball, said cantilever face member oscillates in a bending mode and generates an acoustic response in said resonating cavity;   first and second tines in said resonating cavity;   said first tine being a cantilevered member extending from said first end wall toward said second end wall; and   said second tine being a cantilevered member extending from said second end wall toward said first end wall.