Variable thickness golf club head and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

A portion of a golf club head comprising an external surface, an internal surface opposite said external surface, said internal surface adjacent an interior of said golf club head, wherein said external surface and said internal surface combine to create a plurality of thin regions and a plurality of thick regions, wherein said internal surface is created via a stamped forging process and wherein said external surface is created via a machining process, wherein said stamped forging process comprises placing said crown between a top punch and a bottom cavity, said top punch having a plurality of protrusions and said bottom cavity having a plurality of depressions, and compressing said top punch towards said bottom cavity to alter a shape of said crown, and wherein said machining process comprises machining off excess material from said external surface of said crown. The portion of the golf club head could be made out of a cold formable alpha-beta titanium alloy such as ATI-425® titanium to further improve performance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face portion located at a frontal portion of said golf club head;   a body portion attached to an aft portion of said golf club head;   wherein said body portion further comprises; a crown, a sole, a skirt, and a hosel;   wherein at least one of said striking face portion, said crown, or said sole is formed out of a cold formable alpha-beta titanium alloy.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said striking face portion is formed out of said ATI-425® material. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein said ATI-425® is anisotropic, wherein a transverse direction of said ATI-425® has a higher elastic modulus than a longitudinal direction of said ATI-425®. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein said transverse direction of said anisotropic ATI-425® material is orientated in a heel to toe direction. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein said transverse direction of said anisotropic ATI-425® material is orientated in a crown to sole direction. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein said transverse direction of said anisotropic ATI-425® material is orientated between 0° to about 40° from a horizontal heel to toe direction. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said crown is formed out of said ATI-425® material. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein said ATI-425® is anisotropic, wherein a transverse direction of said ATI-425® has a higher elastic modulus than a longitudinal direction of said ATI-425®. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein said transverse direction of said anisotropic ATI-425® material is orientated in a front to back direction. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein said transverse direction of said anisotropic ATI-425® material is orientated in a heel to toe. 
     
     
         11 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face portion located at a frontal portion of said golf club head;   a body portion attached to an aft portion of said golf club head;   wherein said body portion further comprises; a crown, a sole, a skirt, and a hosel;   wherein said crown is formed out of said ATI-425® material.   
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein said ATI-425® is anisotropic, wherein a transverse direction of said ATI-425® has a higher elastic modulus than a longitudinal direction of said ATI-425®. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein said transverse direction of said anisotropic ATI-425® material is orientated in a front to back direction. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein said transverse direction of said anisotropic ATI-425® material is orientated in a heel to toe. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein said crown further comprises;
 an external surface;   an internal surface opposite said external surface, said internal surface adjacent an interior of said golf club head;   wherein said external surface and said internal surface combine to create a plurality of thin regions and a plurality of thick regions;   wherein said internal surface is created via a stamped forging process; and   wherein said external surface is created via a machining process.   
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein said stamped forging process comprises placing said crown between a top punch and a bottom cavity, said top punch having a plurality of protrusions and said bottom cavity having a plurality of depressions, and compressing said top punch toward said bottom cavity to alter a shape of said crown. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein said stamped forging process further comprises positioning said external surface of said crown adjacent said top punch and said internal surface of said crown adjacent said bottom cavity.