Golf club head with sound tuning element

Abstract

The invention generally relates to golf clubs with sound tuning features. In certain aspects, the invention provides a flanged rib structure configured to provide improved sound tuning characteristics for a golf club head, particularly a hollow-bodied golf club head. In one embodiment, the rib includes a web portion extending from an internal surface of the club head body and a flange portion coupled to a top surface of the web portion. The inclusion of the flange portion to the web portion increases the overall stiffness of the rib, thereby resulting in an increase in the natural vibration frequency of the club head so as to provide a more appealing sound and/or feel upon ball impact, thereby improving the overall sound characteristics of the club head.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a club head body comprising a heel, a toe, a sole, a crown, a ball-striking face, and an interior cavity; and   at least one rib positioned on a portion of an internal surface of the interior cavity, the at least one rib comprising:
 a web portion extending from the internal surface and oriented substantially in a vertical direction when the club head is at address; and 
 a flange portion coupled to a top surface of the web portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rib is positioned at least on an interior surface of the sole. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rib is positioned at least on an interior surface of the crown. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the at least one rib is positioned on an interior surface of the sole and a second portion of the at least one rib is positioned on an interior surface of the crown. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the flange portion has a contour along a longitudinal length thereof that substantially corresponds to a contour along a length of the interior surface. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the flange portion has an arcuate contour along a longitudinal length thereof relative to a substantially horizontal reference plane. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rib extends in a heel-to-toe direction. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rib extends in a front-to-rear direction. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rib is configured to provide sound tuning characteristics for the golf club head. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one rib is configured to increase a vibration frequency value of the golf club head for improving an acoustic property of the golf club head. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rib is configured to provide at least one of structural stiffness and vibration damping. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rib has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of: substantially T-shape, substantially I-shape, substantially inverted L-shape, substantially C-shape, substantially Y-shape, and substantially W-shape. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the web portion and the flange portion is constructed from a high modulus carbon fiber material. 
     
     
         14 . A golf club head comprising:
 a club head body comprising a heel, a toe, a sole, a crown, a ball-striking face, and an interior cavity;   a first rib positioned on a first portion of an internal surface of the interior cavity and extending in a heel-to-toe direction, the first rib comprising:
 a first web portion extending from the first portion of the internal surface in a substantially vertical direction when the club head is at address; and 
 a first flange portion coupled to a top surface of the web portion; and 
   a second rib positioned on a second portion of the internal surface of the interior cavity and extending in a front-to-rear direction, the second rib comprising:
 a second web portion extending from the second portion of the interior surface in a substantially vertical direction when the club head is at address; and 
 a second flange portion coupled to a top surface of the web portion. 
   
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first and second ribs is positioned at least on an interior surface of the sole. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first and second ribs is positioned at least on an interior surface of the crown. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second ribs are configured to provide sound tuning characteristics for the golf club head. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second ribs are configured to increase a vibration frequency value of the golf club head for improving an acoustic property of the golf club head. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein the acoustic property is a sound produced by the golf club head during impact between the ball-striking face and a ball. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first and second ribs has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of: substantially T-shape, substantially I-shape, substantially inverted L-shape, substantially C-shape, substantially Y-shape, and substantially W-shape.