Striking face deflection structures in a golf club

Abstract

A golf club head including a club head perimeter comprising a toe portion, a heel portion, a topline, and a sole portion, a striking face, and a cantilevered face support tab extending from an interior surface of the sole portion towards a rear surface of the striking face, wherein the cantilevered face support tab is secured to the interior surface of the sole portion, wherein the cantilevered face support tab is in contact with but not secured to the rear surface of the striking face, wherein a depth D measured vertically from the interior surface of the sole portion to a top of the cantilevered face support tab is greater than 10 mm and less than 30 mm, wherein the striking face has a face thickness FT of less than 2 mm.

1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a club head perimeter comprising a toe portion, a heel portion, a topline, and a sole portion;   a striking face; and   a cantilevered face support tab extending from an interior surface of said sole portion towards a rear surface of said striking face;   wherein said cantilevered face support tab is secured to said interior surface;   wherein said cantilevered face support tab is in contact with but not secured to said rear surface of said striking face;   wherein said striking face is affixed to said club head perimeter via welding;   wherein said cantilevered face support tab is formed integrally with said sole portion;   wherein a depth D measured vertically from said interior surface of said sole portion to a top of said cantilevered face support tab is greater than 10 mm and less than 30 mm;   wherein said cantilevered face support tab comprises a lower portion and an upper portion, said lower portion affixed to said sole portion, said upper portion contacting said striking face;   wherein an angle α measured between a front surface of said lower portion of said cantilevered face support tab and said rear surface of said striking face is greater than 10 degrees and less than 50 degrees;   wherein a width W of said cantilevered face support tab measured in a toe-heel direction is greater than 4 mm and less than 20 mm;   wherein a thickness TL of said lower portion measured perpendicularly to said depth D and said width W is greater than 2 mm and less than 10 mm;   wherein a thickness TU of said upper portion measured perpendicularly to said depth D and said width W is greater than 1 mm and less than 3 mm;   wherein a surface area SA of a contact patch formed between said cantilevered face support tab and said rear surface of said striking face is greater than 5 mm 2 ;   wherein said striking face has a face thickness FT of less than 2 mm;   wherein said upper portion of said cantilevered face support tab includes a friction reducing member located between said upper portion and said rear surface of said striking face, said friction reducing member constructed of a material different than that of said cantilevered face support tab.   
     
     
         2 . A golf club head comprising:
 a club head perimeter comprising a toe portion, a heel portion, a topline, and a sole portion;   a striking face; and   a cantilevered face support tab extending from an interior surface of said sole portion towards a rear surface of said striking face;   wherein said cantilevered face support tab is secured to said interior surface of said sole portion;   wherein said cantilevered face support tab is in contact with but not secured to said rear surface of said striking face;   wherein a depth D measured vertically from said interior surface of said sole portion to a top of said cantilevered face support tab is greater than 10 mm and less than 30 mm;   wherein said striking face has a face thickness FT of less than 2 mm.   
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein said striking face is affixed to said club head perimeter via welding. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein said cantilevered face support tab is formed integrally with said sole portion. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein said cantilevered face support tab comprises a lower portion and an upper portion, said lower portion affixed to said sole portion, said upper portion contacting said striking face. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein an angle α measured between a front surface of said lower portion of said cantilevered face support tab and said rear surface of said striking face is greater than 10 degrees and less than 50 degrees. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein a width W of said cantilevered face support tab measured in a toe-heel direction is greater than 4 mm and less than 20 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein a thickness TL of said lower portion measured perpendicularly to said depth D and said width W is greater than 2 mm and less than 10 mm and wherein a thickness TU of said upper portion measured perpendicularly to said depth D and said width W is greater than 1 mm and less than 3 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein a surface area SA of a contact patch formed between said cantilevered face support tab and said rear surface of said striking face is greater than 5 mm 2 . 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein said upper portion of said cantilevered face support tab includes a friction reducing member located between said upper portion and said rear surface of said striking face. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein said friction reducing member is constructed of a material different than that of said cantilevered face support tab. 
     
     
         12 . A golf club head comprising:
 a club head perimeter comprising a toe portion, a heel portion, a topline, and a sole portion;   a striking face; and   a cantilevered face support tab extending from an interior surface of said sole portion towards a rear surface of said striking face;   wherein said cantilevered face support tab is secured to said interior surface of said sole portion;   wherein said cantilevered face support tab is in contact with but not secured to said rear surface of said striking face;   wherein said cantilevered face support tab comprises a lower portion and an upper portion, said lower portion affixed to said sole portion, said upper portion contacting said striking face;   wherein said striking face comprises a plurality of scorelines;   wherein said striking face comprises a center face, said center face comprising a line on the striking face passing through a center of a majority of each of said plurality of scorelines;   wherein said upper portion comprises a contact patch in contact with said rear surface of said striking face, wherein said contact patch comprises a contact patch center, wherein said contact patch center is located a distance TOD at least 2 mm toe-ward of said center face.   
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein said striking face is affixed to said club head perimeter via welding. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein said cantilevered face support tab is formed integrally with said sole portion. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein an angle α measured between a front surface of said lower portion of said cantilevered face support tab and said rear surface of said striking face is greater than 10 degrees and less than 50 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein a width W of said cantilevered face support tab measured in a toe-heel direction is greater than 4 mm and less than 20 mm. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein said cantilevered face support tab is angle toe-ward forming an angle B between said lower portion of said cantilevered face support tab and a ground plane, wherein said angle B is less than 80 degrees. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein a surface area SA of a contact patch formed between said cantilevered face support tab and said rear surface of said striking face is greater than 5 mm 2 . 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein said upper portion of said cantilevered face support tab includes a friction reducing member located between said upper portion and said rear surface of said striking face, said friction reducing member constructed of a material different than that of said cantilevered face support tab. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein a depth D measured vertically from said interior surface of said sole portion to a top of said cantilevered face support tab is greater than 10 mm and less than 30 mm, and wherein said striking face has a face thickness FT of less than 2 mm.