Golf club head

Abstract

A cavity back iron type club head includes a striking plate having a substantially planar striking surface and a rear surface defining a thickness therebetween. The rear surface defines a striking plate rear cavity region. A perimeter support is coupled to a peripheral portion of the striking plate. The surface area of the striking surface is related to the club head loft angle by the equation SSA≥14.4(L)+2875, where SSA is the surface area of the striking surface in units of square-millimeters and L is the club head loft angle in units of degrees.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . An iron-type golf club head comprising:
 a head body including a hosel, a heel portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, a sole portion including a rearward sole wall extending toward the top-line portion and defining a rear cavity surface, a rear cavity, and a striking plate having a substantially planar striking surface and a rear surface defining a thickness therebetween that varies, wherein the rear cavity surface is separated from the substantially planar striking surface by a first distance;   wherein the rear cavity is surrounded in part by the heel portion, the sole portion, the toe portion, the top-line portion, and at least a portion of the rear cavity surface, and the rear cavity is at least partially defined by a bottom cavity surface, the rear cavity surface, a heel side surface, and a toe side surface;   wherein an elastomer material at least partially fills the rear cavity, and at least a portion of the elastomer material contacts a portion of the rear cavity surface and a portion of the rear surface of the striking plate at least at a heel side of the striking plate and a toe side of the striking plate, and the elastomer material has a modulus of elasticity between 0.001 GPa and 10 GPa; and   at least one weight having at least a portion embedded within the elastomer material on the heel side of the striking plate and the toe side of the striking plate;   wherein a top surface of the at least one weight is covered by the elastomer material;   wherein the at least one weight does not contact the bottom cavity surface, the rear surface of the striking plate, and the rear cavity surface;   wherein within a heel-side imaginary vertical section perpendicular to a hosel axis and located on the heel side of the striking plate, (a) the first distance varies, and (b) the at least one weight has a heel-side maximum weight height measured parallel to the striking plate, and a heel-side maximum width measured perpendicular to the heel-side maximum weight height, and the heel-side maximum weight height is greater than the heel-side maximum weight width;   wherein within a toe-side imaginary vertical section perpendicular to the hosel axis and located on the toe side of the striking plate, (a) the first distance varies, and (b) the at least one weight has a toe-side maximum weight height measured parallel to the striking plate, and a toe-side maximum width measured perpendicular to the toe-side maximum weight height, and the toe-side maximum weight height is greater than the toe-side maximum weight width; and   wherein the striking plate is comprised of a steel alloy having a modulus of elasticity greater than 150 GPa.   
     
     
         20 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one weight does not contact the rear cavity heel side surface or the rear cavity toe side surface. 
     
     
         21 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 20 , wherein at least a portion of the elastomeric material contacts the rear cavity heel side surface and the rear cavity toe side surface. 
     
     
         22 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one weight is entirely below a geometric center of the striking surface. 
     
     
         23 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 20 , wherein a portion of the rear cavity surface is not parallel to the substantially planar striking surface. 
     
     
         24 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 20 , wherein the rear surface of the striking plate having an area ranging from about 1500 mm 2  to about 3000 mm 2 . 
     
     
         25 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 20 , wherein at least a portion of the elastomer material does not contact a portion of the bottom cavity surface. 
     
     
         26 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 20 , wherein the rear surface of the striking plate has an oval support area with a minor axis, having a minor axis length, and a major axis, having a major axis length that is at least 7 mm greater than the minor axis length. 
     
     
         27 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 20 , wherein the striking plate is comprised of a first material having a first density, and the at least one weight is comprised of a weight material having a weight density greater than the first density. 
     
     
         28 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 20 , wherein a sole thickness is measured parallel to the striking plate from the bottom cavity surface to the exterior of the sole portion, and within an imaginary vertical section perpendicular to a hosel axis, the sole thickness varies with a minimum thickness located closer to the striking plate than the rearward sole wall. 
     
     
         29 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 20 , wherein the elastomer material contacts the rear surface of the striking plate only at a plurality of surface area portions of the rear surface of the striking plate, and wherein the plurality of surface area portions of the rear surface of the striking plate are spaced apart from each other in a direction extending from the heel portion to the toe portion. 
     
     
         30 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 29 , wherein the plurality of surface area portions includes a heel-side contact surface area portion located on the heel side of the striking plate, separate and distinct from a toe-side contact surface area portion located on the toe side of the striking plate. 
     
     
         31 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 29 , wherein the plurality of surface area portions includes at least three surface area portions each having a contact length measured in the direction extending from the heel portion to the toe portion, and having a gap between adjacent surface area portions, whereby in the gap the elastomer material does not contact the rear surface of the striking plate and the gap has a gap length measured in the direction extending from the heel portion to the toe portion, and the gap length is no more than the contact length. 
     
     
         32 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 29 , wherein the plurality of surface area portions have a combined surface area of at least about 300 mm 2 . 
     
     
         33 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 29 , wherein a ratio of a combined surface area of the plurality of surface area portions to a total surface area of the substantially planar striking surface is between about 10% and about 25%. 
     
     
         34 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 20 , wherein the thickness of at least a portion of the striking plate is less than 2.0 mm and the thickness varies by at least 0.7 mm. 
     
     
         35 . An iron-type golf club head comprising:
 a head body including a hosel, a heel portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, a sole portion including a rearward sole wall extending toward the top-line portion and defining a rear cavity surface, a rear cavity, and a striking plate having a substantially planar striking surface and a rear surface defining a thickness therebetween that varies, wherein the rear cavity surface is separated from the substantially planar striking surface by a first distance;   wherein the rear cavity is surrounded in part by the heel portion, the sole portion, the toe portion, the top-line portion, and at least a portion of the rear cavity surface, and the rear cavity is at least partially defined by a bottom cavity surface, the rear cavity surface, a heel side surface, and a toe side surface;   wherein an elastomer material at least partially fills the rear cavity, and at least a portion of the elastomer material contacts a portion of the rear cavity surface and a portion of the rear surface of the striking plate at least at a heel side of the striking plate and a toe side of the striking plate, and the elastomer material has a modulus of elasticity between 0.001 GPa and 10 GPa;   wherein the elastomer material contacts the rear surface of the striking plate only at a plurality of surface area portions of the rear surface of the striking plate, and wherein the plurality of surface area portions of the rear surface of the striking plate are spaced apart from each other in a direction extending from the heel portion to the toe portion;   wherein the plurality of surface area portions includes at least three surface area portions each having a contact length measured in the direction extending from the heel portion to the toe portion, and having a gap between adjacent surface area portions, whereby in the gap the elastomer material does not contact the rear surface of the striking plate and the gap has a gap length measured in the direction extending from the heel portion to the toe portion, and the gap length is no more than the contact length;   wherein the plurality of surface area portions have a combined surface area of at least about 300 mm 2 ; and   wherein the striking plate is comprised of a steel alloy having a modulus of elasticity greater than 150 GPa and the thickness of at least a portion of the striking plate is less than 2.0 mm and the thickness varies by at least 0.7 mm.   
     
     
         36 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 35 , wherein the iron-type golf club head is a unitary construction. 
     
     
         37 . An iron-type golf club head comprising:
 a head body including a hosel, a heel portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, a sole portion including a rearward sole wall extending toward the top-line portion and defining a rear cavity surface, a rear cavity, and a striking plate having a substantially planar striking surface and a rear surface defining a thickness therebetween that varies, wherein the rear cavity surface is separated from the substantially planar striking surface by a first distance;   wherein the rear cavity is surrounded in part by the heel portion, the sole portion, the toe portion, the top-line portion, and at least a portion of the rear cavity surface, and the rear cavity is at least partially defined by a bottom cavity surface, the rear cavity surface, a heel side surface, and a toe side surface;   wherein an elastomer material at least partially fills the rear cavity, and at least a portion of the elastomer material contacts a portion of the rear cavity surface and a portion of the rear surface of the striking plate at least at a heel side of the striking plate and a toe side of the striking plate, and the elastomer material has a modulus of elasticity between 0.001 GPa and 10 GPa; and   at least one weight having at least a portion embedded within the elastomer material on the heel side of the striking plate and the toe side of the striking plate;   wherein a top surface of the at least one weight is covered by the elastomer material;   wherein the at least one weight does not contact the bottom cavity surface, the rear surface of the striking plate, and the rear cavity surface;   wherein within a heel-side imaginary vertical section perpendicular to a hosel axis and located on the heel side of the striking plate, the at least one weight has a heel-side maximum weight height measured parallel to the striking plate, and a heel-side maximum width measured perpendicular to the heel-side maximum weight height, and the heel-side maximum weight height is greater than the heel-side maximum weight width;   wherein within a toe-side imaginary vertical section perpendicular to the hosel axis and located on the toe side of the striking plate, the at least one weight has a toe-side maximum weight height measured parallel to the striking plate, and a toe-side maximum width measured perpendicular to the toe-side maximum weight height, and the toe-side maximum weight height is greater than the toe-side maximum weight width;   wherein the striking plate is comprised of a steel alloy having a modulus of elasticity greater than 150 GPa, the thickness of at least a portion of the striking plate is less than 2.0 mm and the thickness varies by at least 0.7 mm, and the rear surface of the striking plate having an area ranging from about 1500 mm 2  to about 3000 mm 2 ; and   wherein at least a portion of the elastomeric material contacts the rear cavity heel side surface and the rear cavity toe side surface.   
     
     
         38 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 37 , wherein the at least one weight is comprised of a weight material having a weight density greater than a density of the striking plate.