Multi-material iron golf club head

Abstract

Described herein is a tour iron having a golf club head with a faceplate, a body, and an insert. A sole, top rail, rear, and the faceplate enclose a cavity within the body. The cavity can house the insert. The insert can comprise a low-density material, allowing weight to be concentrated around the peripheral edge of the golf club head. The insert can further comprise multiple materials to improve sound and feel. The rear of the golf club head has an inflection seam running from the heel to the toe. The golf club head has an upper portion, above the inflection seam and a lower portion below the inflection seam. The lower portion can have a depth greater that the upper portion depth. The faceplate, body, and insert can be formed of different materials having different densities. The golf club head has a comparatively high moment of inertia and a low center of gravity. Other embodiments and methods are described herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face plate, a body, and an insert;   the body comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, a sole, a rear, and a top rail;
 wherein:
 the sole rests on a ground plane; 
 the rear comprises an inflection seam; 
 the lower portion is bounded by the inflection seam and the sole; 
 the face plate, the sole, the rear, and the top rail enclose a cavity; 
 the insert is received in the cavity; 
 the insert comprises an insert upper portion configured to be received into 
 
 the upper portion of the body;
 the insert comprises a lower portion configured to be received into the lower portion of the body; 
 the insert comprises a front surface, a rear surface, a perimeter, a sole surface, and an insert inflection seam that separate the insert upper portion from the insert lower portion; 
 the insert upper portion and the insert lower portion are integrally formed at the insert inflection seam; 
 the insert comprises a recess that is formed in the sole surface and extends upwards to the upper portion; 
 the recess terminates at the inflection seam such that recess does not extend into the upper portion of the insert; 
 the face plate comprises a first material of a first density; 
 the body comprises a second material of a second density; 
 the insert comprises a third material of a third density; 
 the recess is configured to receive a fourth material of a fourth density; 
 the third density is less than the first and second densities; and 
 the insert perimeter lies flush against walls of the cavity. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first density has a density ranging from 2.6 and 8.7 g/cc;   the second density is between 7.7 and 8.1 g/cc;   the third density is between 2.4 g/cc and 5 g/cc; and   the fourth density is between 0.5 g/cc and 1.3 g/cc.   
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the insert upper portion is solid. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the insert weighs less than a similar insert lacking the one or more recesses by a mass selected from the group consisting of: between 5 and 6 grams, between 5.5 and 6.5 grams, between 6 and 7 grams, between 6.5 and 7.5 grams, between 7 and 8 grams, between 7.5 and 8.5 grams, between 8 and 9 grams, between 8.5 and 9.5 grams, and between 9 and 10 grams.   
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the insert fills a percentage of a volume of the cavity, selected from the group of ranges consisting of: 80% to 85%, 85% to 90%, 90% to 95%, 95% to 100%, and 80% to 90%.   
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a heel and a toe;   an x-axis, extending in a heel-to-toe direction, parallel to the striking surface, and coincident with a center of gravity of the club head;   a y-axis, orthogonal to the ground plane and coincident with the center of gravity; wherein:   a moment of inertia, Ixx, measured about the x-axis ranges between 78 gram square inches and 120 gram square inches; and   a moment of inertia, Iyy, measured about the y-axis ranges between 310 gram square inches and 466 gram square inches.   
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a <HHY> based material, a titanium-based material, an aluminum alloy, or a titanium alloy;   the second material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a <HHY> based material or a steel alloy;   the third material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: aluminum and titanium; and   the fourth material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic elastomer or a heat resistant silicone.   
     
     
         8 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face plate, a body, and an insert;   the body comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, a sole, a rear, and a top rail; wherein:   the sole rests on a ground plane;   the rear comprises an inflection seam;   the lower portion is bounded by the inflection seam and the sole;   the face plate, the sole, the rear, and the top rail enclose a cavity;   the insert is received in the cavity;   the insert comprises an insert upper portion configured to be received into the upper portion of the body;   the insert comprises a lower portion configured to be received into the lower portion of the body;   the insert comprises a front surface, a rear surface, a perimeter, a sole surface, and an insert inflection seam that separate the insert upper portion from the insert lower portion;   the insert upper portion and the insert lower portion are integrally formed at the insert inflection seam;   the insert comprises a recess that is formed in the rear surface and extends forwards toward the strike face;   the recess is further defined by the perimeter of the insert;   the recess comprises a bottom surface that is parallel with the front surface of the insert;   the face plate comprises a first material of a first density;   the body comprises a second material of a second density;   the insert comprises a third material of a third density;   the recess is configured to receive a fourth material of a fourth density;   the third density is less than the first and second densities; and   the insert perimeter lies flush against walls of the cavity.   
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first density has a density ranging from 2.6 and 8.7 g/cc;   the second density is between 7.7 and 8.1 g/cc;   the third density is between 2.4 g/cc and 5 g/cc; and   the fourth density is between 0.5 g/cc and 1.3 g/cc.   
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the insert weighs less than a similar insert lacking the one or more recesses by a mass selected from the group consisting of: between 5 and 6 grams, between 5.5 and 6.5 grams, between 6 and 7 grams, between 6.5 and 7.5 grams, between 7 and 8 grams, between 7.5 and 8.5 grams, between 8 and 9 grams, between 8.5 and 9.5 grams, and between 9 and 10 grams.   
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the insert fills a percentage of a volume of the cavity, selected from the group of ranges consisting of: 80% to 85%, 85% to 90%, 90% to 95%, 95% to 100%, and 80% to 90%.   
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a heel and a toe;   an x-axis, extending in a heel-to-toe direction, parallel to the striking surface, and coincident with a center of gravity of the club head;   a y-axis, orthogonal to the ground plane and coincident with the center of gravity;   wherein:   a moment of inertia, Ixx, measured about the x-axis ranges between 78 gram square inches and 120 gram square inches; and  a moment of inertia, Iyy, measured about the y-axis ranges between 310 gram square inches and 466 gram square inches. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a <SHY> based material, a titanium-based material, an aluminum alloy, or a titanium alloy;   the second material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a <SHY> based material or a steel alloy;   the third material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: aluminum and titanium; and   the fourth material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic elastomer or a heat resistant silicone.   
     
     
         14 . A golf club head comprising:
 A face plate, a body, and an insert;   the body comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, a sole, a rear, and a top rail;
 wherein:
 the sole rests on a ground plane; 
 the rear comprises an inflection seam; 
 the lower portion is bounded by the inflection seam and the sole; 
 the face plate, the sole, the rear, and the top rail enclose a cavity; 
 the insert is received in the cavity; 
 the insert comprises an insert upper portion configured to be received into 
 
 the upper portion of the body;
 the insert comprises a lower portion configured to be received into the lower portion of the body; 
 the insert comprises a front surface, a rear surface, a perimeter, a sole surface, and an insert inflection seam that separate the insert upper portion from the insert lower portion; 
 the insert upper portion and the insert lower portion are integrally formed at the insert inflection seam; 
 the insert comprises a plurality of recesses on the front surface extending rearwardly; 
 the plurality of recesses are located on the lower portion; 
 the each recess in the plurality of recess are separated from each adjacent recess by a rib; 
 the face plate comprises a first material of a first density; 
 the body comprises a second material of a second density; 
 the insert comprises a third material of a third density; 
 the recess is configured to receive a fourth material of a fourth density; 
 the third density is less than the first and second densities; and 
 the insert perimeter lies flush against walls of the cavity. 
 
   
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the first density has a density ranging from 2.6 and 8.7 g/cc;   the second density is between 7.7 and 8.1 g/cc;   the third density is between 2.4 g/cc and 5 g/cc; and   the fourth density is between 0.5 g/cc and 1.3 g/cc.   
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the insert weighs less than a similar insert lacking the one or more recesses by a mass selected from the group consisting of: between 5 and 6 grams, between 5.5 and 6.5 grams, between 6 and 7 grams, between 6.5 and 7.5 grams, between 7 and 8 grams, between 7.5 and 8.5 grams, between 8 and 9 grams, between 8.5 and 9.5 grams, and between 9 and 10 grams.   
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the insert fills a percentage of a volume of the cavity, selected from the group of ranges consisting of: 80% to 85%, 85% to 90%, 90% to 95%, 95% to 100%, and 80% to 90%.   
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a heel and a toe;   an x-axis, extending in a heel-to-toe direction, parallel to the striking surface, and coincident with a center of gravity of the club head;   a y-axis, orthogonal to the ground plane and coincident with the center of gravity; wherein:   a moment of inertia, Ixx, measured about the x-axis ranges between 78 gram square inches and 120 gram square inches; and
 a moment of inertia, Iyy, measured about the y-axis ranges between 310 gram square inches and 466 gram square inches.