Multi-material golf club head

Abstract

A multi-material golf club head having an improved performance is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention relates to a multi-material golf club head having a metallic frontal portion and a lightweight aft portion with an addition of an internal ribbon support member. The internal ribbon support member may include a secondary wall, separating an internal overall volume of said golf club head into a frontal volumetric chamber and a rear volumetric chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a frontal striking face portion located at a frontal portion of said golf club head; and   an aft body portion, attached to the rear of said striking face portion;   wherein said aft body portion further comprises;
 a lightweight shell; and 
 an internal ribbon support member, attaching to an internal surface of said lightweight shell around a skirt of said lightweight shell; 
 wherein said internal ribbon support member further comprises a secondary wall, separating an internal overall volume of said golf club head into a frontal volumetric chamber and a rear volumetric chamber, and wherein said secondary wall is a y-shaped structure, wherein the y-shaped structure comprises: 
 a first arm connecting to a crown portion of said lightweight shell; and 
 a second arm connecting to a sole portion of said lightweight shell. 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said Volumetric Ratio is between about 13.9 to about 17.1. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein said Volumetric Ratio is about 15.4. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said frontal striking face portion is made from titanium material. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein said lightweight shell further comprises;
 a lightweight crown sub-shell comprising said crown portion of said lightweight shell, and   a lightweight sole sub-shell comprising said sole portion of said lightweight shell,   wherein said lightweight crown sub-shell and said lightweight sole sub-shell are formed independently of one another.   
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the entirety of said lightweight shell and said internal ribbon support member are both made from a fiber reinforced polymer. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein only said lightweight crown sub-shell is made from a fiber reinforced polymer. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein said golf club head produces a sound that has a Critical Time T critical  of greater than about 0.01 seconds and less than about 0.02 seconds; said Critical Time T critical  is defined as the amount of time it take said sound to oscillate from a peak amplitude A max  to a point of 10% of said peak amplitude A max . 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein said Critical Time T critical  is greater than about 0.015 seconds and less than about 0.02 seconds. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein said Critical Time T critical  is greater than about 0.0175 seconds and less than about 0.02 seconds. 
     
     
         11 . A golf club head comprising:
 a frontal striking face portion located at a frontal portion of said golf club head; and   an aft body portion, attached to the rear of said striking face portion;   wherein said aft body portion further comprises;
 a lightweight shell; and 
 an internal ribbon support member, attaching to an internal surface of said lightweight shell around a skirt of said lightweight shell; 
 wherein said internal ribbon support member further comprises a secondary wall, separating an internal overall volume of said golf club head into a frontal volumetric chamber and a rear volumetric chamber, and wherein said secondary wall is a y-shaped structure, wherein the y-shaped structure comprises:
 a first arm connecting to a crown portion of said lightweight shell; and 
 a second arm connecting to a sole portion of said lightweight shell; 
 
   wherein said golf club head has a Volumetric Ratio of between about 12.6 to about 19.1,   said Volumetric Ratio defined as   
       
         
           
             
               
                 Volumetric 
                 ⁢ 
                     
                 Ratio 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   
                     Frontal 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     Volumetric 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     Chamber 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     Volume 
                   
                   
                     Rear 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     Volumetric 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     Chamber 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     Volume 
                   
                 
                 . 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein said frontal striking face portion is made from titanium material. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein said lightweight shell further comprises;
 a lightweight crown sub-shell comprising said crown portion of said lightweight shell, and   a lightweight sole sub-shell comprising said sole portion of said lightweight shell,   wherein said lightweight crown sub-shell and said lightweight sole sub-shell are formed independently of one another.   
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the entirety of said lightweight shell and said internal ribbon support member are both made from a fiber reinforced polymer. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein only said lightweight crown sub-shell is made from a fiber reinforced polymer. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein said golf club head produces a sound that has a Critical Time T critical  of greater than about 0.01 seconds and less than about 0.02 seconds; said Critical Time T critical  is defined as the amount of time it take said sound to oscillate from a peak amplitude A max  to a point of 10% of said peak amplitude A max . 
     
     
         17 . A golf club head comprising:
 a frontal striking face portion located at a frontal portion of said golf club head; and   an aft body portion, attached to the rear of said striking face portion;   wherein said aft body portion further comprises;
 a lightweight shell; and 
 an internal ribbon support member, attaching to an internal surface of said lightweight shell around a skirt of said lightweight shell; 
 wherein said internal ribbon support member further comprises a secondary wall, separating an internal overall volume of said golf club head into a frontal volumetric chamber and a rear volumetric chamber, and wherein said secondary wall comprises:
 a first arm connecting to a crown portion of said lightweight shell; and 
 a second arm connecting to a sole portion of said lightweight shell. 
 
   
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein said lightweight shell further comprises;
 a lightweight crown sub-shell comprising said crown portion of said lightweight shell, and   a lightweight sole sub-shell comprising said sole portion of said lightweight shell,   wherein said lightweight crown sub-shell and said lightweight sole sub-shell are formed independently of one another.   
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein the entirety of said lightweight shell and said internal ribbon support member are both made from a fiber reinforced polymer. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein only said lightweight crown sub-shell is made from a fiber reinforced polymer.