Golf club head having spring mass damping elements

Abstract

A golf club head includes a striking face including an exterior surface having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge, and an interior surface opposite to the exterior surface; a sole extending from the lower leading edge and having a rearward portion opposite to the lower leading edge; a back portion coupled between the upper topline edge and the rearward portion; a cavity at least partially enclosed by the striking face, the sole, and the back portion; and at least one mass damping element on the interior surface of the striking face.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head, comprising:
 a striking face having an exterior surface having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge, and an interior surface opposite to said exterior surface;   a sole extending from said lower leading edge and having a rearward portion opposite to said lower leading edge;   a top portion extending from said upper topline edge;   a back portion coupled between said top portion and said rearward portion of said sole;   a cavity at least partially enclosed by said striking face, said sole, and said back portion;   a hosel located at a heel configured to receive a shaft;   a toe located opposite said heel;   a first spring mass damping element on said interior surface of said striking face having a geometric center; and   a second spring mass damping element on said interior surface of said striking face having a geometric center,   wherein said geometric center of said first spring mass damping element is located toeward of a face center of said striking face, and   wherein said geometric center of said second spring mass damping element is located heelward of said face center of said striking face.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said first spring mass damping element comprises a first mass attached to said interior surface of said striking face using a first adhesive element,
 wherein said second spring mass damping element comprises a second mass attached to said interior surface of said striking face using a second adhesive element, and   wherein said first adhesive element and said second adhesive element each have a thickness greater than 1 mm measured in a direction orthogonal to said striking face.   
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein said first adhesive element and said second adhesive element include at least one of acrylic foam tape, silicone, or urethane. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein said first mass and said second mass are made from aluminum. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein said geometric center of said first spring mass damping element is located at least 5 mm toeward of said face center of said striking face, and
 wherein said geometric center of said second spring mass damping element is located at least 5 mm heelward of said face center of said striking face.   
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein said geometric center of said first spring mass damping element is located closer to said upper topline edge than said lower leading edge, and
 wherein said geometric center of said second spring mass damping element is located closer to said upper topline edge than said lower leading edge.   
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein said first mass weighs between 4 grams and 7 grams, and
 wherein said second mass weighs between 3 grams and 6 grams.   
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein said first mass weighs more than said second mass. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein said first mass is disc-shaped with an outer diameter between 20 mm and 28 mm, and
 wherein said second mass is disc-shaped with an outer diameter between 15 mm and 25 mm.   
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein said first spring mass damping element comprises a rear surface facing said back portion which is not in contact with any other structural elements of said golf club head, and
 wherein said second spring mass damping element comprises a rear surface facing said back portion which is not in contact with any other structural elements of said golf club head.   
     
     
         11 . A golf club head, comprising:
 a striking face having an exterior surface having a lower leading edge and an opposite upper topline edge, and an interior surface opposite to said exterior surface;   a sole extending from said lower leading edge and having a rearward portion opposite to said lower leading edge;   a top portion extending from said upper topline edge;   a back portion coupled between said top portion and said rearward portion of said sole;   a cavity at least partially enclosed by said striking face, said sole, and said back portion;   a hosel located at a heel configured to receive a shaft;   a toe located opposite said heel; and   a first spring mass damping element on said interior surface of said striking face having a geometric center,   wherein said first spring mass damping element comprises a first mass attached to said interior surface of said striking face using a first adhesive element, and   wherein said first spring mass damping element comprises a rear surface facing said back portion which is not in contact with any other structural elements of said golf club head.   
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , further comprising a second spring mass damping element on said interior surface of said striking face having a geometric center,
 wherein said second spring mass damping element comprises a second mass attached to said interior surface of said striking face using a second adhesive element,   wherein said second spring mass damping element comprises a rear surface facing said back portion which is not in contact with any other structural elements of said golf club head,   wherein said geometric center of said first spring mass damping element is located at least 5 mm toeward of a face center of said striking face, and   wherein said geometric center of said second spring mass damping element is located at least 5 mm heelward of said face center of said striking face.   
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein said first adhesive element and said second adhesive element each have a thickness of about 2 mm measured in a direction orthogonal to said striking face. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein said first mass weighs between 5 grams and 6 grams,
 wherein said second mass weighs between 4.5 grams and 5.5 grams, and   wherein said first mass weighs more than said second mass.   
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein said first mass is disc-shaped with an outer diameter of about 25 mm, and
 wherein said second mass is disc-shaped with an outer diameter of about 21 mm.   
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein said geometric center of said first spring mass damping element is located closer to said upper topline edge than said lower leading edge, and
 wherein said geometric center of said second spring mass damping element is located closer to said upper topline edge than said lower leading edge.   
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein said first adhesive element and said second adhesive element include at least one of acrylic foam tape, silicone, or urethane. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein said first mass and said second mass are made from aluminum. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein an area of said interior surface of said striking face covered by said first spring mass damping element is 1.0 to 2.0 times an area of said interior surface of said striking face covered by said second spring mass damping element. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , further comprising a support arm extending at least partially through said cavity from at least one of said top portion, said back portion, or said sole; and
 a damping element positioned between said support arm and said interior surface of said striking face and contacting both of said support arm and said interior surface of said striking face,   wherein said damping element overlaps a face center of said striking face.