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 lightweight aft portion could be formed of a multi-layered sandwich material with at least one layer having low damping properties. The lightweight aft portion may be formed out of a lightweight crown sub-shell and a lightweight sole sub-shell, both of which combine to receive a weighting system.

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 a rear of said striking face portion;   wherein the aft body portion further comprises a lightweight shell,   wherein said lightweight shell further comprises a sole recessed skirt,   wherein said golf club head further comprises a weighting system sandwiching both an internal surface and an external surface of said recessed skirt,   wherein said weighting system further comprises;
 an internal weight housing, 
 an outer weight housing, and 
 a high density weight, 
 wherein an external surface of said internal weight housing mates with an internal surface of said recessed skirt, and 
 wherein an internal surface of said outer weight housing mates with an external surface of said recessed skirt. 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of said outer weight housing directly engages said internal weight housing. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , further comprises;
 an adhesive adapted to bond said internal weight housing, said outer weight housing, and said recessed skirt to one another.   
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein said internal weight housing further comprises an H shaped internal ribbing structure. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein said H shaped internal ribbing structure further comprises;
 a toe side vertical rib,   a heel side vertical rib, and   a horizontal rib connecting said toe side vertical rib to said heel side vertical rib.   
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein both said toe side vertical rib and said heel side vertical rib have the same height. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein said toe side vertical rib and said heel side vertical rib have different heights. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein said toe side vertical rib has a height of between about 29.0 mm and about 33.0 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein said horizontal rib has a distance of between about 21.0 mm and about 25.0 mm. 
     
     
         10 . 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 a rear of said striking face portion;   wherein the aft body portion further comprises a lightweight shell,   wherein said lightweight shell further comprises a sole recessed skirt,   wherein said golf club head further comprises a weighting system sandwiching both an internal surface and an external surface of said recessed skirt,   wherein said weighting system further comprises;
 an internal weight housing, 
 an outer weight housing, and 
 a high density weight, 
 wherein said external surface of said internal weight housing mates with said internal surface of said recessed skirt, 
 wherein said internal surface of said outer weight housing mates with said external surface of said recessed skirt, and 
 wherein said internal weight housing further comprises an H shaped internal ribbing structure. 
   
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein said H shaped internal ribbing structure further comprises;
 a toe side vertical rib,   a heel side vertical rib, and   a horizontal rib connecting said toe side vertical rib to said heel side vertical rib.   
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein both said toe side vertical rib and said heel side vertical rib have the same height. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein said toe side vertical rib and said heel side vertical rib have different heights. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein said toe side vertical rib has a height of between about 29.0 mm and about 33.0 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein said horizontal rib has a distance of between about 21.0 mm and about 25.0 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein said lightweight shell further comprises;
 a lightweight crown sub-shell, and   a lightweight sole sub-shell.   
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein said lightweight crown sub-shell and said lightweight sole sub-shell are joined together via a lap joint,
 wherein said lap joint is located away from a skirt portion of said golf club head.   
     
     
         18 . 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 a rear of said striking face portion;   wherein the aft body portion further comprises a lightweight shell,   wherein said lightweight shell further comprises a sole recessed skirt,   wherein said golf club head further comprises a weighting system sandwiching both an internal surface and an external surface of said recessed skirt,   wherein said weighting system further comprises;
 an internal weight housing, 
 wherein said internal weight housing has a body contact area of greater than about 1800 mm 2 . 
   
     
     
         19 . A golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein said internal weight housing has a weighting contact area of greater than about 500 mm 2 . 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 19 , wherein a ratio of said body contact area over said weighting contact area is greater than about 3.25.