Golf club heads with ribs and related methods

Abstract

Provided herein are embodiments of golf club heads comprising a crown and a ribbed region. The ribbed region of the golf club head can be positioned on a portion of the crown and can further include a ribbed wall, wherein the ribbed wall comprises a ribbed wall interior surface, a ribbed wall exterior surface, and one or more external ribs. The one or more external ribs can protrude from the ribbed region to increase the strength of the crown and beneficially reduce crown thickness. Other embodiments and related methods are disclosed herein.

1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a front portion comprising a front end; a back portion comprising a back end opposite the front end; a club head length measured between the front end and the back end, a heel portion; a toe portion opposite the heel portion; a sole; a crown opposite the sole having a crown length, a crown front portion, a crown middle portion, and a crown back portion; a faceplate located in the front portion; and a ribbed region located at least partially within both the crown middle portion and the crown back portion;   wherein the ribbed region is not located within the crown front portion; and   the ribbed region comprising:   a ribbed wall comprising:   a ribbed wall interior surface facing an interior of the golf club head;   a ribbed wall exterior surface facing an exterior of the golf club head opposite the ribbed wall interior surface; and   two external ribs protruding from the ribbed wall exterior surface, wherein the two external ribs extend from near the back end toward the front end of the club head in the ribbed region;   the two external ribs comprise a toe-side external rib and a heel-side external rib;   the toe-side external rib having:   a first, toe-side external rib endpoint;   a second, toe-side external rib endpoint; and   a toe-side external rib axis intersecting the first, toe-side external rib endpoint and the second, toe-side external rib endpoint; and   the heel-side external rib having:   a first, heel-side external rib endpoint;   a second, heel-side external rib endpoint; and   a heel-side external rib axis intersecting the first, heel-side external rib endpoint and the second, heel-side external rib endpoint;   wherein the crown length extends from the front end to the back end direction;   the crown front portion is proximal to the faceplate and comprises a crown front portion length that is 25% to 50% of the crown length; and   where a front portion thickness is between 0.025 inch (0.635 mm) and 0.029 inch (0.890 mm); and   wherein one of the crown middle portion or the crown back portion has a thickness less than or equal to 0.020 inch (0.508 mm):   the two external ribs each comprise an external rib height, wherein the external rib height decreases from the back end to the front end; and   the toe-side external rib axis and the heel-side external rib axis do not intersect each other within the crown and are tangent to a locus defined by a conic section perimeter external to the golf club head, rearward the faceplate.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the toe-side external rib and the heel-side external rib abut the crown front portion. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein a front distance is measured from a faceplate top to the ribbed region; and
 wherein the front distance is constant between the toe-side external rib and the heel-side external rib.   
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein a front distance is measured from a faceplate top to the ribbed region; and
 wherein the front distance varies between the toe-side external rib and the heel-side external rib.   
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club head further comprises a toe club head edge and a heel club head edge; and
 wherein the toe club head edge is defined along a perimeter of the toe portion and the heel club head edge is defined along a perimeter of the heel portion.   
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein a toe-side rear distance is measured from the toe club head edge to the toe-side external rib and a heel-side rear distance is measured from the heel club head edge to the heel-side external rib; and
 wherein the toe-side rear distance decreases in direction from the front end to the back end and the heel-side rear distance decreases in direction from the front end to the back end.   
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein the toe-side rear distance and the heel-side rear distance vary in a range of 0.1 inch to 2.0 inches. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the toe-side external rib comprises a toe-side external rib length, and the heel-side external rib comprises a heel-side external rib length; and
 wherein the toe-side external rib length and the heel-side external rib length are each at least 50% of the club head length.   
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the toe-side external rib comprises a toe-side external rib width, and the heel-side external rib comprises a heel-side external rib width each of which are measured in a heel portion to toe potion direction; and
 wherein the toe-side external rib width and the heel-side external rib width can vary along the toe-side external rib length and the heel-side external rib length, respectively;   wherein the toe-side external rib width can range from 0.1 inch (2.54 mm) to 1.5 inches (38.1 mm); and   wherein the heel-side external rib width can range from 0.1 inch (2.54 mm) to 1.5 inches (38.1 mm).   
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein the toe-side external rib width and the heel-side external rib width are each greater near the front end than near the back end.