Golf club head with multi-material construction

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads with components composed of a metal-composite-metal construction are described herein. The metal-composite-metal construction makes up a portion of the golf club head. The metal-composite-metal construction can make up any one or combination of the following structures: faceplate, face insert, internal ribs, turbulators, crown insert, or weight channel. The composite layer of the metal-composite-metal construction is composed of reinforced fibers. The metal-composite-metal construction allows for weight savings in the golf club head while maintaining durability, strength, rigidity, and performance.

1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body and a faceplate; and   a metal-composite-metal construction, the metal-composite-metal construction comprising:
 a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer;
 wherein the first layer is composed of a metallic material; 
 wherein the second layer is composed of a fiber-reinforced composite material; and 
 wherein the third layer is composed of a metallic material; 
 wherein the metal-composite-metal construction makes up at least a portion of the faceplate; 
 wherein a thickness of the third layer is less than half of a thickness of the first layer. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first layer is greater than each of the thickness of the third layer and the thickness of the second layer. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the thickness of the first layer is greater than a sum of the thickness of the third layer and the thickness of the second layer. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the first layer is greater than 0.025 inch and the thickness of the third layer is less than 0.0125 inch. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein the thickness of the first layer is greater than 0.0225 inch and the thickness of the third layer is less than 0.010 inch. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the metal-composite-metal construction is greater than 0.075 inch. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first and third layers comprises a metallic peripheral edge; and wherein the second layer comprises a composite peripheral edge; wherein the metal-composite-metal construction further comprises an offset distance measured between the metallic peripheral edge and the composite peripheral edge; and wherein an offset region is defined by the offset distance. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein the offset distance is no more than 0.75 inch. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first and third layer are composed of the same metallic material. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club head defines a loft plane, tangent to a geometric center of the faceplate, and a z-axis perpendicular to the loft plane; wherein a portion of reinforcing fibers of the fiber-reinforced composite material are oriented between 0 degrees and 45 degrees of the z-axis. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber-reinforced composite material of the second layer is a laminate formed from multiple sheets of fiber-reinforced composite material; wherein the second layer comprises a forward sheet, a middle sheet, and a rearward sheet; wherein the forward sheet abuts the first layer, the rearward sheet abuts the third layer, and the middle sheet is disposed between the forward sheet and the rearward sheet. 
     
     
         12 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body and a faceplate; and   a metal-composite-metal construction, the metal-composite-metal construction comprising:
 a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer;
 wherein the first layer is composed of a metallic material; 
 wherein the second layer is composed of a fiber-reinforced composite material; and 
 wherein the third layer is composed of a metallic material; 
 wherein the metal-composite-metal construction makes up at least a portion of the faceplate; 
 wherein a thickness of the first layer is greater than a thickness of the second layer, and a thickness of the second layer is greater than a thickness of the third layer. 
 
   
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the thickness of the first layer is greater than 0.025 inch and the thickness of the third layer is less than 0.010 inch. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein a thickness of the metal-composite-metal construction is greater than 0.075 inch. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the first and third layers comprises a metallic peripheral edge; and wherein the second layer comprises a composite peripheral edge; wherein the metal-composite-metal construction further comprises an offset distance measured between the metallic peripheral edge and the composite peripheral edge; and wherein an offset region is defined by the offset distance. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein the offset distance is no more than 0.75 inch. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the first and third layer are composed of the same metallic material. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the golf club head defines a loft plane, tangent to a geometric center of the faceplate, and a z-axis perpendicular to the loft plane; wherein a portion of reinforcing fibers of the fiber-reinforced composite material are oriented between 0 degrees and 45 degrees of the z-axis. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the fiber-reinforced composite material of the second layer is a laminate formed from multiple sheets of fiber-reinforced composite material; wherein the second layer comprises a forward sheet, a middle sheet, and a rearward sheet; wherein the forward sheet abuts the first layer, the rearward sheet abuts the third layer, and the middle sheet is disposed between the forward sheet and the rearward sheet. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the second layer further comprises a plurality of uni-directional fibers, multi-directional fibers, or a combination of uni- and multi-directional fibers.