Mixed material golf club head

Abstract

Described herein is a golf club head comprising a sheet composite midbody, a filled thermoplastic composite weight seating portion, and a removable weight. The weight seating portion can comprise a weight channel within which the weight can be repositioned to alter the fade or draw bias of the club head. The golf club head can further comprise a front body with a perimeter surrounding frame. The midbody can be connected to the front body. The weight seating portion can be co-molded to the midbody.

1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a front end, a rear end, a crown, a sole comprising a hosel securing aperture, a toe region, a heel region, and a hosel;   a metallic front body, having a strike face comprising a variable thickness profile and a perimeter surrounding frame extending rearward from an entire perimeter of the strike face;   wherein the metallic front body comprises a front body mass not exceeding 140 grams;   a midbody;   a weight seating portion; and   a weight;   wherein:   the midbody comprises a first material;   wherein the first material comprises a laminate composite;   the weight seating portion comprises a second material;   wherein the second material comprises a filled thermoplastic material;   the perimeter surrounding frame of the metallic front body extends rearwards from the strike face;   the midbody is located between the metallic front body and the weight seating portion;   the midbody forms portions of the crown, the sole, the toe region, and the heel region;   wherein the midbody has a hoop shape consisting of a front opening and a rear opening;   wherein a midbody begins behind the perimeter surrounding frame on the crown and extends rearwards, forming a remainder of the crown; and   wherein the midbody begins behind the hosel securing aperture and extends rearward, but does not extend fully to a rearmost point of the sole;   the midbody is coupled to a portion of the perimeter surrounding frame;   the weight seating portion is coupled to the midbody;   the weight seating portion forms a portion of the sole; and   wherein the weight seating portion does not comprise a metallic weight pad;   wherein the first material and the second material comprise a common resin such that the first material is miscible with the second material; and   wherein the weight seating portion is co-molded onto the midbody.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the midbody covers inclusively between 30% and 80% of a crown surface area. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the midbody covers inclusively between 20% and 70% of a sole surface area. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the midbody comprises an internal surface and an external surface;   a midbody wall thickness is measured between the internal surface and the external surface; and   the midbody wall thickness is greater in the sole than in the crown.   
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein the midbody wall thickness is inclusively in a range, between 0.015 inch to 0.060 inch. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein within the sole the midbody wall thickness is inclusively in a range between 0.030 inch to 0.060 inch. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein within the crown the midbody wall thickness is inclusively in a range between 0.015 inch to 0.035 inch. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the laminate composite of the midbody comprises a resin material and reinforcing resin fibers; and   the resin fibers are a material selected from the group consisting of: a polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), a polyether ether ketone (PEEK), a polyetherimide (PEI), and a polyamide.   
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the laminate composite comprises a resin content of less than 35% by volume. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the laminate composite comprises a resin content of inclusively between 24% and 45% by volume. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the filled thermoplastic material comprises filler material comprising discrete particulates having a maximum dimension in a range of 4 mm to 10 mm such that the filled thermoplastic material is freely flowable when in a melted state. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the filled thermoplastic material has a tensile strength at yield of greater than 110 MPa. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein the filled thermoplastic material has a tensile strength at yield of greater than 220 MPa. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the weight seating portion comprises a weight channel configured to receive the weight in one or more positions. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the weight seating portion comprises one or more ribs that support the weight channel;   the one or more ribs are internal; and   the one or more ribs extend upwards from the sole, over the weight channel, and towards a rearmost edge of the golf club head.   
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the golf club head further comprises a coordinate system centered about an origin and having an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis;   the x-axis extends in a heel region to toe region direction, being positive valued towards the heel region;   the y-axis extends in a sole to crown direction, being positive valued above the origin;   the z-axis extends in a front end to rear end direction, being positive valued forward of the origin;   a moment of inertia taken about the x-axis, lxx, ranges, inclusively, between 4400 g*cm2 and 4900 g*cm2;   a moment of inertia taken about the y-axis, Iyy, ranges, inclusively, between 5800 g*cm2 and 6100 g*cm2; and   a moment of inertia taken about the z-axis, Izz, ranges, inclusively, between 2650 g*cm2 and 2950 g*cm2.   
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the golf club head further comprises a coordinate system centered about an origin and having an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis;   the x-axis extends in a heel region to toe region direction, being positive valued towards the heel region;   the y-axis extends in a sole to crown direction, being positive valued above the origin;   the z-axis extends in a front end to rear end direction, being positive valued forward of the origin; and   the golf club head comprises a center of gravity located in a range of 0 to −0.030 inch along the x-axis, located in a range of 0.7 inch to 1.1 inch along the y-axis, and located in a range of −1.6 inch to −2.2 inch along the z-axis.   
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the perimeter surrounding frame comprises a flange;   the midbody is coupled to the flange across a lap joint;   the weight seating portion is co-molded to the midbody; and   the weight is removably secured into the one or more positions of the weight channel.   
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the golf club head further comprises a fastener and metallic threads embedded within the weight seating portion;   the metallic threads are configured to receive the fastener; and   the fastener removably secures the weight into the weight channel.   
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the weight comprises a mass inclusively between 28 g and 40 g;   the one or more positions in which the weight channel receives the weight can comprise a toe-side position, a central position, and a heel-side position; and   moving the weight between the one or more positions alters a position of a center of gravity of the golf club head to compensate for a golfer's fade or draw bias.