Golf club head with vibrational damping system

Abstract

Embodiments of an iron-type golf club head comprising a high moment of inertia and a damping system. The damping system includes an insert covering a lower portion of the back face and a badge covering an upper portion of the back face. The damping system covers a large proportion of the back face and provides a club head with desirable sound and feel characteristics.

1 . An iron-type golf club head comprising:
 a strike face comprising a geometric center and a back face opposite the strike face;   a heel portion;   a toe portion opposite the heel portion;   a top rail;   a sole opposite the top rail;   a rear wall extending upward from the sole at least partially towards the top rail;   wherein the rear wall comprises a rear wall top edge;   an insert cavity formed by at least an inner surface of the rear wall and a lower portion of the back face;   wherein the insert cavity comprises an insert cavity opening extending between the rear wall top edge and the lower portion of the back face;   wherein the insert cavity comprises an insert cavity base formed by an inner surface of the sole;   a damping system comprising:   an insert disposed within the insert cavity;   wherein the insert extends above the insert cavity;   wherein the insert comprises a first contact area defined between the insert and the lower portion of the back face;   a badge attached to an upper portion of the back face;   wherein the badge comprises a second contact area defined between the badge and the upper portion of the back face;   wherein there is no gap between the insert and the badge;   wherein the damping system defines a damping system coverage area measured as a combined surface area of the back face contacted by the insert and the badge;   wherein the damping system coverage area is between 60% and 85% of an available surface area of the back face.   
     
     
         2 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a height of the insert is greatest near a center of the club head and smallest near the heel portion and the toe portion. 
     
     
         3 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a rear perimeter comprises a top rail rear edge, a heel portion rear edge, a toe portion rear edge, and a sole rear edge. 
     
     
         4 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein the rear wall is recessed an offset distance with respect to the sole rear edge. 
     
     
         5 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the offset distance ranges between 0.010 inch and 0.060 inch. 
     
     
         6 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the insert is not covered by any portion of the badge. 
     
     
         7 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a shape of the insert is not complementary to a shape of the insert cavity. 
     
     
         8 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising a rear cavity bounded, at least partially, by the top rail, the heel portion, the toe portion, the back face, and the rear wall;
 wherein the top rail forms a top rail rear edge, the heel portion forms a heel rear edge, and the toe portion forms a toe rear edge;   wherein the top rail rear edge, the heel rear edge, the toe rear edge, and the rear wall top edge form a rear cavity opening; and   wherein the rear cavity extends from the rear cavity opening to the upper portion of the back face.   
     
     
         9 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein the badge fills between 75% and 99% of a volume of the rear cavity. 
     
     
         10 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the insert comprises an insert bottom surface abutting the insert cavity base and an insert top surface opposite the insert bottom surface; and wherein the insert top surface is below the geometric center of the strike face. 
     
     
         11 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the badge does not cover any portion of the insert top surface. 
     
     
         12 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the available surface area of the back face is greater than 3.0 in 2 . 
     
     
         13 . An iron-type golf club head comprising:
 a strike face comprising a geometric center and a back face opposite the strike face;   a heel portion;   a toe portion opposite the heel portion;   a top rail;   a sole opposite the top rail;   a rear wall extending upward from the sole at least partially towards the top rail;   wherein the rear wall comprises a rear wall top edge;   an insert cavity formed by at least an inner surface of the rear wall and a lower portion of the back face;   wherein the insert cavity comprises an insert cavity opening extending between the rear wall top edge and the lower portion of the back face;   wherein the insert cavity comprises an insert cavity base formed by an inner surface of the sole;   a damping system comprising:   an insert disposed within the insert cavity;   wherein the insert extends above the insert cavity;   wherein the insert comprises a first contact area defined between the insert and the lower portion of the back face;   a badge attached to an upper portion of the back face;   wherein the badge comprises a second contact area defined between the badge and the upper portion of the back face;   wherein there is no gap between the insert and the badge;   wherein the damping system defines a damping system coverage area measured as a combined surface area of the back face contacted by the insert and the badge; and   wherein the damping system coverage area is greater than 85% of an available surface area of the back face;   wherein a rear perimeter comprises a top rail rear edge, a heel portion rear edge, a toe portion rear edge, and a sole rear edge;   wherein the rear wall is recessed an offset distance with respect to the sole rear edge.   
     
     
         14 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein a height of the insert is greatest near a center of the club head and smallest near the heel portion and the toe portion. 
     
     
         15 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the offset distance ranges between 0.010 inch and 0.060 inch. 
     
     
         16 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the insert is not covered by any portion of the badge. 
     
     
         17 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein a shape of the insert is not complementary to a shape of the insert cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 13 , further comprising a rear cavity bounded, at least partially, by the top rail, the heel portion, the toe portion, the back face, and the rear wall;
 wherein the top rail forms a top rail rear edge, the heel portion forms a heel rear edge, and the toe portion forms a toe rear edge;   wherein the top rail rear edge, the heel rear edge, the toe rear edge, and the rear wall top edge form a rear cavity opening; and   wherein the rear cavity extends from the rear cavity opening to the upper portion of the back face; and wherein the badge fills between 75% and 99% of a volume of the rear cavity.   
     
     
         19 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the insert comprises an insert bottom surface abutting the insert cavity base and an insert top surface opposite the insert bottom surface; and wherein the insert top surface is below the geometric center of the strike face. 
     
     
         20 . The iron-type golf club head of  claim 19 , wherein the badge does not cover any portion of the insert top surface.