Golf club head with open back cavity

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads with energy storage characteristics are presented herein. In some embodiments, a golf club head comprises a hollow body comprising a strikeface, a heel region, a toe region opposite the heel region, a sole, a top rail and an inflection point. The inflection point provides increase bending of the strikeface thereby providing performance enhancement over clubs without an inflection point.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body having toe region, a heel region, a sole and a top rail opposite the sole, a back end, and a front end comprising a front wall defining a front opening;   a faceplate coupled to the body within the front opening defining a strikeface;   a back wall opposite the strikeface; the back wall further divided into an upper back wall and a lower back wall; wherein the upper back wall extends downward from the top rail and the lower back wall extends upward from the sole;   the back wall further comprising a top cavity wall and a bottom cavity wall; wherein the upper back wall extends from the top rail to the top cavity wall and the lower back wall extends from the sole to the bottom cavity wall;   a partial back cavity defined within the golf club head between the faceplate, the upper back wall, the top cavity wall, the lower back wall, the bottom cavity wall, the sole, and the top rail;   an indention formed in the back wall between the top cavity wall and the bottom cavity wall, and extending toward the strikeface;   a rear opening defined within the indention, and defined between the top cavity wall and the bottom cavity wall, the rear opening communicating the partial back cavity with an exterior of the golf club head, wherein the partial back cavity remains open to the exterior of the golf club head;   wherein a rear opening rim further circumscribes the rear opening;   wherein the rear opening rim is divided into an upper rim and a lower rim; and   wherein the upper rim follows a contour of the top rail and the top cavity wall;   wherein a midplane extends through a geometric center of the strikeface and perpendicular thereto between the top rail and the sole such that the rear opening is located between the midplane and the top rail;   wherein the rear opening comprises a rear opening rim extending around a perimeter of the rear opening;   wherein the rear opening rim defines and bounds an area of the rear opening;   wherein 100% of the area of the rear opening is positioned between the midplane and the top rail; and   wherein a partial badge is positioned within the rear opening rim partially covering the rear opening.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the partial badge covers an upper portion of the rear opening adjacent to the upper rim leaving a lower portion of the rear opening uncovered. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the partial badge covers a lower portion of the rear opening adjacent the lower rim leaving an upper portion of the rear opening uncovered. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the partial badge comprises a central aperture such that a central region of the rear opening remains uncovered. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a vibration damping layer covers at least a portion of an interior surface of the faceplate. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the vibration damping layer comprises a mass in a range between 1 grams and 7 grams. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the faceplate is swedged into the front opening. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the faceplate is welded into the front opening. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises a solid region located adjacent the toe region, sole, and backend of the body. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein an external toe cavity extends through the solid region to connect to the partial back cavity. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein an external toe cavity extends into the solid region but does not connect to the partial back cavity. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 9 , wherein a threaded, external toe cavity extends into the solid region. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 12 , wherein a toe weight is configured to be threadably retained within the threaded, external toe cavity; and
 wherein the toe weight has a mass between 2 grams and 14 grams.   
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the partial back cavity comprises a partial back cavity volume that is at least partially filled with a filler material; and
 wherein the filler material fills between 10% and 25% of a partial back cavity lower portion.   
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the partial badge from a badge material having a badge specific gravity between 0.1 and 8.0; and
 wherein the badge specific gravity is lower than a body material specific gravity.   
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the indention is formed in the back wall between the top cavity wall and the bottom cavity wall, and extending toward the strikeface;
 wherein the top cavity wall follows a contour of the top rail as the top cavity wall extends between the heel region and the toe region; and   wherein the top cavity wall extends from the upper back wall to an upper indention wall in a direction towards the strikeface and the bottom cavity wall extends from the lower back wall to a lower indention wall in a direction toward the strikeface.   
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the front wall is further divided into an upper front wall from adjacent the top rail and a lower front wall formed adjacent the sole. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein a front opening rim circumscribes the front opening;
 the upper front wall extends downward from the top rail to the front opening rim; and   the lower front wall extends upward from the sole to the front opening rim.   
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises a bottom wall extending across the sole between the lower front wall and the lower back wall; and
 wherein a portion of the bottom wall adjacent the lower front wall defines a uniform thinned region having a sole thickness measured perpendicular to an exterior surface of the bottom wall and between the exterior surface and an interior surface thereof.   
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 19 , wherein the sole thickness is between 0.040 inch and 0.050 inch.