Golf club head with insert

Abstract

The golf club head described herein can have a metal body and a non-metal insert. The insert forms an entire toe end of the club head. The insert can have an offset surface, located behind the strike face of the body, wherein the insert and strike face form a gap therebetween. The insert offset surface can comprise a backstop that temporarily restricts bending of a center of the strike face during a golf ball impact. The gap between the strike face and the insert allows the strike face to flex while the backstop prevents the strike face from over flexing. In one embodiment, the golf club head can comprise a body having an interior cavity that opens towards a toe end. The insert can form an outermost surface of the toe end and fill a portion of the cavity.

1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a toe end, a heel end, a top rail, a sole, a strike face, and a rear portion;   a body comprising a face panel;
 an insert forming a portion of the top rail and comprising a backstop protruding from a surface of the insert; and
 wherein the backstop facilitates temporary limit bending of the strike face at a region where the face panel is predisposed to flex more than desired, and the backstop located behind the face panel prevents over flexing of the face panel during a golf ball impact. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein: a length of the insert, measured in a direction from the heel end to the toe end, is between 30% and 60% of a total length of the golf club head. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein: the insert comprises a resin and reinforcing fibers; the resin is a material selected from the group consisting of: a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU); and the reinforcing fibers are a material selected from the group consisting of: carbon fibers, fiberglass, aramid fibers, boron fibers, jute fibers, flax fibers, ramie fibers, hemp fibers, sugar cane fibers, coir fibers, sisal fibers, grass fibers, and abaca plant fibers. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein: the insert comprises a metal material selected from the group consisting of: an aluminum alloy and a magnesium alloy. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein: a toe portion of the body extends from the sole upwards to form at least 50% of the toe end. 
     
     
         6 . A golf club head comprising:
 a toe end, a heel end, a top rail, a sole, a strike face, a hosel, and a rear portion;   a body comprising a face panel and a body sole portion;   an insert comprising: an insert offset surface, a back surface opposite the insert offset surface, a top edge, and a bottom edge opposite the top edge; a rail portion;   an insert panel; a backstop; a securing mechanism; wherein: the insert is configured to fit onto the body, such that the rail portion of the insert forms a portion of the top rail; and
 wherein the backstop facilitates temporary limit bending of the strike face at a region where the face panel is predisposed to flex more than desired, and the backstop located behind the face panel prevents over flexing of the face panel during a golf ball impact. 
   
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein the securing mechanism comprises a shelf extending from the insert panel;
 the body sole portion defines a channel configured to receive the shelf; and   the shelf has a shape that is complementary to the channel of the body sole portion.   
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein: the shelf extends rearwards from the insert panel; and the shelf and an insert back surface form an angle ranging from 0 to 45 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein a backstop offset distance is less than an insert gap distance. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein: the insert offset surface and the face panel define an insert gap distance, ranging inclusively between 0.055 inch and 0.075 inch. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein: the backstop and the face panel define a backstop gap distance, ranging inclusively between 0.015 inch and 0.040 inch. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein: the face panel has a face panel thickness that is less than 0.060 inch. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein: a density of the insert is lower than a density of the body. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein the backstop comprises a shape comprising a top side, a toe side, and a heel side;
 wherein:   the top side is convex and the toe side and the heel side are concave with respect to a geometric center reference axis;   the toe side and the heel side come to a rounded point at a bottom of the backstop; and   the toe side and the heel side intersect the top side to form a pair of wing shapes that point towards the toe end and the heel end.   
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein: the toe end of the body forms a toe port; the golf club head further comprises a toe weight that fits within the toe port; and the golf club head further comprises a tip weight that fits within the hosel. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein: the insert further comprises a soft layer attached to the insert offset surface of the insert panel; and the soft layer comprises an elastomer material. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein: a length of the insert, measured in a direction from the heel end to the toe end, is between 30% and 60% of a total length of the golf club head. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein: the insert comprises a resin and reinforcing fibers; the resin is a material selected from the group consisting of: a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU); and the reinforcing fibers are a material selected from the group consisting of: carbon fibers, fiberglass, aramid fibers, boron fibers, jute fibers, flax fibers, ramie fibers, hemp fibers, sugar cane fibers, coir fibers, sisal fibers, grass fibers, and abaca plant fibers. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein: the insert comprises a metal material selected from the group consisting of: an aluminum alloy and a magnesium alloy. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein: a toe portion of the body extends from the sole upwards to form at least 50% of the toe end.