Golf Club Heads with Energy Storage Characteristics

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 hollow golf club head, comprising:
 a body defining a closed internal volume, including:
 a strikeface; 
 a rear wall on an opposite side of the closed internal volume from the strikeface and forming an upper rear wall and a lower rear wall; 
 a sole coupling the strikeface with the lower rear wall; 
 a top rail coupling the strikeface with the upper rear wall on an opposite side of the closed internal volume from the sole; and 
 a rear external cavity formed between the upper rear wall and the lower rear wall bounded by a cavity top wall adjacent to the upper rear wall and a cavity back wall adjacent to the lower rear wall; 
   a bottom incline formed above the upper rear wall and beneath the rear external cavity;   a first inflection point located at a juncture of the cavity top wall and the cavity back wall;   a first reference point located at a juncture of the top rail and the upper rear wall;   a second reference point located at a juncture of the upper rear wall and the cavity top wall;   a third reference point located at a juncture of the lower rear wall and the sole;   a first reference line connecting the first reference point and the second reference point;   a second reference line connecting the second reference point and the third reference point;   a third reference line connecting the third reference point and the first inflection point;   wherein an inflection angle, measured between the third reference line and the cavity back wall is between 70 degrees and 150 degrees;   a ground plane tangent to a lowermost point of the sole when the hollow golf club head is placed in an address position; and   a maximum rear external cavity width, measured between the second reference point and the first reference point in a direction substantially parallel to the ground plane is between 0.15 inch and 1 inch.   
     
     
         2 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of ribs extending from an interior surface of the rear wall in a direction from the top rail to the sole. 
     
     
         3 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 2 , further comprising a polymer material at least partially filing the closed internal volume. 
     
     
         4 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises a first aperture located on a toe region configured to receive a toe weight having a mass between 2 grams and 7 grams; and
 a second aperture located in a hosel region configured to receive a tip weight having a mass between 2 grams and 7 grams.   
     
     
         5 . A hollow golf club head, comprising:
 a body defining a closed internal volume, including:
 a strikeface; 
 a rear wall on an opposite side of the closed internal volume from the strikeface and forming an upper rear wall and a lower rear wall; 
 a sole coupling the strikeface with the lower rear wall; 
 a top rail coupling the strikeface with the upper rear wall on an opposite side of the closed internal volume from the sole; and 
 a rear external cavity formed between the upper rear wall and the lower rear wall bounded by a cavity top wall adjacent to the upper rear wall and a cavity back wall adjacent to the lower rear wall; 
   a bottom incline, formed above the upper rear wall and beneath the rear external cavity, extending towards the strikeface and having a concave shape relative to the closed internal volume;   a protrusion, located on the rear wall between the rear external cavity and the bottom incline, extending away from the strikeface and having a convex shape relative to the closed internal volume;   a first inflection point located at a juncture of the cavity top wall and the cavity back wall;   a second inflection point located between the cavity back wall and the bottom incline at a juncture between the protrusion and the bottom incline;   a third inflection point located at a juncture between the bottom incline and the lower rear wall a third reference point located at a juncture of the lower rear wall and the sole;   a third reference line connecting the third reference point and the first inflection point;   an inflection angle, measured between the third reference line and the cavity back wall, is between 70 degrees and 150 degrees;   a ground plane tangent to a lowermost point of the sole when the hollow golf club head is placed in an address position;   a bottom incline length, measured between the second inflection point and the third inflection point, is between 0.010 inch and 0.210 inch;   a bottom incline angle, measured between the bottom incline and the ground plane, is between 15 degrees and 45 degrees.   
     
     
         6 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of ribs extending from an interior surface of the rear wall in a direction from the top rail to the sole. 
     
     
         7 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein a maximum height of the bottom incline, measured perpendicular to the ground plane between the ground plane and the second inflection point, is between 0.25 inches and 3.00 inches. 
     
     
         8 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein the maximum height of the bottom incline is between 1.50 inches and 2.125 inches. 
     
     
         9 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein a bottom incline length, measured from the second inflection point to the third inflection point, is between 0.010 inch and 0.210 inch. 
     
     
         10 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the protrusion comprises a protrusion thickness, measured perpendicularly from an interior surface of the protrusion to an exterior surface of the protrusion, between 0.028 inch and 0.045 inch. 
     
     
         11 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the protrusion thickness is between 0.039 inch and 0.045 inch. 
     
     
         12 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 5 , further comprising a polymer material at least partially filing the closed internal volume. 
     
     
         13 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the body further comprises a first aperture located on a toe region configured to receive a toe weight having a mass between 2 grams and 7 grams; and
 a second aperture located in a hosel region configured to receive a tip weight having a mass between 2 grams and 7 grams.   
     
     
         14 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the first aperture is further configured to receive between 1 gram and 9 grams of polymer, and the second aperture is further configured to receive between 1 gram and 9 grams of polymer. 
     
     
         15 . A hollow golf club head, comprising:
 a body defining a closed internal volume, including:
 a strikeface; 
 a rear wall on an opposite side of the closed internal volume from the strikeface forming an upper rear wall and a lower rear wall; 
 a sole coupling the strikeface with the lower rear wall; 
 a top rail coupling the strikeface with the upper rear wall on an opposite side of the closed internal volume from the sole; and 
 a rear external cavity formed between the upper rear wall and the lower rear wall bounded by a cavity top wall adjacent to the upper rear wall and a cavity back wall adjacent to the lower rear wall; 
   a bottom incline, formed above the upper rear wall and beneath the rear external cavity extending towards the strikeface and having a concave shape relative to the closed internal volume;   a protrusion, located on the rear wall between the rear external cavity and the bottom incline extending away from the strikeface and having a convex shape relative to the closed internal volume;   a second inflection point located between the cavity back wall and the bottom incline at a juncture between the protrusion and the bottom incline;   a third inflection point located at a juncture between the bottom incline and the lower rear wall a third reference point located at a juncture of the lower rear wall and the sole;   a ground plane tangent to a lowermost point of the sole when the hollow golf club head is placed in an address position;   a bottom incline length, measured between the second inflection point and the third inflection point, between 0.010 inch and 0.210 inch; and   a bottom incline angle, measured between the bottom incline and the ground plane, between 15 degrees and 45 degrees.   
     
     
         16 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein the protrusion comprises a protrusion thickness, measured perpendicularly from an interior surface of the protrusion to an exterior surface of the protrusion, between 0.028 inch and 0.032 inch. 
     
     
         17 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of ribs extending from an interior surface of the rear wall in a direction from the top rail to the sole. 
     
     
         18 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein the body further comprises a first aperture located on a toe region configured to receive a toe weight having a mass between 2 grams and 7 grams; and
 a second aperture located in a hosel region configured to receive a tip weight having a mass between 2 grams and 7 grams.   
     
     
         19 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein the first aperture is further configured to receive between 1 gram and 9 grams of polymer, and the second aperture is further configured to receive between 1 gram and 9 grams of polymer. 
     
     
         20 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 15 , further comprising a polymer material at least partially filing the closed internal volume.