Golf club head including impact influencing flexture joint

Abstract

A mixed material golf club head including an outer metallic component and a polymeric component. The outer metallic component comprises the strike face. The polymeric component comprises a reaction wall that lies flush with a rear surface of the strike face. The reaction wall slidably translates across a back surface of the strike face at impact. In some embodiments, the outer metallic component is integrally formed with the crown and the polymeric component is integrally formed with the sole, to allow dynamic delofting for low-handicap golfers. In other embodiments, the outer metallic component is integrally formed with the sole and the polymeric component is integrally formed with the crown, to allow dynamic lofting for high-handicap golfers.

1 . A hollow golf club head, comprising:
 a strike face for impacting a golf ball and defining a strike face perimeter;   a body extending rearward from the strike face perimeter and defining a sole, a crown, a heel, and a toe opposite the heel;   wherein the strike face locally displaces relative to a portion of the body in response to an impact between the strike face and the golf ball;   a flexure joint extending across one of either a portion of the sole or a portion of the crown, and comprising a forward impact surface and a rearward reaction surface, wherein the forward impact surface translates relative to the rearward reaction surface in response to the impact; and   a mechanical stop configured to limit translation of the forward impact surface relative to the rearward reaction surface.   
     
     
         2 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow golf club head comprises an inner surface defining a cavity within the hollow golf club head, an outer surface, and the flexure joint extends from the outer surface to the inner surface. 
     
     
         3 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the rearward reaction surface meets the outer surface at a location that is within about 40 mm of a plane defined by the strike face. 
     
     
         4 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the forward impact surface and the rearward reaction surface comprises a curvature. 
     
     
         5 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the rearward reaction surface is at an angle from the outer surface between 30 degrees to 70 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein both the body and the strike face are at least partially formed from one or more metal alloys, and wherein at least one of the forward impact surface and the rearward reaction surface is coated with a polymer. 
     
     
         7 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein the polymer includes at least one of polyoxymethylene and polytetrafluroroethylene. 
     
     
         8 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the forward impact surface elastically displaces the rearward reaction surface to permit an increased impact-induced displacement of the strike face. 
     
     
         9 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the strike face is dynamically lofted at impact. 
     
     
         10 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the flexure joint comprises:
 a heel portion;   a toe portion; and   centrally located portions that are closer to the strike face than the heel and toe portions.   
     
     
         11 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical stop is attached to a screw that varies a height of the mechanical stop. 
     
     
         12 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the screw further permits the mechanical stop to be translated and locked along a track extending across at least a portion of the sole. 
     
     
         13 . A hollow golf club head, comprising:
 an inner surface defining an interior cavity;   an outer surface;   a strike face for impacting a golf ball and defining a strike face perimeter;   a body extending rearward from the strike face perimeter and defining a sole, a crown, a heel, and a toe opposite the heel, wherein the strike face locally displaces relative to a portion of the body in response to an impact between the strike face and the golf ball;   a flexure joint extending across one of either a portion of the sole or a portion of the crown, and comprising a forward impact surface and a rearward reaction surface, wherein the forward impact surface translates relative to the rearward reaction surface in response to the impact; and   a mechanical stop configured to limit translation of the forward impact surface relative to the rearward reaction surface, wherein the mechanical stop is adjustable to enable a variable maximum translation of the forward impact surface relative to the rearward reaction surface.   
     
     
         14 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the rearward reaction surface meets the outer surface at a location that is within about 40 mm of a plane defined by the strike face. 
     
     
         15 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the forward impact surface and the rearward reaction surface comprises a curvature. 
     
     
         16 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the forward impact surface elastically displaces the rearward reaction surface to permit an increased impact-induced displacement of the strike face. 
     
     
         17 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the strike face is dynamically lofted at impact. 
     
     
         18 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the flexure joint comprises:
 a heel portion;   a toe portion; and   centrally located portions that are closer to the strike face than the heel and toe portions.   
     
     
         19 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the mechanical stop is attached to a screw that varies a height of the mechanical stop. 
     
     
         20 . The hollow golf club head of  claim 19 , wherein the screw further permits the mechanical stop to be translated and locked along a track extending across at least a portion of the sole.