Variable thickness face plate for a golf club head

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a golf club heads having a body portion and a face portion, wherein the face portion comprises a variable thickness profile disposed at an angle on the rear surface of the face plate.

1 . A golf club head comprising;
 a body having a crown portion, a sole portion, and a rear portion defining an inner cavity;   a face plate having;
 a front surface; 
 a rear surface; 
 a geometric center of the face plate defining an origin of a coordinate system having a horizontal axis extending from near a heel portion to near a toe portion in a direction parallel to a ground plane when the golf club head is held at an address position; 
 a vertical axis extending from near the crown portion to near the sole portion, perpendicular to the horizontal axis, and to the ground plane when the golf club head is at an address position; 
 a thickness measured between the front surface and the rear surface, wherein the thickness varies at different locations across the face plate to define a variable thickness profile, the variable thickness profile comprising:
 a peripheral region comprising a minimum thickness of the face plate; 
 an ellipsoidal central region comprising a maximum thickness of the face plate, and wherein a center of the ellipsoidal central region is vertically aligned at a location where the maximum face plate height occurs; 
 the ellipsoidal central region further comprising a major axis extending along a length of the ellipsoidal central region and a minor axis extending along a maximum width of the ellipsoidal central region;
 wherein the major axis of the central region extends parallel to horizontal axis; 
 
 a transition region between the peripheral region and the ellipsoidal central region comprising a blended taper between the maximum thickness of the face plate in the ellipsoidal central region and the minimum thickness of the face plate in the peripheral region; 
 the blended taper comprises a first radius of curvature between the ellipsoidal central region and the transition region, and a second radius of curvature between the transition region and the peripheral region; and
 wherein a thickness profile of the transition region comprises a gradual taper between the first radius of curvature and the second radius of curvature. 
 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the major axis and the minor axis intersect at a center of the ellipsoidal central region. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the ellipsoidal central region comprises a first side and a second side separated by the minor axis. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein the first side is positioned between the minor axis and the toe portion. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein the second side is positioned between the minor axis and the heel portion. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein a length of the first side is measured along the major axis and is substantially similar to a length of the second side. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein a combined length of the length of the first side and the length of the second side can be greater than approximately 0.85 inches. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the transition region extends between 0.15 to approximately 0.75 inches from a perimeter of the ellipsoidal central region to the peripheral region. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the minimum thickness of the face plate in the peripheral region is 0.85 inches. 
     
     
         10 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the ellipsoidal central region is located at least 0.25 inches toward the toe portion from the vertical axis. 
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the geometric center of the face plate is located in the ellipsoidal central region. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the ellipsoidal central region comprises an oblong shape.