Golf club head

Abstract

A golf club head includes a striking face. The head further includes: a head body having a face opening and a weight member receiving portion; a face member covering the face opening and forming at least a part of the striking face; a weight member inserted into the weight member receiving portion from a face side and fixed thereto; and a joint portion formed on a boundary between the weight member receiving portion and the weight member. The weight member receiving portion includes: a lower support portion supporting a lower side of the weight member; a toe-side support portion supporting a toe side of the weight member; a heel-side support portion supporting a heel side of the weight member; an upper support portion supporting an upper side of the weight member; and an upward opening formed by an absence of a portion of material in the upper support portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising a striking face and a sole surface, wherein
 the golf club head further includes:
 a head body that includes a face opening and a weight member receiving portion; 
 a face member that covers the face opening and forms at least a part of the striking face; 
 a weight member that is inserted into the weight member receiving portion from a face side and is fixed to the weight member receiving portion; and 
 a joint portion formed on a boundary between the weight member receiving portion and the weight member, and 
   the weight member receiving portion includes:
 a lower support portion that supports a lower side of the weight member; 
 a toe-side support portion that supports a toe side of the weight member; 
 a heel-side support portion that supports a heel side of the weight member; 
 an upper support portion that supports an upper side of the weight member; and 
 an upward opening formed by an absence of a portion of material in the upper support portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the upper support portion includes a toe upper support portion that extends from the toe-side support portion and supports a toe-side end of the weight member from an upper side, and a heel upper support portion that extends from the heel-side support portion and supports a heel-side end of the weight member from the upper side, and   the upward opening is located between the toe upper support portion and the heel upper support portion.   
     
     
         3 . The golf club head according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the upward opening penetrates through the upper support portion in a face-back direction.   
     
     
         4 . The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the upper support portion includes a continuously extending part that extends continuously from the toe-side support portion to the heel-side support portion, and   the upward opening is formed on a face side and/or a back side of the continuously extending part.   
     
     
         5 . The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the face member includes a front surface that forms at least a part of the striking face, and a rear surface that is a surface opposite to the front surface,   the weight member includes a front surface located on the face side, and   the rear surface of the face member and the front surface of the weight member face each other across a space.   
     
     
         6 . The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the golf club head is a cavity back iron head that includes a back cavity, and   in a region where the upward opening is located, an upper surface of the weight member is exposed to a cavity space that is an internal empty space of the back cavity.   
     
     
         7 . The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a saved weight produced by the upward opening is greater than or equal to 5 g and less than or equal to 20 g, the saved weight (grams) being calculated as M×t×S, where   M is an area (cm 2 ) of a surface of a part of the weight member that is exposed to an outside by the upward opening, t is a thickness (cm) of the upper support portion, and S is a specific gravity of the upper support portion.   
     
     
         8 . The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a ratio of a saved weight produced by the upward opening to a weight of the golf club head is greater than or equal to 2% and less than or equal to 10%, the saved weight (grams) being calculated as M×t×S, where   M is an area (cm 2 ) of a surface of a part of the weight member that is exposed to an outside by the upward opening, t is a thickness (cm) of the upper support portion, and S is a specific gravity of the upper support portion.   
     
     
         9 . The golf club head according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a width of the weight member measured in a toe-heel direction is denoted by D1,   a width of the upward opening measured in the toe-heel direction is denoted by D2, and   a ratio of the width D2 to the width D1 is greater than or equal to 70% and less than or equal to 95%.   
     
     
         10 . A golf club head comprising a striking face and a sole surface, wherein
 the golf club head further includes:
 a head body that includes a face opening and a weight member receiving portion; 
 a face member that covers the face opening and forms at least a part of the striking face; 
 a weight member that is inserted into the weight member receiving portion from a face side and is fixed to the weight member receiving portion; and 
 a joint portion formed on a boundary between the weight member receiving portion and the weight member, and 
   the weight member receiving portion includes:
 a lower support portion that supports a lower side of the weight member; 
 a toe-side support portion that supports a toe side of the weight member; 
 a heel-side support portion that supports a heel side of the weight member; 
 an upper support portion that supports an upper side of the weight member; and 
 an upward opening that opens the weight member receiving portion on its upper side. 
   
     
     
         11 . The golf club head according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the upper support portion includes a toe upper support portion that extends from the toe-side support portion and supports a toe-side end of the weight member from an upper side, and a heel upper support portion that extends from the heel-side support portion and supports a heel-side end of the weight member from the upper side, and   the upward opening is located between the toe upper support portion and the heel upper support portion.   
     
     
         12 . The golf club head according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the upward opening penetrates through the upper support portion in a face-back direction.   
     
     
         13 . The golf club head according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the upper support portion includes a continuously extending part that extends continuously from the toe-side support portion to the heel-side support portion, and   the upward opening is formed on a face side and/or a back side of the continuously extending part.   
     
     
         14 . The golf club head according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the face member includes a front surface that forms at least a part of the striking face, and a rear surface that is a surface opposite to the front surface,   the weight member includes a front surface located on the face side, and   the rear surface of the face member and the front surface of the weight member face each other across a space.   
     
     
         15 . The golf club head according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the golf club head is a cavity back iron head that includes a back cavity, and   in a region where the upward opening is located, an upper surface of the weight member is exposed to a cavity space that is an internal empty space of the back cavity.   
     
     
         16 . The golf club head according to  claim 10 , wherein
 a saved weight produced by the upward opening is greater than or equal to 5 g and less than or equal to 20 g, the saved weight (grams) being calculated as M×t×S, where   M is an area (cm 2 ) of a surface of a part of the weight member that is exposed to an outside by the upward opening, t is a thickness (cm) of the upper support portion, and S is a specific gravity of the upper support portion.   
     
     
         17 . The golf club head according to  claim 10 , wherein
 a ratio of a saved weight produced by the upward opening to a weight of the golf club head is greater than or equal to 2% and less than or equal to 10%, the saved weight (grams) being calculated as M×t×S, where   M is an area (cm 2 ) of a surface of a part of the weight member that is exposed to an outside by the upward opening, t is a thickness (cm) of the upper support portion, and S is a specific gravity of the upper support portion.   
     
     
         18 . The golf club head according to  claim 10 , wherein
 a width of the weight member measured in a toe-heel direction is denoted by D1,   a width of the upward opening measured in the toe-heel direction is denoted by D2, and   a ratio of the width D2 to the width D1 is greater than or equal to 70% and less than or equal to 95%.   
     
     
         19 . A golf club head comprising a striking face and a sole surface, wherein
 the golf club head further includes:
 a head body that includes a face opening and a weight member receiving portion; 
 a face member that covers the face opening and forms at least a part of the striking face; 
 a weight member that is inserted into the weight member receiving portion from a face side and is fixed to the weight member receiving portion; and 
 a joint portion formed on a boundary between the weight member receiving portion and the weight member, and 
   the weight member receiving portion includes:
 a lower support portion that supports a lower side of the weight member; 
 an upper support portion that supports an upper side of the weight member; and 
 an upward opening formed by an absence of a portion of material in the upper support portion.