Golf club head with composite faceplate

Abstract

Golf club heads have a composite faceplate having an Impact Response Modulator disposed in the sole to improve ball flight characteristics. The Impact Response Modulator (IRM) includes a casing with a plurality of casing walls that form an aperture therebetween. The faceplate structurally reinforces the IRM by forming the casing walls out of high-strength material, thereby improving faceplate deflection while maintaining sufficient durability.

1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body comprising:
 a crown; 
 a sole opposite the crown; 
 a toe end; 
 a heel end opposite the toe end; 
 a rear end; 
 a frame forming a front of the body and formed of a frame material having a first yield strength; 
   a composite faceplate coupled to the body to form an interior cavity of the golf club head, the composite faceplate formed of a composite faceplate material having a second yield strength greater than the first yield strength of the frame material, the composite faceplate comprising:
 a face region; 
 a sole return region, formed integral with the face region, comprising:
 a casing including:
 a casing front wall; 
 a casing rear wall; 
 a casing toe wall; and 
 a casing heel wall, wherein the casing front wall, the casing rear wall, the casing toe wall, and the casing heel wall define an aperture; 
 
 
 a sole transition region, formed integral with the face region and the sole return region, extending from the sole leading edge of the face region to the sole return front wall of the sole region; and 
 a peripheral wall, extending around entireties of the face region, the sole return region, and the sole transition region, continuously joined to the frame of the body; and 
   an insert including:
 an insert front wall that engages with the casing front wall; 
 a base that covers an exterior opening of the aperture; and 
 a rear extension that engages with a casing recess. 
   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a frame crown forming a forward portion of the crown, a frame sole forming a forward portion of the sole, a frame toe end forming a forward portion of the toe end, a frame heel end forming a forward portion of the heel end, and a lower hosel socket, adjacent the frame sole and the frame heel end; and a face region comprises a strike surface, a face region toe side located toe-ward of the strike surface and bordering the frame toe end, a face region heel side located heel-ward of the strike surface and bordering the frame heel end, a face region crown side located crown-ward of the strike surface and bordering the frame crown, and a face region sole side located sole-ward of the strike surface and defining a sole leading edge. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the casing front wall includes a front wall front surface, a front wall rear surface, a front wall base, and a front wall top surface. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the casing rear wall includes a rear wall front surface, a rear wall rear surface, a rear wall base, and a rear wall top surface. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first yield strength of the frame is less than 150 ksi. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the second yield strength of the composite faceplate is greater than 195 ksi. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the peripheral wall further comprises a peripheral wall sole section, disposed between the rear wall of the casing and the frame sole, spaced from the rear wall of the casing by a sole buffer distance of at least 0.10 inch. 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the front wall of the casing is offset from the sole leading edge by a distance of at least 0.25 inch. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of an interior surface of the face region, an exterior surface of the sole transition region, or the casing front wall rear surface comprise plastic deformation or compressive residual stress. 
     
     
         10 . A golf club head comprising:
 a body comprising:
 a crown; 
 a sole opposite the crown; 
 a toe end; 
 a heel end opposite the toe end; 
 a rear end; 
 a frame forming a front of the body and formed of a frame material having a first yield strength, the frame comprising:
 a frame crown forming a forward portion of the crown; 
 a frame sole forming a forward portion of the sole; 
 a frame toe end forming a forward portion of the toe end; and 
 a frame heel end forming a forward portion of the heel end; 
 
   a composite faceplate coupled to the body to form an interior cavity of the golf club, the composite faceplate formed of a composite faceplate material having a second yield strength greater than the first yield strength of the frame material, the composite faceplate comprising:
 a face region, comprising;
 a strike surface; 
 a face region toe side located toe-ward of the strike surface and bordering the frame toe end; 
 a face region heel side located heel-ward of the strike surface and bordering the frame heel end; 
 a face region crown side located crown-ward of the strike surface and bordering the frame crown; and 
 a face region sole side located sole-ward of the strike surface and defining a sole leading edge; 
 
 a sole return region, formed integral with the face region, comprising:
 a casing including:
 a casing front wall; 
 a casing rear wall; 
 a casing toe wall; and 
 a casing heel wall, wherein the casing front wall, the casing rear wall, the casing toe wall, and the casing heel wall define an aperture; 
 
 
 a lower hosel region, formed integral with the face region, the sole return region, and the sole transition region, extending between the face region heel side and the sole return sole wall of the sole return region, the lower hosel region including a lower hosel socket defining a socket perimeter having an socket perimeter outboard section; and
 a peripheral wall, extending around entireties of the face region, the sole return region, the sole transition region, and the lower hosel region and is continuously joined to the frame of the body; and 
 
   an insert including:
 an insert front wall that engages with the casing front wall; 
 a base that covers an exterior opening of the aperture; and 
 a rear extension that engages with a casing recess. 
   
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein a sole transition region is formed integral with
 the face region and the sole return region, and extends from the sole leading edge of the face region to the sole return front wall of the sole region;   
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the casing front wall includes a front wall front surface, a front wall rear surface, a front wall base, and a front wall top surface. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the casing rear wall includes a rear wall front surface, a rear wall rear surface, a rear wall base, and a rear wall top surface. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the peripheral wall further comprises a peripheral wall heel section, disposed between the frame heel end and the lower hosel socket of the lower hosel region, spaced from the socket perimeter outboard section by a heel buffer distance of at least 0.075 inch. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the first yield strength of the frame is less than 150 ksi. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the second yield strength of the composite faceplate is greater than 195 ksi. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein a ratio of the second yield strength to the first yield strength is at least 1.5. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the front wall of the casing is offset from the sole leading edge by a distance of at least 0.25 inch. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the composite faceplate further comprises a heel wrap region, formed integral with the face region, the sole return region, the sole transition region, and the lower hosel region, extending rearward of the face region heel side. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of an interior surface of the face region, an exterior surface of the sole transition region, the lower hosel socket, or the casing front wall rear surface comprise plastic deformation or compressive residual stress.