Double-Wall Iron with Composite Inner Wall

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/887,331, filed on Aug. 12, 2022, entitled “Double-Wall Iron With Composite Inner Wall,” which is a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/988,406, filed on Aug. 7, 2020, entitled “Double-Wall Iron With Composite Inner Wall,” now U.S. Pat. No. 11,465,020, issued on Oct. 11, 2022, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

It is a goal for golfers to reduce the total number of swings needed to complete a round of golf, thus reducing their total score. To achieve that goal, golfers may often desire to hit a golf ball a long distance. The distance the golf ball travels depends on both the skill of the golfer and the equipment used by the golfer. With respect to the golf club, the construction of a striking face, along with other elements of the club, has an effect on the outgoing speed of a ball when struck by the club. For example, as the striking face contacts the golf ball, the striking face may provide a spring-like effect, adding to the speed of the golf ball as it leaves the club face.

In one aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head having a striking face; a club head body having a perimeter contact rim and a ledge extending from the perimeter contact rim, wherein the striking face is secured to the club head body proximate the perimeter contact rim, and wherein the ledge is spaced from a rear surface of the striking face so as to define a gap therebetween; and an inner wall has a perimeter edge, wherein at least a portion of the perimeter edge is disposed in the gap and in contact with the ledge, and wherein the rear surface of the striking face is in contact with a portion of the inner wall. In an example, the ledge extends inward from the perimeter contact rim, and wherein the ledge is offset from the perimeter contact rim, and wherein the inner wall is substantially parallel to the striking face. In another example, the perimeter edge is tapered. In yet another example, the club head body further includes a sole, a topline, a heel, and a toe, and wherein the ledge is disposed proximate at least one of the sole, the topline, the heel, and the toe. In still another example, the perimeter edge is in contact with a portion of the ledge disposed proximate the topline and the sole.

In another example of the above aspect, a heel portion of the perimeter edge is unsupported by the ledge when the striking face is in a neutral position. In an example, the heel portion of the perimeter edge is in contact with a lip when the striking face is in a deflected position. In another example, the perimeter edge of the inner wall has a shape substantially similar to a perimeter edge of the striking face.

In another aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head having: a body portion having a perimeter contact rim and a ledge extending inward from the at least a portion of the perimeter contact rim, wherein the ledge is discrete from the perimeter contact rim; an inner plate having an edge and a central portion, wherein at least a portion of the edge is in contact with the ledge; and a striking face secured to the perimeter contact rim, wherein a rear surface of the striking face is in contact with the central portion of the inner plate when the striking face is in a neutral position. In an example, the rear surface of the striking face is in contact with the central portion of the inner plate when the striking surface is in a deflected position. In another example, the edge of the inner plate is tapered and wherein when in the deflected position, the rear surface of the striking face and the perimeter edge of the inner plate define a space therebetween. In yet another example, the inner plate includes a topline edge, a sole edge, and a heel edge, and wherein when the striking surface is in a neutral position, the topline edge and the sole edge are in contact with the ledge. In still another example, when the striking surface is in a deflected position, (a) the topline edge and the sole edge are in contact with the ledge, and (b) the heel edge is in contact with a lip extending from the club head body.

In another example of the above aspect, the striking face is secured about the perimeter contact rim. In an example, the body portion includes a topline edge, a sole edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge, and wherein the ledge extends along substantially the entire length of at least one of the topline edge, the sole edge, the heel edge, and the toe edge. In another example, the ledge has two ledges, wherein the two ledges are disposed proximate opposing edges of the perimeter contact rim.

In another aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head having: a club head body having a perimeter contact rim and a ledge extending inward from at least two opposing edges of the perimeter contact rim; a striking face connected to the club head body proximate the perimeter contact rim; and an inner wall having a central portion defining a central area and an edge surrounding the central portion and defining an edge area less than the central area, wherein the edge is in contact with the ledge, and wherein a rear surface of the striking face contacts the central portion and is spaced apart from the edge when the striking face is in both a neutral position and a deflected position. In an example, a distance between the edge and the rear surface of the striking face in the neutral position is greater than a distance between the edge and the rear surface of the striking face in the deflected position. In another example, the central area includes an area approximately 78% of a total area of the inner wall. In yet another example, the striking face and the inner wall have substantially similar perimeter shapes.

In another aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head including a golf club head body. The golf club head body includes a striking face; a toe portion; a heel portion opposite the toe portion; a sole portion; a topline portion opposite the sole portion; and a ledge extending toward an interior of the golf club head body from the sole portion, the toe portion, and the topline portion. The ledge is not provided in the heel portion. The ledge is spaced apart from a rear surface of the striking face so as to define a gap therebetween. An inner wall including at least one of a composite material, fiberglass, and carbon fiber is in contact with at least a portion of the rear surface of the striking face, and at least a portion of the inner wall is disposed in the gap. A perimeter support member is interposed between the inner wall and the ledge.

In another aspect, the technology relates to a method for manufacturing a golf club head that includes providing a golf club head body comprising a heel portion, a toe portion opposite the heel portion, a sole portion, a topline portion opposite the sole portion, and a striking face, positioning an inner wall within the golf club head body against a rear surface of the striking face such that the inner wall at least partially contacts the rear surface of the striking face, and the inner wall at least partially fills a gap defined between the striking face and a ledge extending toward an interior of the golf club head body from the sole portion, the toe portion, and the topline portion, the ledge not provided in the heel portion; and inserting a perimeter support member between the ledge and the inner wall so as to completely fill the gap.

In another aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head including a striking face; and a golf club head body. The golf club head body includes a contact rim at least partially supporting the striking face, wherein the striking face is secured to the golf club head body proximate the contact rim along at least a sole portion and a topline portion of the golf club head body; an inner wall includes at least one of a composite material, fiberglass, and carbon fiber; and an opening defined in the golf club head body and adapted to receive the inner wall therethrough. A rear surface of the inner wall is supported by the golf club head body and reinforces the striking face, and at least a portion of a front surface of the inner wall is in contact with a rear surface of the striking face.

In another aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head including: a golf club head body, the golf club head body including: a striking face; a toe portion; a heel portion opposite the toe portion; a sole portion; a topline portion opposite the sole portion; and a ledge extending toward an interior of the golf club head body from the sole portion, wherein the ledge is spaced apart from a rear surface of the striking face so as to define a gap therebetween; an inner wall including at least one of a composite material, fiberglass, and carbon fiber, wherein the inner wall is in contact with at least a portion of the rear surface of the striking face, and at least a portion of the inner wall is disposed in the gap; and a perimeter support member interposed between the inner wall and the ledge.

In another aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head including: a striking face; and a golf club head body including: a contact rim at least partially supporting the striking face, wherein the striking face is secured to the golf club head body proximate the contact rim along at least a sole portion and a topline portion of the golf club head body; an inner wall including at least one of a composite material, fiberglass, and carbon fiber; and an opening defined in the golf club head body and adapted to receive the inner wall therethrough, wherein a rear surface of the inner wall is supported by the golf club head body and reinforces the striking face, and at least a portion of a front surface of the inner wall is in contact with a rear surface of the striking face, wherein the inner wall has a thickness, wherein the opening is a toe opening defined in a toe portion of the golf club head body, wherein the toe opening has a width that is greater than the thickness of the inner wall so as to accommodate insertion of the inner wall through the opening, and wherein the golf club head further includes a toe cap adapted to capture and retain the inner wall by enclosing the toe opening.

In another aspect, the technology relates to a golf club head including: a striking face; a golf club head body including: a heel portion, a toe portion opposite the heel portion, a sole portion, a topline portion opposite the sole portion, and a back portion opposite the striking face, an inner wall having a front surface in contact with a rear surface of the striking face; and a deformable member disposed between the inner wall and the back portion of the golf club head body.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

The technologies described herein contemplate a golf club head, such as an iron, fairway metal, driver, or other golf club head, that includes a double-walled striking face, e.g., a golf club head having an inner wall structure in contact with an outer striking face. In examples, such club heads may include a sole channel. One end of the inner wall structure is fixed to the golf club head, while another end of the inner wall structure is unfixed, allowing the inner wall structure to slide against a rear surface of the striking face. Such an inner wall structure contributes to a spring effect of the striking face, thus improving ball speed and launch characteristics from strikes near the center and top of the striking face. The golf club head may also include a sole channel that creates improved ball speed and launch characteristics for strikes near the center and bottom of the striking face. Accordingly, the use of the double-walled striking face and the sole channel in tandem provide improved launch characteristics, such as launch angles, spin characteristics, and ball speed, across the entire striking face, from the topline to the sole. Thus, both shots from the turf and off a tee produce improved launch characteristics.

depicts a perspective view of a golf club headhaving an inner wall structureand a sole channel, anddepicts a section view of the golf club head.are described concurrently. The golf club headincludes striking faceattached to a sole portion, a toe portion, a topline, and a heel portion. The toplineis also attached to a back portion. The inner wall structureextends from the back portiontowards the striking face, and a first cavityis partially defined (in section) by the back portion, the topline, and the inner wall structure. The inner wall structureincludes a fixed end, attached to the back portion, and an unfixed end. The fixed endmay be attached to the back portionvia welding, brazing, or fastening, such as with screws or rivets, along with any other suitable attachment methods. The unfixed endis received by a recessin an internal portion of the topline. The recessis shaped or configured so as to receive, but not fix or secure, the unfixed endof the inner wall structure, such that the unfixed endmay move freely therefrom. The inner wall structurealso includes a support portionand a contact portion. The support portionsupports the contact portion, which is in contact with a rear surface of the striking face. In the example depicted, the support portiongenerally has an angled v-shape from the back portionto the striking face, and a component of the support portionextends substantially orthogonal to the striking face. The contact portionruns substantially parallel to the striking face. Lubrication may be disposed between the contact portionand the striking faceso as to reduce the friction between those elements. This allows for easier sliding of the surfaces against one another. Further, in some examples, additional machining or processing is performed on these contacting elements to create extra-smooth surfaces to further reduce friction therebetween. The contact portionmay also be coated with a polymer, such as a TEFLON-brand coating available from E. I. duPont de Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Delaware, or other similar materials for management of vibrations, friction, and alteration of sound properties emitted upon striking a golf ball.

The striking facemay also have multiple thicknesses, including a thick portionand a thin portion. The thick portionhas a thickness greater than a thickness of the thin portion. Because the inner wall structureprovides additional support to the thin portion, the thin portionmay be thinner than it would otherwise be in the absence of the inner wall structure. In an example, the thick portionhas a thickness that is approximately double the thickness of the thin portion. In one example, the thin portionmay have a thickness of approximately 0.9 mm and the thick portionmay have a thickness of approximately 1.4 mm.

The thickness of the contact portionand the thin portionof the striking facemay also differ. For example, the contact portionmay have a thickness that is approximately double the thickness of the thin portionof the striking face. In some examples, the ratio of the thickness of the contact portionto the thickness of the thin portionof the striking facemay be approximately 1.5:1, 2.5:1, or 3:1. In other examples, the thickness of the contact portionmay be approximately the same as that of the thick portionof the striking face.

The types of materials used to create the inner wall structureand the striking facemay also differ. As an example, the inner wall structuremay be made of a low-density material with a high strength, while the striking facemay be made of a material with a relatively higher density and a relatively lower strength. As another example, the striking facemay be made from a material having a low elastic modulus while the inner wall structuremay be made form a material having a relatively higher elastic modulus. For instance, the striking facemay be made from a steel material and the inner wall structuremay be made from a titanium material. In another instance, the inner wall structuremay be made from a high-strength steel, such as maraging C350 steel, and the striking facemay be made from a lower strength steel, such as maraging C300 steel. In the above examples using different types of materials, the thickness of the contact portionmay be approximately the same as the thickness of the thin portionof the striking face. Such materials may also be coated with a polymer for damping vibration and managing friction between surfaces. For instance, the contact portioncould be coated with a low-friction polymer.

The golf club headmay also include a sole channel. The sole channelincludes a front edgeand a back edge. The sole channelmay extend from near the heel portionto the toe portionand may be substantially the same width as the striking face. In the example depicted, the sole channelseparates the back portionfrom the sole portion. The fixed endof the inner wall structureis attached to the back portionat the back edge. The sole channeldefines a through-hole into a second cavitythat is partially defined (in section) by the thick portion, the sole portion, and the inner wall structure. In some examples, the sole channelis filled with or spanned by a polymer or other elastic material to prevent debris from entering the second cavity. The incorporation of the sole channelallows for further deflection of lower portions of the striking face, thus providing additional ball speed from golf ball strikes occurring in lower regions of the striking face.

depicts a section view of another example of a golf club headC having an inner wall structureand a sole channel. The golf club headC is substantially the same as the golf club headdepicted inand, as such, not all element thereof are described further. In golf club headC, however, the support portionC has a curved C-shape. The curved C-shape of support portionC allows for more deflection of the striking faceand the contact portionbecause the component of the curved C-shape that is orthogonal to the striking faceis reduced in size.

depicts a back view of the golf club heads,C depicted in. The sole channelruns across a bottom side of the back portionin a direction substantially parallel to the striking face. In the example depicted, the sole channelseparates a portion of the sole portionfrom the back portion. In some embodiments, the sole channelmay have a width W that is approximately the same as the width of the striking faceand/or the width of the inner wall structure. In other examples, the width W of the sole channelis approximately the same as the diameter of a golf ball (i.e., about 1.6-1.7 inches) or greater. As discussed above, the sole channelmay also be filled with or spanned by an elastic material.

depict a section view and a bottom view, respectively, of another golf club headand are described concurrently. The golf club headis similar to the golf club heads,C depicted inand described above. As such, elements common to both configurations are numbered similarly, but are not necessarily described further. An inner wall structureincludes a support portion, a contact portion, a fixed end, and an unfixed end. The support portionhas a curved S-shape and the contact portionis substantially parallel to the striking face. The striking facemay also include a thick portionand a thin portion. Two cavities are also formed: a first cavityand a second cavity.

The sole channelis located proximate to the striking face. By moving the sole channelcloser to the striking face, the deflection of the thick portionof the striking faceis increased when striking a golf ball. The back edgeof the sole channelis formed by a rear segment of the sole portionand the front edgeof the sole channelis formed by a front segment of the sole portion. Because less of the sole portionis directly attached to the striking face, there is less resistance to deflection of the thick portion. Accordingly, the increased deflection may provide for increased ball speeds resulting from ball strikes occurring near the thick portionof the striking face. The sole channelmay also run substantially parallel to the striking face, as shown in. The sole channelmay also be filled with or spanned by an elastic material.

depicts another example of a golf club head. The golf club headis similar to golf club heads described above, and as such, elements common to those configurations and the golf club headare numbered similarly, but are not necessarily described further. The golf club headincludes a striking facethat is attached to the topline, the toe portionand the heel portion, but is at least partially not attached to the sole portion. Accordingly, the striking faceis effectively hinged at the toplineallowing for movement of the striking face. In other embodiments, the striking facemay also not be directly attached to the toe portionor the heel portion.

The inner wall structureincludes a fixed endand an unfixed end. The fixed endis attached to a front edge of the sole portiondirectly behind the striking face. The inner wall structuremay not include a support portion, as the entire inner wall structureis in contact with the rear surface of the striking face. In some examples, however, the inner wall structuremay include a small support portion to allow for attachment to the sole portionvia welding or other fastening measures. Unlike the embodiments depicted above, only a single cavityis present.

The inner wall structureand the striking faceare fixed, or effectively hinged, at opposite portions of the golf club head. More specifically, in the example depicted, the inner wall structurehas a fixed endat the sole portionand an unfixed endnear the topline, and the striking facehas a fixed end at the toplineand an unfixed end near the sole portion. Such a configuration allows the inner wall structureto slide against the rear surface of the striking faceand also to deflect separately from the striking face. For example, upon a strike of a golf ball, the striking facemoves in an upward direction while the inner wall structuremoves downward.

In other examples, the fixed and unfixed ends of the inner wall structureand the striking facemay be inverted from the example depicted in. That is, the inner wall structuremay have a fixed end at the toplineand an unfixed end near the sole portion, and the striking facemay have a fixed end at the sole portionand an unfixed end near the topline. In yet other examples, the inner wall structuremay have a fixed end at the toe portionand an unfixed end near the heel portion, and the striking facemay have a fixed end at the heel portionand an unfixed end near the toe portion, or vice versa.

Further, because substantially the entire rear surface of the striking faceis in contact with the inner wall structure, the thickness of the striking facemay be uniform. The thickness of the striking facemay also be less than the thickness of the inner wall structure, and the striking faceand the interior wall structuremay also be made of different materials.

depict a section view and a bottom view, respectively, of another golf club headand are described concurrently. The golf club headis similar to the golf club heads described above. As such, elements common to the configuration of the golf club headand the golf club heads described above are numbered similarly, but are not necessarily described further. The inner wall structureof the golf club headincludes a fixed endand an unfixed end. The fixed endmay be attached to the sole portion, toe portion, and/or the heel portion, and the unfixed endis received in a recessin the interior portion of the topline. In some embodiments, the inner wall structuremay be wider than the sole channel, and the fixed endof the inner wall structuremay be attached to segments of the sole portionthat extend outside the sole channeltowards the toe portionand the heel portion. The striking facehas a fixed end at the toplineand an unfixed end near the sole portion. Accordingly, the inner wall structuremay slide against the rear surface of the striking face. In some examples, the striking facemay also be attached to the toe portionand/or the heel portion.

The sole channelis located near the front of the golf club headand separates the inner wall structureand the striking facefrom the remainder of the sole portion. For instance, the front edgeof the sole channelis defined by the fixed endof the inner wall structure, and the back edgeis defined the sole portion. By locating the sole channelfurther towards the front of the golf club head, the bottom portion of the striking faceis able to more easily deflect, further adding to the ball speed resulting from a strike on the lower portion of the striking face. The sole channelmay also be filled with or spanned by an elastic material. In some embodiments, a flexible coating may also coat the bottom of the golf club headto cover the edges of the striking faceand any external edges of the inner wall structure, e.g., so as to prevent wear.

depicts a perspective view of a golf club headof a driver having an inner wall structureand a sole channel.depicts a section view of the golf club head, anddepicts a bottom view of the golf club head.are described concurrently. The golf club headincludes a crownand a sole portionattached thereto. The golf club headalso includes a striking faceattached to the crownand a segment of the sole portion. The inner wall structureincludes a fixed endattached to the sole portionnear the back edgeof the sole channel. An unfixed endis not fixed to the striking faceor the crown. In some embodiments, the crownmay include a recess (not shown) for receiving the unfixed endof the inner wall structureas with the configurations described above. The inner wall structurealso includes a support portionand a contact portion. The support portionmay be a curved c-shape, a curved s-shape, or some other shape. The contact portionmay contact the majority of the rear surface of the striking face. In some examples, substantially the entire rear surface of the striking faceis backed by the inner wall structure. In some embodiments, the striking faceand the inner wall structure may be constructed of the same or similar materials as discussed above. Further, the contact portionmay be coated with a polymer for managing vibration, sounds properties, and to reduce friction. The golf club headalso includes a cavitypartially defined (in section) by the sole portion, the crown, and the inner wall structure.

The sole channelis incorporated into the sole portion. In the example depicted, the front edgeof the sole channelis defined by a bottom edge of the striking face, and the back edgeof the sole channelis defined by the sole portion. Accordingly, the sole channelseparates a portion of the striking facefrom the sole portion. The sole channelmay have a width substantially the size of a golf ball diameter or larger. In some examples, the sole channelmay have a width more than double the size of a golf ball diameter. Many of the benefits and features from the sole channels and inner wall structures discussed above are also applicable to the golf club head. Further, while sole channeland the inner wall structureare shown in the golf club headof a driver, such structures may be incorporated into other metal woods, such as fairway metal woods and hybrid clubs.

depicts an exploded perspective view of another example of a golf club head. The golf club head includes a club head body, a striking face, and an inner walldisposed between the bodyand striking face, as described in more detail herein. The club head bodyincludes a perimeter defined by a topline, a sole, a heel, and a toe, as known generally in the art. Further, each of the striking faceand inner wallinclude edges or portions disposed proximate each of the corresponding portions,,, andof the club head body. The bodyincludes a ledgethat extends inward from the outer perimeter of the body. The ledgeprovides support along one or more edges of the inner wall. In the depicted configuration, the ledgeis proximate but discrete from the topline, sole, and toeof the club body. In other examples the ledgemay extend from each of the topline, sole, heel, and toe. In other example, the ledgemay extend from only two of those features, which may be generally opposed to each other. The ledgeincludes a flat, or generally flat, contact surfacethat contacts a rear surface the inner wall, typically proximate an outer perimeter edgethereof. The ledgemay also include a curved edge portion, which reduces stress on the inner wallas the inner walldeflects during use. The club bodymay include a restwhich may be a raised wall or other feature that may be used to assist in manufacture. For example, a heel edgeof the inner wallmay be placed in abutting contact with the restduring manufacture to ensure proper positioning thereof. Thereafter, the striking facemay be secured to the club bodyso as to hold the inner walltherein. The topline, sole, heel, toe, inner wall, and a rear wallmay define a voidwithin the golf club head. As the inner walldeflects into the voidduring use, pressure in the voidmay increase. A pressure reliefmay be defined by a portion of the club head bodyand may be covered by a thin flexible film or other membrane to prevent ingress of water or debris, while accommodating pressure changes within the void.

The inner wallmay be a thin plate, manufactured, for example, of high-strength steel and steel alloys. Example materials include Aermet 320, Aermet 340, and others. The inner wallmay have an outer perimeter shape substantially similar to that of the club head body(more specifically, an openingdefined generally by the ledgetherein), and/or the striking face. The inner wallhas a central areaand an edge areathat bounds the central area, which is generally flat. The edge areais tapered, such that the outer perimeter edgeof the inner wallhas a thickness less than that of the central area. In examples, the central areamay have a thickness of between about 1.75 mm to about 1.35 mm. Central areathicknesses of about 1.75 mm, about 1.65 mm, or about 1.5 mm may be desirable, although other thicknesses are contemplated. The thickness of the inner wallat the outer perimeter edgemay be between about 1.35 mm to about 0.8 mm. Perimeter edgethicknesses may be about 1.3 mm, about 1.2 mm, or about 1.05 mm. Of course, the thickness at the outer perimeter edgeis less than that at the central portion. The tapered edge areaallows the inner wallto deflect during striking of a golf ball, without applying a force to the striking face, thus preventing inadvertent separation thereof from the club body. This is depicted in more detail below in.

Relative sizes of the central areaand the edge areaof the inner wallmay be modified as required or desired to affect performance of the golf club head. The central areamay be defined as the area of the inner wallthat contacts a rear surface of the striking facewhen the golf club headis in the neutral position. The edge areamay be defined as the area of the inner wallthat does not contact the rear surface of the striking facewhen the golf club headis in the neutral position. In examples, the central areamay represent about 75%, about 78% or about 80% of the total area of a front face of the inner wall(with the edge area representing about 25%, about 22%, and about 20%, respectively, thereof). In general, the larger the central areaof the inner wall, the greater return force on the striking faceduring deflection thereof.

The striking facemay also be generally flat, but also may include a rimthat may extend at least partially around a striking portionof the striking face. In this case, the rimis disposed along a topline edge, a sole edge, and a toe edgeof the striking face. These edges,,are secured to a contact rimon the club body, so as to secure the striking faceto the club body. The striking facemay be secured to the contact rimvia welding, chemical adhesive(s), friction interface(s), etc. In this example, a heel edgeof the striking facedoes not include any portion of the rimand, as such, may be secured to the flat rest. The ledgemay be generally discrete and extend inward from the contact rim. The striking facemay have a thickness of about 0.9 mm to about 1.25 mm.

Certain thickness relationships between the striking faceand inner wallmay produce particularly desirable results. Example thicknesses of each of these components are identified above. For example, it has been determined that particularly desirable models include a ratio of inner wall thickness to the front wall thickness of between about 1.2 and about 1.5. In one particular example, the inner wallhas a thickness of about 1.5 mm, while the front wall has a thickness of about 1.25 mm.

depicts a front view of the club head bodyof. A number of features depicted inare described above in the context ofand, as such, are not necessarily described further. As noted above, the club bodyincludes the ledgethat terminates at the curved edge portion. The depicted club bodyincludes the ledgeproximate each of the topline, sole, and toe. As such, the inner wall (not depicted) is disposed in contact with each of these portions of the ledge(that is, proximate the topline, sole, and toe) when the inner wall is in a neutral (or not deflected) position. As the inner wall deflects into the void, the rear surface of the edge thereof contacts the curved edge portion. The portion of the inner wall proximate the heelof the club bodyperforms differently, however. As can be seen in, the ledgedoes not extend proximate the heel. As such, the rear surface of the inner wall proximate the heelis unsupported by the ledgewhen in the neutral (or not deflected) position. As the inner wall deflects, however, the rear surface of the inner wall proximate the heelcontacts a lipthat extends inward from the heel. The lipmay be generally continuous with the curved edge portionof the ledge. Contact between the rear surface of the inner wall and the lipimproves performance of the golf club head. It has been discovered through testing that supporting inner wall about the entire perimeter thereof does not necessarily improve performance of the golf club head. In fact, performance may be significantly improved where the inner wallis supported in the neutral position at the edges disposed proximate the topline, sole, and toe, but not at the heel.

is a side section view of the golf club headof. A number of features depicted inare described above in the context ofand, as such, are not necessarily described further. When the rimof the striking faceis secured to the contact rimof the club head body, a gapis formed between the ledgeand a rear surfaceof the striking face. The tapered edge areais disposed within this gap. When in this configuration, the central areaof the inner wallis in contact with the rear surfaceof the striking face. As can be seen in, a front surface of the tapered edge areadoes not contact the rear surfacewhen in the neutral position. Further, due to the presence of the taper, when the inner wallis in the deflected position (e.g., when the striking facestrikes a golf ball and deflects both the striking faceand inner wall), the tapered outer edgewill not apply a responsive force to the rear surfaceas the edgedeflects forward. This is further depicted in, below.

is a top section view of the golf club headof. A number of features depicted inare described above in the context ofand, as such, are not necessarily described further. Notably,depicts the restwhich abuts, on a first side, the heel edgeof the inner walland, on a second side, the heel edgeof the striking face. Further, the lipat the heel edgeof the inner wallis depicted. As can be seen, the lipdefines a projection considerably less deep than the ledge contact surfacedisposed on the opposite side of the club body. As such, deflection of the heel edgeof the inner walldiffers from that of the toe edgeof the inner wall. In that case, varied depths of the ledgemay alter performance of a golf club headthat utilizes an inner wall. In cases, ledgeshaving longer or shorter contact surfacesmay be utilized as required or desired for particular applications.

are enlarged partial side section views of the golf club headofin neutral and deflected positions, respectively. In, the tapered edge areais depicted in the gapbetween the rear surfaceof the striking faceand the contact surfaceof the ledge. In the depicted configuration, the rimof the striking faceis secured to the contact rimof the club head body. The central areaof the inner wallis in contact with the rear surfaceof the striking face. In the neutral position, the taper of the edge areadefines a first space Sbetween the tapered edge surfaceand the rear surfaceof the striking face. Turning to, deflection of the striking face, e.g., due to contact with a golf ball, is depicted. Since the rear surfaceof the striking faceis in contact with the central portionof the inner wall, deflection thereof also deflects the inner wall. In response, the tapered edge areadisposed about the perimeter of the inner walldeflects forward, towards the rear surfaceof the striking face. This decreases the distance between the tapered edge surfaceand the rear surfaceto a space S, which is less than S. However, due to the shape of the tapered edge area, contact with the rear surfaceis reduced or eliminated. This prevents application of a force against the rear surface, which may help preserve the integrity of the connection between the rimof the striking faceand the contact rimof the club head body.

depict a golf club head in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. More specifically,show a golf club headincluding a golf club head bodyand a striking face. The golf club head bodyincludes a perimeter defined by a sole portion, a topline portionopposite the sole portion, a toe portion, and a heel portionopposite the toe portion. A back portionand a rear openingdefine a rear portion of the golf club head bodyopposite the striking face. An inner walland a perimeter support memberare disposed within the golf club head bodyand behind the striking face. A mass elementmay be attached to the golf club head body, as is described in greater detail below.is a perspective view of golf club head,is a front view of golf club head,is a sectional view of the golf club headtaken along the line XIII-XIII′ in,is a perspective view of the inner walland the perimeter support memberof golf club head,is a sectional view of the golf club headtaken along the line XV-XV′ in,is a sectional view of the golf club headtaken along the line XVI-XVI′ in, andis a sectional view of the golf club headtaken along the line XVII-XVII′.

This embodiment of the present invention allows for the striking faceto be attached to the golf club head bodyprior to insertion of the inner wallinto the golf club head. The striking faceand the golf club head bodymay be cast or forged together, or the striking facemay be attached to the golf club head bodyvia welding, brazing, adhesive, friction fit, mechanical fasteners such as screws or rivets, along with any other suitable attachment method. As the striking facemay be attached to the golf club head bodywithout the inner wallpresent, the inner wallmay be formed of materials that may not be able to withstand the extreme heat associated with the welding process.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the inner wallis positioned within the golf club head bodyby insertion through the rear opening, and therefore the striking facemay be attached to the golf club head bodyalong an entire perimeter of the striking face, which reduces the likelihood of the striking faceseparating from the golf club head bodydue to mechanical failure.

The types of materials used to create the inner walland the striking face, and the dimensions thereof, may differ as described above with regard to other embodiments. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the inner wallmay be formed out of a carbon fiber, fiberglass, or a composite type material. The inner wallmay be inserted through the rear openingin an uncured state and subsequently cured in place. In this case, the rear openingmay be dimensioned so as to only receive the inner walltherethrough when the inner wallis in a flexible uncured state. As the inner wallreinforces the striking face, the striking facemay be thinner than it would otherwise be in absence of the inner wall. The inner wallpreferably has a thickness of less than 5.0 mm.

According to some embodiments, a release agent (not shown) may be interposed between the inner walland the striking faceto reduce friction therebetween, and ensure that the inner walland the striking faceare free to slide relative to each other during impact deformation during the striking of a golf ball. The release agent may include a release film, an anti-friction coating, and/or a mold release lubricant.

Referring to, the striking faceincludes a striking portionand a rim. The rimextends substantially orthogonally away from the striking portiontoward the rear portion of the golf club head bodyand defines the perimeter of the striking facealong the sole portion, toe portion, and topline portion. The rimis secured to a contact rimof the golf club head body. The contact rimextends toward a rear surfaceof the striking facefrom the sole portion, toe portion, and topline portionof the golf club head body. In the present embodiment, the contact rimcontacts both the rimand the rear surfaceof the striking facealong the perimeter of the striking face. Alternatively, the contact rimmay contact only the rimof the striking face, such that the rear surfaceof the striking faceis spaced apart from the contact rimas shown inabove.

A front surface of the inner wallcontacts the rear surfaceof the striking faceand extends toward a surface of the contact rimopposite the rimof the striking face. A ledgeextends from the golf club head bodytoward an interior of the golf club head bodyand is spaced apart from the striking face. The ledgeis formed in the sole portion, toe portion, and topline portionof the golf club head body, but is not formed in the heel portion. A perimeter portion of the inner walland a perimeter support memberare disposed so as to fill a gapbetween the ledgeand the rear surfaceof the striking face. As shown in, the perimeter portion of the inner walland the perimeter support membercompletely fill the gapin a fore-aft direction extending rearward from the striking facetoward the rear portion of the golf club head body.

According to the present embodiment, the perimeter support memberis disposed so as to contact the ledge, a rear surface of the inner wall, and the contact rim, thereby mechanically locking the inner wallin place against the rear surfaceof the striking face. The perimeter support memberand the inner wallmay both be positioned within the golf club head bodyby insertion through the rear opening. The perimeter support membermay be formed of any number of materials, but is preferably formed of a resin material or an epoxy, and may include chopped fiber.