Patent Publication Number: US-10780325-B2

Title: Golf club face insert

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/370,685, filed on Mar. 29, 2019, and issued on Oct. 29, 2019, as U.S. Pat. No. 10,456,634, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/059,898, filed on Aug. 8, 2018, and issued on Apr. 2, 2019, as U.S. Pat. No. 10,245,476, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/796,431, filed on Oct. 27, 2017, and issued on Aug. 21, 2018, as U.S. Pat. No. 10,052,529, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/706,761, filed on Sep. 18, 2017, and issued on May 29, 2018, as U.S. Pat. No. 9,981,161, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/189,774, filed on Jun. 22, 2016, and issued on Oct. 3, 2017, as U.S. Pat. No. 9,776,051, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/247,589, filed on Oct. 28, 2015, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a golf club face insert comprising a plurality of hinge features, each comprising a stem portion and a suspended tab portion, extending from and disposed across a striking surface. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     The prior art discloses many different types of face inserts for golf club heads, including putters, that are intended to improve face performance. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,278,928 discloses a striking face with a plurality of solid geometric protrusions, U.S. Pat. No. 7,824,278 discloses a putter face with a plurality of pillar-shaped bodies made of a material having a higher rigidity than a golf ball, U.S. Pat. No. 8,109,841 discloses a face with a plurality of microscopic protrusions having a stiffness higher than that of a golf ball, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,371,958 discloses a golf club face with a plurality of pyramidal shaped extensions protruding therefrom. There is, however, still a need for a putter face that optimizes performance and increases the consistency of ball speed across the face. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One aspect of the present invention is a golf club face insert comprising a striking plate comprising a base portion, at least one hinge feature, and a first thickness, wherein the at least one hinge feature comprises a stem portion that extends from the base portion at an angle of no less than 45 degrees and no more than 90 degrees, a tab portion that is spaced from the base portion by the stem portion and extends from the stem portion approximately parallel to the base portion without making contact with the base portion, and a first notch disposed at an intersection between the tab portion and the stem portion, and wherein the tab portion has a top-to-bottom length that is less than a heel-to-toe width. In some embodiments, the angle is between 50 degrees and 60 degrees, and in yet a further embodiment, the angle is approximately 57 degrees. In a further embodiment, the face insert may comprise a second notch disposed at an intersection between the stem portion and the base portion. In yet another, further embodiment, the first notch may extend into an interior surface of the hinge feature, and the second notch may extend into an exterior surface of the hinge feature. 
     In some embodiments, the hinge feature may have a minimum thickness of no less than 0.005 inch, and a maximum thickness of no more than 0.025 inch. In other embodiments, the length of the tab portion may range from 0.020 inch to 0.075 inch. In a further embodiment, the length of the tab portion may range from 0.050 inch to 0.060 inch, and a width of the tab portion may be at least 1.5 times the length of the tab portion. In still other embodiments, the tab portion may be spaced from the base portion by a distance ranging from 0.030 inch to 0.060 inch. In any of the embodiments, the golf club face insert may further comprise a backing portion affixed to the striking plate, and the backing portion may comprise a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness. In a further embodiment, the backing portion may comprises at least one groove extending horizontally across the backing portion in a heel-to-toe direction, and the groove may be disposed above the tab portion of the at least one hinge feature. In yet another embodiment, the backing portion may be composed of a polymeric material, the striking plate may be composed of a metal material, and the backing portion may be co-molded with the striking plate. 
     In other embodiments, the at least one hinge feature may comprise at least three hinge features aligned along a horizontal heel-to-toe axis, and each hinge feature may be spaced from each adjacent hinge feature by a distance of 0.020 to 0.060 inch. In still other embodiments, the striking plate may comprise at least one through-hole, which may be at least partially disposed beneath the tab portion of the at least one hinge feature. 
     Another aspect of the present invention is a golf club face insert comprising a striking plate comprising a base portion, at least one hinge feature, at least one through-hole, and a first average thickness, a backing portion comprising a front surface, at least one groove extending into the front surface in a heel-to-toe direction, and a second average thickness that is greater than the first average thickness, wherein the striking plate is embedded within the backing portion so that the backing portion at least partially covers the base portion and at least partially fills the at least one through-hole, wherein the at least one hinge feature comprises a stem portion that extends from the base portion at an angle of less than 90 degrees, and a tab portion that is spaced from the base portion by the stem portion and extends from the stem portion approximately parallel to the base portion without making contact with the base portion, and wherein the tab portion of the at least one hinge feature protrudes from the backing portion proximate a lower edge of the at least one groove. 
     In some embodiments, the at least one groove may comprise first and second grooves, which may extend parallel with one another, and a plurality of hinge features may be aligned in rows at lower edges of each of the first and second grooves. In other embodiments, the at least one through-hole may be at least partially disposed beneath the tab portion of the at least one hinge feature. In still other embodiments, the backing portion may be composed of a polymeric material, the striking plate may be composed of a metal material, and the backing portion may be co-molded with the striking plate. In still other embodiments, the tab portion may have a thickness of 0.010 to 0.040 inch, and the at least one groove may have a depth that is approximately equivalent to the thickness of the tab portion. In another embodiment, the at least one hinge portion may comprise a notch disposed at an intersection between the tab portion and the stem portion. 
     Having briefly described the present invention, the above and further objects, features and advantages thereof will be recognized by those skilled in the pertinent art from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of a putter head sized to receive any of the face inserts of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 1  with a first embodiment of the face insert of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a front plan view of the face insert shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the face insert shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a front plan view of a second embodiment of the face insert of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of the face insert shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a side plan view of the face insert shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 8  is a side plan view of the striking plate shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  along lines  9 - 9 . 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged view of the circled portion of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a front perspective view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 1  with a third embodiment of the face insert of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a front perspective view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 1  with a fourth embodiment of the face insert of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  is a front perspective view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 1  with a fifth embodiment of the face insert of the present invention. 
         FIG. 14  is a front perspective view of the putter head shown in  FIG. 1  with a third embodiment of the face insert of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Each embodiment of the present invention is directed to a face insert  100  for a golf club head, preferably a putter head  10 , which provides consistent ball speed and improved spin across the striking surface.  FIG. 1  shows an exemplary putter head  10 , which would benefit from any of the embodiments of the face insert  100  of the present invention. The putter head  10  preferably comprises a hosel  15 , a face  20  with a recess 22 sized to receive the face insert  100  of the present invention, a heel side  30 , a toe side  35 , a sole portion  40 , a top portion  45 , and a rear portion  50  opposite the face  20 . A coordinate system is defined by a y-axis extending in a heel-to-toe direction parallel with the face  20 , a z-axis extending perpendicular to the y-axis from the sole portion  40  to the top portion  45 , and an x-axis extending perpendicular to both the y- and z-axes from the face  20  to rear portion  50 . 
     A first, preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 2, 3 and 7-10 , and a second, alternative embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 4-5 . In these embodiments, the face insert  100  comprises two parts: a backing portion  110  with a plurality of parallel grooves  115  extending along the y-axis in a heel-to-toe direction, and a thin striking plate  120  comprising a planar base portion  122  with a plurality of through-holes  124  and a plurality of hinge features  130 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 9-10 , each hinge feature  130  comprises a stem portion  132  that is connected to, and extends at an angle α1 of 45-90° (most preferably approximately 57°) away from, the base portion  122 , and a tab portion  134  that is spaced from an inner surface  123  of the base portion  122  a distance D 1  of 0.030 inch to 0.060 inch (most preferably approximately 0.40 inch) along the x-axis and extends away from the stem portion  132  and parallel with the base portion  122  along the z-axis. A first notch  136  extends into the inner surface  123  of the hinge feature  130  at the intersection between the stem portion  132  and the tab portion  134 , and a second notch  138  extends into the outer surface  121  of the hinge feature  130  at the intersection between the base portion  122  and the stem portion  132 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , each tab portion  134  preferably is disposed over a through-hole  124 . 
     Each tab portion  134  has a top-to-bottom length L 1  along the z-axis ranging from 0.020 to 0.075 inch, and more preferably approximately 0.047 inch, a heel-to-toe (y-axis) width W 1  that is greater than L 1 , and more preferably at least 1.5 times L 1 , and a thickness T 5  of 0.010 to 0.040 inch, more preferably approximately 0.020 inch. The base portion  122  of the striking plate  120  preferably has a thickness T 3  of 0.005 to 0.030 inch, more preferably approximately 0.011 inch, and an average vertical length L 3  along the z-axis of 0.100 to 0.200 inch, more preferably approximately 0.150 inch. The stem portion  132  has a thickness of T 4  of 0.010 to 0.040, more preferably approximately 0.021 inch, and an average vertical length L 2  along the z-axis of 0.025 to 0.075 inch, and more preferably approximately 0.056 inch. 
       FIGS. 9-10  illustrate how the striking plate  120  and backing portion  110  engage with one other, with the grooves  115  disposed above the tab portions  134  along the z-axis, and the backing portion  110  filling the through-holes  124  underneath the tab portions  134  in the striking plate  120 . The backing portion  110  also covers the planar base portion  122  so that the upper surface  135  of each tab portion  134 , and each of the grooves  115 , is exposed and can connect with a golf ball. The stem portion  132  of each hinge feature  130  extends through the backing portion  110  proximate a lower edge  116  of a groove  115 , so that the hinge features  130  are aligned with one another along the one or more grooves  115 . Each of the grooves has a depth D 2  that is at least as great as (or, in other embodiments, approximately equivalent to) the thickness T 5  of the tab portion  134 . As shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , the face insert  100  has six rows R 1-6  of hinge features  130 , the upper edges  131  of each of which align with a groove  115  in the backing portion  110 . Each hinge feature  130  in a row R is preferably spaced from adjacent hinge features in the row by a distance of 0.010 to 0.075 inch, more preferably 0.020 to 0.060 inch. 
     When contacted by a golf ball, the tab portions  134  are compressed inwards towards the backing portion  110  and the base portion  122 , and provide the face insert  100  with improved elasticity, improving the topspin imparted to the golf ball. The first and second notches  136 ,  138  improve the bending properties of the tab portions  134 , allowing them to flex inwards and outwards more easily. The grooves  115  in the backing portion  110  also contribute to improved spin imparted to the golf ball. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the backing portion  110  has the same approximate, trapezoidal shape and z-axis length and y-axis width dimensions as the striking plate  120 , while in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4-5 , the backing portion  110  has significantly larger z-axis length and y-axis width dimensions than the striking plate  120 . In each of the embodiments, the backing portion  110  has a significantly larger thickness (measured along the x-axis) than that of the striking plate  120 . As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the striking plate  120  has an average thickness T 2  that is less than 25% of the overall, average thickness T 1  of the face insert  100 . Each of the embodiments of the face inserts  100  disclosed herein preferably has at least five rows R 1-5  of hinge features  130 , with at least twenty-five hinge features  130  extending from the striking plate  120  and embedded within the backing portion  110 . 
     As shown in the first and second embodiments herein, all of the hinge features  130  can be oriented such that each tab portion  134  extends away from the stem portion  132  along the z-axis towards the sole portion  40 . This orientation can be altered, however, to control the spin imparted to a golf ball impacted at different locations on the face insert  100 . For example, in the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 11-14 , the face insert  100  has a middle section  140 , a toe section  142 , and a heel section  144 , each with hinge features  130  having tab portions  134  that extend in different directions from the tab portions  134  disposed on a different section  140 ,  142 ,  144 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , the middle section  140  has a first set of hinge features with tab portions  134  extending toward the sole portion  40  along the z-axis, and each of the toe and heel sections  142 ,  144  have third and second sets, respectively, of hinge features with tab portions  134  extending parallel to the y axis towards the middle section  140 . As shown in  FIG. 12 , the middle section  140  has a first set of hinge features with tab portions  134  extending along the z-axis toward the sole portion  40 , the toe section  142  has a third set of hinge features with tab portions  134  extending parallel with the y-axis and toward the toe side  35  of the putter head, and the heel section  144  has a second set of hinge features with tab portions  134  extending parallel to the y-axis and toward the heel side  30  of the putter head. As shown in  FIG. 13 , the middle section  140  has a first set of hinge features with tab portions  134  extending toward a sole portion  40  along the z-axis, and the toe and heel sections  142 ,  144  have third and second sets, respectively, of tab portions  134  extending toward the middle section  140  at an angle α2 of 10-75°, and more preferably 45°, with the y-axis. As shown in  FIG. 14 , the middle section  140  has a first set of hinge features with tab portions  134  extending toward the sole portion along the z-axis, and the toe and heel sections  142 ,  144  have third and second sets, respectively, of hinge features with tab portions  134  extending away from the middle section  140  at an angle α3 of 10-75°, and more preferably 45°, with the y-axis. The angle between the tab portions  134  and the y-axis can change as the distance from a face center  25  increases. In still other, alternative embodiments, the vertical and/or horizontal spacing between the hinge features  130  may vary across the face insert  100 , such that more hinge features  130  are located in regions on the face insert  100  where greater resilience is required for improved ball speed. 
     The striking plate  120  preferably is composed of a metal alloy material such as stainless steel, titanium alloy, or aluminum alloy, though it may be composed of a rigid polymer material in alternative embodiments. When the striking plate  120  is composed of a metal alloy, the hinge features  130  and through-holes  124  may be stamped, chemical etched, machined, and/or otherwise added to the striking plate  120  by any means known to a person skilled in the art. The backing portion  110  preferably is composed of a polymer such as urethane, and preferably is co-molded onto the striking plate  120  so that the polymer material can flow over portions of the striking plate  120 , specifically the base portion  122 , and into the through-holes  124  underneath the tab portions  134 . In alternative embodiments, however, the backing portion  110  may be permanently attached to the striking plate  120  with an adhesive. 
     Though each of the face insert  100  embodiments disclosed herein are shown in connection with a putter head  10 , these embodiments may be used with any other golf club head, including drivers, fairway woods, irons, wedges, and hybrids. 
     From the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention and will readily understand that while the present invention has been described in association with a preferred embodiment thereof, and other embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, numerous changes, modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is intended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in the following appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined in the following appended claims.