US 11,986,708 B2
Golf club head and manufacturing method for same
Akio Yamamoto, Kobe (JP)
Assigned to SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD., Kobe (JP)
Filed by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., Kobe (JP)
Filed on Sep. 10, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/016,683.
Application 17/016,683 is a continuation of application No. 15/976,531, filed on May 10, 2018, granted, now 10,799,774.
Application 15/976,531 is a continuation of application No. 15/218,746, filed on Jul. 25, 2016, granted, now 9,981,164, issued on May 29, 2018.
Application 15/218,746 is a continuation of application No. 14/168,799, filed on Jan. 30, 2014, granted, now 9,421,430, issued on Aug. 23, 2016.
Claims priority of application No. 2013-017516 (JP), filed on Jan. 31, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2021/0038954 A1, Feb. 11, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A63B 53/04 (2015.01); B22D 19/00 (2006.01); B22D 19/04 (2006.01); B22D 21/00 (2006.01); B22D 25/02 (2006.01); C22C 14/00 (2006.01)
CPC A63B 53/0466 (2013.01) [A63B 53/0454 (2020.08); B22D 19/00 (2013.01); B22D 19/04 (2013.01); B22D 21/005 (2013.01); B22D 25/02 (2013.01); C22C 14/00 (2013.01); A63B 53/0408 (2020.08); A63B 53/0412 (2020.08); A63B 53/0437 (2020.08); A63B 53/045 (2020.08)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A golf club head that, when oriented in a reference state, comprises:
a face portion;
a rear portion opposite the face portion;
a heel portion;
a toe portion opposite the heel portion;
a hosel portion;
a sole portion; and
a crown portion opposite the sole portion, the crown portion including:
a plurality of reduced thickness regions spaced apart from each other thereby defining one or more thickened elongate regions therebetween, each thickened elongate region having an average thickness greater than the average thickness of the reduced thickness regions, the plurality of reduced thickness regions having, in a top plan view, a total projected surface area S1; and
a transition region between each adjacent reduced thickness region and the one or more thickened elongate regions, the transition region having a width no less than 0.5 mm and no greater than 10.0 mm,
wherein the crown portion and the hosel portion, in the top plan view, have a combined projected surface area S2 such that S1 is no more than 50% of S2, and
wherein the crown portion is integrally formed with the reduced thickness regions by investment casting,
wherein the plurality of reduced thickness regions includes at least three reduced thickness regions that are oriented in a fan-like pattern such that a width of each of the three reduced thickness region generally increases in a front to rear direction,
wherein the crown portion includes a face to rear length H; an origin located rearwardly from the face portion by a distance not more than 25% of length H; and a peripheral portion, and
wherein the at least three reduced thickness regions extend from the origin toward the peripheral portion of the crown portion, and are all arranged backward of the origin, such that a shortest distance between the at least three reduced thickness regions and the face portion is no less than said distance between the origin and the face portion.