US 12,458,851 B2
Golf club head and method for manufacturing the same
Yohei Ozaki, Kobe (JP); Seiji Hayase, Kobe (JP); and Masahide Onuki, Kobe (JP)
Assigned to SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD., Kobe (JP)
Filed by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., Kobe (JP)
Filed on Feb. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/114,391.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-033819 (JP), filed on Mar. 4, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0277904 A1, Sep. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. A63B 53/04 (2015.01); A63B 53/06 (2015.01); A63B 53/08 (2015.01)
CPC A63B 53/06 (2013.01) [A63B 53/0408 (2020.08); A63B 53/0433 (2020.08); A63B 53/0437 (2020.08); A63B 53/0466 (2013.01); A63B 53/08 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A golf club head having a hollow therein, and comprising:
a face portion; and
a main body comprising a crown portion and a sole portion each extending backwardly from the face portion,
wherein
the main body is provided with at least one slit extending in a front-back direction of the head,
the at least one slit comprises a pair of slit inner walls extending in the front-back direction and joints connecting the pair of slit inner walls to each other,
the joints are arranged in the front-back direction with a space in the front-back direction between adjacent joints,
a portion or portions between the joints, a front end portion, and a rear end portion of the slit are formed as through holes penetrating a portion of the main body where the slit is formed,
a thick-walled portion in which a wall thickness of the main body is locally increased is formed around the at least one slit, and a thickness of each of the joints is less than a wall thickness if a portion of ding the slit,
an outer surface of each of the joints is recessed from an outer surface of the main body in a stepped manner, and an inner surface of each of the joints is flush with an inner surface of the main body, and
in a plan view of the at least one slit, a total projected area of the joints is equal to or less than 0.8 times a projected area of the slit including the joints.