	US 11,850,479 B2
	Variable thickness face plate for a golf club head
Eric J. Morales, Laveen, AZ (US); Martin R. Jertson, Phoenix, AZ (US); Ryan M. Stokke, Anthem, AZ (US); Jacob T. Clarke, Phoenix, AZ (US); and Evan Greer, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Assigned to Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Filed by Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Filed on Nov. 2, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/087,462.
Application 17/087,462 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/973,386, filed on May 7, 2018, granted, now 11,161,019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/928,986, filed on Oct. 31, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/608,363, filed on Dec. 20, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/502,482, filed on May 5, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0046361 A1, Feb. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. A63B 53/04 (2015.01)

CPC A63B 53/0462 (2020.08) [A63B 53/0412 (2020.08); A63B 53/0466 (2013.01)]

12 Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a crown portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, and a rear portion defining an inner cavity;

a face plate having:

a front surface;

a rear surface;

a geometric center of the face plate defining the origin of a coordinate system having a horizontal axis extending from near the heel portion to near the toe portion in a direction parallel to a ground plane when the golf club head is held at an address position, and

a vertical axis extending from near the crown portion to near the sole portion, perpendicular to the horizontal axis, and to the ground plane when the golf club head is at an address position;

a maximum face plate height, measured in a sole portion to crown portion direction, parallel to the vertical axis, and offset toeward from the geometric center by at least 0.2 inch, measured in a direction perpendicular to the vertical axis;

a thickness measured between the front surface and the rear surface, wherein the thickness varies at different locations across the face plate to define a variable thickness profile, the variable thickness profile comprising:

a peripheral region comprising a minimum thickness of the face plate;

an ellipsoidal central region comprising a maximum thickness of the face plate, and wherein a center of the ellipsoidal central region is vertically aligned at a location where the maximum face plate height occurs; and

a transition region between the peripheral region and the ellipsoidal central region;

wherein:

the ellipsoidal central region further comprises a major axis that extends along a maximum width of the ellipsoidal central region;

the ellipsoidal central region further comprises a minor axis that extends along a maximum height of the ellipsoidal central region;

the major axis and the minor axis intersect at the center of the ellipsoidal central region;

the ellipsoidal central region further comprises a top side length measured along the minor axis from the center of the ellipsoidal central region to a top of the ellipsoidal central region;

the ellipsoidal central region further comprises a bottom side length measured along the minor axis from the center of the ellipsoidal central region to a bottom of the ellipsoidal central region; and

the top side length and the bottom side length are equivalent in length.