| US 7,537,528 B2 | ||
| Metal wood club with improved hitting face | ||
| Scott A. Rice, San Diego, Calif. (US); and Nicholas M. Nardacci, Bristol, R.I. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Acushnet Company, Fairhaven, Mass. (US) | ||
| Filed on Aug. 04, 2008, as Appl. No. 12/185,287. | ||
| Application 11/780886 is a division of application No. 10/911422, filed on Aug. 04, 2004, granted, now 7,261,643, filed on Aug. 28, 2007. | ||
| Application 12/185287 is a continuation of application No. 11/780886, filed on Jul. 20, 2007, granted, now 7,422,527. | ||
| Application 10/911422 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/428061, filed on May 01, 2003, granted, now 7,029,403, filed on Apr. 18, 2006. | ||
| Application 10/428061 is a continuation in part of application No. 09/551771, filed on Apr. 18, 2000, granted, now 6,605,007, filed on Aug. 12, 2003. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0293515 A1, Nov. 27, 2008 | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. A63B 53/04 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 473—329 [473/335; 473/345; 473/349] | 10 Claims |
| 1. A golf club head comprising:
a hitting face comprising
a central zone formed in part of a first material, wherein the central zone has a first flexural stiffness; and
an intermediate zone concentric with the central zone, wherein the intermediate zone is formed from a second material that
is different from the first material, wherein the intermediate zone has a second flexural stiffness, and wherein the first
flexural stiffness is higher than the second flexural stiffness such that on ball impact, deformation of the intermediate
zone allows the central zone to move into and out of the club as a unit and the club exhibits a primary natural frequency
of less than 2900 Hertz
wherein the second material forms a plate-like face having a geometric center and the first material forms an insert fixedly
attached to the second material at or near the geometric center.
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