Karsten Manufacturing Corporation

Tyler A Shaw

Eric Joel Morales

Martin R Jertson

Ryan M Stokke

Travis D Milleman

Clayson C Spackman

Bradley D Schweigert

John A Solheim

Eric V Cole

Erik M Henrikson

Paul D Wood

Jeremy S Pope

Atiqah Shahrin

Marty R Jertson

Yujen Huang

Xiaojian Chen

Jacob T Clarke

David L Petersen

Les J Bryant

Richard D MacMillan

James D Glover

William D Shearer

Matthew W Simone

Dave Wu

A hollow golf club head includes a metallic front body coupled with a composite rear body. The front body includes a strike face and a surrounding frame that extends rearward from a perimeter of the strikeface. The rear body includes a crown member coupled with a sole member. The sole member can have a structural layer formed from a filled thermoplastic material. The crown member can have structural layer and/or a resilient layer. The structural and resilient layers can be formed from fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite material. The sole member has an opening through which a metallic weight pad at least partially extends. The weight pad is bonded to the structural layer and includes an aperture for attaching a metallic weight.

Mixed material golf club head

A hollow golf club head includes a metallic front body coupled with a composite rear body. The front body includes a strike face and a surrounding frame that extends rearward from a perimeter of the strikeface. The rear body includes a crown member coupled with a sole member. The sole member has a structural layer formed from a filled thermoplastic material, while the resilient layer is bonded to the external surface of the structural layer and is formed from a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite material. The resilient layer has an opening through which a metallic weight pad at least partially extends. The weight pad is bonded to the structural layer and includes an aperture for attaching a metallic weight. The golf club head can also have one or more structural members that are upright and connect the weight pad to the crown member.

A golf club head includes a metallic front body coupled with a rear body to define a substantially hollow structure. The metallic front body includes a strike face and a surrounding frame that extends rearward from a perimeter of the strike face. The rear body includes a crown member and a sole member coupled to the crown member. The sole member comprises a structural layer formed from a filled thermoplastic material and a fiber reinforced composite resilient layer bonded to an external surface of the structural layer. The structural layer includes a plurality of stiffening members extending from a forward portion to a rear peripheral portion of the sole member. The resilient layer can comprise a uniform thickness. The structural layer and the resilient layer each include a common thermoplastic resin component, and are directly bonded to each other without an intermediate adhesive.

A system including a computing device and camera is disclosed; the system configured for measuring three-dimensional attributes and associated performance measurements of a mechanical device. Some embodiments comprise a camera configured to capture images of the mechanical device and a computing device in communication with the camera. In some embodiments, the computing device is configured to access a first set of pixels associated with a first plurality of fiducials to calibrate a spatial resolution of the camera. A second image from the camera can be converted into a second set of pixels associated with each of the plurality of fiducials, which are attached to the mechanical device. The computing device can be further configured to compare the first and second set of pixels to determine the location of the plurality of fiducials on the mechanical device.

Systems and methods for measurement of 3D attributes using computer vision

A golf club head includes a front body and a rear body coupled to the front body to define a hollow cavity therebetween. The front body includes a strike face that defines a ball striking surface, a hosel, and a frame that at least partially surrounds the strikeface and extends rearward from a perimeter of the strikeface away from the ball striking surface. The strike face and frame are formed from a thermoplastic composite comprising a thermoplastic polymer having a plurality of discontinuous fibers embedded therein. Each of the plurality of discontinuous fibers have a length between about 0.01 mm and 3 mm. In some embodiments, the thermoplastic composite is 30% to 70% fibers by volume.

Golf club heads comprising a thermoplastic composite material

Embodiments are described herein of a bifurcated heat treatment apparatus and methods for localized heat treatment of a golf club hosel or golf club head. The heat treating method comprises a bifurcated process in which the golf club head is treated in the first heating unit via induction heating and then moved to the second heating unit for convection heating. Both steps are to localize the hosel heat treatment. The heat treatment apparatus may also include a cooling component, such as a heat sink, to ensure the body of the club head remains at the correct temperature during the second heating stage when the hosel is heated in isolation. The overall bifurcated method and apparatus of the localized heat treatment leads to a hosel or golf club head with at least two different hardness values to allow for manipulation of the material without cracking or fracturing.

Localized heat treatment

Embodiments of golf club heads with apertures and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a golf club head comprises a face portion, a back portion generally opposite the face portion, a heel portion extending between the face portion and the back portion, a toe portion opposite the heel portion and extending between the face portion and the back portion, and a crown portion extending between the face portion, the back portion, the heel portion, and the toe portion, the crown portion comprising a plurality of crown aperture. The crown portion comprises a first region and a second region, wherein the first region is nearer to the face portion than the second region, the first region and the second region are separated by a bell-shaped curve. The bell-shaped curve is located a distance D1 from the face portion and the second region comprises a recess portion. The plurality of crown apertures is defined within the recessed portion. In some embodiments, the golf club head comprises both metal and fiber-based composite portions. In other embodiments, the golf club head comprises a plurality of sole apertures. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Golf club heads with apertures and methods to manufacture golf club heads

A golf club head includes a rear body having a crown member coupled to a sole member, and a front body coupled to the rear body to define a substantially hollow structure. The front body includes a strike face and a surrounding frame that extends rearward from a perimeter of the strike face. At least a portion of an outer wall of the club head comprises a thermoplastic composite having a plurality of lamina layers. The plurality of lamina layers include at least a fabric reinforced thermoplastic composite layer and a filled thermoplastic layer, and the fabric reinforced thermoplastic composite layer and the filled thermoplastic layer are directly bonded to each other without an intermediate adhesive.

A golf club head includes a front body and a rear body coupled to the front body to define a hollow cavity therebetween. The front body includes a strike face that defines a ball striking surface, a hosel, and a frame that at least partially surrounds the strikeface and extends rearward from a perimeter of the strikeface away from the ball striking surface. The strike face and frame are formed from a thermoplastic composite comprising a thermoplastic polymer having a plurality of discontinuous fibers embedded therein. Each of the plurality of discontinuous fibers have a length of less than about 40 mm. The specific gravity of the thermoplastic can range between 1.0 and 2.0. In some embodiments, the thermoplastic composite is 20% to 70% fibers by volume.

A golf club head includes a rear body having a crown member coupled to a sole member, and a front body coupled to the rear body to define a substantially hollow structure. The front body includes a strike face and a surrounding frame that extends rearward from a perimeter of the strike face. The front body further includes a fabric reinforced thermoplastic composite layer and a filled thermoplastic layer each extending across the entire strike face. The fabric reinforced thermoplastic composite layer and the filled thermoplastic layer each comprise a common thermoplastic resin component, and are directly bonded to each other without an intermediate adhesive.

Growing community of inventors

Paradise Valley, AZ, United States of America

Tyler A Shaw