Golf club with flexure

• US 10,099,092 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morin, John, de la Cruz, Noah, Frame, Nick, Golden, Charles E., Hebreo, Jonathan, Franz, Michael E., Martens, Grant M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US15/260,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20170014690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, D21752, D21759
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0429 the face insert comprising two or more layers of material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A golf club head including a face having a flat ball-striking surface and a body that form a flexure. The golf club head has a feature formed in a sole of the golf club head that provides a flexure.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a face plate, wherein the face plate defines a ball-striking surface that is flat;

a body coupled to a portion of the perimeter of the face plate, wherein the body forms a perimeter portion of the golf club head and a rear wall spaced from the face plate, wherein the combined face plate and body define a sole, wherein the sole includes a recess on a forward edge of the sole that is adjacent the face plate so that the sole and the face plate combine to form a flexure that is a slot; and

a hosel extending away from the face plate and body and providing an attachment structure for a golf club shaft,

wherein the coupling between the body and the face plate extends continuously from a first end of the slot, around the perimeter of the face plate, to a second end of the slot,

wherein the slot extends along a heel to toe axis of the golf club head, and wherein the slot has a maximum length that is between about 40.0 mm and about 70.0 mm, wherein at least one end of the slot is tapered so that a portion of the slot has a maximum width and a length of the maximum width portion that is about 40% to 90% of the maximum length of the slot, and wherein the at least one end of the slot that is tapered is oriented so that the maximum length of the slot is on a side of the slot closest to the face plate.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the maximum length of the slot is about 55.0 mm.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the length of the portion of the slot having maximum width is about 60% to 90% of the maximum length of the slot.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the length of the portion of the slot having maximum width is about 90% of the maximum length of the slot.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one end of the slot has a curved taper.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the portion of the face plate forming a portion of the slot has a constant thickness between about 1.0 mm and about 3.0 mm.