Golf club

• US 10,226,671 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2017
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Lorentzen, John Francis, Chao, Bing-Ling, Greaney, Mark Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Simms, Jr., John E
• Application Number:
  US15/838,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20180178087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type

Abstract

A golf club head includes a club body including a crown, a sole, a skirt disposed between and connecting the crown and the sole and a face portion connected to a front end of the club body. The face portion includes a geometric center defining the origin of a coordinate system when the golf club head is ideally positioned, the coordinate system including an x-axis being tangent to the face portion at the origin and parallel to a ground plane, a y-axis intersecting the origin being parallel to the ground plane and orthogonal to the x-axis, and a z-axis intersecting the origin being orthogonal to both the x-axis and the y-axis. The golf club head defines a center of gravity CG, the CG being a distance CG_Y from the origin as measured along the y-axis and a distance CG_Z from the origin as measured along the z-axis.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body having an external surface with a forward portion having a leading edge, a rearward portion having a trailing edge, a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a striking surface, and a hosel extending outward from the club head body proximate to a crown and heel transition region;

wherein the striking surface of the club head body has a geometric center;

wherein the club head body has a head origin defined as a position on the striking surface at approximately a geometric center of the striking surface, the head origin including a head origin x-axis, a head origin y-axis, and a head origin z-axis;

wherein the head origin x-axis is tangential to the striking surface and generally parallel to a ground plane when the head is in an address position and a positive x-axis extends towards a heel portion;

wherein the head origin y-axis extends perpendicular to the head origin x-axis and generally parallel to the ground plane when the head is in the address position and a positive y-axis extends from the striking surface and through the rear portion of the club head body;

wherein the head origin z-axis extends perpendicular to the ground plane, and perpendicular to both the head origin x-axis and y-axis when the head is in the address position and a positive z-axis extends from the head origin and generally upward;

an offset forward origin positioned at the intersection of an offset forward origin x-axis, an offset forward origin y-axis, and an offset forward origin z-axis;

wherein the offset forward origin z-axis extends parallel to the head origin z-axis and is tangent to the leading edge of the golf club head;

wherein the offset forward origin y-axis extends parallel to the head origin y-axis and is coincident with the ground plane;

wherein the offset forward origin x-axis extends parallel to the head origin x-axis and is perpendicular to both the offset forward origin y-axis and z-axis;

wherein the offset forward origin is located within a head origin yz-plane;

an imaginary forward mass box located at a forward portion of the club head having a rectangular cross-section having a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side;

wherein the first side is adjacent and perpendicular to the second side and connects to the second side at a first vertex, the third side is adjacent and perpendicular to the second side and connects to the second side at a second vertex, the third side is adjacent and perpendicular to the fourth side and connects to the fourth side at a third vertex, and the first side is adjacent and perpendicular to the fourth side and connects to the fourth side at a fourth vertex;

wherein the first vertex is aligned with the offset forward origin such that the first side of the rectangular cross-section is coincident with the ground plane and extends from the offset forward origin rearward in the positive y-direction and the second side of the rectangular cross-section extends from the offset forward origin upward in the positive z-direction along the offset forward origin z-axis;

wherein the rectangular cross-section having a height of 20 mm as measured along the offset forward origin z-axis and between the first side and the third side, and a width of 35 mm as measured along the offset forward origin y-axis and between the second side and the fourth side;

an offset rearward origin positioned at the intersection of an offset rearward origin x-axis, an offset rearward origin y-axis, and an offset rearward origin z-axis;

wherein the offset rearward origin z-axis extends parallel to the head origin z-axis and is tangent to the trailing edge of the golf club head;

wherein the offset rearward origin y-axis extends parallel to the head origin y-axis and is coincident with the ground plane;

wherein the offset rearward origin x-axis extends parallel to the head origin x-axis and is perpendicular to both the offset rearward origin y-axis and z-axis;

wherein the offset rearward origin is located within the head origin yz-plane;

an imaginary rearward mass box located at a rearward portion of the club head having a rectangular cross-section having a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side;

wherein the first side is adjacent and perpendicular to the second side and connects to the second side at a first vertex, the third side is adjacent and perpendicular to the second side and connects to the second side at a second vertex, the third side is adjacent and perpendicular to the fourth side and connects to the fourth side at a third vertex, and the first side is adjacent and perpendicular to the fourth side and connects to the fourth side at a fourth vertex;

wherein the first vertex is aligned with the offset rearward origin such that the first side of the rectangular cross-section is coincident with the ground plane and extends from the offset rearward origin forward in a negative y-direction and the second side of the rectangular cross-section extends from the offset rearward origin upward in a positive z-direction along the offset rearward origin z-axis;

wherein the rectangular cross-section having a height of 30 mm as measured along the offset rearward origin z-axis and between the first side and the third side, and a width of 35 mm as measured along the offset rearward origin y-axis and between the second side and the fourth side;

wherein the imaginary forward mass box extends parallel to the offset forward origin x-axis from a heel-ward most portion of the golf club head to a toe-ward most portion of the golf club head encompassing all club head mass within the imaginary forward mass box (m_fwd);

wherein the imaginary rearward mass box extends parallel to the offset rearward origin x-axis from the heel-ward most portion of the golf club head to the toe-ward most portion of the golf club head encompassing all club head mass within the imaginary rearward mass box (m_rwd);

wherein the imaginary forward mass box includes an imaginary forward mass box geometric center point which is defined as a point located one-half the distance from the first side to the third side of the imaginary forward mass box and one-half the distance from the second side to the fourth side of the imaginary forward mass box;

wherein the imaginary rearward mass box includes an imaginary rearward mass box geometric center point which is defined as a point located one-half the distance from the first side to the third side of the imaginary rearward mass box and one-half the distance from the second side to the fourth side of the imaginary rearward mass box;

a first vector distance (V₁) is defined as a distance as measured in the head origin yz-plane from the imaginary forward mass box geometric center point to the center of gravity of the golf club head;

a second vector distance (V₂) is defined as a distance as measured in the head origin yz-plane from the imaginary rearward mass box geometric center point to the center of gravity of the golf club head;

a third vector distance (V₃) is defined as a distance as measured in the head origin yz-plane from the imaginary forward mass box geometric center point to the imaginary rearward mass box geometric center point;

a vector triangle, wherein a first leg of the vector triangle corresponds to the first vector distance, a second leg of the vector triangle corresponds to the second vector distance, and a third leg of the vector triangle corresponds to the third vector distance;

wherein the vector triangle having a vector triangle area;

a moment of inertia (MOI) effectiveness of the forward mass box is defined as the mass within the imaginary forward mass box multiplied by the square of the first vector distance (m_fwd)·

(V₁)²;

a MOI effectiveness of the rearward mass box is defined as the mass within the imaginary rearward mass box multiplied by the square of the second vector distance (m_rwd)·

(V₂)²;

a MOI effectiveness summation is defined as the sum of the MOI effectiveness of the forward mass box and the MOI effectiveness of the rearward mass box (m_fwd)·

(V₁)²+(m_rwd)·

(V₂)²;

wherein the imaginary forward mass box encompasses at least 36.5 grams;

wherein the imaginary rearward mass box encompasses at least 13.2 grams;

wherein a total mass of the club head outside the imaginary forward mass box and the imaginary rearward mass box is no more than 157.7 grams;

wherein the MOI effectiveness summation is at least 81.5 kg·

mm²;

wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a center of gravity x-axis (CG x-axis), and a ratio of the MOI effectiveness summation to the golf club head moment of inertia about the CG x-axis is at least 0.327;

wherein the golf club head center of gravity is located no more than 29.7 mm from the ground plane as measured parallel to the head origin z-axis;

wherein a distance from the leading edge to the trailing edge as measured along the head origin y-axis is at least 90 mm.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the MOI effectiveness summation is at least 128.2 kg·

mm².

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the ratio of the MOI effectiveness summation to the golf club head moment of inertia about the CG x-axis is at least 0.453.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein a removable mass element is at least partially within the imaginary rearward mass box.

5. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein a mass element is at least partially within the imaginary forward mass box.

6. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein a second mass element is at least partially within the imaginary forward mass box.

7. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the first vector distance is at least 24.5 mm.

8. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the second vector distance is at least 51.0 mm.

9. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein a total mass of the club head is no more than 210.8 grams, the imaginary forward mass box encompasses no more than 55.2 grams, the imaginary rearward mass box encompasses no more than 74.0 grams, and the total mass of the club head outside the imaginary forward mass box and the imaginary rearward mass box is at least 87.9 grams.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the imaginary forward mass box encompasses no more than 46.8 grams, the imaginary rearward mass box encompasses no more than 48.9 grams, the total mass of the club head outside the imaginary forward mass box and the imaginary rearward mass box is at least 114.2 grams, and the golf club head center of gravity is located at least 1.9 mm below the head origin along the head origin z-axis.

11. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the wherein the imaginary rearward mass box encompasses at least 30.1 grams, and the MOI effectiveness summation is no more than 269.5 kg·

mm².

12. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the second vector distance is at least 56.2 mm, and the ratio of the MOI effectiveness summation to the golf club head moment of inertia about the CG x-axis is no more than 0.585.

13. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein in a yz-plane passing through the head origin at a distance CG_Y from the head origin the crown height is greater than the face height, and the MOI effectiveness summation is 128.2-269.5 kg·

mm².

14. The golf club head of claim 2, further comprising a sole feature that is an extended portion of the golf club head protruding from a rear portion of the sole, wherein the sole feature adds about 5-15 cubic centimeters of volume to the golf club head.

15. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the vector triangle area is no more than 752.47 mm².

16. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body having an external surface with a forward portion having a leading edge, a rearward portion having a trailing edge, a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a striking surface, and a hosel extending outward from the club head body proximate to a crown and heel transition region;

wherein the striking surface of the club head body has a geometric center;

wherein the club head body has a head origin defined as a position on the striking surface at approximately a geometric center of the striking surface, the head origin including a head origin x-axis, a head origin y-axis, and a head origin z-axis;

wherein the head origin x-axis is tangential to the striking surface and generally parallel to a ground plane when the head is in an address position and a positive x-axis extends towards a heel portion;

wherein the head origin y-axis extends perpendicular to the head origin x-axis and generally parallel to the ground plane when the head is in the address position and a positive y-axis extends from the striking surface and through the rear portion of the club head body;

wherein the head origin z-axis extends perpendicular to the ground plane, and perpendicular to both the head origin x-axis and y-axis when the head is in the address position and a positive z-axis extends from the head origin and generally upward;

an offset forward origin positioned at the intersection of an offset forward origin x-axis, an offset forward origin y-axis, and an offset forward origin z-axis;

wherein the offset forward origin z-axis extends parallel to the head origin z-axis and is tangent to the leading edge of the golf club head;

wherein the offset forward origin y-axis extends parallel to the head origin y-axis and is coincident with the ground plane;

wherein the offset forward origin x-axis extends parallel to the head origin x-axis and is perpendicular to both the offset forward origin y-axis and z-axis;

wherein the offset forward origin is located within a head origin yz-plane;

a imaginary forward mass box located at a forward portion of the club head having a rectangular cross-section having a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side;

wherein the first side is adjacent and perpendicular to the second side and connects to the second side at a first vertex, the third side is adjacent and perpendicular to the second side and connects to the second side at a second vertex, the third side is adjacent and perpendicular to the fourth side and connects to the fourth side at a third vertex, and the first side is adjacent and perpendicular to the fourth side and connects to the fourth side at a fourth vertex;

wherein the first vertex is aligned with the offset forward origin such that the first side of the rectangular cross-section is coincident with the ground plane and extends from the offset forward origin rearward in the positive y-direction and the second side of the rectangular cross-section extends from the offset forward origin upward in the positive z-direction along the offset forward origin z-axis;

wherein the rectangular cross-section having a height of 20 mm as measured along the offset forward origin z-axis and between the first side and the third side, and a width of 35 mm as measured along the offset forward origin y-axis and between the second side and the fourth side;

an offset rearward origin positioned at the intersection of an offset rearward origin x-axis, an offset rearward origin y-axis, and an offset rearward origin z-axis;

wherein the offset rearward origin z-axis extends parallel to the head origin z-axis and is tangent to the trailing edge of the golf club head;

wherein the offset rearward origin y-axis extends parallel to the head origin y-axis and is coincident with the ground plane;

wherein the offset rearward origin x-axis extends parallel to the head origin x-axis and is perpendicular to both the offset rearward origin y-axis and z-axis;

wherein the offset rearward origin is located within the head origin yz-plane;

a imaginary rearward mass box located at a rearward portion of the club head having a rectangular cross-section having a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side;

wherein the first side is adjacent and perpendicular to the second side and connects to the second side at a first vertex, the third side is adjacent and perpendicular to the second side and connects to the second side at a second vertex, the third side is adjacent and perpendicular to the fourth side and connects to the fourth side at a third vertex, and the first side is adjacent and perpendicular to the fourth side and connects to the fourth side at a fourth vertex;

wherein the first vertex is aligned with the offset rearward origin such that the first side of the rectangular cross-section is coincident with the ground plane and extends from the offset rearward origin forward in a negative y-direction and the second side of the rectangular cross-section extends from the offset rearward origin upward in a positive z-direction along the offset rearward origin z-axis;

wherein the rectangular cross-section having a height of 30 mm as measured along the offset rearward origin z-axis and between the first side and the third side, and a width of 35 mm as measured along the offset rearward origin y-axis and between the second side and the fourth side;

wherein the imaginary forward mass box extends parallel to the offset forward origin x-axis from a heel-ward most portion of the golf club head to a toe-ward most portion of the golf club head encompassing all club head mass within the imaginary forward mass box (m_fwd);

wherein the imaginary rearward mass box extends parallel to the offset rearward origin x-axis from the heel-ward most portion of the golf club head to the toe-ward most portion of the golf club head encompassing all club head mass within the imaginary rearward mass box (m_rwd);

wherein the imaginary forward mass box includes an imaginary forward mass box geometric center point which is defined as a point located one-half the distance from the first side to the third side of the imaginary forward mass box and one-half the distance from the second side to the fourth side of the imaginary forward mass box;

wherein the imaginary rearward mass box includes an imaginary rearward mass box geometric center point which is defined as a point located one-half the distance from the first side to the third side of the imaginary rearward mass box and one-half the distance from the second side to the fourth side of the imaginary rearward mass box;

a first vector distance (V₁) is defined as a distance as measured in the head origin yz-plane from the imaginary forward mass box geometric center point to the center of gravity of the golf club head;

a second vector distance (V₂) is defined as a distance as measured in the head origin yz-plane from the imaginary rearward mass box geometric center point to the center of gravity of the golf club head;

a third vector distance (V₃) is defined as a distance as measured in the head origin yz-plane from the imaginary forward mass box geometric center point to the imaginary rearward mass box geometric center point;

a moment of inertia (MOI) effectiveness of the forward mass box is defined as the mass within the imaginary forward mass box multiplied by the square of the first vector distance (m_fwd)·

(V₁)²;

a MOI effectiveness of the rearward mass box is defined as the mass within the imaginary rearward mass box multiplied by the square of the second vector distance (m_rwd)·

(V₂)²;

a MOI effectiveness summation is defined as the sum of the MOI effectiveness of the forward mass box and the MOI effectiveness of the rearward mass box (m_fwd)·

(V₁)²+(m_rwd)·

(V₂)²;

wherein the imaginary rearward mass box encompasses 30.1-74.0 grams;

wherein a volume of the club head is at least 427 cm³;

wherein a total mass of the club head is no more than 210.8 grams;

wherein the MOI effectiveness summation is 128.2-269.5 kg·

mm²;

wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a center of gravity x-axis (CG x-axis), and a ratio of the MOI effectiveness summation to the golf club head moment of inertia about the CG x-axis is at least 0.453;

wherein the golf club head center of gravity is located no more than 29.7 mm from the ground plane as measured parallel to the head origin z-axis;

wherein a distance from the leading edge to the trailing edge as measured along the head origin y-axis is at least 90 mm.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein a mass element is at least partially within the rearward mass box.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the first vector distance is at least 24.5 mm.

19. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the second vector distance is at least 51.0 mm.

20. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the golf club head center of gravity is located at least 1.9 mm below the head origin along the head origin z-axis.