Golf club head

• US 10,238,930 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Ripp, Patrick, Seagram, Phill, Becktor, Mika, Dolezel, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Alvin
• Application Number:
  US15/645,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20180093145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0479 Wedge-type clubs, details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/50 with through-holes A63B60/18 takes precedence; for stringing purposes A63B49/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A golf club head includes a striking face, a sole portion, a top portion, a hosel, a rear surface, a loft no less than 40°, a virtual vertical plane, and a center of gravity. The striking face has a face center, a leading edge, and a virtual striking face plane. The hosel includes an internal bore configured to receive a golf shaft and includes a peripheral side wall and a shaft abutment surface configured to abut a tip end of the golf shaft. The rear surface is opposite the striking face and has an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a forward-extending recess. The insert covers the recess forming a hollow portion. The virtual vertical plane is perpendicular to the striking face plane and passes through the face center. The center of gravity is spaced a distance from the virtual vertical plane in the heel-to-toe direction.

Claims

1. A golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:

a striking face having a face center, a leading edge, and a virtual striking face plane generally parallel to the striking face;

a sole portion;

a top portion;

a hosel comprising a virtual hosel axis and an internal bore configured to receive a golf shaft, the internal bore including a peripheral side wall and a shaft abutment surface configured to abut a tip end of the golf shaft;

a rear surface opposite the striking face, the rear surface having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a forward-extending recess;

an insert covering the recess such that a hollow portion is formed by the insert and the recess;

a loft L no less than 40°

;

a virtual vertical plane perpendicular to the striking face plane and passing through the face center;

a club head center of gravity spaced from the virtual vertical plane in the heel-to-toe direction by a distance D1 that is no greater than 4.5 mm; and

a sole taper angle θ

in the heel-to-toe direction no less than 0.10 times loft (0.10*L).

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the hosel further comprises an auxiliary recess extending sole-ward from the abutment surface of the internal bore.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the hollow portion is at least partially filled with a material having a density less than a density of the sole portion.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the distance D1 is no greater than 4.0 mm.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a bounce angle θ

, measured in the virtual vertical plane, no less than 4°

.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the hosel further comprises an internal bore depth no greater than 30 mm.

7. A correlated set of golf club heads comprising:

a first club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises;

a first loft angle L1 between 40° and

50°

;

a first striking face having a first face center, a first leading edge, a first virtual striking face plane generally parallel to the first striking face, and a first striking face surface area SA1 no greater than 4.35 in²;

a first sole portion;

a first top portion;

a first rear surface opposite the first striking face;

a first hosel;

a first virtual vertical plane perpendicular to the first striking face plane and passing through the first face center; and

a first club head center of gravity spaced from the first virtual vertical plane in the heel-to-toe direction by a first distance D1A that is no greater than 6 mm; and

a second club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises;

a second loft angle L2 greater than 50°

;

a second striking face having a second face center, a second leading edge, a second virtual striking face plane generally parallel to the second striking face, and a second striking face surface area SA2 no less than 4.45 in²;

a second sole portion;

a second top portion;

a second rear surface opposite the second striking face;

a second hosel;

a second virtual vertical plane perpendicular to the second striking face plane and passing through the second face center; and

a second club head center of gravity spaced from the second virtual vertical plane in the heel-to-toe direction by a second distance D1B that is no greater than 6 mm.

8. The correlated set of claim 7, wherein:

the first club head is configured to satisfy the following relationship;

−

0.0016*L1^2+0.195*L1−

1.5≤

SA1≤

−

0.0016*L1^2+0.195*L1−

1.3; and

the second club head is configured to satisfy the following relationship;

−

0.0016*L2^2+0.195*L2−

1.5≤

SA2≤

−

0.0016*L2^2+0.195*L2−

1.3,

wherein LA1 and LA2 are measured in degrees and SA1 and SA2 are measured in square inches.

9. The correlated set of claim 7, wherein:

the first club head comprises a first heel blade height BH1 no greater than 38 mm; and

the second club head comprises a second heel blade height BH2 no less than 39 mm.

10. The correlated set of claim 7, wherein at least one of:

D1A is no greater than 4.5 mm; and

D1B is no greater than 4.5 mm.

11. The correlated set of claim 10, wherein D1A is no greater than 3 mm.

12. The correlated set of golf clubs of claim 7, wherein:

SA1 is no greater than 4.25 in²; and

SA2 is no less than 4.5 in².

13. The correlated set of claim 7, wherein:

L1 is no greater than 48°

; and

L2 is no less than 54°

.

14. A correlated set of golf club heads comprising:

a first club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises;

a first loft angle L1 between 40° and

50°

;

a first striking face having a first face center, a first leading edge, and a first virtual striking face plane generally parallel to the first striking face;

a first sole portion;

a first top portion;

a first rear surface opposite the first striking face;

a first hosel;

a first virtual vertical plane perpendicular to the first striking face plane and passing through the first face center;

a first club head center of gravity spaced from the first virtual vertical plane in the heel-to-toe direction by a first distance D1A that is no greater than 6 mm; and

a first heel blade height BH1 no greater than 38 mm; and

a second club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises;

a second loft angle L2 greater than 50°

;

a second striking face having a second face center, a second leading edge, and a second virtual striking face plane generally parallel to the second striking face;

a second sole portion;

a second top portion;

a second rear surface opposite the second striking face;

a second hosel;

a second virtual vertical plane perpendicular to the second striking face plane and passing through the second face center;

a second club head center of gravity spaced from the second virtual vertical plane in the heel-to-toe direction by a second distance D1B that is no greater than 6 mm; and

a second heel blade height BH2 no less than 39 mm.

15. The correlated set of claim 14, wherein BH1 is no greater than 37 mm.

16. The correlated set of claim 14, wherein:

the first club head is configured to satisfy the following relationship;

−

0.017*L1^2+2.061*L1−

24.63≤

BH1≤

−

0.0167*L1^2+2.061*L1−

22.63; and

the second club head is configured to satisfy the following relationship;

−

0.017*L2^2+2.061*L2−

24.63≤

BH2≤

−

0.0167*L2^2+2.061*L2−

22.63,

wherein LA1 and LA2 are measured in degrees and BH1 and BH2 are measured in millimeters.

17. The correlated set of claim 14, wherein at least one of:

D1A is no greater than 4.5 mm; and

D1B is no greater than 4.5 mm.

18. The correlated set of claim 17, wherein DIA is no greater than 3 mm.

19. The correlated set of claim 14, wherein:

L1 is no greater than 48°

; and

L2 is no less than 54°

.

20. A golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:

a striking face having a face center, a leading edge, and a virtual striking face plane generally parallel to the striking face;

a sole portion;

a top portion;

a hosel comprising a virtual hosel axis and an internal bore configured to receive a golf shaft, the internal bore including a peripheral side wall and a shaft abutment surface configured to abut a tip end of the golf shaft;

a rear surface opposite the striking face, the rear surface having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a forward-extending recess;

an insert covering the recess such that a hollow portion is formed by the insert and the recess;

a loft L no less than 40°

;

a virtual vertical plane perpendicular to the striking face plane and passing through the face center;

a club head center of gravity spaced from the virtual vertical plane in the heel-to-toe direction by a distance D1 that is no greater than 4.5 mm; and

a bounce angle θ

, measured in the virtual vertical plane, no less than 4°

.

21. A golf club head that, when oriented in a reference position, comprises:

a striking face having a face center, a leading edge, and a virtual striking face plane generally parallel to the striking face;

a sole portion;

a top portion;

a hosel comprising a virtual hosel axis and an internal bore configured to receive a golf shaft, the internal bore including a peripheral side wall and a shaft abutment surface configured to abut a tip end of the golf shaft;

a rear surface opposite the striking face, the rear surface having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a forward-extending recess;

an insert covering the recess such that a hollow portion is formed by the insert and the recess;

a loft L no less than 40°

;

a virtual vertical plane perpendicular to the striking face plane and passing through the face center; and

a club head center of gravity spaced from the virtual vertical plane in the heel-to-toe direction by a distance D1 that is no greater than 4.5 mm,

wherein the hosel further comprises an internal bore depth no greater than 30 mm.