Low and back crown mass for a golf club head

• US 10,376,758 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2018
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Stokke, Ryan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US16/163,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20190046847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• 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 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/08 with special arrangements for obtaining a variable impact

Abstract

A golf club head includes a body having a crown defining a perimeter of the club head, a sole opposite the crown, a toe end opposite a heel end, a back end, and a hosel, the body further including a club face, an exterior side, an interior side, a head center of gravity, and a weight member positioned on one of the exterior side or the interior side of the crown.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a golf club head body having a crown defining a perimeter of the golf club head,

a sole opposite the crown,

a toe end opposite a heel end, a back end, and a hosel,

a club face,

an exterior side,

an interior side,

a head center of gravity,

wherein the head center of gravity defines an origin of a coordinate system including an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis,

wherein the x-axis extends through the head center of gravity from the toe end to the heel end,

wherein the y-axis extends though the head center of gravity from the crown to the sole,

wherein the z-axis extends through the head center of gravity from the club face to the back end, and

wherein the x-axis and the z-axis are arranged to coincide with the numbers on an analog clock, with the z-axis extending between a 12 o'"'"'clock position through the club face and a 6 o'"'"'clock position though the back end, and

the x-axis extending between a 3 o'"'"'clock position through the toe end and a 9 o'"'"'clock position through the heel end,

a weight member permanently positioned adjacent the exterior side of the crown,

the weight member having a weight member center of gravity and an elongated arcuate shape along the crown,

wherein the weight member is positioned about a portion of a perimeter of the exterior side of the crown,

wherein the weight member is positioned to maximize a distance from the weight member to the head center of gravity,

wherein a first end of the weight member is positioned toward a toe end of the crown at approximately the 3 o'"'"'clock position and a second end is positioned toward a heel end of the crown,

wherein a length of the weight member is measured along a center line of the weight member extending from the first end to the second end,

wherein the length of the weight member is in a range between 1.0 inch to 6.0 inches,

wherein the weight member is solid in a cross section at any point,

wherein the weight member is composed of the same material as the golf club head body,

wherein the weight member is integrally cast with the golf club head body,

wherein the weight member has a weight ranging from 35 grams to 130 grams.

2. The golf club head of claim 1,

wherein the weight member is positioned on a side of an x-axis toward the back end,

wherein the x-axis extends through the head center of gravity from the toe end to the heel end.

3. The golf club head of claim 1,

wherein the weight member further includes at least one of

(a) a width between approximately 0.25 and 1.5 inches,

(b) a projection height between approximately 0.05 and 0.45 inches,

(c) a length between approximately 1.0 and 5.5 inches, or

(d) any combination thereof.

4. The golf club head of claim 1,

wherein the weight member includes a plurality of weight members.

5. The golf club head of claim 4,

wherein each weight member of the plurality of weight members extends along a portion of the perimeter defined by the crown.

6. The golf club head of claim 1,

wherein the second end of the weight member is located approximately midway along the perimeter defined by the crown between the 6 o'"'"'clock position and the 9 o'"'"'clock position.

7. The golf club head of claim 1,

wherein the crown defines a crown surface curvature that extends from the club face to the back end,

the weight member projecting from the crown surface curvature.

8. The golf club head of claim 1,

wherein the crown and the weight member define a crown surface curvature having a bi-modal profile that extends from the club face to the back end.

9. The golf club head of claim 1,

wherein the crown and the weight member define a crown surface curvature having a bi-modal profile that extends from the club face to the back end at a portion of the perimeter defined by the crown.

10. The golf club head of claim 1,

wherein the weight member is formed of discretionary weight.

11. The golf club head of claim 1,

wherein the club head is a driver-type club head, a wood-type club head, or a hybrid-type club head.

12. The golf club head of claim 1,

wherein the weight member has a weight ranging from approximately 15% to 55% of a total weight of the golf club head.

13. The golf club head of claim 11,

wherein the weight member has a weight ranging from 15% to 35% of a total weight of the driver-type club head.

14. The golf club head of claim 11,

wherein the weight member has a weight ranging from approximately 20% to 40% of a total weight of the wood-type club head.

15. The golf club head of claim 11,

wherein the weight member has a weight ranging from approximately 25% to 55% of a total weight of the hybrid-type club head.

16. The golf club head of claim 11,

wherein the weight member has a weight ranging from 35 grams to 60 grams for the driver-type club head.

17. The golf club head of claim 11,

wherein the weight member has a weight ranging from 45 grams to 85 grams for the wood-type club head.

18. The golf club head of claim 11,

wherein the weight member has a weight ranging from 70 grams to 130 grams for the hybrid-type club head.

19. A golf club head comprising:

a golf club head body having a crown defining a perimeter of the golf club head,

a sole opposite the crown,

a toe end opposite a heel end,

a back end, and

a hosel,

a club face, an exterior side,

an interior side,

a head center of gravity, and

wherein the head center of gravity defines an origin of a coordinate system including an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis,

wherein the x-axis extends through the head center of gravity from the toe end to the heel end,

wherein the y-axis extends though the head center of gravity from the crown to the sole,

wherein the z-axis extends through the head center of gravity from the club face to the back end, and

wherein the x-axis and the z-axis are arranged to coincide with the numbers on an analog clock, with the z-axis extending between a 12 o'"'"'clock position through the club face and a 6 o'"'"'clock position though the back end, and

the x-axis extending between a 3 o'"'"'clock position through the toe end and a 9 o'"'"'clock position through the heel end,

a weight member permanently positioned adjacent the exterior side of the crown,

wherein the weight member is positioned about a portion of a perimeter of the exterior side of the crown,

wherein the weight member is positioned to maximize a distance from the weight member to the head center of gravity,

wherein a first end of the weight member is positioned toward a toe end of the crown and a second end is positioned toward a heel end of the crown at approximately the 9 o'"'"'clock position,

wherein a length of the weight member is measured along a center line of the weight member extending from the first end to the second end,

wherein the length of the weight member is in a range between 1.0 inch to 6.0 inches,

wherein the weight member is solid in a cross section at any point,

wherein the weight member is composed of the same material as the golf club head body,

wherein the weight member is integrally cast with the golf club head body,

wherein the weight member has a weight ranging from 35 grams to 130 grams,

the weight member having a weight member center of gravity and a curved center line extending through the weight member center of gravity such that at any position along the perimeter,

the curved center line is positioned at the same perpendicular distance from the crown,

wherein a first distance from the head center of gravity to the curved center line at a particular position relative to the perimeter is greater than any second distance from the head center of gravity to the interior side or the exterior side of the club head on the crown or sole at the particular position relative to the perimeter.

20. The golf club head of claim 19,

wherein the first end of the weight member is located approximately midway along the perimeter defined by the crown between the 3 o'"'"'clock position and the 6 o'"'"'clock position.