Golf club

• US 10,391,369 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2018
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Greaney, Mark Vincent, Kickertz, Andrew, Beach, Todd P., Slyfield, Craig Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US16/171,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20190060719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 473219-256, 473324-350
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• 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 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/74 with powered illuminating means, e.g. lights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user

Abstract

Aspects of the invention are directed to golf club having a crown a sole and a face and a primary alignment feature including a paint or masking line which delineates the transition between at least a first portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color with the shade or color of the face. In some embodiments the golf club has a primary alignment feature comprising a paint or masking line which delineates the transition between at least a first portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color and the area of shade or color of the face and the club head also includes a secondary alignment feature including a paint or masking line which delineates the transition between the first portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color with the shade or color of the face; and a second portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color with the shade or color of the first portion.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a golf club body having a face, a crown and a sole together defining an interior cavity, the golf club body including a heel and a toe portion and having an x, y and z axes which are orthogonal to each other having their origin at USGA center face and

wherein the golf club head has a primary alignment feature comprising a paint or masking line which delineates a transition between at least a first portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color with a shade or color of the face;

wherein the golf club head has a CG_x of 0 to about −

4 mm;

wherein at least one of the sole and crown is at least in part a composite material;

wherein the primary alignment feature has;

a. a Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA) of from about −

2 to about 10 degrees; and

b. a Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle 25 mm Heelward (SAPFA25H) of from about −

5 to about 2 degrees, and

c. a Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle 25 mm Toeward (SAPFA25T) of from 0 to about 9 degrees; and

d. a Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle 50 mm Toeward (SAPFA50T) of from about 2 to about 9 degrees, and

e. a Radius of Curvature (circle fit) of from about 300 to about 1000 mm.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

a. the Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA) is from 0 to about 6 degrees; and

b. the Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle 25 mm Heelward (SAPFA25H) is from about −

3 to 0 degrees, and

c. the Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle 25 mm Toeward (SAPFA25T) is from about 1 to about 4.5 degrees; and

d. the Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle 50 mm Toeward (“

SAPFA50T”

) is from about 3.5 to about 8 degrees, and

e. the Radius of Curvature (circle fit) is from about 400 to about 900 mm.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

a. the Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA) is from about 0.5 to about 4 degrees; and

b. the Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle 25 mm Heelward (SAPFA25H) is from about −

2 to about −

1 degrees, and

c. the Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle 25 mm Toeward (SAPFA25T) is from about 2 to about 4 degrees; and

d. the Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle 50 mm Toeward (“

SAPFA50T”

) is from about 4 to about 7 degrees, and

e. the Radius of Curvature (circle fit) is from about 500 to about 775 mm and

f. the primary alignment feature has a Δ

E*ab between the portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color and the shade or color of the face is greater than 40.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA) is from about 1 to about 2.5 degrees;

and

wherein the primary alignment feature has a Δ

E*ab between the portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color and the shade or color of the face is greater than 60.

5. The golf club head of claim 4 wherein a color of the portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color is white and the shade or color of the face is black.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the crown is at least in part a composite material.

7. The golf club head of claim 6 wherein the crown and sole both are at least in part a composite material.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the sole is at least in part a composite material.

9. The golf club head of claim 8 wherein the golf club head has a z-axis moment of inertia (6) of about 480 to 600 Kg·

mm².

10. The golf club head of claim 8 wherein the golf club head has an x-axis moment of inertia (I_xx) of about 280 to 420 Kg·

mm².

11. The golf club head of claim 8 wherein the crown and sole both are at least in part a composite material.

12. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the crown and sole both are at least in part a composite material.

13. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a sole and a crown, the crown having a first portion having a first color or shade and a second portion having a second color or shade, the face, crown and sole together defining an interior cavity, the golf club body including a heel and a toe portion and having an x, y and z axis which are orthogonal to each other having their origin at USGA center face;

and

wherein the golf club head has a primary alignment feature comprising a paint or masking line which delineates a transition between at least a first portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color with a shade or color of the face;

and

wherein the club head further comprises a secondary alignment feature comprising a paint or masking line which delineates the transition between the first portion of the crown and the second portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color with the shade or color of the first portion of the crown;

wherein the secondary alignment feature comprises a first elongate side having a length of from about 0.5 inch to about 1.7 inches, and second and third elongate sides extending back from the face and rearward from and at an angle to the first elongate side;

wherein the golf club head has a CG_x of 0 to about −

4 mm;

wherein the golf club head has a z-axis moment of inertia (I_zz) of 480 to 600 Kg·

mm² and an x-axis moment of inertia (I_xx) of about 280 to 420 Kg·

mm².

14. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a sole and a crown, the crown having a first portion having a first color or shade and a second portion having a second color or shade, the face, crown and sole together defining an interior cavity, the golf club body including a heel and a toe portion and having an x, y and z axis which are orthogonal to each other having their origin at USGA center face;

and

wherein the golf club head has a primary alignment feature comprising a paint or masking line which delineates a transition between at least a first portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color with a shade or color of the face;

and

wherein the club head further comprises a secondary alignment feature comprising a paint or masking line which delineates the transition between the first portion of the crown and the second portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color with the shade or color of the first portion of the crown;

wherein the secondary alignment feature has a Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle Secondary Alignment Feature, (“

SAPFASAF”

) of from about −

2 to about 6 degrees;

wherein the golf club head has a CG_x of 0 to about −

4 mm;

wherein at least one of the sole and crown is at least in part a composite material;

wherein the golf club head has a z-axis moment of inertia (I_zz) of 480 to 600 Kg·

mm² and an x-axis moment of inertia (I_xx) of about 280 to 420 Kg·

mm².

15. The golf club head of claim 14 wherein both the sole and crown are at least in part a composite material.

16. The golf club head of claim 14 wherein the Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle Secondary Alignment Feature, (“

SAPFASAF”

) is from 0 to about 5 degrees.

17. The golf club head of claim 14 wherein:

a. the Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle Secondary Alignment Feature, (“

SAPFASAF”

) is from about 1.5 to about 4 degrees and

b. the secondary alignment feature has a Δ

E*ab between the color or shade of the first portion of the crown and the second color or shade of the second portion of the crown is greater than 40.

18. The golf club head of claim 14 wherein the first portion of the crown is white and the second portion of the crown is black.

19. The golf club head of claim 14 wherein the face is black.