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Iron type golf club head and set

  • US 10,398,950 B2
  • Filed: 10/26/2017
  • Issued: 09/03/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A set of iron-type golf club heads, comprising:

  • a) a first iron-type golf club head having a first loft of 30 degrees or less, a first heel portion, a first toe portion, a first top line portion, a first sole portion, a first leading edge, and a first trailing edge, wherein the first iron-type golf club head includes;

    i) a first body formed of a first body material and having a first hosel, a first face opening, and a first face support ledge, wherein;

    (a) the first face support ledge has a first support ledge width separating a first support ledge inner perimeter from a first support ledge outer perimeter, and a first support ledge setback;

    (b) the first hosel has a first bore and a first bore center that defines a first shaft axis which intersects with a horizontal ground plane to define a first origin point and defines a first shaft axis plane; and

    (c) the first body material is a carbon steel alloy;

    ii) a first face formed of a first face material that is different from the first body material and configured to be rigidly supported by the first body face opening having a first face perimeter, a first face thickness no greater than 2.0 mm, a first face striking surface, and a first face rear surface, wherein;

    (a) a portion of the first face rear surface contacts the first face support ledge thereby defining a first supported face portion having a first supported face area;

    (b) a portion of the first face rear surface does not contact the first face support ledge thereby defining a first closed void extending in a first void plane substantially parallel to the first face, a first unsupported face portion having a first unsupported face area, wherein the sum of the first supported face area and the first unsupported face area is a first total face area;

    (c) a first passageway from the first closed void and accessible from an exterior of the first body, wherein each vertical cross-section through the first passageway establishes a first passageway axis and a first passageway angle from vertical that is at least 50% of the first loft, and at least a portion of the first passageway axis intersects the first face at a first axis-to-face intersection point and intersects the first shaft axis plane;

    (d) the first face material is a precipitation-hardened stainless steel alloy; and

    (e) at least one of the first passageway and the first closed void contain a first elastomer;

    iii) wherein the first iron-type golf club head has a first center of gravity located;

    (a) vertically toward the first top line portion of the first iron-type golf club head from the first origin point a first distance Ycg;

    (b) horizontally from the first origin point toward the first toe portion of the first iron-type golf club head a first distance Xcg;

    (c) a first distance Zcg from the first origin toward the first trailing edge in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure the first Ycg distance and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure the first Xcg distance;

    (d) wherein the first iron-type golf club head has a first opening/closing moment of inertia about a first vertical axis through the first center of gravity; and

    (e) wherein the elevation of the first axis-to-face intersection point is less than 60% of the first distance Ycg;

    b) a second iron-type golf club head having a second loft of at least 31 degrees, a second heel portion, a second toe portion, a second top line portion, a second sole portion, a second leading edge, and a second trailing edge, wherein the second iron-type golf club head includes;

    i) a second body formed of a second body material and having a second hosel, a second face opening, and a second face support ledge, wherein;

    (a) the second face support ledge has a second support ledge width separating a second support ledge inner perimeter from a second support ledge outer perimeter, and a second support ledge setback;

    (b) the second hosel has a second bore and a second bore center that defines a second shaft axis which intersects with the horizontal ground plane to define a second origin point and defines a second shaft axis plane; and

    (c) the second body material is a carbon steel alloy;

    ii) a second face formed of a second face material that is different from the second body material and configured to be rigidly supported by the second body face opening having a second face perimeter, a second face thickness no greater than 2.0 mm, a second face striking surface, and a second face rear surface, wherein;

    (a) a portion of the second face rear surface contacts the second face support ledge thereby defining a second supported face portion having a second supported face area;

    (b) a portion of the second face rear surface does not contact the second face support ledge thereby defining a second closed void extending in a second void plane substantially parallel to the second face, a second unsupported face portion having a second unsupported face area, wherein the sum of the second supported face area and the second unsupported face area is a second total face area;

    (c) a second passageway from the second closed void and accessible from an exterior of the second body, wherein each vertical cross-section through the second passageway establishes a second passageway axis and a second passageway angle from vertical that is at least 50% of the second loft, and at least a portion of the second passageway axis intersects the second face at a second axis-to-face intersection point and intersects the second shaft axis plane;

    (d) the second face material is a precipitation-hardened stainless steel alloy; and

    (e) at least one of the second passageway and the second closed void contain a second elastomer;

    iii) wherein the second iron-type golf club head has a second center of gravity located;

    (a) vertically toward the second top line portion of the second iron-type golf club head from the second origin point a second distance Ycg;

    (b) horizontally from the second origin point toward the second toe portion of the second iron-type golf club head a second distance Xcg;

    (c) a second distance Zcg from the second origin toward the second trailing edge in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure the second Ycg distance and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure the second Xcg distance;

    (d) wherein the second iron-type golf club head has a second opening/closing moment of inertia about a second vertical axis through the second center of gravity; and

    (e) wherein the elevation of the second axis-to-face intersection point is less than 60% of the second distance Ycg;

    c) wherein the second opening/closing moment of inertia is within 20% of the first opening/closing moment of inertia, and the second distance Ycg is within 10% of the first distance Ycg.

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