Golf club head

• US 10,569,144 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2018
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Nielson, Joseph R., Sargent, Nathan T., Harbert, Christopher J., Wester, Christian R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US16/048,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20190038944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 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 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/04 Movable ballast means A63B15/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

Described herein is a golf club head that includes a body that includes a sole portion, a crown portion, a skirt portion, a forward region, and a rearward region. The golf club head also includes a face portion including a striking face with a maximum height from the ground plane of at least about 50 mm. The golf club head has a peak crown height, from the ground plane, of at least about 60 mm. A volume of the golf club head is at least about 370 cm³. A location of a center-of-gravity of the golf club head is at a minimum distance (Zup) away from the ground plane. The difference between Zup and half of the peak crown height is less than about −5.75 mm. A z-axis moment of inertia of the golf club head about a CG z-axis is greater than about 300 kg-mm².

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body, defining an interior cavity and comprising;

a sole portion, positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, wherein the sole portion comprises one or more sole openings configured to receive one or more sole inserts, the sole portion comprising the one or more sole inserts, which cover the one or more sole openings;

a weight track having a track length between about 30 mm and about 120 mm, wherein the weight track is positioned in the bottom portion of the golf club head and configured to receive one or more slideably adjustable weights, wherein movement of the one or more slideably adjustable weights adjusts a center of gravity of the club head;

a crown portion, positioned at a top portion of the golf club head, wherein the crown portion comprises a crown opening and a recessed ledge around the crown opening configured to receive a crown insert and the crown insert is secured to the recessed ledge and covers the crown opening;

a skirt portion, positioned around a periphery of the golf club head between the sole portion and the crown portion;

wherein the one or more sole inserts are made of a composite material having a density between 1 g/cc and 2 g/cc;

a face portion having a variable thickness, coupled to the body at a forward region of the body and comprising a striking face with an area of at least 3500 mm{circumflex over ( 

)}2 and a maximum height from a ground plane of at least about 50 mm;

wherein there is a face-to-crown transition where the face portion connects to the crown portion proximate the forward region of the body and a skirt-to-crown transition where the skirt portion connects to the crown portion proximate a rearward region;

wherein in a y-z plane passing through a club head origin the crown height continuously increases starting from the face-to-crown transition up to a local maximum; and

wherein;

the golf club head has a peak crown height, from the ground plane, of at least about 60 mm;

a volume of the golf club head is at least about 370 cm³;

a location of a center-of-gravity of the golf club head is at a minimum distance (Zup) away from the ground plane;

a z-axis moment of inertia of the golf club head about a z-axis, passing through the center-of-gravity of the golf club head and perpendicular to the ground plane, is greater than about 300 kg-mm²; and

when the golf club head is in the address position on the ground plane;

a crown height of the golf club head, at a head origin y-axis coordinate of zero, is less than 65 mm; and

a crown height of the golf club head, at a head origin y-axis coordinate of 90 mm, is less than about 32 mm.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a flight control technology component coupled to the body, wherein the flight control technology component is configured to receive a golf club shaft and to selectively adjust an orientation of the golf club shaft relative to the head.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the body comprises a face opening, and the face portion is welded to the body thereby closing the face opening.

4. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the weight track has a rib located within an interior cavity of the golf club head, and the rib extends along the weight track from a first portion of the weight track to a second portion of the weight track.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the weight track is a rearward weight track and the rearward weight track is offset from the face portion a minimum distance of at least 10 mm and no more than 30 mm.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein moving the one or more slideably adjustable weights from a first weight position to a second weight position results in a center of gravity movement of at least 1.7 mm and no more than 18.5 mm.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the one or more sole inserts have a combined surface area of about 25% to 50% of a total surface area of the sole portion of the golf club head.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, further comprising one or more weight ports and at least one weight removably attached to the one or more weight ports.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the weight track and the one or more weight ports are an integral part of the body.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the body, the weight track, and the one or more weight ports are made at least in part from a metal material and form an integrated cast structure.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the one or more slideably adjustable weights includes a first weight element, a second weight element, and a fastener coupling the first weight element and the second weight element;

wherein the one or more slideably adjustable weight assemblies are configured to clamp a portion of the weight track.

12. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein a crown height, in millimeters, of at least 90% of the crown portion of the golf club head along a plane passing through a center of the striking face of the face portion and perpendicular to the ground plane, when the golf club head is in the address position on the ground plane, is approximately between, −

130.73x⁴+270.76x³269.99x²+91.737x+59 and −

107.96x⁴+223.87x³−

250.86x²+92.751x+50, where x is a normalized forward-to-rearward depth of the crown portion.

13. A golf club head, comprising:

a body, defining an interior cavity and comprising;

a weight track positioned in the bottom portion of the golf club head and configured to receive one or more slideably adjustable weights, wherein movement of the one or more slideably adjustable weights adjusts a center of gravity of the club head;

a sole portion, positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, wherein the sole portion comprises a toe-side sole opening and a heel-side sole opening, wherein;

the toe-side sole opening is positioned toe-ward of the weight track and configured to receive a toe-side sole insert and the toe-side sole insert covers the toe-side sole opening; and

the heel-side sole opening is positioned heel-ward of the weight track and configured to receive a heel-side sole insert and the heel-side sole insert covers the heel-side sole opening;

a crown portion, positioned at a top portion of the golf club head, wherein the crown portion comprises a crown opening and a recessed ledge around the crown opening configured to receive a crown insert and the crown insert is secured to the recessed ledge and covers the crown opening; and

a skirt portion, positioned around a periphery of the golf club head between the sole portion and the crown portion;

wherein the toe-side and heel-side sole inserts are made of a composite material having a density between 1 g/cc and 2 g/cc, and the toe-side and heel-side sole inserts have a combined surface area of about 25 to 50% of a total surface area of the sole portion of the golf club head;

a face portion, coupled to the body at a forward region of the body and comprising a striking face with an area of at least 3500 mm{circumflex over ( 

)}2, wherein the face portion has a variable thickness;

a flight control technology component coupled to the body, wherein the flight control technology component is configured to receive a golf club shaft and to selectively adjust an orientation of the golf club shaft relative to the head

wherein the weight track has a track length between about 30 mm and about 120 mm, and is offset from the face portion a minimum distance of at least 10 mm and no more than 40 mm;

wherein there is a face-to-crown transition where the face portion connects to the crown portion proximate the forward region of the body and a skirt-to-crown transition where the skirt portion connects to the crown portion proximate a rearward region;

wherein in a y-z plane passing through a club head origin the crown height continuously increases starting from the face-to-crown transition up to a local maximum; and

wherein;

the golf club head has a peak crown height, from the ground plane, of at least about 60 mm;

a volume of the golf club head is at least about 370 cm³;

a location of a center-of-gravity of the golf club head is at a minimum distance (Zup) away from the ground plane;

a z-axis moment of inertia of the golf club head about a z-axis, passing through the center-of-gravity of the golf club head and perpendicular to the ground plane, is greater than about 300 kg-mm²; and

when the golf club head is in the address position on the ground plane;

a crown height of the golf club head, at a head origin y-axis coordinate of zero, is less than 65 mm; and

a crown height of the golf club head, at a head origin y-axis coordinate of 90 mm, is less than about 32 mm.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the weight track has a rib located within an interior cavity of the golf club head, and the rib extends along the weight track from a forward portion of the weight track to a rearward portion of the weight track.

15. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein moving the one or more slideably adjustable weights from a first weight position to a second weight position results in a center of gravity movement of at least 1.7 mm and no more than 18.5 mm.

16. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the body further comprises recessed ledges around the toe-side and heel-side sole openings configured to receive the toe-side and heel-side sole inserts.

17. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the body comprises a face opening, and the face portion is welded to the body thereby closing the face opening.

18. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the one or more slideably adjustable weights includes a first weight element, a second weight element, and a fastener coupling the first weight element and the second weight element;

wherein the one or more slideably adjustable weight assemblies are configured to clamp a portion of the weight track.

19. The golf club head of claim 13, further comprising a movable weight configured to move from a heel position to a toe position of the golf club head.

20. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein a crown height, in millimeters, of at least 90% of the crown portion of the golf club head along a plane passing through a center of the striking face of the face portion and perpendicular to the ground plane, when the golf club head is in the address position on the ground plane, is approximately between, −

130.73x⁴+270.76x³−

269.99x²+91.737x+59 and −

107.96x⁴+223.87x³−

250.86x²+92.751x+50, where x is a normalized forward-to-rearward depth of the crown portion.