High loft, low center-of-gravity golf club heads

• US 10,596,432 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Greaney, Mark Vincent, Woolley, Brandon H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US16/192,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20190151727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 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 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club and golf club head having a high static loft angle, low forward center of gravity, and enhanced z-axis gear effect via a large roll radius and/or tightly controlled moment of inertia about the CG x-axis, Ixx, associated with upward and downward twisting of the club head.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body having an external surface with a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a skirt portion positioned around a periphery between the sole portion and crown portion, a ball striking face having a thickness, and a hosel integrally formed with the club head body and extending outward from the club head body proximate to a crown and heel transition region;

wherein the ball striking face of the club head body has a geometric center;

wherein the crown portion has one or more openings, and wherein one or more corresponding crown panels are placed in the one or more openings, the crown panels having a first material density and a first portion thickness;

wherein a portion of the club head body located below a geometric center of the ball striking face is formed of a second material having a second material density and a second portion thickness, wherein the second material density is at least twice the first material density of the crown panels; and

wherein at least a portion of the ball striking face is formed of a composite material;

wherein a moment of inertia about a golf club head center-of-gravity x-axis, I_xx, is between 250-800 kg-mm²;

wherein the golf club head has a Delta 1 between 10 to 25 mm;

where the club head has a club head volume of at least 250 cm³ and a club head weight of between about 180 and 210 grams.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the club head body is formed of an aluminum alloy.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity that is 5-20 mm below the geometric center of the ball striking face of the golf club head as measured along a z-axis of the golf club head having an origin at the geometric center.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the club head body has a center of gravity whose projection onto the ball striking face of the club head body is located off-center from the geometric center in a direction toward the sole portion.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the sole portion is at least partially formed of a material that is denser than the material used to form the crown portion.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the sole portion is formed at least partially of tungsten or includes one or more tungsten plates or weights.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the one or more crown panels are formed of a composite material.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the ball striking face having a varying thickness of no greater than 5 mm.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first material density has a density of approximately 2.8 g/cc.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first material density and the at least a portion of the ball striking face formed of composite material have a density of approximately 1.5 g/cc.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the second material is formed of a titanium alloy.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the second material is formed of a steel alloy.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the club head body is formed from a combination of an alloy of titanium, an alloy of aluminum, and a composite material.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the crown panels, the skirt, and ball striking face are attached to the club head body by adhesive bonding.

15. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the sole portion is formed of the second material and at least a portion of the sole portion has a sole thickness that is at least twice the first portion thickness.

16. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the crown panels, the skirt, and ball striking face are attached to the club head body by adhesive bonding.

17. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body having an external surface with a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a skirt portion positioned around a periphery between the sole portion and crown portion, a ball striking face having a thickness, and a hosel integrally formed with the club head body and extending outward from the club head body proximate to a crown and heel transition region;

wherein the ball striking face of the club head body has a geometric center;

wherein the crown portion has one or more openings, and wherein one or more corresponding crown panels are placed in the one or more openings, the crown panels having a first material density and a first portion thickness;

wherein a portion of the club head body located below a geometric center of the ball striking face is formed of a second material having a second material density and a second portion thickness, wherein the second material density is at least twice the first material density of the crown panels; and

wherein a moment of inertia about a golf club head center-of-gravity x-axis, I_xx, is between 250-800 kg-mm²;

wherein the golf club head has a Delta 1 between 10 to 25 mm;

where the club head has a club head volume of at least 250 cm³ and a club head weight of between about 180 and 210 grams;

wherein the club head body is formed from a combination of an alloy of titanium, an alloy of aluminum, and a composite material;

wherein the crown panels and the skirt are attached to the club head body by adhesive bonding;

wherein the ball striking face having a varying thickness no less than 2.5 mm.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the ball striking face having a varying thickness no more than 5 mm.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the ball striking face is formed of a composite material.

20. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein the golf club head has a roll radius of 300 mm or greater.