Golf club heads with optimized characteristics and related methods

• US 10,610,745 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2017
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Stokke, Ryan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US15/655,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20170312595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 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 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• 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 53/08 with special arrangements for obtaining a variable impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

Presented herein are embodiments of golf club heads comprising a head interior and a hosel structure, the head interior bounded by a head front portion, a head rear portion, a head heel portion, a head toe portion, a head top portion, and a head sole portion. The golf club heads further comprising various optimized characteristics, including optimizing the head center of gravity height and depth in relation to the head volume and mass.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a head body comprising a head interior bounded by a head front portion, a head rear portion, a head

heel portion, a head toe portion, a head top portion, and a head sole portion;

wherein the head body comprises a first material;

wherein the first material is a titanium alloy;

a strikeface having a geometric centerpoint; and

a head center of gravity having a head CG depth and a head CG height;

wherein;

the golf club head comprises a driver-type body;

the head CG height is approximately 0 mm to approximately 5.08 mm;

the head CG depth is greater than 44 mm;

a head volume of the golf club head is approximately 420 cc to approximately 470 cc;

a head weight of the golf club head is approximately 185 grams to approximately 225 grams;

more than 15% of a mass of the golf club head is located in a rearmost 20% of a length of the club head; and

more than 5% of the mass of the golf club head is located in a rearmost 10% of the length of the club head.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein more than 20% of the mass of the golf club head is located in the rearmost 20% of the length of the golf club head.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein more than 25% of the mass of the golf club head is located in the rearmost 20% of the length of the golf club head.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein more than 10% of the mass of the golf club head is located in the rearmost 10% of the length of the golf club head.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein more than 15% of the mass of the golf club head is located in the rearmost 10% of the length of the golf club head.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising:

a weight structure located towards the head sole portion and the head rear portion of the head body, the weight structure comprising a weight structure center of gravity located between a 5 o'"'"'clock ray and an 8 o'"'"'clock ray of a clock grid, the clock grid comprising;

a 12 o'"'"'clock ray;

a 3 o'"'"'clock ray;

a 4 o'"'"'clock ray;

a 5 o'"'"'clock ray;

a 8 o'"'"'clock ray; and

a 9 o'"'"'clock ray;

when the golf club head is at an address portion, from a bottom view of the golf club head, the 12 o'"'"'clock ray is aligned with the strikeface centerpoint and orthogonal to a front intersection line between the loft plane and the ground plane;

the clock grid is centered along the 12 o'"'"'clock ray, at a midpoint between a front end of the head front portion and a rear end of the head rear portion;

the 3 o'"'"'clock ray extends towards the head heel portion; and

the 9 o'"'"'clock ray extends towards the head toe portion.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the weight structure protrudes at least partially from an external contour of the head sole portion.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising one or more thin regions positioned on the head top portion, the one or more thin regions comprising a thickness less than 0.020 inch.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a weight positioned within 1.0 inch of a perimeter of the head rear portion of the golf club head, wherein the weight has a specific gravity greater than 10.0 and a mass greater than 10 grams;

wherein the weight comprises a second material different from the first material.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the weight is positioned more than 1.5 inches from the head center of gravity.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a crown angle,

wherein the crown angle is less than 70 degrees when the crown angle is measured in a side cross sectional view of the club head taken through the geometric centerpoint of the strikeface, and

the crown angle is less than 79 degrees when the crown angle is measured in a side cross sectional view of the club head taken through a point located approximately 1.0 inch toward the head toe portion from the geometric centerpoint of the strikeface.

12. A golf club head comprising:

a head body comprising a head interior bounded by a head front portion, a head rear portion, a head

heel portion, a head toe portion, a head top portion, and a head sole portion;

wherein the head body comprises a first material;

wherein the first material is a titanium alloy;

a strikeface having a geometric centerpoint; and

a head center of gravity having a head CG depth and a head CG height;

wherein;

the golf club head comprises a driver-type body;

the head CG height is approximately 0 mm to approximately 12.8 mm;

the head CG depth is greater than 44 mm;

a head volume of the golf club head is approximately 300 cc to approximately 400 cc;

a head weight of the golf club head is approximately 190 grams to approximately 240 grams;

more than 15% of a mass of the golf club head is located in a rearmost 20% of a length of the club head; and

more than 5% of the mass of the golf club head is located in a rearmost 10% of the length of the club head.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein more than 20% of the mass of the golf club head is located in the rearmost 20% of the length of the golf club head.

14. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein more than 25% of the mass of the golf club head is located in the rearmost 20% of the length of the golf club head.

15. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein more than 10% of the mass of the golf club head is located in the rearmost 10% of the length of the golf club head.

16. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein more than 15% of the mass of the golf club head is located in the rearmost 10% of the length of the golf club head.

17. The golf club head of claim 12, further comprising:

a weight structure located towards the head sole portion and the head rear portion of the head body, the weight structure comprising a weight structure center of gravity located between a 5 o'"'"'clock ray and an 8 o'"'"'clock ray of a clock grid, the clock grid comprising;

a 12 o'"'"'clock ray;

a 3 o'"'"'clock ray;

a 4 o'"'"'clock ray;

a 5 o'"'"'clock ray;

a 8 o'"'"'clock ray; and

a 9 o'"'"'clock ray;

when the golf club head is at an address portion, from a bottom view of the golf club head, the 12 o'"'"'clock ray is aligned with the strikeface centerpoint and orthogonal to a front intersection line between the loft plane and the ground plane;

the clock grid is centered along the 12 o'"'"'clock ray, at a midpoint between a front end of the head front portion and a rear end of the head rear portion;

the 3 o'"'"'clock ray extends towards the head heel portion; and

the 9 o'"'"'clock ray extends towards the head toe portion.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the weight structure protrudes at least partially from an external contour of the head sole portion.

19. The golf club head of claim 12, further comprising one or more thin regions positioned on the head top portion, the one or more thin regions comprising a thickness less than 0.020 inch.

20. The golf club head of claim 12, further comprising a weight positioned within 1.0 inch of a perimeter of the head rear portion of the golf club head;

wherein the weight comprises a second material different from the first material.