Golf club heads or other ball striking devices having distributed impact response

• US 10,610,746 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2018
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Larson, Eric A., Boyd, Robert M., Brown, Kenneth W., Brouillette, Martin, Daniels, Chris Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Alvin A
• Application Number:
  US15/918,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20180361209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face. The body has an impact-influencing structure in the form of a channel positioned on at least one surface of the body. A majority of a force generated by impact with a ball is absorbed by the impact-influencing structure, and a majority of a response force generated by the head upon impact with the ball is generated by the impact-influencing structure. The face may have increased stiffness as compared to existing faces, and may include a stiffening structure to create the increased stiffness, such as a porous or cellular stiffening structure.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a face having a ball striking surface and being defined by a peripheral edge;

a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face to define an enclosed volume, the body having a front side, a rear side, a heel side, a toe side, a crown, and a sole;

a first channel located on a surface of the body, the first channel having a periphery defined by boundary edges, wherein the boundary edges include a front edge extending laterally along the peripheral edge of the face between a heel end and a toe end of the first channel, such that the heel end and the toe end are located on opposite sides of a geometric centerline of the body, and the boundary edges further include a rear edge located further rearwardly than the front edge, wherein the first channel extends from the front edge to the rear edge, and the first channel has a width measured in a front-to-rear direction between the front and rear edges,

wherein the rear edge includes a heel portion extending forward to the front edge and toward the heel side of the body at a first angle to the front edge, such that the first channel tapers to a first point formed by the heel portion and the front edge at the heel end of the first channel, and the rear edge further includes a toe portion extending toward the front edge and toward the toe side of the body at a second angle to the front edge, such that the first channel tapers to a second point formed by the toe portion and the front edge at the toe end of the first channel.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first channel is greatest along the geometric centerline of the body.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first channel is formed by recessed surfaces of the body that are recessed between the boundary edges.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first channel has a wall thickness that is smaller than a wall thickness of the body adjacent the first channel.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the heel portion and the toe portion of the rear edge meet at a widest portion of the first channel.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first channel is located more proximate to the face than to the rear side of the body.

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

a heel channel located on the surface of the body, the heel channel having a second periphery defined by second boundary edges, wherein the heel channel is located between the heel side of the body and the geometric centerline of the body,

wherein the boundary edges of the first channel and the second boundary edges of the heel channel are disconnected and separated from each other by a heel spacing portion separating the first channel from the heel channel.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, further comprising:

a toe channel located on the surface of the body, the toe channel having a third periphery defined by third boundary edges, wherein the toe channel is located between the toe side of the body and the geometric centerline of the body,

wherein the boundary edges of the first channel and the third boundary edges of the toe channel are disconnected and separated from each other by a toe spacing portion separating the first channel from the toe channel.

9. The golf club head of claim 8,

wherein the heel spacing portion extends toward the face and toward the heel side of the body in a first direction that is angled with respect to the geometric centerline of the body, and the toe spacing portion extends toward the face and toward the toe side of the body in a second direction that is angled with respect to the geometric centerline of the body.

10. The golf club head of claim 7,

wherein the heel spacing portion extends toward the face and toward the heel side of the body in a direction that is angled with respect to the geometric centerline of the body.

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

a toe channel located on the surface of the body, the toe channel having a third periphery defined by third boundary edges, wherein the toe channel is located between the toe side of the body and the geometric centerline of the body,

wherein the boundary edges of the first channel and the third boundary edges of the toe channel are disconnected and separated from each other by a toe spacing portion separating the first channel from the toe channel.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the toe spacing portion extends toward the face and toward the toe side of the body in a direction that is angled with respect to the geometric centerline of the body.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the heel portion and the toe portion of the rear edge are also angled with respect to the geometric centerline of the body.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the heel and toe portions of the rear edge form acute angles with the front edge.

15. A golf club head comprising:

a face having a ball striking surface and being defined by a peripheral edge;

a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face to define an enclosed volume, the body having a front side, a rear side, a heel side, a toe side, a crown, and a sole;

a first channel located on a surface of the body, the first channel having a periphery defined by boundary edges, wherein the boundary edges include a front edge extending laterally along the peripheral edge of the face between a heel end and a toe end of the first channel, such that the heel end and the toe end are located on opposite sides of a geometric centerline of the body, and the boundary edges further include a rear edge located further rearwardly than the front edge, wherein the first channel has a width measured in a front-to-rear direction between the front and rear edges;

a heel channel located on the surface of the body, the heel channel having a second periphery defined by second boundary edges, wherein the heel channel is located between the heel side of the body and the geometric centerline of the body, wherein the boundary edges of the first channel and the second boundary edges of the heel channel are disconnected and separated from each other by a heel spacing portion separating the first channel from the heel channel; and

a toe channel located on the surface of the body, the toe channel having a third periphery defined by third boundary edges, wherein the toe channel is located between the toe side of the body and the geometric centerline of the body, wherein the boundary edges of the first channel and the third boundary edges of the toe channel are disconnected and separated from each other by a toe spacing portion separating the first channel from the toe channel,

wherein the rear edge includes a heel portion extending toward the front edge and toward the heel side of the body at a first angle to the front edge, such that the first channel tapers to a first point at the heel end of the first channel, and the rear edge further includes a toe portion extending toward the front edge and toward the toe side of the body at a second angle to the front edge, such that the first channel tapers to a second point at the toe end of the first channel, and

wherein the heel spacing portion extends toward the face and toward the heel side of the body in a first direction that is angled with respect to the geometric centerline of the body, and the toe spacing portion extends toward the face and toward the toe side of the body in a second direction that is angled with respect to the geometric centerline of the body.

16. A golf club head comprising:

a face having a ball striking surface and being defined by a peripheral edge;

a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face to define an enclosed volume, the body having a front side, a rear side, a heel side, a toe side, a crown, and a sole;

a first channel located on a surface of the body, the first channel having a periphery defined by boundary edges, wherein the boundary edges include a front edge extending laterally along the peripheral edge of the face between a heel end and a toe end of the first channel, such that the heel end and the toe end are located on opposite sides of a geometric centerline of the body, and the boundary edges further include a rear edge located further rearwardly than the front edge, wherein the first channel has a width measured in a front-to-rear direction between the front and rear edges; and

a heel channel located on the surface of the body, the heel channel having a second periphery defined by second boundary edges, wherein the heel channel is located between the heel side of the body and the geometric centerline of the body, wherein the boundary edges of the first channel and the second boundary edges of the heel channel are disconnected and separated from each other by a heel spacing portion separating the first channel from the heel channel,

wherein the rear edge includes a heel portion extending toward the front edge and toward the heel side of the body at a first angle to the front edge, such that the width of the first channel tapers to a first point at the heel end of the first channel, and the rear edge further includes a toe portion extending toward the front edge and toward the toe side of the body at a second angle to the front edge, such that the width of the first channel tapers to a second point at the toe end of the first channel, and

wherein the heel spacing portion extends toward the face and toward the heel side of the body in a direction that is angled with respect to the geometric centerline of the body.

17. A golf club head comprising:

a face having a ball striking surface and being defined by a peripheral edge;

a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face to define an enclosed volume, the body having a front side, a rear side, a heel side, a toe side, a crown, and a sole;

a first channel located on a surface of the body, the first channel having a periphery defined by boundary edges, wherein the boundary edges include a front edge extending laterally along the peripheral edge of the face between a heel end and a toe end of the first channel, such that the heel end and the toe end are located on opposite sides of a geometric centerline of the body, and the boundary edges further include a rear edge located further rearwardly than the front edge, wherein the first channel has a width measured in a front-to-rear direction between the front and rear edges; and

a toe channel located on the surface of the body, the toe channel having a third periphery defined by third boundary edges, wherein the toe channel is located between the toe side of the body and the geometric centerline of the body, wherein the boundary edges of the first channel and the third boundary edges of the toe channel are disconnected and separated from each other by a toe spacing portion separating the first channel from the toe channel,

wherein the rear edge includes a heel portion extending toward the front edge and toward the heel side of the body at a first angle to the front edge, such that the width of the first channel tapers to a first point at the heel end of the first channel, and the rear edge further includes a toe portion extending toward the front edge and toward the toe side of the body at a second angle to the front edge, such that the width of the first channel tapers to a second point at the toe end of the first channel, and

wherein the toe spacing portion extends toward the face and toward the toe side of the body in a direction that is angled with respect to the geometric centerline of the body.