GOLF CLUB HEAD

• US 20090088269A1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Larsen, Peter L., Beach, Todd P., Hoffman, Joseph Henry
• Granted Patent: US 7,731,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/346
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• 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 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• 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

Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a golf club head having improved mass distribution characteristics. The golf club head includes a body and a face positioned at a forward portion of the body. The golf club head also includes one or more mass elements positioned at predetermined locations about the head. The mass elements assist in achieving desired relationship between the moment of inertia about a center of gravity x-axis and the moment of inertia about a center of gravity z-axis.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity and comprising a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, wherein the body has a forward portion and a rearward portion; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face having an ideal impact location defining a golf club head origin, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is ideally positioned, a y-axis generally perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is ideally positioned, and a z-axis perpendicular to both the x-axis and y-axis;

wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity z-axis generally parallel to the head origin z-axis greater than approximately 500 kg·

mm², and

wherein the ratio of a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity x-axis generally parallel to the origin x-axis to the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity z-axis is greater than approximately 0.6.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity x-axis to the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity z-axis is greater than approximately 0.7.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity x-axis to the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity z-axis is greater than approximately 0.8.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity x-axis is between approximately 330 kg·

mm² and approximately 550 kg·

mm².

5. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising at least first and second mass elements formed in the body, the first mass element having a mass between approximately 3 g and approximately 23 g, and the second mass element having a mass between approximately 25 g and approximately 35 g, wherein:

the first mass element has a head origin x-axis coordinate between about 35 mm and about 65 mm, a head origin y-axis coordinate between about 0 mm and about 30 mm, and a head origin z-axis coordinate between about −

20 mm and about 10 mm; and

the second mass element has a head origin x-axis coordinate between about −

20 mm and about 10 mm, a head origin y-axis coordinate between about 90 mm and about 120 mm, and a head origin z-axis coordinate between about −

20 mm and about 10 mm.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a volume of the golf club head is between approximately 420 cm³ and 480 cm³.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the sole, skirt and crown are comprised of a wall having a thickness between approximately 0.55 mm and approximately 0.8 mm.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the wall of the skirt and crown has a thickness of approximately 0.65 mm.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body is constructed of a composite material.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face is constructed of a composite material.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face has a variable thickness.

12. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity and comprising a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, wherein the body has a forward portion and a rearward portion; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face having an ideal impact location defining a golf club head origin, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is ideally positioned, a y-axis generally perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is ideally positioned, and a z-axis perpendicular to both the x-axis and y-axis;

wherein the ratio of a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity x-axis generally parallel to the origin x-axis to a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity z-axis generally parallel to the head origin z-axis is greater than approximately 0.8.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity z-axis is between approximately 500 kg·

mm² and approximately 600 kg·

mm².

14. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity x-axis is between approximately 425 kg·

mm² and approximately 525 kg·

mm².

15. The golf club head of claim 12, further comprising at least first and second mass elements formed in the body, the first mass element having a mass between approximately 3 g and approximately 23 g, and the second mass element having a mass between approximately 10 g and approximately 30 g, wherein:

the first mass element has a head origin x-axis coordinate between about 35 mm and about 65 mm, a head origin y-axis coordinate between about 10 mm and about 40 mm, and a head origin z-axis coordinate between about −

25 mm and about 5 mm; and

the second mass element has a head origin x-axis coordinate between about −

15 mm and about 15 mm, a head origin y-axis coordinate between about 90 mm and about 120 mm, and a head origin z-axis coordinate between about −

20 mm and about 10 mm.

16. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity and comprising a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, wherein the body has a forward portion and a rearward portion;

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face having an ideal impact location defining a golf club head origin, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is ideally positioned, a y-axis generally perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is ideally positioned, and a z-axis perpendicular to both the x-axis and y-axis;

at least first and second mass elements formed in the body, the first mass element having a mass between approximately 3 g and approximately 23 g, and the second mass element having a mass between approximately 5 g and approximately 25 g, wherein (1) the first mass element has a head origin x-axis coordinate between about 35 mm and about 65 mm, a y-axis coordinate between about 10 mm and about 40 mm, and a z-axis coordinate between about −

15 mm and about 5 mm, and (2) the second mass element has a head origin x-axis coordinate between about −

15 mm and about 15 mm, a head origin y-axis coordinate between about 95 mm and about 125 mm, and a head origin z-axis coordinate between about −

30 mm and about 0 mm;

wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity z-axis generally parallel to the head origin z-axis greater than approximately 500 kg·

mm², and

wherein the ratio of a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity x-axis generally parallel to the origin x-axis to the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity z-axis is greater than approximately 0.6.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the ratio of the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity x-axis to the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity z-axis is greater than approximately 0.7.

18. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the ratio of the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity x-axis to the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity z-axis is greater than approximately 0.8.

19. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity x-axis is between approximately 330 kg·

mm² and approximately 550 kg·

mm².

20. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity and comprising a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, wherein the body has a forward portion and a rearward portion;

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face having an ideal impact location defining a golf club head origin, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is ideally positioned, a y-axis generally perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is ideally positioned, and a z-axis perpendicular to both the x-axis and y-axis; and

at least a first heel mass element and second rear mass element formed in the body, the first heel mass element having a mass between approximately 5 g and approximately 25 g, and the second mass element having a mass between approximately 10 g and approximately 30 g, wherein the first heel mass element has a head origin x-axis coordinate between about 35 mm and about 65 mm, a y-axis coordinate between about 10 mm and about 40 mm, and a z-axis coordinate between about 0 mm and about 20 mm, and the second rear mass element has a head origin x-axis coordinate between about −

25 mm and about 5 mm, a y-axis coordinate between about 90 mm and about 120 mm, and a z-axis coordinate between about −

5 mm and about 25 mm.

21. The golf club head of claim 20, wherein the first heel mass element has a mass between approximately 10 g and approximately 18 g, and the second rear mass element has a mass between approximately 17 g and approximately 25 g.

22. The golf club head of claim 20, wherein the first heel mass element has a head origin x-axis coordinate between about 47 mm and about 59 mm, a y-axis coordinate between about 17 mm and about 35 mm, and a z-axis coordinate between about 3 mm and about 11 mm, and the second rear mass element has a head origin x-axis coordinate between about −

14 mm and about −

6 mm, a y-axis coordinate between about 104 mm and about 114 mm, and a z-axis coordinate between about 5 mm and about 11 mm.

23. The golf club head of claim 20, wherein the ratio of a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity x-axis generally parallel to the origin x-axis to a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity z-axis parallel to the origin z-axis is greater than approximately 0.6.

24. The golf club head of claim 20, wherein a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity z-axis generally parallel to the head origin z-axis is greater than approximately 500 kg·

mm²

25. The golf club head of claim 20, wherein a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity x-axis is greater than approximately 330 kg·

mm².