GOLF CLUB HEAD OR OTHER BALL STRIKING DEVICE HAVING STIFFENED FACE PORTION

• US 20100130303A1
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Boyd, Robert, Stites, John T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,070,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/342
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/182 Softball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/20 Cricket
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/22 Field hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/36 Croquet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• 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 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a head that includes a face configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face, the body being adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel thereof. The face includes one or more stiffening members or other structures on the inner surface of the face to provide locally increased stiffness to particular areas of the face. Certain stiffening members may provide greater stiffness than other stiffening members, allowing the face to be configured for areas of greatest stiffness and greatest COR tailored to common impact patterns.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof;

a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel;

a first stiffening member extending rearward from an inner surface of the face and extending across the inner surface of the face between a first location and a second location, the first location positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the face, and the second location is positioned toward a lower toe quadrant of the face with respect to the first location, the first stiffening member providing locally increased stiffness to a first area of the face between the first location and the second location; and

a second stiffening member extending rearward from the inner surface of the face and providing locally increased stiffness to a second area of the face spaced from the first area,

wherein the first stiffening member provides a greater degree of stiffness to the face relative to the second stiffening member.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first and second stiffening members are integrally formed with the inner surface of the face.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of second stiffening members extending rearward from the inner surface of the face and combining to provide locally increased stiffness to the second area of the face, wherein the first stiffening member provides a greater degree of stiffness to the face than the combined second stiffening members.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the second stiffening members are arranged in a radiating formation, wherein the stiffening members of the radiating formation radiate from a point spaced from the center of the face.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of third stiffening members arranged in a second radiating formation, wherein the third stiffening members radiate from a second point spaced from the center of the face.

6. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the second stiffening members comprise a plurality of substantially linear ribs radiating from the point.

7. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the second stiffening members comprise a plurality of wedge-shaped structures defining substantially linear troughs therebetween, the troughs radiating from the point.

8. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the second stiffening members are arranged to form a toothed structure comprising at least one row of indents extending across at least a portion of the inner surface.

9. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the second stiffening members are arranged in a grid formation across at least a portion of the inner surface.

10. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the first stiffening member and the second stiffening members are arranged in a radiating formation, wherein the second stiffening members of the radiating formation radiate from a point proximate a center of the first stiffening member.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, further comprising a disk-shaped stiffening member centered at the point.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face is formed by a cup-face structure having a wall extending rearward from the face at an edge of the face, and at least one of the first stiffening member and the second stiffening member extends to the edge of the face and has a component extending along the wall at the edge of the face.

13. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 1 and a shaft engaged with the head.

14. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof;

a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel; and

a stiffening member extending rearward from an inner surface of the face and extending across the inner surface of the face such that a central longitudinal axis of the stiffening member extends between a first point and a second point, the first point positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the face, and the second point is positioned toward a lower toe quadrant of the face with respect to the first point, the stiffening member providing locally increased stiffness to the face,

wherein the stiffening member has an overall width measured parallel to the face that is greater at the first point and the second point than an overall width at a center of the stiffening member.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the overall width of the stiffening member is measured substantially perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis.

16. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the stiffening member is defined on opposed sides by concave curvilinear edges tapering inward toward the center.

17. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the stiffening member is defined by two curvilinear ribs diverging proximate the first point and the second point and converging at the center.

18. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the stiffening member is substantially X-shaped.

19. The golf club head of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of additional stiffening members providing increased stiffness to additional areas of the face.

20. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 14 and a shaft engaged with the head.

21. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof;

a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel; and

a stiffening member extending rearward from an inner surface of the face and extending across the inner surface of the face such that a central longitudinal axis of the stiffening member extends between a first point and a second point, the first point positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the face, and the second point is positioned toward a lower toe quadrant of the face with respect to the second point, the first stiffening member providing locally increased stiffness to the face,

wherein the stiffening member provides areas of locally increased stiffness to the face proximate the first point and the second point that are larger than an area of locally increased stiffness provided proximate a center of the stiffening member.

22. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the stiffening member has a greater width at the first point and second point than the width at the center.

23. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the stiffening member is defined on opposed sides by concave curvilinear edges tapering inward toward the center.

24. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the stiffening member is defined by two curvilinear ribs diverging proximate the first point and the second point and converging at the center.

25. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the stiffening member is substantially X-shaped.

26. The golf club head of claim 21, further comprising a plurality of additional stiffening members providing increased stiffness to additional areas of the face.

27. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 21 and a shaft engaged with the head.

28. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof, the face having an upper heel quadrant, an upper toe quadrant, a lower heel quadrant, and a lower toe quadrant;

a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel;

a first stiffening member extending rearward from an inner surface of the face and providing locally increased stiffness to areas of the face, the first stiffening member extending across the inner surface of the face such that a majority of a surface area of the first stiffening member is located in the upper heel quadrant and the lower toe quadrant; and

a plurality of second stiffening members extending rearward from the inner surface of the face and providing locally increased stiffness to areas of the face.

29. The golf club head of claim 28, wherein the first and second stiffening members are integrally formed with the inner surface of the face.

30. The golf club head of claim 28, wherein the second stiffening members are arranged in two radiating formations, wherein the stiffening members of each radiating formation radiate from a respective point spaced from a center of the face, one point being located in the upper toe quadrant and another point being located in the lower heel quadrant.

31. The golf club head of claim 30, wherein the second stiffening members comprise a plurality of substantially linear ribs radiating from each point.

32. The golf club head of claim 30, wherein the second stiffening members comprise a plurality of wedge-shaped structures defining substantially linear troughs therebetween, the troughs radiating from one of the points.

33. The golf club head of claim 28, wherein the second stiffening members are arranged to form a toothed structure comprising at least one row of indents extending across at least a portion of the inner surface.

34. The golf club head of claim 28, wherein the second stiffening members are arranged in a grid formation across at least a portion of the inner surface.

35. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 28 and a shaft engaged with the head.

36. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof;

a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel; and

a stiffening member extending rearward from an inner surface of the face and extending across the inner surface of the face such that a central longitudinal axis of the stiffening member extends between a first point and a second point, wherein the stiffening member extends across a center of the face between the first point and the second point, wherein the first point is positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the face and the second point is positioned in the lower toe quadrant of the face substantially opposite the first point, the stiffening member providing locally increased stiffness to the face,

wherein the inner surface of the face has a first concave portion located on a first side of the stiffening member and a second concave portion located on a second side of the stiffening member, wherein the first and second concave portions each have a concave thickness profile, having a face thickness that is greatest proximate the first point and the second point and lowest proximate a midpoint between the first point and the second point.

37. The golf club head of claim 36, wherein the stiffening member has a convex thickness profile, having a face thickness that is lowest proximate the first point and the second point and greatest proximate the midpoint.

38. The golf club head of claim 37, wherein the stiffening member has a width measured parallel to the face that is greater at the first point and the second point than the width at the center of the face.

39. The golf club head of claim 36, wherein the stiffening member has a width measured parallel to the face that is greater at the first point and the second point than the width at the center of the face.

40. The golf club head of claim 36, wherein the stiffening member is defined on opposed sides by concave curvilinear edges extending inward toward the center of the face.

41. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 36 and a shaft engaged with the head.

42. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof;

a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel; and

a plurality of stiffening members extending rearward from an inner surface of the face and providing locally increased stiffness to the face, the stiffening members arranged to create at least two radiating formations, wherein the stiffening members of each radiating formation radiate from a central point spaced from a center point of the face.

43. The golf club head of claim 42, wherein the stiffening members are integrally formed with the inner surface of the face.

44. The golf club head of claim 42, wherein the stiffening members are arranged in a first radiating formation having a first central point and a second radiating formation having a second central point, the first central point positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the inner surface of the face, and the second central point positioned in a lower toe quadrant of the inner surface of the face.

45. The golf club head of claim 44, further comprising a primary stiffening member extending rearward from the inner surface of the face and providing locally increased stiffness to the face, the primary stiffening member located between the first central point and the second central point.

46. The golf club head of claim 42, wherein the stiffening members comprise a plurality of substantially linear ribs radiating from each central point.

47. The golf club head of claim 46, wherein the stiffening members comprise a plurality of wedge-shaped structures defining substantially linear troughs therebetween, the troughs radiating from each central point.

48. The golf club head of claim 42, wherein the stiffening members comprise a plurality of wedge-shaped structures defining substantially linear troughs therebetween, the troughs radiating from each central point.

49. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 42 and a shaft engaged with the head.

50. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof, the inner surface of the face having a toothed structure distributed across a majority thereof, the toothed structure comprising at least one row of indents extending across at least a portion of the inner surface; and

a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel.

51. The golf club head of claim 50, wherein the toothed structure is formed in a two-dimensional grid structure, having a plurality of rows and columns of indents extending across at least a portion of the inner surface.

52. The golf club head of claim 51, wherein the two-dimensional grid structure further comprises a plurality of substantially linear horizontal and vertical ribs separating the indents, the ribs being raised with respect to the indents.

53. The golf club head of claim 50, wherein each indent has an inverted-pyramidal shape.

54. The golf club head of claim 50, wherein the indents are separated by a plurality of ribs raised with respect to the indents.

55. The golf club head of claim 50, further comprising a stiffening member extending rearward from the inner surface of the face and providing locally increased stiffness to the face, the stiffening member extending across a center of the face.

56. The golf club head of claim 55, wherein the toothed structure is distributed across a first portion of the inner surface of the face on a first side of the stiffening member and across a second portion of the inner surface of the face on a second, opposed side of the stiffening member.

57. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof;

a body connected to the face; and

a stiffening member connected to an inner surface of the face at a first contact location and a second contact location, the stiffening member comprising a first leg connected to the face and extending substantially perpendicular to the face at the first contact location, a second leg connected to the face and extending substantially perpendicular to the face at the second contact location, and an arm extending between the first and second legs, the arm being spaced from the inner surface of the face,

wherein the stiffening member provides locally increased stiffness to the face such that areas of the face surrounding the first and second contact locations have locally greater stiffness relative to other areas of the face spaced from the contact locations.

58. The golf club head of claim 57, wherein the stiffening member is connected to the inner surface of the face by welding at the first and second contact locations.

59. The golf club head of claim 57, wherein the stiffening member further comprises a third leg connected to the inner surface of the face and extending substantially perpendicular to the face at a third contact location, wherein the arm extends between the first, second, and third contact locations.

60. The golf club head of claim 59, wherein the arm of the stiffening member comprises a plurality of arm segments connected to form a Y-shape.

61. The golf club head of claim 57, wherein the stiffening member extends diagonally across the inner surface of the face.

62. The golf club head of claim 57, wherein the body is adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel, wherein the first contact location is positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the face, and the second contact location is positioned toward a lower toe quadrant of the face with respect to the first contact location.

63. The golf club head of claim 57, wherein the body is adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel, wherein the first contact location is positioned in an upper toe quadrant of the face, and the second contact location is positioned toward a lower heel quadrant of the face with respect to the first contact location.

64. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 57 and a shaft engaged with the head.

65. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof;

a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel; and

an elongated stiffening member extending rearward from an inner surface of the face and extending across the inner surface of the face such that a central longitudinal axis of the stiffening member extends between a first point and a second point, the first point positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the face, and the second point is positioned toward the lower toe quadrant of the face with respect to the first point, the stiffening member providing locally increased stiffness to the face, wherein the stiffening member includes an annular ring surrounding an enclosed internal area, wherein the annular ring is thicker than the enclosed internal area.

66. The golf club head of claim 65, wherein the stiffening member further includes a sloped transition region extending between the annular ring and the enclosed internal area.

67. The golf club head of claim 65, wherein the stiffening member further includes a sloped transition region extending between the annular ring and an area external to the annular ring.

68. The golf club head of claim 67, wherein the enclosed internal area is thicker than the area external to the annular ring.

69. The golf club head of claim 65, wherein the annular ring is elliptical or oval shaped.

70. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 65 and a shaft engaged with the head.

71. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof;

a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel;

a first stiffening member extending rearward from an inner surface of the face and extending across the inner surface of the face from a first location to a second location, the first location positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the face, and the second location is positioned toward the lower toe quadrant of the face with respect to the first location, the first stiffening member providing locally increased stiffness to the face, and wherein the first stiffening member includes a curved surface that faces the heel; and

a second stiffening member extending rearward from the inner surface of the face and extending across the inner surface of the face from a third location to a fourth location, the third location positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the face, and wherein the second stiffening member includes a curved surface that faces the toe.

72. The golf club head of claim 71, wherein the curved surfaces of the first stiffening member and the second stiffening member face one another to define an internal area between the stiffening members.

73. The golf club head of claim 72, wherein the first stiffening member includes a first sloped transition region extending from a top surface of the first stiffening member to the internal area, and wherein the second stiffening member includes a second sloped transition region extending from a top surface of the second stiffening member to the internal area.

74. The golf club head of claim 73, wherein the first stiffening member further includes a third sloped transition region extending from the top surface of the first stiffening member to an area external to the first stiffening member and external to the internal area, and wherein the second stiffening member further includes a fourth sloped transition region extending from the top surface of the second stiffening member to an area external to the second stiffening member and external to the internal area.

75. The golf club head of claim 74, wherein the areas external to the first and second stiffening member and external to the internal area is thinner than the internal area.

76. The golf club head of claim 71, wherein the fourth location is positioned in the lower toe quadrant of the face.

77. The golf club head of claim 71, wherein the second stiffening member is a mirror image of the first stiffening member.

78. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 71 and a shaft engaged with the head.