GOLF CLUB ASSEMBLY AND GOLF CLUB WITH AERODYNAMIC FEATURES

• US 20100292020A1
• Filed: 05/13/2009
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Tavares, Gary G., Boyd, Robert, Stites, John Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,162,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/282
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole 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 60/006 Surfaces specially adapted for reducing air resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head includes a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a skirt extending between the crown and the sole and between the toe and the heel. The club head includes a drag-reducing structure that may include one or both of a continuous groove extending from a front portion to a rear edge of the toe, and along an entire length of the skirt, and a substantially V-shaped recess formed in the sole and having a vertex positioned proximate the ball striking face and the heel and away from the skirt and the toe, and a pair of legs extending to a point proximate the toe and away from the ball striking face, and curving toward the skirt and away from the ball striking face.

Claims

2-1. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the continuous groove is substantially U-shaped.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a skirt extending between the crown and the sole and between the toe and the heel;

a substantially V-shaped recess formed in the sole and having a vertex positioned proximate the ball striking face and the heel and away from the skirt and the toe, and a pair of legs extending to a point proximate the toe and away from the ball striking face, and curving toward the skirt and away from the ball striking face.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the continuous groove has a maximum depth of approximately 15 mm.

13. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the continuous groove extends from the front portion of the toe surface along a portion of the sole surface.

14. The golf club head of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of secondary recesses formed in a bottom surface of the substantially V-shaped recess.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein each secondary recess has a regular trapezoid shape, with a smaller base positioned toward the heel surface and a larger base positioned toward the toe surface.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein each secondary recess has a depth that varies from a maximum depth at the smaller base to the larger base, the larger base being flush with the sole surface.

17. A golf club assembly comprising:

a shaft; and

a club head secured to a first end of the shaft and comprising;

a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a skirt extending between the crown and the sole and between the toe and the heel; and

a substantially V-shaped recess formed in the sole and having a vertex positioned proximate the ball striking face and the heel and away from the skirt and the toe, and a pair of legs extending to a point proximate the toe and away from the ball striking face, and curving toward the skirt and away from the ball striking face.

18. A golf club assembly comprising:

a shaft; and

a club head secured to a first end of the shaft and comprising;

a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a skirt extending between the crown and the sole and between the toe and the heel; and

a continuous groove extending from a front portion to a rear edge of the toe, and along an entire length of the skirt.

19. The golf club assembly of claim 18, wherein the continuous groove is substantially U-shaped.

20. The golf club assembly of claim 18, wherein the continuous groove has a maximum depth of approximately 15 mm.

21. The golf club assembly of claim 18, wherein the continuous groove extends from the front portion of the toe along a portion of the sole.

22. The golf club assembly of claim 18, wherein the body member is a square head member.

23. The golf club assembly of claim 18, wherein the body member is a round head member.

24. The golf club assembly of claim 18, further comprising a substantially V-shaped recess formed in the sole and having a vertex positioned proximate the ball striking face and the heel and away from the skirt and the toe, and a pair of legs extending to a point proximate the toe and away from the ball striking face, and curving toward the skirt and away from the ball striking face.

25. The golf club assembly of claim 24, further comprising a plurality of secondary recesses formed in a bottom surface of the substantially V-shaped recess.

26. The golf club assembly of claim 25, wherein each secondary recess has a regular trapezoid shape, with a smaller base positioned toward the heel surface and a larger base positioned toward the toe.

27. The golf club assembly of claim 26, wherein each secondary recess has a depth that varies from a maximum depth at the smaller base to the larger base, the larger base being flush with a surface of the sole.