HOLLOW GOLF CLUB HEAD HAVING CROWN STRESS REDUCING FEATURE
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A hollow golf club comprising:
- (A) a shaft (200) having a proximal end (210) and a distal end (220);
(B) a grip (300) attached to the shaft proximal end (210); and
(C) a golf club head (400) having(i) a face (500) positioned at a front portion (402) of the golf club head (400) where the golf club head (400) impacts a golf ball, wherein the face (500) has a loft of at least 12 degrees and no more than 30 degrees, and wherein the face (400) includes an engineered impact point (EIP), a top edge height (TEH), and a lower edge height (LEH);
(ii) a sole (700) positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head (400);
(iii) a crown (600) positioned at a top portion of the golf club head (400);
(iv) a skirt (800) positioned around a portion of a periphery of the golf club head (400) between the sole (700) and the crown (600), wherein the face (500), sole (700), crown (600), and skirt (800) define an outer shell that further defines a head volume that is less than 300 cubic centimeters, and wherein the golf club head (400) has a rear portion (404) opposite the face (500);
(v) a bore having a center that defines a shaft axis (SA) which intersects with a horizontal ground plane (GP) to define an origin point, wherein the bore is located at a heel side (406) of the golf club head (400) and receives the shaft distal end (220) for attachment to the golf club head (400), and wherein a toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) is located opposite of the heel side (406);
(vi) a club head (400) mass of less than 270 grams;
(vii) a center of gravity (CG) located;
(a) vertically toward the crown (600) of the golf club head (400) from the origin point a distance Ycg;
(b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) a distance Xcg that is generally parallel to the face (500) and the ground plane (GP); and
(c) a distance Zcg from the origin toward the rear portion (404) in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg;
(viii) the engineered impact point (EIP) located;
(a) vertically toward the crown (600) of the golf club head (400) from the origin point a distance Yeip, wherein 0.5″
>
(Yeip−
Ycg)>
−
0.5″
;
(b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) a distance Xeip that is generally parallel to the face (500) and the ground plane (GP), wherein 0.5″
>
(Xeip−
Xcg)>
−
0.5″
; and
(c) a distance Zeip from the origin toward the face (500) in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg, wherein (Zeip+Zcg)<
2.0″
;
(ix) a stress reducing feature (1000) including a crown located SRF (1100) located on the crown (600), wherein;
(a) the crown located SRF (1100) has a CSRF length (1110) between a CSRF toe-most point (1112) and a CSRF heel-most point (1116), a CSRF leading edge (1120) having a CSRF leading edge offset (1122), a CSRF width (1140), and a CSRF depth (1150);
wherein(b) the minimum CSRF leading edge offset (1122) is less than the difference between the maximum top edge height (TEH) and the minimum lower edge height (LEH);
(c) the maximum CSRF width (1140) is at least five percent of the difference between the maximum top edge height (TEH) and the minimum lower edge height (LEH), and the minimum CSRF width (1140) is at least ten percent of the Zcg distance; and
(d) the CSRF depth (1150) is at least ten percent of the Ycg distance.
15 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hollow golf club incorporating a stress reducing feature including a crown located stress reducing feature located on the crown of the club head. The location and size of the crown stress reducing feature, and their relationship to one another and other club head engineering variables, play a significant role in reducing the peak stress seen on the golf club'"'"'s face during an impact with a golf ball, as well as selectively increasing deflection of the face.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A hollow golf club comprising:
-
(A) a shaft (200) having a proximal end (210) and a distal end (220); (B) a grip (300) attached to the shaft proximal end (210); and (C) a golf club head (400) having (i) a face (500) positioned at a front portion (402) of the golf club head (400) where the golf club head (400) impacts a golf ball, wherein the face (500) has a loft of at least 12 degrees and no more than 30 degrees, and wherein the face (400) includes an engineered impact point (EIP), a top edge height (TEH), and a lower edge height (LEH); (ii) a sole (700) positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head (400); (iii) a crown (600) positioned at a top portion of the golf club head (400); (iv) a skirt (800) positioned around a portion of a periphery of the golf club head (400) between the sole (700) and the crown (600), wherein the face (500), sole (700), crown (600), and skirt (800) define an outer shell that further defines a head volume that is less than 300 cubic centimeters, and wherein the golf club head (400) has a rear portion (404) opposite the face (500); (v) a bore having a center that defines a shaft axis (SA) which intersects with a horizontal ground plane (GP) to define an origin point, wherein the bore is located at a heel side (406) of the golf club head (400) and receives the shaft distal end (220) for attachment to the golf club head (400), and wherein a toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) is located opposite of the heel side (406); (vi) a club head (400) mass of less than 270 grams; (vii) a center of gravity (CG) located; (a) vertically toward the crown (600) of the golf club head (400) from the origin point a distance Ycg; (b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) a distance Xcg that is generally parallel to the face (500) and the ground plane (GP); and (c) a distance Zcg from the origin toward the rear portion (404) in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg; (viii) the engineered impact point (EIP) located; (a) vertically toward the crown (600) of the golf club head (400) from the origin point a distance Yeip, wherein 0.5″
>
(Yeip−
Ycg)>
−
0.5″
;(b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) a distance Xeip that is generally parallel to the face (500) and the ground plane (GP), wherein 0.5″
>
(Xeip−
Xcg)>
−
0.5″
; and(c) a distance Zeip from the origin toward the face (500) in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg, wherein (Zeip+Zcg)<
2.0″
;(ix) a stress reducing feature (1000) including a crown located SRF (1100) located on the crown (600), wherein; (a) the crown located SRF (1100) has a CSRF length (1110) between a CSRF toe-most point (1112) and a CSRF heel-most point (1116), a CSRF leading edge (1120) having a CSRF leading edge offset (1122), a CSRF width (1140), and a CSRF depth (1150);
wherein(b) the minimum CSRF leading edge offset (1122) is less than the difference between the maximum top edge height (TEH) and the minimum lower edge height (LEH); (c) the maximum CSRF width (1140) is at least five percent of the difference between the maximum top edge height (TEH) and the minimum lower edge height (LEH), and the minimum CSRF width (1140) is at least ten percent of the Zcg distance; and (d) the CSRF depth (1150) is at least ten percent of the Ycg distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A hollow golf club comprising:
-
(A) a shaft (200) having a proximal end (210) and a distal end (220); (B) a grip (300) attached to the shaft proximal end (210); and (C) a golf club head (400) having; (i) a face (500) positioned at a front portion (402) of the golf club head (400) where the golf club head (400) impacts a golf ball, wherein the face (500) has a loft of at least 12 degrees and no more than 30 degrees, and wherein the face (400) includes an engineered impact point (EIP) and a top edge height (TEH); (ii) a sole (700) positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head (400); (iii) a crown (600) positioned at a top portion of the golf club head (400); (iv) a skirt (800) positioned around a portion of a periphery of the golf club head (400) between the sole (700) and the crown (600), wherein the face (500), sole (700), crown (600), and skirt (800) define an outer shell that further defines a head volume that is less than 300 cubic centimeters, and wherein the golf club head (400) has a rear portion (404) opposite the face (500); (v) a bore having a center that defines a shaft axis (SA) which intersects with a horizontal ground plane (GP) to define an origin point, wherein the bore is located at a heel side (406) of the golf club head (400) and receives the shaft distal end (220) for attachment to the golf club head (400), and wherein a toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) is located opposite of the heel side (406); (vi) a club head (400) mass of less than 270 grams; (vii) a center of gravity (CG) located; (a) vertically toward the crown (600) of the golf club head (400) from the origin point a distance Ycg; (b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) a distance Xcg that is generally parallel to the face (500) and the ground plane (GP); and (c) a distance Zcg from the origin toward the rear portion (404) in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg; (viii) a club moment arm (CMA) from the CG to the engineered impact point (EIP) of less than 1.3 inches; and (ix) a stress reducing feature (1000) including a crown located SRF (1100) located on the crown (600), wherein the crown located SRF (1100) has a CSRF length (1110) between a CSRF toe-most point (1112) and a CSRF heel-most point (1116), a CSRF leading edge (1120), a CSRF leading edge offset (1122), a CSRF width (1140), and a CSRF depth (1150), wherein; (a) the minimum CSRF leading edge offset (1122) is less than the difference between the maximum top edge height (TEH) and the minimum lower edge height (LEH); (b) the maximum CSRF leading edge offset (1122) less than seventy-five percent of the difference between the maximum top edge height (TEH) and the minimum lower edge height (LEH); (c) the maximum CSRF width (1140) is at least twenty percent of the difference between the maximum top edge height (TEH) and the minimum lower edge height (LEH); and (d) the maximum CSRF depth (1150) is at least ten percent of the Ycg distance. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification