GOLF CLUB ASSEMBLY AND GOLF CLUB WITH AERODYNAMIC FEATURES

• US 20120178548A1
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Published: 07/12/2012
• 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 8,398,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/324
• 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

1. 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; and

a continuous groove extending along substantially an entire length of the skirt,

wherein the continuous groove further extends from a front portion to a rear edge of the toe, and

wherein the continuous groove extends from the front portion of the toe onto the sole.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the portion of the continuous groove located on the sole extends substantially parallel to the ball striking face.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the portion of the continuous groove located on the sole extends substantially perpendicular to the portion of the continuous groove extending from the front portion to the rear edge of the toe.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the continuous groove converges to a tapered end in a rear portion of the heel.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the continuous groove has a maximum depth of approximately 15 mm.

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

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the continuous groove is located between a crown edge and a sole edge, and wherein, along the length of the rear skirt, the crown edge extends rearwardly beyond the sole edge.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the continuous groove is located between a crown edge and a sole edge, and wherein, from the front portion to the rear edge of the toe, the crown edge extends beyond the sole edge.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body member is a square head member.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body member is a round head member.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a recess formed in a surface of the sole, the recess extending from a first base to a second based, the first base positioned closer to the heel than the second base and having a length smaller than a length of the second base.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the recess has diverging sides extending from the first base to the second base.

13. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the recess extends across a majority of the sole from the heel to the toe.

14. A golf club head comprising:

a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole; and

at least one recess formed in a surface of the sole, the recess extending from a first base toward a second base, the first base positioned closer to the heel than the second base and having a length smaller than a length of the second base, the recess having diverging sides joining the first base to the second base.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the length of first base of the recess generally extends in a front-to-rear direction of the club head.

16. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the length of second base of the recess generally extends in a front-to-rear direction of the club head.

17. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the diverging sides of the recess have approximately the same length.

18. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein one of the diverging sides of the recess extends approximately parallel to the bail striking face.

19. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein a majority of the recess is located in a forward half of the golf club head.

20. 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 along substantially an entire length of the skirt,

wherein the continuous groove further extends from a front portion to a rear edge of the toe, and

wherein the continuous groove extends from the front portion of the toe onto the sole.