IRON TYPE GOLF CLUB HEAD AND SET

• US 20140274442A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Honea, Justin, Kendall, John, Neeley, Matthew Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,802,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/291
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

An iron-type golf club head having a sole channel extending from an exterior of a sole portion toward a face. The sole channel has an axis that intersects the face at an axis-to-face intersection point for at least one position along a channel length, and preferably at least 25% of the channel length. The elevation of the intersection point may below the Ycg distance and the axis defines an angle from the vertical that may be related to the loft. The iron-type golf club head may be incorporated in a set containing club heads with varying degrees of unsupported face area.

Claims

1. An iron-type golf club head, comprising:

A) a heel portion, a toe portion, a top line portion, a sole portion, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a face oriented at a loft, and a hosel having a bore and a bore center that defines a shaft axis intersecting a horizontal ground plane to define an origin point;

B) wherein the iron-type golf club head includes a sole channel extending from the exterior of the sole portion toward the face, wherein the sole channel has a channel leading edge, a channel trailing edge, a channel width, a channel length, a channel depth, a channel leading edge setback, and a channel axis establishing a channel angle from the vertical;

C) wherein the channel axis intersects the face at an axis-to-face intersection point for at least one position along the channel length; and

D) wherein the iron-type golf club head has a center of gravity located;

(i) vertically toward the top line portion from the origin point a distance Ycg;

(ii) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe portion a distance Xcg;

(iii) a distance Zcg from the origin toward the trailing edge in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure the Ycg distance and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure the Xcg distance.

2. The iron-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the axis-to-face intersection point is at an elevation above the horizontal ground plane that is less than the distance Ycg.

3. The iron-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the axis-to-face intersection point is at an elevation above the horizontal ground plane that is less than 60% of the distance Ycg.

4. The iron-type golf club head of claim 2, wherein the channel angle is at least 20% of the loft.

5. The iron-type golf club head of claim 4, wherein the channel length is greater than the Xcg distance, and the channel angle is at least 20% of the loft throughout at least 25% of the channel length.

6. The iron-type golf club head of claim 2, wherein the channel angle is at least 50% of the loft.

7. The iron-type golf club head of claim 6, wherein the channel length is greater than the Xcg distance, and the channel angle is at least 50% of the loft throughout at least 50% of the channel length.

8. The iron-type golf club head of claim 2, wherein the channel length is greater than the Xcg distance, and the channel angle is at least 50% of the loft, and less than 150% of the loft, throughout at least 25% of the channel length.

9. The iron-type golf club head of claim 2, wherein the channel length is greater than the Xcg distance, and the channel angle is at least 75% of the loft, and less than 125% of the loft, throughout at least 25% of the channel length.

10. The iron-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the sole channel extends through the body sole portion and creates a passageway from the exterior of the body sole portion to a termination opening that is open to a void behind the face.

11. The iron-type golf club head of claim 10, wherein at least 50% of the channel length extends through the body sole portion and creates the passageway.

12. A set of iron-type golf club heads, comprising:

A) a first iron-type golf club head having a first loft of 30 degrees or less, a first heel portion, a first toe portion, a first top line portion, a first sole portion, a first leading edge, and a first trailing edge, wherein the first iron-type golf club head includes;

i) a first body formed of a first body material and having a first hosel, a first face opening, and a first face support ledge, wherein;

(a) the first face support ledge has a first support ledge width separating a first support ledge inner perimeter from a first support ledge outer perimeter, and a first support ledge setback; and

(b) the first hosel has a first bore and a first bore center that defines a first shaft axis which intersects with a horizontal ground plane to define a first origin point;

ii) a first face formed of a first face material that is different from the first body material and configured to be rigidly supported by the first body face opening having a first face perimeter, a first face thickness, a first face striking surface, and a first face rear surface, wherein;

(a) a portion of the first face rear surface contacts the first face support ledge thereby defining a first supported face portion having a first supported face area; and

(b) a portion of the first face rear surface does not contact the first face support ledge thereby defining a first unsupported face portion having a first unsupported face area, wherein the sum of the first supported face area and the first unsupported face area is a first total face area;

iii) wherein the first iron-type golf club head has a first center of gravity located;

(a) vertically toward the first top line portion of the first iron-type golf club head from the first origin point a first distance Ycg;

(b) horizontally from the first origin point toward the first toe portion of the first iron-type golf club head a first distance Xcg;

(c) a first distance Zcg from the first origin toward the first trailing edge in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure the first Ycg distance and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure the first Xcg distance; and

(d) wherein the first iron-type golf club head has a first opening/closing moment of inertia about a first vertical axis through the first center of gravity;

B) a second iron-type golf club head having a second loft of at least 31 degrees, a second heel portion, a second toe portion, a second top line portion, a second sole portion, a second leading edge, and a second trailing edge, wherein the second iron-type golf club head includes;

i) a second body formed of a second body material and having a second hosel, a second face opening, and a second face support ledge, wherein;

(a) the second face support ledge has a second support ledge width separating a second support ledge inner perimeter from a second support ledge outer perimeter, and a second support ledge setback; and

(b) the second hosel has a second bore and a second bore center that defines a second shaft axis which intersects with the horizontal ground plane to define a second origin point;

ii) a second face formed of a second face material that is different from the second body material and configured to be rigidly supported by the second body face opening having a second face perimeter, a second face thickness, a second face striking surface, and a second face rear surface, wherein;

(a) a portion of the second face rear surface contacts the second face support ledge thereby defining a second supported face portion having a second supported face area; and

(b) a portion of the second face rear surface does not contact the second face support ledge thereby defining a second unsupported face portion having a second unsupported face area, wherein the sum of the second supported face area and the second unsupported face area is a second total face area;

iii) wherein the second iron-type golf club head has a second center of gravity located;

(a) vertically toward the second top line portion of the second iron-type golf club head from the second origin point a second distance Ycg;

(b) horizontally from the second origin point toward the second toe portion of the second iron-type golf club head a second distance Xcg;

(c) a second distance Zcg from the second origin toward the second trailing edge in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure the second Ycg distance and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure the second Xcg distance; and

(d) wherein the second iron-type golf club head has a second opening/closing moment of inertia about a second vertical axis through the second center of gravity; and

C) wherein the first unsupported face area is at least 70% of the first total face area, and the second unsupported face area is between approximate 20% and approximately 50% of the second total face area.

13. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 12, wherein the second opening/closing moment of inertia is within 20% of the first opening/closing moment of inertia, and the second distance Ycg is within 10% of the first distance Ycg.

14. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 12, wherein the first unsupported face area is at least 80% of the first total face area, and the second unsupported face area is less than 40% of the second total face area.

15. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 12, wherein the second face support ledge includes at least a second top line support ledge having a second top line ledge width, wherein within 1.0 inches horizontally from the second face center toward the second toe portion to 1.0 inches horizontally from the second face center toward the second heel portion, the second top line ledge width varies from a minimum second top line ledge width to a maximum second top line ledge width, and the maximum second top line ledge width is at least twice the minimum second top line ledge width.

16. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 12, wherein the second face support ledge includes at least a second sole support ledge having a second sole ledge width, wherein within 1.0 inches horizontally from the second face center toward the second toe portion to 1.0 inches horizontally from the second face center toward the second heel portion, the second sole ledge width varies from a minimum second sole ledge width to a maximum second sole ledge width, and the maximum second sole ledge width is at least twice the minimum second sole ledge width.

17. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 12, wherein an unsupported face portion centroid of the second unsupported face area is at an elevation above the horizontal ground plane that is less than the second distance Ycg.

18. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 12, wherein:

A) the first body includes a first body sole portion having a first sole channel extending from the exterior of the first body sole portion toward the first face, wherein the first sole channel has a first channel leading edge, a first channel trailing edge, a first channel width, a first channel length, a first channel depth, a first channel leading edge setback, and a first channel axis establishing a first channel angle from the vertical; and

B) the second body includes a second body sole portion having a second sole channel extending from the exterior of the second body sole portion toward the second face, wherein the second sole channel has a second channel leading edge, a second channel trailing edge, a second channel width, a second channel length, a second channel depth, a second channel leading edge setback, and a second channel axis establishing a second channel angle from the vertical;

19. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 18, wherein a portion of the first sole channel has the first channel axis intersecting the first face and the first channel angle is at least 20% of the first loft.

20. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 19, wherein a portion of the first sole channel has the first channel axis intersecting the first unsupported face portion and the first channel angle is at least 20% of the first loft.

21. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 20, wherein a portion of the first sole channel extends through the first body sole portion creating a first passageway from the exterior of the first body sole portion to a first termination opening behind the first unsupported face portion.

22. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 21, wherein at least 50% of the first channel length extends through the first body sole portion creating a first passageway from the exterior of the first body sole portion to a first termination opening behind the first unsupported face portion.

23. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 18, wherein a portion of the second sole channel has the second channel axis intersecting the second face and the second channel angle is at least 20% of the second loft.

24. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 23, wherein a portion of the second sole channel has the second channel axis intersecting the second unsupported face portion and the second channel angle is at least 20% of the second loft.

25. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 24, wherein a portion of the second sole channel extends through the second body sole portion creating a second passageway from the exterior of the second body sole portion to a second termination opening behind the second unsupported face portion.

26. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 25, wherein at least 50% of the second channel length extends through the second body sole portion creating a second passageway from the exterior of the second body sole portion to a second termination opening behind the second unsupported face portion.

27. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 18, wherein a portion of the first sole channel has the first channel axis intersecting the first face and the first channel angle is at least 20% of the first loft, and a portion of the second sole channel has the second channel axis intersecting the second face and the second channel angle is at least 20% of the second loft.

28. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 18, wherein a portion of the first sole channel has the first channel axis intersecting the first face and the first channel angle is at least 50% of the first loft.

29. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 18, wherein a portion of the second sole channel has the second channel axis intersecting the second face and the second channel angle is at least 50% of the second loft.

30. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 18, wherein a portion of the first sole channel has the first channel axis intersecting the first face and the first channel angle that is at least 50% of the first loft.

31. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 13, wherein the first loft is 27 degrees or less, and the second loft of at least 40 degrees.

32. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 31, further including a third iron-type golf club head having a third loft of 27-40 degrees, a third heel portion, a third toe portion, a third top line portion, a third sole portion, a third leading edge, and a third trailing edge, wherein the third iron-type golf club head includes:

i) a third body formed of a third body material and having a third hosel, a third face opening, and a third face support ledge, wherein;

(a) the third face support ledge has a third support ledge width separating a third support ledge inner perimeter from a third support ledge outer perimeter, and a third support ledge setback; and

(b) the third hosel has a third bore and a third bore center that defines a third shaft axis which intersects with the horizontal ground plane to define a third origin point;

ii) a third face formed of a third face material that is different from the third body material and configured to be received within the third body face opening having a third face perimeter, a third face thickness, a third face striking surface, and a third face rear surface, wherein;

(a) a portion of the third face rear surface contacts the third face support ledge thereby defining a third supported face portion having a third supported face area; and

(b) a portion of the third face rear surface does not contact the third face support ledge thereby defining a third unsupported face portion having a third unsupported face area, wherein the sum of the third supported face area and the third unsupported face area is a third total face area, wherein the third unsupported face area is less than the first unsupported face area, and the third unsupported face area is greater than the second unsupported face area;

iii) wherein the third iron-type golf club head has a third center of gravity located;

(a) vertically toward the third top line portion of the third iron-type golf club head from the third origin point a third distance Ycg, wherein the third distance Ycg is within 5% of the first distance Ycg;

(b) horizontally from the third origin point toward the third toe portion of the third iron-type golf club head a third distance Xcg;

(c) a third distance Zcg from the third origin toward the third trailing edge in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure the third Ycg distance and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure the third Xcg distance; and

(d) wherein the third iron-type golf club head has a third opening/closing moment of inertia about a third vertical axis through the second center of gravity, wherein the third opening/closing moment of inertia is within 15% of the first opening/closing moment of inertia.

33. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 32, wherein the first unsupported face area is at least 80% of the first total face area, the second unsupported face area is less than 40% of the second total face area, and the third unsupported face area is between approximate 20% and approximately 50% of the third total face area.

34. The set of iron-type golf club heads of claim 12, wherein an unsupported face portion centroid of the second unsupported face area is at an elevation above the horizontal ground plane that is less than the second distance Ycg, and wherein an unsupported face portion centroid of the first unsupported face area is at an elevation above the horizontal ground plane that is greater than the first distance Ycg.