Golf Club Heads with Energy Storage Characteristics

• US 20170319914A1
• Filed: 06/20/2017
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Jertson, Martin R., Morales, Eric J., Bacon, Cory S., Wang, Calvin, Chen, Xiaojian, Milleman, Travis D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,888,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads with energy storage characteristics are presented herein. In some embodiments, a golf club head comprises a hollow body comprising a strikeface, a heel region, a toe region opposite the heel region, a sole, a top rail and an inflection point. The inflection point provides increase bending of the strikeface thereby providing performance enhancement over clubs without an inflection point.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow body comprising;

a strikeface;

a heel region;

a toe region opposite the heel region;

a sole;

and

a rear comprising an upper region, a lower region, and an exterior cavity;

wherein;

the upper region comprises a top rail, a rear wall, a top wall, and a back wall, wherein the rear wall is located below an adjacent the top rail, the top wall is located below and adjacent the rear wall, and the back wall is located below and adjacent the top wall;

the lower region comprises a bottom incline and a lower exterior wall, wherein the lower exterior wall is located below and adjacent the bottom incline; and

the exterior cavity is located below the top rail and the rear wall, above the lower region of the rear, and is defined at least in part by the upper and lower regions;

wherein;

the exterior cavity comprises;

a first inflection point defining a junction between the top wall and the back wall;

a second inflection point defining a junction between the back wall and the bottom incline;

a third inflection point defining a junction between the bottom incline and a lower exterior wall;

a lower angle measured from between the bottom incline and the lower exterior wall, the lower angle is less than 180 degrees;

an inflection angle measured from top wall to back wall, the inflection angle can range from 70 degrees to 150 degrees;

a back cavity angle measured between the top and back walls of the exterior cavity;

and

at least one channel;

 

wherein the top wall is angled toward the strikeface and away from the top rail in a direction toward the first inflection point.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the back cavity angle is approximately 5 degrees to approximately 80 degrees.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the upper region of the rear further comprises;

a rear angle measured between the top wall of the cavity and the rear wall of the upper region of the rear.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein:

the rear angle is approximately 70 degrees to approximately 140 degrees.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the back wall of the exterior cavity comprises a thickness ranging from 0.028 inch to 0.039 inch.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the second inflection point is at least approximately 0.5 inch to approximately 1.5 inches below an apex of the top rail.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein:

the second inflection point is approximately 0.5 inches to approximately 2 inches above a lowest point of the sole.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one channel extends from the heel region to the toe region.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

a channel heel region width of the at least one channel is less than channel toe region width of the at least one channel.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

a channel toe region width of the at least one channel is less than a channel heel region width of the at least one channel.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the lower angle is approximately 70 degrees to approximately 130 degrees.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising:

a cascading sole;

wherein the cascading sole comprises an internal radius transition region from the strikeface to the sole;

and the internal transition region comprises;

a first tier comprising a first thickness;

a second tier comprising a second thickness different than the first thickness; and

a tier transition region between the first tier and the second tier.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the internal transition region further comprises a third tier.

2. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

16. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow body comprising;

a strikeface;

a heel region;

a toe region opposite the heel region;

a sole;

and

a rear comprising an upper region, a lower region, and an inflection point;

wherein;

the upper region comprises a top rail, an apex of the top rail, and a rear wall below and adjacent the top rail;

the lower region comprises a bottom incline, a lower exterior wall below and adjacent the bottom incline, and a reference point positioned at the junction between the bottom incline and the lower exterior wall;

the inflection point is disposed between the upper region and the lower region, located at the junction between the rear wall of the upper region and the bottom incline of the lower region;

wherein;

the bottom incline is below and adjacent to the inflection point, and the lower exterior wall is below and adjacent to the bottom incline; and

the rear wall of the upper region is substantially parallel with the strikeface;

the bottom incline is angled away from the top rail and away from the strikeface in a direction toward the reference point;

the inflection point is located nearer to the sole of the club head than the top rail;

a height measured from the apex of the top rail to the inflection point, wherein the height ranges from 0.60 inch to 1.0 inch.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the hollow body comprises an internal cavity having a volume between 0.65 inch³ to 1.05 inch³.

18. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the height between the apex of the top rail and the inflection point is 40-70% of the total height of the club head.

19. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein a thickness of the top rail ranges from 0.04 inch to 0.08 inch.

20. The golf club head of claim 17 wherein the internal cavity further comprises a polymer that fills the internal cavity between 10-80%.

21. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the inflection point comprises an inflection angle measured from the rear wall to the bottom incline, ranging from 95 degrees to 150 degrees.

22. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the inflection point comprises a thickness ranging from 0.04 inch to 0.08 inch.