METHOD OF MEASURING AND MAPPING A PERFORMANCE VARIABLE OF A FACE OF A GOLF CLUB HEAD

• US 20200129824A1
• Filed: 12/30/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Blevins, Scott T., Fox, Michael, Honea, Justin
• Granted Patent: US 11,179,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/08 with special arrangements for obtaining a variable impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures

Abstract

A method of measuring and recording at least one performance variable of a golf club head.

Claims

1. A method of mapping a plurality of performance variables of a face of a golf club head comprising the steps of:

A) identifying a face center on the face of the golf club head;

B) identifying a curvature profile of at least a portion of the face of the golf club head and storing the curvature profile in the computer system;

C) creating a face coordinate grid including at least a first face point located on a face toe portion, a second face point located on a face heel portion, and storing the coordinates of the first face point and the second face point in the computer system;

D) positioning at least one of the golf club head and a measurement instrument to align a measurement instrument with the face center, wherein the positioning ensures the measurement instrument alignment is approximately perpendicular to the face center;

E) releasing the measurement instrument via the computer system to cause the measurement instrument to impact the face, determining a center face CT, and storing the center face CT in the computer system;

F) positioning and adjusting the orientation of at least one of the golf club head and the measurement instrument via the positioning system controlled by the computer system to align the measurement instrument with the coordinates of the first face point and position the measurement instrument to be approximately perpendicular to the first face point;

G) releasing the measurement instrument via the computer system to cause the measurement instrument to impact the face, determining a first CT, and storing the first CT in the computer system;

H) positioning and adjusting the orientation of at least one of the golf club head and the measurement instrument via the positioning system controlled by the computer system to align the measurement instrument with the coordinates of the second face point and position the measurement instrument to be approximately perpendicular to the second face point; and

I) releasing the measurement instrument via the computer system to cause the measurement instrument to impact the face, determining a second CT, and storing the second CT in the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the curvature profile of at least a portion of the face includes a step of imaging the face with an imaging system in communication with the computer system and storing a plurality of face image data in the computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the curvature profile of at least a portion of the face includes the step of retrieving a plurality of face profile data from a predefined face profile file stored in the computer system.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the step of imaging a portion of the golf club head to identify a permanent club identifier on the golf club head, and storing the permanent club identifier in the computer system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of positioning and adjusting the orientation of at least one of the golf club head and the measurement instrument via the computer system to align the measurement instrument with the coordinates of the first face point, includes a step of adjusting the orientation of the face of the golf club head relative to the measurement instrument via the computer system so the measurement instrument is measuring the first CT approximately perpendicular to the first face point.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of relatively positioning and adjusting the orientation of at least one of the golf club head and the measurement instrument via the computer system to align the measurement instrument with the coordinates of the second face point, includes a step of adjusting the orientation of the face of the golf club head relative to the measurement instrument via the computer system so the measurement instrument is measuring the second CT approximately perpendicular to the second face point.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system includes an inventory management system containing the center face CT, the first CT, and the second CT for each of a plurality of golf club heads.

8. The method of claim 7, further including a step of electronically sorting the plurality of golf club heads in the inventory management system based upon at least one of the center face CT, the first CT, and the second CT.

9. The method of claim 7, further including a step of searching the plurality of golf club heads in the inventory management system based upon at least one of the center face CT, the first CT, and the second CT.

10. The method of claim 7, further including the step of imaging a portion of the golf club head to identify a permanent club identifier on each of the plurality of golf club heads, and storing the permanent club identifiers in the computer system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating the face coordinate grid includes at least one measurement point for each square inch of the face, and the method further includes positioning and adjusting the orientation of at least one of the golf club head and the measurement instrument via the computer system to align the measurement instrument with the coordinates of majority of the measurement points, and releasing the measurement instrument via the computer system to determine a measurement point CT for majority of the measurement points and storing the measurement point CT values in the computer system.

12. A method of measuring and recording at least one performance variable of a face of a golf club head comprising the steps of:

A) identifying a face center on the face of the golf club head;

B) positioning and adjusting the orientation of at least one of the golf club head and a measurement instrument to align a measurement instrument to be approximately perpendicular with the face center;

C) activating the measurement instrument to determine a center face CT and storing the center face CT in an inventory management system;

D) identifying a first face point and storing the coordinates of the first face point in a computer system;

E) positioning and adjusting the orientation of at least one of the golf club head and the measurement instrument via a positioning system controlled by the computer system to align the measurement instrument to be approximately perpendicular with the first face point;

F) activating the measurement instrument via the computer system to determine a first CT and storing the first CT in the inventory management system;

G) assigning a unique club identifier to the golf club head in the inventory management system;

H) associating and storing the unique club identifier with the measured center face CT and first CT in the inventory management system; and

I) repeating steps A through H for a plurality of golf club heads.

13. The method of claim 12, further including the step of accessing the inventory management system via an electronic ordering system, wherein the electronic ordering system allows a user to view at least two of the plurality of golf club heads in inventory along with the associated center face CT.

14. The method of claim 13, further including the step of sorting multiple golf club heads with the electronic ordering system based upon the center face CT.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the electronic ordering system further includes the step of assigning a price to multiple golf club heads based in part upon the associated center face CT.

16. The method of claim 12, further including the step of identifying a curvature profile of at least a portion of the face for multiple golf club heads and storing the curvature profiles in the computer system, wherein the computer system utilizes the face curvature profiles to position and adjust the orientation of at least one of the golf club head and the measurement instrument so the measurement instrument alignment is approximately perpendicular to the first face point.

17. The method of claim 12, further including the following steps for each of the plurality of golf club heads:

A) identifying a second face point, and storing the coordinates of the second face point in the computer system;

B) positioning and adjusting the orientation of at least one of the golf club head and the measurement instrument via the positioning system controlled by the computer system to align the measurement instrument to be approximately perpendicular with the second face point;

C) activating the measurement instrument via the computer system to determine a second CT and storing the second CT in the inventory management system; and

D) associating and storing the permanent club identifier with the measured second CT in the inventory management system.

18. The method of claim 17, further including the following steps for each of the plurality of golf club heads:

A) identifying at least three additional face points, and storing the coordinates of the three additional face points in the computer system;

B) positioning and adjusting the orientation of at least one of the golf club head and the measurement instrument via the positioning system controlled by the computer system to align the measurement instrument to be approximately perpendicular with each of the three additional face points;

C) activating the measurement instrument via the computer system to determine a CT for each of the three additional face points and storing the CT values in the inventory management system; and

D) associating and storing the permanent club identifier with the measured three additional CT values in the inventory management system.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of identifying the curvature profile of at least a portion of the face includes a step of imaging the face with an imaging system in communication with the computer system and storing a plurality of face image data in the computer system.

20. The method of claim 12, further including the step of imaging a portion of the golf club head to identify a permanent club identifier on the golf club head, and storing the permanent club identifier in the computer system.