Golf club head having improved grooves

• US 7,156,751 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2004
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Wahl, Bret H., Anderson, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US10/964,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20050085315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/330, 473/331, 473/350, 473290-292, D21750-751, D21/759
• US Class Current: 473/331
• 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 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head striking face is provided, including a plurality of grooves, wherein at least one groove has a first and second side. Each side includes a bottom, a lower section, and an upper section. The lower section is substantially planar and disposed between the bottom and the striking face. The upper section is substantially planar and disposed between the lower section and the striking face. A first draft angle is measured between the upper sections of the first and second sides, and a second draft angle is measured between the lower sections and the first and second sides, wherein the first draft angle is greater than the second draft angle. In addition, the distance between the first and second sides continuously increases from the bottom to the striking face.

Claims

1. A golf club head striking face having a plurality of grooves formed therein, at least one groove having first and second sides, each side comprising:

a bottom;

a lower section disposed between the bottom and the striking face, wherein the lower section is substantially planar; and

an upper section disposed between the lower section and the striking face, wherein the upper section is substantially planar;

wherein a first draft angle measured between the upper sections of the first and second sides is greater than a second draft angle measured between the lower sections of the first and second sides, and wherein a distance measured between the first and second sides continuously increases from the bottom to the striking face.

2. The golf club head striking face of claim 1, further comprising a middle juncture disposed between the upper section and the lower section, wherein the middle juncture is curved.

3. The golf club head striking face of claim 2, wherein the middle juncture is concave.

4. The golf club head striking face of claim 2, wherein the middle juncture is defined by a radius of curvature between about 0.06 mm and about 0.25 mm.

5. The golf club head striking face of claim 1, further comprising a bottom juncture disposed between the lower section and the bottom, wherein the bottom juncture is curved.

6. The golf club head striking face of claim 5, wherein the bottom juncture is concave.

7. The golf club head striking face of claim 5, wherein the bottom juncture is defined by a radius of curvature between about 0.10 mm and about 0.50 mm.

8. The golf club head striking face of claim 1, further comprising a top juncture disposed between the upper section and the striking face, wherein the top juncture is curved.

9. The golf club head striking face of claim 8, wherein the top juncture is convex.

10. The golf club head striking face of claim 8, wherein the top juncture is defined by a radius of curvature between about 0.10 mm and about 0.30 mm.

11. The golf club head striking face of claim 1, wherein the first draft angle is between about 80 degrees and about 100 degrees, and wherein the second draft angle is between about 5 degrees and about 40 degrees.

12. The golf club head striking face of claim 1, wherein a distance measured between the striking face and the bottom is between about 0.33 mm and about 0.5 mm.

13. The golf club head striking face of claim 1, wherein the upper section has a length between about 0.03 mm and about 0.07 mm.

14. The golf club head striking face of claim 1, wherein the lower section has a length between about 0.05 mm and about 0.09 mm.

15. The golf club head striking face of claim 1, wherein the groove has a USGA groove width measured along a line extending between a pair of tangents. points of a pair of oppositely spaced lines each being at a 30-degree tangent to a top juncture of the groove, and wherein the USGA groove width is between about 0.70 mm and about 0.86 mm.

16. The golf club head striking face of claim 1, wherein the bottom is substantially planar.

17. The golf club head striking face of claim 1, wherein the bottom is curved.

18. The golf club head striking face of claim 1, wherein the groove is substantially symmetric about a plane that bisects the bottom.

19. A golf club head striking face having a plurality of grooves formed therein, at least one groove having first and second sides, each side comprising:

a bottom, wherein the bottom is substantially curved;

a substantially planar lower section disposed between the bottom and the striking face; and

a substantially planar upper section disposed between the lower section and the striking face, wherein the lower section and the upper section are not co-planar.

20. A golf club head striking face having a plurality of grooves formed therein, at least one groove comprising:

a bottom portion;

a substantially planar lower section coupled to the bottom portion;

a middle juncture disposed between the lower section and the striking face ,wherein the middle juncture is concavely rounded; and

a substantially planar upper section disposed between the middle juncture and the striking face, wherein the lower section and the upper section are not co-planar.

21. A golf club head striking fact having a plurality of grooves formed therein, at least one groove having first and second sides, each side comprising:

a bottom;

a middle juncture disposed between the bottom and the striking face, wherein the middle juncture is concavely rounded;

a lower section disposed between the middle juncture and the bottom, wherein the lower section is substantially planar;

a bottom juncture disposed between the lower section and the bottom, wherein the bottom juncture is concavely rounded;

an upper section disposed between the middle juncture and the striking face, wherein the upper section is substantially planar; and

a top juncture disposed between the upper section and the striking face, wherein the top juncture is convexly rounded;

wherein a first draft angle measured between the upper sections of the first and second sides is greater than a second draft angle measured between the lower sections of the first and second sides, and wherein a distance measured between the first and second sides continuously increases from the bottom junctures to the top junctures.