Golf club head

• US 7,789,773 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Carlyle, Scott A., Schaeffer, Kevin, Brunski, Jeff D., Roberts, Douglas E., Radcliffe, Nathaniel J., Wallans, Michael J., Horacek, Robert J., Lacey, Sam G., Hooley, Brad S., Nivanh, Dan S., Rae, John J., Garner, Trent E., Stone, Daniel J., Schnell, Craig R., Chien, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter; Alvin A
• Application Number:
  US12/332,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20090149275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown 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 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/44 Raman spectrometry; Scattering spectrometry ; Fluorescence spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/10 Streamlined, light-weight or high-speed protocols, e.g. express transfer protocol [XTP] or byte stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol

Abstract

An exemplary golf club head having an increased amount of discretionary mass may be realized by utilizing improved drop angles, an improved average crown height, and/or articulation points. The discretionary mass may be placed low and deep in the club head to improve the location of the center of gravity as well as the inertial properties. A preferred break length may also be utilized to further improve the depth of the center of gravity. In one example, the center of gravity may be positioned to substantially align the sweet spot with the face center of the club head.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a strike face comprising a center apex and a top edge;

a hosel having a hosel centerline, wherein the golf club head is oriented relative to an imaginary horizontal ground plane so that the hosel centerline is in a first imaginary vertical plane generally parallel to the top edge of the strike face, the hosel centerline oriented at an angle of 60°

relative to the imaginary horizontal ground plane;

a second imaginary vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the strike face and containing the center apex and a rear-most point of a body portion associated with the strike face; and

a path originating at the center apex and terminating at the rear-most point, the path characterized by an intersection between the second imaginary vertical plane and a top portion of the golf club head, wherein vertical segments between the path and the imaginary horizontal ground plane are evenly spaced along the path, in its entirety, in horizontal increments of 5 mm, the vertical segments averaging between about 35 mm and about 45 mm in length

wherein the strike face has a face height between about 45 mm and about 58 mm, and a face width between about 94 mm and about 115 mm.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the path comprises at least two articulation points.

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

a center of gravity located a first horizontal distance, between about 25 mm and about 35 mm, from the first imaginary vertical plane oriented substantially parallel to the strike face and passing through the hosel centerline.

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

an imaginary coordinate system having an origin located at a center of gravity of the golf club head, the coordinate system having an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, wherein the golf club head has an MOI of at least 3700 g·

cm² about the z-axis.

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

an imaginary coordinate system having an origin located at a center of gravity of the golf club head, the coordinate system having an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, wherein the golf club head has an MOI of at least 2300 g·

cm² about the y-axis.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a volume of at least 200 cm³.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the strike face further comprises a face center, and a sweet spot substantially coincident with the face center.

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

an imaginary vertical line extending from the center apex to a ground plane, and a break length that denotes a horizontal distance, at a height of between about 5 mm and about 10 mm relative to the imaginary horizontal ground plane in a direction substantially perpendicular to the strike face, between the imaginary vertical line and an outer surface of a rear portion of the golf club head, the break length being between about 90 mm and about 110 mm.

9. A golf club head comprising:

a strike face comprising a center apex and a top edge;

a hosel having a hosel centerline, wherein the golf club head is oriented relative to an imaginary horizontal ground plane so that the hosel centerline is in a first imaginary vertical plane generally parallel to the top edge of the strike face, the hosel centerline oriented at an angle of 60°

relative to the imaginary horizontal ground plane;

an imaginary vertical line extending from the center apex to the imaginary horizontal ground plane; and

a break length that denotes a horizontal distance, at a height of between about 5 mm and about 10 mm relative to the imaginary horizontal ground plane in a direction substantially perpendicular to the strike face, between the imaginary vertical line and an outer surface of a rear portion of the golf club head, the break length being between about 110 mm to about 140 mm;

wherein the strike face has a face height between about 45 mm and about 58 mm, and a face width between about 94 mm and about 115 mm.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, further comprising:

a center of gravity located a first horizontal distance, between about 25 mm and about 35 mm, from an imaginary vertical plane oriented substantially parallel to the strike face and passing through the hosel centerline.

11. The golf club head of claim 9, further comprising:

an imaginary coordinate system having an origin located at a center of gravity of the golf club head, the coordinate system having an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, wherein the golf club head has an MOI of at least 3700 g·

cm² about the z-axis.

12. The golf club head of claim 9, further comprising:

an imaginary coordinate system having an origin located at a center of gravity of the golf club head, the coordinate system having an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, wherein the golf club head has an MOI of at least 2300 g·

cm² about the y-axis.

13. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the golf club head has a volume of at least 200 cm³.

14. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the strike face further comprises a face center, and a sweet spot substantially coincident with the face center.