Golf club head

• US 8,012,038 B1
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Willett, Kraig Alan, Sargent, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/316,584
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club head is described, in one embodiment, including a body with an exterior surface defining a first body volume of at least about 400 cm³. The body has a bottom portion, a top portion, a front portion, and a back portion. A face positioned at the front portion of the body and is configured to receive an impact. A top portion silhouette profile located along a perimeter of the top portion is further described. The top portion silhouette profile defines the outer bounds of the top portion in an X-direction and Y-direction. At least one indentation is located on the bottom portion below the crown silhouette profile. The removal of the at least one indentation from the bottom portion creates a second body volume that is at least 12 cm³ larger than the first body volume.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body including an exterior surface defining a first body volume of at most about 470 cm³, the body having a bottom portion, a top portion, a front portion, and a back portion;

a face coupled to the front portion of the body, the face being configured to receive an impact;

a top portion silhouette profile located along a perimeter of the top portion, the top portion silhouette profile defining the outermost bounds of the top portion and the body in an X-direction and a Y-direction and defining an area of at least about 11,000 mm² when projected onto an X-Y plane; and

at least one indentation located on the bottom portion below the top portion silhouette profile, wherein the removal of the at least one indentation from the bottom portion creates a second body volume that is at least 12 cm³ larger than the first body volume;

wherein the top portion silhouette profile is generally triangular and includes a first vertex defining the rearward-most point of the body, a second vertex defining an intersection between the front portion of the body and a portion of the face nearest to a toe of the golf club head, a third vertex defining an intersection between the front portion of the body and a portion of the face nearest to a heel of the golf club head, a first contour connecting the first and second vertexes, a second contour connecting the first and third vertexes, and a straight segment connecting the second and third vertexes.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first body volume is about 440 cm³ to about 470 cm³.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first body volume is about 450 cm³ to about 470 cm³.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first body volume is about 460 cm³ to about 470 cm³.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first body volume is about 460 cm³ to about 470 cm³ and the second body volume is at least about 14 cm³ larger than the first body volume.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face has an area of at least about 4,000 mm².

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein a heel-toe dimension is between about 119 mm and about 127 mm.

8. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein a top-bottom dimension is between about 63 mm and about 71 mm.

9. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein a front-back dimension is between about 111 mm and about 127 mm.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution greater than about 0.810.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a head center of gravity z-axis of at least about 500 kg·

mm².

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a head center of gravity x-axis of at least about 300 kg·

mm².

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a head origin defined as a position on the face plane at a geometric center of the face, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is in an address position where a positive x-axis extends towards the heel portion, a y-axis extending perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is in the address position where a positive y-axis extends from the face and through the rearward portion of the body, and a z-axis extending perpendicular to the ground, to the x-axis and to the y-axis when the head is ideally positioned where a positive z-axis extends from the origin and generally upward, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity with an x-axis coordinate between about −

2 mm and about 7 mm, a y-axis coordinate between about 30 mm and about 40 mm, and a z-axis coordinate between about −

7 mm and about 2 mm.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a head origin defined as a position on the face plane at a geometric center of the face, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is in an address position where a positive x-axis extends towards the heel portion, a y-axis extending perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is in the address position where a positive y-axis extends from the face and through the rearward portion of the body, and a z-axis extending perpendicular to the ground, to the x-axis and to the y-axis when the head is ideally positioned where a positive z-axis extends from the origin and generally upward, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity with a z-axis coordinate being less than about −

2 mm.

15. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a head origin defined as a position on the face plane at a geometric center of the face, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is in an address position where a positive x-axis extends towards the heel portion, a y-axis extending perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is in the address position where a positive y-axis extends from the face and through the rearward portion of the body, and a z-axis extending perpendicular to the ground, to the x-axis and to the y-axis when the head is ideally positioned where a positive z-axis extends from the origin and generally upward, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity with a y-axis coordinate being greater than about 15 mm.

16. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a head origin defined as a position on the face plane at a geometric center of the face, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is in an address position where a positive x-axis extends towards the heel portion, a y-axis extending perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is in the address position where a positive y-axis extends from the face and through the rearward portion of the body, and a z-axis extending perpendicular to the ground, to the x-axis and to the y-axis when the head is ideally positioned where a positive z-axis extends from the origin and generally upward, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity with a z-axis coordinate being less than about −

2 mm and a y-axis coordinate being greater than about 15 mm, the golf club head further comprising a moment of inertia about a head center of gravity z-axis of at least about 500 kg·

mm² and a moment of inertia about a head center of gravity x-axis of at least about 300 kg·

mm².

17. There golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a first sole mode frequency greater than about 3000 Hz.

18. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the removal of the at least one indentation from the bottom portion creates a second body volume that is between about 12 cm³ and 20 cm³ larger than the first body volume.

19. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the silhouette profile defines a top portion surface area S_t above the silhouette profile and a bottom portion surface area S_b below the silhouette profile, where

20. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the silhouette profile defines an outermost boundary of the body in the X-direction and Y-direction, the area defined by the silhouette profile defines a top portion volume and a bottom portion volume, and the bottom portion volume is greater than about 50% of the first body volume.

21. A golf club head comprising:

a body including a first exterior surface defining a first volume of about 400 cm³ to 470 cm³, the body having a bottom portion, a top portion, a front portion, and a back portion;

a face positioned at the front portion of the body, the face being configured to receive an impact;

a silhouette profile located along a perimeter of the body, the silhouette profile defining the outermost bounds of the body in an X-direction and a Y-direction, the X-direction and the Y-direction defining a plane that is parallel to the ground when the golf club is in an address position, and the silhouette profile defining a boundary between the top portion and the bottom portion, the top portion having a top portion surface area S_t and the bottom portion having a bottom portion surface area S_b where

22. A golf club head comprising:

a body including a first exterior surface defining a total volume of about 400 cm³ to 470 cm³, the body having a bottom portion, a top portion, a front portion, and a back portion;

a face positioned at the front portion of the body, the face being configured to receive an impact;

a top portion silhouette profile located along an outer boundary of the top portion, the top portion silhouette portion defining an outermost boundary of the body in an X-direction and Y-direction and defining an area of at least about 11,000 mm² when projected onto an X-Y plane, the top portion silhouette profile defining a top portion volume and a bottom portion volume that together define the total volume; and

at least one indentation located on the bottom portion, wherein the at least one indentation is configured such that the bottom portion volume is greater than about 50% of the total volume.

23. A golf club head of claim 22, wherein the bottom portion volume is greater than about 60% of the total volume.

24. A golf club head comprising:

a body including an exterior surface defining a first body volume of at most about 470 cm³, the body having a bottom portion, a top portion, a front portion, and a back portion;

a face positioned at the front portion of the body, the face being configured to receive an impact;

a top portion silhouette profile located along a perimeter of the top portion, the top portion silhouette profile defining the outer bounds of the top portion in an X-direction and a Y-direction and defining an area of at least about 11,000 mm² when projected onto an X-Y plane; and

at least one indentation located on the bottom portion below the top portion silhouette profile, wherein the removal of the at least one indentation from the bottom portion creates a second body volume that is at least 12 cm³ larger than the first body volume;

wherein the body comprises at least eight similarly sized round indentations located on the bottom portion below the silhouette profile, wherein the removal of the indentations from the bottom portion creates a second body volume that is at least 15 cm³ larger than the first body volume.