Golf club head

• US 8,012,039 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Woolley, Brandon, Greaney, Mark Vincent, Beach, Todd P., Wright, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/316,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20090191980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head with an increased moment of inertia (MOI) about the X axis and the Z axis. Generally, the MOI about the Z axis is at least about 4400 g·cm² and the MOI about the X axis is at least about 2500 g·cm². The radius of the bulge of the club face is increased while the radius of the roll is reduced to compensate for the gear effect produced by the increased MOIs. The bulge curvature is generally between about 0.016 cm⁻¹ and about 0.028 cm⁻¹, and the roll curvature is between about 0.033 cm⁻¹ and about 0.066 cm⁻¹. The roll curvature is greater than the bulge curvature.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a club head body having an external surface with a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown, a sole, and a face; and

a moment of inertia about the CG Z axis, I_zz, which is at least about 4400 g·

cm²;

wherein the face includes;

a bulge curvature;

a roll curvature; and

wherein the bulge curvature is greater than 0 cm<sup>−

1</sup> and less than about 0.027 cm<sup>−

1</sup> and the inverse of the bulge curvature is greater than the inverse of the roll curvature by at least 7.62 cm.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the CG X axis, I_xx, wherein I_xx is at least about 2500 g·

cm² and I_zz is greater than I_xx.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the face includes a front side and a back side that define a variable face thickness.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the CG x-axis, I_xx, wherein I_xx is at least about 3000 g·

cm² and I_zz is greater than I_xx.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the bulge curvature divided by the roll curvature is between about 0.28 and about 0.75 at a roll curvature between about 0.033 cm⁻

1 and about 0.066 cm<sup>−

1</sup>.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the ratio of the bulge curvature divided by the roll curvature is between about 0.33 and about 0.75 when the I_zz is between about 4400 g·

cm² and about 5000 g·

cm².

7. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the ratio of the bulge curvature divided by the roll curvature is between about 0.31 and about 0.67 when the I_zz is between about 5000 g·

cm² and about 5500 g·

cm².

8. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the ratio of the bulge curvature divided by the roll curvature is between about 0.28 and about 0.61 when the I_zz is between about 5500 g·

cm² and about 6000 g·

cm².

9. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the ratio of the bulge curvature divided by the roll curvature is between about 0.28 and about 0.56 when the I_zz is about 6000 g·

cm².

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the bulge curvature is between about 0.016 cm⁻

1 and about 0.027 cm<sup>−

1</sup>.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the roll curvature is between about 0.033 cm⁻

1 and about 0.066 cm<sup>−

1</sup>.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the bulge curvature divided by the roll curvature is less than about 0.84 at a roll curvature of about 0.049 cm⁻

1.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the bulge curvature and the roll curvature are constant over the face of the golf club head.

14. A golf club head comprising:

a club head body having an external surface with a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown, a sole, and a face;

a moment of inertia about the CG Z axis, I_zz, which is at least about 4400 g·

cm²; and

a moment of inertia about the CG X axis, I_xx, which is at least about 2500 g·

cm² and wherein I_zz is greater than I_xx;

wherein the face includes a bulge curvature and a roll curvature; and

wherein a ratio of bulge curvature divided by roll curvature, R_C, satisfies the following;

15. The golf club head of claim 14 wherein the roll curvature is between about 0.033 cm⁻

1 and about 0.066 cm<sup>−

1</sup>, and wherein the bulge curvature is between about 0.016 cm<sup>−

1</sup> and about 0.028 cm<sup>−

1</sup>.

16. The golf club head of claim 14 wherein the golf club head has a volume greater than about 300 cubic centimeters, and the golf club head has a mass between about 170 grams and about 220 grams.

17. The golf club head of claim 14 wherein the golf club head has a volume between about 400 cubic centimeters and about 470 cubic centimeters.

18. A golf club comprising:

a shaft with a golf club head coupled thereto;

the club head body comprising;

an external surface with a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown, a sole, and a face;

a moment of inertia about the CG Z axis, I_zz, which is at least about 4400 g·

cm²; and

a moment of inertia about the CG X axis, I_xx, which is at least about 2500 g·

cm² and wherein I_zz is greater than I_xx;

wherein the face includes a bulge curvature and a roll curvature; and

wherein the ratio of the bulge curvature divided by the roll curvature, R_C, satisfies the following;

19. The golf club of claim 18 wherein the ratio of the bulge curvature divided by the roll curvature, R_C, is greater than about 0.28 and less than about 0.75.

20. The golf club of claim 18 wherein the roll curvature is between about 0.033 cm⁻

1 and about 0.066 cm<sup>−

1</sup>; and

wherein the bulge curvature is greater than 0 cm<sup>−

1</sup> and less than about 0.027 cm<sup>−

1</sup> and the inverse of the bulge curvature is greater than the inverse of the roll curvature by at least 7.62 cm.