Golf club head or other ball striking device having stiffened face portion

• US 8,070,623 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Stites, John T., Boyd, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/276,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20100130303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, D21747-753
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/182 Softball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/20 Cricket
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/22 Field hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/36 Croquet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• 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 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a head that includes a face configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face, the body being adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel thereof. The face includes one or more stiffening members or other structures on the inner surface of the face to provide locally increased stiffness to particular areas of the face. Certain stiffening members may provide greater stiffness than other stiffening members, allowing the face to be configured for areas of greatest stiffness and greatest COR tailored to common impact patterns.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof;

a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel;

a first stiffening member extending rearward from an inner surface of the face and extending across the inner surface of the face between a first location and a second location, the first location positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the face, and the second location is positioned toward a lower toe quadrant of the face with respect to the first location, the first stiffening member providing locally increased stiffness to a first area of the face between the first location and the second location; and

a plurality of second stiffening members extending rearward from the inner surface of the face and combining to provide locally increased stiffness to a second area of the face spaced from the first area and located in an upper toe quadrant or a lower heel quadrant of the face, wherein the second stiffening members are arranged in a radiating formation, and wherein the second stiffening members of the radiating formation radiate from a point spaced from the center of the face,

wherein the first stiffening member provides a greater degree of stiffness to the face than the combined second stiffening members, such that the second area of the face has greater flexibility than the first area.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first and second stiffening members are integrally formed with the inner surface of the face.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of third stiffening members arranged in a second radiating formation, wherein the third stiffening members radiate from a second point spaced from the center of the face.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the second stiffening members comprise a plurality of substantially linear ribs radiating from the point.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face is formed by a cup-face structure having a wall extending rearward from the face at an edge of the face, and at least one of the first stiffening member and the second stiffening member extends to the edge of the face and has a component extending along the wall at the edge of the face.

6. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 1 and a shaft engaged with the head.

7. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof, the face having an upper heel quadrant, an upper toe quadrant, a lower heel quadrant, and a lower toe quadrant;

a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel;

a first stiffening member extending rearward from an inner surface of the face and providing locally increased stiffness to areas of the face, the first stiffening member extending across the inner surface of the face such that a majority of a surface area of the first stiffening member is located in the upper heel quadrant and the lower toe quadrant; and

a plurality of second stiffening members extending rearward from the inner surface of the face and providing locally increased stiffness to areas of the face, wherein each of the second stiffening members has a smaller thickness, measured perpendicular to the outer surface of the face, as compared to the first stiffening member, and wherein a majority of a collective surface area of the plurality of second stiffening members is located in the lower heel quadrant and the upper toe quadrant.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the first and second stiffening members are integrally formed with the inner surface of the face.

9. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the second stiffening members are arranged in two radiating formations, wherein the stiffening members of each radiating formation radiate from a respective point spaced from a center of the face, one point being located in the upper toe quadrant and another point being located in the lower heel quadrant.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the second stiffening members comprise a plurality of substantially linear ribs radiating from each point.

11. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 7 and a shaft engaged with the head.

12. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof;

a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel; and

a plurality of stiffening members extending rearward from an inner surface of the face and providing locally increased stiffness to the face, the stiffening members arranged to create at least two radiating formations, wherein the stiffening members are arranged in a first radiating formation having a first central point and a second radiating formation having a second central point, the first central point positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the inner surface of the face, and the second central point positioned in a lower toe quadrant of the inner surface of the face, and wherein each of the first and second radiating formations includes multiple stiffening members that radiate at different angles from a central point spaced from a center point of the face.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the stiffening members are integrally formed with the inner surface of the face.

14. The golf club head of claim 12, further comprising a primary stiffening member extending rearward from the inner surface of the face and providing locally increased stiffness to the face, the primary stiffening member located between the first central point and the second central point.

15. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the stiffening members comprise a plurality of substantially linear ribs radiating from each central point.

16. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 12 and a shaft engaged with the head.

17. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof;

a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel;

a first stiffening member extending rearward from an inner surface of the face and extending across the inner surface of the face between a first location and a second location, the first location positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the face, and the second location is positioned toward a lower toe quadrant of the face with respect to the first location, the first stiffening member providing locally increased stiffness to a first area of the face between the first location and the second location; and

a plurality of second stiffening members extending rearward from the inner surface of the face and combining to provide locally increased stiffness to a second area of the face spaced from the first area, wherein the first stiffening member provides a greater degree of stiffness to the face than the combined second stiffening members, and

wherein the second stiffening members are arranged in a radiating formation, wherein the stiffening members of the radiating formation radiate from a point spaced from the center of the face.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of third stiffening members arranged in a second radiating formation, wherein the third stiffening members radiate from a second point spaced from the center of the face.

19. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the second stiffening members comprise a plurality of substantially linear ribs radiating from the point.

20. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof, the face having an upper heel quadrant, an upper toe quadrant, a lower heel quadrant, and a lower toe quadrant;

a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel;

a first stiffening member extending rearward from an inner surface of the face and providing locally increased stiffness to areas of the face, the first stiffening member extending across the inner surface of the face such that a majority of a surface area of the first stiffening member is located in the upper heel quadrant and the lower toe quadrant; and

a plurality of second stiffening members extending rearward from the inner surface of the face and providing locally increased stiffness to areas of the face, wherein the second stiffening members are arranged in two radiating formations, wherein the stiffening members of each radiating formation radiate from a respective point spaced from a center of the face, one point being located in the upper toe quadrant and another point being located in the lower heel quadrant.

21. The golf club head of claim 20, wherein the second stiffening members comprise a plurality of substantially linear ribs radiating from each point.

22. A golf club head comprising:

a face configured for striking a ball with an outer surface thereof;

a body connected to the face, the body adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel of the body and having a toe opposite the heel; and

a plurality of stiffening members extending rearward from an inner surface of the face and providing locally increased stiffness to the face, the stiffening members arranged to create at least two radiating formations, wherein the stiffening members of each radiating formation radiate from a central point spaced from a center point of the face,

wherein the stiffening members are arranged in a first radiating formation having a first central point and a second radiating formation having a second central point, the first central point positioned in an upper heel quadrant of the inner surface of the face, and the second central point positioned in a lower toe quadrant of the inner surface of the face.

23. The golf club head of claim 22, further comprising a primary stiffening member extending rearward from the inner surface of the face and providing locally increased stiffness to the face, the primary stiffening member located between the first central point and the second central point.