Golf club assembly and golf club with aerodynamic features

• US 8,162,775 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2009
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Tavares, Gary G., Boyd, Robert, Stites, John Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/465,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20100292020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473/228, D21/752, D21/759
• US Class Current: 473/327
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole 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 60/006 Surfaces specially adapted for reducing air resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head includes a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a skirt extending between the crown and the sole and between the toe and the heel. The club head includes a drag-reducing structure that may include one or both of a continuous groove extending from a front portion to a rear edge of the toe, and along an entire length of the skirt, and a substantially V-shaped recess formed in the sole and having a vertex positioned proximate the ball striking face and the heel and away from the skirt and the toe, and a pair of legs extending to a point proximate the toe and away from the ball striking face, and curving toward the skirt and away from the ball striking face.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a skirt extending between the crown and the sole and between the toe and the heel; and

a continuous groove extending along substantially an entire length of the skirt,

wherein the continuous groove converges to a tapered end in a rear portion of the heel, and

further comprising a substantially V-shaped recess formed in the sole and having a vertex positioned proximate the ball striking face and the heel and away from the skirt and the toe, and a pair of legs extending to a point proximate the toe and away from the ball striking face, and curving toward the skirt and away from the ball striking face.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the continuous groove has a maximum depth of approximately 15 mm.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body member is a square head member.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body member is a round head member.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of secondary recesses formed in a bottom surface of the substantially V-shaped recess.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein each secondary recess has a regular trapezoid shape, with a smaller base positioned toward the heel and a larger base positioned toward the toe.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein each secondary recess has a depth that varies from a maximum depth at the smaller base to the larger base, the larger base being flush with a surface of the sole.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the continuous groove further extends from a front portion to a rear edge of the toe.

9. A golf club head comprising:

a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a skirt extending between the crown and the sole and between the toe and the heel;

a substantially V-shaped recess formed in the sole and having a vertex positioned proximate the ball striking face and the heel and away from the skirt and the toe, and a pair of legs extending to a point proximate the toe and away from the ball striking face, and curving toward the skirt and away from the ball striking face.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of secondary recesses formed in a bottom surface of the substantially V-shaped recess.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein each secondary recess has a regular trapezoid shape, with a smaller base positioned toward the heel surface and a larger base positioned toward the toe surface.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein each secondary recess has a depth that varies from a maximum depth at the smaller base to the larger base, the larger base being flush with the sole surface.

13. The golf club head of claim 9, further comprising a continuous groove extending along substantially an entire length of the skirt.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the continuous groove extends from the front portion of the toe along a portion of the sole.

15. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the continuous groove has a maximum depth of approximately 15 mm.

16. The golf club head of claim 9, further comprising a continuous groove extending from a front portion to a rear edge of the toe.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the continuous groove extends from the front portion of the toe surface along a portion of the sole surface.

18. A golf club assembly comprising:

a shaft; and

a club head secured to a first end of the shaft and comprising;

a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a skirt extending between the crown and the sole and between the toe and the heel; and

a substantially V-shaped recess formed in the sole and having a vertex positioned proximate the ball striking face and the heel and away from the skirt and the toe, and a pair of legs extending to a point proximate the toe and away from the ball striking face, and curving toward the skirt and away from the ball striking face.

19. A golf club assembly comprising:

a shaft; and

a club head secured to a first end of the shaft and comprising;

a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a skirt extending between the crown and the sole and between the toe and the heel; and

a continuous groove extending from a front portion to a rear edge of the toe, and along an entire length of the skirt,

wherein the continuous groove converges to a tapered end in a rear portion of the heel, and

further comprising a substantially V-shaped recess formed in the sole and having a vertex positioned proximate the ball striking face and the heel and away from the skirt and the toe, and a pair of legs extending to a point proximate the toe and away from the ball striking face, and curving toward the skirt and away from the ball striking face.

20. The golf club assembly of claim 19, wherein the continuous groove is substantially U-shaped.

21. The golf club assembly of claim 19, wherein the continuous groove has a maximum depth of approximately 15 mm.

22. The golf club assembly of claim 19, wherein the continuous groove extends from the front portion of the toe along a portion of the sole.

23. The golf club assembly of claim 19, wherein the body member is a square head member.

24. The golf club assembly of claim 19, wherein the body member is a round head member.

25. The golf club assembly of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of secondary recesses formed in a bottom surface of the substantially V-shaped recess.

26. The golf club assembly of claim 25, wherein each secondary recess has a regular trapezoid shape, with a smaller base positioned toward the heel surface and a larger base positioned toward the toe.

27. The golf club assembly of claim 26, wherein each secondary recess has a depth that varies from a maximum depth at the smaller base to the larger base, the larger base being flush with a surface of the sole.