Golf club head or other ball striking device having impact-influencing body features
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A golf club head comprising:
- a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball;
a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face, the body including a heel, a toe, a top side, and a sole configured to confront a playing surface in use; and
a first inwardly recessed channel and a second inwardly recessed channel at least partially located on the sole of the body and being configured to influence the impact of a ball on the face, the first channel being elongated between a proximal end located proximate a center of the sole and a distal end located more proximate the heel, and the second channel being elongated between a proximal end located proximate the center of the sole and a distal end located more proximate the toe,wherein a gap is defined proximate the center of the sole between the proximal ends of the first and second channels, andwherein the sole further comprises a keel positioned along the center of the sole and extending rearward from a bottom edge of the face toward a rear of the head opposite the face, wherein the keel is configured to be a lowest surface of the head in use, and at least a portion of the keel is raised with respect to adjacent surfaces of the sole, and wherein the keel is located at least partially within the gap.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head with a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball, a body connected to the face, and a channel located in the body. The channel is configured to influence the characteristics of the impact of a ball on the face, such as by flexing or compressing in response to the force of the impact, exerting a response or reaction force on the face, changing the motion or behavior of the face, and other manners. The head may also include a pair of channels that have a gap between them.
321 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face, the body including a heel, a toe, a top side, and a sole configured to confront a playing surface in use; and a first inwardly recessed channel and a second inwardly recessed channel at least partially located on the sole of the body and being configured to influence the impact of a ball on the face, the first channel being elongated between a proximal end located proximate a center of the sole and a distal end located more proximate the heel, and the second channel being elongated between a proximal end located proximate the center of the sole and a distal end located more proximate the toe, wherein a gap is defined proximate the center of the sole between the proximal ends of the first and second channels, and wherein the sole further comprises a keel positioned along the center of the sole and extending rearward from a bottom edge of the face toward a rear of the head opposite the face, wherein the keel is configured to be a lowest surface of the head in use, and at least a portion of the keel is raised with respect to adjacent surfaces of the sole, and wherein the keel is located at least partially within the gap. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball and defined by a plurality of peripheral edges; a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face, the body including a heel, a toe, a top side, and a sole configured to confront a playing surface in use; and a first inwardly recessed channel and a second inwardly recessed channel located on the body and being configured to influence, the impact of a ball on the face, the first channel being elongated along a direction of elongation that is generally parallel to at least one of the peripheral edges of the face between a first end and a second end, and the second channel also being elongated along a direction of elongation that is generally parallel to at least one peripheral edge of the face between a first end and a second end, wherein a gap is defined between the first end of the first channel and the first end of the second channel, and wherein the body further comprises a keel positioned along a center of the sole and extending rearward from a bottom edge of the face toward a rear of the head opposite the face, wherein the keel is configured to be a lowest surface of the head in use, and at least a portion of the keel is raised with respect to adjacent surfaces of the sole, and wherein the keel is located at least partially within the gap. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball and defined by a plurality of peripheral edges; a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face, the body including a heel, a toe, a top side, and a sole configured to confront a playing surface in use; and a first inwardly recessed channel and a second inwardly recessed channel at least partially located on the sole of the body and being configured to influence the impact of a ball on the face, the first channel having at least a first portion that extends adjacent to a bottom peripheral edge of the face and is elongated along a first direction of elongation that is generally parallel to the bottom peripheral edges of the face, and the second channel having at least a second portion that is elongated along a second direction of elongation that extends adjacent to the bottom peripheral edge of the face and is generally parallel to the bottom peripheral edge of the face, wherein a gap is defined proximate a center portion of the sole between ends of the first and second channels, such that the first and second channels do not extend across the center portion of the sole, wherein the center portion is configured to be a lowest surface of the head in use, and wherein the body has a wall thickness that is reduced at the first and second channels as compared to the wall thickness at other locations on the body. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A fairway wood golf club head comprising:
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a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball and defined by a plurality of peripheral edges including a bottom edge, the outer surface of the face having a loft angle of from about 12°
to about 32°
;a fairway wood body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face to define an internal volume between the body and the face, the body including a heel, a toe, a top side, and a sole configured to confront a playing surface in use; and a first inwardly recessed channel and a second inwardly recessed channel at least partially located on the sole of the body and being configured to influence the impact of a ball on the face, the first channel being elongated in a direction generally parallel to at least the bottom edge of the face, between a proximal end located proximate a center of the sole and a distal end located more proximate the heel, and the second channel being elongated in a direction generally parallel to at least the bottom edge of the face, between a proximal end located proximate the center of the sole and a distal end located more proximate the toe, wherein the first channel and the second channel are each defined by boundary edges, and each of the first and second channels are recessed from the boundary edge thereof, and wherein a gap is defined proximate the center of the sole between the proximal ends of the first and second channels, and wherein the sole further comprises a keel positioned along a center of the sole and extending rearward from the bottom edge of the face toward a rear of the head opposite the face, wherein the keel is configured to be a lowest surface of the head in use, and at least a portion of the keel is raised with respect to adjacent surfaces of the sole. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball and defined by a plurality of peripheral edges including a bottom edge; a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face, the body including a heel, a toe, a top side, and a sole configured to confront a playing surface in use, wherein the sole comprises a keel positioned along a center of the sole and extending rearward from the bottom edge of the face toward a rear of the head opposite the face, wherein the keel is configured to be a lowest surface of the head in use, and at least a portion of the keel is raised with respect to adjacent surfaces of the sole; and an inwardly recessed channel extending across at least a portion of the sole and being recessed from the keel, wherein the channel does not extend completely across the keel, wherein the keel comprises a plurality of substantially planar surfaces that are adjoined to each other and arranged at oblique angles to one another, and wherein the substantially planar surfaces are adjoined to each other along juncture lines. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification