Golf club assembly and golf club with aerodynamic features

• US 8,360,900 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2010
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Snyder, Jeremy N.
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNIS, MICHAEL DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/754,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20110244979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 473/327
• 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 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 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

Abstract

A golf club head has a body member that includes a ball striking face, a crown region, a toe region, a heel region, a sole region, a rear region and a hosel region. The body member has a drag-reduction feature that may include first and second elongated fins. The fins extend in a generally front-to-rear orientation. The fins are spaced farther apart at their forward-most ends than at their rearward-most ends. Alternatively, the drag-reduction feature may include first and second elongated indentations. The indentations extend in a generally front-to-rear orientation. The indentations are spaced farther apart at their forward-most ends than at their rearward-most ends. The drag-reduction features may be located on one or both of the crown region or the sole region. A golf club including the golf club head is also provided.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body member having a ball striking face, a crown region, a toe region, a heel region, a sole region, a rear region and a hosel region;

the body member having a drag-reduction feature that includes a first elongated fin and a second elongated fin, the first and second fins extending in a generally ball striking face-to-rear region orientation up to 45 degrees from a front-to-rear centerline of the club head, each fin having an uppermost edge extending between a forward-most end and a rearward-most end, the uppermost edge of the first fin and the uppermost edge of the second fin being spaced farther apart at their forward-most ends than at their rearward-most ends;

wherein the first fin is angled from approximately 10 degrees to approximately 45 degrees from a front-to-rear centerline of the club head; and

wherein the second fin is oppositely angled from approximately negative 10 degrees to approximately negative 45 degrees from the front-to-rear centerline of the club head.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the drag-reduction feature is located on the crown region.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the uppermost edges of the first and second fins taper down and merge at the rearward-most ends with the surface on which the drag-reduction feature is located.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the forward-most ends of the fins are located within 10 mm of the ball-striking face.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the rearward-most ends of the fins are located within 10 mm of the rear region.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first and second fins are formed with a height and a length, and the height of the first fin is approximately constant over a majority of its length.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first and second fins are formed with a cross-sectional area and a length, and the cross-sectional area of the first fin is approximately constant over a majority of its length.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first fin has at least one concave side surface and wherein the at least one concave side surface merges smoothly with the surface from which the first fin projects.

9. A golf club comprising:

a shaft; and

the golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the golf club head is secured to a first end of the shaft.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the orientation of the first fin is greater than approximately 5 degrees and less than approximately 45 degrees from a front-to-rear centerline of the club head.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first and second fins are formed with a height and a length, and the height of the first fin decreases as the fin extends toward the rear of the club head.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first and second fins are formed with a cross-sectional area and a length, and the cross-sectional area of the first fin decreases as the fin extends toward the rear of the club head.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first and second fins are oriented asymmetrically with respect to the front-to-rear centerline of the club head.