Golf club head

• US 8,465,380 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2012
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Horacek, Robert J., Radcliffe, Nathaniel J., Rae, John J., Wallans, Michael J., Lacey, Sam G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US13/585,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20120309559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, D21/733, D21/747, D21/748, D21/752, D21/759
• US Class Current: 473/329
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• 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 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A hollow golf club head includes a sole, a crown, a skirt, and a striking face. The golf club includes a junction interconnecting the sole, crown, and skirt to the striking face, the junction including at least one stiffening member.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a sole configured to rest on a planar surface;

a crown;

a toe;

a heel opposite the toe;

a strike face having a maximum coefficient of restitution greater than 0.83 measured at a location that is spaced from a geometric center of the strike face by a distance of at least 0.2 inch, and wherein the coefficient of restitution of the geometric center is less than the maximum coefficient of restitution of the strike face;

a rear portion;

an interior cavity at least partially delimited by the sole, the crown, the strike face, and the rear portion; and

a hosel.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the interior cavity is fully enclosed.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the hosel comprises a hosel axis, wherein the club head is oriented so that the hosel axis is positioned at a designated lie angle relative to the planar surface;

the strike face comprises a geometric center and a face perimeter edge;

an imaginary vertical plane is perpendicular to the strike face and passes through the geometric center of the strike face, the imaginary vertical plane containing an imaginary line tangent to the strike face at the geometric center and intersecting the planar surface;

a first reference point is characterized by the intersection of the imaginary line and the planar surface;

a second reference point is located 20 mm away from the first reference point along the imaginary line in the direction of the crown;

a third reference point is located in the imaginary vertical plane 20 mm away from the first reference point along the planar surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the strike face toward the rear portion;

a first junction point is located in the imaginary vertical plane, the first junction point defined by the projection of the second reference point onto the strike face in a direction normal to the imaginary line;

a second junction point is located in the imaginary vertical plane, the second junction point defined by the projection of the third reference point onto the sole in a direction normal to the planar surface;

a first imaginary junction-bounding line forms a closed loop and passes through the first junction point, wherein the first imaginary junction-bounding line is parallel to the face perimeter edge;

a second imaginary junction-bounding line forms a closed loop and passes through the second junction point, wherein the second imaginary junction-bounding line is parallel to the face perimeter edge; and

a junction is delimited by the portion of the club head between the first imaginary junction-bounding line and the second imaginary junction-bounding line, the junction comprising a top region and a bottom region, each having a heel-to-toe length dimension.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the maximum coefficient of restitution is located on the strike face toward the toe.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a volume greater than 300 cc.

6. A golf club head comprising:

a sole configured to rest on a planar surface;

a crown;

a toe;

a heel opposite the toe;

a strike face having a geometric center, a face perimeter edge, and a maximum coefficient of restitution greater than 0.83 measured at a location that is spaced from the geometric center by a distance of at least 0.2 inch, and wherein the coefficient of restitution of the geometric center is less than the maximum coefficient of restitution of the strike face;

a rear portion;

a fully-enclosed interior cavity at least partially delimited by the sole, the crown, the strike face, and the rear portion;

a hosel comprising a hosel axis, wherein the club head is oriented so that the hosel axis is positioned at a designated lie angle relative to the planar surface; and

an imaginary vertical plane perpendicular to the strike face and passing through the geometric center of the strike face, the imaginary vertical plane containing an imaginary line tangent to the strike face at the geometric center and intersecting the planar surface;

a first reference point characterized by the intersection of the imaginary line and the planar surface;

a second reference point located 20 mm away from the first reference point along the imaginary line in the direction of the crown;

a third reference point located in the imaginary vertical plane 20 mm away from the first reference point along the planar surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the strike face toward the rear portion;

a first junction point located in the imaginary vertical plane, the first junction point defined by the projection of the second reference point onto the strike face in a direction normal to the imaginary line;

a second junction point located in the imaginary vertical plane, the second junction point defined by the projection of the third reference point onto the sole in a direction normal to the planar surface;

a first imaginary junction-bounding line forming a closed loop and passing through the first junction point, wherein the first imaginary junction-bounding line is parallel to the face perimeter edge;

a second imaginary junction-bounding line forming a closed loop and passing through the second junction point, wherein the second imaginary junction-bounding line is parallel to the face perimeter edge; and

a junction delimited by the portion of the club head between the first imaginary junction-bounding line and the second imaginary junction-bounding line, the junction comprising a top region and a bottom region, each having a heel-to-toe length dimension.