Golf club assembly and golf club with aerodynamic hosel

• US 8,702,531 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Boyd, Robert, Stites, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/945,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20110136584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473/305, 473/314
• US Class Current: 473/305
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• 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 includes a shaft and a club head. The club head may include a ball striking face, a crown, a sole, and a hosel region. The hosel region may have a free end configured for receiving a shaft having a longitudinal axis. When the club head is in a 60 degree lie angle position, at least a portion of the free end of the hosel region may extend above the adjacent crown surface. When the club head is in a 60 degree lie angle position, the vertical distance between the horizontal projections of the outermost points of the sole and the crown may be greater than the vertical distance between the horizontal projections of the outermost points of the sole and the hosel region.

Claims

1. A golf club head for a driver, the golf club head having a volume of 400 cc or greater and a club breadth-to-face length ratio of 0.90 or greater, the golf club head comprising:

a ball striking face;

a crown;

a sole; and

a hosel region having a free end configured for receiving a shaft having a longitudinal axis, wherein the free end of the hosel region has a hosel surface that is non-circular, and substantially planar and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft,

wherein, when the club head is in a 60 degree lie angle position, at least a portion of the free end of the hosel region extends above the adjacent crown surface, and

wherein, when the club head is in a 60 degree lie angle position, the vertical distance between the horizontal projections of the outermost points of the sole and the crown is greater than the vertical distance between the horizontal projections of the outermost points of the sole and the hosel region.

2. The golf club head of claim 1,

wherein the non-circular profile of the hosel surface has a non-symmetrical profile, wherein a first end of the hosel surface has a rounded profile and a second end of the hosel surface has an elongated, tapered profile.

3. The golf club head of claim 1,

wherein the non-circular profile of the hosel surface has a non-symmetrical profile, wherein a first end of the hosel surface has a rounded profile and a second end of the hosel surface has an elongated, tapered profile, and further that the non-symmetrical profile is more curved on the heel-side of the hosel surface than on the toe-side of the hosel surface.

4. A golf club head comprising:

a ball striking face;

a crown;

a sole; and

a hosel region having a free end configured for receiving a shaft having a longitudinal axis,

wherein the hosel region includes a hosel surface that is non-circular, and substantially planar and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and

wherein the hosel surface has a non-symmetrical profile, wherein a first end of the hosel surface has a rounded profile and a second end of the hosel surface has an elongated, tapered profile, and further wherein the hosel surface is spaced from the free end of the hosel region, and a substantially cylindrical hosel extension extends between the hosel surface and the free end.

5. The golf club head of claim 4,

wherein the non-symmetric profile of the hosel surface is more curved on the heel-side of the hosel surface than on the toe-side of the hosel surface.

6. A golf club head comprising:

a ball striking face;

a crown;

a sole; and

a hosel region including

an upper end configured for receiving a shaft having a longitudinal axis;

a first cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, the first cross-section located at the upper end of the hosel region; and

a second cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, the second cross-section located distally from the first cross section, the second cross-section being different from the first cross-section, the second cross-section having a substantially non-symmetrical cross-section, wherein a first end of the second cross-section has a rounded profile and a second end of the second cross-section has an elongated, tapered profile;

wherein the transition from the first cross-section to the second cross section includes a substantially planar surface.

7. The golf club head of claim 6,

wherein the substantially planar surface is oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

8. The golf club head of claim 6,

wherein, when the club head is in a 60 degree lie angle position, the vertical distance between the horizontal projections of the outermost points of the sole and the crown is greater than the vertical distance between the horizontal projections of the outermost points of the sole and the substantially planar surface.

9. A golf club comprising:

a golf club head attached to the distal end of a golf club shaft having a longitudinal axis, the club head including;

a ball striking face;

a crown;

a sole; and

a hosel region having a free end configured for receiving the golf club shaft, wherein the free end of the hosel region has a hosel surface that is non-circular, and substantially planar and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft,

wherein, when the club head is in a 60 degree lie angle position, at least a portion of the free end of the hosel region extends above the adjacent crown surface, and

wherein, when the club head is in a 60 degree lie angle position, the vertical distance between the horizontal projections of the outermost points of the sole and the crown is greater than the vertical distance between the horizontal projections of the outermost points of the sole and the hosel region.