Golf club

• US 8,801,541 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2010
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Hoffman, Joseph Henry, DeShiell, Drew T.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/813,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20100273572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• 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 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/06 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/08 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/10 with means for indicating correct holding positions A63B60/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/24 Weighted handles

Abstract

A golf club head includes a body defining an interior cavity. The body includes a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown. The body has a forward portion and a rearward portion. The club head includes a face positioned at the forward portion of the body. The face defines a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin. Some embodiments of the club head have a high moment of inertia and variable thickness face.

Claims

1. A golf club, comprising:

a golf club shaft;

a golf club grip; and

a golf club head, the golf club head comprising a body defining an interior cavity and comprising a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, wherein the body has a forward portion and a rearward portion; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face defining a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is at a proper address position, a y-axis generally perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is at a proper address position, and a z-axis perpendicular to both the x-axis and y-axis, the striking surface having a striking surface height between approximately 45 mm and approximately 65 mm, and a striking surface width between approximately 75 mm and approximately 105 mm;

wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity z-axis generally parallel to the head origin z-axis greater than approximately 490 kg·

mm²,

wherein the face has a thickness along the head origin x-axis, the thickness being between t_min and t_max for at least 50% of the x-axis coordinates x within a first range between approximately −

10 mm and approximately −

50 mm, and a second range between approximately 10 mm and approximately 50 mm, where

t_min=1.6+0.002378 (40−

|x|)², and 

 

(1)

t_max=2.5+0.002854 (40−

|x|)², 

 

(2)

wherein the thickness at each coordinate of −

10 mm and 10 mm along the x-axis is no less than 3.74 mm; and

wherein the thickness at each coordinate of −

40 mm and 40 mm along the x-axis is no greater than 2.5 mm;

wherein the striking surface has an area greater than about 3,500 mm²,

wherein the golf club has a club length between about 46 inches and 48 inches, and

wherein the golf club has total mass between about 270 grams and about 300 grams.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the striking surface has an area greater than 3,500 mm² and less than about 4,500 mm².

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the face has a thickness along the head origin z-axis, the thickness being between t_min and t_max for at least 50% of the z-axis coordinates z within a third range between approximately −

10 mm and approximately −

30mm, and a fourth range between approximately 10 mm and approximately 30 mm, where

t_min=1.6+0.002378(40 −

|z|)², and 

 

(1)

t_max=2.5+0.002854(40 −

|z|)². 

 

(2)

4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the thickness of a first portion of the face within at respective one of the first and second ranges is at least approximately 2 mm greater than a second portion of the face within the respective one of the first and second ranges.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the golf club has a total mass greater than about 280 grams and less than about 290 grams.

6. The golf club of claim 5, wherein the golf club grip has a total mass less than about 30 grams.

7. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the golf club grip has a total mass less than about 40 grams.

8. A golf club, comprising:

a golf club shaft;

a golf club grip; and

a golf club head, the golf club head comprising a body defining an interior cavity and comprising a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, wherein the body has a forward portion and a rearward portion; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face defining a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is at a proper address position, a y-axis generally perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is at a proper address position, and a z-axis perpendicular to both the x-axis and y-axis, the striking surface having a striking surface height between approximately 45 mm and approximately 65 mm, and a striking surface width between approximately 75mm and approximately 105 mm;

wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity x-axis generally parallel to the head origin x-axis greater than approximately 280 kg·

mm², and

wherein the face has a thickness along the head origin z-axis, the thickness being between t_min and t_max for at least 50% of the z-axis coordinates z within a first range between approximately −

10 mm and approximately −

30 mm, and a second range between approximately 10 mm and approximately 30 mm, where

t_min=1.6+0.002378(40−

|z|)², and 

 

(1)

t_max=2.5+0.002854(40−

|z|)², 

 

(2)

wherein the thickness at each coordinate of −

10 mm and 10 mm along the z-axis is no less than 3.74 mm; and

wherein the thickness at each coordinate of −

40 mm and 40 mm along the z-axis is no greater than 2.5 mm;

wherein the striking surface has an area greater than about 3,500 mm²,

wherein the golf club has a club length between about 46 inches and 48 inches, and

wherein the golf club has total mass between about 270 grams and about 300 grams.

9. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the striking surface has an area greater than 3,500 mm² and less than about 4,500 mm².

10. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the face has a thickness along the head origin x-axis, the thickness being between t_min and t_max for at least 50% of the x-axis coordinates x within a third range between approximately −

10 mm and approximately −

50mm, and a fourth range between approximately 10 mm and approximately 50 mm, where

t_min=1.6+0.002378(40−

|x|)², and 

 

(1)

t_max=2.5+0.002854(40−

|x|)² 

 

(2).

11. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the thickness of a first portion of the face within at respective one of the first and second ranges is at least approximately 2 mm greater than a second portion of the face within the respective one of the first and second ranges.

12. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the golf club has a total mass greater than about 280 grams and less than about 290 grams.

13. The golf club of claim 12, wherein the golf club grip has a total mass less than about 30 grams.

14. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the golf club grip has a total mass less than about 40 grams.

15. A golf club, comprising:

a golf club shaft;

a golf club grip; and

a golf club head, the golf club head comprising a body defining an interior cavity and comprising a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, wherein the body has a forward portion and a rearward portion; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face defining a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is at a proper address position, a y-axis generally perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is at a proper address position, and a z-axis perpendicular to both the x-axis and y-axis, the striking surface having a striking surface width between approximately 75 mm and approximately 105 mm;

wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity z-axis generally parallel to the head origin z-axis greater than approximately 490 kg·

mm², and a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity x-axis generally parallel to the head origin x-axis greater than approximately 280 kg·

mm², and

wherein the face has a thickness along a radial axis extending tangential to and radially outwardly away from the golf club head origin, the thickness being between t_min and t_max along at least 50% of the distances r away from the golf club head origin along the radial axis equal to or greater than approximately 10 mm and equal to or less than approximately 50 mm, where

t_min=1.6+0.002378 (40−

r)², and 

 

(1)

t_max=2.5+0.002854 (40−

r)², 

 

(2)

wherein the thickness at each coordinate of −

10 mm and 10 mm along the distance r is no less than 3.74 mm; and

wherein the thickness at each coordinate of −

40 mm and 40 mm along the distance r is no greater than 2.5 mm;

wherein the striking surface has an area greater than about 3,500 mm²,

wherein the golf club has a club length between about 46 inches and 48 inches, and

wherein the golf club has total mass between about 270 grams and about 300 grams.

16. The golf club of claim 15, wherein the striking surface has an area greater than 3,500 mm² and less than about 4,500 mm².

17. The golf club of claim 15, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity with an x-axis coordinate between approximately 0.0 mm and approximately 6.0 mm, and a z-axis coordinate between approximately 0.0 mm and approximately −

6.0 mm.