Golf club head and method of manufacture

• US 8,808,108 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Schweigert, Bradley D.
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNIS, MICHAEL DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/463,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20100285901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 473/345, 473/346
• US Class Current: 473/345
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Embodiments of golf clubs and methods of manufacture are described herein. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a golf club head body, which includes a heel, a toe opposite the heel, a strike face including a leading edge, a rear opposite the strike face, and a hosel including a hosel axis extending through a center of the hosel and located at the heel. In this embodiment, the leading edge of the strike face is located approximately at the hosel axis or between the rear of the golf club head body and the hosel axis. Other embodiments and related methods are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a golf club head body comprising;

a heel;

a toe opposite the heel;

a strike face comprising a leading edge;

a rear opposite the strike face; and

a hosel comprising a hosel axis and located at the heel and approximately at or in front of the leading edge;

wherein;

a toe-heel distance is equal to a distance between a first point at the toe and a second point at the heel;

a front-rear distance is equal to a distance between a third point at the strike face and a fourth point at the rear;

the golf club head body comprises;

a first ratio of a moment of inertia of the golf club head body versus a mass of the golf club head body greater than approximately 12 cm² when a density of the golf club head body is equal to a first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to a first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to a first front-rear distance;

a second ratio of the moment of inertia versus a volume of the golf club head body greater than approximately 25 g/cm when the density of the golf club head body is equal to the first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to the first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to the first front-rear distance; and

a third ratio of a first distance versus a second distance greater than approximately 0.7;

the first distance is measured as a shortest distance between a first plane intersecting the hosel axis and a center of gravity of the golf club head body;

the second distance is measured as a shortest distance between a second plane intersecting the leading edge of the strike face and the center of gravity;

the first and second planes are perpendicular to a third plane representing a ground surface when the golf club head body is at an address position and when the density of the golf club head body is equal to the first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to the first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to the first front-rear distance; and

the volume of the golf club head body is between 60 cm³ and 150 cm³.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first ratio is greater than or equal to approximately 13 cm² when the density of the golf club head body is equal to the first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to the first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to the first front-rear distance.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first ratio is approximately 13 cm² to approximately 15 cm² when the density of the golf club head body is equal to the first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to the first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to the first front-rear distance.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second ratio is greater than or equal to approximately 27 g/cm when the density of the golf club head body is equal to the first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to the first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to the first front-rear distance.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second ratio is approximately 29 g/cm to approximately 33 g/cm when the density of the golf club head body is equal to the first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to the first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to the first front-rear distance.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third ratio is greater than or equal to approximately 0.8 when the density of the golf club head body is equal to the first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to the first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to the first front-rear distance.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third ratio is approximately 0.8 to approximately 1.0 when the density of the golf club head body is equal to the first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to the first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to the first front-rear distance.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the golf club head body comprises a hybrid golf club head body.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the golf club head body is hollow.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a weight inside the golf club head body.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a shaft coupled to the hosel.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the golf club head body is a hollow, hybrid golf club head body.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first distance of the golf club head body is at least approximately 1.88 cm; and

the second distance of the golf club head body is at least approximately 1.96 cm.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a hollow golf club head body comprising;

a heel;

a toe opposite the heel;

a strike face comprising a leading edge, having a loft angle, and located between the heel and the toe;

a rear between the heel and the toe and opposite the strike face;

a hosel comprising a hosel axis and located at the heel; and

a moment of inertia, a mass, a volume, and a center of gravity;

wherein;

a toe-heel distance is equal to a distance between a first point at the toe and a second point at the heel;

a front-rear distance is equal to a distance between a third point at the strike face and a fourth point at the rear;

the leading edge of the strike face is located approximately at the hosel axis or between the rear of the hollow golf club head body and the hosel axis;

the hollow golf club head body is characterized by;

a second ratio of the moment of inertia versus the volume greater than or equal to approximately 27 g/cm when a density of the hollow golf club head body is equal to a first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to a first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to a first front-rear distance; and

a third ratio of a first distance versus a second distance is greater than or equal to approximately 0.8;

the first distance is measured as a shortest distance between the center of gravity and a first vertical plane that extends through the hosel axis and that is normal to a horizontal plane representing a ground surface when the hollow golf club head body is at an address position;

the second distance is measured as a shortest distance between the center of gravity and a second vertical plane that extends through the leading edge of the strike face and that is normal to the horizontal plane representing the ground surface when the hollow golf club head body is at the address position and when the density of the hollow golf club head body is equal to the first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to the first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to the first front-rear distance; and

the volume of the hollow golf club head body is between 60 cm³ and 150 cm³.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a first ratio of the moment of inertia versus the mass is greater than or equal to approximately 13 cm² when the density of the hollow golf club head body is equal to the first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to the first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to the first front-rear distance.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first ratio is approximately 13 cm² to approximately 15 cm² when the density of the hollow golf club head body is equal to the first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to the first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to the first front-rear distance.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second ratio is approximately 29 g/cm to approximately 33 g/cm when the density of the hollow golf club head body is equal to the first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to the first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to the first front-rear distance.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the third ratio is approximately 0.8 to approximately 1.0 when the density of the hollow golf club head body is equal to the first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to the first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to the first front-rear distance.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the hollow golf club head body comprises a hollow, hybrid golf club head body.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a weight inside the hollow golf club head body.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a golf club shaft coupled to the hosel.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a widest portion of the hollow golf club head body is at least one of:

located at the toe;

located closer to the toe than the heel;

or

located between the toe and a midpoint between the toe and the heel.

26. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the first distance of the hollow golf club head body is at least approximately 1.88 cm; and

the second distance of the hollow golf club head body is at least approximately 1.96 cm.

21. A method comprising:

forming a hybrid golf club head body comprising;

a heel;

a toe opposite the heel;

a strike face comprising a leading edge;

a rear opposite the strike face; and

a hosel comprising a hosel axis and located at the heel;

wherein;

a toe-heel distance is equal to a distance between a first point at the toe and a second point at the heel;

a front-rear distance is equal to a distance between a third point at the strike face and a fourth point at the rear;

the leading edge of the strike face is located approximately at the hosel axis or between the rear of the hybrid golf club head body and the hosel axis;

the hybrid golf club head body is characterized by;

a first ratio of a moment of inertia of the hybrid golf club head body versus a mass of the hybrid golf club head body greater than approximately 12 cm² when a density of the hybrid golf club head body is equal to a first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to a first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to a first front-rear distance;

a second ratio of the moment of inertia versus a volume of the hybrid golf club head body greater than approximately 25 g/cm when the density of the hybrid golf club head body is equal to the first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to the first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to the first front-rear distance; and

a third ratio of a first distance versus a second distance greater than approximately 0.7;

the first distance is measured as a shortest distance between a first plane intersecting the hosel axis and a center of gravity of the hybrid golf club head body;

the second distance is measured as a shortest distance between a second plane intersecting the leading edge of the strike face and the center of gravity;

the first and second planes are perpendicular to a third plane representing a ground surface when the hybrid golf club head body is at an address position and when the density of the hybrid golf club head body is equal to the first density, the toe-heel distance is equal to the first toe-heel distance, and the front-rear distance is equal to the first front-rear distance;

the first distance of the hybrid golf club head body is at least approximately 1.88 cm;

the second distance of the hybrid golf club head body is at least approximately 1.96 cm; and

the volume of the hybrid golf club head body is between 60 cm³ and 150 cm³.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

coupling a golf club shaft to the hosel.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein:

forming the hybrid golf club head body further comprises;

coupling the strike face to another portion of the hybrid golf club head body.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein:

forming the hybrid golf club head body comprises;

forming a hollow, hybrid golf club head body.