Golf club assembly and golf club with aerodynamic features

• US 8,821,309 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Boyd, Robert, Stites, John Thomas, Tavares, Gary G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/945,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20110281664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, D21/752, D21/733, D21/759
• 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 53/0408 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

Abstract

A golf club head may include a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, a back, and a hosel region located at the intersection of the ball striking face, the heel, the crown and the sole. The crown may have a relatively round rear-side edge profile, as viewed from above. The sole may have a relatively square rear-side edge profile, as viewed from below. The rear-side edge of the sole may extend rearwardly beyond the rear-side edge of the crown along at least a portion of the back, as viewed from above. Further, the heel may have an airfoil-like surface in the forward portion of the heel. A golf club including the golf club head is also provided.

Claims

1. A golf club head for a metal wood type club, the club head comprising:

a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, a back and a hosel region located at the intersection of the ball striking face, the heel, the crown and the sole;

the crown having a relatively round rear-side edge profile, as viewed from above, wherein the crown includes an elongated hosel fairing that extends from the hosel region at an angle of from approximately 10 degrees to approximately 80 degrees from a moment-of-impact trajectory direction;

the sole having a relatively square rear-side edge profile, as viewed from below, wherein the rear-side edge of the sole extends rearwardly beyond the rear-side edge of the crown along at least a portion of the back, as viewed from above; and

a diffuser that extends at least across a majority of the heel-to-toe width of the sole at an angle of from approximately 15 degrees to approximately 75 degrees from a moment-of-impact trajectory direction, wherein the diffuser extends to a toe-side edge of the crown.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a volume of 400 cc or greater and a club breadth-to-face length ratio of 0.90 or greater.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the heel has an airfoil surface in a forward portion of the heel.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a substantially U-shaped, concave groove is provided between the relatively round rear-side edge of the crown and the relatively square rear-side edge of the sole.

5. 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.

6. A golf club head for a metal wood type club, 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 body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, a back and a hosel region located at the intersection of the ball striking face, the heel, the crown and the sole;

a recessed diffuser that extends to a toe-side edge of the crown and extends at least across a majority of the heel-to-toe width of the sole;

the heel having an airfoil surface in a forward portion of the heel;

the crown having a rear-side crown edge that transitions to one of the heel and the toe with a first crown transition profile, as viewed from above, in a crown transition region;

the sole having a rear-side sole edge that transitions to one of the heel and the toe with a first sole transition profile, as viewed from below, in a first sole transition region that is less smoothly curving than the crown transition profile.

7. The golf club head of claim 6,

wherein the rear-side crown edge has one of a generally rounded profile when viewed from above, and

wherein the rear-side sole edge and the first sole transition from a generally squared-off profile when viewed from below.

8. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the first sole transition region extends rearwardly beyond the first crown transition region, as viewed from above.

9. The golf club head of claim 6,

wherein the rear-side crown edge transitions to the other of the heel and the toe with a second crown transition profile, as viewed from above, in a second crown transition region, and

wherein the rear-side sole edge transitions to the other of the heel and the toe with a second sole transition profile, as viewed from below, in a second sole transition region that is less smoothly curving than the second crown transition profile.

10. The golf club head of claim 9,

wherein the first sole transition region extends rearwardly beyond the first crown transition region, as viewed from above;

and

wherein the second sole transition region extends rearwardly beyond the second crown transition region, as viewed from above.

11. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein a geometric center is defined on the ball striking face, and wherein, at a position rearwardly aligned with the geometric center, a transition region of the crown to the back is one of an abrupt transition and a sharp transition, as viewed from the side.

12. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein a geometric center is defined on the ball striking face, and wherein, at a position rearwardly aligned with the geometric center, a transition region of the sole to the back forms a rearwardly tapered projection, as viewed from the side.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein a surface of the back in the transition region of the sole to the back is concave, as viewed from the side.

14. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein a geometric center is defined on the ball striking face, and wherein, at a position rearwardly aligned with the geometric center, a transition region of the crown to the back is one of an abrupt transition and a sharp transition, as viewed from the side, and a transition region of the sole to the back forms a rearwardly tapered projection, as viewed from the side.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the back includes a substantially U-shaped, concave groove.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the back further includes a tapered projection extending rearwardly from the substantially U-shaped, concave groove.

17. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the back includes a substantially U-shaped, concave groove that extends across the entirety of the back.

18. The golf club head of claim 6, further including an elongated hosel fairing that extends from the hosel region at an angle of from approximately 10 degrees to approximately 80 degrees from a moment-of-impact trajectory direction.

19. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the diffuser extends at least across a majority of the heel-to-toe width of the sole at an angle of from approximately 15 degrees to approximately 75 degrees from a moment-of-impact trajectory direction.

20. A golf club comprising:

a shaft; and

the golf club head according to claim 8, wherein the golf club head is secured to a first end of the shaft.

21. A golf club head for a metal wood type club, the club head comprising:

a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, a back and a hosel region located at the intersection of the ball striking face, the heel, the crown and the sole;

the crown having a relatively round rear-side edge profile, as viewed from above, wherein the crown includes an elongated hosel fairing that extends from the hosel region at an angle of from approximately 10 degrees to approximately 80 degrees from a moment-of-impact trajectory direction; and

further including a diffuser that extends at least across a majority of the heel-to-toe width of the sole at an angle of from approximately 15 degrees to approximately 75 degrees from a moment-of-impact trajectory direction, wherein the diffuser extends to a toe-side edge of the crown.

22. The golf club head of claim 21, the sole having a relatively square rear-side edge profile, as viewed from below, wherein the rear-side edge of the sole extends rearwardly beyond the rear-side edge of the crown along at least a portion of the back, as viewed from above.

23. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the golf club head has a volume of 400 cc or greater and a club breadth-to-face length ratio of 0.90 or greater.

24. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the heel has an airfoil surface in a forward portion of the heel.

25. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein a substantially U-shaped, concave groove is provided between the relatively round rear-side edge of the crown and the relatively square rear-side edge of the sole.

26. A golf club comprising:

a shaft; and

the golf club head according to claim 21, wherein the golf club head is secured to a first end of the shaft.