Golf club head having a stress reducing feature with aperture
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A hollow golf club having a stress reducing feature with aperture comprising:
- (A) a shaft (200) having a proximal end (210) and a distal end (220);
(B) a grip (300) attached to the shaft proximal end (210); and
(C) a golf club head (400) having(i) a face (500) positioned at a front portion (402) of the golf club head (400) where the golf club head (400) impacts a golf ball, wherein the face (500) has a loft of at least 12 degrees and no more than 30 degrees, and wherein the face (400) includes an engineered impact point (EIP), a top edge height (TEH), and a lower edge height (LEH);
(ii) a sole (700) positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head (400);
(iii) a crown (600) positioned at a top portion of the golf club head (400);
(iv) a skirt (800) positioned around a portion of a periphery of the golf club head (400) between the sole (700) and the crown (600), wherein the face (500), sole (700), crown (600), and skirt (800) define an outer shell that further defines a head volume that is less than 300 cubic centimeters, and wherein the golf club head (400) has a rear portion (404) opposite the face (500);
(v) a bore having a center that defines a shaft axis (SA) which intersects with a horizontal ground plane (GP) to define an origin point, wherein the bore is located at a heel side (406) of the golf club head (400) and receives the shaft distal end (220) for attachment to the golf club head (400), and wherein a toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) is located opposite of the heel side (406);
(vi) a club head (400) mass of less than 270 grams;
(vii) a center of gravity (CG) located;
(a) vertically toward the crown (600) of the golf club head (400) from the origin point a distance Ycg;
(b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) a distance Xcg that is generally parallel to the face (500) and the ground plane (GP); and
(c) a distance Zcg from the origin toward the rear portion (404) in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg;
(viii) the engineered impact point (EIP) located;
(a) vertically toward the crown (600) of the golf club head (400) from the origin point a distance Yeip;
(b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) a distance Xeip that is generally parallel to the face (500) and the ground plane (GP); and
(c) a distance Zeip from the origin toward the face (500) in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg;
(ix) a stress reducing feature (1000) including a sole located SRF (1300), wherein;
(a) the sole located SRF (1300) has a SSRF length (1310) between a SSRF toe-most point (1312) and a SSRF heel-most point (1316), a SSRF leading edge (1320) having a SSRF leading edge offset (1322), a SSRF width (1340), and a SSRF depth (1350);
(b) the sole located SRF (1300) has a SSRF aperture (1400) recessed from the sole (700) and extending through the outer shell, wherein the SSRF aperture (1400) is located at a SSRF aperture depth (1450) measured vertically from the lower edge height (LEH) toward the center of gravity (CG), wherein at least a portion of the SSRF aperture (1400) has the SSRF aperture depth (1450) greater than zero, and the SSRF aperture (1400) has a SSRF aperture length (1410) between a SSRF aperture toe-most point (1412) and a SSRF aperture heel-most point (1416) that is at least fifty percent of the Xcg distance, and a SSRF aperture width (1440) separating a SSRF aperture leading edge (1420) from a SSRF aperture trailing edge (1430).
15 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hollow golf club incorporating a stress reducing feature including an aperture located on the crown or sole of the club head. The location and size of the stress reducing feature and aperture, and their relationship to one another, play a significant role in selectively increasing deflection of the face.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A hollow golf club having a stress reducing feature with aperture comprising:
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(A) a shaft (200) having a proximal end (210) and a distal end (220); (B) a grip (300) attached to the shaft proximal end (210); and (C) a golf club head (400) having (i) a face (500) positioned at a front portion (402) of the golf club head (400) where the golf club head (400) impacts a golf ball, wherein the face (500) has a loft of at least 12 degrees and no more than 30 degrees, and wherein the face (400) includes an engineered impact point (EIP), a top edge height (TEH), and a lower edge height (LEH); (ii) a sole (700) positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head (400); (iii) a crown (600) positioned at a top portion of the golf club head (400); (iv) a skirt (800) positioned around a portion of a periphery of the golf club head (400) between the sole (700) and the crown (600), wherein the face (500), sole (700), crown (600), and skirt (800) define an outer shell that further defines a head volume that is less than 300 cubic centimeters, and wherein the golf club head (400) has a rear portion (404) opposite the face (500); (v) a bore having a center that defines a shaft axis (SA) which intersects with a horizontal ground plane (GP) to define an origin point, wherein the bore is located at a heel side (406) of the golf club head (400) and receives the shaft distal end (220) for attachment to the golf club head (400), and wherein a toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) is located opposite of the heel side (406); (vi) a club head (400) mass of less than 270 grams; (vii) a center of gravity (CG) located; (a) vertically toward the crown (600) of the golf club head (400) from the origin point a distance Ycg; (b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) a distance Xcg that is generally parallel to the face (500) and the ground plane (GP); and (c) a distance Zcg from the origin toward the rear portion (404) in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg; (viii) the engineered impact point (EIP) located; (a) vertically toward the crown (600) of the golf club head (400) from the origin point a distance Yeip; (b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) a distance Xeip that is generally parallel to the face (500) and the ground plane (GP); and (c) a distance Zeip from the origin toward the face (500) in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg; (ix) a stress reducing feature (1000) including a sole located SRF (1300), wherein; (a) the sole located SRF (1300) has a SSRF length (1310) between a SSRF toe-most point (1312) and a SSRF heel-most point (1316), a SSRF leading edge (1320) having a SSRF leading edge offset (1322), a SSRF width (1340), and a SSRF depth (1350); (b) the sole located SRF (1300) has a SSRF aperture (1400) recessed from the sole (700) and extending through the outer shell, wherein the SSRF aperture (1400) is located at a SSRF aperture depth (1450) measured vertically from the lower edge height (LEH) toward the center of gravity (CG), wherein at least a portion of the SSRF aperture (1400) has the SSRF aperture depth (1450) greater than zero, and the SSRF aperture (1400) has a SSRF aperture length (1410) between a SSRF aperture toe-most point (1412) and a SSRF aperture heel-most point (1416) that is at least fifty percent of the Xcg distance, and a SSRF aperture width (1440) separating a SSRF aperture leading edge (1420) from a SSRF aperture trailing edge (1430). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A hollow golf club having a stress reducing feature with aperture comprising:
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(A) a shaft (200) having a proximal end (210) and a distal end (220); (B) a grip (300) attached to the shaft proximal end (210); and (C) a golf club head (400) having (i) a face (500) positioned at a front portion (402) of the golf club head (400) where the golf club head (400) impacts a golf ball, wherein the face (500) has a loft of at least 12 degrees and no more than 30 degrees, and wherein the face (400) includes an engineered impact point (EIP), a top edge height (TEH), and a lower edge height (LEH); (ii) a sole (700) positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head (400); (iii) a crown (600) positioned at a top portion of the golf club head (400); (iv) a skirt (800) positioned around a portion of a periphery of the golf club head (400) between the sole (700) and the crown (600), wherein the face (500), sole (700), crown (600), and skirt (800) define an outer shell that further defines a head volume that is less than 300 cubic centimeters, and wherein the golf club head (400) has a rear portion (404) opposite the face (500); (v) a bore having a center that defines a shaft axis (SA) which intersects with a horizontal ground plane (GP) to define an origin point, wherein the bore is located at a heel side (406) of the golf club head (400) and receives the shaft distal end (220) for attachment to the golf club head (400), and wherein a toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) is located opposite of the heel side (406); (vi) a club head (400) mass of less than 270 grams; (vii) a center of gravity (CG) located; (a) vertically toward the crown (600) of the golf club head (400) from the origin point a distance Ycg; (b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) a distance Xcg that is generally parallel to the face (500) and the ground plane (GP); and (c) a distance Zcg from the origin toward the rear portion (404) in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg; (viii) the engineered impact point (EIP) located; (a) vertically toward the crown (600) of the golf club head (400) from the origin point a distance Yeip; (b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) a distance Xeip that is generally parallel to the face (500) and the ground plane (GP); and (c) a distance Zeip from the origin toward the face (500) in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg; (ix) a stress reducing feature (1000) including a crown located SRF (1100), wherein; (a) the crown located SRF (1100) has a CSRF length (1110) between a CSRF toe-most point (1112) and a CSRF heel-most point (1116), a CSRF leading edge (1120) having a CSRF leading edge offset (1122), a CSRF width (1140), and a CSRF depth (1150); (b) the crown located SRF (1100) has a CSRF aperture (1200) recessed from the crown (600) and extending through the outer shell, wherein the CSRF aperture (1200) is located at a CSRF aperture depth (1250) measured vertically from the top edge height (TEH) toward the center of gravity (CG), wherein at least a portion of the CSRF aperture (1200) has the CSRF aperture depth (1250) greater than zero, and the CSRF aperture (1200) has a CSRF aperture length (1210) between a CSRF aperture toe-most point (1212) and a CSRF aperture heel-most point (1216) that is at least fifty percent of the Xcg distance, and a CSRF aperture width (1240) separating a CSRF aperture leading edge (1220) from a CSRF aperture trailing edge (1230). - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification