Golf clubs and golf club heads having a configured shape

• US 8,961,337 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Stites, John T., Tavares, Gary G.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US13/555,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20130012334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 473/328, 473/324, 473345-346, 473/349
• US Class Current: 473/345
• 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 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities

Abstract

Aspects of this disclosure relate to a golf club head which includes a wood type golf club head body including a ball striking face portion at a front side, a rear side, a crown portion, and a sole portion. Further, the sole or crown or rear portion of the club head body may be configured so that the body includes a bump portion which protrudes from the sole or crown or rear portion and an indented portion which recedes into the sole or crown or rear portion and creates a recess in the sole or crown or rear portion of the body. Further, the bump portion and the indented portion may be configured so that a center of gravity of the golf club head body is nearer to one of the heel edge of the body and the toe edge of the body.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a wood type golf club head body including a ball striking face portion at a front side thereof, a rear side opposite the front side, a crown portion, and a sole portion;

wherein the sole portion of the golf club head body is configured so that the golf club head body includes;

a bump that protrudes from the sole portion;

an indentation that recedes into the sole portion and creates a recess in the sole portion of the golf club head body;

further wherein the bump and the indentation are configured so that a center of gravity of the club head body is nearer to one of a heel edge of the club head body or a toe edge of the club head body than to the other of the heel edge or the toe edge, and so that a majority of a volume and a majority of a mass of the club head body is located nearer to the one of the heel edge or the toe edge than to the other of the heel edge or the toe edge; and

further wherein the entire bump and the entire indentation are positioned on opposite sides of a plane generally perpendicular to the ball striking portion.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the bump is nearer to the heel edge than the toe edge of the club head body and the indentation is nearer to the toe edge than the heel edge so that the majority of the volume and the majority of the mass of the club head body are nearer to the heel edge than the toe edge.

3. The golf club head according to claim 2, wherein the bump and the indentation are separated from each other by a base surface of the sole portion so that the bump and the indentation are positioned a distance apart from each other.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the indentation and the bump are symmetrical with each other relative to a centerline of the sole portion of the golf club head body.

5. The golf club head according to claim 2, wherein one of the bump or the indentation is closer to the ball striking face while the other of the bump or the indentation is closer to the rear side.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a volume of the recess of the indentation is equal to a volume of the bump.

7. The golf club head according to claim 2, wherein a thickness of the bump is greater than a thickness of the indentation.

8. The golf club head according to claim 2, wherein the bump includes a material of higher density than other material or materials that comprise the golf club head body.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the bump is nearer to the toe edge than the heel edge and the indentation is nearer to the heel edge than the toe edge so that the majority of the volume and the majority of the mass of the club head body are nearer to the toe edge than the heel edge.

10. The golf club head according to claim 9, wherein the bump and the indentation are separated from each other by a base surface of the sole portion so that the bump and the indentation are positioned a distance apart from each other.

11. The golf club head according to claim 9, wherein the indentation and the bump are symmetrical with each other relative to a centerline of the sole portion of the golf club head body.

12. The golf club head according to claim 9, wherein one of the bump or the indentation is closer to the ball striking face while the other of the bump or the indentation is closer to the rear side.

13. The golf club head according to claim 9, wherein a volume of the recess of the indentation is equal to a volume of the bump.

14. The golf club head according to claim 9, wherein a thickness of the bump is greater than a thickness of the indentation.

15. The golf club head according to claim 9, wherein the bump includes a material of higher density than other material or materials that comprise the golf club head body.

16. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the bump and the indentation are separated from each other by a base surface of the sole portion so that the bump and the indentation are positioned a distance apart from each other.

17. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the bump is greater than a thickness of the indentation.

18. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the bump includes a material of higher density than other material or materials that comprise the golf club head body.

19. A golf club comprising:

a golf club head according claim 1; and

a shaft engaged with the golf club head.

20. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the bump and the indentation are separated from each other by a base surface of the sole portion so that the bump and the indentation are positioned a distance apart from each other, wherein a thickness of the bump is greater than a thickness of the indentation, and wherein the bump includes a material of higher density than other material or materials that comprise the golf club head body.

21. A golf club head comprising:

a wood type golf club head body including a ball striking face portion at a front side thereof, a rear side opposite the front side, a crown portion, and a sole portion;

wherein the sole portion of the golf club head body is configured so that the golf club head body includes;

a bump that protrudes from the sole portion;

an indentation that recedes into the sole portion and creates a recess in the sole portion of the golf club head body;

further wherein the bump and the indentation are configured so that a center of gravity of the club head body is nearer to one of a heel edge of the club head body or a toe edge of the club head body;

wherein the bump includes a material of higher density than other material or materials that comprise the golf club head body; and

wherein the entire bump and the entire indentation are positioned on opposite sides of a plane generally perpendicular to the ball striking portion.

22. The golf club head according to claim 21, wherein the bump and the indentation are separated from each other by a base surface of the sole portion so that the bump and the indentation are positioned a distance apart from each other.

23. The golf club head according to claim 21, wherein a thickness of the bump is greater than a thickness of the indentation.

24. The golf club head according to claim 21, wherein the bump and the indentation are separated from each other by a base surface of the sole portion so that the bump and the indentation are positioned a distance apart from each other, wherein a thickness of the bump is greater than a thickness of the indentation.

25. A golf club head comprising:

a wood type golf club head body including a ball striking face portion at a front side thereof, a rear side opposite the front side, a crown portion, and a sole portion;

wherein the sole portion of the golf club head body is configured so that the golf club head body includes;

a bump that protrudes from the sole portion;

an indentation that recedes into the sole portion and creates a recess in the sole portion of the golf club head body;

further wherein the bump and the indentation are configured so that a center of gravity of the club head body is nearer to one of a heel edge of the club head body or a toe edge of the club head body;

wherein the bump is nearer to the heel edge than the toe edge of the club head body and the indentation is nearer to the toe edge than the heel edge so that a majority of a volume and a majority of a mass of the club head body are nearer to the heel edge than the toe edge;

wherein the entire indentation and the entire bump are symmetrical with each other relative to a centerline of the sole portion of the golf club head body.

26. A golf club head comprising:

a wood type golf club head body including a ball striking face portion at a front side thereof, a rear side opposite the front side, a crown portion, and a sole portion;

wherein the sole portion of the golf club head body is configured so that the golf club head body includes;

a bump that protrudes from the sole portion;

an indentation that recedes into the sole portion and creates a recess in the sole portion of the golf club head body;

further wherein the bump and the indentation are configured so that a center of gravity of the club head body is nearer to one of a heel edge of the club head body or a toe edge of the club head body;

wherein the bump is nearer to the heel edge than the toe edge of the club head body and the indentation is nearer to the toe edge than the heel edge so that a majority of a volume and a majority of a mass of the club head body are nearer to the heel edge than the toe edge;

wherein a volume of the recess of the indentation is equal to a volume of the bump; and

wherein the entire bump and the entire indentation are positioned on opposite sides of a plane generally perpendicular to the ball striking portion.

27. A golf club head comprising:

a wood type golf club head body including a ball striking face portion at a front side thereof, a rear side opposite the front side, a crown portion, and a sole portion;

wherein the sole portion of the golf club head body is configured so that the golf club head body includes;

a bump that protrudes from the sole portion;

an indentation that recedes into the sole portion and creates a recess in the sole portion of the golf club head body;

further wherein the bump and the indentation are configured so that a center of gravity of the club head body is nearer to one of a heel edge of the club head body or a toe edge of the club head body;

wherein the bump is nearer to the heel edge than the toe edge of the club head body and the indentation is nearer to the toe edge than the heel edge so that a majority of a volume and a majority of a mass of the club head body are nearer to the heel edge than the toe edge;

wherein a thickness of the bump is greater than a thickness of the indentation; and

wherein the entire bump and the entire indentation are positioned on opposite sides of a plane generally perpendicular to the ball striking portion.