Golf club and golf club head with a crown recessed feature

• US 9,011,265 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2013
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Stites, John T., Boyd, Robert, Sander, Raymond J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US13/905,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20130324307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 473/327, 473/350, 473/349, 473/348, 473/345
• US Class Current: 473/327
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• 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 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/006 Surfaces specially adapted for reducing air resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club includes a shaft and a club head. The club head includes a ball striking face, a heel, a toe, a rear, and a crown. The crown may include a substantially horizontally-oriented forward crown region extending rearwardly from the ball striking face. The crown further may include a primary recessed feature located rearward of the forward crown region and extending from the heel to the toe of the club head. The recessed feature may have a floor and a front wall extending upward from the floor to the forward crown region. The crown may further include a substantially horizontally-oriented rearward crown region extending forwardly from the rear of the club head. The recessed feature may be located between the forward crown region and the rearward crown region. A back wall of the recessed feature may extend upward from the floor to the rearward crown region.

Claims

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

a ball striking face, a heel, a toe, a rear, and a crown,

the crown including;

a substantially horizontally-oriented forward crown region extending rearwardly from the ball striking face;

a substantially horizontally-oriented rearward crown region extending forwardly from the rear; and

a primary recessed feature located between the forward crown region and the rearward crown region and extending from the heel to the toe, the recessed feature having a floor, a front wall extending upward from the floor to the forward crown region, and a back wall extending upward from the floor to the rearward crown region,

wherein at least a portion of the front wall has a rearward slant, such that at least a portion of the forward crown region forms an overhang that extends over at least a portion of the floor of the primary recessed feature, and

wherein a maximum breadth dimension of the overhang ranges from 50% to 80% of a maximum lower breadth dimension of the primary recessed feature.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a maximum breadth dimension of the overhang ranges from 10 mm to 50 mm.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a maximum lower breadth dimension of the primary recessed feature ranges from 10 mm to 50 mm.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a maximum upper breadth dimension of the primary recessed feature ranges from 10 mm to 70 mm.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the back wall has a rearward slant.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a maximum height dimension of the front wall ranges from 10 mm to 60 mm.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a maximum height dimension of the back wall ranges from 5 mm to 50 mm.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1, further comprising:

a secondary recessed feature extending from the primary recessed feature toward the rear of the club head.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the rearward crown region is formed as two regions.

10. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a front upper edge of the primary recessed feature, when viewed from above, has a rearward-facing convex profile.

11. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a front upper edge of the primary recessed feature, when viewed from above, has a substantially chevron-shaped profile pointed rearwardly.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the chevron-shaped profile is approximately centered on a centerline of the club head.

13. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a front lower edge of the primary recessed feature, when viewed from above, has a linear profile.

14. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a front lower edge of the primary recessed feature, when viewed from above, has a chevron-shaped profile pointed rearwardly.

15. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a back lower edge of the primary recessed feature, when viewed from above, has a linear profile.

16. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a back lower edge of the primary recessed feature, when viewed from above, has a chevron-shaped profile pointed rearwardly.

17. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a back upper edge of the primary recessed feature, when viewed from above, has a forward-facing concave profile.

18. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a back upper edge of the primary recessed feature, when viewed from above, has a chevron-shaped profile pointed rearwardly.

19. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the heel-side end of the primary recessed feature is located within the middle 50% of the total breadth of the club head.

20. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the club head has a round head profile, when viewed from above.

21. A golf club comprising:

a shaft; and

a golf club head attached to the shaft, the golf club head including;

a ball striking face, a heel, a toe, a rear, and a crown,

the crown including;

a substantially horizontally-oriented forward crown region extending rearwardly from the ball striking face;

a substantially horizontally-oriented rearward crown region extending forwardly from the rear;

a primary recessed feature located between the forward crown region and the rearward crown region and extending from the heel to the toe, the recessed feature having a floor, a front wall extending upward from the floor to the forward crown region, and a back wall extending upward from the floor to the rearward crown region; and

a secondary recessed feature extending from the primary recessed feature toward the rear of the club head.

22. The golf club according to claim 21, wherein at least a portion of the front wall has a rearward slant, such that at least a portion of the forward crown region forms an overhang that extends over at least a portion of the floor of the primary recessed feature.

23. The golf club according to claim 22, wherein a maximum breadth dimension of the overhang ranges from 50% to 80% of a maximum lower breadth dimension of the primary recessed feature.

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

a ball striking face, a heel, a toe, a rear, and a crown,

the crown including;

a substantially horizontally-oriented forward crown region extending rearwardly from the ball striking face; and

a primary recessed feature located rearwardly of the forward crown region and extending from the heel to the toe, the recessed feature having a floor and a front wall extending upward from the floor to the forward crown region,

wherein at least a portion of the front wall of the primary recessed feature has a rearward slant, such that at least a portion of the forward crown region forms an overhang that extends over at least a portion of the floor of the primary recessed feature, and

wherein a front upper edge of the primary recessed feature, when viewed from above, has a substantially chevron-shaped profile pointed rearwardly.

25. The golf club head of claim 24, wherein a maximum breadth dimension of the overhang ranges from 10 mm to 50 mm.

26. The golf club head according to claim 24, wherein a maximum height dimension of the front wall ranges from 10 mm to 60 mm.

27. The golf club head according to claim 24, wherein, at least a portion of the front wall has a concave curvature, when viewed from a side.

28. The golf club head according to claim 24, wherein, at least a portion of the front wall has a linear profile, when viewed from a side.

29. The golf club head according to claim 24, wherein the chevron-shaped profile is approximately centered on a centerline of the club head.