Golf club head or other ball striking device having impact-influencing body features
First Claim
1. A wood-type golf club head comprising:
- a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball;
a body connected to the face and defining an enclosed volume between the face and the body, the body having a sole configured to confront a playing surface in use;
an inwardly recessed channel located on the sole of the body, wherein the channel is elongated and oriented generally parallel to a bottom edge of the face; and
an insert mounted within the channel, the insert comprising a resiliently deflectable base member and a rigid outer member connected to the base member and forming at least a portion of an outer surface of the insert,wherein the body further comprises a keel positioned along a center of the sole and extending rearward from the channel across at least a portion of the sole, wherein the keel is configured to be a lowest surface of the body in use, and at least a portion of the keel is raised with respect to adjacent surfaces of the sole.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head with a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball, a body connected to the face, an elongated, inwardly recessed channel located on the body and extending across a portion of the body, and an insert mounted within the channel. The insert includes a resiliently deflectable base member that engages the channel to retain the insert within the channel and a rigid outer member connected to the base member and forming at least a portion of the outer surface of the insert, where the outer member is made from a different material than the base member. Additionally, the insert has an outer surface that is substantially flush with at least one immediately adjacent surface of the body.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A wood-type golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face and defining an enclosed volume between the face and the body, the body having a sole configured to confront a playing surface in use; an inwardly recessed channel located on the sole of the body, wherein the channel is elongated and oriented generally parallel to a bottom edge of the face; and an insert mounted within the channel, the insert comprising a resiliently deflectable base member and a rigid outer member connected to the base member and forming at least a portion of an outer surface of the insert, wherein the body further comprises a keel positioned along a center of the sole and extending rearward from the channel across at least a portion of the sole, wherein the keel is configured to be a lowest surface of the body in use, and at least a portion of the keel is raised with respect to adjacent surfaces of the sole. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face, the body having a top, a sole, a heel, and a toe, the body and the face defining an internal cavity; an elongated, inwardly recessed channel located on the sole and extending across a portion of the sole, wherein the body has a thin-wall construction, such that the channel creates a raised portion on an interior surface of the body; and an insert mounted within the channel, the insert comprising a resiliently deflectable base member, wherein the insert engages the channel to retain the insert within the channel, and wherein the insert is exposed to an exterior of the body, wherein the channel further comprises a slot positioned within the channel, and the insert further comprises a projection extending from the base member and received within the slot to retain the insert within the channel. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face; an elongated, inwardly recessed channel located on the body and extending across a portion of the body; and an insert mounted within the channel, the insert comprising a base member that engages the channel to retain the insert within the channel and a rigid outer member connected to the base member and forming at least a portion of an outer surface of the insert, wherein the outer member is made from a different material than the base member, wherein the channel is elongated between a first end and a second end and is defined by two sides extending between the first and second ends, the channel having a width measured between the two sides, and wherein the outer member has a width that is smaller than the width of the channel, such that gaps exist between the outer member and the sides of the channel. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face; an elongated, inwardly recessed channel located on the body and extending across a portion of the body; and an insert mounted within the channel and engaging the channel to retain the insert within the channel, wherein the insert has an outer surface that is substantially flush with at least one immediately adjacent surface of the body, wherein the channel is elongated between a first end and a second end and is defined by two sides extending between the first and second ends, the channel comprising a trough inwardly recessed from the body and two depending side walls extending from the trough to immediately adjacent surfaces of the body at the sides of the channel. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A wood-type golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face and defining an enclosed volume between the face and the body, the body having a sole configured to confront a playing surface in use and a keel positioned along a center of the sole and extending rearward from the channel across at least a portion of the sole, wherein the keel is configured to be a lowest surface of the body in use, and at least a portion of the keel is raised with respect to adjacent surfaces of the sole, the keel having a tapered width that increases from the face toward a rear of the body; an inwardly recessed channel located on the sole of the body and extending transversely across the keel, wherein the channel is elongated between a first end and a second end and is defined by two sides extending between the first and second ends, and the channel is oriented generally parallel to the bottom edge of the face, the channel comprising a trough inwardly recessed from the body and two curvilinear depending side walls extending from the trough to the body at the sides of the channel, the channel further comprising a slot located in the trough; and an insert positioned within the channel and having a substantially flat outer surface and an inner surface contoured for surface-to-surface engagement with the trough and the side walls of the channel, the insert comprising a flexible rubber base member, a metallic plate member connected to the base member by a mating connection and forming at least a major portion of the outer surface of the insert, and a flexible rubber projection integrally formed with the base member, the projection extending from the base member and received within the slot to retain the insert within the channel, wherein the insert has an elongated length equal to the width of an adjacent section of the keel.
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43. A wood-type golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face and defining an enclosed volume between the face and the body, the body having a sole configured to confront a playing surface in use; an inwardly recessed channel located on the sole of the body, wherein the channel is elongated and oriented generally parallel to a bottom edge of the face; and an insert mounted within the channel, the insert comprising a resiliently deflectable base member and a rigid outer member connected to the base member and forming at least a portion of an outer surface of the insert, wherein the channel further comprises a slot positioned within the channel, and the insert further comprises a projection extending from the base member and received within the slot to retain the insert within the channel.
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44. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face; an elongated, inwardly recessed channel located on the body and extending across a portion of the body; and an insert mounted within the channel, the insert comprising a resiliently deflectable base member, wherein the insert engages the channel to retain the insert within the channel, wherein the base member is made from a resiliently deflectable material and an outer surface of the channel is configured for adhesion to the resiliently deflectable material, and wherein the outer surface of the channel is rough and contains a plurality of grooves, and wherein the resiliently deflectable material fills in the grooves to adhere the base member to the outer surface of the channel. - View Dependent Claims (45)
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46. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face; an elongated, inwardly recessed channel located on a surface of the body extending rearwardly from the face, the channel being positioned adjacent one of the peripheral edges of the face and extending across a portion of the body; and an insert mounted within the channel, the insert comprising a base member that engages the channel to retain the insert within the channel and a rigid outer member connected to the base member and forming at least a portion of an outer surface of the insert, wherein the outer member is made from a different material than the base member, wherein the channel further comprises a slot positioned within the channel, and the insert further comprises a projection extending from the base member and received within the slot to retain the insert within the channel.
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47. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face; an elongated, inwardly recessed channel located on the body and extending across a portion of the body; and an insert mounted within the channel, the insert comprising a base member that engages the channel to retain the insert within the channel and a rigid outer member connected to the base member and forming at least a portion of an outer surface of the insert, wherein the outer member is made from a different material than the base member, wherein the body further comprises a keel positioned along a center of the sole and extending rearward from the channel across at least a portion of the sole, wherein the keel is configured to be a lowest surface of the body in use, and at least a portion of the keel is raised with respect to adjacent surfaces of the sole. - View Dependent Claims (48)
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49. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face, the body having a top, a sole, a heel, and a toe; an elongated, inwardly recessed channel located on the sole and extending across a portion of the sole; and an insert mounted within the channel, the insert comprising a base member that engages the channel to retain the insert within the channel and a rigid outer member connected to the base member and forming at least a portion of an outer surface of the insert, wherein the outer member is made from a different material than the base member, wherein the outer member and the base member have complementary mating structures to connect the outer member to the base member, and wherein the outer member has a projection on an inner surface that is embedded within the base member in a complementary mating arrangement.
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50. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face; an elongated, inwardly recessed channel located on the body and extending across a portion of the body; and an insert mounted within the channel and engaging the channel to retain the insert within the channel, wherein the insert has an outer surface that is substantially flush with at least one immediately adjacent surface of the body wherein the body further comprises a keel positioned along a center of the sole and extending rearward from the channel across at least a portion of the sole, wherein the keel is configured to be a lowest surface of the body in use, and at least a portion of the keel is raised with respect to adjacent surfaces of the sole, and wherein the channel extends across the keel and the insert is positioned adjacent the keel such that the outer surface of the insert is substantially flush with a bottom surface of the keel.
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51. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face; an elongated, inwardly recessed channel located on the body and extending across a portion of the body; and an insert mounted within the channel, the insert comprising a resiliently deflectable base member, wherein the insert engages the channel to retain the insert within the channel, wherein the channel further comprises a slot positioned within the channel, and the insert further comprises a projection extending from the base member and received within the slot to retain the insert within the channel, and wherein the slot has an opening and the projection has an enlarged head that has a larger width than the opening, and wherein the projection is resiliently deflectable, and the enlarged head is configured to deform during insertion into the slot to allow the enlarged head to pass into the opening and to expand after the enlarged head has passed the opening to retain the projection within the slot.
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52. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face, the body having a top, a sole, a heel, and a toe; an elongated, inwardly recessed channel located on the sole and extending across a portion of the sole; and an insert mounted within the channel, the insert comprising a resiliently deflectable base member, wherein the insert engages the channel to retain the insert within the channel, wherein the channel further comprises a slot positioned within the channel, and the insert further comprises a projection extending from the base member and received within the slot to retain the insert within the channel, and wherein the projection has an enlarged head that is configured to engage an inner surface of the slot to retain the projection within the slot.
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Specification