Golf club and golf club head structures

• US 9,149,693 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Stites, John T., Boyd, Robert, Larson, Eric A., Brown, Kenneth W., Jones, Sherry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US13/665,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20130059678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• 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 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head has a body defining a ball striking face. The body further has a first leg extending away from the ball striking face and a second leg extending away from the ball striking face wherein a void is defined between the first leg and the second leg. The body further defines a crown that extends over the void.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body defining a ball striking face, a crown and a sole, the body further having a first leg extending away from the ball striking face and a second leg extending away from the ball striking face wherein a void is defined between the first leg and the second leg, the crown extending over the void, the void defining a first perimeter proximate an underside surface of the crown and the void defining a second perimeter proximate the sole, wherein the second perimeter is a different length than the first perimeter; and

wherein the first perimeter is in the range of 80%-90% of the second perimeter.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the second perimeter is greater than the first perimeter.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the first leg defines a first wall, the first wall extending between the crown and the sole, the first wall extending from an underside surface of the crown at an angle towards the sole.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the second leg defines a second wall, the second wall extending between the crown and the sole, the second wall extending from an underside surface of the crown at an angle towards the sole.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the first leg defines a first wall, the first wall extending between the crown and the sole, the first wall extending from an underside surface of the crown at an angle towards the sole, and wherein the second leg defines a second wall, the second wall extending between the crown and the sole, the second wall extending from an underside surface of the crown at an angle towards the sole.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein first leg defines a first wall and the second leg defines a second wall, the first wall and second wall extending from the underside surface of the crown at an angle.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the first leg defines a first wall and the second leg defines a second wall, the first wall extending away from an underside surface towards a heel of the body and the second wall extending away from an underside surface towards a toe of the body.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the body further defines an internal cavity, the first leg having a first wall extending between the crown and the sole, the first wall having a first inner surface facing into the internal cavity and a first outer surface facing into the void, the second wall having a second wall extending between the crown and the sole, the second wall having a second inner surface facing into the internal cavity and a second outer surface facing into the void.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the body further defines a bore receiving an adjustment member capable of adjusting a parameter of the golf club head, wherein the sole defines a pathway surface positioned generally adjacent the bore, the pathway surface being void of interruption.

10. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the crown extends over the first leg and the second leg.

11. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the crown is dimensioned such that the void is not visible at an address position.

12. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the void is visible from an underside of the club head.

13. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the body is an integral piece.

14. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the crown completely covers the first leg, the second leg and the void.

15. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the crown defines a rear of the club head having an outermost periphery of the club head.

16. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the void is a generally v-shaped.

17. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the body defines a rear and an interface area proximate a central region of the body, and wherein the void has a first width proximate the interface area and a second width proximate the rear, the second width being greater than the first width.

18. The golf club head of claim 17 wherein the first leg and the second leg converge toward one another at the interface face area of the body.

19. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the first leg and the second leg depend from the crown.

20. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the club head defines a breadth dimension and the body defines an interface area proximate a central region of the body, and the interface area is positioned at a range of 30%-60% of the breadth dimension, measured from the ball striking face.

21. The golf club head of claim 1 further comprising a shaft coupled to the golf club head to form a golf club.

22. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the body defines an internal cavity and the center of gravity of the club head is positioned within the internal cavity of the club head.

23. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the body defines an interface area proximate a central region of the body, and the first leg defines a first external side surface and the second leg defines a second external side surface, the first external side surface and the second external side surface having a height proximate the interface area that is greater than a height at respective distal ends of the first external side surface and the second external side surface.

24. A golf club head comprising:

a body defining a ball striking face, a crown and a sole, the body further having a first leg extending away from the ball striking face and a second leg extending away from the ball striking face wherein a void is defined between the first leg and the second leg, the crown extending over the void, the body further defining a bore receiving an adjustment member capable of adjusting a parameter of the golf club head, wherein the sole defines a pathway surface positioned generally adjacent the bore, the pathway surface being void of interruption.

25. A golf club head comprising:

a body defining a ball striking face, a crown and a sole, the body further having a first leg extending away from the ball striking face and a second leg extending away from the ball striking face wherein a void is defined between the first leg and the second leg, the crown extending over the void, the body further defining a bore receiving an adjustment member capable of adjusting a parameter of the golf club head, wherein the sole defines an uninterrupted surface positioned generally adjacent the bore.

26. A golf club head comprising:

a body defining a ball striking face, a crown and a sole, the body further having a first leg extending away from the ball striking face and a second leg extending away from the ball striking face wherein a void is defined between the first leg and the second leg, the crown extending over the void, the void defining a first perimeter proximate an underside surface of the crown and the void defining a second perimeter proximate the sole, wherein the second perimeter is a different length than the first perimeter; and

wherein the first perimeter is in the range of approximately 100 mm to 186 mm.

27. A golf club head comprising:

a body defining a ball striking face, a crown and a sole, the body further having a first leg extending away from the ball striking face and a second leg extending away from the ball striking face wherein a void is defined between the first leg and the second leg, the crown extending over the void, the void defining a first perimeter proximate an underside surface of the crown and the void defining a second perimeter proximate the sole, wherein the second perimeter is a different length than the first perimeter; and

wherein the second perimeter is in the range of approximately 114 mm to 218 mm.