Club head with sole mass element and related method

• US 9,205,311 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Stokke, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Alvin
• Application Number:
  US13/959,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20140248976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 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 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 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Some embodiments include a club head with sole mass element. Other embodiments of related club heads and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a club head body; and

a sole mass element configured to be coupled to the club head body;

wherein;

the golf club head comprises a club head center of gravity (CG);

the golf club head comprises at least one keel point;

the club head CG comprises a club head CG height, the club head CG height being a distance that is parallel to a top-bottom axis of the golf club head between the club head CG and the at least one keel point; and

when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the club head CG height is less than or equal to approximately 1.415 centimeters;

when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the sole mass element comprises an exposed surface;

the exposed surface of the sole mass element comprises a surface area; and

the surface area of the exposed surface of the sole mass element is greater than or equal to approximately 3 square centimeters and less than or equal to approximately 39 square centimeters.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the club head body comprises a sole surface; and

at least one of;

(a) the sole surface comprises a sole mass element cavity configured to receive the sole mass element, and

the sole mass element is configured to be coupled to the club head body at the sole mass element cavity;

or

(b) when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the sole surface comprises the sole mass element.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein at least one of:

the sole mass element is configured to be removably coupled to the club head body;

or

the sole mass element is configured to be mechanically coupled to the club head body.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the sole mass element comprises a sole mass element material; and

at least one of;

the sole mass element material comprises a specific gravity greater than or equal to approximately 16;

or

the sole mass element material comprises a metal injection molded material.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the sole mass element comprises at least one sole mass element thickness;

the at least one sole mass element thickness comprises a maximum thickness; and

at least one of;

the maximum thickness is less than or equal to approximately 0.4 centimeters;

or

the at least one sole mass element thickness is one substantially constant thickness, the one substantially constant thickness being the maximum thickness.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the sole mass element comprises a sole mass element mass;

the golf club head comprises a golf club head mass, the golf club head mass comprising the sole mass element mass; and

the sole mass element accounts for greater than or equal to approximately 20% of the golf club head mass.

7. The golf club head of claim 6 wherein:

the sole mass element accounts for greater than or equal to approximately 20% of the golf club head mass and less than or equal to approximately 35% of the golf club head mass.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the golf club head comprises a leading edge;

the leading edge comprises at least one leading edge point; and

the club head CG comprises a club head CG depth, the club head CG depth being a second distance that is parallel to a face-rear axis of the golf club head between the club head CG and each of the at least one leading edge point; and

when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the club head CG depth is greater than or equal to approximately 2.54 centimeters.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the golf club head comprises a leading edge;

the leading edge comprises at least one leading edge point;

the sole mass element comprises at least one foremost element point;

the golf club head comprises a sole mass element depth when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the sole mass element depth being a second distance that is parallel to a face-rear axis of the golf club head between the at least one leading edge point and the at least one lead element point; and

the sole mass element depth is greater than or equal to approximately 0.947 centimeters.

10. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the sole mass element comprises at least one highest element point;

the golf club head comprises a sole mass element height when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the sole mass element height being a second distance that is parallel to the top-bottom axis of the golf club head between the at least one highest element point and the at least one keel point; and

the sole mass element height is less than or equal to approximately 1.651 centimeters.

11. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the club head body comprises a face surface;

the face surface comprises a face height; and

a ratio of the club head CG height to the face height is less than or equal to approximately 0.36.

12. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the golf club head comprises a wood-type golf club head.

13. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein at least one of:

the club head body comprises a face surface, and the face surface comprises a face surface area less than or equal to approximately 30 square centimeters;

or

the golf club head comprises a volume less than or equal to approximately 300 cubic centimeters.

14. A golf club head comprising:

a club head body comprising a sole surface; and

a sole mass element configured to be coupled to the club head body;

wherein;

the golf club head comprises a club head center of gravity (CG);

the golf club head comprises at least one keel point;

the club head CG comprises a club head CG height, the club head CG height being a distance that is parallel to a top-bottom axis of the golf club head between the club head CG and the at least one keel point;

when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the club head CG height is less than or equal to approximately 1.415 centimeters;

when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the sole mass element comprises an exposed surface;

the exposed surface of the sole mass element comprises a surface area;

the surface area of the exposed surface of the sole mass element is greater than or equal to approximately 3 square centimeters and less than or equal to approximately 39 square centimeters;

the sole surface comprises a sole mass element cavity configured to receive the sole mass element;

the sole mass element is configured to be coupled to the club head body at the sole mass element cavity;

the sole mass element is configured to be removably coupled to the club head body;

the sole mass element is configured to be mechanically coupled to the club head body;

the sole mass element comprises a sole mass element material; and

at least one of;

the sole mass element material comprises a specific gravity greater than or equal to approximately 16;

or

the sole mass element material comprises a metal injection molded material.

15. The golf club head of claim 14 wherein:

when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the club head CG height is approximately 1.2 centimeters; and

the surface area of the exposed surface of the sole mass element is approximately 19 square centimeters.

16. The golf club head of claim 14 wherein:

when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the club head CG height is approximately 1.1 centimeters; and

the surface area of the exposed surface of the sole mass element is approximately 15 square centimeters.

17. A method of providing a golf club head, the method comprising:

providing a club head body; and

providing a sole mass element configured to be coupled to the club head body;

wherein;

the golf club head comprises a club head center of gravity (CG);

the golf club head comprises at least one keel point;

the club head CG comprises a club head CG height, the club head CG height being a distance that is parallel to a top-bottom axis of the golf club head between the club head CG and the at least one keel point; and

when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the club head CG height is less than or equal to approximately 1.415 centimeters;

when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the sole mass element comprises an exposed surface;

the exposed surface of the sole mass element comprises a surface area; and

the surface area of the exposed surface of the sole mass element is greater than or equal to approximately 3 square centimeters and less than or equal to approximately 39 square centimeters.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

providing the club head body comprises providing the club head body to comprise a sole surface such that at least one of;

(a) the sole surface comprises a sole mass element cavity configured to receive the sole mass element, and

the sole mass element is configured to be coupled to the club head body at the sole mass element cavity;

Or

(b) when the sole mass element is coupled to the club head body, the sole surface comprises the sole mass element.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of:

providing the sole mass element comprises configuring the sole mass element to be removably coupled to the club head body;

or

providing the sole mass element comprises configuring the sole mass element to be mechanically coupled to the club head body.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein:

providing the sole mass element comprises providing the sole mass element comprising a sole mass element material; and

at least one of;

the sole mass element material comprises a specific gravity greater than or equal to approximately 16;

or

the sole mass element material comprises a metal injection molded material.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein:

providing the sole mass element comprises providing the sole mass element comprising at least one sole mass element thickness;

the at least one sole mass element thickness comprises a maximum thickness; and

at least one of;

the maximum thickness is less than or equal to approximately 0.4 centimeters;

or

the at least one sole mass element thickness is one substantially constant thickness, the one substantially constant thickness being the maximum thickness.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein:

providing the sole mass element comprises providing the sole mass element comprising a sole mass element mass;

the golf club head comprises a golf club head mass, the golf club head mass comprising the sole mass element mass; and

the sole mass element accounts for greater than or equal to approximately 20% of the golf club head mass.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the golf club head comprises a wood-type golf club head.