Golf club head with flexure
First Claim
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1. A golf club head, the club head comprising:
- a crown defining an upper surface of the golf club head;
a sole defining a lower surface of the golf club head;
a side wall extending between the crown and sole;
a hosel extending from the crown and including a shaft bore;
a face defining a ball-striking surface and intersecting the lower surface at a leading edge; and
an elongate flexure that is recessed into the sole, extending in a generally heel-to-toe direction, and intersecting the side wall of the golf club head, wherein the flexure is defined by a curved first portion and a second portion that join at an apex, wherein the flexure has a height, a width and a curl length, wherein the height extends in the direction of a Y-axis of the golf club head between the apex and an outer surface of the sole, wherein the width extends in the direction of a Z-axis of the golf club head and is a distance of the opening in the sole of the flexure, wherein the curl length extends in the direction of the Z-axis and extends between a forward junction of the flexure with the sole and the apex, wherein the height of the flexure is between about 5.0 mm and 15.0 mm, wherein the width of the flexure is between about 7.0 mm and about 11.0 mm,wherein a wall thickness of the flexure is between about 0.8 mm and about 2.0 mm over a length of the flexure that is at least 25% of the overall club head length along the X-axis of the golf club head, wherein the X-axis extends horizontally in a heel to toe direction, andwherein the first portion extends inward from the lower surface of the golf club head, and the second portion extends between an aft end of the first portion and the sole generally perpendicularly the sole.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A golf club head including a crown, a sole, a hosel, a face and a flexure. The flexure provides compliance during an impact between the golf club head and a golf ball, and is tuned to vibrate, immediately after impact, at a predetermined frequency.
147 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A golf club head, the club head comprising:
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a crown defining an upper surface of the golf club head; a sole defining a lower surface of the golf club head; a side wall extending between the crown and sole; a hosel extending from the crown and including a shaft bore; a face defining a ball-striking surface and intersecting the lower surface at a leading edge; and an elongate flexure that is recessed into the sole, extending in a generally heel-to-toe direction, and intersecting the side wall of the golf club head, wherein the flexure is defined by a curved first portion and a second portion that join at an apex, wherein the flexure has a height, a width and a curl length, wherein the height extends in the direction of a Y-axis of the golf club head between the apex and an outer surface of the sole, wherein the width extends in the direction of a Z-axis of the golf club head and is a distance of the opening in the sole of the flexure, wherein the curl length extends in the direction of the Z-axis and extends between a forward junction of the flexure with the sole and the apex, wherein the height of the flexure is between about 5.0 mm and 15.0 mm, wherein the width of the flexure is between about 7.0 mm and about 11.0 mm, wherein a wall thickness of the flexure is between about 0.8 mm and about 2.0 mm over a length of the flexure that is at least 25% of the overall club head length along the X-axis of the golf club head, wherein the X-axis extends horizontally in a heel to toe direction, and wherein the first portion extends inward from the lower surface of the golf club head, and the second portion extends between an aft end of the first portion and the sole generally perpendicularly the sole. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A golf club head, the club head comprising:
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a crown defining an upper surface of the golf club head; a sole defining a lower surface of the golf club head; a side wall extending between the crown and sole; a hosel extending from the crown and including a shaft bore; a face defining a ball-striking surface and intersecting the lower surface at a leading edge; and an elongate flexure that is recessed into the sole, extending in a generally heel-to-toe direction, and intersecting the side wall of the golf club head, wherein the flexure is defined by a curved first portion and a second portion that join at an apex, wherein the flexure has a height, a width and a curl length, wherein the height extends in the direction of a Y-axis of the golf club head between the apex and an outer surface of the sole, wherein the width extends in the direction of a Z-axis of the golf club head and is a distance of the opening in the sole of the flexure, wherein the curl length extends in the direction of the Z-axis and extends between a forward junction of the flexure with the sole and the apex, wherein the height of the flexure is between about 5.0 mm and 15.0 mm, wherein the width of the flexure is between about 7.0 mm and about 11.0 mm, wherein a wall thickness of the flexure is between about 0.8 mm and about 2.0 mm over a length of the flexure that is at least 25% of the overall club head length along the X-axis of the golf club head, wherein the X-axis extends horizontally in a heel to toe direction, and wherein the flexure is tuned so that the width across the flexure in a face-to-aft direction varies sinusoidally, immediately after impact, at a frequency of about 2900 Hz to about 4000 Hz. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A golf club head, the club head comprising:
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a crown defining an upper surface of the golf club head; a sole defining a lower surface of the golf club head; a side wall extending between the crown and sole; a hosel extending from the crown and including a shaft bore; a face defining a ball-striking surface and intersecting the lower surface at a leading edge; and a flexure component defining an elongate flexure, wherein the flexure component is coupled to the sole so that the elongate flexure is recessed into the sole and defined by a first member and a second member, wherein the length of the first member is different than the length of the second member, wherein the first member extends from the sole toward the interior of the golf club head and the second member extends from the sole toward the interior of the golf club head, wherein the first member interfaces the second member at an apex, wherein the flexure has a height, a width and a curl length, wherein the height extends in the direction of a Y-axis of the golf club head between the apex and an outer surface of the sole, wherein the width extends in the direction of a Z-axis of the golf club head and is a distance of the opening in the sole of flexure, wherein the curl length extends in the direction of the Z-axis and extends between a forward junction of the flexure with the sole and the apex along a curvature of the first member, wherein the flexure has a width of about 7.0 mm to about 11.0 mm, and wherein the elongate flexure extends to the side wall of the golf club head. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification