Golf club and golf club head structures

• US 9,433,834 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2012
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• 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
• Application Number:
  US13/593,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20130102410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown 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 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

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 cover that extends over the void. The golf club head may further have support structures and adjustable weight members.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body defining a ball striking face and an interface area proximate a central region of the body, the body further having a first leg extending away from the interface area and a second leg extending away from the interface area wherein a void is defined between the first leg and the second leg, the body further defining a cover that extends over the void;

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; and

wherein the body defines a rear 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;

wherein the club head defines a breadth dimension and the interface area is positioned at a range of 30%-60% of the breadth dimension, measured from the ball striking face.

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

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

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

5. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the cover is removably connected to the body.

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

7. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the cover extends from proximate the ball striking face to distal ends of the first leg and the second leg.

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

9. The golf club head of claim 8 wherein the cover defines a rear of the club head having an outermost periphery of the club head.

10. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the body defines a recess formed in a top surface of the body, the cover received in the recess.

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

12. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the void extends through the body from a top of the body to a bottom of the body.

13. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the first leg and the second leg converge toward one another at the interface face area of the body.

14. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the body has a base member, wherein the first leg extends away from the base member and the second leg extends away from the base member.

15. The golf club head of claim 14 wherein the base member is proximate the interface area, the first leg extends outwardly from the interface area and the second leg extends outwardly from the interface area wherein the void is v-shaped.

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

17. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the first leg has a plurality of first ridges extending along the first leg.

18. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the second leg has a plurality of second ridges extending along the second leg.

19. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the body defines an internal cavity and the first leg has an inner surface, and further comprising a first gusset member positioned proximate the inner surface of the first leg.

20. The golf club head of claim 19 wherein the first gusset member has a first side connected proximate the inner surface of the first leg and a second side connected on an internal sole surface.

21. The golf club head of claim 20 wherein the second leg has an inner surface, and further comprising a second gusset member positioned proximate the inner surface of the second leg.

22. The golf club head of claim 21 wherein the second gusset member has a first side connected proximate the inner surface of the second leg and a second side connected on the internal sole surface.

23. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the interface area is positioned approximately 44% of the breadth dimension, measured from the ball striking face.

24. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the interface area is positioned approximately 1.875 inches from the ball striking face.

25. The golf club head of claim 1 further comprising a weight member movably supported on the first leg.

26. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the interface area defines a receptacle therein, a weight member positioned in the receptacle.

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

28. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein 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.

29. A golf club head comprising:

a body defining a ball striking face and a crown, the body further having a first leg depending from the crown and a second leg depending from the crown, the 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 being dimensioned to cover the first leg and the second leg and the void, wherein the body defines an internal cavity and the first leg has an inner surface, and further comprising a first gusset member positioned proximate the inner surface of the first leg.

30. A golf club head comprising:

a body defining a ball striking face, a crown and a rear, the body defining a geometric weighting feature underneath the crown, the geometric weighting feature having at least two substantially planar sidewalls and being generally v-shaped wherein a width of the geometric weighting feature proximate the rear is greater than a width of the geometric weighting feature towards the ball striking face;

wherein the substantially planar side walls each have a first end closest to the ball striking face and a second end closest to the rear, wherein each side wall has a height greater at the first end than at the second end.

31. The golf club head of claim 30 wherein the geometric weighting feature converges to an interface area proximate a central region of the body.