Golf club head

• US 9,452,324 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Larsen, Peter L., Hoffman, Joseph Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US14/177,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20140155194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 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 53/0408 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 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• 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

Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a golf club head having improved mass distribution characteristics. The golf club head includes a body and a face positioned at a forward portion of the body. The golf club head also includes one or more mass elements positioned at predetermined locations about the head. The mass elements assist in achieving a desired relationship between the moment of inertia about a center of gravity x-axis and the moment of inertia about a center of gravity z-axis.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity and comprising a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, wherein the body has a forward portion and a rearward portion; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face having an ideal impact location defining a golf club head origin, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is ideally positioned, a y-axis generally perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is ideally positioned, and a z-axis perpendicular to both the x-axis and y-axis;

wherein the ratio of a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity x-axis generally parallel to the head origin x-axis to a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity z-axis generally parallel to the head origin z-axis is greater than approximately 0.6;

at least one mass element permanently secured to or integrally formed in the body proximate to the face and having a mass between approximately 3 g and approximately 23 g,

wherein the at least one mass element has a head origin y-axis coordinate between about 0 mm and about 30 mm, and a head origin z-axis coordinate between about −

20 mm and about 10 mm.

2. The golf dub head of claim 1, wherein the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity z-axis is between approximately 500 kg·

mm² and approximately 600 kg·

mm².

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity x-axis is between approximately 425 kg·

mm² and approximately 525 kg·

mm².

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one mass element is a first element, further comprising at least a second mass element formed in the body, the second mass element having a mass between approximately 10 g and approximately 30 g, wherein:

the second mass element has a head origin y-axis coordinate between about 90 mm and about 120 mm, and a head origin z-axis coordinate between about −

20 mm and about 10 mm.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the second mass element has a head origin x-axis coordinate between about −

15 mm and about 15 mm.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity x-axis to the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity z-axis is greater than approximately 0.7.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity x-axis to the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity z-axis is greater than approximately 0.8.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the moment of inertia about the golf club head center of gravity x-axis is between approximately 330 kg·

mm² and approximately 550 kg·

mm².