Aerodynamic golf club head

• US 9,623,295 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Willett, Kraig Alan, Albertsen, Jeffrey J., Burnett, Michael Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNIS, MICHAEL DAVID
• Application Number:
  US15/002,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20160136488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• 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 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• 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: F15D 1/10 around bodies of solid material

Abstract

An aerodynamic golf club head with a low center of gravity and producing reduced aerodynamic drag forces. The club head has crown section attributes that impart beneficial aerodynamic properties.

Claims

1. An aerodynamic golf club head comprising:

A) a hollow body (110) having a club head volume of at least 400 cc, a face (200), a sole section (300), a crown section (400), a front (112), a back (114), a heel (116), and a toe (118), wherein

i) the hollow body (110) has a bore having a center that defines a shaft axis (SA) which intersects with a horizontal ground plane (GP) to define an origin point; and

ii) the hollow body (110) has a center of gravity (CG) located;

(a) vertically toward the crown section (400) from the origin point a distance Ycg in a direction orthogonal to the ground plane (GP), and vertically toward the crown section (400) from a horizontal center face plane a distance Vcg in a direction orthogonal to the horizontal center face plane, wherein the distance Vcg is less than or equal to −

0.08 inches;

(b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe (118) a distance Xcg that is parallel to a vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA) and parallel to the ground plane (GP); and

(c) a distance Zcg from the origin toward the back (114) in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg;

B) the face (200) having a top edge (210) and a lower edge (220), wherein a top edge height (TEH) is the elevation of the top edge (210) above the ground plane (GP), and a lower edge height (LEH) is the elevation of the lower edge (220) above the ground plane (GP), wherein a portion of the top edge height (TEH) is at least 2 inches; and

C) the crown section (400) having a crown apex (410) located an apex height (AH) above the ground plane (GP), wherein;

i) the crown apex (410) is located behind the forwardmost point on the face (200) a distance that is a crown apex setback dimension (412) measured in a direction toward the back (114) and orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg;

ii) the crown apex (410) is located a distance from the origin toward the toe (118) a crown apex x-dimension (416) distance that is parallel to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA) and parallel to the ground plane (GP); and

iii) the crown section (400) includes a post apex attachment promoting region (420) on the surface of the crown section (400) at an elevation above a maximum top edge plane (MTEP) wherein the post apex attachment promoting region (420) begins at the crown apex (410) and extends toward the back (114), and the post apex attachment promoting region (420) includes;

(a) an attachment promoting region length (422) measured along the surface of the crown section (400) and orthogonal to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA);

(b) an apex promoting region width (424) measured along the surface of the crown section (400) in a direction parallel to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA);

iv) the crown section (400) having a 12 degree pitched up orientation crown apex (610) and defining a 12 degree pitched up/8 mm drop contour area (CA), wherein;

(a) the 12 degree pitched up orientation crown apex (610) is located at the peak height of the crown section (400) when the hollow body is positioned in a 12 degree pitched up orientation that includes an absolute lie angle of 55 degrees, a face angle of 0 degrees, and a pitch angle of 12 degrees up;

(b) the 12 degree/8 mm drop contour area (CA) is defined as the cross-sectional area of an intersection of the crown section (400) with an offset plane located at an elevation that is 8 mm below the 12 degree pitched up orientation crown apex (610) and parallel to the ground plane (GP) when the hollow body is positioned in the 12 degree pitched up orientation; and

(c) wherein the hollow body (110) has a projected area of the face portion (A_f) of between 8.3 square inches and 11.25 square inches, and wherein the 12 degree pitched up/8 mm drop contour area (CA) is less than 6.5 square inches; and

v) a portion of the crown section (400) at an elevation above the maximum top edge plane (MTEP) has at least one of;

(a) a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the face (200) has an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f), wherein the portion of the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 3 inches;

(b) a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the back (114) of the hollow body (110) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r), wherein at least a portion of the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) is greater than 5 inches;

or

(c) a portion of the crown section (400) has a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t), wherein the portion of the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 4 inches.

2. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 1, wherein the portion of the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) at the crown apex (410) is at least 25% less than the greatest apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) within the post apex attachment promoting region (420).

3. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 1, wherein the distance Vcg is less than or equal to −

0.16 inches.

4. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 1, wherein a portion of the top edge height (TEH) is at least 2.15 inches, and the hollow body (110) has a front-to-back dimension (FB) of at least 4.4 inches.

5. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 1, wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) at the crown apex (410) is less than the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) at the crown apex (410).

6. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 1, wherein the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) at the crown apex (410) is less than a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) at the crown apex (410).

7. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 1, wherein the crown section (400) at the crown apex (410) is composed of nonmetallic material.

8. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 1, further including an adjustable loft system.

9. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 1, wherein the attachment promoting region length (422) is at least as great as fifty percent of the crown apex setback dimension (412), and the attachment promoting region width (424) is at least as great as the difference between the crown apex x-dimension (416) and the distance Xcg.

10. An aerodynamic golf club head comprising:

A) a hollow body (110) having a club head volume of at least 400 cc, a face (200), a sole section (300), a crown section (400), a front (112), a back (114), a heel (116), and a toe (118), wherein

i) the hollow body (110) has a bore having a center that defines a shaft axis (SA) which intersects with a horizontal ground plane (GP) to define an origin point; and

ii) the hollow body (110) has a center of gravity (CG) located;

(a) vertically toward the crown section (400) from the origin point a distance Ycg in a direction orthogonal to the ground plane (GP), and vertically toward the crown section (400) from a horizontal center face plane a distance Vcg in a direction orthogonal to the horizontal center face plane, wherein the distance Vcg is less than or equal to −

0.08 inches;

(b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe (118) a distance Xcg that is parallel to a vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA) and parallel to the ground plane (GP); and

(c) a distance Zcg from the origin toward the back (114) in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg;

B) the face (200) having a top edge (210) and a lower edge (220), wherein a top edge height (TEH) is the elevation of the top edge (210) above the ground plane (GP), and a lower edge height (LEH) is the elevation of the lower edge (220) above the ground plane (GP), wherein a portion of the top edge height (TEH) is at least 2 inches; and

C) the crown section (400) having a crown apex (410) located an apex height (AH) above the ground plane (GP), wherein;

i) the crown apex (410) is located behind the forwardmost point on the face (200) a distance that is a crown apex setback dimension (412) measured in a direction toward the back (114) and orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg;

ii) the crown apex (410) is located a distance from the origin toward the toe (118) a crown apex x-dimension (416) distance that is parallel to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA) and parallel to the ground plane (GP); and

iii) the crown section (400) includes a post apex attachment promoting region (420) on the surface of the crown section (400) at an elevation above a maximum top edge plane (MTEP) wherein the post apex attachment promoting region (420) begins at the crown apex (410) and extends toward the back (114), and the post apex attachment promoting region (420) includes;

(a) an attachment promoting region length (422) measured along the surface of the crown section (400) and orthogonal to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA);

(b) an apex promoting region width (424) measured along the surface of the crown section (400) in a direction parallel to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA);

iv) the crown section (400) having a 12 degree pitched up orientation crown apex (610) and defining a 12 degree pitched up/8 mm drop contour area (CA), wherein;

(a) the 12 degree pitched up orientation crown apex (610) is located at the peak height of the crown section (400) when the hollow body is positioned in a 12 degree pitched up orientation that includes an absolute lie angle of 55 degrees, a face angle of 0 degrees, and a pitch angle of 12 degrees up;

(b) the 12 degree/8 mm drop contour area (CA) is defined as the cross-sectional area of an intersection of the crown section (400) with an offset plane located at an elevation that is 8 mm below the 12 degree pitched up orientation crown apex (610) and parallel to the ground plane (GP) when the hollow body is positioned in the 12 degree pitched up orientation; and

(c) wherein the hollow body (110) has a projected area of the face portion (A_f) of between 8.3 square inches and 11.25 square inches, and wherein the 12 degree pitched up/8 mm drop contour area (CA) is less than 6.5 square inches; and

v) an apex ratio of the apex height (AH) to the greatest top edge height (TEH) is at least 1.13.

11. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 10, wherein the distance Vcg is less than or equal to −

0.16 inches, a portion of the top edge height (TEH) is at least 2.15 inches, and the hollow body (110) has a front-to-back dimension (FB) of at least 4.4 inches.

12. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 10, wherein the apex ratio is at least 1.2.

13. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 10, wherein the crown section (400) at the crown apex (410) has a density less than a portion of the sole section (300), and is composed of nonmetallic material.

14. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 10, wherein a portion of the crown section (400) in front of the crown apex (410) is formed of nonmetallic material.

15. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 10, wherein a portion of the crown section (400) at an elevation above the maximum top edge plane (MTEP) has at least one of:

A) a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the face (200) has an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f), wherein the portion of the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 3 inches;

B) a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the back (114) of the hollow body (110) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r), wherein at least a portion of the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) is greater than 5 inches;

or

C) a portion of the crown section (400) has a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t), wherein the portion of the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 4 inches.

16. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 15, wherein within the vertical section through the crown apex (410) and perpendicular to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA) the entire contour of the post apex attachment promoting region (420) above the maximum top edge plane (MTEP) and within the vertical section is within a twenty degree angle downward from horizontal originating at the crown apex (410).

17. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 10, wherein 5-10% of the club head volume is above the elevation of the greatest top edge height (TEH).

18. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 10, further including an adjustable loft system.

19. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 10, further including at least one movable weight port.

20. The aerodynamic golf club head of claim 15, wherein the portion of the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) contacting the crown apex (410) is at least 25% less than the greatest apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) within the post apex attachment promoting region (420).