Aerodynamic golf club head

• US 9,682,294 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2016
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Burnett, Michael Scott, Albertsen, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNIS, MICHAEL DAVID
• Application Number:
  US15/012,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20160144249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 504 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 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/006 Surfaces specially adapted for reducing air resistance

Abstract

An aerodynamic golf club head that produces reduced aerodynamic drag forces. A crown section imparts beneficial aerodynamic properties due in part to the location of a crown apex and the curvature of the crown section.

Claims

1. A high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) 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);

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 a ground plane (GP), and a lower edge height (LEH) is the elevation of the lower edge (220) above the ground plane (GP), wherein the greatest 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) an apex ratio of the apex height (AH) to the greatest top edge height (TEH) is at least 1.13; and

(ii) within a front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex (410) and perpendicular to a vertical plane created by a shaft axis (SA), 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) and 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 the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is at least 25% less than the greatest apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) of the crown section (400) above the top edge height (TEH).

2. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein within a heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex (410) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section (400) in contact with the crown apex (410) has a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) that is less than 4 inches.

3. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein within the front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex (410) and perpendicular to the vertical plane created by a shaft axis (SA), 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) that is less than 3 inches.

4. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 3, wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 3 inches.

5. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex (410) where the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) is measured in a heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex (410) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA).

6. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex (410) where the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) is measured in the heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex (410) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA).

7. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein within the front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex (410) and perpendicular to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section (400) above the top edge height (TEH) has the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) less than 3.75 inches.

8. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the apex ratio is at least 1.2.

9. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, further having a second moment of inertia (MOIx) about a horizontal axis through a center of gravity (CG) that is at least 2000 g*cm².

10. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein 5-10% of the club head volume is located above the greatest top edge height (TEH).

11. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the club head volume is at least 440 cc and the hollow body (110) has a front-to-back dimension (FB) of at least 4.4 inches.

12. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein the hollow body (110) has a front-to-back dimension (FB) of at least 4.6 inches.

13. A high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) 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);

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 a ground plane (GP), and a lower edge height (LEH) is the elevation of the lower edge (220) above the ground plane (GP), wherein the greatest 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 within a front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex (410) and perpendicular to a vertical plane created by a shaft axis (SA), 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) and a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the back (114) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r), wherein;

(i) the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is at least 25% less than the greatest apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r); and

(ii) the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) of a portion of the crown section (400) above the top edge height (TEH) is less than 3.75 inches.

14. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 13, wherein within a heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex (410) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA), the portion of the crown section (400) in contact with the crown apex (410) has a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) that is less than 4 inches.

15. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 13, wherein within the front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex (410) and perpendicular to the vertical plane created by a shaft axis (SA), the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) of a portion of the crown section (400) is less than 3 inches.

16. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 15, wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than 3 inches.

17. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 13, wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex (410) where the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) is measured in the heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex (410) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA).

18. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 13, wherein the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) in contact with the crown apex (410) is less than a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex (410) where the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) is measured in the heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex (410) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA).

19. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 13, wherein an apex ratio of the apex height (AH) to the greatest top edge height (TEH) is at least 1.13, and the golf club head has a second moment of inertia (MOIx) about a horizontal axis through a center of gravity (CG) that is at least 2000 g*cm².

20. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 19, wherein the apex ratio is at least 1.2.