Golf club head or other ball striking device having impact-influencing body features
First Claim
1. A ball striking device comprising:
- a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball, the face being defined by an outer periphery;
a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the outer periphery of the face, the body having a sole configured to face a playing surface and a crown opposite the sole, wherein the body and the face combine to define an internal cavity, and the body has an interior surface within the internal cavity and an exterior surface opposite the interior surface; and
a channel extending across at least a portion of an exterior surface of the sole of the body, wherein the channel has a front edge and a rear edge and is elongated between a heel portion and a toe portion, and wherein the channel is inwardly recessed from the exterior surface of the sole, such that the channel has side walls extending inwardly from the exterior surface of the body,wherein the heel portion and the toe portion are spaced rearwardly approximately equal distances from the outer periphery of the face and wherein a center portion of the channel is spaced a greater distance from the outer periphery of the face than the heel portion and the toe portion, and wherein the front edge and the rear edge of the channel are contoured relative to the face such that the front and rear edges have a convex curvature at the heel portion of the channel transitioning to a concave curvature at the center portion of the channel and transitioning to a convex curvature at the toe portion of the channel, such that both the front and rear edges of the channel curve rearwardly at the heel portion and the toe portion.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A golf club head or other ball striking device includes a face having a striking surface and being defined by an outer periphery, a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the outer periphery, the body having a sole configured to face a playing surface and a crown opposite the sole, and an inwardly recessed channel extending across at least a portion of the sole of the body, where the channel is elongated between a heel portion and a toe portion. The heel portion and the toe portion of the channel are spaced rearwardly approximately equal distances from the outer periphery of the face, and a center portion of the channel is spaced a greater distance from the outer periphery of the face than the heel portion and the toe portion. The channel may be bowed or curved away from the face.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A ball striking device comprising:
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a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball, the face being defined by an outer periphery; a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the outer periphery of the face, the body having a sole configured to face a playing surface and a crown opposite the sole, wherein the body and the face combine to define an internal cavity, and the body has an interior surface within the internal cavity and an exterior surface opposite the interior surface; and a channel extending across at least a portion of an exterior surface of the sole of the body, wherein the channel has a front edge and a rear edge and is elongated between a heel portion and a toe portion, and wherein the channel is inwardly recessed from the exterior surface of the sole, such that the channel has side walls extending inwardly from the exterior surface of the body, wherein the heel portion and the toe portion are spaced rearwardly approximately equal distances from the outer periphery of the face and wherein a center portion of the channel is spaced a greater distance from the outer periphery of the face than the heel portion and the toe portion, and wherein the front edge and the rear edge of the channel are contoured relative to the face such that the front and rear edges have a convex curvature at the heel portion of the channel transitioning to a concave curvature at the center portion of the channel and transitioning to a convex curvature at the toe portion of the channel, such that both the front and rear edges of the channel curve rearwardly at the heel portion and the toe portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 39)
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13. A ball striking device comprising:
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a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball, the face being defined by an outer periphery; a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the outer periphery of the face, the body having a sole configured to face a playing surface and a crown opposite the sole; and a channel extending across at least a portion of the sole of the body and being elongated between a heel portion and a toe portion, the channel comprising a trough that is inwardly recessed from the exterior surface of the sole and is defined between a front edge and a rear edge extending across the exterior surface of the sole between the heel portion and the toe portion, wherein the channel has side walls extending inwardly from the exterior surface of the sole at the front and rear edges of the channel to form the trough, wherein the front edge has a first pair of ends proximate the heel and toe portions that are spaced rearwardly approximately equal distances from the outer periphery of the face and the rear edge has a second pair of ends proximate the heel and toe portions that are spaced rearwardly approximately equal distances from the outer periphery of the face, and wherein the front and rear edges are curved rearwardly away from the outer periphery of the face, such that a first center portion of the front edge is spaced rearwardly a greater distance from the outer periphery of the face than the first pair of ends, and a second center portion of the rear edge is spaced rearwardly a greater distance from the outer periphery of the face than the second pair of ends, and wherein the front edge and the rear edge of the channel are contoured relative to the face such that the front and rear edges have a convex contour at the heel portion of the channel transitioning to a concave contour at a center portion of the channel and transitioning to a convex contour at the toe portion of the channel, such that both the front and rear edges of the channel curve rearwardly at the heel portion and the toe portion. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A ball striking device comprising:
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a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball, the face being defined by an outer periphery; a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the outer periphery of the face, the body having a sole configured to face a playing surface and a crown opposite the sole; and a channel extending across at least a portion of the sole of the body, the channel comprising an inwardly recessed from the exterior surface of the sole and is defined between a front edge and a rear edge extending across the exterior surface of the sole in a heel-toe direction, wherein the channel has side walls extending inwardly form the exterior surface of the sole at the front and rear edges of the channel to form the trough, wherein the body further comprises a spacing portion extending between the front edge of the channel and the outer periphery of the face and spacing the channel rearwardly from the outer periphery of the face, wherein the spacing portion has a width, defined between the front edge of the channel and the outer periphery of the face, that is wider at a center of the spacing portion proximate a geometric centerline of the body and narrower at a first point more proximate to a heel of the body and at a second point more proximate to a toe of the body, and wherein the front edge and the rear edge of the channel are contoured relative to the face such that the front and rear edges have a convex contour at a heel portion of the channel transitioning to a concave contour at a center portion of the channel and transitioning to a convex contour at a toe portion of the channel, such that both the front and rear edges of the channel curve rearwardly at the heel portion and the toe portion. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball, the face being defined by an outer periphery; a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the outer periphery of the face, such that the body and the face combine to define an internal cavity, the body having a sole configured to face a playing surface and a crown opposite the sole; and a channel extending across at least a portion of the sole of the body and being elongated between a heel portion and a toe portion, the channel comprising a front edge and a rear edge across the exterior surface of the sole between the heel portion and the toe portion and a trough that is inwardly recessed from the exterior surface of the sole and is defined between the front and rear edges, wherein the channel has side walls extending inwardly form the exterior surface of the sole at the front and rear edges of the channel to form the trough, wherein the front and rear edges are bowed rearwardly away from the outer periphery of the face, such that the front and rear edges are spaced greater distances from the outer periphery of the face at a center portion of the channel as compared to the heel portion and the toe portion, and wherein the front edge and the rear edge of the channel are contoured relative to the face such that the front and rear edges have a convex curvature at the heel portion of the channel transitioning to a concave curvature at the center portion of the channel and transitioning to a convex curvature at the toe portion of the channel, such that both the front and rear edges of the channel curve rearwardly at the heel portion and the toe portion. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball, the face being defined by an outer periphery; a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the outer periphery of the face, the body having a sole configured to face a playing surface and a crown opposite the sole; and a channel extending across at least a portion of the sole of the body and being elongated between a heel portion and a toe portion, the channel comprising a trough that is inwardly recessed from the exterior surface of the sole and is defined between a front edge and a rear edge extending across the exterior surface of the sole between the heel portion and the toe portion, wherein the channel has side walls extending inwardly from the exterior surface of the sole at the front and rear edges of the channel to form the trough, wherein the front and rear edges are curved rearwardly away from the outer periphery of the face, such that the front and rear edges are each spaced rearwardly a different distance from the outer periphery of the face at a center portion of the channel as compared to at least one of the heel portion and the toe portion, and wherein the front edge and the rear edge of the channel are contoured relative to the face such that the front and rear edges have a convex curvature at the heel portion of the channel transitioning to a concave curvature at the center portion of the channel and transitioning to a convex curvature at the toe portion of the channel, such that both the front and rear edges of the channel curve rearwardly at the heel portion and the toe portion, and wherein the body further comprises a spacing portion located between the front edge of the channel and the outer periphery of the face, wherein the spacing portion has a width that is greater proximate the center portion of the channel and smaller proximate at least one of the heel portion and the toe portion of the channel. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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Specification