Golf club head or other ball striking device having impact-influencing body features
First Claim
1. A golf club head comprising:
- a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball;
a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face, the body having a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe;
an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole in a heel to toe direction, wherein the elongated channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole, wherein the elongated channel comprises a center portion extending parallel to the face across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe,wherein the elongated channel has a front edge, a rear edge, a width defined between the front and rear edges, and a variable cross-sectional shape along a length of the elongated channel from the center portion to the heel end and from the center portion to the toe end, wherein the variable cross-sectional shape of the center portion of the elongated channel is substantially semi-circular and the variable cross-sectional shape of the elongated channel at the heel and toe portions is substantially trapezoidal, and wherein the variable cross-sectional shape of the elongated channel is different at the heel and toe portions than at the center portion, wherein the elongated channel has a wall thickness that gradually increases or decreases to create a different wall thickness at the center portion, the heel portion, and the toe portion, and wherein the wall thickness has one or more steps in the wall thickness to create these different wall thicknesses, and further wherein an access for a hosel connecting structure is in communication with and intersects the heel portion of the elongated channel.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from the sole and have a depth, wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe. The channel may have a width defined between a front edge and a rear edge, and a cross-sectional shape, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the center portion of the channel is substantially semi-circular, and wherein the cross-sectional shape of the channel is different at the heel and toe portions than at the center portion.
1037 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face, the body having a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe; an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole in a heel to toe direction, wherein the elongated channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole, wherein the elongated channel comprises a center portion extending parallel to the face across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe, wherein the elongated channel has a front edge, a rear edge, a width defined between the front and rear edges, and a variable cross-sectional shape along a length of the elongated channel from the center portion to the heel end and from the center portion to the toe end, wherein the variable cross-sectional shape of the center portion of the elongated channel is substantially semi-circular and the variable cross-sectional shape of the elongated channel at the heel and toe portions is substantially trapezoidal, and wherein the variable cross-sectional shape of the elongated channel is different at the heel and toe portions than at the center portion, wherein the elongated channel has a wall thickness that gradually increases or decreases to create a different wall thickness at the center portion, the heel portion, and the toe portion, and wherein the wall thickness has one or more steps in the wall thickness to create these different wall thicknesses, and further wherein an access for a hosel connecting structure is in communication with and intersects the heel portion of the elongated channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face, the body having a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe; a channel extending across a portion of the sole, wherein the channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole, wherein the channel has a width defined in a front to rear direction, a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole, and a variable cross-sectional shape along a length of the channel, and further wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending parallel to the face across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe, and wherein the variable cross-sectional shape of the channel is different at the heel and toe portions than at the center portion, wherein the variable cross-sectional shape of the center portion of the channel has a substantially semi-circular shape and the variable cross-sectional shape of the channel at the heel and toe portions is substantially trapezoidal, wherein the channel has a wall thickness that gradually increases or decreases to create a different wall thickness at the center portion, the heel portion, and the toe portion, and wherein the wall thickness has one or more steps in the wall thickness to create these different wall thicknesses, and further wherein an access for a hosel connecting structure is in communication with and intersects the heel portion of the channel; and a void defined on the sole of the body and a cover defining a top of the void, wherein the body and the face combine to define an internal cavity, with a top surface of the cover partially defining the internal cavity, such that a portion of the internal cavity is positioned between the cover and the crown. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball; a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face, the body having a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe; and an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole in a heel to toe direction, wherein the elongated channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole, the elongated channel having a width defined in a front to rear direction, a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole, and a variable cross-sectional shape along the length of the elongated channel, wherein the elongated channel comprises a center portion extending parallel to the face across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe, wherein the variable cross-sectional shape of the center portion of the elongated channel has a substantially semi-circular shape, and further wherein the variable cross-sectional shape of the elongated channel is different at the heel and toe portions than at the center portion, and wherein the variable cross-sectional shape of the elongated channel at the heel and toe portions is substantially trapezoidal, wherein the elongated channel has a wall thickness that gradually increases or decreases to create a different wall thickness at the center portion, the heel portion, and the toe portion, and wherein the wall thickness has one or more steps in the wall thickness to create these different wall thicknesses, and further wherein an access for a hosel connecting structure is in communication with and intersects the heel portion of the elongated channel. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification