Golf club heads or other ball striking devices having distributed impact response
First Claim
1. A golf club head comprising:
- a face having a ball striking surface;
a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face to define an enclosed volume, the body having a front side, a rear side, a heel side, a toe side, a crown, and a sole;
a plurality of channels on a surface of the body, the plurality of channels including a center channel located approximately centered on a geometric centerline of the body, a heel channel located proximate the heel side of the body, and a toe channel located proximate the toe side of the body,wherein each of the plurality of channels has a periphery defined by boundary edges and each of the plurality of channels is recessed from the surface of the body between the boundary edges, and wherein the boundary edges of the plurality of channels are disconnected and separated from each other by spacing portions including a heel spacing portion separating the center channel from the heel channel and a toe spacing portion separating the center channel from the toe channel, andwherein the plurality of channels each have a wall thickness that is smaller than a wall thickness of the body adjacent each of the plurality of channels.
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Abstract
A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face. The body has an impact-influencing structure in the form of a channel positioned on at least one surface of the body. A majority of a force generated by impact with a ball is absorbed by the impact-influencing structure, and a majority of a response force generated by the head upon impact with the ball is generated by the impact-influencing structure. The face may have increased stiffness as compared to existing faces, and may include a stiffening structure to create the increased stiffness, such as a porous or cellular stiffening structure.
545 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface; a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face to define an enclosed volume, the body having a front side, a rear side, a heel side, a toe side, a crown, and a sole; a plurality of channels on a surface of the body, the plurality of channels including a center channel located approximately centered on a geometric centerline of the body, a heel channel located proximate the heel side of the body, and a toe channel located proximate the toe side of the body, wherein each of the plurality of channels has a periphery defined by boundary edges and each of the plurality of channels is recessed from the surface of the body between the boundary edges, and wherein the boundary edges of the plurality of channels are disconnected and separated from each other by spacing portions including a heel spacing portion separating the center channel from the heel channel and a toe spacing portion separating the center channel from the toe channel, and wherein the plurality of channels each have a wall thickness that is smaller than a wall thickness of the body adjacent each of the plurality of channels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface; a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face to define an enclosed volume, the body having a front side, a rear side, a heel side, a toe side, a crown, and a sole; a plurality of channels on a surface of the body, wherein the plurality of channels includes a first channel located proximate the heel side, a second channel located proximate the toe side, and a third channel located near a geometric centerline of the golf club head, and wherein each of the plurality of channels has a periphery defined on the surface of the body by boundary edges that are disconnected and separate from each other, and each of the plurality of channels is recessed from the surface of the body between the boundary edges, wherein a plurality of spacing portions are positioned between the face and the plurality of channels to space the channels from the face and from each other, and wherein the third channel is located more proximate to the face than the first and second channels, and wherein the spacing portions include a first spacing portion located between the first channel and the third channel and a second spacing portion located between the second channel and the third channel, wherein the boundary edges of the first channel and the third channel along the first spacing portion extend in a first direction that is angled with respect to the geometric centerline of the golf club head, and wherein the boundary edges of the second channel and the third channel along the second spacing portion extend in a second direction that is angled with respect to the geometric centerline of the golfclub head. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface; a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face to define an enclosed volume, the body having a front side, a rear side, a heel side, a toe side, a crown, and a sole; a first channel located on the crown proximate the heel side, a second channel located on the crown proximate the toe side, and a third channel located on the crown near a geometric centerline of the golf club head, and wherein each of the first and second channels has a periphery defined by boundary edges that are disconnected and separate from each other, and each of the first and second channels is recessed from the crown between the boundary edges, wherein the third channel has a first end on the heel side, a second end on the toe side, a center portion positioned between the first end and the second end, and a width defined as a distance between a forward boundary edge to a rearward boundary edge, wherein the width is greater at the center portion than the first end and the second end. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface; a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face to define an enclosed volume, the body having a front side, a rear side, a heel side, a toe side, a crown, and a sole; and a plurality of channels on a surface of the body, wherein each channel has a periphery defined by boundary edges and each channel is recessed from the surface of the body between the boundary edges, wherein the plurality of channels include a center channel located approximately centered on a geometric centerline of the body, a heel channel located proximate the heel side of the body, and a toe channel located proximate the toe side of the body, wherein the heel channel and the toe channel each have widths measured between a forward boundary edge and a rearward boundary edge thereof, and wherein the width of the heel channel is smaller toward the geometric centerline of the body and larger toward the heel side, and the width of the toe channel is smaller toward the geometric centerline of the body and larger toward the toe side, and wherein the plurality of channels each have a wall thickness that is smaller than a wall thickness of the body adjacent each of the plurality of channels. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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Specification