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 channel on the body and being defined by boundary edges, wherein the channel comprises a trough that is recessed from the body between the boundary edges and sidewalls extending inwardly from the boundary edges to the trough, and wherein the channel protrudes into the enclosed volume of the body;
wherein the channel has a heel portion proximate the heel side, a toe portion proximate the toe side, and a center portion between the heel portion and the toe portion, wherein the trough extends within the heel portion, the toe portion, and the center portion, the channel further having a channel width defined between a forward boundary edge and a rearward boundary edge in a front-to-rear direction;
wherein the forward boundary edge is parallel to an upper edge of the face; and
wherein a first channel width of the center portion is less than a second channel width of the toe portion and a third channel width of the heel portion.
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Accused Products
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.
549 Citations
26 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 channel on the body and being defined by boundary edges, wherein the channel comprises a trough that is recessed from the body between the boundary edges and sidewalls extending inwardly from the boundary edges to the trough, and wherein the channel protrudes into the enclosed volume of the body; wherein the channel has a heel portion proximate the heel side, a toe portion proximate the toe side, and a center portion between the heel portion and the toe portion, wherein the trough extends within the heel portion, the toe portion, and the center portion, the channel further having a channel width defined between a forward boundary edge and a rearward boundary edge in a front-to-rear direction; wherein the forward boundary edge is parallel to an upper edge of the face; and wherein a first channel width of the center portion is less than a second channel width of the toe portion and a third channel width of the heel portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. 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 channel on the body, comprising a trough that is recessed from the body between boundary edges and sidewalls extending inwardly from the boundary edges to the trough, and wherein the channel protrudes into the enclosed volume of the body; wherein the channel has a heel portion proximate the heel side, a toe portion proximate the toe side, a center portion between the heel portion and the toe portion, and a bottom surface located at the trough, wherein the trough extends within the heel portion, the toe portion, and the center portion, the channel further having a channel width defined between a forward boundary edge and a rearward boundary edge in a front-to-rear direction; wherein the forward boundary edge of the center portion of the channel is parallel to an upper edge of the face; and wherein a portion of the rearward boundary edge of the toe portion of the channel and a portion of the rearward boundary edge of the heel portion of the channel diverge away from each other as the rearward boundary edges extend toward the rear of the golf club head. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. 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 channel on the crown comprising a trough that is recessed from the crown between boundary edges and sidewalls extending inwardly from the boundary edges to the trough, and wherein the channel protrudes into the enclosed volume of the body; wherein the channel has a heel portion proximate the heel side, a toe portion proximate the toe side, a center portion between the heel portion and the toe portion, and a bottom surface located at the trough, wherein the trough extends within the heel portion, the toe portion, and the center portion, the channel further having a channel width defined between a forward boundary edge and a rearward boundary edge in a front-to-rear direction; wherein the forward boundary edge of the center portion of the channel is parallel to an upper edge of the face; wherein a portion of the rearward boundary edge of the toe portion of the channel and a portion of the rearward boundary edge of the heel portion of the channel diverge away from each other as the rearward boundary edges extend toward the rear of the golf club head; and wherein a first channel width of the center portion is less than a second channel width of the toe portion and a third channel width of the heel portion. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface, the face being defined by a plurality of face edges; a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face edges to define an enclosed volume, the body having a heel side, a toe side, a crown, and a sole; and a channel extending laterally at least partially across a surface of the body, from a first end more proximate the heel side to a second end more proximate the toe side, wherein the channel is defined by boundary edges, with the channel comprising a trough that is recessed from the surface of the body between the boundary edges and side walls extending from the boundary edges inwardly into the body to the trough, wherein the channel protrudes into the enclosed volume of the body, and wherein the channel includes three continuous channel sections, each extending at least partially across the surface, including a first channel section extending laterally between opposed terminal ends, and second and third channel sections extending rearwardly from the opposed terminal ends, respectively, wherein the trough extends within the first, second, and third channel sections. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. 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 channel on the body and being defined by boundary edges, wherein the channel comprises a trough that is recessed from the body between the boundary edges and sidewalls extending inwardly from the boundary edges to the trough; wherein the channel has a heel portion proximate the heel side, a toe portion proximate the toe side, and a center portion between the heel portion and the toe portion, wherein the trough extends within the heel portion, the toe portion, and the center portion, the channel further having a channel width defined between a forward boundary edge and a rearward boundary edge in a front-to-rear direction; wherein the forward boundary edge is parallel to an upper edge of the face; wherein a first channel width of the center portion is less than a second channel width of the toe portion and a third channel width of the heel portion; and wherein a total weight of the golf club head located behind the channel is within a range of 135 grams-160 grams.
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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; a channel on the body comprising a trough that is recessed from the body between boundary edges; wherein the channel has a heel portion proximate the heel side, a toe portion proximate the toe side, a center portion between the heel portion and the toe portion, and a bottom surface located at the trough, wherein the trough extends within the heel portion, the toe portion, and the center portion, the channel further having a channel width defined between a forward boundary edge and a rearward boundary edge in a front-to-rear direction; wherein the forward boundary edge of the center portion of the channel is parallel to an upper edge of the face; wherein a portion of the rearward boundary edge of the toe portion of the channel and a portion of the rearward boundary edge of the heel portion of the channel diverge away from each other as the rearward boundary edges extend toward the rear of the golf club head; and wherein a total weight of the golf club head located behind the channel is within a range of 135 grams-160 grams.
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25. 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 channel on the crown comprising a trough that is recessed from the crown between boundary edges; wherein the channel has a heel portion proximate the heel side, a toe portion proximate the toe side, a center portion between the heel portion and the toe portion, and a bottom surface located at the trough, wherein the trough extends within the heel portion, the toe portion, and the center portion, the channel further having, and a channel width defined between a forward boundary edge and a rearward boundary edge in a front-to-rear direction; wherein the forward boundary edge of the center portion of the channel is parallel to an upper edge of the face; wherein a portion of the rearward boundary edge of the toe portion of the channel and a portion of the rearward boundary edge of the heel portion of the channel diverge away from each other as the rearward boundary edges extend toward the rear of the golf club head; wherein a first channel width of the center portion is less than a second channel width of the toe portion and a third channel width of the heel portion; and wherein a total weight of the golf club head located behind the channel is within a range of 135 grams-160 grams.
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26. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a ball striking surface, the face being defined by a plurality of face edges; a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face edges to define an enclosed volume, the body having a heel side, a toe side, a crown, and a sole; and a channel extending laterally at least partially across a surface of the body, from a first end more proximate the heel side to a second end more proximate the toe side, wherein the channel is defined by boundary edges, with the channel comprising a trough that is recessed from the surface of the body between the boundary edges and side walls extending from the boundary edges inwardly into the body, and wherein the channel includes three continuous channel sections, each extending at least partially across the surface, including a first channel section extending laterally between opposed terminal ends, and second and third channel sections extending rearwardly from the opposed terminal ends, respectively, wherein the trough extends within the first, second, and third channel sections; wherein a total weight of the golf club head located behind the channel is within a range of 135 grams-160 grams.
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Specification