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, an upper edge, a lower edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge;
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 in a heel to toe direction,wherein the body and the face are integrally joined at a joint to form an interior cavity and the upper edge, the lower edge, the heel edge, and the toe edge of the face are defined by the joint;
wherein the face has multiple thickness regions having a center region positioned near a center of the face, a heel region positioned on the heel, a toe region positioned on the toe, an upper region positioned between the center region and the upper edge of the face, and a lower region positioned between the center region and the lower edge of the face;
wherein the upper region has a ramped thickness that decreases as a function of a distance away from the center region to the upper edge; and
wherein the channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole, 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;
wherein the channel has a rear wall, a front wall, a front edge, a rear edge, and a width defined between the front edge and the rear edge, andwherein the center portion of the channel has an asymmetric cross-sectional shape where the front wall of the center portion of the channel has a first length and the rear wall of the center portion of the channel has a second length wherein the first length is greater than the second length; and
a first rib having a pair of side walls and an upper surface extending into the toe portion of the channel connected to the front wall and the rear wall of the channel and a second rib having a pair of side walls and an upper surface extending into the heel portion of the channel connected to the front wall and the rear wall of the channel.
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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 where the face has multiple thickness regions. The face has a center region, an upper region, a lower region, a toe region, and a heel region. The upper and lower regions have a ramped thickness extending from a center region to an upper and lower edge of the face. The heel and toe regions have a constant face thickness and have a thickness less than the other regions. Additionally, the club head body has a channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and have a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole. The channel may have a cross-sectional profile that is asymmetric with a front wall and a rear wall where the front wall is longer than the rear wall. The channel may also have a center thickness that is different than a thickness at the heel and toe sides.
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Citations
20 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, an upper edge, a lower edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge; 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 in a heel to toe direction, wherein the body and the face are integrally joined at a joint to form an interior cavity and the upper edge, the lower edge, the heel edge, and the toe edge of the face are defined by the joint; wherein the face has multiple thickness regions having a center region positioned near a center of the face, a heel region positioned on the heel, a toe region positioned on the toe, an upper region positioned between the center region and the upper edge of the face, and a lower region positioned between the center region and the lower edge of the face; wherein the upper region has a ramped thickness that decreases as a function of a distance away from the center region to the upper edge; and wherein the channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole, 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; wherein the channel has a rear wall, a front wall, a front edge, a rear edge, and a width defined between the front edge and the rear edge, and wherein the center portion of the channel has an asymmetric cross-sectional shape where the front wall of the center portion of the channel has a first length and the rear wall of the center portion of the channel has a second length wherein the first length is greater than the second length; and a first rib having a pair of side walls and an upper surface extending into the toe portion of the channel connected to the front wall and the rear wall of the channel and a second rib having a pair of side walls and an upper surface extending into the heel portion of the channel connected to the front wall and the rear wall of the channel. - 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 striking surface configured for striking a ball, an upper edge, a lower edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge; 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 a channel extending across a portion of the sole in a heel to toe direction, wherein the body and the face are integrally joined at a joint to form an interior cavity and the upper edge, the lower edge, the heel edge, and the toe edge of the face are defined by the joint; wherein the face has multiple thickness regions having a center region positioned near a center of the face, a heel region positioned on the heel, a toe region positioned on the toe, an upper region positioned between the center region and the upper edge of the face, and a lower region positioned between the center region and the lower edge of the face; wherein the channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole, 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; wherein the channel has a rear wall, a front wall, a front edge, a rear edge, and a width defined between the front edge and the rear edge, and a first rib having a pair of side walls and an upper surface extending into the toe portion of the channel connected to the front wall and the rear wall of the channel and a second rib having a pair of side walls and an upper surface extending into the heel portion of the channel connected to the front wall and the rear wall of the channel. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A golf club head comprising:
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a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball, an upper edge, a lower edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge; 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 in a heel to toe direction, wherein the channel has a rear wall, a front wall, a front edge, a rear edge, wherein the body and the face are integrally joined at a joint to form an interior cavity and the upper edge, the lower edge, the heel edge, and the toe edge of the face are defined by the joint; wherein the face has multiple thickness regions having a center region positioned near a center of the face, a heel region positioned on the heel, a toe region positioned on the toe, an upper region positioned between the center region and the upper edge of the face, and a lower region positioned between the center region and the lower edge of the face; wherein the center region has rectangular shape with rounded corners, wherein the channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole, 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; and a rib having a pair of side walls and an upper surface extending into the channel and connected to the front wall and the rear wall of the channel. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification