Golf club head

• US 9,993,700 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Sargent, Nathan T., Willett, Kraig Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US15/177,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20160287953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, D21752
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

Golf club heads are described herein, and in one embodiment including a body with an exterior surface defining a first body volume of at least about 400 cm³. The body has a bottom portion, a top portion, a front portion, and a back portion. A face positioned at the front portion of the body and is configured to receive an impact. A top portion silhouette profile located along a perimeter of the top portion is further described. The top portion silhouette profile defines the outer bounds of the top portion in an X-direction and Y-direction. At least one indentation can be located on the bottom portion below the crown silhouette profile. The removal of the at least one indentation from the bottom portion can create a second body volume that is at least 12 cm³ larger than the first body volume.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a volume of at least about 400 cm³, the body having a bottom portion, a top portion, a front portion, and a back portion;

a sole located on the bottom portion of the golf club head;

a face positioned at the front portion of the body, the face being configured to receive an impact;

a top portion silhouette profile located along a perimeter of the top portion, the top portion silhouette profile defining the outer bounds of the top portion in an X-direction and Y-direction; and

one or more indentations located on the sole below the top portion silhouette profile, the one or more indentations being defined in part by a wall that extends inwardly from a surface of the sole and into the body;

wherein the one or more indentations have a combined volume that is at least 12 cm³; and

wherein the golf club head has a head origin defined as a position on a face plane at a geometric center of the face, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is in an address position where a positive x-axis extends towards a heel portion, a y-axis extending perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is in the address position where a positive y-axis extends from the face and through a rearward portion of the body, and a z-axis extending perpendicular to the ground, to the x-axis and to the y-axis when the head is in the address position where a positive z-axis extends from the head origin and generally upward, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity with a x-axis coordinate between about −

2 mm and about 7 mm, a y-axis coordinate between about 15 mm and about 50 mm, and a z-axis coordinate between about −

7 mm and about 2 mm wherein each of the one or more indentations includes a geometric center point;

wherein, when the golf club head is in the address position, the geometric center point of each of the one or more indentations is located rearwardly of a vertical plane that is both oriented parallel to the x-axis and contains the center of gravity of the golf club head.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the center of gravity y-axis coordinate is between about 30 mm and about 40 mm.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein a top-bottom dimension is between about 63 mm and about 71 mm.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein a front-rear dimension is between about 111 mm and about 127 mm.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the center of gravity z-axis, I_CGz, between about 450 kg·

mm² and about 650 kg·

mm².

6. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a weight port located on the sole near a back portion of the golf club head.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution greater than about 0.810.

8. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a bottom portion, a top portion, a front portion, and a back portion;

a sole located on the bottom portion of the golf club head;

a face positioned at the front portion of the body, the face being configured to receive an impact;

a top portion silhouette profile located along a perimeter of the top portion, the top portion silhouette profile defining the outer bounds of the top portion in an X-direction and Y-direction;

two or more indentations located on the sole below the top portion silhouette profile, the two or more indentations being defined in part by a wall that extends inwardly from a surface of the sole and into the body; and

a center sole portion that extends from the front portion of the body to the back portion of the body;

wherein the two or more indentations comprising one or more toe-side indentations located toe-ward of the center sole portion and one or more heel-side indentations located heel-ward of the center sole portion; and

wherein the golf club head has a head origin defined as a position on a face plane at a geometric center of the face, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is in an address position where a positive x-axis extends towards a heel portion, a y-axis extending perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is in the address position where a positive y-axis extends from the face and through a rearward portion of the body, and a z-axis extending perpendicular to the ground, to the x-axis and to the y-axis when the head is in the address position where a positive z-axis extends from the head origin and generally upward, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity with a x-axis coordinate between about −

2 mm and about 7 mm, a y-axis coordinate between about 15 mm and about 50 mm, and a z-axis coordinate between about −

7 mm and about 2 mm wherein each of the two or more indentations includes a geometric center point;

wherein, when the golf club head is in the address position, the geometric center point of each of the two or more indentations is located rearwardly of a vertical plane that is both oriented parallel to the x-axis and contains the center of gravity of the golf club head.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, further comprising a weight port located on the center sole portion near the back portion of the golf club head.

10. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the two or more indentations have a combined volume that is at least 9 cm³.

11. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the two or more indentations have a combined volume that is at least 12 cm³.

12. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the center of gravity y-axis coordinate is between about 30 mm and about 40 mm.

13. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the center of gravity z-axis, I_CGz, between about 450 kg·

mm² and about 650 kg·

mm².

14. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein a heel-toe dimension is between about 119 mm and about 127 mm.

15. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein a top-bottom dimension is between about 63 mm and about 71 mm.

16. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein a front-rear dimension is between about 111 mm and about 127 mm.

17. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution greater than about 0.810.

18. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the center of gravity z-axis, I_CGz, between about 450 kg·

mm² and about 650 kg·

mm²;

wherein a front-rear dimension is between about 111 mm and about 127 mm; and

wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution greater than about 0.810.

19. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the body having a volume of at least about 400 cm³.

20. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a bottom portion, a top portion, a front portion, and a back portion;

a sole located on the bottom portion of the golf club head;

a face positioned at the front portion of the body, the face being configured to receive an impact;

a top portion silhouette profile located along a perimeter of the top portion, the top portion silhouette profile defining the outer bounds of the top portion in an X-direction and Y-direction;

four or more indentations located on the sole below the top portion silhouette profile, the four or more indentations being defined in part by a wall that extends inwardly from a surface of the sole and into the body;

a center sole portion that extends from the front portion of the body to the back portion of the body; and

a weight port located on the sole portion of the golf club head;

wherein the four or more indentations comprising two or more toe-side indentations located toe-ward of the center sole portion and two or more heel-side indentations located heel-ward of the center sole portion; and

wherein the golf club head has a head origin defined as a position on a face plane at a geometric center of the face, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is in an address position where a positive x-axis extends towards a heel portion, a y-axis extending perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is in the address position where a positive y-axis extends from the face and through a rearward portion of the body, and a z-axis extending perpendicular to the ground, to the x-axis and to the y-axis when the head is in the address position where a positive z-axis extends from the head origin and generally upward, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity with a x-axis coordinate between about −

2 mm and about 7 mm, a y-axis coordinate between about 15 mm and about 50 mm, and a z-axis coordinate between about −

7 mm and about 2 mm wherein each of the four or more indentations includes a geometric center point;

wherein, when the golf club head is in the address position, the geometric center point of each of the four or more indentations is located rearwardly of a vertical plane that is both oriented parallel to the x-axis and contains the center of gravity of the golf club head.

21. The golf club head of claim 20, wherein the four or more indentations have a combined volume that is at least 9 cm³.

22. The golf club head of claim 20, wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about the center of gravity z-axis, I_CGz, between about 450 kg·

mm² and about 650 kg·

mm²;

wherein a front-rear dimension is between about 111 mm and about 127 mm; and

wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution greater than about 0.810.