Golf club head

• US 8,353,786 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Hoffman, Joseph Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/006,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20090088271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club head includes a body defining an interior cavity. The body includes a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown. The body has a forward portion and a rearward portion. The club head includes a face positioned at the forward portion of the body. The face defines a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin. Some embodiments of the club head have a high moment of inertia and variable thickness face.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity and comprising a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, wherein the body has a forward portion and a rearward portion; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face defining a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is at an address position, a y-axis perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is at the address position, and a z-axis perpendicular to both the x-axis and y-axis, the striking surface having a striking surface height between approximately 45 mm and approximately 65 mm, and a striking surface width between approximately 75 mm and approximately 105 mm;

wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity z-axis generally parallel to the head origin z-axis greater than approximately 490 kg*mm²,

wherein the face has a thickness along the head origin x-axis, the thickness increasing in a diverging portion that extends radially outward from the ideal impact location, the thickness being between t_min and t_max for at least 50% of the x-axis coordinates x within a first range between approximately −

10 mm and approximately −

50 mm, and a second range between approximately 10 mm and approximately 50 mm, where

t_min=1.6+0.002378(40−

|x|)², and 

 

(1)

t_max=2.5+0.002854(40|x|)²; and

 

 

(2)

wherein the striking surface has an area between approximately 3,500 mm² and approximately 4,500 mm².

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face has a thickness along the head origin z-axis, the thickness being between t_min and t_max for at least 50% of the z-axis coordinates z within a third range between approximately −

10 mm and approximately −

30 mm, and a fourth range between approximately 10 mm and approximately 30 mm, where

t_min=1.6+0.002378(40−

|z|)², and 

 

(1)

t_max=2.5+0.002854(40|z|)² 

 

(2).

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the thickness of a first portion of the face within at respective one of the first and second ranges is at least approximately 2 mm greater than a second portion of the face within the respective one of the first and second ranges.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the face is between t_min and t_max for at least 80% of the x-axis coordinates x within the first and second ranges.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity x-axis generally parallel to the head origin x-axis greater than approximately 280 kg·

mm².

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity with an x-axis coordinate between approximately 0.0 mm and approximately 6.0 mm, and a z-axis coordinate between approximately 0.0 mm and approximately −

6.0 mm.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a majority of the body is comprised of a titanium alloy.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a rib has one end at a heel wall and an opposite end at a toe wall, and wherein the rib extends continuously from the one end at the heel wall through the sole and to the opposite end at the toe wall.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a rib is spaced from the head origin by a distance greater than a range of reversible deformation of the face by impact with a golf ball such that the face does not contact the rib while the face is undergoing deformation during a golf shot.

10. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity and comprising a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, wherein the body has a forward portion and a rearward portion; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face defining a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground the head is at an address position, a y-axis perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is at the address position, and a z-axis perpendicular to both the x-axis and y-axis, the striking surface having a striking surface height between approximately 45 mm and approximately 65 mm, and a striking surface width between approximately 75 mm and approximately 105 mm;

wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity x-axis generally parallel to the head origin x-axis greater than approximately 280 kg*mm²,

wherein the face has a thickness along the head origin z-axis, the thickness increasing in a diverging portion that extends radially outward from the ideal impact location, the thickness being between t_min and t_max for at least 50% of the z-axis coordinates z within a first range between approximately −

10 mm and approximately −

30 mm, and a second range between approximately 10 mm and approximately 30 mm, where

t_min=1.6+0.002378(40−

|x|)², and 

 

(1)

t_max=2.5+0.002854(40−

|x|)²; and

 

 

(2)

wherein the striking surface has an area between approximately 3,500 mm² and approximately 4,500 mm².

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the face has a thickness along the head origin x-axis, the thickness being between t_min and t_max for at least 50% of the x-axis coordinates x within a third range between approximately −

10 mm and approximately −

50 mm, and a fourth range between approximately 10 mm and approximately 50 mm, where

t_min=1.6+0.002378(40|x|)², and 

 

(1)

t_max=2.5+0.002854(40|x|)². 

 

(2)

12. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the thickness of a first portion of the face within at respective one of the first and second ranges is at least approximately 2 mm greater than a second portion of the face within the respective one of the first and second ranges.

13. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the thickness of the face is between t_min and t_max for at least 80% of the z-axis coordinates z within the first and second ranges.

14. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity z-axis generally parallel to the head origin z-axis greater than approximately 490 kg·

mm².

15. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity with an x-axis coordinate between approximately 0.0 mm and approximately 6.0 mm, and a z-axis coordinate between approximately 0.0 mm and approximately −

6.0 mm.

16. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity and comprising a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, wherein the body has a forward portion and a rearward portion; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face defining a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is at an address position, a y-axis perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is at the address position, and a z-axis perpendicular to both the x-axis and y-axis, the striking surface having a striking surface width between approximately 75 mm and approximately 105 mm;

wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity z-axis generally parallel to the head origin z-axis greater than approximately 490 kg*mm², and a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity x-axis generally parallel to the head origin x-axis greater than approximately 280 kg*mm²,

wherein the face has a thickness along a radial axis extending tangential to and radially outwardly away from the golf club head origin, the thickness increasing in a diverging portion that extends radially outward from the ideal impact location, the thickness being between t_min and t_max along at least 50% of the distances r away from the golf club head origin along the radial axis equal to or greater than approximately 10 mm and equal to or less than approximately 50 mm, where

t_min=1.6+0.002378(40−

r)², and 

 

(1)

t_max=2.5+0.002854(40−

r)²; and

 

 

(2)

wherein the striking surface has an area between approximately 3,500 mm² and approximately 4,500 mm².

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity with an x-axis coordinate between approximately 0.0 mm and approximately 6.0 mm, and a z-axis coordinate between approximately 0.0 mm and approximately −

6.0 mm.

18. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity and comprising a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, wherein the body has a forward portion and a rearward portion; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face defining a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is at an address position, a y-axis perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is at the address position, and a z-axis perpendicular to both the x-axis and y-axis, the striking surface having a striking surface height between approximately 45 mm and approximately 65 mm, and a striking surface width between approximately 75 mm and approximately 105 mm;

wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity z-axis generally parallel to the head origin z-axis greater than approximately 490 kg*mm²,

wherein the face has a bending stiffness along the head origin x-axis, the bending stiffness increasing in a diverging portion that extends radially outward from the ideal impact location, the bending stiffness being between BS_min and BS_max for at least 50% of the x-axis coordinates x within a first range between approximately −

10 mm and approximately −

50 mm, and a second range between approximately 10 mm and approximately 50 mm, where

BS_min=1.1*10⁵[1.6+0.002378(40−

|x|)²]³, and 

 

(1)

BS_max=1.1*10⁵[2.5+0.002854(40−

|x|)²]³; and

 

 

(2)

wherein the striking surface has an area between approximately 3,500 mm² and approximately 4,500 mm².

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity with an x-axis coordinate between approximately 0.0 mm and approximately 6.0 mm, and a z-axis coordinate between approximately 0.0 mm and approximately −

6.0 mm.

20. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the face has a thickness along the head origin x-axis, the thickness being between t_min and t_max for at least 50% of the x-axis coordinates x within a third range between approximately −

10 mm and approximately −

50 mm, and a fourth range between approximately 10 mm and approximately 50 mm, where

t_min=1.6+0.002378(40|x|)², and 

 

(1)

t_max=2.5+0.002854(40−

|x|)². 

 

(2)

21. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the face has a thickness along the head origin z-axis, the thickness being between t_min and t_max for at least 50% of the z-axis coordinates z within a third range between approximately −

10 mm and approximately −

30 mm, and a fourth range between approximately 10 mm and approximately 30 mm, where

t_min=1.6+0.002378(40−

|z|)², and 

 

(1)

t_max=2.5+0.002854(40−

|z|)². 

 

(2)

22. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity and comprising a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown, wherein the body has a forward portion and a rearward portion; and

a face positioned at the forward portion of the body, the face defining a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin, the head origin including an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to the ground when the head is at an address position, a y-axis perpendicular to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground when the head is at the address position, and a z-axis perpendicular to both the x-axis and y-axis, the striking surface having a striking surface height between approximately 45 mm and approximately 65 mm, and a striking surface width between approximately 75 mm and approximately 105 mm;

wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a golf club head center of gravity x-axis generally parallel to the head origin x-axis greater than approximately 280 kg*mm²,

wherein the face has a bending stiffness along the head origin z-axis, the bending stiffness increasing in a diverging portion that extends radially outward from the ideal impact location, the bending stiffness being between BS_min and BS_max for at least 50% of the z-axis coordinates z within a first range between approximately −

10 mm and approximately −

30 mm, and a second range between approximately 10 mm and approximately 30 mm, where

BS_mm=1.1*10⁵[1.6+0.002378(40−

z)²]³, and 

 

(1)

BS_max=1.1.10⁵[2.5+0.002854(40−

z)²]³; and

 

 

(2)

wherein the striking surface has an area between approximately 3,500 mm² and approximately 4,500 mm².

23. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the golf club head has a center of gravity with an x-axis coordinate between approximately 0.0 mm and approximately 6.0 mm, and a z-axis coordinate between approximately 0.0 mm and approximately −

6.0 mm.

24. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the face has a thickness along the head origin x-axis, the thickness being between t_min and t_max for at least 50% of the x-axis coordinates x within a third range between approximately −

10 mm and approximately −

50 mm, and a fourth range between approximately 10 mm and approximately 50 mm, where

t_min=1.6+0.002378(40|x|)², and 

 

(1)

t_max=2.5+0.002854(40−

|x|)². 

 

(2)

25. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the face has a thickness along the head origin z-axis, the thickness being between t_min and t_max for at least 50% of the z-axis coordinates z within a third range between approximately −

10 mm and approximately −

30 mm, and a fourth range between approximately 10 mm and approximately 30 mm, where

t_min=1.6+0.002378(40|z|)², and 

 

(1)

t_max=2.5+0.002854(40−

|z|)². 

 

(2)