Golf club assembly and golf club with aerodynamic features

• US 8,690,704 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Thomas, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US13/078,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20120252597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/327
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/50 with through-holes A63B60/18 takes precedence; for stringing purposes A63B49/00

Abstract

A golf club head includes a body member having a length dimension, a height dimension, a breadth dimension, a center-of-gravity and a face-squared centerline. The body member includes a channel having an inlet, an outlet and a throughbore extending through the body member from the inlet to the outlet. The inlet is located to a heel-side of the centerline of the body member and the outlet is located to a toe-side of the centerline of the body member. A golf club including the golf club head is also provided.

Claims

1. A golf club head for a driver comprising:

a body member having a length dimension, a height dimension, a breadth dimension, a center-of-gravity and a face-squared centerline,

the body member including a channel having an inlet, an outlet and a throughbore extending through the body member from the inlet to the outlet,

the inlet located to a heel-side of the centerline of the body member, and

the outlet located to a toe-side of the centerline of the body member, wherein the minimum cross-sectional area of the throughbore ranges from 30 mm² to 100 mm².

2. The club head of claim 1, wherein body member includes a hosel configured for attachment to a golf club shaft and the inlet is located within 4.0 cm of a longitudinal axis of the hosel.

3. The club head of claim 1, wherein the inlet and the outlet can be seen when the club head is viewed from a sole-side of the body member along an axis extending from the center-of-gravity in a direction parallel to the height dimension.

4. The club head of claim 1, wherein the inlet can be seen when the body member is viewed from the heel-side of the body member along an axis extending from the center-of-gravity in a direction parallel to the length dimension, and wherein the outlet can be seen when the body member is viewed from the toe-side of the body member along an axis extending from the center-of-gravity in a direction parallel to the length dimension.

5. The club head of claim 1, further including a diffuser located on a sole of the body member, the diffuser having a first edge located to the heel-side of the centerline and having a second edge located to the toe-side of the centerline, and

wherein the inlet of the channel is located at the first edge of the diffuser, and

wherein the outlet of the channel is located at the second edge of the diffuser.

6. The channel of claim 1, wherein the inlet is located closer to a ball striking face of the body member than is the outlet.

7. The club head of claim 1, wherein the channel is angled from 10 degrees to 90 degrees from the centerline.

8. The club head of claim 1, wherein the throughbore is at least partially curved.

9. The club head of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of the inlet is less than the cross-sectional area of the outlet.

10. A golf club head for a driver comprising:

a body member having a length dimension, a height dimension, a breadth dimension, a center-of-gravity and a face-squared centerline; and

the body member including a channel having an inlet, an outlet and a throughbore for a passage of air through, the channel extending through the body member from the inlet to the outlet, wherein the minimum cross-sectional area of the throughbore ranges from 30 mm² to 100 mm²,

wherein the inlet can be seen when the body member is viewed from a heel-side of the body member along an axis extending from the center-of-gravity in a direction parallel to the length dimension.

11. The club head of claim 10, wherein the inlet can be seen when the body member is viewed from a sole-side of the body member along an axis extending from the center-of-gravity in a direction parallel to the height dimension.

12. The club head of claim 10, wherein the outlet can be seen when the body member is viewed from the toe-side of the body member along an axis extending from the center-of-gravity in a direction parallel to the length dimension.

13. The club head of claim 10, wherein the outlet can be seen when the body member is viewed from the sole-side of the body member along an axis extending from the center-of-gravity in a direction parallel to the height dimension.

14. The club head of claim 10, wherein the outlet can be seen when the body member is viewed from the back-side of the body member along an axis extending from the center-of-gravity in a direction parallel to the breadth dimension.

15. The club head of claim 10, wherein body member includes a hosel configured for attachment to a golf club shaft and the inlet is located within 4.0 cm of a longitudinal axis of the hosel.

16. The club head of claim 10, wherein the channel is angled from 10 degrees to 90 degrees from the centerline.

17. The club head of claim 10, wherein the throughbore is at least partially curved.

18. The club head of claim 10, wherein the cross-sectional area of the inlet is less than the cross-sectional area of the outlet.

19. A golf club comprising:

a shaft; and

a golf club head secured to a distal end of the shaft,

wherein the golf club head comprises;

a body member having a length dimension, a height dimension, a breadth dimension, a center-of-gravity and a face-squared centerline,

the body member including a channel having an inlet, an outlet and a throughbore extending through the body member from the inlet to the outlet,

the inlet located to a heel-side of the centerline of the body member, and

the outlet located to a toe-side of the centerline of the body member, wherein the minimum cross-sectional area of the throughbore ranges from 30 mm² to 100 mm².