Golf club and golf club head structures

• US 9,155,944 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Institute of Petroleum Chemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, Wintershall Holding GmbH (Wintershall Dea AG)
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Stites, John T., Boyd, Robert, Larson, Eric A., Brown, Kenneth W., Jones, Sherry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US13/683,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20130085013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head has a body defining a ball striking face. The body further has a first leg extending away from the ball striking face and a second leg extending away from the ball striking face wherein a void is defined between the first leg and the second leg. The body further defines a crown that extends over the void.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body defining a ball striking face, a crown and a sole, the body further having a first leg extending away from the ball striking face and a second leg extending away from the ball striking face wherein a void is defined between the first leg and the second leg, the crown extending over the void, the void defining a first perimeter at an underside surface of the crown and the void defining a second perimeter at the sole, wherein the second perimeter is greater in length than a length of the first perimeter;

wherein the first leg has a first wall extending between the crown and the sole and integral with the crown and the sole, and the second leg has a second wall extending between the crown and the sole and integral with the crown and the sole; and

wherein the first wall and second wall have respective proximal ends having a first height and the first wall and the second wall have respective distal ends having a second height less than the first height.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the body further defines an internal cavity, and the first wall has a first inner surface facing into the internal cavity and first outer surface facing into the void, wherein the second wall has a second inner surface facing into the internal cavity and a second outer surface facing into the void.

3. The golf club head of claim 2 further comprising a first gusset member positioned proximate the first inner surface of the first wall, and wherein the first gusset member has a first side connected proximate the first inner surface of the first wall and a second side connected on an internal sole surface, and further comprising a second gusset member positioned proximate the second inner surface of the second wall, wherein the second gusset member has a first side connected proximate the second inner surface of the second wall and a second side connected on the internal sole surface.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the first wall and the second wall extend from an underside surface of the crown towards the sole at an angle wherein the first wall and the second wall extend away from one another.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the first leg and the second leg converge towards one another to an interface area, the interface area positioned proximate a central location of the club head.

6. The golf club head of claim 5 wherein the body defines a rear and wherein the void has a first width proximate the interface area and a second width proximate the rear, the second width being greater than the first width, wherein the void is generally v-shaped.

7. The golf club head of claim 5 wherein the club head defines a breadth dimension and the interface area is positioned at a range of 40%-60% of the breadth dimension, measured from the ball striking face.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the first wall and the second wall have respective distal ends and wherein the distal ends extend toward one another.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the first leg has a first wall and the second leg has a second wall, wherein the first wall depends from an underside surface of the crown and is integral with the underside surface of the crown, and the second wall depends from the underside surface of the crown and is integral with the underside surface of the crown.

10. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the crown is dimensioned such that the void is not visible at an address position, and wherein the void is visible from an underside of the club head.

11. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the first perimeter is approximately 70%-90% of the second perimeter.

12. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the first perimeter is approximately 80%-90% of the second perimeter.

13. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the body further defines an internal cavity having a first volume and wherein the void defines a second volume, wherein the volume of the void is approximately 15%-25% of the volume of the internal cavity.

15. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the body further defines an internal cavity and a center of gravity of the club head is located within the internal cavity.

16. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the first wall has a plurality of ribs thereon and the second wall has a plurality of ribs thereon.

14. The golf club head of 1 wherein the crown defines a surface area and the crown has a segment that confronts the void wherein the segment defines a surface area, wherein the surface area of the segment is approximately 10%-25% of the surface area of the crown.

17. A golf club head comprising:

a body defining a ball striking face, a crown and a sole, the body further having a first leg extending away from the ball striking face and a second leg extending away from the ball striking face wherein a void is defined between the first leg and the second leg, the crown extending over the void, the body further defining an internal cavity, the first leg having a first wall extending between the crown and the sole, the first wall having an first inner surface facing into the internal cavity and a first outer surface facing into the void, the second leg having a second wall extending between the crown and the sole, the second wall having a second inner surface facing into the internal cavity and a second outer surface facing into the void; and

wherein the first leg and the second leg converge towards one another to an interface area, wherein the body defines a rear and wherein the void has a first width proximate the interface area and a second width proximate the rear, the second width being greater than the first width, wherein the void is generally v-shaped.

18. The golf club head of claim 17 wherein the void defines a first perimeter proximate an underside surface of the crown and the void defines a second perimeter proximate the sole, wherein the second perimeter is greater than the first perimeter.

19. The golf club head of claim 17 wherein the first wall is integrally connected to an underside surface of the crown and to the sole, and the second wall is integrally connected to the underside surface of the crown and to the sole.

20. A golf club head comprising:

a body defining a ball striking face, a crown and a sole, the body further having a first leg extending away from the ball striking face and a second leg extending away from the ball striking face wherein a void is defined between the first leg and the second leg, the body further defining an internal cavity, the crown extending over the internal cavity and the void, wherein the crown defines a surface area and the crown has a segment that confronts the void wherein the segment defines a surface area, wherein the surface area of the segment is approximately 10%-20% of the surface area of the crown.

21. The golf club head of 20 wherein the first leg has a first wall extending between the crown and the sole, the first wall having an first inner surface facing into the internal cavity and a first outer surface facing into the void, the second leg having a second wall extending between the crown and the sole, the second wall having a second inner surface facing into the internal cavity and a second outer surface facing into the void.

22. The golf club head of claim 21 wherein the first wall and the second wall converge towards one another and wherein an angle is defined between the first wall and the second wall proximate an underside surface of the crown, wherein the angle is in a range of approximately 85 degrees to 120 degrees.

23. A golf club head comprising:

a body defining a ball striking face, a crown, a sole and an interface area proximate a central region of the body, the body further having a first leg extending away from the interface area and a second leg extending away from the interface area wherein a generally v-shaped void is defined between the first leg and the second leg, the crown extending over the void, the body further defining an internal cavity, the first leg having a first wall extending between the crown and the sole, the first wall having an first inner surface facing into the internal cavity and a first outer surface facing into the void, the second leg having a second wall extending between the crown and the sole, the second wall having a second inner surface facing into the internal cavity and a second outer surface facing into the void, the first wall and the second wall having respective proximate ends at the interface area, the proximate ends having a first height, the first wall and the second wall having respective distal ends at a rear of the club head, the distal ends having a second height that is less than the respective first height, wherein the distal ends extend toward one another.