Patent Application
20250153019
This disclosure relates generally to golf clubs, and more particularly to selectively adjustable tuning of the acoustics of, and detecting impacts to, golf clubs during or following an impact with a golf ball.
The acoustics (e.g., sound) of a golf club upon impact with a golf ball is important to many golfers. Often, the acoustics of a golf club can influence a golfer's decision to purchase the golf club and can affect the golfer's confidence when hitting the golf club. Some golfers prefer a relatively loud sound over a short duration, others may prefer a relatively muted sound over a longer duration, while yet others may prefer some other combination of sound characteristics. The advanced materials used in today's modern golf club heads can result in a muted sound, which might not be preferable for all golfers. Additionally, the sound of a golf club is fixed at the factory and non-adjustable after leaving the factory. Moreover, any adjustment to the golf club head after leaving the factory that changes the acoustics of the golf club usually results in a drop in the performance of the golf club. Designing a golf club that enables the selective adjustment of the sound heard when the golf club makes impact with a golf ball, without changing the performance of the golf club, is difficult. Another difficulty with conventional golf clubs is detecting the occurrence and location of an impact with a golf ball during a golf swing.
The subject matter of the present application has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the shortcomings of golf clubs and associated golf club heads, that have not yet been fully solved. The subject matter of the present application has been developed to provide a golf club and golf club head that overcome at least some of the above-discussed shortcomings. In some examples, the above-discussed shortcomings are overcome by providing a golf club and an associated system that enable selective adjustment or tuning of the acoustic profile of the golf club head without adjustment to the performance of the golf club, as well as effectively detecting and determining the location of an impact with a golf ball.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of examples, which may or may not be claimed, of the subject matter, disclosed herein.
Disclosed herein is a golf club including a golf club head. The golf club also includes a shaft coupled to the golf club head, a grip attached to the shaft, and an actuator configured to generate a sound. The golf club further includes an impact sensor configured to detect an impact of the golf club head with a golf ball and an electronic controller configured to command the actuator to generate the sound in response to the impact sensor detecting the impact of the golf club head with the golf ball. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 1 of the present disclosure.
The actuator, the impact sensor, and the electronic controller are fixed directly to one of the golf club head, the shaft, or the grip so that the actuator, the impact sensor, and the electronic controller co-move with the golf club. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 2 of the present disclosure, wherein example 2 also includes the subject matter according to example 1, above.
The golf club further includes a power source configured to supply electrical power to the electronic controller. The power source is fixed directly to one of the golf club head, the shaft, or the grip so that the power source co-moves with the golf club. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 3 of the present disclosure, wherein example 3 also includes the subject matter according to example 2, above.
The golf club head includes an interior surface and an interior cavity defined at least partially by the interior surface. The actuator and the impact sensor are fixed directly to the interior surface of the golf club head and located within the interior cavity of the golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 4 of the present disclosure, wherein example 4 also includes the subject matter according to example 3, above.
The electronic controller and the power source are fixed directly to the golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 5 of the present disclosure, wherein example 5 also includes the subject matter according to example 4, above.
The electronic controller is fixed directly to the interior surface of the golf club head and located within the interior cavity of the golf club head. The golf club head further includes a rear power-source port external to the interior cavity. The power source is seated in the rear power-source port. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 6 of the present disclosure, wherein example 6 also includes the subject matter according to example 5, above.
The power source includes a battery and a power cable port that is accessible from an exterior of the golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 7 of the present disclosure, wherein example 7 also includes the subject matter according to example 6, above.
The electronic controller and the power source are fixed directly to the shaft of the golf club. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 8 of the present disclosure, wherein example 8 also includes the subject matter according to any of examples 2-4, above.
The golf club head further includes an activation sensor configured to detect when use of the golf club head is desired. The electronic controller is activated based on input from the activation sensor. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 9 of the present disclosure, wherein example 9 also includes the subject matter according to any of examples 1-8, above.
The activation sensor is one of a motion sensor or a photosensor. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 10 of the present disclosure, wherein example 10 also includes the subject matter according to example 9, above.
The golf club head further includes a motion sensor configured to measure at least one swing characteristic associated with a swing that results in the impact of the golf club head with the golf ball. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 11 of the present disclosure, wherein example 11 also includes the subject matter according to any of examples 1-10, above.
The electronic controller is further configured to command the actuator to generate a verbal swing-feedback sound in response to the at least one swing characteristic measured by the motion sensor. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 12 of the present disclosure, wherein example 12 also includes the subject matter according to example 11, above.
The golf club head includes a front portion including a strike face and an interior surface opposite the strike face. The golf club head includes one of a crown insert or a sole insert each including an interior surface. The impact sensor is attached directly to the interior surface of the front portion. The actuator is attached directly to the interior surface of the crown insert or the sole insert. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 13 of the present disclosure, wherein example 13 also includes the subject matter according to any of examples 1-12, above.
The golf club includes multiple impact sensors spaced apart about the interior surface of the front portion. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 14 of the present disclosure, wherein example 14 also includes the subject matter according to example 13, above.
The golf club includes multiple actuators spaced apart about the interior surface of the crown insert or the sole insert. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 15 of the present disclosure, wherein example 15 also includes the subject matter according to any of examples 13-14, above.
Further disclosed herein is a method of selectively adjusting an acoustic sound of a golf club head. The method includes steps of detecting an impact of a golf ball with a strike face of a golf club head during a golf swing, and based on the detected impact with a golf ball, generating an artificial sound that, when combined with a natural impact sound resulting from the impact of the golf ball with the strike face, achieves a target sound. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 16 of the present disclosure.
The method further includes a step of selecting one of multiple target sounds and the step of generating the artificial sound achieves a selected one of the multiple target sounds. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 17 of the present disclosure, wherein example 17 also includes the subject matter according to example 16, above.
The method further includes steps of detecting a second impact of a golf ball with the strike face of the golf club head during a second golf swing, and based on the second detected impact with the golf ball, generating a second artificial sound that, when combined with a second natural impact sound resulting from the second impact of the golf ball with the strike face, achieves the target sound. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 18 of the present disclosure, wherein example 18 also includes the subject matter according to any of examples 16-17, above.
Additionally disclosed herein is a system that includes a golf club. The golf club includes a golf club head, a shaft coupled to the golf club head, a grip attached to the shaft, an impact sensor configured to detect an impact of the golf club with a golf ball, and an electronic controller configured to command the actuator to generate the sound in response to the impact sensor detecting the impact of the golf club with the golf ball. The system also includes an external computing device external to the golf club and configured to communicate with the electronic controller. The sound commanded by the electronic controller is based on input received from the external computing device. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 19 of the present disclosure.
The external computing device is configured to communicate wirelessly with the electronic controller. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 20 of the present disclosure, wherein example 20 also includes the subject matter according to example 19, above.
The external computing device is configured to enable selective adjustment of the sound commanded by the electronic controller. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 21 of the present disclosure, wherein example 21 also includes the subject matter according to any of examples 19-20, above.
The external computing device is configured to communicate swing feedback information based at least partially on the impact sensor detecting the impact of the golf club with the golf ball. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 22 of the present disclosure, wherein example 22 also includes the subject matter according to any of examples 19-21, above.
Also disclosed herein is a golf club head. The golf club head includes a body, an actuator fixed directly to the body and configured to generate a sound, an impact sensor fixed directly to the body and configured to detect an impact of the golf club with a golf ball, and an electronic controller fixed directly to the body and configured to command the actuator to generate the sound in response to the impact sensor detecting the impact of the golf club with the golf ball. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 23 of the present disclosure.
The body includes a front portion that includes a strike face and an interior surface opposite the strike face. The body further includes one of a crown insert or a sole insert each including an interior surface. The impact sensor is attached directly to the interior surface of the front portion. The actuator is attached directly to the interior surface of crown insert or the sole insert. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 24 of the present disclosure, wherein example 24 also includes the subject matter according to example 23, above.
The golf club head includes multiple impact sensors spaced apart about the interior surface of the front portion. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 25 of the present disclosure, wherein example 25 also includes the subject matter according to example 24, above.
The golf club includes multiple actuators spaced apart about the interior surface of the crown insert or the sole insert. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 26 of the present disclosure, wherein example 26 also includes the subject matter according to any of examples 24-25, above.
The golf club head further includes a power source fixed directly to the body and configured to supply electrical power to the electronic controller. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 27 of the present disclosure, wherein example 27 also includes the subject matter according to any of examples 23-26, above.
Further disclosed herein is a golf club. The golf club includes a golf club head, an impact sensor configured to detect an impact of the golf club head with a golf ball and to generate an electrical output signal indicative of the impact location on the golf club head, an electronic controller configured to process the electrical output signal from the impact sensor to determine the impact location on the golf club head, and a display configured to visually indicate the impact location on the golf club head based on the processed electrical output signal. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 28 of the present disclosure.
The display is integrated into the golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 29 of the present disclosure, wherein example 29 also includes the subject matter according to example 28, above.
The display is an external computing device configured to wirelessly receive the processed electrical output signal from the electronic controller and visually indicate the impact location on the golf club head. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 30 of the present disclosure, wherein example 30 also includes the subject matter according to any of examples 28-29, above.
The golf club further includes a communication module configured to transmit the processed electrical output signal to an external computing device. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 31 of the present disclosure, wherein example 31 also includes the subject matter according to any of examples 28-30, above.
The electronic controller is further configured to store historical impact location data and to analyze the historical impact location data to provide feedback on a swing of a golfer. The preceding subject matter of this paragraph characterizes example 32 of the present disclosure, wherein example 32 also includes the subject matter according to any of examples 28-31, above.
The described features, structures, advantages, and/or characteristics of the subject matter of the present disclosure may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments and/or implementations. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to impart a thorough understanding of embodiments of the subject matter of the present disclosure. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the subject matter of the present disclosure may be practiced without one or more of the specific features, details, components, materials, and/or methods of a particular embodiment or implementation. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments and/or implementations that may not be present in all embodiments or implementations. Further, in some instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the subject matter of the present disclosure. The features and advantages of the subject matter of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the subject matter as set forth hereinafter.
In order that the advantages of the subject matter may be more readily understood, a more particular description of the subject matter briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the subject matter and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the subject matter will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the drawings.
Reference throughout this specification to “one example,” “an example,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the example is included in at least one example of the present disclosure. Appearances of the phrases “in one example,” “in an example,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same example. Similarly, the use of the term “implementation” means an implementation having a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with one or more examples of the present disclosure, however, absent an express correlation to indicate otherwise, an implementation may be associated with one or more examples.
The following describes embodiments of golf club heads in the context of a driver-type golf club, but the principles, methods and designs described may be applicable in whole or in part to fairway woods, utility clubs (also known as hybrid clubs), irons, putters, and the like.
In some examples, the golf club head of the golf club described herein is a driver-type golf club head, which can be identified, at least partially, as golf club heads with strike faces that have a total surface area of at least 3,500 mm{circumflex over ( )}2, preferably at least 3,800 mm{circumflex over ( )}2, and even more preferably at least 3,900 mm{circumflex over ( )}2 (e.g., between 3,500 mm2 and 5,000 mm2 in one example, less than 5,000 mm2 in various examples, and between 3,700 mm2 and 4,300 mm2 in another example). Additionally, in certain examples, driver-type golf club heads include a center-of-gravity (CG) projection, parallel to a horizontal axis (i.e., a y-axis of a three-dimensional reference coordinate system, as defined below), which is at most 3 mm above or below a center face of the strike face, and preferably at most 1 mm above or below the center face, as measured along a vertical axis (i.e., a z-axis of the three-dimensional reference coordinate system). Moreover, in some examples, driver-type golf club heads have a relatively high moment of inertia about a CG vertical axis (i.e., CG z-axis) (e.g. Izz>400 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2 and preferably Izz>450 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, more preferably Izz>500 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, and even more preferably Izz>530 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, but less than 590 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2 in certain implementations), a relatively high moment of inertia about a CG horizontal axis (i.e., CG x-axis) (e.g. Ixx>250 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, preferably Ixx>300 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, more preferably Ixx>350 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, and even more preferably Ixx>390 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, but less than 470 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2 in certain implementations), and preferably a ratio of Ixx/Izz is greater than 0.60, 0.62. 0.64, 0.68, 0.70, and preferably a ratio of Ixx/Izz is less than 0.90, 0.88, 0.86, 0.84, 0.82, 0.80, 0.78, 0.76. Preferably, a ratio of Ixx/Izz is between 0.63 and 0.76, inclusive. According to certain examples, a sum of Ixx and Izz is greater than 780 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, 800 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, 825 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, 850 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, 875 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, 900 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, and 925 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2, but less than 1100 kg-mm{circumflex over ( )}2. The CG z-axis and the CG x-axis form part of a CG coordinate system, having an origin at the CG of the golf club head, where the CG z-axis passes through the CG of the golf club head and is parallel to the z-axis of the three-dimensional reference coordinate system, and the CG x-axis passes through the CG of the golf club head and is parallel to an x-axis of the three-dimensional reference coordinate system.
Referring to
The actuator 210 is configured to generate a sound (i.e., an artificial sound) in response to an electrical input signal. The sound is adjustable by varying the characteristics of the electrical input signal. For example, the intensity, frequency, and/or duration of the sound can be varied by changing the intensity, frequency, and/or duration of the electrical input signal. In one example, the actuator 210 is a self-contained speaker that generates an acoustic wave and is independent of other structural components of the golf club 101. However, in other examples, the actuator 210 is configured to vibrate one or more structural components of the golf club 101 so that the one or more structural components emits an acoustic wave, thus effectively converting the one or more structural components into a speaker.
The actuator 210 is a piezoelectric actuator in some examples. The piezoelectric actuator is made of piezoelectric materials, which are defined as material that convert electrical energy into mechanical energy or converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. In the case of the piezoelectric actuator, the piezoelectrical material converts the energy from the electrical input signal to a mechanical vibration, which generates the acoustic wave (i.e., sound or soundwave). The acoustic wave can be proportional to the electrical input signal received by the actuator 210. Although the actuator 210 of the golf club head 100 is shown as a single box in
One or more actuators may be connected to a power source (e.g., power source 216, which can be a battery) that enables active vibration dampening or acoustic quieting by the one or more actuators. For example, an actuator on a sole portion may be connected to a power source and may be used to dampen an undesirable sole mode. Or, the one or more actuators may be connected to other structures such as the crown portion or skirt portion of the golf club head, which is described below in more detail.
The one or more actuators may also be used for active noise cancellation, acoustic quieting, or cancellation of undesirable sound generated by the club head at impact. Accordingly, the one or more actuators (piezoelectric) may be used to generate desirable vibrations (sound) or cancel undesirable original vibrations (sound) from the structure. Additionally, the one or more actuators may have different purposes and may be strategically located within the golf club head structure and controlled to achieve those purposes.
The impact sensor 212 is configured to generate an electrical output signal in response to detecting an impact of the golf club 101 with a golf ball. In some examples, the generation of the electrical output signal, independent of the characteristics of the electrical output signal, identifies an impact with a golf ball. In other words, the impact sensor 212 can be configured to generate an electrical output signal only when an impact, sufficient to be considered an impact with a golf ball, is received by the golf club 101. In other examples, the impact sensor 212 is configured to generate an electrical output signal in response to any impact and one or more characteristics of the electrical output signal, meeting a threshold level, indicate an impact with a golf ball. For example, an electrical output signal having an intensity greater than a threshold intensity indicates an impact with a golf ball. In some examples, the characteristics of the electrical output signal vary in response to the characteristics of the impact. For example, the intensity of the electrical output signal can vary based on the force of the impact with the golf ball. In this manner, the impact sensor 212 not only can detect an impact with a golf ball, but it can provide data that enables a determination of the location and/or quality of the impact. The impact sensor 212 is a piezoelectric sensor or a strain gauge in some examples. The piezoelectric sensor is made of piezoelectric materials, which convert the energy from vibration of the piezoelectric material, caused by the impact, to the electrical output signal. The electrical output signal can be proportional to the vibration of the piezoelectric material of the impact sensor 212. Although the impact sensor 212 of the golf club head 100 is shown as a single box in
The golf club 101 also includes an electronic controller 214 and a power source 216. In some examples, as shown by dashed line in
The electronic controller 214 utilizes the electrical power from the power source 216 to process electrical output signals from the impact sensor 212 and to generate and transmit electrical input signals to the actuator 210. Both the electronic controller 214 and the power source 216 are attached to a structural component of the golf club head 100 and thus co-move with the golf club 101 when the golf club 101 is swung to impact a golf ball. As presented below, in some examples, the electronic controller 214 and the power source 216 are attached to one or more structural components of a golf club head, grip, and/or shaft of the golf club 101.
In some examples, the electronic controller 214 includes a processor, memory, and input/output (I/O) peripherals on one or more circuit boards. The memory stores control logic and the processor is configured to execute commands according to the control logic. Accordingly, the functionality of the electronic controller 214 is defined by the commands stored in the memory and executed by the processor. According to some examples, the electronic controller 214 receives an electrical output signal from the impact sensor 212, processes the electrical output signal, and generates an electrical input signal, which is transmitted to the actuator 210. The characteristics of the electrical input signal, and thus the characteristics of the acoustic vibrations generated by the actuator 210, are based on the characteristics of the electrical output signal and one or more parameters defined by the control logic. Generally, the control logic is programmed to generate an electrical input signal that results in acoustic vibrations, generated by the actuator 210, that shifts the natural impact sound from the impact with the golf ball to a target sound defined by the control logic. The natural impact sound is the unmodifiable sound generated by the impact with the golf ball and is based on the materials and the structure of the golf club head of the golf club 101. The sound (e.g., acoustic vibrations) generated by the actuator 210 is designed to combine with the natural impact sound to create a combined or resulting sound equal to the target sound defined by the control logic. Although the natural impact sound cannot be adjusted, the sound generated by the actuator 210 interacts with the natural impact sound to produce the target sound. The target sound is what is heard by the golfer. In this manner, the golf club 101 can be selectively and adjustably acoustically tuned. For example, an impact that generates an undesirable sound (e.g., 2100 Hz or lower), when combined with the sound generated by the actuator, results in a more desirable sound (e.g., between 2500 Hz and 4000 Hz) to effectively dampen unwanted vibrations.
In some examples, the control logic is based on historical data that identifies characteristics of the natural impact sound of the golf club 101 for golf ball impacts of varying magnitudes and locations on the golf club head. The characteristics of the natural impact sound can include duration, frequency, and amplitude of the natural impact sound. The control logic may also include a table or map identifying the characteristics of the sound generated by the actuator 210 that, when combined with the natural impact sounds of the historical data, results in a target sound. According to some examples, the electronic controller 214 processes the electrical output signal from the impact sensor 212 to determine characteristics (e.g., magnitude and location) of the impact. For example, based on the electrical output signal the electronic controller 214 can determine how hard the golf ball was hit by the golf club 101 and where on a strike face of the golf club head of the golf club 101 the ball was hit. Based on this impact information gathered from the electrical output signal, the electronic controller 214 can determine the natural impact sound made by the impact with the golf ball. The electronic controller 214 then determines, from the table or map, the actuator sound necessary to shift the natural impact sound to the target sound and generates an electrical input signal that will result in the actuator 210 producing the determined actuator sound.
In certain examples, the target sound is the same for different natural sounds so that regardless of the type of impact with the golf ball (e.g., the quality of the impact) the sound heard by the golfer is the same. However, in other examples, the target sound is different for different natural sounds so that the sound heard by the golfer varies depending on the quality of the impact. In some examples, in addition to, or as an alternative to, the target sound, the electronic controller 214 is configured to generate an electrical input signal that will result in the actuator 210 producing a swing feedback sound based on the quality of the impact detected by the impact sensor 212. The swing feedback sound produced by the actuator 210 is a verbal sound, such as a word or combination of words, associated with the quality of the impact. For example, after a high-quality impact, the swing feedback sound can include a congratulatory message, such as, but not limited to, “nice shot”, “you nailed that one”, “right on the screws”, and “boom”. As another example, after a low-quality impact, the swing feedback sound can include words of encouragement or impact location information, such as, but not limited to, “keep trying”, “nearly there”, “so close”, “thin-toe”, and “high-heel”.
According to some examples, the golf club head 100 has multiple impact sensors 212 (e.g., at least three) to promote accuracy in detecting impacts with a golf ball and determining the quality (e.g., location and magnitude) of the impacts. The location of each one of the multiple impact sensors 212 on the golf club head 100, and the locations of the multiple impact sensors 212 relative to each other, is known. The characteristics of the electrical output signals received by the multiple impact sensors 212 can be compared to more accurately identify the location and magnitude of the impact. In other words, in certain examples, the electrical output signals from multiple impact sensors 212 can be used to effectively triangulate the location of the impact. For example, when the intensity of the electrical output signal from an impact sensor 212 in a first location is higher than from impact sensors 212 in surrounding locations, the electronic controller 214 will determine that the impact is closer to the first location than the surrounding locations, and use triangulation methods, based on the intensities of the electrical output signals, to identify the exact location of the impact. The identified impact position can be provided to a user as audible feedback from the actuator 210, such as presented above, or alternatively as audible, tactile, or visual feedback from the external computing device 218. For example, a graphical representation of the golf club head, showing the impact location on the face of the golf club head, can be shown to a user on the screen of the external computing device 218. Further details on the impact quality determination functionality of the golf club head 100 is described in more detail below.
Although not shown, in some examples, the golf club 101 includes one or more motion sensors, such as accelerometers (e.g., 3-axis accelerometers, such as high-G and low-g accelerometers), magnetometers (e.g., triaxial magnetometers), and gyroscopes, attached to a structural component of the golf club 101 and thus co-move with the golf club 101. The motion sensors can measure various swing characteristics, such as swing path, face angle, attack angle, tempo, and the like, and feed the measured swing data to the electronic controller 214. In response to the measured swing data and the quality of the impact detected by the impact sensor 212, the electronic controller 214 generates swing feedback that includes additional or alternative verbal sounds, such as teachings, instructions, or custom feedback. The motion sensors can be calibrated in advance to work with the impact sensor 212. Alternatively, or additionally, the motion sensors can be calibrated or recalibrated based on user impact data gathered from a launch monitor system. When used, magnetometers can help to calibrate other motion sensors and/or provide orientation of the golf club head by detecting the direction of gravity (e.g., magnetic north). Other sensors, such as pressure sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, and the like) can be incorporated into the golf club head 100, and cooperate with the feedback from the impact sensors and/or motion sensors, to promote more accurate detection of swing characteristics. These other sensors can be grouped with the motion sensors and positioned at a rear of the golf club head.
The motion sensor(s) can be powered by the same power source as the actuator(s) 210, or the golf club head may have one or more separate power sources dedicated to providing power to the motion sensor(s). The motion sensor(s) can be attached to the same or different structural components of the golf club head. According to certain examples, one or more motion sensors are packed together and attached to the interior surface of the same structural component, such as a rearward portion of the body of the golf club head via an adhesive. In some examples, a protective material, such as potting material, can envelope or encase the motion sensors to protect them during use of the golf club head.
According to certain examples, multiple motion sensors of the same type or different types work together to detect motion characteristics in tandem or in unison according to a secondary method of detecting the swing characteristics of a golf club head to help verify, provide measurements for, provide learning for, or train a primary method of detecting swing characteristics, such as via a launch monitor system. Alternatively, in some examples, multiple motion sensors of the same type or different types work together to detect motion characteristics in tandem or in unison to provide a primary and only method of detecting swing characteristics of a golf club head.
Each one of the actuator 210, the impact sensor 212, and the power source 216 are electrically coupled with the electronic controller 214 via one or more of more wires, cables, or electrical circuits. In some examples, one or more of the actuator 210 or the impact sensor 212 is equipped with wireless communication hardware, which enable wireless communication (e.g., via Bluetooth® communication protocols) between the actuator 210 and/or the impact sensor 212, and the electronic controller 214, which can be equipped with similar wireless communication hardware.
Referring still to
The computing device 218 includes control logic (e.g., processor and memory) that controls the operation of the electronic controller 214 to change the acoustic profile of the golf club 101 via adjusting the sound generated by the actuator 210. The control logic of the computing device 218 is capable of processing user inputs, received via the external computing device 218, and sending commands to the electronic controller 214, which, in response to the commands, operates the actuator 210 to produce a sound or sounds that result in a target sound of the golf club 101 identified by the user inputs. For example, a user can select a target sound (e.g., short “ping” sound) using the external computing device 218. In response to receiving the target sound from the external computing device 218 and in response to input from the impact sensor 212 that an impact has occurred, the electronic controller 214, controls the actuator 210 to produce a sound that results in the target sound using the principles discussed above. The user can selectively modify the target sound of the golf club 101 as desired based on user preferences. For example, if the user hears a first target sound of the golf club 101 after an impact and would like to hear a second target sound, the user can utilize the external computing device 218 to change the target sound to the second target sound for the next impact. In certain examples, the computing device 218 has a graphical user interface that makes selecting a desired target sound easy and customizable. For example, the graphical user interface may have a sliding scale from extreme ping to extreme dull, a sliding scale from extreme short to extreme long, and a sliding scale from extreme soft to extreme long, and the user can select any of various degrees along the sliding scales independently of each other. In this manner, the user can select any one of an infinite number of target sounds producible by the golf club 101.
The external computing device 218 may also enable customization of swing feedback sounds generated by the actuator 210. For example, the user can elect to disable some types of verbal feedback and enable others. According to some examples, the external computing device 218 facilitates the viewing of instructional videos or listening of instructional messages on the external computing device 218, as a supplement to and/or in response to the swing feedback sound generated by the actuator 210. In one example, when the impact sensor 212 and/or motion sensors detect a mis-hit, the external computing device 218 may automatically or selectively provide information about the mis-hit and/or instruction on how to correct it.
According to some examples, the external computing device 218, or any other device external or internal to the golf club head 100, provides a user with historical data collected or detected by the impact sensors 212, the motion sensors, or the electronic controller 214 of the golf club head 100. The historical data can indicate to a user when the swing characteristics of the user's swing were optimal. For example, a user in a slump can review the historical data to determine a time when his/her swing was good. The historical data can show the swing characteristics that most heavily contributed to the golf swing being optimal when the player was out of the slump, versus the swing characteristics during the slump.
In conjunction with the historical data, the external computing device 218 or other device, can suggest what historical data to review and compare with present data, such as impact location, swing path, angle of attack, face angle, etc. In some examples, the external computing device 218 or other device automatically detects deviations in the swing characteristics between the golf swings while in the slump and the golf swings while out of the slump. Based on the magnitude of the detected deviations (e.g., when the deviations are greater than some threshold deviation (e.g., greater than 2%, 5% or 10%), which can be communicated to the user, the external computing device 218 or other device can identify the effect of the deviations on a golf shot and then provide suggestions for reducing the deviations (e.g., correcting the poor characteristics of the golf swing). The suggestions can include graphics, lessons, swing videos, drills, tutorials, etc. In one particular example, the suggestions can be offered along with an explanation of how the suggestions will help the golfer, such as, for example only, “we recommend these to help you increase your attack angle to hopefully achieve a neutral or positive attack angle. We predict increasing your attack angle from negative to neutral alone will add 15 yards to your drive”.
In certain examples, the golf club 101 also includes an activation sensor 220, which can be one or more activation sensors attached to one or more components of the golf club 101. The activation sensor 220 can be any of various sensors configured to detect when use of the golf club 101 to strike a golf ball is desired. To preserve energy stored by the power source 216, the electronic controller 214 can be operated in different modes, with each mode consuming different levels of energy from the power source 216. Operation of the electronic controller 214 can be switched from one mode to another in response to input from the activation sensor 220 In one example, the electronic controller 214 is operable in an ON mode and an OFF mode. When the activation sensor 220 detects a desire to use the golf club 101, the electronic controller 214 switches from the OFF mode to the ON mode.
In one example, the activation sensor 220 is a photosensor configured to detect changes in light. The photosensor can be attached to a portion of the golf club 101 that is in a dark environment when not in use (e.g., on the golf club head when a head cover is placed on the head, on a butt end of the grip (see, e.g.,
According to another example, the activation sensor 220 is a motion sensor (e.g., an accelerometer) configured to detect distinct changes in the motion of the golf club 101. The motion sensor can be configured to detect a swinging motion (e.g., a backswing/downswing of an actual swing or a practice swing) so that, when a swinging motion is detected, the electronic controller 214 is activated from the OFF mode to the ON mode. Alternatively, in a different example, the motion sensor is configured to detect an impact (e.g., a tap of the club head on the ground) not associated with the impact with a golf ball during a swing, so that the user can initiate the impact to activate the electronic controller 214.
In some examples, the sampling rate of the impact sensor 212, as controlled by the electronic controller 214, is different depending on the operational mode of the electronic controller 214. A higher sampling rate corresponding with a higher energy usage, and thus a faster depletion of power from the power source 216. Therefore, the sampling rate of the impact sensor 212 in the ON mode is higher than when in the OFF mode. In certain examples, in the OFF mode, the sampling rate of the impact sensor 212 is zero.
According to some examples, operation of the electronic controller 214 is switched between the ON mode and the OFF mode via a user-actuated switch on the golf club 101. In certain examples, the ON mode can include two or more sub-modes, such as an awake mode and a sleep mode. In the sleep mode, the electronic controller 214 is in the ON mode, but the sampling rate of the impact sensor 212 is zero or negligible. After an activation sensor 220 detects a triggering condition (e.g., detection of light and/or motion), the electronic controller 214 switches to the awake mode, in which the impact sensor 212 has a higher sampling rate than in the sleep mode, preparatory for detecting impacts with a golf ball. Then, when a triggering condition has not been detected for some threshold time, the electronic controller 214 can switch back to the sleep mode.
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The strike face 145 extends along the forward portion 112 from the sole portion 117 to the crown portion 119, and from the toe portion 114 to the heel portion 116. As further defined, the strike face 145 faces in the generally forward direction. In certain examples, the forward portion 112 has a one-piece construction such that the strike face 145 is co-formed with other portions of the forward portion 112. However, in other examples, as shown in
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According to certain examples, as described above, the golf club head 100 has a multi-piece construction with multiple components bonded to each other (e.g., the crown insert 108, the sole insert 110, and the strike plate 143 bonded to the body 102). The bonded joint defined between components that are bonded together has a bond area. The bond area of the bonded joints of the golf club head 100, and the total bonded area of the golf club head 100, can be the same as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/505,511, filed Oct. 19, 2021, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/560,054, filed Dec. 22, 2021, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In some examples, the golf club head 100 includes at least one component (e.g., the strike face 145) that has a surface area on one side of the component that is at least 2,000 mm2 and can be upwards of 12,000 mm2.
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As presented above, multiple impact sensors 212 can promote the accuracy of the impact detection, including magnitude and location, which can help the electronic controller 214 to produce an accurate sound in response to the impact and/or accurately determine the quality of the impact. The four impact sensors 212 of
For a driver-type golf club head, such as the golf club head 100, a higher area number density of impact sensors 212 is desired due to the increased variability of the impact location associated with a driver-type golf club head, versus an iron-type golf club head where the impact locations tend to be more consistent. Also, the area number density of impact sensors 212 is desirably higher for a driver-type golf club head because drivers hit golf balls on tees, and tee heights are variable and inconsistent, which leads to more variable and inconsistent impact locations compared to irons. Additionally, some impact locations (e.g., high toe shots), which are not desirable on an iron-type golf club head, may be desirable on a driver-type golf club head, which again provides motivation to incorporate more impact sensors 212 on the strike face of a driver-type golf club head versus an iron-type golf club head.
According to some examples, the intensities of the electrical output signals from multiple impact sensors 212 are used to generate a heat map. The heat map can be used to determine a peak intensity on the heat map. The location of the peak intensity can then be identified as the location of the impact. Moreover, the peak intensity can be correlated to the magnitude (e.g., speed) of the impact.
In these and other examples, a table or map, correlating historical impact location and/or speed data to intensities of the electrical output signals generated by the impact sensors 212, can be used to identify the impact location and/or the club head or golf ball speed associated with an impact. The historical data of the table or map is acquired by recording the electrical output signals from the impact sensors of a finished golf club head (having the same configuration as the golf club head 100), in response to a series of impacts with a golf ball at various known speeds and various known locations on the strike face. Accordingly, following an impact with a golf ball, the electronic controller 214 can compare the electrical output signals from the impact sensors 212 to the electrical output signals in the table or map and identify the speed characteristics and/or impact location of the impact to those in the table or map.
The historical impact data can be predetermined and stored in the electronic controller 214 before the golf club head 100 impacts a golf ball. In this manner, the electronic controller 214 relies on predetermined data acquired during the testing of one or more test golf club heads designed to have characteristics matching that of the golf club head 100. However, due to manufacturing tolerances and other factors, a finished golf club head may have slightly different characteristics relative to a test golf club head. Accuracy of the impact locations and/or magnitude determined by the electronic controller 214 of a given golf club head is improved by populating the historical impact data of the table with data acquired by testing that golf club head. Accordingly, in some examples, the golf club head 100 is used to hit golf balls while being monitored by a launch monitor configured to detect impact locations and magnitudes on the strike face 145. As the golf club head 100 impacts golf balls, the impact locations and/or magnitude values detected by the launch monitor are associated with the characteristics (e.g., intensity) of the electrical output signals generated by the impact sensors 212. In some examples, other head presentation characteristics (e.g., club head path, angle of attack, face rotation, etc.) can be associated with the characteristics of the electrical output signals of the impact sensors 212. The associations created (e.g., learned) while hitting the golf club head 100 and monitoring the impact data with a launch monitor are added to the table or map as the historical impact data, thus effectively calibrating the golf club head 100. In this manner, the electronic controller 214 can be trained with a launch monitor so that the electronic controller 214 can associate certain signals from the impact sensors and/or motion sensors with certain swings and presentations at impact. Such training can be done on an individual level and/or refined for an individual user. Golf fitting software, such as disclosed in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/436,326, filed Dec. 30, 2022, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/102,001, filed Jan. 26, 2023, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
After enough historical impact data is collected and the golf club head 100 is calibrated, the golf club head 100 is then ready to be “put into play” by the user, and the electronic controller 214 is then able to provide impact information, as well as head presentation parameters in some cases, via the electrical output signals of the impact sensors 212 without a launch monitor. In this manner, a user can obtain all the information provided by a launch monitor without actually having a launch monitor.
To help acquire accurate impact data, in some examples, the golf club head 100 includes one or more tracking markers as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/313,186, filed May 5, 2023, which is incorporated herein in its entirety. The tracking marker is defined by a retroreflective surface that promotes detection by a launch monitor. With tracking markers located at known positions about the golf club head 100, presentation parameters of the golf club head at impact can be more accurately determined.
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In certain examples, the multi-piece construction and associated bonded components enable attachment of the one or more impact sensors 212 to the interior surfaces of the components. Some traditional driver-type golf club heads have strike faces that are welded to a face opening of an otherwise enclosed body. In other words, welding of the strike face completely encloses the golf club head. Such a construction is not conducive to attachment of impact sensors to the interior surface of the strike face because the impact sensors would have to be attached to the strike face before welding the face to the face opening, and the extreme heat generated by the welding process would likely damage the impact sensors. In contrast, with at least some examples of the multi-piece bonded construction of the golf club head 100 of the present disclosure, because the strike plate 143 is not welded to the body 102, the impact sensors 212 can be attached to the interior surface of the strike plate 143 before the strike plate 143 is bonded to the body 102. Additionally, because the body 102 golf club head 100 has other openings that are covered by components bonded thereto (e.g., crown insert 108 and sole insert 110), the impact sensors 212 can be attached to the interior surface of the strike plate 143, through the other openings in the body 102, after the strike plate 143 is attached to the body 102. For example, if the strike plate is welded to the body or co-cast with the body, the impact sensors 212 can be attached to the interior surfaces of the strike plate after the strike plate is welded to or co-formed with the body. If desired, attachment of impact sensors 212 to the interior surface of other components of the golf club head 100, as described above, can occur before attachment of the components to the body 102 or after attachment of the components to the body 102, such as attaching the impact sensors 212 through face opening before the strike plate 143 is attached to the body 102.
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The FRPM layer 174 is made of an FRPM and manufactured in a manner, such as those described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/172,834, filed Feb. 22, 2023, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/560,054, filed Dec. 22, 2021, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/228,511, filed Apr. 12, 2021, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/410,149, filed Sep. 26, 2022, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/345,875, filed May 25, 2022, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/124,134, filed Dec. 16, 2020, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/321,315, filed May 14, 2021, U.S. Patent Application No. 63/312,771, filed Feb. 22, 2022, U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 17/389,167, filed Jul. 29, 2021, and U.S. Pat. No. 9,174,099, issued Nov. 3, 2015, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0199282, published Aug. 9, 2012, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0274446, published Sep. 18, 2014, which are all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In certain examples, the additional level of dampening provided by a strike plate made of a fiber-reinforced polymeric material, versus a metallic material, reduces the stress and strain on the impact sensors 212, thus increasing the durability of the golf club head 100.
In some examples, the outer polymeric layer 174 is made of a non-reinforced polymeric material and includes a UV inhibitor, is abrasion resistant, and has a shore D value of between, and inclusive of, 40 and 100. In some examples, the outer polymeric material 174 is made of a thermoplastic polyester or thermoplastic polyurethane material. The outer polymeric layer 174 is translucent or transparent.
The intermediate polymer layer 173 is made of a polymeric material that is stiffer than the polymeric material of the outer polymeric layer 174. The increased stiffness of the intermediate polymer layer 173, compared to the outer polymeric layer 174 helps to distribute the load from impacts with a golf ball over a larger area, which facilitates protection of longevity of the electronic display layer 172 during prolonged use and multiple impacts. In one example, the intermediate polymer layer 173 is made of a polycarbonate material, a glass material, or a glass-fiber reinforced composite material. The intermediate polymer layer 173 is translucent or transparent, such that it allows at least some light (e.g., from the electronic display layer 172) to pass therethrough.
The electronic display of the electronic display layer 172 is electrically coupled with the electronic controller 214, which transmits electrical input signals to the electronic display based on the electrical output signals received from the impact sensors 212. The electronic controller 214 is configured to control the electronic display to provide visual feedback to a user. Because the intermediate polymer layer 173 and the outer polymer layer 174 is translucent or transparent, light generated by electronic display layer 172 is allowed to pass through and be visible to a user through the strike face 145. Accordingly, the intermediate polymer layer 173 and the outer polymer layer 174 overlays and act as a protective screen of the electronic display layer 172.
The visual feedback can include any of the visual feedback described above in association with the external computing device 218 or include a visual representation of any of the auditory messages described above in association with the actuator 210. Preferably, and perhaps most impactful to a user of the golf club head 100, the feedback includes a visual representation of the location of the impacts with a golf ball, as sensed by the impact sensors 212. Providing a visual representation of the location of impacts directly underneath the strike face 145 is the clearest and most effective way to communicate the location of impacts to the user. In some examples, the electronic display spans an entirety of the strike face 145. In addition to the location of impacts, the magnitude or speed associated with the impacts can be displayed to a user using the electronic display layer 172, such as by color-coordinating the impact indicia to correspond with varying levels of magnitude, or providing other graphical representations of magnitude, such as numerical indicia of swing speed or ball speed data. Although the electronic display layer 172 forms a layer of the strike plate 143, it is recognized that the electronic display layer 172 can form a layer of any of various other components of the golf club head 100, such as the crown insert 108 or the sole insert 110.
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In the above description, certain terms may be used such as “up,” “down,” “upper,” “lower,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “left,” “right,” “over,” “under” and the like. These terms are used, where applicable, to provide some clarity of description when dealing with relative relationships. But, these terms are not intended to imply absolute relationships, positions, and/or orientations. For example, with respect to an object, an “upper” surface can become a “lower” surface simply by turning the object over. Nevertheless, it is still the same object. Further, the terms “including,” “comprising,” “having,” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to” unless expressly specified otherwise. An enumerated listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive and/or mutually inclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” also refer to “one or more” unless expressly specified otherwise. Further, the term “plurality” can be defined as “at least two.”
The term “about” or “substantially” or “approximately” in some embodiments, is defined to mean within +/−5% of a given value, however in additional embodiments any disclosure of “about” or “substantially” or “approximately” may be further narrowed and claimed to mean within +/−4% of a given value, within +/−3% of a given value, within +/−2% of a given value, within +/−1% of a given value, or the exact given value. Further, when at least two values of a variable are disclosed, such disclosure is specifically intended to include the range between the two values regardless of whether they are disclosed with respect to separate embodiments or examples, and specifically intended to include the range of at least the smaller of the two values and/or no more than the larger of the two values. Additionally, when at least three values of a variable are disclosed, such disclosure is specifically intended to include the range between any two of the values regardless of whether they are disclosed with respect to separate embodiments or examples, and specifically intended to include the range of at least the A value and/or no more than the B value, where A may be any of the disclosed values other than the largest disclosed value, and B may be any of the disclosed values other than the smallest disclosed value.
Additionally, instances in this specification where one element is “coupled” or “attached” to another element can include direct and indirect coupling or attachment. Direct coupling or attachment can be defined as one element coupled, or attached, to and in some contact with another element. Indirect coupling or attachment can be defined as coupling, or attachment, between two elements not in direct contact with each other, but having one or more additional elements between the coupled elements. Further, as used herein, securing one element to another element can include direct securing and indirect securing. Additionally, as used herein, “adjacent” does not necessarily denote contact. For example, one element can be adjacent another element without being in contact with that element.
As used herein, the phrase “at least one of”, when used with a list of items, means different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used and only one of the items in the list may be needed. The item may be a particular object, thing, or category. In other words, “at least one of” means any combination of items or number of items may be used from the list, but not all of the items in the list may be required. For example, “at least one of item A, item B, and item C” may mean item A; item A and item B; item B; item A, item B, and item C; or item B and item C. In some cases, “at least one of item A, item B, and item C” may mean, for example, without limitation, two of item A, one of item B, and ten of item C; four of item B and seven of item C; or some other suitable combination.
Unless otherwise indicated, the terms “first,” “second,” etc. are used herein merely as labels, and are not intended to impose ordinal, positional, or hierarchical requirements on the items to which these terms refer. Moreover, reference to, e.g., a “second” item does not require or preclude the existence of, e.g., a “first” or lower-numbered item, and/or, e.g., a “third” or higher-numbered item.
As used herein, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware “configured to” perform a specified function is indeed capable of performing the specified function without any alteration, rather than merely having potential to perform the specified function after further modification. In other words, the system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware “configured to” perform a specified function is specifically selected, created, implemented, utilized, programmed, and/or designed for the purpose of performing the specified function. As used herein, “configured to” denotes existing characteristics of a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware which enable the system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware to perform the specified function without further modification. For purposes of this disclosure, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware described as being “configured to” perform a particular function may additionally or alternatively be described as being “adapted to” and/or as being “operative to” perform that function.
The schematic flow chart diagrams included herein are generally set forth as logical flow chart diagrams. As such, the depicted order and labeled steps are indicative of one example of the presented method. Other steps and methods may be conceived that are equivalent in function, logic, or effect to one or more steps, or portions thereof, of the illustrated method. Additionally, the format and symbols employed are provided to explain the logical steps of the method and are understood not to limit the scope of the method. Although various arrow types and line types may be employed in the flow chart diagrams, they are understood not to limit the scope of the corresponding method. Indeed, some arrows or other connectors may be used to indicate only the logical flow of the method. For instance, an arrow may indicate a waiting or monitoring period of unspecified duration between enumerated steps of the depicted method. Additionally, the order in which a particular method occurs may or may not strictly adhere to the order of the corresponding steps shown.
The electronic controller and associated modules described in this specification may be implemented as a hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discrete components. The electronic controller may also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices or the like.
The electronic controller may also be implemented in code and/or software for execution by various types of processors. An identified module of code may, for instance, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of executable code which may, for instance, be organized as an object, procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executables of the electronic controller need not be physically located together, but may comprise disparate instructions stored in different locations which, when joined logically together, comprise the electronic controller and achieve the stated purpose for the electronic controller.
Indeed, code of the electronic controller may be a single instruction, or many instructions, and may even be distributed over several different code segments, among different programs, and across several memory devices. Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustrated herein within the electronic controller, and may be embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may be collected as a single data set, or may be distributed over different locations including over different computer readable storage devices. Where the electronic controller or portions of the electronic controller are implemented in software, the software portions are stored on one or more computer readable storage devices.
Any combination of one or more computer readable medium may be utilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable storage medium may be a storage device storing the code. The storage device may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, holographic, micromechanical, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.
More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the storage device would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
Code for carrying out operations for embodiments may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages including an object oriented programming language such as Python, Ruby, Java, Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language, or the like, and/or machine languages such as assembly languages. The code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).
As mentioned, aspects of the examples are described above with reference to one or more schematic flowchart diagrams and/or schematic block diagrams of methods, apparatuses, systems, and program products according to embodiments. It will be understood that each block of the schematic flowchart diagrams and/or schematic block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the schematic flowchart diagrams and/or schematic block diagrams, can be implemented by code. These code may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the schematic flowchart diagrams and/or schematic block diagrams block or blocks.
The code may also be stored in a storage device that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the storage device produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the schematic flowchart diagrams and/or schematic block diagrams block or blocks.
The code may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the code, when executed on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provides processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The schematic flowchart diagrams and/or schematic block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of apparatuses, systems, methods and program products according to various embodiments. In this regard, each block in the schematic flowchart diagrams and/or schematic block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions of the code for implementing the specified logical function(s).
It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. Other steps and methods may be conceived that are equivalent in function, logic, or effect to one or more blocks, or portions thereof, of the illustrated Figures.
The present subject matter may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the examples below are to be embraced within their scope. In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the disclosure may be applied, it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only preferred examples and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure. Various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosure is at least as broad as the full scope of the following exemplary claims and their equivalents.
Moreover, in addition to the various features described herein, any of the golf club heads disclosed herein may also incorporate additional features, which can include any of the features disclosed in U.S. patents application Ser. Nos. 18/414,128, filed Jan. 16, 2024, 18/518,013, filed Nov. 22, 2023, 18/534,512, filed Dec. 8, 2023, 17/878,734, filed Aug. 1, 2022, 18/105,194, filed Feb. 2, 2023, 63/553,553, filed Feb. 14, 2024, 63/641,764, filed May 2, 2024, 18/586,196,filed Feb. 23, 2024, 18/313,186, filed May 5, 2023, 63/338,818, filed May 5, 2022, 63/436,326, filed Dec. 30, 2022, 18/401,320, filed Dec. 29, 2023, 17/505,511, filed Oct. 19, 2021, 17/560,054, filed Dec. 22, 2021, 17/389,167, filed Jul. 19, 2021, 17/321,315, filed May 14, 2021, 18/179,848, filed Mar. 7, 2023, 17/124,134, filed Dec. 16, 2020, 17/137,151, filed Dec. 29, 2020, 17/691,649, filed Mar. 10, 2022, 18/510,476, filed Nov. 15, 2023, 17/228,511, filed Apr. 12, 2021, 17/224,026, filed Apr. 6, 2021, 17/564,077, filed Dec. 28, 2021, 63/292,708, filed Dec. 22, 2021, 63/478,107, filed Dec. 30, 2022, 63/433,380, filed Dec. 16, 2022, 14/694,998, filed Apr. 23, 2015, 18/068,347, filed Dec. 19, 2022, 17/547,519, filed Dec. 10, 2021, 17/360,179, filed Jun. 28, 2021, 17/531,979, filed Nov. 22, 2021, 17/722,748, filed Apr. 18, 2022, 17/006,561, filed Aug. 28, 2020, 16/806,254, filed Mar. 2, 2020, 17/696,664, filed Mar. 16, 2022, 17/565,580, filed Dec. 30, 2021, 17/727,963, filed Apr. 25, 2022, 16/288,499, filed Feb. 28, 2019, 17/530,331, filed Nov. 18, 2021, 17/586,960, filed Jan. 28, 2022, 17/884,027, filed Aug. 9, 2022, 13/842,011, filed Mar. 15, 2013, 16/817,311, filed Mar. 12, 2020, 17/355,642, filed Jun. 23, 2021, 17/132,645, filed Dec. 23, 2020, 17/390,615, filed Jul. 30, 2021, 17/164,033, filed Feb. 1, 2021, 17/107,474, filed Nov. 30, 2020, 17/526,981, filed Nov. 15, 2021, 16/352,537, filed Mar. 13, 2019, 17/156,205, filed Jan. 22, 2021, 17/132,541, filed Dec. 23, 2020, 17/824,727, filed May 25, 2022, 17/722,632, filed Apr. 18, 2022, 17/712,041, filed Apr. 1, 2022, 17/695,194, filed Mar. 15, 2022, 17/686,181, filed Mar. 3, 2022, 63/305,777, filed Feb. 2, 2022, 17/577,943, filed Jan. 18, 2022, 17/570,613, filed Jan. 7, 2022, 17/569,810, filed Jan. 6, 2022, 17/566,833, filed Dec. 31, 2021, 17/566,131, filed Dec. 30, 2021, 17/566,263, filed Dec. 30, 2021, 17/557,759, filed Dec. 21, 2021, 17/558,387, filed Dec. 21, 2021, 17/645,033, filed Dec. 17, 2021, 17/541,107, filed Dec. 2, 2021, 17/526,855, filed Nov. 15, 2021, 17/524,056, filed Nov. 11, 2021, 17/522,560, filed Nov. 9, 2021, 17/515,112, filed Oct. 29, 2021, 17/513,716, filed Oct. 28, 2021, 17/504,335, filed Oct. 18, 2021, 17/504,327, filed Oct. 18, 2021, 17/494,416, filed Oct. 5, 2021, 17/493,604, filed Oct. 4, 2021, 63/261,457, filed Sep. 21, 2021, 17/479,785, filed Sep. 20, 2021, 17/476,839, filed Sep. 16, 2021, 17/477,258, filed Sep. 16, 2021, 17/476,025, filed Sep. 15, 2021, 17/467,709, filed Sep. 7, 2021, 17/403,516, filed Aug. 16, 2021, 17/399,823, filed Aug. 11, 2021, 63/227,889, filed Jul. 30, 2021, 17/387,181, filed Jul. 28, 2021, 17/378,407, filed Jul. 16, 2021, 17/368,520, filed Jul. 6, 2021, 17/330,033, filed May 25, 2021, 17/235,533, filed Apr. 20, 2021, 17/233,201, filed Apr. 16, 2021, 17/216,185, filed Mar. 29, 2021, 17/198,030, filed Mar. 10, 2021, 17/191,617, filed Mar. 3, 2021, 17/190,864, filed Mar. 3, 2021, 17/183,905, filed Feb. 24, 2021, 17/183,057, filed Feb. 23, 2021, 17/181,923, filed Feb. 22, 2021, 17/171,678, filed Feb. 9, 2021, 17/171,656, filed Feb. 9, 2021, 17/107,447, filed Nov. 30, 2020, and 63/338,818, filed May 5, 2022, all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Also, in addition to the various features described herein, any of the golf club heads disclosed herein may also incorporate additional features, which can include any of the features disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,610,479, issued Apr. 4, 2017, 10,902,612, issued Jan. 26, 2021, 11,318,358, issued May 3, 2022, 11,213,726, issued Jan. 4, 2022, 11,583,729, issued Feb. 21, 2023, 12,023,558, issued Jul. 2, 2024, 8,777,776, issued Jul. 15, 2014, 7,278,928, issued Oct. 9, 2007, 7,445,561, issued Nov. 4, 2008, 9,409,066, issued August 9, 2016, 8,303,435, issued Nov. 6, 2012, 7,874,937, issued Jan. 25, 2011, 8,628,434, issued Jan. 14, 2014, 8,608,591, issued Dec. 17, 2013, 8,740,719, issued Jun. 3, 2014, 9,694,253, issued Jul. 4, 2017, 9,683,301, issued Jun. 20, 2017, 9,468,816, issued Oct. 18, 2016, 8,262,509, issued Sep. 11, 2012, 7,901,299, issued Mar. 8, 2011, 8,119,714, issued Feb. 21, 2012, 8,764,586, issued Jul. 1, 2014, 8,227,545, issued Jul. 24, 2012, 8,066,581, issued Nov. 29, 2011, 10,052,530, issued Aug. 21, 2018, 10,195,497, issued Feb. 5, 2019, 10,086,240, issued Oct. 2, 2018, 9,914,027, issued Mar. 13, 2018, 9,174,099, issued Nov. 3, 2015, and 11,219,803, issued Jan. 11, 2022, all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Throughout the disclosure there may be reference to a wood type golf club head, metal wood type golf club, driver-type golf club head, fairway wood type golf club head, and/or hybrid type golf club head. Generically, these various club heads will typically be referred to as wood type golf club heads or metal wood type golf club heads, even though these club heads may be formed of multiple materials and multiple components joined together, and typically no longer include any wood. These terms are a hold over from longstanding golf terminology and are non-limiting. Golf club heads have a volume, typically measured in cubic-centimeters (cm3), equal to the volumetric displacement of the club head, assuming any apertures are sealed by a substantially planar surface. (See United States Golf Association “Procedure for Measuring the Club Head Size of Wood Clubs,” Revision 1.0, Nov. 21, 2003). In other words, for a golf club head with one or more weight ports within the head or a hosel bore that provides an opening into the interior cavity of the club head, it is assumed that the weight ports and other openings are either not present or are “covered” by regular, imaginary surfaces, such that the club head volume is not affected by the presence or absence of ports or openings into the club head. In several embodiments, a golf club head of the present application can be configured to have a head volume between about 60 cm3 and about 600 cm3. In more particular embodiments, the head volume is between about 90 cm3 and about 320 cm3, or between about 390 cm3 and about 500 cm3. In yet more specific embodiments, the head volume is between about 390 cm3 and about 500 cm3, between 250 cm3 and about 360 cm3, between about 360 cm3 and about 440 cm3, between about 390 cm3 and about 500 cm3, or between about 420 cm3 and about 500 cm3. In some embodiments, the head volume is between about 370 cm3 and about 500 cm3.
In the case of a driver, the golf club head has a volume between about 420 cm3 and about 480 cm3, and a total mass between about 185 grams (g) and about 210 g, more specifically between about 195 g and about 205 g. In the case of a fairway wood, a golf club head generally has a volume between about 135 cm3 and about 220 cm3, and a total mass between approximately 208 g and approximately 230 g. In the case of a utility or hybrid club, the golf club head typically has a volume between about 60 cm3 and about 130 cm3, and a total mass between about 215 g and about 280 g.
In some instances, the three-dimensional reference coordinate system is used to describe various aspects of the golf club head. The coordinate system will generally have an origin typically located at a geometric center of the face as defined by the U.S.G.A. The geometric center of the face or origin, may also be referred to as face center and/or center face (CF). See U.S.G.A. “Procedure for Measuring the Flexibility of a Golf Clubhead,” Revision 2.0, Mar. 25, 2005, for the methodology to measure the center of the striking face of a golf club. The coordinate system includes the z-axis, the x-axis, and the y-axis, as presented above. Each axis is orthogonal to each other axis. The x-axis is tangential to the face and parallel to a ground plane (GP) and the y-axis is perpendicular to the face and parallel to a ground plane (GP). The z-axis is perpendicular to the ground plane (GP). The golf club head generally includes a leading edge and a trailing edge. For the purposes of this disclosure, the leading edge is defined by a curve, the curve being defined by a series of forward most points, each forward most point being defined as the point on the golf club head that is most forward as measured parallel to the y-axis for any cross-section taken parallel to the plane formed by the y-axis and the z-axis. The face may include grooves or score lines in various embodiments. In various embodiments, the leading edge may also be the edge at which the curvature of the particular section of the golf club head departs substantially from the roll and bulge radii.
US Patent Publication 2024/0100402 Published Mar. 28, 2024, and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, describes a coordinate system, similar to the three-dimensional reference coordinate system described above, having an origin at the geometric center of the face described above. As seen with reference to
Referring back to
As discussed above and throughout, the impact sensor 212 in the golf clubs disclosed herein helps to detect when the club makes contact with a golf ball and to determine the location and quality of the impact. The impact sensor 212 generates an electrical output signal when it detects an impact. This signal can vary based on the force and location of the impact, allowing the sensor to provide detailed data about the impact. If there are multiple impact sensors, the system can use the signals from these sensors to triangulate the exact location of the impact on the club head. This is done by comparing the intensity of the signals from different sensors. The electronic controller processes the signals from the impact sensor(s) and can communicate the impact location to a display on the club head or to an external smart device like a smartphone or tablet. This can be done wirelessly via Bluetooth or other communication protocols. On a smart device, the impact location can be shown as a graphical representation of the club head, indicating where the ball struck the face of the club. This visual feedback helps golfers understand their swing and make adjustments as needed. The system can also provide audible or tactile feedback based on the quality of the impact. For example, it can play a congratulatory message for a good shot or provide tips for improvement if the shot was off. This setup allows golfers to get real-time feedback on their swings, helping them to improve their game by understanding exactly where and how they are hitting the ball.
The impact sensor 212 in the golf club is designed to communicate with both internal and external computing devices to provide detailed feedback on one or more golfers' golf swings. The impact sensor 212 generates an electrical output signal when it detects an impact with a golf ball. This signal is processed by an electronic controller 214 within the golf club, which can then communicate with an external computing device 218, such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. The communication can be wireless (e.g., via Bluetooth) or wired (e.g., through a USB port). The external computing device 218 is configured to store historical impact locations and other swing parameters. This includes data such as swing path, face angle, attack angle, and tempo, which can be measured by additional motion sensors in the golf club. The stored data allows for detailed analysis of one or more golfers' swings over time, which can be beneficial for the individual golfer, coaches, golf club fitters, and manufacturers to better design and fit club heads. The data may be stored remotely in a cloud-based computing system and associated with other aspects of the golfer or anonymously stored. The historical data collected by the impact sensor 212 and other sensors can be used to analyze golfers' swing characteristics. The external computing device 218 can compare current swing data with historical data to identify patterns and deviations. This analysis can help golfers understand the factors contributing to optimal swings and provide suggestions for improvement when deviations are detected. The external computing device 218 can provide visual feedback by displaying a graphical representation of the golf club head, showing the impact location on the face of the club. It can also offer verbal feedback, such as congratulatory messages for good shots or tips for improvement. This setup allows for comprehensive tracking and analysis of one or more golfers golf swings, helping golfers to improve their game by understanding and adjusting their swing mechanics.
Golf club head tracking using fiducials and/or radar reflectors and other golf club head enhancements are discussed in U.S. Patent Application Nos. 63/553,553, filed Feb. 14, 2024, 63/641,764, filed May 2, 2024, 18/586,196, filed Feb. 23, 2024, 18/313,186, filed May 5, 2023, 63/338,818, filed May 5, 2022, each of which is herein incorporated by reference in their entireties. Fiducials, or reflective markers, on the golf club head work in conjunction with the impact sensor to enhance the tracking and analysis of one or more golfers' golf swings.
Fiducials can be placed or embedded on various parts of the club head, including the face portion, front portion, rear portion, toe portion, heel portion, bottom portion, crown portion, and hosel. These markers are strategically positioned to provide comprehensive data about the club's orientation and movement. When golfers swing the club, optical systems, such as high-speed cameras, detect the fiducials. These systems use the reflected light from the fiducials to pinpoint the exact coordinates of different points on the club head. By capturing the precise location of the fiducials, the system can accurately track the club head's speed, path, angle, and impact location. This detailed tracking helps in understanding the dynamics of the swing and the club's interaction with the ball. The impact sensor detects when the club makes contact with the ball and provides data on the force and location of the impact. When combined with the fiducial data, impact sensor data allows for a more detailed analysis of the impact, including the exact spot on the club face where the ball was struck. The collected data from both the fiducials and the impact sensor is processed by an electronic controller. This information can then be communicated to a display on the club head or an external device, providing real-time feedback on one or more golfers' golf swings. This feedback can include visual representations of the impact location, swing path, and other important metrics. By analyzing the combined data, golfers can receive insights into their swing mechanics and make adjustments if necessary, which help improve consistency, accuracy, and overall performance on the course. This integrated system of fiducials and impact sensors offers a comprehensive approach to understanding and improving one or more golfers golf swings.
Additionally, radar reflectors, radar enhanced materials, and/or radar transmitters can be used in conjunction with golf club tracking systems to enhance the accuracy of data collection. Radar reflectors are small devices or materials that reflect radar signals back to the source. When attached to the golf club head, they improve the detection and tracking of the club's movement by radar-based systems. By reflecting radar signals more effectively, radar reflectors help capture precise data on the club head's speed, path, and angle during the swing. This leads to more accurate measurements of the club's performance and the ball's flight. When used alongside impact sensors, radar reflectors provide a comprehensive view of the swing dynamics. The impact sensor detects the point and quality of contact with the ball, while the radar reflectors ensure accurate tracking of the club head's motion. The combined data from radar reflectors and impact sensors can be processed and displayed on external devices, offering golfers detailed insights into their swing mechanics. This helps in identifying areas for improvement and making necessary adjustments to enhance performance. Using radar reflectors in golf club tracking systems can significantly improve the precision of swing analysis, providing valuable feedback for golfers looking to refine their technique.
The technology described in U.S. Pat. No. 11,583,729, issued Feb. 21, 2023, incorporated herein in its entirety, integrates various measurements captured during a golf swing to provide comprehensive feedback. The technology described may work in conjunction with an impact sensor embedded into or behind the face of the golf club. The impact sensor embedded in the club face detects when the club makes contact with the ball, capturing data on the force and location of the impact. The club head may have fiducial markers placed at various locations (e.g., face, rear, toe, heel, bottom, crown, hosel). These markers are detected by optical systems to track the club's orientation and movement throughout the swing. The impact sensor data may optionally be combined with the data captured from one or more radar-based launch monitors and/or one or more optical-based launch monitors. Additionally, the impact sensor data may optionally be combined with positional data captured from fiducial markers permanently or temporarily coupled to the golf club head. This integration allows for precise tracking of the club head's path, speed, and angle at the moment of impact. The combined data is processed by an electronic controller, which can then communicate the results to an external device like a smartphone or tablet. This device provides visual and possibly auditory feedback, showing the exact impact location and offering insights into swing mechanics. By analyzing the integrated data in real-time, the system can provide immediate feedback to the golfer, helping them understand their swing and make adjustments to improve performance. However, the data may optionally be analyzed after a driving range hitting session, fitting session, simulation hitting session, or on course play. This combination of impact sensors and fiducial markers offers a detailed and accurate analysis of the golf swing, enhancing the golfer's ability to refine their technique.
The integration of an impact sensor with the smart feature described in U.S. Pat. No. 12,023,558B2, issued Jul. 2, 2024, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, can create a highly efficient and compact system for tracking and analyzing golf swings. This synergy can be achieved while conforming to the volume and mass constraints. The impact sensor can be miniaturized to fit within the dimensions specified for the smart feature (e.g., thickness of 1 mm to 20 mm, length and width of 10 mm to 50 mm). This ensures that the sensor does not add significant bulk to the club head. Additionally, portions of the smart feature may be located towards the rear portion of the club head, behind the center of gravity (CG). In some examples, at least 80% of the smart feature's mass may be positioned rearward of the CG, meaning at least 80% of the mass is in the rear 80% of the club head's length. The head length is measured from the leading edge to the trailing edge, parallel to the head's y-axis. For instance, if the club head length is 100 mm, then 80% of the smart feature's mass would be at least 80 mm from the leading edge. For longer club heads, up to 130 mm, 80% of the mass would be at least 100 mm from the leading edge.
Alternatively, the mass of the smart feature can be more evenly distributed, with 60% located in the rear portion (behind the CG) and 30% or more in the forward 30% of the club head. This distribution balances the CG projection and increases the moments of inertia around the x-axis and z-axis. Placing more mass rearward increases overall inertia but affects CG projection.
Generally, the majority of the smart feature's mass (at least 70% to 100%) should be below the XY plane passing through the CG (Z-up plane). Alternatively, the mass can be even further below this plane, with 75% to 95% of the mass positioned below the Z-up plane.
As discussed above, portions of the smart feature may be located towards a rear portion of the club head and rearward of a center of gravity of the club head. In some examples, at least 80% of the mass of the smart feature may be located rearward of the center of gravity (e.g. at least 80% of the mass of the smart feature in the rear 80% of the head length). Head length in this instance would be measured from a leading edge to a trailing edge of the golf club head as measured parallel to the y-axis of the three-dimensional reference coordinate system. For example, if the distance from a leading edge to a trailing edge of the golf club head is 100 mm, then 80% of the mass of the smart feature would be located at least 80 mm rearward of the leading edge. Alternatively, longer club heads may exceed 100 mm and be up to 130 mm, in those instances 80% of the mass of the smart feature may be located at least 100 mm from a leading edge of the golf club head. In alternative examples, the mass of the smart feature may be more evenly distributed such as 60% located in the rear portion rearward of the center of gravity and 30% or more located within the forward 30% of the club head as measured from the leading edge. Splitting the mass of the smart feature between forward portions and rearward portions of the club head balances CG or balance point projection and increases the moments of inertia about one or more axis e.g. the x-axis and z-axis. Placing more of the mass rearward may increase the overall inertia, but the tradeoff is CG projection. In general, the bulk of the mass e.g. at least 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90% and up to 100% of the mass of the smart feature will preferably be placed below a XY plane passing through Z-up (the center of gravity) i.e. a Z-up plane. Alternatively, the mass of the smart feature may preferably be located even further below a XY plane passing through Z-up such as 95%, 90%, 85%, 80%, or 75% of the Z-up value and below the Z-up plane. Alternatively, the mass of the smart feature may preferably be located even further below the Z-up plane, such as below the 95% Z-up plane, 90% Z-up plane, 85% Z-up plane, 80% Z-up plane, or 75% Z-up plane.
For example, a thickness of such a smart feature can be from 1 mm to about 20 mm, such as from about 5 mm to about 15 mm, such as about 8 mm to about 12 mm. A length and/or width can be about 10 mm to about 50 mm, such as about 15 mm to about 45 mm, such as about 20 mm to about 40 mm. The overall volume of a smart feature can be any value, such as about 0.5 cc to about 25 cc, such as about 1 cc to about 20 cc, such as about 2 cc to about 15 cc, such as about 4 cc to about 10 cc. A ratio of the volume of the smart feature to the overall volume of the club head can be about 0.1% to about 10%, such as about 0.5% to about 5%, such as about 1% to about 3%. The mass of the smart feature can be any value, such as about 1 gram to about 50 grams, such as about 2 grams to about 25 grams, such as about 4 grams to about 10 grams. A ratio of the mass of the smart feature to the overall mass of the club head can be about 1% to about 25%, such as about 2% to about 20%, such as about 3% to about 15%, such as about 4% to about 10%.
Both the impact sensor and the smart feature can share a common power source. This reduces the need for multiple batteries, helping to keep the overall weight within the specified range (e.g., 1 gram to 50 grams).
The electronic controller within the smart feature can process data from both the impact sensor and other sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopic sensors, etc.). This integration allows for a unified system that can analyze swing characteristics, impact location, and other metrics in real-time. The smart feature's data storage and transmission capabilities (e.g., Bluetooth, RFID, NFC, etc.) can be used to store and transmit data collected by the impact sensor. This enables seamless communication with external devices for detailed analysis and feedback. The smart feature's ability to detect the presence of a head cover or golf bag can be extended to manage the power usage of the impact sensor. This ensures that the sensor is only active when needed, thus conserving battery life. By combining the impact sensor with the smart feature, golfers can receive immediate feedback on their swings. The system can provide visual, auditory, or tactile feedback based on the data collected, helping golfers make adjustments on the fly. This integrated approach leverages the strengths of both the impact sensor and the smart feature, providing a comprehensive tool for improving golf performance while maintaining the compact and lightweight design required for practical use.
U.S. patents application Ser. Nos. 17/878,734, filed Aug. 1, 2022, and 18/105,194, Feb. 2, 2023, describe the use of electronic displays in combination with golf club heads, and both of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties. These displays can be incorporated into the top portion or crown of the club head, or alternatively, into the face of the club. In either location, the display can show the impact location and other measured parameters such as swing path, swing speed, angle of attack, and tempo. One or both of U.S. patents application Ser. Nos. 17/878,734 or 18/105,194 also discusses the use of piezoelectric layer attached to the face to detect and determine impact location and the that the piezoelectric layer may be connected to one or more displays.
A display embedded in the face, likely as an inner layer, can provide a more intuitive representation of the impact location. However, a display on the top portion of the club head allows golfers to quickly view results, including impact location, while maintaining the club head in an address or near-address position. This is particularly useful on a driving range, golf course, or in a golf simulator or fitting system, as it is less cumbersome and provides more immediate feedback.
Integrating an electronic display with an impact sensor in a golf club head offers several benefits, which helps to enhance the overall user experience and provide valuable feedback for improving performance. With a display connected to the impact sensor, golfers can receive real-time feedback on their swings. This immediate information helps golfers make quick adjustments to their technique, improving their performance on the spot. A display embedded in the face of the club can show a precise and intuitive representation of the impact location. This visual feedback helps golfers understand exactly where the ball struck the club face, aiding in the analysis of their swing mechanics.
The display can show various measured parameters such as swing path, swing speed, angle of attack, and tempo. This comprehensive data helps golfers get a holistic view of their swing, allowing for more detailed analysis and targeted improvements. A display on the top portion or crown of the club head allows golfers to view the results without changing their stance or position. This is particularly useful on the driving range, golf course, or in a golf simulator, where maintaining the address position is important for consistent practice. By providing visual, auditory, or tactile feedback, the integrated system helps golfers learn and internalize the correct swing mechanics. This can lead to faster improvement and better retention of proper techniques.
The smart feature's ability to detect the presence of a head cover or golf bag can help manage the power usage of the display and impact sensor, ensuring they are only active when needed and conserving battery life.
Overall, the integration of an electronic display with an impact sensor in a golf club head creates a powerful tool for golfers, offering immediate, detailed, and convenient feedback to help them refine their skills and improve their game.
U.S. Pat. No. 11,318,358, issued May 3, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, outlines innovative constructions for golf club heads that utilize a variety of materials, including low-density materials. These materials help in optimizing the club's performance by strategically distributing weight and enhancing specific properties. The patent describes a concept called the weighted average coefficient of restitution (COR). This involves calculating the COR across different points on the club face to ensure consistent energy transfer and performance, even on off-center hits. By optimizing the COR, the design aims to maximize ball speed and distance while maintaining forgiveness. These features work together to create a golf club that is both high-performing and forgiving, helping golfers achieve better results even with imperfect swings.
U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 18/518,013, filed Nov. 22, 2023, and 18/534,512, filed Dec. 8, 2023, which describe innovative mass distributions in golf club heads, achieved through a unique combination of materials and components, are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Additionally, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/534,512 further details unique volume and mass characteristics resulting from this construction and distribution.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,902,612, issued on Jan. 26, 2021, incorporated herein in its entirety, describes a mobile launch monitor system that can be integrated into a smart device like a smartphone or tablet. This system can run as an application on the device, utilizing built-in features such as cameras, GPS, accelerometers, and gyroscopes. It can adjust frame rates to capture varying levels of detail and can operate with or without fiducials. By using digital photography and interpolation, it calculates various club head and golf parameters from two or more frames.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,902,612 describes a mobile launch monitor system that can be integrated into a smart device, such as a smartphone or tablet. This system leverages the built-in features of the smart device to track and analyze the flight of a golf ball and the movement of the golf club. The system can run as an application on a smart device, utilizing its built-in cameras, GPS, accelerometers, and gyroscopes and other sensors and applications (e.g. weather application including temperature, wind direction, barometric pressure, weather condition etc.). This integration allows the system to capture detailed data about the golf swing and ball flight without the need for additional hardware.
The system can adjust the frame rates of the device's camera to capture more or less detail as needed. Higher frame rates can be used to capture fast movements, such as the swing of a golf club, while lower frame rates can be used for less dynamic scenes. The system can operate with fiducials (markers placed on the club or ball) to enhance tracking accuracy. Alternatively, it can use digital photography and interpolation techniques to calculate various parameters without the need for fiducials.
The system captures multiple frames of the golf swing and ball flight. By analyzing these frames, it calculates various parameters such as club head speed, swing path, angle of attack, ball speed, spin rate, and trajectory. The application provides a user-friendly interface that displays the captured data and analysis results. For an added level of convenience, golfers can view detailed metrics and visualizations of their swings and ball flights directly on their smart devices. Since the system uses a smart device, it is highly portable and easy to set up, making it convenient for use on the driving range, golf course, or at home. Leveraging existing smart device hardware reduces the need for expensive additional equipment.
Golfers receive immediate feedback on their swings, allowing them to make adjustments and improve their performance on the spot. Additionally, golfers can review historical data and compare range sessions, and/or the current session to a prior range session. Golfers may also receive recommended swing tips or swing videos to improve performance. The system provides comprehensive data and visualizations, helping golfers understand their swing mechanics and ball flight characteristics in detail. This mobile launch monitor system offers a powerful and accessible tool for golfers to analyze and improve their game using the capabilities of their smart devices.
Using a mobile launch monitor in conjunction with a golf club head that has an impact sensor offers several significant benefits. The impact sensor provides precise data on the exact point and quality of contact between the club and the ball. When combined with the launch monitor's data on ball flight and club movement, you get a comprehensive and highly accurate analysis of your swing. The launch monitor captures detailed metrics such as swing path, swing speed, angle of attack, and ball trajectory. The impact sensor adds information about the impact location and force, giving you a complete picture of your swing mechanics and ball striking. Both systems can provide immediate feedback, allowing you to make quick adjustments to your technique. This real-time data helps you understand the effects of your swing changes instantly, leading to faster improvement.
The mobile launch monitor uses your smart device, making it easy to set up and use anywhere, whether on the driving range, golf course, or at home. The integration with the impact sensor means you don't need additional bulky equipment, maintaining the portability and convenience of the system. The launch monitor can display visual representations of your swing and ball flight on your smart device. With the impact sensor data, these visualizations can include precise impact locations on the club face, helping you better understand your swing dynamics. The combined data from both systems allows for more targeted practice sessions, which leads to improved training and practice. Golfers may focus on specific aspects of their swing that need improvement, guided by detailed and accurate feedback.
Although much of the application discusses selectively tuning the acoustics of the golf club head using actuators, such as piezoelectric materials or actuators a person of skill in the art will understand the golf club head may not always include these features and instead may include unique combinations of other features discussed throughout including the impact sensor 212 which is configured to detect and determine the impact location on the face due impact with a golf ball. Additionally, the impact sensor and/or acoustic tuning properties may be incorporated into other club heads such as irons, cavity back, muscle back, hollow body irons, cap back irons, putters, fairway woods, hybrids or rescue type club heads.
Additionally, a person of ordinary skill in the art will likely understand or appreciate that club heads having one or more adjustability features may impact the acoustic properties of the club head. For example, club heads described herein may include one or more adjustable weights e.g. two, three, or four or more weights, one or more movable weights e.g. two, three, or four or more weights, and one or more slidable weights e.g. two, three, or four or more weights. The weights may be interchangeable and swappable e.g. from a forward position forward of the CG (golf club head center of gravity) to a rearward position rearward of the CG. Additionally, or alternatively, the weights may be interchangeable and swappable e.g. from a toeward position toeward of the CG (golf club head center of gravity) to a heelward position heelward of the CG. Additioanly, the golf club head may include an adjustable shaft portion or adjustable hosel portion. It is understood that in these varying configurations the acoustics of the club head may be impacted such as a weight in a forward position may negatively impact sound and feel. The club head may sound louder exhibiting lower frequencies with greater amplitudes or pressures and this may provide a harsher feel to the golfer. Being able to selectively tune the acoustics may allow a golfer to counteract these affects due to the adjustability. Additionally, a person of ordinary skill in golf club design would appreciate that in order for a club head to house one or more weights typically requires one or more recessed portions and other weight holding structures, which the recesses typically negatively impact sound and must be stiffened, which consumes discretionary mass. Advantageously, using the above-described actuators may be able to achieve user preferred acoustics without consuming valuable discretionary mass that can be used increase inertia and or customize the CG placement for a particular golfer.
Importantly, the piezoelectric actuators discussed throughout may be used to adjust the sones and/or decibels of the golf club head or at least the golfer's perception of the sones or decibels of the golf club head. Piezoelectric actuators devices convert electrical energy into mechanical motion using the piezoelectric effect. When an electric voltage is applied, the piezoelectric material deforms, creating vibrations. By controlling the frequency and amplitude of these vibrations, piezoelectric actuators can generate sound waves. Adjusting these parameters allows for precise control over the sound's intensity and frequency. The perceived loudness (in sones) depends on both the sound pressure level and the frequency of the sound. By fine-tuning the output of the piezoelectric actuator, you can increase or decrease the loudness as perceived by human ears. The piezoelectric actuators can be effectively used to adjust the loudness of sounds.
Piezoelectric actuators can be used to affect both decibels (dB) and frequency (Hz). Piezoelectric actuators can control the intensity of sound by adjusting the amplitude of the vibrations they produce. Higher amplitude vibrations result in louder sounds, measured in higher decibels. By varying the voltage applied to the piezoelectric material, one can increase or decrease the sound pressure level, effectively controlling the volume. The frequency of the sound produced by a piezoelectric actuator is determined by the rate at which the material vibrates. By adjusting the frequency of the electrical signal applied to the actuator, one may change the pitch of the sound. Piezoelectric materials have natural resonant frequencies at which they vibrate most efficiently. By tuning the input signal to these frequencies, one can produce specific tones or pitches. This ability to precisely control both the intensity and frequency of sound makes piezoelectric actuators quite versatile for precise sound manipulation.
Leveraging the capabilities of your smart device and the integrated impact sensor reduces the need for expensive standalone equipment. This makes advanced swing analysis more accessible to a wider range of golfers. Overall, the synergy between a mobile launch monitor and a golf club head with an impact sensor provides a powerful tool for golfers to analyze and improve their game with precision and convenience.
According to some examples, the golf club heads of the present disclosure are configured to be swung at a swing speed such that each collision with a golf ball imparts a force onto the strike face of the golf club heads in the range of 10,000 g to 20,000 g, where g is equal to the force per unit mass due to gravity. The bonding tape of the golf club heads, as described herein, is configured to withstand (e.g., maintain an adequate adhesive bond between bonded parts of the golf club head to maintain proper performance characteristics of the golf club head after) repeated impacts with a golf ball at swing speeds of at least 70 miles per hour (mph) (e.g., between, and inclusive of, 70 mph and 100 mph).
Although not specifically shown, the golf club head 100 of the present disclosure may include other features to promote the performance characteristics of the golf club head 100. For example, the golf club head 100, in some implementations, includes movable weight features similar to those described in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,773,360; 7,166,040; 7,452,285; 7,628,707; 7,186,190; 7,591,738; 7,963,861; 7,621,823; 7,448,963; 7,568,985; 7,578,753; 7,717,804; 7,717,805; 7,530,904; 7,540,811; 7,407,447; 7,632,194; 7,846,041; 7,419,441; 7,713,142; 7,744,484; 7,223,180; 7,410,425; and 7,410,426, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
In certain implementations, for example, the golf club head 100 includes slidable weight features similar to those described in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,775,905 and 8,444,505; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/898,313, filed on May 20, 2013; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/047,880, filed on Oct. 7, 2013; U.S. Patent Application No. 61/702,667, filed on Sep. 18, 2012; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/841,325, filed on Mar. 15, 2013; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/946,918, filed on Jul. 19, 2013; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/789,838, filed on Jul. 1, 2015; U.S. Patent Application No. 62/020,972, filed on Jul. 3, 2014; Patent Application No. 62/065,552, filed on Oct. 17, 2014; and Patent Application No. 62/141,160, filed on Mar. 31, 2015, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
According to some implementations, the golf club head 100 includes aerodynamic shape features similar to those described in more detail in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0123040A1, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
In certain implementations, the golf club head 100 includes removable shaft features similar to those described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 8,303,431, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in in their entirety.
According to yet some implementations, the golf club head 100 includes adjustable loft/lie features similar to those described in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,025,587; 8,235,831; 8,337,319; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0312437A1; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0258818A1; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0122601A1; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0071264A1; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/686,677, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Additionally, in some implementations, the golf club head 100 includes adjustable sole features similar to those described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 8,337,319; U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2011/0152000A1, 2011/0312437, 2012/0122601A1; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/686,677, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
In some implementations, the golf club head 100 includes composite face portion features similar to those described in more detail in U.S. patents application Ser. Nos. 11/998,435; 11/642,310; 11/825,138; 11/823,638; 12/004,386; 12/004,387;11/960,609; 11/960,610; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,267,620, which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
According to one embodiment, a method of making a golf club head, such as the golf club head 100, includes one or more of the following steps: (1) forming a body having a sole opening, forming a composite laminate sole insert, injection molding a thermoplastic composite head component over the sole insert to create a sole insert unit, and joining the sole insert unit to the body; (2) forming a body having a crown opening, forming a composite laminate crown insert, injection molding a thermoplastic composite head component over the crown insert to create a crown insert unit, and joining the crown insert unit to the body; (3) forming a weight track, capable of supporting one or more slidable weights, in the body; (4) forming the sole insert and/or the crown insert from a thermoplastic composite material having a matrix compatible for bonding with the body; (5) forming the sole insert and/or the crown insert from a continuous fiber composite material having continuous fibers selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, aramide fibers, carbon fibers and any combination thereof, and having a thermoplastic matrix consisting of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyamides, polypropylene, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyureas, polyamide-amides (PAI), polyether amides (PEI), polyetheretherketones (PEEK), and any combinations thereof; (6) forming both the sole insert and the weight track from thermoplastic composite materials having a compatible matrix; (7) forming the sole insert from a thermosetting material, coating a sole insert with a heat activated adhesive, and forming the weight track from a thermoplastic material capable of being injection molded over the sole insert after the coating step; (8) forming the body from a material selected from the group consisting of titanium, one or more titanium alloys, aluminum, one or more aluminum alloys, steel, one or more steel alloys, polymers, plastics, and any combination thereof; (9) forming the body with a crown opening, forming the crown insert from a composite laminate material, and joining the crown insert to the body such that the crown insert overlies the crown opening; (10) selecting a composite head component from the group consisting of one or more ribs to reinforce the golf club head, one or more ribs to tune acoustic properties of the golf club head, one or more weight ports to receive a fixed weight in a sole portion of the golf club head, one or more weight tracks to receive a slidable weight, and combinations thereof; (11) forming the sole insert and the crown insert from a continuous carbon fiber composite material; (12) forming the sole insert and the crown insert by thermosetting using materials suitable for thermosetting, and coating the sole insert with a heat activated adhesive; and (13) forming the body from titanium, titanium alloy or a combination thereof to have the crown opening, the sole insert, and the weight track from a thermoplastic carbon fiber material having a matrix selected from the group consisting of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyamides, polypropylene, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyureas, polyamide-amides (PAI), polyether amides (PEI), polyetheretherketones (PEEK), and any combinations thereof; and (13) forming a frame with a crown opening, forming a crown insert from a thermoplastic composite material, and joining the crown insert to the body such that the crown insert overlies the crown opening.
Any embodiments of the club head may include an electronic display, as disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 17/878,734, filed Aug. 1, 2022, U.S. application Ser. No. 16/352,537, filed Mar. 13, 2019, and U.S. application Ser. No. 17/695,194, filed Mar. 15, 2022, which are all incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. In one such embodiment an electronic display is located on the frame top 10300 and at least partially on the thin wall crown region 10600. In addition to the various features described herein, any of the features of the golf club heads disclosed herein may also incorporate additional features, which can include any of the following features found in the following, which are all incorporated by reference herein in their entirety: U.S. Pat. Nos. 11,179,608; 10,874,928; 10,391,369; 10,052,530; 9,827,479; 9,522,313; 9,468,817; 9,375,619; 9,220,960; 8,328,654; 8,066,581; 7,648,425; 7,594,865; 7,465,240; 7,438,648; 7,396,295; 7,278,926; 6,929,564; 18/534,512, filed Dec. 8, 2023; U.S. Ser. No. 17/878,734, filed Aug. 1, 2022; U.S. Ser. No. 17/645,033, filed Dec. 17, 2021; U.S. Ser. No. 17/974,279, filed Oct. 26, 2022; U.S. Ser. No. 17/566,263, filed Mar. 16, 2022; U.S. Ser. No. 18/068,347, filed Dec. 19, 2022; U.S. Ser. No. 17/722,632, filed Apr. 18, 2022; U.S. Ser. No. 17/691,649, filed Mar. 10, 2022; U.S. Ser. No. 17/577,943, filed Jan. 18, 2022; U.S. Ser. No. 17/107,490, filed Nov. 30, 2020; U.S. Ser. No. 17/505,511, filed Oct. 19, 2021; U.S. Ser. No. 17/736,766, filed May 4, 2022; U.S. Ser. No. 17/963,491, filed Oct. 11, 2022; U.S. Pat. No. 9,468,817, issued Oct. 18, 2016; U.S. Pat. No. 9,375,619, issued Jun. 28, 2016; U.S. Pat. No. 9,522,313, issued Dec. 20, 2016; U.S. Pat. No. 8,758,155, issued Jun. 24, 2014; U.S. Pat. No. 9,375,619, issued Jun. 28, 2016; U.S. Pat. No. 9,220,960, issued Dec. 29, 2015; U.S. Pat. No. 7,465,240, issued Dec. 16, 2008; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/436,330, filed Dec. 30, 2022; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/433,380, filed Dec. 27, 2022; U.S. Patent No. D925,677, issued Jul. 20, 2021; U.S. Pat. No. D924,991, issued Jul. 13, 2021; and U.S. Pat. No. D924992, issued Jul. 13, 2021.
In addition to the various features described herein, any of the golf club heads disclosed herein may also incorporate additional features, which can include any of the following features:
The technology described herein may also be combined with other features and technologies for golf clubs, such as:
For the sake of the disclosure, portions and references disclosed above will remain consistent through the various embodiments of the disclosure unless modified. One of skill in the art would understand that references pertaining to one embodiment may be included with the various other embodiments.
These and all other referenced patents, patent publications, and patent applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, where a definition or use of a term in a reference, which is incorporated by reference herein is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
The above-described embodiments are just examples of possible implementations of the disclosed technologies, and are set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the present disclosure. Any process descriptions or blocks in flow diagrams should be understood as representing modules, segments, or portions of processes for implementing specific functions or steps in the process, and alternate implementations are included in which functions may not be included or executed at all, may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved, as would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the art of the present disclosure.
Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the present disclosure. Further, the scope of the present disclosure includes any and all combinations and sub-combinations of all elements, features, and aspects disclosed herein and in the documents that are incorporated by reference. All such combinations, modifications, and variations are included herein within the scope of the present disclosure, and all possible claims to individual aspects or combinations of elements or steps are intended to be supported by the present disclosure.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment. Similarly, the use of the term “implementation” means an implementation having a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, however, absent an express correlation to indicate otherwise, an implementation may be associated with one or more embodiments.
The present subject matter may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/597,641, filed Nov. 9, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63597641 | Nov 2023 | US |
