Patent Application
20190201755
Not Applicable
The present invention relates to a golf club head having a flexible face designed to improve golf ball launch conditions. The flexibility of the face is enhanced through the inclusion of an elongated recess in the sole of the golf club head.
Traditionally, wood-type and hybrid-type golf club heads are manufactured by welding a face plate or a formed or cast face cup to a body made of one or more pieces. The face causes a golf ball striking the face to launch away from the golf club head. Golf clubs that are currently available on the market, however, do not provide optimized flexibility for impact with golf balls without impacting other factors involved in hitting a golf ball.
For example, several golf clubs currently on the market include sole features proximate the face that are intended to improve golf ball launch conditions. These sole features are slots or grooves having parallel side walls, as shown in
Another fundamental problem with these groove structures is the fact that the groove opening (x2) drives the design of the groove. If a larger inner surface (x1) is required to improve launch performance, then the groove opening (x2) must also increase, thus impacting the visual appearance of the sole and increasing the likelihood of unwanted turf interaction during play. Therefore, there is a need for a golf club construction that provides improved golf ball launch conditions without also creating unwanted turf interactions.
The present invention is directed to golf club body features that optimize launch conditions of a golf ball impacted on the face of a golf club head while simultaneously reducing interference created by other factors, including turf interaction.
One aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising a face comprising a first inner surface that faces an interior cavity of the golf club head, a sole comprising an elongated recess disposed proximate the face, and a first filler material, wherein the elongated recess comprises an opening and a second inner surface that faces the interior cavity, and wherein the first filler material is disposed between the first inner surface and the second inner surface. In some embodiments, the golf club head may further comprise a second filler material that may be disposed within the elongated recess. In some further embodiments, the first filler material and the second filler material may be composed of different materials. The first filler material may be a polymer. In some embodiments, the first filler material may be compressed between the first inner surface and the second inner surface. In other embodiments, the golf club head may further comprise a cover, which may be affixed to the sole and partially cover the opening. In a further embodiment, the sole may comprise a shallow recess sized to receive the cover such that the cover is flush with the sole when the cover is disposed within the shallow recess.
Another aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising a face component, a sole comprising an elongated opening proximate the face component, and a groove insert sized to fit within the elongated opening, wherein the groove insert comprises a tube-shaped portion, two end portions, an innermost surface, and a groove opening, wherein the end portions of the groove insert are parallel with and permanently affixed to the sole at one or more edges of the elongated opening. In some embodiments, the innermost surface may have a first width, the groove opening may have a second width, and the first width may be greater than the second width. In other embodiments, the groove insert may be composed of a first material, such as a polymeric material, and the sole may be composed of a second, different material, such as a metal alloy. In still other embodiments, the groove insert may comprise two overlapping prongs. In one embodiment, the golf club head may further comprise a cover, which may be affixed to the sole and partially cover the opening. In a further embodiment, the sole may comprise a shallow recess sized to receive the cover such that the cover is flush with the sole when the cover is disposed within the shallow recess. In a different embodiment, the golf club head may further comprise a filler material disposed within an interior cavity of the golf club head between an inner surface of the face and the groove insert. In a further embodiment, the filler material may be compressed between the inner surface of the face and the groove insert.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a method of manufacturing a golf club head comprising providing a face cup, providing a body having a crown, a sole, a heel, a toe, and a cutout portion, the cutout portion having a first width, providing a groove insert comprising a second width that is smaller than the first width, an innermost surface, and an opening, disposing the groove insert within the cutout portion, pressing the face cup against the body such that the groove insert is trapped between the cutout portion and the face cup and the cutout portion is compressed so that it has a width equivalent to that of the second width, welding the face cup to the body, permanently affixing the groove insert to at least one surface of the cutout portion and at least one surface of the face cup, and releasing the face cup and the body from compression. In some embodiments, the groove insert may be composed of a polymeric material, and the step of permanently affixing the groove insert to at least one surface of the cutout portion and at least one surface of the face cup may be achieved by bonding.
Another aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising a face cup, a body comprising a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe, and a groove insert, wherein at least one of the sole, crown, heel, and toe comprises a first opening sized to receive the groove insert, and wherein the groove insert is disposed within the first opening in a preloaded state. In a further embodiment, the groove insert may be composed of a polymeric material, and each of the face cup and the body may be composed of a metal alloy material.
Having briefly described the present invention, the above and further objects, features and advantages thereof will be recognized by those skilled in the pertinent art from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention is generally directed to a golf club head with an improved structure designed to reduce energy loss during impact of a golf club head with a golf ball, optimize and balance ball speed robustness, launch angle, and backspin, and reduce turf interaction by minimizing sole discontinuity.
Sole Lap Joint
A first embodiment of the present invention, shown in
The face component 20 of the golf club head 10 of the first embodiment preferably is integrally formed with the body 30 for the sake of efficiency during manufacturing, such that a hole is left in the sole of the head 10. This hole is then covered with the sole plate 40, which can be cast, formed, rolled or cut from a metal material. This configuration lowers the overall center of gravity (CG) of the club head 10, particularly if the sole plate 40 is formed of a high density material, prevents the CG from moving forward as far as it would if there were a slot or gap between the face 20 and the sole plate 40, and permits the use of cast 17-4 steel in construction of the head 10, which reduces the manufacturing cost of the head 10 when compared to the use of expensive metals like titanium alloy. The head 10 shown in the first embodiment also does not have an exposed cavity in its sole, which prevents the club head 10 from collecting debris or dirt during use.
Modified Groove
Other embodiments of the present invention are directed to elongated recesses, also referred to herein as grooves, that optimize launch conditions without creating unwanted turf interactions. This is accomplished by de-coupling the groove's shape from its exit geometry size and shape, while at the same time allowing for ease of manufacture, visually appealing aesthetics, and increased performance metrics. As shown in each of the following embodiments, unwanted sole discontinuity, and the resulting turf interaction, is minimized by narrowing the surface opening of the groove. These grooves are also designed to increase the resulting ball speed of a golf ball struck by a head incorporating the grooves without negatively impacting other factors that affect striking distance, including launch angle and backspin.
For example, the sole grooves 110, 120 included in the second and third embodiments of the present invention, illustrated in
Novel manufacturing techniques can be utilized to further optimize the surface opening of a groove, thus improving the interaction between the golf club and the turf. As shown in
A fifth, preferred embodiment of the present invention, shown in
Sixth and seventh embodiments of the present invention are shown in
The size, thickness, and material composition of the cover 200 preferably is selected by the manufacturer to affect the location of the club head's 10 center of gravity, the thickness of the sole 15, and the overall weight of the golf club head 10. The cover 200 may be small, as shown in
The cover 200 may also have a thickened portion 210, shown in
The grooves 150, 160 shown in
The embodiments shown in
The grooves 130, 140, 150, 160 preferably have diameters (x1, y1) of between 0.030 and 1 inch, more preferably between 0.100 and 0.500 inch, and most preferably of 0.310 inch, and a volume of between 0.100 and 1 cubic inch, more preferably between 0.200 and 0.500 cubic inch, and most preferably 0.245 cubic inch. The grooves 130, 140, 150, 160 preferably are located proximate an inner surface 22 of the golf club face 20, preferably between 0.005 and 1 inch, more preferably between 0.010 and 0.050 inch, and most preferably approximately 0.030 inch, and are preferably located between 0.010 and 1 inch from a front surface 21 of the face 20, more preferably between 0.100 and 0.500 inch from the front surface 21, and most preferably approximately 0.150 inch from the front surface 21.
The grooves 130, 140, 150, 160 also preferably have a depth (d) from the innermost point of the groove 130, 140, 150, 160 to the ground plane 100 of between 0.010 inch and 1 inch, more preferably between 0.100 and 0.500 inch, and most preferably 0.410 inch. In some embodiments, the depth (d) and/or shape of the groove 130, 140, 150, 160 may change as the groove extends across the sole 15 of the club head 10. For example, in the embodiment shown in
In each of the embodiments disclosed herein, the grooves may be a secondary piece that is inserted into and bonded to the body of the club head. This type of construction allows for easier manufacture of the inventive groove, more complex groove shapes, and the use of multiple materials to form the head and groove combination. The use of different materials allows for greater freedom in designing the mass properties of the golf club head 10, and also in designing the functionality of the slot by changing material stiffness, strength, and allowing for different manufacturing techniques, which may include different types of geometric constraints (e.g., undercuts, draft angles, etc.).
For example, as shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In a further embodiment, the sole insert 182 may be preloaded within the head to give the face additional compliance. In particular, the use of a preloaded sole insert 182 redistributes the stress in the head so that the groove and the face can deflect a greater distance without reaching the yield stress of the materials used to construct the inventive golf club head 10. As shown in
A golf club head incorporating one or more grooves 130, 140, 150, 160 of the present invention preferably has a sole 15 thickness of 0.030 to 0.50 inch, more preferably 0.040 to 0.100 inch, and most preferably 0.060 inch. The sole grooves described herein can be used with any type of golf club head, but are preferably used with wood and hybrid-type clubs, and most preferably with fairway woods. Each of the grooves described herein may extend partially or completely across the golf club sole, and preferably extend in a toe-heel direction proximate the face. In alternative embodiments, the grooves described herein may be disposed on regions of the golf club head 10 other than the sole. For example, the grooves may extend along the heel and toe sides of the golf club head, or across the crown, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2011/0218053, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. The grooves may curve as they extend across surfaces of the club, and thus be disposed at varying distances from the face, as shown in
In some embodiments, an example of which is shown in
The golf club heads disclosed herein may have any volume, shape, or proportions and can be formed from one or more materials, including those material compositions disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,244,976, 6,332,847, 6,386,990, 6,406,378, 6,440,008, 6,471,604, 6,491,592, 6,527,650, 6,565,452, 6,575,845, 6,478,692, 6,582,323, 6,508,978, 6,592,466, 6,602,149, 6,607,452, 6,612,398, 6,663,504, 6,669,578, 6,739,982, 6,758,763, 6,860,824, 6,994,637, 7,025,692, 7,070,517, 7,112,148, 7,118,493, 7,121,957, 7,125,344, 7,128,661, 7,163,470, 7,226,366, 7,252,600, 7,258,631, 7,314,418, 7,320,646, 7,387,577, 7,396,296, 7,402,112, 7,407,448, 7,413,520, 7,431,667, 7,438,647, 7,455,598, 7,476,161, 7,491,134, 7,497,787, 7,549,935, 7,578,751, 7,717,807, 7,749,096, and 7,749,097, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety herein.
From the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention and will readily understand that while the present invention has been described in association with a preferred embodiment thereof, and other embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, numerous changes, modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is intended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in the following appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined in the following appended claims.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/031,491, filed on Jul. 10, 2018, and issued on Feb. 26, 2019, as U.S. Pat. No. 10,213,664, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/722,631, filed on Oct. 2, 2017, and issued on Jul. 10, 2018, as U.S. Pat. No. 10,016,664, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/290,333, filed on Oct. 11, 2016, and issued on Oct. 3, 2017, as U.S. Pat. No. 9,776,057, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/547,979, filed on Nov. 19, 2014, and issued on Oct. 18, 2016, as U.S. Pat. No. 9,468,819, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/656,271, filed on Oct. 19, 2012, and issued on Feb. 17, 2015, as U.S. Pat. No. 8,956,242, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/591,111, filed on Aug. 21, 2012, and issued on Oct. 14, 2014, as U.S. Pat. No. 8,858,360, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/555,406, filed on Jul. 23, 2012, and issued on Mar. 26, 2013, as U.S. Pat. No. 8,403,771, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/578,789, filed on Dec. 21, 2011, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61578789 | Dec 2011 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16031491 | Jul 2018 | US |
| Child | 16284097 | US | |
| Parent | 15722631 | Oct 2017 | US |
| Child | 16031491 | US | |
| Parent | 15290333 | Oct 2016 | US |
| Child | 15722631 | US | |
| Parent | 14547979 | Nov 2014 | US |
| Child | 15290333 | US | |
| Parent | 13656271 | Oct 2012 | US |
| Child | 14547979 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13591111 | Aug 2012 | US |
| Child | 13656271 | US | |
| Parent | 13555406 | Jul 2012 | US |
| Child | 13591111 | US |
