Patent Grant
12194351
The present disclosure generally relates to golf equipment, and more particularly, to golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads.
Various materials (e.g., steel-based materials, titanium-based materials, tungsten-based materials, etc.) may be used to manufacture golf club heads. By using multiple materials to manufacture golf club heads, the position of the center of gravity (CG) and/or the moment of inertia (MOI) of the golf club heads may be optimized to produce certain trajectory and spin rate of a golf ball.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures may not be depicted to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure.
The following U.S. Patents and Patent Applications, which are collectively referred to herein as “the incorporated by reference patent documents.” are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety: U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,961,336, 9,199,143, 9,421,437, 9,427,634, 9,468,821, 9,533,201, 9,610,481, 9649542, 9675853, 9814952, 9878220, 10029158, 10029159, 10159876, 10232235, 10265590, 10279233, 10286267, 10293229, 10449428, 10478684, 10512829, 10596424, 10596425, 10632349, 10716978, 10729948, 10729949, 10814193, 10821339, 10821340, 10828538, 10864414, 10874919, 10874921, 10905920, 10933286, 10940375, 11058932, 11097168, 11117030, 11141633, 11154755, 11167187, 11173359, 11192003, 11207575, 11235211; and U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 20170282026, 20170282027, 20170368429, 20180050243, 20180050244, 20180133567, 20180140910, 20180169488, 20180221727, 20180236325, 20190232125, 20190232126, 20190247727, 20200171363, 20210023422, 20210069557, 20210086044, 20210162278, 20210197037, 20210205672, 20210308537, 20220032138, and 20220040541.
In the example of
In the example of
The golf club head 100 may include a face portion 162 (i.e., the strike face) that may be integrally formed with the body portion 110 (e.g., a single unitary piece). In one example, as illustrated in
In the illustrated example of
In another example, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In one example, the thickness of the face portion 162, which may be referred to herein as the face thickness, may be greater than or equal to 0.025 inch (0.635 mm) and less than or equal to 0.125 inch (3.175 mm). In another example, the face thickness may be greater than or equal to 0.047 inch (1.181 mm) and less than or equal to 0.078 inch (1.969 mm). In another example, the face thickness may be greater than or equal to 0.054 inch (1.378 mm) and less than or equal to 0.070 inch (1.772 mm). In yet another example, the face thickness may be greater than or equal to 0.060 inch (1.524 mm) and less than or equal to 0.065 inch (1.651 mm). The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Any location on the golf club head 100 (or any of the golf club heads described herein) may be referenced by x, y, and z, coordinates of a reference coordinate system. The coordinate system may have a horizontal x-axis, a vertical y-axis that is orthogonal to the x-axis, and a z-axis that is orthogonal to both the x-axis and the y-axis, all of which intersect at an origin of the coordinate system. In one example, as illustrated in
The golf club head 100 may be associated with a ground plane 510, a horizontal midplane 520, and a top plane 530. In particular, the ground plane 510 may be a plane that is parallel or substantially parallel to the ground and is tangent to the lowest portion of the sole portion edge 192 when the golf club head 100 is at an address position (e.g., the golf club head 100 aligned to strike a golf ball). A top plane 530 may be a plane that is tangent to the upper most portion of top portion edge 182 when the golf club head 100 is at the address position. The ground plane 510 and the top plane 530 may be parallel or substantially parallel. The horizontal midplane 520 may be vertically halfway between the ground plane 510 and the top plane 530, respectively, and be parallel or substantially parallel to the ground plane 510. Further, the golf club head 100 may be associated with a loft plane 540 defining a loft angle 545 (α) of the golf club head 100. The loft plane 540 may be a plane that is tangent to or coplanar with the face portion 162. The loft angle 545 may be defined by an angle between the loft plane 540 and a vertical plane 550 that is normal to the ground plane 510. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The back wall portion 172 may include an upper back wall portion 220, a lower back wall portion 222, and a ledge portion 230 between the upper back wall portion 220 and the lower back wall portion 222. The ledge portion 230 may extend outward (i.e., away from the face portion 162) from the upper back wall portion 220 to the lower back wall portion 222 (i.e., the ledge portion 230 may extend inward or toward the face portion 162 from the lower back wall portion 222 to the upper back wall portion 220). The ledge portion 230 may include a first ledge portion 232 that may extend from a location at or proximate to the toe portion edge 142 toward the heel portion 150, a second ledge portion 234 that may be located at or proximate to a center portion 173 of the back wall portion 172, and a third ledge portion 236 that may extend from a location at or proximate to the heel portion edge 152 toward the toe portion 140. The second ledge portion 234 may extend between the first ledge portion 232 and the third ledge portion 236. The first ledge portion 232 may also extend in a downwardly inclined direction from a location at or proximate to the toc portion edge 142 to the second ledge portion 234. The third ledge portion 236 may also extend in a downwardly inclined or horizontal direction from a location at or proximate to the heel portion edge 152 to the second ledge portion 234. Alternatively, the first ledge portion 232 and/or the third ledge portion 236 may be upwardly inclined or horizontally oriented. The ledge portion 230 including the first ledge portion 232, the second ledge portion 234, and the third ledge portion 236 may be similar in many respects (e.g., height, width, orientation, configurations of any sidewall portions, configurations of any ledge portion transition portions, etc.) to any of the ledge portions described herein or described in any of the incorporated by reference patent documents. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In one example, as illustrated in
The body portion 110 may include one or more ports, which may be exterior ports and/or interior ports (e.g., located inside the body portion 110). The one or more ports may be at any location on the body portion 110. The inner walls of the body portion 110 that define the interior cavity 210 may include one or more ports. In one example, as illustrated in
In one example as illustrated in
In one example, the badge 428 may display one or more alphanumeric characters, symbols, shapes or other visual marks to signify a particular feature of or information about of the golf club head 100. Accordingly, the badge 428 may be configured to be inserted and secured in the recessed portion 426. In one example, the badge 428 may be secured in the recessed portion 426 with an adhesive or a bonding agent. In another example, depending on the material of construction of the badge 428, welding or soldering may be used to attach the badge 428 inside the recessed portion 426. In another example, the badge 428 may be press fit into the recessed portion 426. In yet another example, one or more fasteners may be used to attach the badge 428 inside recessed portion 426. As described herein, the badge 428 may cover and/or close the first port 321. In one example, the badge 428 may be plate shaped to fit in the recessed portion 426. In another example, the badge 428 may further have a projection that may be received in the first port 321 to close the first port 321. In another example, the badge 428 may be rectangular, circular, or have any shape. In another example, the badge 428 may be visible and distinguishable from the remaining parts of the body portion 110 by color, texture, materials of construction, and/or other visual features. In yet another example, the badge 428 may be attached to the body portion 110 such as to appear seamless or almost seamless with the body portion 110 and be an integral part of the body portion 110, i.e., indistinguishable or almost indistinguishable from the body portion 110. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In one example, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The body portion 110 may include any number of ports above and/or below the first ledge portion 232, the second ledge portion 234, and/or the third ledge portion 236. The body portion 110 may include any number of ports above and/or below the horizontal midplane 520. The body portion 110 may include any number of ports on the toe portion edge 142, the heel portion edge 152, the top portion edge 182, and/or the sole portion edge 192. Any port may be connected to the interior cavity 210. The number of ports on the body portion 110, the arrangement and/or the configuration of the ports on the body portion 110 may be similar in many respects to any of the golf club heads described herein or in any of the incorporated by reference patent documents. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In one example, as illustrated in
In one example, as illustrated in
In one example, as illustrated in
The sleeve bezel 1614 may have a greater diameter than the sleeve body 1612 and a greater diameter than the internal diameter of the second port 331. Accordingly, the sleeve bezel 1614 may engage the back wall portion 172 surrounding the second port 331 to prevent further insertion of the sleeve body 1612 into the second port 331. In one example, as illustrated in
In one example, as illustrated in
The body portion 110 may include one or more mass portions (e.g., weight portion(s)) at any location on the body portion 110. The one or more mass portions may be integral mass portion(s) or separate mass portion(s) that may be coupled to the body portion 110 at any exterior or interior location on the body portion 110. In the illustrated example of
The diameter of the external mass portion 435 may be determined based on one or more properties (e.g., material density) of the materials of construction of the external mass portion 435. The port sleeve 1610 may be configured to receive the external mass portion 435, which may be inserted and secured into the port sleeve 1610 by any of the methods described herein with respect to any of the golf club heads described herein such as being screwed in, press fitted, secured with an adhesive, or welded. In other words, the port sleeve 1610 may function as a sleeve for receiving the external mass portion 435. In one example, as illustrated in
A center region or a geometric center of the second port 331 may be located at or proximate to the CG of the golf club head 100. Accordingly, a center of gravity of the external mass portion 435 may also be located at or proximate to the CG of the golf club head 100 when the external mass portion 435 is secured in the second port 331 as described herein. The x, y, and z coordinates of the center of gravity of the golf club head 100 may be denoted herein by CGX, CGY, and CGZ, respectively, and the x, y, and z coordinates of the center of gravity of the external mass portion 435 may be denoted herein by CGM1X, CGM1Y, and CGM1Z, respectively. In one example, a distance on the x-axis between CGM1X and CGX may be less than or equal to 0.02 inch (0.51 mm), a distance on the y-axis between CGM1Y and CGY may be less than or equal to 0.3 inch (7.62 mm), and/or a distance on the z-axis between CGM1Z and CGZ may be less than or equal to 0.2 inch (5.08 mm). In another example, a distance on the x-axis between CGM1X and CGX may be less than or equal to 0.1 inch (2.54 mm), a distance on the y-axis between CGM1Y and CGY may be less than or equal to 0.6 inch (15.24 mm), and/or a distance on the z-axis between CGM1Z and CGZ may be less than or equal to 0.4 inch (10.16 mm). In another example, a distance on the x-axis between CGM1X and CGX may be less than or equal to 0.01 inch (0.25 mm), a distance on the y-axis between CGM1Y and CGY may be less than or equal to 0.15 inch (3.81 mm), and/or a distance on the z-axis between CGM1Z and CGZ may be less than or equal to 0.1 inch (2.54 mm). In yet another example, a distance on the x-axis between CGM1X and CGX may be less than or equal to 0.25 inch (6.35 mm), a distance on the y-axis between CGM1Y and CGY may be less than or equal to 0.25 inch (6.35 mm), and/or a distance on the z-axis between CGM1Z and CGZ may be less than or equal to 0.25 inch (6.35 mm). As a result, the external mass portion 435 may be interchangeable with another mass portion having a lower mass or a mass portion having a higher mass without causing a relatively large or a significant shift in the CG of the golf club head 100. In one example, for each gram of mass increase of the external mass portion 435, the CG location of the golf club head may shift by less than 0.5% of the CGX location (x-axis coordinate of the CG), less than 0.5% of the CGY location (y-axis coordinate of the CG), and/or less than 0.2% of the CGZ location (z-axis coordinate of the CG). In another example, for each gram of mass increase of the external mass portion 435, the CG location of the golf club head may shift by less than 0.35% of the CGX location, less than 0.35% of the CGY location, and/or less than 0.15% of the CGZ location. In yet another example, for each gram of mass increase of the external mass portion 435, the CG location of the golf club head may shift by less than 0.25% of the CGX location, less than 0.25% of the CGY location, and/or less than 0.10% of the CGZ location. Thus, the external mass portion 435 may be interchangeable with another mass portion having a lower or a greater mass to provide certain performance characteristics for an individual (i.e., customize the performance of the golf club head 100 for a certain individual) without substantially shifting the CG of the golf club head 100 and/or altering the overall or general performance characteristics of the golf club head 100. In one example, as illustrated in
The internal mass portion 445 may be at any location on the body portion 110. In one example, as illustrated in
In one example, as illustrated in
The external mass portion 435 and the internal mass portion 445 may be strategically located to lower the center of gravity of the golf club head 100, whereas the internal mass portion 445 may also increase the MOI of the golf club head 100. Accordingly, the distance between the external mass portion 435 and the internal mass portion 445 along the x-axis may be relatively large to increase the MOI of the golf club head 100, whereas the distances between the external mass portion 435 and the internal mass portion 445 along the y-axis and the z-axis, respectively, may be relatively small to maintain a relatively low position for the center of gravity of the golf club head 100. In one example, a distance on the x-axis between CGM1X and CGM2X may be greater than or equal to 0.5 inch (12.70 mm) and less than or equal to 2.0 inch (50.80 mm), a distance on the y-axis between CGM1Y and CGM2Y may be less than or equal to 0.25 inch (6.35 mm), and/or a distance on the z-axis between CGM1Z and CGM2Z may be less than or equal to 0.1 inch (2.54 mm). In another example, a distance on the x-axis between CGM1X and CGM2X may be greater than or equal to 0.75 inch (19.05 mm) and less than or equal to 1.75 inch (44.45 mm), a distance on the y-axis between CGM1Y and CGM2Y may be less than or equal to 0.2 inch (5.08 mm), and/or a distance on the z-axis between CGM1Z and CGM2Z may be less than or equal to 0.2 inch (5.08 mm). In another example, a distance on the x-axis between CGM1X and CGM2X may be greater than or equal to 1.0 inch (25.40 mm) and less than or equal to 2.0 inch (50.80 mm), a distance on the y-axis between CGM1Y and CGM2Y may be less than or equal to 0.5 inch (12.70 mm), and/or a distance on the z-axis between CGM1Z and CGM2Z may be less than or equal to 0.25 inch (6.35 mm). In yet another example, a distance on the x-axis between CGM1X and CGM2X may be greater than or equal to 1.0 inch (25.40 mm) and less than or equal to 1.75 inch (44.45 mm), a distance on the y-axis between CGM1Y and CGM2Y may be less than or equal to 0.4 inch (10.16 mm), and/or a distance on the z-axis between CGM1Z and CGM2Z may be less than or equal to 0.4 inch (10.16 mm). The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In one example as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The third port 341 may define a recess or cavity in the body portion 110 that may be shaped to correspond to the shape of the internal mass portion 445 to receive the internal mass portion 445. In one example, as illustrated in
The interior cavity 210 may vary in width between the toc portion 140 and the heel portion 150. An interior cavity width 710 may be smaller proximate to the toc portion edge 142 than the interior cavity width 710 at the center portion of the body portion or at the heel portion 150 due to the presence of the body mass portion 145. Accordingly, a greater portion of the mass of the body portion 110 may be closer to the toe portion edge 142 than the heel portion edge 152 to increase the moment of inertia of the body portion 110. In one example, as illustrated in
In one example, as illustrated in
In one example, the badge 428 may be constructed from a material having a lower density than the material of the body portion 110 to not have a large effect on the mass distribution of the body portion 110. In yet another example, the badge 428 may be made from a material having a relatively large density such as the material form which any of the mass portions may be constructed. Accordingly, the badge 428 may function to increase the moment of inertia of the golf club head 100. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The interior cavity 210 may be partially or entirely filled with one or more filler materials (i.e., a cavity filling material), which may include one or more similar or different types of materials. In one example, as illustrated in
In one example, the golf club head 100 may have a total weight of greater than or equal to 180 grams and less than or equal to 340 grams. In another example, the golf club head 100 may have a total weight of greater than or equal to 220 grams and less than or equal to 300 grams. In yet another example, the golf club head 100 may have a total weight of greater than or equal to 250 grams and less than or equal to 270 grams. In one example, the weight of the filler material may be greater than or equal to 15 grams and less than or equal to 35 grams. In another example, the weight of the filler material may be greater than or equal to 22 grams and less than or equal to 30 grams. In yet another example, the weight of the filler material may be greater than or equal to 22 grams and less than or equal to 28 grams. The total weight of the filler material 612 may be expressed as a percentage of the total weight of the golf club head 100. Accordingly, the weight of the filler material may comprise greater than or equal to 5% and less than or equal to 19% of the total weight of the golf club head 100. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
As described herein, the sizes and weights of the external mass portion 435, the internal mass portion 445, and/or the port sleeve 1610 may be determined to affect the moments of inertia and CG location of the golf club head 100 to provide certain performance characteristics for the golf club head 100. The internal mass portion 445 may have a total weight that may be greater than the total weight of the external mass portion 435, the total weight of the port sleeve 1610, and/or the sum of the total weights of the external mass portion 435 and the port sleeve 1610 to increase the MOI of the golf club head 100. In one example, the total weight of the internal mass portion 445 may be greater than or equal to 10 grams and less than or equal to 20 grams. In another example, the total weight of the internal mass portion 445 may be greater than or equal to 12 grams and less than or equal to 16 grams. In yet another example, the total weight of the internal mass portion 445 may be greater than or equal to 13 grams and less than or equal to 15 grams. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In one example, the total weight of the external mass portion 435 may be greater than or equal to 5 grams and less than or equal to 11 grams. In another example, the total weight of the external mass portion 435 may be greater than or equal to 7 grams and less than or equal to 9 grams. In another example, the total weight of the external mass portion 435 may be greater than or equal to 6 grams and less than or equal to 8 grams. In another example, the total weight of the external mass portion 435 may be greater than or equal to 25% and less than or equal to 75% of the total weight of the internal mass portion 445. In another example, the total weight of the external mass portion 435 may be greater than or equal to 40% and less than or equal to 60% of the total weight of the internal mass portion 445. In another example, a ratio of a weight of the internal mass portion 445 to a weight of the external mass portion may be greater than or equal to 1.0. In another example, a ratio of a weight of the internal mass portion 445 to a weight of the external mass portion may be greater than or equal to 1.25. In yet another example, a ratio of a weight of the internal mass portion 445 to a weight of the external mass portion may be greater than or equal to 1.25 and less than or equal to 2.0. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The port sleeve 1610 may be constructed from a material that has a lower density than the density of the material of the body portion 110 and the density of the material of the external mass portion 435 so that the weight savings from using the port sleeve 1610 may be strategically transferred to other portions of the golf club head 100 to achieve certain performance characteristics. In one example, the port sleeve 1610 may be constructed from an aluminum-based material. In another example, the port sleeve 1610 may be constructed from a titanium-based material. In yet another example, the port sleeve 1610 may be constructed from a polymer material. As described herein, the external mass portion 435 may be constructed from a material having a greater density than the density of the material of the body portion 110. In one example, the external mass portion 435 may be constructed from a tungsten-based material. Accordingly, the total weight of the external mass portion 435 may be greater than the total weight of the port sleeve 1610. In one example, the total weight of the port sleeve 1610 may be greater than or equal to 3 grams and less than or equal to 6 grams. In another example, the total weight of the port sleeve 1610 may be greater than or equal to 3.5 grams and less than or equal to 5 grams. In another example, the total weight of the port sleeve 1610 may be greater than or equal to 4 grams and less than or equal to 4.75 grams. In another example, the total weight of the port sleeve 1610 may be greater than or equal to 25% and less than or equal to 75% of the total weight of the external mass portion 435. In yet another example, the total weight of the port sleeve 1610 may be greater than or equal to 40% and less than or equal to 60% of the total weight of the external mass portion 435. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
As described herein, the interior cavity 210 may be partially or entirely filled with one or more filler materials (i.e., a cavity filling material), which may include one or more similar or different types of materials. The amount (i.e., volume and/or mass) filler material may be determined for each golf club head (i.e., having a certain loft angle) to (i) provide vibration dampening or sound dampening (e.g., consistent and/or pleasing sound and feel when the golf club head strikes a golf ball as perceived by an individual using the golf club head), (ii) provide structural support for the face portion, and/or (iii) optimize ball travel distance, ball speed, ball launch angle, ball spin rate, ball peak height, ball landing angle and/or ball dispersion. The interior cavity 210 may be filled with a filler material such that the back surface 166 of the face portion is covered with the filler material. Accordingly, the filler material may provide structural support for the relatively thinner portions of the face portion 162.
The resilience of the urethane elastomer filler material 612 of the golf club head 100, which is referred to herein as GC1 (i.e., Golf Club No. 1), was tested and compared with the resilience of the filler materials of three example golf clubs, which are referred to herein as GC2, GC3, and CG4. To test each golf club head, the face portion of each golf club head was removed by a milling machine by cutting around the perimeter of the face portion and exposing the filler material in intact for by carefully removing the face portion. The resilience of the filler material of each golf club head was tested using the test equipment and procedures used by United States Golf Association to determine the characteristic time (CT) of a golf club head as provided in R&A Rules Limited and United States Golf Association PROTOCOL FOR MEASURING THE FLEXIBILITY OF A GOLF CLUBHEAD. TPX3004 Rev. 2.0. 9 Apr. 2019; and United States Golf Association PROCEDURE FOR MEASURING THE FLEXIBILITY OF A GOLF CLUBHEAD. USGA-TPX3004 Revision 1.0.0 May 1, 2008. In other words, the CT test equipment used by the United States Golf Association, which includes a pendulum striking the face of a test golf club, was used to determine the resilience of the filler material. Each golf club head was mounted in the fixture of the CT test equipment such that the pendulum struck the face portion at a location approximately 0.75 inch (19.05 mm) from the leading edge of the sole portion edge 192 and at a center of a face groove at that location. Additionally, each golf club head was mounted in the fixture such that the heel-to-toc direction of the golf club head was in a vertical orientation (i.e., face groove oriented vertically). The pendulum was equipped with an accelerometer and accelerometer data was sampled at 10240 Hz to determine the maximum velocity of the pendulum in meters per second (m/s) before contact with the filler material and the maximum velocity of the pendulum in m/s after contact with the filler material during the rebound of the pendulum. For all tests, the average pendulum velocity when striking the filler material was between 0.79 and 0.81 m/s. In one example, the maximum rebound velocity obtained from multiple tests for GC1 was greater than 2.0 m/s and less than 2.09 m/s with an average maximum rebound velocity of 2.06 m/s; the maximum rebound velocity obtained from multiple tests for GC2 was greater than 1.9 m/s and less than 1.98 m/s with an average maximum rebound velocity of 1.95 m/s; the maximum rebound velocities obtained from multiple tests for GC3 and CG4 were similar and greater than 1.71 m/s and less than 1.79 m/s with an average maximum rebound velocity of 1.76. Accordingly, the average maximum rebound velocity of GC1 or golf club head 100 may be greater than the maximum rebound velocity of GC2 by 5%, and greater than the maximum rebound velocities of GC3 and GC4 by 15%. The golf swing speed of an individual may vary between 60 miles per hour (27 m/s) to 170 miles per hour (76 m/s). Accordingly, the increased rebound or resiliency of the filler material 612 of the golf club head 100 as evidenced by the increase in the average maximum rebound velocity of GC1 relative to the average maximum rebound velocities of GC2, CG3, and CG4, may represent a significant improvement in ball speed and consequently ball carry distance when a golf club having a golf club head 100 is used by an individual.
In one example, as the sleeve front portion 1620 penetrates the interior cavity 210 as described herein by the port sleeve 1610 being screwed into the second port 331, the sleeve front portion 1620 may compress the filler material 612 between the sleeve front portion 1620 and the face portion 162 at or proximate to the ball strike region of the face portion 162. Accordingly, driving the port sleeve 1610 into the interior cavity 210 may provide preloading of the filler material 612 at or around the ball strike region of the golf club head 100 to provide a higher coefficient of restitution (COR) for the golf club head 100. The COR of the golf club head 100 may be adjusted by the depth of penetration of the port sleeve 1610 into the interior cavity 210. Accordingly, by engaging the port sleeve 1610 with a tool to screw the port sleeve 1610 into or out of the second port 331, the COR of the golf club head 100 may be adjusted. The COR may be adjusted to a certain value to comply with rules of certain golf governing bodies. For example, the COR of the golf club head 100 may be adjusted to a maximum or a near maximum value permitted by a certain golf governing body such as the United States Golf Association (USGA). In one example, the COR of the golf club head 100 may be greater than or equal to 0.80 and less than or equal to 0.86. In another example, the COR of the golf club head 100 may be greater than or equal to 0.82 and less than or equal to 0.85. In yet another example, the COR of the golf club head may be greater than or equal to 0.82 and less than or equal to a COR value that complies with the maximum COR value allowed by a golf governing body. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In one example, as illustrated in
In one example, as illustrated in
The filler compression portion 2510 may be constructed from a polymer material having a higher COR than the filler material 612. Accordingly, the filler compression portion 2510 may compress and rebound during use and contribute to increasing the COR of the golf club head 100. In other words, the filler compression portion 2510 may increase the COR of the golf club head 100 by preloading the filler material 612 and by providing a rebounding force on the face during a golf ball strike. Alternatively, the filler compression portion 2510 may be constructed from a relatively more rigid material to provide preloading of the filler material 612. In one example, the filler compression portion 2510 may be constructed from any of the filler materials described herein such as any urethane-based materials, and the filler material 612 may be constructed from a polymer material having a lower COR than the filler compression portion 2510. For example, the filler material 612 may be constructed from a polybutadiene material or any of the filler materials described herein. The filler compression portion, however, may be constructed from any type of material. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In one example as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The third port 341 may define a recess or cavity in the body portion 110 that may be shaped to correspond to the shape of the internal mass portion 3145 to receive the internal mass portion 3145. In one example, as illustrated in
In one example, as illustrated in
Each rib portion of the plurality of rib portions described herein may be defined by a wall or projection extending outward and into the interior cavity 210 from the inner surface 179 of the back wall portion 172. As illustrated in
In another example, as illustrated in
In another example, as illustrated in
In yet another example, as illustrated in
Although the example of
The rib portions of the back wall portion as described herein may be used on any type of golf head. In one example, one or more rib portions as described herein may be used on a golf club head that does not have any ports and/or mass portions integral with or coupled to the back wall portion. In another example, one or more rib portions as described herein may be used on a golf club head that does not have any filler material in the interior cavity of the golf club head. Accordingly, the back wall portion of any golf club head may include any number of linear or curved rib portions in any geometric or non-geometric arrangement, such as the examples described and illustrated herein, to provide certain performance characteristics for the golf club. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Any of the rib portions described herein may have any length, width, and/or height to provide certain performance characteristics for a golf club head. In one example, each rib portion may increase in width and/or height from a perimeter portion of the back wall portion toward a center portion of the back wall portion. In another example, each rib portion may increase in width from a perimeter portion of the back wall portion toward a center portion of the back wall portion. In yet another example, each rib portion may vary in height and/or width at certain locations along the length of the rib portion depending on the thickness of the back wall portion at or proximate to those locations. To optimize performance of a golf club head, each rib portion may be configured in height, width, length, location, and/or shape depending on the thickness of the back wall portion, location of one or more mass portions and/or ports on the back wall portion, any other structural features of the back wall portion, material of construction of the back wall portion, different characteristics of any filler material in the golf club head, and/or other specific or general features and/or characteristics of the golf club head. In the example described herein, rib portions extend into the body portion 110 from an inner surface 179 of the back wall portion 172. In another example, rib portions may extend outward from an outer surface of the back wall portion 172. In yet another example, the back wall portion 172 may include one or more rib portions that extend into the body portion from the inner surface 179 of the back wall portion and one or more rib portions may extend outward from an outer surface of the back wall portion 172. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In one example, as illustrated in
In one example, as illustrated in
Any of the mass portions described herein may be constructed from a material having a greater density than one or more materials of a body portion of a golf club head. In one example, any of the mass portions described herein may be constructed from tungsten or tungsten-based materials, whereas the body portion may be constructed from one or more materials having a lower density than tungsten or tungsten-based materials such as aluminum, steel, titanium, and/or composite materials. Any of the mass portions described herein may be similar in some physical properties but different in other physical properties. For example, a mass portion may be made from an aluminum-based material or an aluminum alloy whereas another mass portion may be made from a tungsten-based material or a tungsten alloy. In another example, a mass portion may be made from a polymer material whereas another mass portion may be made from a steel-based material. Any of the mass portions described herein may be constructed from a material having a lower density than one or more materials of a body portion of a golf club head. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Any of the golf club heads described herein may be an iron-type golf club head (e.g., a 1-iron, a 2-iron, a 3-iron, a 4-iron, a 5-iron, a 6-iron, a 7-iron, an 8-iron, a 9-iron, etc.), or a wedge-type golf club head (e.g., a pitching wedge, a lob wedge, a sand wedge, an n-degree wedge such as 44 degrees) (°), 48°, 52°, 56°, 60°, etc.). Although a particular type of club head may be depicted and described, the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may be applicable to other types of club heads (e.g., a driver-type club head, a fairway wood-type club head, a hybrid-type club head, a putter-type club head, etc.). The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
The body portion and/or the face portion of any of the golf club heads described herein may be partially or entirely made of a steel-based material (e.g., 17-4 PH stainless steel, Nitronic® 50 stainless steel, alloy steel 8620, maraging steel or other types of stainless steel), a titanium-based material, an aluminum-based material (e.g., a high-strength aluminum alloy or a composite aluminum alloy coated with a high-strength alloy), any combination thereof, non-metallic materials, composite materials, and/or other suitable types of materials. The body portion and/or the face portion may be constructed with materials that are similar to any of the body portions and/or face portions described herein or in any of the incorporated by reference patent documents. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In one example, the area of the front surface of the face portion of any of the golf club heads described herein may be greater than or equal to 330 mm2 and less than or equal to 5000 mm2. In another example, the area of the front surface of the face portion of any of the golf club heads described herein may be greater than or equal to 1000 mm2 and less than or equal to 5300 mm2. In yet another example, the area of the front surface of the face portion of any of the golf club heads described herein may be greater than or equal to 1500 mm2 and less than or equal to 4800 mm2. While the above examples may describe particular areas, the area of the front surface may greater than or less than those numbers. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
In one example, a filler material as described herein may include an elastic polymer or an elastomer material, a thermoplastic elastomer material (TPE), a thermoplastic polyurethane material (TPU), other polymer material(s), bonding material(s) (e.g., adhesive), and/or other suitable types of materials that may absorb shock, isolate vibration, and/or dampen noise. In another example, a filler material may be one or more thermoset polymers having bonding properties. In another example, a filler material may include low-viscosity, organic, solvent-based solutions and/or dispersions of polymers and other reactive chemicals. In another example, a filler material may be a polymer material such as an ethylene copolymer material that may absorb shock, isolate vibration, and/or dampen noise when a golf club head strikes a golf ball via the face portion. In another example, a filler material may be a high density ethylene copolymer ionomer, a fatty acid modified ethylene copolymer ionomer, a highly amorphous ethylene copolymer ionomer, an ionomer of ethylene acid acrylate terpolymer, an ethylene copolymer comprising a magnesium ionomer, an injection moldable ethylene copolymer that may be used in conventional injection molding equipment to create various shapes, an ethylene copolymer that can be used in conventional extrusion equipment to create various shapes, an ethylene copolymer having high compression and low resilience similar to thermoset polybutadiene rubbers, and/or a blend of highly neutralized polymer compositions, highly neutralized acid polymers or highly neutralized acid polymer compositions, and fillers. In another example, any one or more of the filler materials described herein may be formed from one or more metals or metal alloys, such as aluminum, copper, zinc, and/or titanium. A filler material not specifically described in detail herein may include one or more similar or different types of materials described herein and in any of the incorporated by reference patent documents. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Any of the filler materials described herein may be subjected to different processes during manufacturing of any of the golf club heads described herein. Such processes may include one or more filler materials being heated and/or cooled by conduction, convection, and/or radiation during one or more injection molding processes or post injection molding curing processes. For example, all the heating and cooling processes may be performed by using heating or cooling systems that employ conveyor belts that move a golf club head described herein through a heating or cooling environment for a period of time as described herein. The processes of manufacturing a golf club head with one or more filler materials may be similar to any of the processes described in any of the incorporated by reference patent documents. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
While each of the above examples may describe a certain type of golf club head, the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may be applicable to other types of golf club heads (e.g., a driver-type golf club head, a fairway wood-type golf club head, a hybrid-type golf club head, an iron-type golf club head, a putter-type golf club head, etc.).
Procedures defined by golf standard organizations and/or governing bodies such as the United States Golf Association (USGA) and/or the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A) may be used for measuring the club head volume of any of the golf club heads described herein. For example, a club head volume may be determined by using the weighted water displacement method (i.e., Archimedes Principle). Although the figures may depict particular types of club heads (e.g., a driver-type club head or iron-type golf club head), the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may be applicable to other types of club head (e.g., a fairway wood-type club head, a hybrid-type club head, a putter-type club head, etc.). Accordingly, any golf club head as described herein may have a volume that is within a volume range corresponding to certain type of golf club head as defined by golf governing bodies. A driver-type golf club head may have a club head volume of greater than or equal to 300 cubic centimeters (cm3 or cc). In another example, a driver-type golf club head may have a club head volume of 460 cc. A fairway wood golf club head may have a club head volume of between 100 cc and 300 cc. In one example, a fairway wood golf club head may have a club head volume of 180 cc. An iron-type golf club head may have a club head volume of between 25 cc and 100 cc. In one example, an iron-type golf club head may have a volume of 50 cc. Any of the golf clubs described herein may have the physical characteristics of a certain type of golf club (i.e., driver, fairway wood, iron, etc.), but have a volume that may fall outside of the above-described ranges. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Any of the golf club heads and/or golf clubs described herein may include one or more sensors (e.g., accelerometers, strain gauges, etc.) for sensing linear motion (e.g., acceleration) and/or forces in all three axes of motion and/or rotational motion (e.g., angular acceleration) and rotational forces about all three axes of motion. In one example, the one or more sensors may be internal sensors that may be located inside the golf club head, the hosel, the shaft, and/or the grip. In another example, the one or more sensors may be external sensors that may be located on the grip, on the shaft, on the hosel, and/or on the golf club head. In yet another example, the one or more sensors may be external sensors that may be attached by an individual to the grip, to the shaft, to the hosel, and/or to the golf club head. In one example, data collected from the sensors may be used to determine any one or more design parameters for any of the golf club heads and/or golf clubs described herein to provide certain performance or optimum performance characteristics. In another example, data from the sensors may be collected during play to assess the performance of an individual. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Any of the apparatus, methods, or articles of manufacture described herein may include one or more visual identifiers such as alphanumeric characters, colors, images, symbols, logos, and/or geometric shapes. For example, one or more visual identifiers may be manufactured with one or more portions of a golf club such as the golf club head (e.g., casted or molded with the golf club head), painted on the golf club head, etched on the golf club (e.g., laser etching), embossed on the golf club head, machined onto the golf club head, attached as a separate badge or a sticker on the golf club head (e.g., adhesive, welding, brazing, mechanical lock(s), any combination thereof, etc.), or any combination thereof. The visual identifier may be made from the same material as the golf club head or a different material than the golf club head (e.g., a plastic badge attached to the golf club head with an adhesive). Further, the visual identifier may be associated with manufacturing and/or brand information of the golf club head, the type of golf club head, one or more physical characteristics of the golf club head, or any combination thereof. In particular, a visual identifier may include a brand identifier associated with a manufacturer of the golf club (e.g., trademark, trade name, logo, etc.) or other information regarding the manufacturer. In addition, or alternatively, the visual identifier may include a location (e.g., country of origin), a date of manufacture of the golf club or golf club head, or both.
The visual identifier may include a serial number of the golf club or golf club head, which may be used to check the authenticity to determine whether or not the golf club or golf club head is a counterfeit product. The serial number may also include other information about the golf club that may be encoded with alphanumeric characters (e.g., country of origin, date of manufacture of the golf club, or both). In another example, the visual identifier may include the category or type of the golf club head (e.g., 5-iron. 7-iron, pitching wedge, etc.). In yet another example, the visual identifier may indicate one or more physical characteristics of the golf club head, such as one or more materials of manufacture (e.g., visual identifier of “Titanium” indicating the use of titanium in the golf club head), loft angle, face portion characteristics, mass portion characteristics (e.g., visual identifier of “Tungsten” indicating the use of tungsten mass portions in the golf club head), interior cavity and filler material characteristics (e.g., one or more abbreviations, phrases, or words indicating that the interior cavity is filled with a polymer material), any other information that may visually indicate any physical or play characteristic of the golf club head, or any combination thereof. Further, one or more visual identifiers may provide an ornamental design or contribute to the appearance of the golf club, or the golf club head.
Any of the golf club heads described herein may be manufactured by casting from metal such as steel. However, other techniques for manufacturing a golf club head as described herein may be used such as 3D printing or molding a golf club head from metal or non-metal materials such as ceramics.
All methods described herein may be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. Although a particular order of actions may be described herein with respect to one or more processes, these actions may be performed in other temporal sequences. Further, two or more actions in any of the processes described herein may be performed sequentially, concurrently, or simultaneously.
The terms “and” and “or” may have both conjunctive and disjunctive meanings. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless this disclosure indicates otherwise. The term “coupled,” and any variation thereof, refers to directly or indirectly connecting two or more elements chemically, mechanically, and/or otherwise. The phrase “removably connected” is defined such that two elements that are “removably connected” may be separated from each other without breaking or destroying the utility of either element.
The term “substantially” when used to describe a characteristic, parameter, property, or value of an element may represent deviations or variations that do not diminish the characteristic, parameter, property, or value that the element may be intended to provide. Deviations or variations in a characteristic, parameter, property, or value of an element may be based on, for example, tolerances, measurement errors, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors. The term “proximate” is synonymous with terms such as “adjacent,” “close,” “immediate,” “nearby,” “neighboring,” etc., and such terms may be used interchangeably as appearing in this disclosure.
Recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. A numerical range defined using the word “between” includes numerical values at both end points of the numerical range. A spatial range defined using the word “between” includes any point within the spatial range and the boundaries of the spatial range. A location expressed relative to two spaced apart or overlapping elements using the word “between” includes (i) any space between the elements, (ii) a portion of each element, and/or (iii) the boundaries of each element.
The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein is intended merely for clarification and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of any embodiments discussed herein.
Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member may be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements disclosed herein. One or more members of a group may be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all Markush groups used in the appended claims.
While different features or aspects of an embodiment may be described with respect to one or more features, a singular feature may comprise multiple elements, and multiple features may be combined into one element without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, although methods may be disclosed as comprising one or more operations, a single operation may comprise multiple steps, and multiple operations may be combined into one step without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may be implemented in a variety of embodiments, and the foregoing description of some of these embodiments does not necessarily represent a complete description of all possible embodiments. Instead, the description of the drawings, and the drawings themselves, disclose at least one embodiment, and may disclosure alternative embodiments.
As the rules of golf may change from time to time (e.g., new regulations may be adopted or old rules may be eliminated or modified by golf standard organizations and/or governing bodies such as the USGA, the R&A, etc.), golf equipment related to the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may be conforming or non-conforming to the rules of golf at any particular time. Accordingly, golf equipment related to the apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein may be advertised, offered for sale, and/or sold as conforming or non-conforming golf equipment. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.
Further, while the above examples may be described with respect to golf clubs, the apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture described herein may be applicable to other suitable types of sports equipment such as a fishing pole, a hockey stick, a ski pole, a tennis racket, etc.
Although certain example apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this disclosure is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this disclosure covers all apparatus, methods, and articles of articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.
The present disclosure may be subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the present disclosure and its related documents, as they appear in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all applicable copyrights. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/655,229, filed Jun. 3, 2024. This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/613,386, filed Mar. 22, 2024, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 18/442,782, filed Feb. 15, 2024, now U.S. Pat. No. 12,005,328, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 18/526,106, filed Dec. 1, 2023, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,938,385, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/461,491, filed Apr. 24, 2023. U.S. application Ser. No. 18/526,106, filed Dec. 1, 2023, is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/205,019, filed Jun. 2, 2023, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,833,398, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/115,222, filed Feb. 28, 2023, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,707,655, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/389,561, filed Jul. 15, 2022, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/443,494, filed Feb. 6, 2023. U.S. application Ser. No. 18/205,019, filed Jun. 2, 2023, is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/988,585, filed Nov. 16, 2022, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 17/841,893, filed Jun. 16, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,806,590, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 17/685,546, filed Mar. 3, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,400,352, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/276,981, filed Nov. 8, 2021. The disclosures of the above-referenced applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
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| Parent | 18613386 | Mar 2024 | US |
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| Parent | 18442782 | Feb 2024 | US |
| Child | 18613386 | US | |
| Parent | 17988585 | Nov 2022 | US |
| Child | 18205019 | US |
