US 10,300,350 B2Granted

Golf club having sole stress reducing feature

AssigneeTaylor Made Golf Company, Inc.

InventorsJeffrey J. Albertsen, Michael Scott Burnett

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

A golf club incorporating a club head having a stress reducing feature located at least partially on the sole.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A golf club, comprising:

a shaft (200) having a proximal end (210) and a distal end (220);
a grip (300) attached to the shaft proximal end (210);
and
a golf club head (400) attached to the shaft distal end (220), wherein the golf club head (400) includes:
(i) a face (500) positioned at a front portion (402) of the golf club head (400) where the golf club head (400) impacts a golf ball, opposite a rear portion (404) of the golf club head (400), wherein the face (400) includes an engineered impact point (EIP), a top edge height (TEH), a lower edge height (LEH), a face thickness (530) that varies from a minimum thickness of at least 0.050″ to a maximum thickness that is at least 25% greater than the minimum thickness, the face (500) has a loft of at least 12 degrees and no more than 30 degrees, a face height between a maximum top edge height (TEH) and a minimum lower edge (LEH) is less than 1.50″, and the face (500) has a characteristic time of at least 220 microseconds;
(ii) a sole (700) positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head (400);
(iii) a crown (600) positioned at a top portion of the golf club head (400);
(iv) a bore having a center that defines a shaft axis (SA) which intersects with a horizontal ground plane (GP) to define an origin point, wherein the bore is located at a heel side (406) of the golf club head (400), and wherein a toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) is located opposite of the heel side (406);
(v) a center of gravity (CG) located:
(a) vertically toward the crown (600) of the golf club head (400) from the origin point a distance Ycg that is less than 0.65″;
(b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) a distance Xcg that is generally parallel to the face (500) and the ground plane (GP);
and
(c) a distance Zcg from the origin toward the rear portion (404) in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg;
(vi) wherein the face (500) has a blade length (BL) measured horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) to the most distant point on the golf club head (400) in this direction, wherein the blade length (BL) includes a toe blade length section (Bbl) and a heel blade length section (Abl) measured in the same direction as the blade length (BL) from the origin point to the engineered impact point (EIP);
(vii) a stress reducing feature (1000) including a sole located SRF (1300) located at least partially on the sole (700), wherein the sole located SRF (1300) has a SSRF length (1310) between a SSRF toe-most point (1312) and a SSRF heel-most point (1316), a SSRF leading edge (1320) having a SSRF leading edge offset (1322), a SSRF trailing edge (1330), a SSRF width (1340), and a SSRF depth (1350, wherein the sole located SRF (1300) has at least one of (a) a portion of the SSRF width (1340) is at least ten percent of the Zcg distance, and (b) a portion of the SSRF depth (1350) is at least ten percent of the Ycg distance;
and
(viii) a head volume is less than 300 cubic centimeters.

14 more elements

A golf club, comprising:

a shaft (200) having a proximal end (210) and a distal end (220);
a grip (300) attached to the shaft proximal end (210);
and
a golf club head (400) attached to the shaft distal end (220), wherein the golf club head (400) includes:
(i) a face (500) positioned at a front portion (402) of the golf club head (400) where the golf club head (400) impacts a golf ball, opposite a rear portion (404) of the golf club head (400), wherein the face (400) includes an engineered impact point (EIP), a top edge height (TEH) with a maximum top edge height (TEH) of 1.1-2.1″, a lower edge height (LEH), the face (500) has a loft of at least 12 degrees and no more than 30 degrees, and the face (500) has a characteristic time of at least 220 microseconds;
(ii) a sole (700) positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head (400);
(iii) a crown (600) positioned at a top portion of the golf club head (400) with at least a portion of the crown (600) made of non-metallic composite material;
(iv) a bore having a center that defines a shaft axis (SA) which intersects with a horizontal ground plane (GP) to define an origin point, wherein the bore is located at a heel side (406) of the golf club head (400), and wherein a toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) is located opposite of the heel side (406);
(v) a center of gravity (CG) located:
(a) vertically toward the crown (600) of the golf club head (400) from the origin point a distance Ycg that is less than 0.65″;
(b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) a distance Xcg that is generally parallel to the face (500) and the ground plane (GP);
and
(c) a distance Zcg from the origin toward the rear portion (404) in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg;
(vi) wherein the face (500) has a blade length (BL) measured horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) to the most distant point on the golf club head (400) in this direction, wherein the blade length (BL) includes a toe blade length section (Bbl) and a heel blade length section (Abl) measured in the same direction as the blade length (BL) from the origin point to the engineered impact point (EIP);
(vii) a stress reducing feature (1000) including a sole located SRF (1300) located at least partially on the sole (700), wherein the sole located SRF (1300) has a SSRF length (1310) between a SSRF toe-most point (1312) and a SSRF heel-most point (1316) that is at least as great as the heel blade length section (Abl), a SSRF leading edge (1320) having a SSRF leading edge offset (1322), a SSRF trailing edge (1330), a SSRF width (1340), and a SSRF depth (1350, wherein the sole located SRF (1300) has at least one of (a) a portion of the SSRF width (1340) is at least ten percent of the Zcg distance, and (b) a portion of the SSRF depth (1350) is at least ten percent of the Ycg distance;
and
(viii) a head volume is less than 200 cubic centimeters;
and
(ix) a portion of the golf club head (400) has a density of less than 5 g/cc.

16 more elements

A golf club, comprising:

a shaft (200) having a proximal end (210) and a distal end (220);
a grip (300) attached to the shaft proximal end (210);
and
a golf club head (400) attached to the shaft distal end (220), wherein the golf club head (400) includes:
(i) a face (500) positioned at a front portion (402) of the golf club head (400) where the golf club head (400) impacts a golf ball, opposite a rear portion (404) of the golf club head (400), wherein the face (400) includes an engineered impact point (EIP), a top edge height (TEH), a lower edge height (LEH), the face (500) has a loft of at least 12 degrees and no more than 30 degrees, a face height between a maximum top edge height (TEH) and a minimum lower edge (LEH) is less than 1.50″, and the maximum top edge height (TEH) is 1.1-2.1″;
(ii) a sole (700) positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head (400);
(iii) a crown (600) positioned at a top portion of the golf club head (400);
(iv) a bore having a center that defines a shaft axis (SA) which intersects with a horizontal ground plane (GP) to define an origin point, wherein the bore is located at a heel side (406) of the golf club head (400), and wherein a toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) is located opposite of the heel side (406);
(v) a center of gravity (CG) located:
(a) vertically toward the crown (600) of the golf club head (400) from the origin point a distance Ycg that is less than 0.65″;
(b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) a distance Xcg that is generally parallel to the face (500) and the ground plane (GP);
and
(c) a distance Zcg from the origin toward the rear portion (404) in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg;
(vi) wherein the face (500) has a blade length (BL) measured horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) to the most distant point on the golf club head (400) in this direction, wherein the blade length (BL) includes a toe blade length section (Bbl) and a heel blade length section (Abl) measured in the same direction as the blade length (BL) from the origin point to the engineered impact point (EIP);
(vii) a stress reducing feature (1000) including a sole located SRF (1300) located at least partially on the sole (700), wherein the sole located SRF (1300) has a SSRF length (1310) between a SSRF toe-most point (1312) and a SSRF heel-most point (1316) that is at least as great as the heel blade length section (Abl), a SSRF leading edge (1320) having a SSRF leading edge offset (1322), a SSRF trailing edge (1330), a SSRF width (1340), and a SSRF depth (1350, wherein the sole located SRF (1300) has at least one of (a) a portion of the SSRF width (1340) is at least ten percent of the Zcg distance, and (b) a portion of the SSRF depth (1350) is at least ten percent of the Ycg distance;
and
(viii) the face (500) has a characteristic time of at least 220 microseconds;
(ix) a club moment arm (CMA) from the center of gravity (CG) to the engineered impact point (EIP) is less than 1.10″;
and
(x) a portion of the golf club head (400) has a density of less than 5 g/cc.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/955,775Filed 18 Apr 2018 · continuation
Priority: 1 Jun 2010
Published: US 2018/0236317 A123 Aug 2018
Granted: 28 May 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

A63B 53/0466
Heads: wood-type
A63B 53/04
Golf clubs: heads
A63B 53/047
Heads: iron-type
A63B 60/00
Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Family

Application12/791,025Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Jun 2010
Application13/324,093Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Dec 2011
Application13/543,921Parent of this continuation · filed 9 Jul 2012
US 8,235,844 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Aug 2012
US 8,241,143 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Aug 2012
Application13/949,586Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Jul 2013
US 8,517,860 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Aug 2013
Application14/256,005Parent of this continuation · filed 18 Apr 2014
US 8,721,471 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 13 May 2014
Application14/873,477Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Oct 2015
US 9,168,428 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Oct 2015
Application15/389,505Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Dec 2016
US 9,566,479 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Feb 2017
US 2018/0236317 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Aug 2018
US 9,950,222 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2011/0294599 A1Published application
US 2012/0083363 A1Published application
US 2012/0277029 A1Published application
US 2013/0310194 A1Published application
US 2014/0228153 A1Published application
US 2016/0023065 A1Published application
US 2017/0106254 A1Published application
US 10,300,350 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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Citations

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A golf club, comprising:

a shaft (200) having a proximal end (210) and a distal end (220);
a grip (300) attached to the shaft proximal end (210);
and
a golf club head (400) attached to the shaft distal end (220), wherein the golf club head (400) includes:
(i) a face (500) positioned at a front portion (402) of the golf club head (400) where the golf club head (400) impacts a golf ball, opposite a rear portion (404) of the golf club head (400), wherein the face (400) includes an engineered impact point (EIP), a top edge height (TEH), a lower edge height (LEH), a face thickness (530) that varies from a minimum thickness of at least 0.050″ to a maximum thickness that is at least 25% greater than the minimum thickness, the face (500) has a loft of at least 12 degrees and no more than 30 degrees, a face height between a maximum top edge height (TEH) and a minimum lower edge (LEH) is less than 1.50″, and the face (500) has a characteristic time of at least 220 microseconds;
(ii) a sole (700) positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head (400);
(iii) a crown (600) positioned at a top portion of the golf club head (400);
(iv) a bore having a center that defines a shaft axis (SA) which intersects with a horizontal ground plane (GP) to define an origin point, wherein the bore is located at a heel side (406) of the golf club head (400), and wherein a toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) is located opposite of the heel side (406);
(v) a center of gravity (CG) located:
(a) vertically toward the crown (600) of the golf club head (400) from the origin point a distance Ycg that is less than 0.65″;
(b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) a distance Xcg that is generally parallel to the face (500) and the ground plane (GP);
and
(c) a distance Zcg from the origin toward the rear portion (404) in a direction generally orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and generally orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg;
(vi) wherein the face (500) has a blade length (BL) measured horizontally from the origin point toward the toe side (408) of the golf club head (400) to the most distant point on the golf club head (400) in this direction, wherein the blade length (BL) includes a toe blade length section (Bbl) and a heel blade length section (Abl) measured in the same direction as the blade length (BL) from the origin point to the engineered impact point (EIP);
(vii) a stress reducing feature (1000) including a sole located SRF (1300) located at least partially on the sole (700), wherein the sole located SRF (1300) has a SSRF length (1310) between a SSRF toe-most point (1312) and a SSRF heel-most point (1316), a SSRF leading edge (1320) having a SSRF leading edge offset (1322), a SSRF trailing edge (1330), a SSRF width (1340), and a SSRF depth (1350, wherein the sole located SRF (1300) has at least one of (a) a portion of the SSRF width (1340) is at least ten percent of the Zcg distance, and (b) a portion of the SSRF depth (1350) is at least ten percent of the Ycg distance;
and
(viii) a head volume is less than 300 cubic centimeters.

14 more elements

Facts

Application

15/955,775Filed 18 Apr 2018 · continuation

Priority

1 Jun 2010

Published

US 2018/0236317 A123 Aug 2018

Granted

28 May 2019

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

A63B 53/0466
Heads: wood-type
A63B 53/04
Golf clubs: heads
A63B 53/047
Heads: iron-type
A63B 60/00
Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Family

Application12/791,025Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Jun 2010

Application13/324,093Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Dec 2011

Application13/543,921Parent of this continuation · filed 9 Jul 2012

US 8,235,844 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Aug 2012

US 8,241,143 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Aug 2012

Application13/949,586Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Jul 2013

US 8,517,860 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Aug 2013

Application14/256,005Parent of this continuation · filed 18 Apr 2014

US 8,721,471 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 13 May 2014

Application14/873,477Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Oct 2015

US 9,168,428 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Oct 2015

Application15/389,505Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Dec 2016

US 9,566,479 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Feb 2017

US 2018/0236317 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Aug 2018

US 9,950,222 B2Parent of this continuation

US 2011/0294599 A1Published application

US 2012/0083363 A1Published application

US 2012/0277029 A1Published application

US 2013/0310194 A1Published application

US 2014/0228153 A1Published application

US 2016/0023065 A1Published application

US 2017/0106254 A1Published application

US 10,300,350 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.