# US 10,500,451 B2 · Aerodynamic golf club head > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,500,451 B2 - Document ID: US10500451B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/105,001 - Filed: 2018-08-20 - Published: 2019-01-03 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2008-07-15 - Assignees: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. - Applicants: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. - Inventors: Michael Scott Burnett; Jeffrey J. Albertsen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500451B2 ## CPC - A63B 53/0466: {wood-type} - A63B 53/0408: {characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness} - A63B 53/0412: {Volume} - A63B 53/0437: {with special crown configurations} - A63B 60/006: {Surfaces specially adapted for reducing air resistance} - A63B 2225/01: Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) ## Abstract An aerodynamic golf club head having a crown section that imparts beneficial aerodynamic properties due in part to the location of a crown apex and the curvature of the crown section. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) comprising: A) a hollow body (110) having a club head volume of at least 400 cc, a face (200), a sole section (300), a crown section (400), a front (112), a back (114), a heel (116), a toe (118), and a center of gravity (CG), wherein the hollow body (110) has a front-to-back dimension (FB) of at least 4.4 inches; B) the face (200) having a top edge (210) and a lower edge (220), wherein a top edge height (TEH) is the elevation of the top edge (210) above the ground plane (GP), and a lower edge height (LEH) is the elevation of the lower edge (220) above the ground plane (GP), wherein a maximum top edge height (TEH) is at least 2 inches; C) the crown section (400) having a crown apex (410) located an apex height (AH) above a ground plane (GP), wherein: (i) within a front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex (410) and perpendicular to a vertical plane created by a shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the face (200) has an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f); (ii) within a heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex (410) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section (400), above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH), has a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) that is less than 4 inches at the crown apex (410); and (iii) within the front-to-back vertical section a portion of the crown section (400), above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH), between the crown apex (410) and the back (114) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) that is less than the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) at the crown apex (410); (iv) a portion of the crown section (400) has a density less than a portion of the sole section (300); (v) the crown apex (410) is behind the forwardmost point on the face (200) a distance that is a crown apex setback dimension (412), and the crown apex setback dimension (412) is less than a distance that is parallel to the crown apex setback dimension (412) and is measured from a vertical projection of the center of gravity (CG) on the ground plane (GP) to a vertical projection of the forwardmost point on the face (200) on the ground plane (GP); and D) the high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) has a moment of inertia (MOIx) about a horizontal axis through the center of gravity (CG) that is at least 2000 g*cm2. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 1, wherein a portion of the crown section (400) includes nonmetallic material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 2, wherein the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) is less than 4 inches on a portion of the nonmetallic material crown section (400) located above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH). ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 3, wherein less than 10% of the club head volume is above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH). ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 3, wherein the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) of a portion of the crown section (400) above the top edge height (TEH) is less than 3.75 inches. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 3, wherein the crown apex setback dimension (412) is less than 1.75 inches. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 3, wherein within the heel-to-toe vertical section, the heel to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) of a portion of the crown section (400), above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH), is less than 3.85 inches. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 3, wherein within the heel-to-toe vertical section, the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) is less than 4 inches for all of the crown section (400) located above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH) from the crown apex (410) to a most heelward point on the face (200). ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 3, wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) at the crown apex (410) is less than 3 inches. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 9, wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) at the crown apex (410) is less than 2.85 inches. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 3, wherein the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) at the crown apex (410) is less than the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) at the crown apex (410), and the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) at the crown apex (410) is less than the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) at the crown apex (410). ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 3, wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex (410) is at least 25% less than the greatest apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH). ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 3, wherein an apex ratio of the apex height (AH) to the maximum top edge height (TEH) is at least 1.13. ### Claim 14 A high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) comprising: A) a hollow body (110) having a club head volume of at least 400 cc, a face (200), a sole section (300), a crown section (400), a front (112), a back (114), a heel (116), and a toe (118), wherein the hollow body (110) has a front-to-back dimension (FB) of at least 4.4 inches; B) the face (200) having a top edge (210) and a lower edge (220), wherein a top edge height (TEH) is the elevation of the top edge (210) above the ground plane (GP), and a lower edge height (LEH) is the elevation of the lower edge (220) above the ground plane (GP), wherein a maximum top edge height (TEH) is at least 2 inches; and C) the crown section (400) having a crown apex (410) located an apex height (AH) above a ground plane (GP), wherein: (i) within a front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex (410) and perpendicular to a vertical plane created by a shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the face (200) has an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f); (ii) within a heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex (410) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section (400), above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH), has a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t), wherein the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) is less than 4 inches on a portion of the crown section (400) located above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH); (iii) within the front-to-back vertical section a portion of the crown section (400), above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH), between the crown apex (410) and the back (114) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) that is less than the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) at the crown apex (410); and (iv) wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) at the crown apex (410) is less than 3 inches and at least 25% less than the greatest apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) located above the top edge height (TEH). ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 14, wherein the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) at the crown apex (410) is less than the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) at the crown apex (410), and the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) at the crown apex (410) is less than the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) at the crown apex (410). ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 14, wherein the crown apex (410) is behind the forwardmost point on the face (200) a distance that is a crown apex setback dimension (412), the crown apex setback dimension (412) is less than 1.75 inches, and the high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) has a moment of inertia (MOIx) about a horizontal axis through the center of gravity (CG) that is at least 2000 g*cm2. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 16, wherein an apex ratio of the apex height (AH) to the maximum top edge height (TEH) is at least 1.13. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 17, wherein the apex ratio is at least 1.2. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The aerodynamic golf club head (100) of claim 14, wherein a portion of the crown section (400) includes nonmetallic material. ### Claim 20 A high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) comprising: A) a hollow body (110) having a club head volume of at least 400 cc, a face (200), a sole section (300), a crown section (400), a front (112), a back (114), a heel (116), a toe (118), and a center of gravity (CG), wherein the hollow body (110) has a front-to-back dimension (FB) of at least 4.4 inches; B) the face (200) having a top edge (210) and a lower edge (220), wherein a top edge height (TEH) is the elevation of the top edge (210) above the ground plane (GP), and a lower edge height (LEH) is the elevation of the lower edge (220) above the ground plane (GP), wherein a maximum top edge height (TEH) is at least 2 inches, and less than 10% of the club head volume is above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH); and C) the crown section (400) having a crown apex (410) located an apex height (AH) above a ground plane (GP), and the crown apex (410) is behind the forwardmost point on the face (200) a distance that is a crown apex setback dimension (412), and the crown apex setback dimension (412) is less than 1.75 inches, wherein: (i) within a front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex (410) and perpendicular to a vertical plane created by a shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the face (200) has an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f); (ii) within a heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex (410) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section (400), above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH), has a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t), wherein the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) is less than 4 inches on a portion of the crown section (400) located above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH); and (iii) within the front-to-back vertical section a portion of the crown section (400), above the elevation of the maximum top edge height (TEH), between the crown apex (410) and the back (114) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) that is less than the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) at the crown apex (410); (iv) wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) at the crown apex (410) is less than the greatest apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) located above the top edge height (TEH), and the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) at the crown apex (410) is less than the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) at the crown apex (410); (v) the crown apex (410) is behind the forwardmost point on the face (200) a distance that is a crown apex setback dimension (412), and the crown apex setback dimension (412) is less than a distance that is parallel to the crown apex setback dimension (412) and is measured from a vertical projection of the center of gravity (CG) on the ground plane (GP) to a vertical projection of the forwardmost point on the face (200) on the ground plane (GP); and (vi) a portion of the crown section (400) is formed of nonmetallic material, and the nonmetallic portion of the crown section (400) includes the crown apex (410).