# US 10,870,042 B2 · Iron type 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 10,870,042 B2 - Document ID: US10870042B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/788,133 - Filed: 2020-02-11 - Published: 2020-07-02 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2012-06-08 - Assignees: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. - Applicants: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. - Inventors: Bret H. Wahl; Scott Taylor; Peter L. Larsen; Joshua J. Dipert - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870042B2 ## CPC - A63B 53/047: {iron-type} - A63B 53/0475: {with one or more enclosed cavities} - A63B 60/00: Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like - A63B 60/52: with slits - A63B 53/005: {Club sets} - A63B 53/0408: {characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness} - A63B 53/0412: {Volume} - A63B 53/0433: {with special sole configurations} - A63B 53/0462: {characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate} - A63B 60/50: with through-holes (A63B60/18 takes precedence; for stringing purposes A63B49/00) - A63B 60/54: with means for damping vibrations - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) ## Abstract Iron-type golf club heads are disclosed having a heel portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, a front portion, a rear portion, and a striking face. The iron-type golf club heads include a flexible boundary structure (“FBS”) that is provided at one or more locations on the club head. The flexible boundary structure may comprise, in several embodiments, a slot, a channel, a gap, a thinned or weakened region, or other structure that enhances the capability of an adjacent or related portion of the golf club head to flex or deflect and to thereby provide a desired improvement in the performance of the golf club head. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A clubhead for an iron-type golf club, comprising: an iron-type body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, a face portion having a variable face thickness varying from a minimum face thickness to a maximum face thickness, and a sole portion extending rearwardly from a lower end of said face portion, wherein: the face portion includes an ideal striking location that defines the origin of a coordinate system in which an x-axis is tangential to the face portion at the ideal striking location and is parallel to a ground plane when the body is in a normal address position, a y-axis extends perpendicular to the x-axis and is also parallel to the ground plane, and a z-axis extends perpendicular to the ground plane, wherein a positive x-axis extends toward the heel portion from the origin, a positive y-axis extends rearwardly from the origin, and a positive z-axis extends upwardly from the origin; the face portion defines a striking face plane that intersects the ground plane along a face projection line; the body includes a central region which extends along the x-axis from a location greater than about −25 mm to a location less than about 25 mm; the sole portion contained within the central region includes a thinned forward sole region located adjacent to the face portion and within a distance of 17 mm measured horizontally in the direction of the y-axis from the face projection line, and a thickened rearward sole region located behind the thinned forward sole region, with the thinned forward sole region defining a wall having a minimum forward sole thickness TFS and the thickened rearward sole region having a maximum sole bar thickness TSB; at least one vertical section within the central region and parallel to the y-axis has (a) the minimum forward sole thickness TFS no more than 3.0 mm and less than the maximum face thickness, (b) the maximum sole bar thickness TSB at least 7.0 mm, and (c) a ratio of the minimum forward sole thickness TFS to the maximum sole bar thickness TSB is 0.04-0.50; the thickened rearward sole region has an overhang member projecting toward the face portion, without touching the face portion, and overhanging a portion of the thinned forward sole region, thereby creating a recess under the overhang member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The clubhead of claim 1, wherein an elastomeric material at least partially fills the recess and the elastomeric material is an injected cure-in-place material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The clubhead of claim 2, wherein the elastomeric material contacts a portion of a rear surface of the face portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The clubhead of claim 3, wherein each vertical section within the central region and parallel to the y-axis has (a) the minimum forward sole thickness TFS no more than 3.0 mm and less than the maximum face thickness, (b) the maximum sole bar thickness TSB at least 7.0 mm, and (c) the ratio of the minimum forward sole thickness TFS to the maximum sole bar thickness TSB is 0.04-0.50. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The clubhead of claim 3, wherein the elastomeric material contains an inorganic filler material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The clubhead of claim 3, wherein the elastomeric material is a urethane. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The clubhead of claim 3, wherein the elastomeric material contains a filler material with a particle size between about 2 μm and about 90 μm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The clubhead of claim 3, wherein the clubhead is a cavity back iron and the cavity contains a badge attached to a rear surface of the face portion and extending over a portion of the thickened rearward sole region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The clubhead of claim 3, wherein the elastomeric material has a density between about 0.03 g/cc and about 0.19 g/cc, a modulus of elasticity ranging from about 0.001 GPa to about 25 GPa, and a durometer ranging from about 5 to about 95 on a Shore D scale. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The clubhead of claim 3, wherein at least one vertical section within the central region and parallel to the y-axis has (a) the minimum forward sole thickness TFS no more than 2.5 mm, and (b) the ratio of the minimum forward sole thickness TFS to the maximum sole bar thickness TSB of 0.06-0.35. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The clubhead of claim 10, wherein the minimum face thickness is no more than about 2.0 mm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The clubhead of claim 10, wherein each vertical section within the central region and parallel to the y-axis has (a) the minimum forward sole thickness TFS no more than 2.5 mm, and (b) the ratio of the minimum forward sole thickness TFS to the maximum sole bar thickness TSB of 0.06-0.35. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The clubhead of claim 10, wherein the face portion is composed of a face material that is different from the remainder of the body and wherein the face portion and the body portion are joined by welding. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The clubhead of claim 10, wherein a portion of the elastomeric material contacts both the rear surface of the face portion and the overhang member. ### Claim 15 A clubhead for an iron-type golf club, comprising: an iron-type body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, a face portion having a variable face thickness varying from a minimum face thickness, of no more than 2.0 mm, to a maximum face thickness, and a sole portion extending rearwardly from a lower end of said face portion, wherein: the face portion includes an ideal striking location that defines the origin of a coordinate system in which an x-axis is tangential to the face portion at the ideal striking location and is parallel to a ground plane when the body is in a normal address position, a y-axis extends perpendicular to the x-axis and is also parallel to the ground plane, and a z-axis extends perpendicular to the ground plane, wherein a positive x-axis extends toward the heel portion from the origin, a positive y-axis extends rearwardly from the origin, and a positive z-axis extends upwardly from the origin; the face portion defines a striking face plane that intersects the ground plane along a face projection line; the body includes a central region which extends along the x-axis from a location greater than about −25 mm to a location less than about 25 mm; the sole portion contained within the central region includes a thinned forward sole region located adjacent to the face portion and within a distance of 17 mm measured horizontally in the direction of the y-axis from the face projection line, and a thickened rearward sole region located behind the thinned forward sole region, with the thinned forward sole region defining a wall having a minimum forward sole thickness TFS and the thickened rearward sole region having a maximum sole bar thickness TSB; at least one vertical section within the central region and parallel to the y-axis has (a) the minimum forward sole thickness TFS no more than 2.5 mm and less than the maximum face thickness, (b) the maximum sole bar thickness TSB at least 7.0 mm, and (c) a ratio of the minimum forward sole thickness TFS to the maximum sole bar thickness TSB is 0.04-0.35; the thickened rearward sole region has an overhang member projecting toward the face portion, without touching the face portion, and overhanging a portion of the thinned forward sole region, thereby creating a recess under the overhang member. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The clubhead of claim 15, wherein the face portion is composed of a face material that is different from the remainder of the body and wherein the face portion and the body portion are joined by welding. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The clubhead of claim 15, wherein an elastomeric material (a) at least partially fills the recess and contacts a portion of a rear surface of the face portion, and (b) contacts both the rear surface of the face portion and the overhang member. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The clubhead of claim 15, wherein an elastomeric material at least partially fills the recess and the elastomeric material contains an inorganic filler material with a particle size between about 2 μm and about 90 μm. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The clubhead of claim 15, wherein the clubhead is a cavity back iron and the cavity contains a badge attached to a rear surface of the face portion and extending over a portion of the thickened rearward sole region. ### Claim 20 A clubhead for an iron-type golf club, comprising: an iron-type body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, a face portion having a variable face thickness varying from a minimum face thickness to a maximum face thickness, and a sole portion extending rearwardly from a lower end of said face portion, wherein: the face portion includes an ideal striking location that defines the origin of a coordinate system in which an x-axis is tangential to the face portion at the ideal striking location and is parallel to a ground plane when the body is in a normal address position, a y-axis extends perpendicular to the x-axis and is also parallel to the ground plane, and a z-axis extends perpendicular to the ground plane, wherein a positive x-axis extends toward the heel portion from the origin, a positive y-axis extends rearwardly from the origin, and a positive z-axis extends upwardly from the origin; the face portion defines a striking face plane that intersects the ground plane along a face projection line; the body includes a central region which extends along the x-axis from a location greater than about −25 mm to a location less than about 25 mm; the sole portion contained within the central region includes a thinned forward sole region located adjacent to the face portion and within a distance of 17 mm measured horizontally in the direction of the y-axis from the face projection line, and a thickened rearward sole region located behind the thinned forward sole region, with the thinned forward sole region defining a wall having a minimum forward sole thickness TFS and the thickened rearward sole region having a maximum sole bar thickness TSB; at least one vertical section within the central region and parallel to the y-axis has (a) the minimum forward sole thickness TFS no more than 3.0 mm and less than the maximum face thickness, (b) the maximum sole bar thickness TSB at least 7.0 mm, and (c) a ratio of the minimum forward sole thickness TFS to the maximum sole bar thickness TSB is 0.04-0.50; the thickened rearward sole region has an overhang member projecting toward the face portion, without touching the face portion, and overhanging a portion of the thinned forward sole region.