# US 11,027,177 B2 · Golf club heads with energy storage characteristics

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- Number: US 11,027,177 B2
- Document ID: US11027177B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/435,054
- Filed: 2017-02-16
- Published: 2017-06-08
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2014-10-24
- Assignees: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
- Applicants: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
- Inventors: Martin R. Jertson; Eric J. Morales; Cory S. Bacon; Calvin Wang; Xiaojian Chen; Ryan M. Stokke; Travis D. Milleman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027177B2

## CPC

- A63B 53/0466: {wood-type}
- A63B 53/04: Heads
- A63B 53/0475: {with one or more enclosed cavities}
- A63B 60/52: with slits
- A63B 53/0408: {characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness}
- A63B 53/0412: {Volume}
- A63B 53/0433: {with special sole configurations}
- A63B 53/0437: {with special crown configurations}
- A63B 53/045: {Strengthening ribs}
- A63B 2053/0491: {with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable}
- A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H)

## Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads with energy storage characteristics are presented herein. In some embodiments, a golf club head comprises a hollow body comprising a strikeface, a heel region, a toe region opposite the heel region, a sole, a crown, and a cavity positioned behind the strikeface on at least one of the sole and the crown. In many embodiments, the cavity comprises a front surface, and a rear surface, wherein at least a portion of the front surface extends toward the strikeface of the club head.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A golf club head comprising:
a hollow body formed between a sole and a crown;
a strikeface extending between the sole and the crown and being operative to impact a golf ball;
a heel region;
a toe region opposite the heel region; and
wherein a ground reference plane is defined such that the ground reference plane is tangential to and in contact with at least a portion of the sole, and a front reference plane is defined such that the front reference plane is perpendicular to the ground reference plane and both tangential to and in contact with a forward most point of the strikeface; and
wherein the sole defines a cavity on an outer surface of the sole and behind the strikeface, the cavity extending inward from an outer profile of the sole, the cavity comprising:
a front edge coincident with the outer profile of the sole;
a rear edge coincident with the outer profile of the sole;
a front cavity surface extending from the front edge toward the strikeface;
a rear cavity surface extending from the rear edge toward the strikeface, the rear cavity surface connecting with the front cavity surface at an apex of the cavity; and
wherein, within a cross-sectional plane that is perpendicular to both the front reference plane and the ground reference plane:
the apex is a forward-most point of the cavity:
the apex is located between the front reference plane and the front edge:
the front edge is located between the front reference plane and the rear edge:
the front cavity surface tapers from a thicker portion to a comparatively thinner portion, the thicker portion being located between the comparatively thinner portion and the front edge;
the rear cavity surface has a height, measured relative to the ground reference plane, that decreases from the apex to the rear edge of the cavity; and
the rear surface has a curvature extending from the apex to the rear edge such that the rear surface is concave with respect to the cavity.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the volume of the club head is less than 60 cc.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the volume of the club head is between 40-60 cc.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the front edge of the cavity is offset from the strikeface by a distance less than or equal to 0.50 inch.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the front edge of the cavity is offset from the strikeface by a distance less than or equal to 0.10 inch.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the front edge of the cavity is offset from the strikeface by a constant distance.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the front edge of the cavity near a center of the strikeface is closer to the strikeface than the front edge of the cavity near at least one of the heel region and the toe region.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein, in the cross-sectional plane, the front surface of the cavity further includes:
a rearward most point positioned farthest from the strikeface and a forward most point positioned closest to the strikeface; and;
wherein an axis extending through the forward most point and the rearward most point intersects the strikeface at an angle between 5 and 85 degrees.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the front surface tapers from a thicker portion to a comparatively thinner portion, with the thicker portion being located between the comparatively thinner portion and the front edge.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein within the cross-sectional plane:
the front cavity surface forms a first acute angle with the rear cavity surface at the apex; and
the front cavity surface forms a second acute angle with the sole at the front edge.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:
a reference loft plane is defined such that the loft plane is tangential to and in contact with a geometric center of the strikeface;
a reference line is perpendicular to the loft plane and extends through the front edge; and
wherein, within the cross-sectional plane, the depth of the cavity, measured parallel to the loft plane and from the rear cavity surface to the reference line, is the greatest at the apex.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the apex is spaced from the front plane by a first distance, the front edge is spaced from the front plane by a second distance, and the ratio of the second distance to the first distance is greater than 1.0.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein, within the cross-sectional plane, the front cavity surface extends linearly from the front edge to the apex.