US 12,734,416 B2Granted

Golf club head

AssigneeTaylor Made Golf Company, Inc.

InventorsChristopher John Harbert, Joseph Reeve Nielson, Nathan T. Sargent, Christian Reber Wester

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Abstract

A golf club head includes a metal frame having a sole opening, a composite laminate crown joined to the frame, a composite laminate sole insert joined to the frame and overlying the sole opening, and a thermoplastic composite component overmolded on the sole insert. The composite component may include a weight track, ribs, supports or other features. A method of making the golf club includes the steps of forming a frame having a sole opening, forming a composite laminate sole insert, forming a composite laminate crown insert, injection molding a thermoplastic composite head component over the sole insert to create a sole insert unit, and joining the sole insert unit and crown insert to the frame.

Claims38

Dependent claims

A golf club head having a sole comprising a sole surface area, a crown, a striking face on a front portion, a hosel defining a hosel axis, a heel portion, a toe portion, and a rear portion opposite the striking face, the golf club head comprising:

a golf club head origin positioned at a geometric center of the striking face, the head origin at least partially defining a club head origin coordinate system, including three axes:
a z-axis extending through the head origin in a generally vertical direction relative to a ground plane when the club head is at a normal address position;
an x-axis extending through the head origin in a toe-to-heel direction generally parallel to the striking face and generally perpendicular to the z-axis;
and
a y-axis extending through the head origin in a front-to-rear direction and generally perpendicular to the x-axis and to the z-axis;
a golf club head center of gravity (CG) positioned at a distance (Delta 1) rearward of the hosel axis, as measured along the y-axis, the CG forming a second origin, of a CG coordinate system including three axes:
a CG z-axis extending through the CG in a generally vertical direction relative to the ground plane when the club head is at the normal address position;
a CG x-axis extending through the CG in a toe-to-heel direction generally parallel to the striking face, and generally perpendicular to the CG z-axis;
and
a CG y-axis extending through the CG in a front-to-rear direction and generally perpendicular to the CG x-axis and to the CG z-axis;
a moment of inertia, including:
a moment of inertia about the CG z-axis (“Izz”);
a moment of inertia about the CG z-axis (“Ixx”);
and
a moment of inertia about the CG y-axis (“Iyy”);
a frame having a hollow interior, wherein the frame is made at least in part of a metal alloy, and comprises a sole opening positioned within at least a lower portion of the frame and extending from a lower heel area across a lower central area to a lower toe area;
a first weight secured to the lower portion of the frame proximate a rear portion of the frame;
a sole insert made of a composite material and joined to the frame to cover the sole opening;
and
the lower portion of the frame includes a heel-side shaft connection port including a fastener opening for connecting a flight control technology (FCT) component comprising a sleeve secured by a fastening member in a locked position, the FCT component configured to allow the golf club head to be adjustably attachable to a golf club shaft in a plurality of different positions resulting in different combinations of loft angle, face angle, and/or lie angle;
and
wherein:
Ixx is within a range of approximately 342 kg*mm2 to 409 kg*mm2;
and
when the club head is in a normal address position, in at least one vertical cross-section extending through the golf club head parallel to the y-axis, at least a portion of the first weight is positioned rearward of the sole opening.

22 more elements

a golf club head origin positioned at a geometric center of the striking face, the head origin at least partially defining a club head origin coordinate system, including three axes:
a z-axis extending through the head origin in a generally vertical direction relative to a ground plane when the club head is at a normal address position;
an x-axis extending through the head origin in a toe-to-heel direction generally parallel to the striking face and generally perpendicular to the z-axis;
and
a y-axis extending through the head origin in a front-to-rear direction and generally perpendicular to the x-axis and to the z-axis;
a golf club head center of gravity (CG) positioned at a distance (Delta 1) rearward of the hosel axis, as measured along the y-axis, the CG forming a second origin, of a CG coordinate system including three axes:
a CG z-axis extending through the CG in a generally vertical direction relative to the ground plane when the club head is at the normal address position;
a CG x-axis extending through the CG in a toe-to-heel direction generally parallel to the striking face, and generally perpendicular to the CG z-axis;
and
a CG y-axis extending through the CG in a front-to-rear direction and generally perpendicular to the CG x-axis and to the CG z-axis;
a moment of inertia, including:
a moment of inertia about the CG z-axis (“Izz”);
a moment of inertia about the CG z-axis (“Ixx”);
and
a moment of inertia about the CG y-axis (“Iyy”);
a frame having a hollow interior, wherein the frame is made at least in part of a metal alloy, and comprises a sole opening positioned within at least a lower portion of the frame and extending from a lower heel area across a lower central area to a lower toe area;
a first weight secured to the lower portion of the frame proximate a rear portion of the frame;
a crown opening positioned within at least an upper portion of the frame and extending from an upper heel area across an upper central area to an upper toe area;
a crown insert made of a composite material and joined to the frame to cover the crown opening;
a sole insert made of a composite material and joined to the frame to cover the sole opening;
and
the lower portion of the frame includes a heel-side shaft connection port including a fastener opening for connecting a flight control technology (FCT) component comprising a sleeve secured by a fastening member in a locked position, the FCT component configured to allow the golf club head to be adjustably attachable to a golf club shaft in a plurality of different positions resulting in different combinations of loft angle, face angle, and/or lie angle;
and
wherein:
when the club head is in a normal address position, in at least one vertical cross-section extending through the golf club head parallel to the y-axis, at least a portion of the first weight is positioned rearward of the sole opening;
and
in the at least one vertical cross-section, at least a portion of the first weight is positioned rearward of the crown opening.

24 more elements

a golf club head origin positioned at a geometric center of the striking face, the head origin at least partially defining a club head origin coordinate system, including three axes:
a z-axis extending through the head origin in a generally vertical direction relative to a ground plane when the club head is at a normal address position;
an x-axis extending through the head origin in a toe-to-heel direction generally parallel to the striking face and generally perpendicular to the z-axis;
and
a y-axis extending through the head origin in a front-to-rear direction and generally perpendicular to the x-axis and to the z-axis;
a golf club head center of gravity (CG) positioned at a distance (Delta 1) rearward of the hosel axis, as measured along the y-axis, the CG forming a second origin, of a CG coordinate system including three axes:
a CG z-axis extending through the CG in a generally vertical direction relative to the ground plane when the club head is at the normal address position;
a CG x-axis extending through the CG in a toe-to-heel direction generally parallel to the striking face, and generally perpendicular to the CG z-axis;
and
a CG y-axis extending through the CG in a front-to-rear direction and generally perpendicular to the CG x-axis and to the CG z-axis;
a moment of inertia, including:
a moment of inertia about the CG z-axis (“Izz”);
a moment of inertia about the CG z-axis (“Ixx”);
and
a moment of inertia about the CG y-axis (“Iyy”);
a frame having a hollow interior, wherein the frame is made at least in part of a metal alloy, and comprises a sole opening positioned within at least a lower portion of the frame and extending from a lower heel area across a lower central area to a lower toe area;
a first weight secured to the lower portion of the frame proximate a rear portion of the frame;
a sole insert made of a composite material and joined to the frame to cover the sole opening;
and
the lower portion of the frame includes a heel-side shaft connection port including a fastener opening for connecting a flight control technology (FCT) component comprising a sleeve secured by a fastening member in a locked position, the FCT component configured to allow the golf club head to be adjustably attachable to a golf club shaft in a plurality of different positions resulting in different combinations of loft angle, face angle, and/or lie angle;
and
wherein:
Ixx is within a range of approximately 274 kg*mm2 to 409 kg*mm2;
and
when the club head is in a normal address position, in at least one vertical cross-section extending through the golf club head parallel to the y-axis, at least a portion of the first weight is positioned rearward of the sole opening.

22 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/436,878Filed 8 Feb 2024 · continuation
Priority: 14 Aug 2015
Published: US 2024/0261643 A18 Aug 2024
Granted: 15 Sep 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

A63B 53/0466
Heads: wood-type
A63B 60/00
Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
A63B 53/023
Allowing adjustable positioning of the head with respect to the shaft: adjustable angular orientation
A63B 53/027
Adjustable angular orientation: about the longitudinal axis of the shaft only

Family

Application62/205,601Us provisional application · filed 14 Aug 2015
Application15/087,002Parent of this continuation · filed 31 Mar 2016
Application15/254,999Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Sep 2016
US 9,914,027 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Mar 2018
Application16/058,845Parent of this continuation · filed 8 Aug 2018
US 10,076,688 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 18 Sep 2018
Application16/874,428Parent of this continuation · filed 14 May 2020
US 10,688,352 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Jun 2020
Application17/494,416Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Oct 2021
US 11,167,183 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 9 Nov 2021
US 2024/0261643 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Aug 2024
US 11,931,631 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2019/0022480 A1Published application
US 2020/0324177 A1Published application
US 2022/0088446 A1Published application
US 12,734,416 B2This patent

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