Back to results
US 2012/0071267 A1Published application
High volume aerodynamic golf club head
OwnerMichael Scott Burnett, Jeffrey J. Albertseninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high volume aerodynamic golf club head with a club head volume of at least 400 cc and a front-to-back dimension of at least 4.4 inches producing reduced aerodynamic drag forces. The club head has a crown section having a crown apex located an apex height above a ground plane, wherein a portion of the crown section between the crown apex and the face has an apex-to-front radius of curvature that is less than 3 inches. The apex height and location of the crown apex obtain desirable airflow reattachment close to the face and improve airflow attachment to the crown section.
Claims20
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 and a heel-to-toe dimension (HT) that is greater than the front-to-back dimension (FB);
- B) the crown section (400) having a crown apex (410) located an apex height (AH) above a ground plane (GP), wherein the crown section (400) has (i) a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the face (200) having an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) that is less than 3 inches, and (ii) a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the back (114) of the hollow body (110) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r), and the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) is at least 25% less than the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r);
- C) 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.
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 crown section (400) having a crown apex (410) located an apex height (AH) above a ground plane (GP), wherein the crown section (400) has a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the face (200) having an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) that is less than 3 inches, and wherein at least fifty percent of a plurality of vertical golf club head cross sections taken perpendicular to a vertical plane passing through the shaft axis (SA), which intersect a portion of the face top edge (210) between the center of the face (200) and the toeward most point on the face (200), are characterized by an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) of less than 3 inches;
- C) 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 wherein 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;
- and
- D) wherein the high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) has;
- i) a first moment of inertia (MOIy) about a vertical axis through a center of gravity (CG) of the high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) that is at least 4000 g*cm2;
- and
- ii) a second moment of inertia (MOIx) about a horizontal axis through the center of gravity (CG) that is at least 2000 g*cm2.
5 more elements
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 crown section (400) having a crown apex (410) located an apex height (AH) above a ground plane (GP), wherein the crown section (400) has (i) a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the face (200) having an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) that is less than 3 inches, and wherein at least fifty percent of a plurality of vertical golf club head cross sections taken perpendicular to a vertical plane passing through the shaft axis (SA), which intersect a portion of the face top edge (210) between the center of the face (200) and the toeward most point on the face (200), are characterized by an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) of less than 3 inches and (ii) a portion of the crown section (400) between the crown apex (410) and the back (114) of the hollow body (110) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r), and the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) is at least 25% less than the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r);
- C) 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 wherein 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;
- and
- D) wherein the high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) has;
- i) a first moment of inertia (MOIy) about a vertical axis through a center of gravity (CG) of the high volume aerodynamic golf club head (100) that is at least 4000 g*cm2;
- and
- ii) a second moment of inertia (MOIx) about a horizontal axis through the center of gravity (CG) that is at least 2000 g*cm2.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.