Iron-type golf club head or other ball striking device
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsAndrew G. V. Oldknow, Robert Boyd
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ball striking device, such as an iron-type golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface and a rear surface, and a body connected to the face. The body has a sole member and a rear cavity defined at least partially by the sole member and the rear surface of the face. The body has an elongated, recessed channel extending within the cavity along a juncture line between the rear surface of the face and the sole member. Additionally, the head is formed in part by a face member having a first leg forming at least a major portion of the face and a second leg extending rearwardly from a bottom end of the first leg and forming at least a portion of the sole member. The head may further be formed by a body member connected to the face member.
Claims23
An iron-type golf club head comprising:
- a face having a ball-striking surface configured for striking a ball and a rear surface opposite the ball-striking surface;
- and
- a body connected to the face, the body having a sole member having a sole surface configured to confront a playing surface and a rear cavity defined at least partially by the sole member and the rear surface of the face, wherein the body has an elongated, recessed channel extending within the cavity along a juncture line between the rear surface of the face and the sole member,
- wherein the head is formed in part by a face member having a first leg forming at least a major portion of the face and a second leg extending rearwardly from a bottom end of the first leg and forming at least a portion of the sole member, and the head is further formed in part by a body member connected to the face member, the body member comprising a top portion connected to the first leg and forming at least a portion of a top side of the body, and a bottom portion having a front end connected to a rear end of the second leg and forming at least a portion of the sole member,
- wherein a difference in height is defined between the rear end of the second leg and the front end of the bottom portion, such that the channel is created by the difference in height, and the channel is recessed with respect to a top surface of the front end of the bottom portion,
- wherein the body member is welded to the rear end of the second leg along a lateral weld line,
- wherein the rear end of the second leg of the face member comprises a projection extending rearward from the second leg, the projection forming a portion of the sole surface, such that the weld line between the face member and the body member has a rearward jog formed by the projection, and
- wherein the body member has an indent cooperatively dimensioned with the projection, the incent receiving the projection when the body member is connected to the face member.
An iron-type golf club head comprising:
- a face having a ball-striking surface configured for striking a ball;
- and
- a body connected to the face, the body having a sole member having a sole surface configured to confront a playing surface,
- wherein the head is formed by a plurality of members, comprising:
- a face member comprising a first upwardly-extending leg having a top end and a bottom end and a second leg having a front end connected to the bottom end of the first leg and a rear end located rearwardly from the front end, such that the second leg extends rearwardly from the bottom end of the first leg, wherein the first leg forms a face of the head, and the second leg forms a portion of the sole member of the body,
- a body member connected to the face member by a peripheral weld line that extends around a periphery of the face and across the sole to connect the face member to the body member, and
- wherein the rear end of the second leg of the face member comprises a first portion that extends rearwardly a first distance and a projecting portion that extends rearwardly a second distance, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance, and wherein the body member has an indent that receives the projecting portion therein, such that the peripheral weld line extends around a juncture between the indent and the projecting portion, forming a jog in the peripheral weld line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.