Aerodynamic golf club head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11465019-B2
Application number	US-202117145511-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2021
Priority date	Jul 15, 2008
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

An aerodynamic golf club head producing reduced aerodynamic drag forces via unique club head relationships.

First claim

We claim:

1. A golf club head 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 skirt ( 500 ) connects a portion of the crown section ( 400 ) to the sole section ( 300 ), a front ( 112 ), a back ( 114 ), a heel ( 116 ), and a toe ( 118 ), wherein:
i) the hollow body ( 110 ) has a front-to-back dimension (FB) of at least 4.4 inches;
ii) the hollow body ( 110 ) has a bore having a center that defines a shaft axis (SA) which intersects with a horizontal ground plane (GP) to define an origin point; and
iii) the hollow body ( 110 ) has a center of gravity (CG) located:
(a) vertically toward the crown section ( 400 ) from the origin point a distance Ycg in a direction orthogonal to the ground plane (GP);
(b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe ( 118 ) a distance Xcg that is parallel to a vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA) and parallel to the ground plane (GP); and
(c) a distance Zcg from the origin toward the back ( 114 ) in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg;

B) 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 maximum top edge height (TEH) is at least 2 inches, and a lower edge height (LEH) is the elevation of the lower edge ( 220 ) above the ground plane (GP);
C) the crown section ( 400 ) having a crown apex ( 410 ) located an apex height (AH) above the ground plane (GP), wherein:
i) the crown apex ( 410 ) is located behind the forwardmost point on the face ( 200 ) a distance that is a crown apex setback dimension ( 412 ) measured in a direction toward the back ( 114 ) and orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg;
ii) the crown apex ( 410 ) is located a distance from the origin toward the toe ( 118 ) a crown apex x-dimension ( 416 ) distance that is parallel to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA) and parallel to the ground plane (GP);

D) wherein within a profile region angle ( 552 ) of 45 degrees originating at the crown apex ( 410 ) and opening symmetrically toward the back ( 114 ) about a vertical front-to-back plane orthogonal to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA), the crown section ( 400 ) transitions downward at a rearwardmost SCTR point ( 522 ) located a rearwardmost SCTR point elevation ( 523 ) above the ground plane (GP), and body ( 110 ) continues downward to a portion of the sole section ( 300 ) at a rearwardmost SSTR point ( 512 ) located a rearwardmost SSTR point elevation ( 513 ) above the ground plane (GP), and:
i) the rearwardmost SSTR point ( 512 ) and the rearwardmost SCTR point ( 522 ) are vertically separated by a vertical separation distance ( 530 ) that is at least thirty percent of the apex height (AH); and
ii) the rearwardmost SSTR point ( 512 ) and the rearwardmost SCTR point ( 522 ) are horizontally separated in a front-to-back direction by a front-to-back horizontal separation distance ( 540 );

E) wherein a first moment of inertia (MOIy) about a vertical axis through a center of gravity of the golf club head is at least 4000 g*cm 2 , and a second moment of inertia (MOIx) about a horizontal axis through the center of gravity is at least 2000 g*cm 2 .

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein both the rearwardmost SSTR point ( 512 ) and the rearwardmost SCTR point ( 522 ) are located on the toe ( 118 ) side of the center of gravity.

3. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein the rearwardmost SCTR point elevation ( 523 ) is greater than the Ycg distance, and the rearwardmost SSTR point elevation ( 513 ) is less than the Ycg distance.

4. The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein within the profile region angle ( 552 ) a portion of the body ( 110 ), located between the rearwardmost SSTR point ( 512 ) and the rearwardmost SCTR point ( 522 ), is closer to the face ( 200 ) than both the rearwardmost SSTR point ( 512 ) and the rearwardmost SCTR point ( 522 ).

5. The golf club head of claim 4 , wherein a portion of the body ( 110 ) is concave between the rearwardmost SSTR point ( 512 ) and the rearwardmost SCTR point ( 522 ).

6. The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the rearwardmost SSTR point ( 512 ) and the rearwardmost SCTR point ( 522 ) are horizontally separated in a heel-to-toe direction by a heel-to-toe horizontal separation distance ( 545 ) that is at least as great as the difference between the crown apex x-dimension ( 416 ) and the distance Xcg.

7. The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the front-to-back horizontal separation distance ( 540 ) is at least thirty percent of the difference between the apex height (AH) and the maximum top edge height (TEH).

8. The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein 5-10 percent of the club head volume is located above the maximum top edge plane (MTEP).

9. The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein a vertical cross-section taken through the hollow body ( 110 ) at a center of the face ( 200 ) extending orthogonal to the vertical plane through the shaft axis (SA) has at least 7.5 percent of the cross-sectional area located above the maximum top edge plane (MTEP).

10. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein an apex ratio of the apex height (AH) to the maximum top edge height (TEH) is at least 1.13.

11. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the maximum top edge height (TEH) is at least 2.15 inches and the apex ratio is at least 1.20.

12. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the front-to-back dimension (FB) is at least 4.6 inches, and the crown apex setback dimension ( 412 ) is less than a distance from a vertical projection of the center of gravity on the ground plane (GP) to a second vertical projection of the forwardmost point on the face ( 200 ) on the ground plane (GP).

13. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the rearwardmost SSTR point elevation ( 513 ) is at least 25% of the rearwardmost SCTR point elevation ( 523 ).

14. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the crown section ( 400 ) has (a) a heel-to-toe radius of curvature in contact with the crown apex ( 410 ) that is less than 4 inches, or (b) an apex-to-front radius of curvature in contact with the crown apex ( 410 ) that is at least 25% less than a portion of the apex-to-rear radius of curvature located above the top edge height (TEH) within the vertical section through the crown apex ( 410 ) and perpendicular to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA).

15. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the crown section ( 400 ) includes a post apex attachment promoting region ( 420 ) on the surface of the crown section ( 400 ) at an elevation above a maximum top edge plane (MTEP) wherein the post apex attachment promoting region ( 420 ) begins at the crown apex ( 410 ) and extends toward the back ( 114 ), and the post apex attachment promoting region ( 420 ) includes:
(a) an attachment promoting region length ( 422 ) measured orthogonal to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA) from the crown apex ( 410 ) to a most rearward point of the post apex attachment promoting region ( 420 ), and the attachment promoting region length ( 422 ) is at least as great as fifty percent of the crown apex setback dimension ( 412 ); and
(b) an attachment promoting region width ( 424 ) measured in a direction parallel to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA), and parallel to the horizontal ground plane (GP), from a most heelward point

Assignees

• Taylor Made Golf Co

Inventors

• Albertsen Jeffrey J
• Burnett Michael Scott

Classifications

• A63B2225/01

  Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages · CPC title

• A63B60/42

  Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand · CPC title

• A63B53/0466 Primary

  wood-type · CPC title

• A63B53/0412

  Volume · CPC title

• A63B60/006

  Surfaces specially adapted for reducing air resistance · CPC title