Golf club heads with energy storage characteristics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12168166-B2
Application number	US-202217935903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2022
Priority date	Oct 24, 2014
Publication date	Dec 17, 2024
Grant date	Dec 17, 2024

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads with energy storage characteristics are presented herein. In some embodiments, a golf club head comprises a body comprising a strikeface, a heel region, a toe region opposite the heel region, a sole, a crown, and an internal radius transition from the strikeface to at least one of the sole or the crown. In many embodiments, the internal radius transition region is not visible from an exterior of the golf club head and comprises a first tier, a second tier and a tier transition region between the first tier and the second tier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A golf club head comprising:
a body having an outer surface and an inner surface,
wherein the inner surface is not visible from an exterior of the golf head, the body comprising:
a strike face;
a sole;
a crown;
a skirt between the crown and the sole;
a heel;
a toe; and
a toe side transition region extending rearward from the strikeface to the skirt, the toe side transition region comprising:
a first tier directly abutting the strike face;
a first tier transition region directly abutting the first tier opposite the strike face;
a second tier directly abutting the first tier transition region rearward of the first tier;
a second tier transition region directly abutting the second tier opposite the first tier transition region; and
the inner surface extends across each of the first tier, the first tier transition region, and the second tier;
wherein;
the first tier comprises a first thickness that is substantially constant or decreases from the strikeface to the first tier transition region;
the second tier comprises a second thickness that is substantially constant or decreases from the first tier transition region to the second tier transition region, wherein the second thickness is smaller than the first thickness;
wherein;
each of the first thickness and second thickness is measured between the inner surface and outer surface of the body;
the outer surface is continuous across the transition region between the strikeface and the sole;
first and second tier lengths are measured in a direction from the strikeface towards a rear of the golf club head;
the inner surface of the first tier transition region comprises a first arcuate surface extending rearward from the first tier and a second arcuate surface extending forward from the second tier, the first arcuate surface being convex and the second arcuate surface being concave when viewed normal to the inner surface;
and the inner surface being continuous from the first tier to the second tier;
wherein;
the first arcuate surface comprises a first radius of curvature and the second arcuate surface comprises a second radius of curvature;
the first and the second radius of curvature of the first tier transition region are at least 2 times a difference between the first thickness and the second thickness of the first tier and the second tier, respectively.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein;
a first tier length of the first tier is approximately equal to a second tier length of the second tier; and
the first and second tier lengths are measured in a direction from the strikeface towards the rear of the golf club head.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein;
the first tier is longer than the second tier, as measured in a direction from the strikeface towards the rear of the golf club head.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein;
the body further comprises an internal weight pad at the sole; and
the internal weight pad is thicker than the first tier of the transition region.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein;
the body further comprises an internal rib at the sole and approximately parallel to the strikeface; and
an internal rib thickness of the internal rib is greater than a final tier of the transition region.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein;
the golf club head is selected from the group consisting of a driver golf club head, and a fairway wood golf club head.

7. The golf club of claim 1 , wherein;
the first arcuate surface comprises a first radius of curvature and the second arcuate surface comprises a second radius of curvature; and
the first and the second radius of curvature of the first tier transition region are approximately 6.5 times a difference between the first thickness and the second thickness of the first tier and the second tier, respectively.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein;
the first tier is approximately 0.030 inch to approximately 0.060 inch thick; and
the second tier is approximately 0.020 inch to approximately 0.050 inch thick.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein;
the first tier is approximately 0.035 inch to approximately 0.065 inch thick; and
the second tier is approximately 0.025 inch to approximately 0.055 inch thick.

10. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein;
the first tier is approximately 0.050 inch to approximately 0.080 inch thick; and
the second tier is approximately 0.040 inch to approximately 0.070 inch thick.

11. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein;
the first tier is approximately 0.055 inch to approximately 0.085 inch thick; and
the second tier is approximately 0.045 inch to approximately 0.075 inch thick.

12. The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first crown thickness positioned on a front end of the club head behind the strike face or transition region; and
a second crown thickness positioned behind the first crown thickness toward the rear of the club head, wherein the first crown thickness is greater than the second crown thickness.

13. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein;
the first tier length of the first tier is approximately 0.05 inch to approximately 0.80 inch;
the second tier length of the second tier is approximately 0.03 inch to approximately 0.60 inch.

14. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein
the golf club head further comprises a heel side transition region extending rearward from the strikeface to the skirt, the side transition region comprising:
a first tier directly abutting the strike face;
a first tier transition region directly abutting the first tier opposite the strike face;
a second tier directly abutting the first tier transition region rearward of the first tier;
a second tier transition region directly abutting the second tier opposite the first tier transition region; and
the inner surface extends across each of the first tier, the first tier transition region, and the second tier;
wherein;
the first tier comprises a first thickness that is substantially constant or decreases from the strikeface to the first tier transition region;
the second tier comprises a second thickness that is substantially constant or decreases from the first tier transition region to the second tier transition region, wherein the second thickness is smaller than the first thickness;
wherein;
each of the first thickness and second thickness is measured between the inner surface and outer surface of the body;
the outer surface is continuous across the transition region between the strikeface and the sole;
first and second tier lengths are measured in a direction from the strikeface towards a rear of the golf club head;
the inner surface of the first tier transition region comprises a first arcuate surface extending rearward from the first tier and a second arcuate surface extending forward from the second tier, the first arcuate surface being convex and the second arcuate surface being concave when viewed normal to the inner surface;
and the inner surface being continuous from the first tier to the second tier;
wherein;
the first arcuate surface comprises a first radius of curvature and the second arcuate surface comprises a second radius of curvature;
the first and the second radius of curvature of the first tier transition region are at least 2 times a difference between the first thickness and the second thickness of the first tier and the second tier, respectively.

Assignees

• Karsten Mfg Corp

Inventors

• Jertson Martin R
• Morales Eric J
• Bacon Cory S
• Wang Calvin
• Chen Xiaojian
• Stokke Ryan M

Classifications

• A63B2053/0491

  with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable · CPC title

• A63B53/047 Primary

  iron-type · CPC title

• A63B53/0437

  with special crown configurations · CPC title

• A63B53/0433

  with special sole configurations · CPC title

• A63B53/0408 Primary

  characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness · CPC title