Golf club

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12239888-B2
Application number	US-202318136180-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2023
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

Aspects of the invention are directed to golf club having a crown, a sole, a face, and a primary alignment feature hard tooled into the golf club head. In some embodiments the golf club has a primary alignment feature comprising a line delineating a transition between at least a portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color with a shade or color of the face. The primary alignment feature is hard tooled into the golf club head with the face of the golf club body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A golf club head comprising:
a body defining an interior cavity of the golf club head and comprising:
a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head;
a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head;
a heel portion;
a toe portion;
a face positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head and including a striking surface having a geometric center, the geometric center of the striking surface defining a golf club head origin, the golf club head origin defining a coordinate plane having multiple orthogonal axes, including:
an origin x-axis extending tangential to the face and generally parallel to a ground plane when the golf club head is at an address position,
an origin y-axis extending generally perpendicular to the origin x-axis and generally parallel to the ground plane when the golf club head is at the address position, and
an origin z-axis extending generally perpendicular to both the origin x-axis and the origin y-axis; and

a primary alignment feature comprising a line delineating a transition between at least a portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color with a shade or color of the face;
wherein the primary alignment feature:
is hard tooled into the golf club head with the face of the body,
has a Sight Adjusted Perceived Face Angle (SAPFA) of from about −2 to about 10 degrees relative to an actual face angle of the face of the golf club head, and
has a Radius of Curvature (circle fit) of from about 300 to about 1000 mm;

an adjustable shaft connection sleeve; and
a rear weight attached below the top portion of the golf club head and proximate a rear portion of the golf club head;
wherein the golf club head:
has a center of gravity (CG) defining a coordinate plane having multiple orthogonal axes, including:
a CGz axis extending through the CG in a generally vertical direction relative to the ground plane when the club head is at the address position,
a CGx axis extending through the CG in a heel-to-toe direction generally parallel to the face, generally perpendicular to the CGz axis, and extending in a generally horizontal direction relative to the ground plane when the club head is at the address position, and
a CGy axis extending through the CG in a front-to-back direction and generally perpendicular to the CGx axis and the CGz axis, and extending in a generally horizontal direction relative to the ground plane when the club head is at the address position;

has a Zup less than 30 mm;
has a CGy between 20 mm and 50 mm;
has a moment of inertia about the CGz axis (I zz ) between 400 kg·mm 2 and 600 kg·mm 2 ;
has a moment of inertia about the CGx axis (I xx ) of between 280 kg·mm 2 and 420 kg·mm 2 ; and
has a center-face y-axis location (CFY) of less than about 18 mm; and

further wherein:
at least one of the sole or the crown is at least in part a non-metal material;
the face is at least in part a composite material;
the face is bonded to the body and the body is painted prior to bonding the face to the body; and
the body has a volume between about 350 cm 3 and about 500 cm 3 .

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the primary alignment feature is hard tooled into the golf club head at the transition from the face to the crown.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the face comprises a composite face insert and the body comprises a recessed face opening configured to receive the composite face insert,
wherein a portion of an internal hosel surface intrudes into the recessed face opening,
wherein the composite face insert comprises a corresponding geometry to receive the internal hosel surface, and
wherein the corresponding geometry of the composite face insert comprises a notch proximate to a heel portion of the composite face.

4. The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the crown of the golf club head comprises an electronic display.

5. The golf club head of claim 4 , wherein the electronic display comprises a flexible e-ink display.

6. The golf club head of claim 4 , further comprising a layer covering at least a portion of the crown of the golf club head and the layer comprises an electronic display.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the bottom portion of the golf club head is formed of a fiber reinforced composite material.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
a rear region of the golf club head proximate the rear portion of the golf club head comprises a low density portion, a medium density portion, and a high density portion, wherein:
the rear region transitions from the low density portion to the medium density portion to the high density portion;
at least a portion of the high density portion is positioned rearward of the medium density portion;
at least a portion of the medium density portion is positioned rearward of the low density portion;
the high density portion has a density between 7 g/cc and 19 g/cc;
the medium density portion has a density between 1 g/cc and 5 g/cc; and
the low density portion has a density between 1 g/cc and 2 g/cc.

9. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the low density portion and the medium density portion are different materials.

10. A golf club head comprising:
a body defining an interior cavity of the golf club head and comprising:
a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head;
a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head;
a heel portion;
a toe portion;
an adjustable shaft connection sleeve;
a face positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, the face comprising a composite face insert, and including a striking surface having a geometric center, the geometric center of the striking surface defining a golf club head origin, the golf club head origin defining a coordinate plane having multiple orthogonal axes, including:
an origin x-axis extending tangential to the face and generally parallel to a ground plane when the golf club head is at an address position,
an origin y-axis extending generally perpendicular to the origin x-axis and generally parallel to the ground plane when the golf club head is at the address position, and
an origin z-axis perpendicular to both the origin x-axis and the origin y-axis;

a primary alignment feature comprising a line delineating a transition between at least a portion of the crown having an area of contrasting shade or color with a shade or color of the face, wherein the primary alignment feature is hard tooled into the golf club head with the face of the body; and
a recessed face opening configured to receive the composite face insert;
wherein the golf club head:
has a center of gravity (CG) defining a coordinate plane having multiple orthogonal axes, including:
 a CGz axis extending through the CG in a generally vertical direction relative to the ground plane when the club head is at the address position,
 a CGx axis extending through the CG in a heel-to-toe direction generally parallel to the face, generally perpendicular to the CGz axis, and extending in a generally horizontal direction relative to the ground plane when the club head is at the address position, and
 a CGy axis extending through the CG in a front-to-back direction and generally perpendicular to the CGx axis and the CGz axis, and extending in a generally horizontal direction relative to the ground plane when the club head is at the address position;
has a moment of inertia about the CGz axis (I zz ) between 400 kg·mm 2 and 600 kg·mm 2 ; and
has a moment of inertia about the CGx axis (I xx ) of between 280 kg·mm 2 and 420 kg·mm 2 ; and

wherein:
a portion of an internal hosel surface intr

Assignees

• Taylor Made Golf Co

Inventors

• Greaney Mark Vincent
• Kickertz Andrew
• Beach Todd P
• Slyfield Craig Richard
• Harbert Christopher John

Classifications

• A63B53/0437 Primary

  with special crown configurations · CPC title

• A63B53/0466

  wood-type · CPC title

• A63B53/0445

  Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface · CPC title

• A63B53/0412

  Volume · CPC title

• A63B53/045

  Strengthening ribs · CPC title