Golf club

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016023063-A1
Application number	US-201414573701-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 17, 2014
Priority date	Jul 22, 2014
Publication date	Jan 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A golf club head includes a golf club body including a crown, a sole, and a skirt connected between the crown and the sole, the golf club body including a front including a leading edge and a back including a trailing edge, and a hosel connected to the golf club body; a face connected to the front of the golf club body, the face including a geometric center, the golf club head including modifiable boundary conditions.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1 . A golf club head comprising:
a golf club body including a crown, a sole, and a skirt connected between the crown and the sole, the golf club body including a front including a leading edge and a back including a trailing edge; a face connected to the front of the golf club body, the face including a geometric center defining an origin of a coordinate system, the coordinate system including
an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to a ground plane;
a y-axis orthogonal to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground plane; and
a z-axis orthogonal to both the x-axis and the y-axis and orthogonal to the ground plane; and
at least one modifiable boundary condition feature (BCF) located in at least one of the sole of the golf club head and the crown of the golf club head, the modifiable BCF being one of a softening BCF and a stiffening BCF, wherein at least one BCF is modifiable to adjust the stiffness of the boundary condition proximate the BCF.

2 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one modifiable BCF is a softening BCF, the softening BCF being an aperture defined in the golf club head.

3 . The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein the softening BCF is modified using a BCF insert.

4 . The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the BCF insert is a spring.

5 . The golf club head of claim 4 , wherein the spring is a leaf spring, the leaf spring including a thickness and at least two ends, wherein at least one end of the leaf spring is connected to the golf club head.

6 . The golf club head of claim 5 , wherein the spring is connected to the golf club head by bonding.

7 . The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the BCF insert is a filling material.

8 . The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the BCF insert is a fastener assembly.

9 . The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the BCF insert is a plurality of fastener assemblies.

10 . The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the BCF insert is a plug.

11 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one modifiable BCF is a stiffening BCF.

12 . The golf club head of claim 11 , wherein the stiffening BCF includes at least one linking rib.

13 . The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein the stiffening BCF is modified by removal of at least one linking rib.

14 . A method comprising:
obtaining a golf club head, the golf club head including
a golf club body including a crown, a sole, and a skirt connected between the crown and the sole, the golf club body including a front including a leading edge and a back including a trailing edge;
a face connected to the front of the golf club body, the face including a geometric center defining an origin of a coordinate system, the coordinate system including:
an x-axis tangential to the face and generally parallel to a ground plane;
a y-axis orthogonal to the x-axis and generally parallel to the ground plane; and
a z-axis orthogonal to both the x-axis and the y-axis and orthogonal to the ground plane; and

at least one modifiable boundary condition feature (BCF) located in at least one of the sole of the golf club head and the crown of the golf club head, the modifiable BCF being one of a softening BCF and a stiffening BCF; and
modifying the boundary condition to adjust the stiffness of the boundary condition proximate the BCF.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of modifying the boundary condition includes placing an insert into the BCF.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of bonding the insert to the golf club head.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of modifying the boundary condition includes removing at least one mechanical connector to soften the boundary condition.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of removing at least one mechanical connector includes removing at least one linking rib.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of removing at least one linking rib includes machining at least one linking rib.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising covering the machining with a cover.

Assignees

• Taylor Made Golf Co

Inventors

• Willett Kraig Alan
• Greensmith Matthew
• James Andrew
• Mata Jason Andrew
• Johnson Matthew David
• Anderson David
• Woolley Brandon H

Classifications

• A63B53/0466 Primary

  wood-type · 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

• A63B60/52

  with slits · CPC title

• A63B60/00

  Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like · CPC title

• A63B2053/0491

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