Aerodynamic golf club head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9682294-B2
Application number	US-201615012880-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2016
Priority date	Jul 15, 2008
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

An aerodynamic golf club head that produces reduced aerodynamic drag forces. A crown section imparts beneficial aerodynamic properties due in part to the location of a crown apex and the curvature of the crown section.

First claim

We claim:

1. A high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) 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 front ( 112 ), a back ( 114 ), a heel ( 116 ), and a toe ( 118 );
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 a ground plane (GP), and a lower edge height (LEH) is the elevation of the lower edge ( 220 ) above the ground plane (GP), wherein the greatest top edge height (TEH) is at least 2 inches; and
C) the crown section ( 400 ) having a crown apex ( 410 ) located an apex height (AH) above the ground plane (GP), wherein:
(i) an apex ratio of the apex height (AH) to the greatest top edge height (TEH) is at least 1.13; and
(ii) within a front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex ( 410 ) and perpendicular to a vertical plane created by a shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section ( 400 ) between the crown apex ( 410 ) and the face ( 200 ) has an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) and a portion of the crown section ( 400 ) between the crown apex ( 410 ) and the back ( 114 ) of the hollow body ( 110 ) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r), wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex ( 410 ) is at least 25% less than the greatest apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) of the crown section ( 400 ) above the top edge height (TEH).

2. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein within a heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex ( 410 ) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section ( 400 ) in contact with the crown apex ( 410 ) has a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) that is less than 4 inches.

3. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein within the front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex ( 410 ) and perpendicular to the vertical plane created by a shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section ( 400 ) between the crown apex ( 410 ) and the face ( 200 ) has an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) that is less than 3 inches.

4. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 3 , wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex ( 410 ) is less than 3 inches.

5. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex ( 410 ) is less than a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex ( 410 ) where the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) is measured in a heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex ( 410 ) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA).

6. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) in contact with the crown apex ( 410 ) is less than a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex ( 410 ) where the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) is measured in the heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex ( 410 ) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA).

7. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein within the front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex ( 410 ) and perpendicular to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section ( 400 ) above the top edge height (TEH) has the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) less than 3.75 inches.

8. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the apex ratio is at least 1.2.

9. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 1 , further having a second moment of inertia (MOIx) about a horizontal axis through a center of gravity (CG) that is at least 2000 g*cm 2 .

10. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein 5-10% of the club head volume is located above the greatest top edge height (TEH).

11. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the club head volume is at least 440 cc and the hollow body ( 110 ) has a front-to-back dimension (FB) of at least 4.4 inches.

12. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the hollow body ( 110 ) has a front-to-back dimension (FB) of at least 4.6 inches.

13. A high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) 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 front ( 112 ), a back ( 114 ), a heel ( 116 ), and a toe ( 118 );
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 a ground plane (GP), and a lower edge height (LEH) is the elevation of the lower edge ( 220 ) above the ground plane (GP), wherein the greatest top edge height (TEH) is at least 2 inches; and
C) the crown section ( 400 ) having a crown apex ( 410 ) located an apex height (AH) above the ground plane (GP), wherein within a front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex ( 410 ) and perpendicular to a vertical plane created by a shaft axis (SA), a portion of the crown section ( 400 ) between the crown apex ( 410 ) and the face ( 200 ) has an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) and a portion of the crown section ( 400 ) between the crown apex ( 410 ) and the back ( 114 ) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r), wherein:
(i) the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex ( 410 ) is at least 25% less than the greatest apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r); and
(ii) the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) of a portion of the crown section ( 400 ) above the top edge height (TEH) is less than 3.75 inches.

14. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 13 , wherein within a heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex ( 410 ) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA), the portion of the crown section ( 400 ) in contact with the crown apex ( 410 ) has a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) that is less than 4 inches.

15. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 13 , wherein within the front-to-back vertical section through the crown apex ( 410 ) and perpendicular to the vertical plane created by a shaft axis (SA), the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) of a portion of the crown section ( 400 ) is less than 3 inches.

16. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 15 , wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex ( 410 ) is less than 3 inches.

17. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 13 , wherein the apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) in contact with the crown apex ( 410 ) is less than a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex ( 410 ) where the heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) is measured in the heel-to-toe vertical section through the crown apex ( 410 ) and parallel to the vertical plane created by the shaft axis (SA).

18. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head ( 100 ) of claim 13 , wherein the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) in contact with the crown apex ( 410 ) is less than a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) in contact with the crown apex (

Assignees

• Taylor Made Golf Co

Inventors

• Burnett Michael Scott
• Albertsen Jeffrey J

Classifications

• A63B53/0466 Primary

  wood-type · CPC title

• A63B2225/01

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

• A63B53/04 Primary

  Heads · CPC title

• A63B2053/0437

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63B2053/0408

  Human Necessities · mapped topic