IP Library Granted Patent US 9,889,350
Granted Patent B2
US 9,889,350 · App. 15/192,075 · Granted Feb 13, 2018

Golf club head

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,889,350
App. No.
15/192,075
Granted
Feb 13, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A golf club head includes: a sole; a crown; a toe; a heel opposite the toe; a strike face generally bounded by a face perimeter edge, the strike face comprising a geometric center; a rear portion; and a substantially enclosed interior cavity at least partially delimited by the sole, the crown, the strike face, and the rear portion. The golf club head also includes at least one rib having a first portion secured to the strike face, having a second portion secured to the crown, and being positioned such that a location on the strike face laterally spaced toe-ward from the geometric center by no less than 0.4 in is associated with a COR value no less than 0.825.

Claims (50)

1. A golf club head comprising:

a sole;

a crown;

a toe;

a heel opposite the toe;

a strike face generally bounded by a face perimeter edge, the strike face comprising a geometric center;

a rear portion;

a substantially enclosed interior cavity at least partially delimited by the sole, the crown, the strike face, and the rear portion; and

at least one rib having a first portion secured to the strike face, having a second portion secured to the crown, and being structured and positioned such that a location on the strike face laterally spaced toe-ward from the geometric center by no less than 0.4 in is associated with a coefficient of restitution value no less than 0.825.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of locations evenly spaced horizontally along the strike face toe-ward from the geometric center in increments of 0.2 inch, wherein an average coefficient of restitution associated with the plurality of locations is greater than 0.82.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising:

a hosel having a hosel axis, wherein the club head is oriented so that the hosel axis is positioned at a designated lie angle relative to the planar surface;

an imaginary vertical plane perpendicular to the strike face and passing through the geometric center of the strike face, the imaginary vertical plane containing an imaginary line tangent to the strike face at the geometric center and intersecting the planar surface;

a first reference point characterized by the intersection of the imaginary line and the planar surface;

a second reference point located 20 mm away from the first reference point along the imaginary line in the direction of the crown;

a third reference point located in the imaginary vertical plane 20 mm away from the first reference point along the planar surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the strike face toward the rear portion;

a first junction point located in the imaginary vertical plane, the first junction point defined by the projection of the second reference point onto the strike face in a direction normal to the imaginary line; a second junction point located in the imaginary vertical plane, the second junction point defined by the projection of the third reference point onto the sole in a direction normal to the planar surface;

a first imaginary junction-bounding line forming a closed loop and passing through the first junction point, wherein the first imaginary junction-bounding line is parallel to the face perimeter edge;

a second imaginary junction-bounding line forming a closed loop and passing through the second junction point, wherein the second imaginary junction-bounding line is parallel to the face perimeter edge; and

a junction delimited by the portion of the club head between the first imaginary junction-bounding line and the second imaginary junction-bounding line, the junction comprising a top region and a bottom region, each having a heel-to-toe length dimension,

wherein the at least one rib is located entirely within the top region.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one rib comprises a first rib and a second rib horizontally spaced from the first rib.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one rib is oriented generally perpendicular to the strike face.

6. The golf club head of claim 4 , wherein the first rib and the second rib are disposed generally perpendicular to the strike face.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising a volume between 300 cm 3 and 600 cm 3 .

8. A golf club head comprising:

a sole;

a crown;

a toe;

a heel opposite the toe;

a strike face generally bounded by a face perimeter edge, the strike face comprising a geometric center and a strike face location associated with a maximum coefficient of restitution no less than 0.825;

a rear portion;

a substantially enclosed interior cavity at least partially delimited by the sole, the crown, the strike face, and the rear portion; and

at least one rib having a first portion secured to the strike face, a second portion secured to the crown, and being structured and positioned such that the strike face location is toe-ward of the geometric center.

9. The golf club head of claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of points evenly spaced horizontally along the strike face toe-ward from the geometric center in increments of 0.2 inch, wherein an average coefficient of restitution associated with the plurality of points is greater than 0.82.

10. The golf club head of claim 8 , further comprising:

a hosel having a hosel axis, wherein the club head is oriented so that the hosel axis is positioned at a designated lie angle relative to the planar surface;

an imaginary vertical plane perpendicular to the strike face and passing through the geometric center of the strike face, the imaginary vertical plane containing an imaginary line tangent to the strike face at the geometric center and intersecting the planar surface;

a first reference point characterized by the intersection of the imaginary line and the planar surface;

a second reference point located 20 mm away from the first reference point along the imaginary line in the direction of the crown;

a third reference point located in the imaginary vertical plane 20 mm away from the first reference point along the planar surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the strike face toward the rear portion;

a first junction point located in the imaginary vertical plane, the first junction point defined by the projection of the second reference point onto the strike face in a direction normal to the imaginary line; a second junction point located in the imaginary vertical plane, the second junction point defined by the projection of the third reference point onto the sole in a direction normal to the planar surface;

a first imaginary junction-bounding line forming a closed loop and passing through the first junction point, wherein the first imaginary junction-bounding line is parallel to the face perimeter edge;

a second imaginary junction-bounding line forming a closed loop and passing through the second junction point, wherein the second imaginary junction-bounding line is parallel to the face perimeter edge; and

a junction delimited by the portion of the club head between the first imaginary junction-bounding line and the second imaginary junction-bounding line, the junction comprising a top region and a bottom region, each having a heel-to-toe length dimension,

wherein the at least one rib is located entirely within the top region.

11. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the at least one rib comprises a first rib and a second rib horizontally spaced from the first rib.

12. The golf club head of claim 11 , wherein the first rib and the second rib are disposed generally perpendicular to the strike face.

13. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the at least one rib is oriented generally perpendicular to the strike face.

14. The golf club head of claim 8 , further comprising a volume between 300 cm 3 and 600 cm 3 .

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Jan 3, 2019
From: DUNLOP SPORTS CO., LTD.
To: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 048002/0320 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 5, 2018
From: SRI SPORTS LIMITED
To: DUNLOP SPORTS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 047597/0660 →