IP Library Granted Patent US 9,868,036
Granted Patent B1
US 9,868,036 · App. 15/233,805 · Granted Jan 16, 2018

Golf club head

Inventors: Justin David Kleinert (San Clemente, CA); Mattieu J. Bovee (Carlsbad, CA); Joseph Reeve Nielson (Vista, CA); Nathan T. Sargent (Oceanside, CA); Christopher John Harbert (Carlsbad, CA); Rachel Elizabeth Gardner (Vista, CA); Wester Reber Christian (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: TaylorMade Golf Company, Inc.
A63B53/0466A63B53/06A63B2053/045A63B2053/0433A63B2053/0437A63B2053/0495
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,868,036
App. No.
15/233,805
Granted
Jan 16, 2018
Kind
B1
Abstract

A golf club head having two adjoining flush surfaces and method of manufacturing same is disclosed. In one embodiment, a golf club head includes a main body comprising an opening and a recessed flange formed along at least a portion of a peripheral edge defining the opening; at least one compressible shim disposed on a surface of the flange, the at least one compressible shim being compressible to at least 50% of its original uncompressed thickness; and a cover plate shaped and sized to fit within the opening, wherein a first portion of a mating surface of the cover plate is affixed to the surface of the flange and a second portion of the mating surface is disposed on top of the at least one compressible shim, wherein the compressible shim is in a compressed state such that an outer surface of the cover plate is flush with an adjacent surface of the main body.

Claims (24)

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a shell made of a first material that is attached to a main body that is formed of a second material, the shell including a first mating section and the main body including a second mating section configured to mate with the first mating section;

wherein the main body includes a face portion, a sole plate portion coupled to the face portion, and a crown portion coupled to the face portion;

wherein the crown portion comprising an opening and a recessed flange formed along at least a portion of the opening;

wherein the recessed flange has an outwardly facing attachment surface generally between an outer surface and an inner surface of the crown portion and a first abutment surface extending between the attachment surface and the outer surface of the crown portion;

wherein at least a portion of the shell is coupled to the attachment surface, the shell having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a second abutment surface extending between the outer and inner facing surfaces of the shell;

wherein the inner surface of the shell is bonded to the attachment surface using a bonding material, and the first abutment surface is connected to the second abutment surface;

wherein a first cross-section through the golf club head includes the recessed flange, the bonding material, and the shell; and

wherein a second-cross section through the golf club head includes the recessed flange, the bonding material, at least one compressible shim, and the shell; wherein the second-cross section is offset from the first cross-section.

2. The golf club head of 1 , wherein the at least one shim being compressible to less than 50% of its original uncompressed thickness when a compression force is applied and rebounding to more than 90% of its original uncompressed thickness upon removal of the compression force.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the recessed flange is located closer to the face portion of the main body than a rear portion of the main body.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein a majority of the recessed flange is located less than 35 mm from the face portion of the main body.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one compressible shim is compressed at least 10% compared to its original uncompressed thickness.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one compressible shim is compressed at least 50% compared to its original uncompressed thickness.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one compressible shim comprises a plurality of discrete compressible shims disposed on a top surface of the recessed flange with a predetermined spacing between adjacent discrete compressible shims.

8. The golf club head of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of discrete compressible shims comprises three to twenty discrete compressible shims each having a thickness of about 1.2 mm to 1.6 mm.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one compressible shim has a shim area that is 0.5% to 50% of the available area on a top surface of the recessed flange.

10. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one compressible shim comprises a urethane material.

11. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the shell is 0.73 mm plus or minus 0.10 mm.

12. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the at least one compressible shim is compressed at least 0.15 mm.

13. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the first material density is less than the second material density.

14. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein the first material comprises a composite material and the second material comprises a metal material.

15. The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein the first material comprises a carbon fiber composite material and the second material comprises a titanium alloy.

16. The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein the shell comprises multiple plies.

Assignments (13)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: KOOKMIN BANK
To: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
Reel/Frame 058983/0516 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: KOOKMIN BANK
To: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
Reel/Frame 058978/0211 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 7, 2022
From: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058962/0415 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 7, 2022
From: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058963/0671 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Aug 24, 2021
From: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
To: KOOKMIN BANK, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057293/0207 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Aug 24, 2021
From: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
To: KOOKMIN BANK, AS SECURITY AGENT
Reel/Frame 057300/0058 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2021
From: KPS CAPITAL FINANCE MANAGEMENT, LLC
To: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
Reel/Frame 057085/0262 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2021
From: ADIDAS NORTH AMERICA, INC.
To: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
Reel/Frame 057453/0167 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2021
From: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
Reel/Frame 057085/0314 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2017
From: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
To: KPS CAPITAL FINANCE MANAGEMENT, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044207/0745 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2017
From: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
To: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044206/0712 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2017
From: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
To: ADIDAS NORTH AMERICA, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044206/0765 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 11, 2016
From: KLEINERT, JUSTIN DAVID; BOVEE, MATTIEU J.; NIELSON, JOSEPH REEVE; SARGENT, NATHAN T.; HARBERT, CHRISTOPHER JOHN; GARDNER, RACHEL ELIZABETH; CHRISTIAN, WESTER REBER
To: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
Reel/Frame 040292/0619 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation In Part 15087002 · Mar 31, 2016
Provisional Application 62205601 · Aug 14, 2015