GOLF CLUB HEAD OR OTHER BALL STRIKING DEVICE HAVING IMPACT-INFLUENCING BODY FEATURES
A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball where the face has multiple thickness regions. The face has a center region, an upper region, a lower region, a toe region, and a heel region. The upper and lower regions have a ramped thickness extending from a center region to an upper and lower edge of the face. The heel and toe regions have a constant face thickness and have a thickness less than the other regions. Additionally, the club head body has a flange where the face is welded to the club head body. The flange has a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the heel and toe regions of the face.
1 . A golf club head comprising:
a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball,
an upper edge, a lower edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge;
a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face,
the body having a crown, a sole, a heel side, a toe side, and a flange that forms a portion of the striking surface;
wherein the flange of the body and the face are welded at a joint to form an interior cavity and the upper edge, the lower edge, the heel edge, and the toe edge of the face are defined by the joint;
wherein the face has a first region having a first thickness, a second region having a second thickness, and a third region having a third thickness; and
wherein the first region is positioned in a center region of the face,
wherein the first thickness is a uniform thickness,
the second region is positioned on the toe side,
the third region is positioned on the heel side, and
wherein a thickness at the upper edge of the face and the lower edge of the face is constant, and greater than the second thickness and the third thickness;
wherein a toe side transitional region is positioned between a toe side boundary of the center region and the toe edge and wherein a heel side transitional region is positioned between a heel side boundary of the center region and the heel edge;
wherein the toe side transitional region and the heel side transition region comprise a radius of curvature and comprise a variable thickness from boundaries with the center region such that the thickness decreases as a function of a distance away from the center region to the toe edge and heel edge, respectively,
wherein the flange has a thickness defined by a thickness at the heel edge of the joint,
wherein the flange thickness is greater than the second thickness and the third thickness; and
wherein the flange does not extend inward beyond the joint.
2 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the center region comprises a rectangular shape comprising rounded corners.
3 . The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein the center region comprises a surface area ranging from 480 mm 2 and 620 mm 2 .
4 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the second region and the third region comprise surface areas ranging from 650 mm 2 to 750 mm 2 .
5 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the first region has a center point that is located 2 mm above a face center location in a crown-to-sole direction.
6 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the face further comprises a fourth region and a fifth region, wherein the fourth region is positioned between the center region and upper edge and the fifth region is positioned between the first region and the lower edge.
7 . The golf club head of claim 6 , wherein the fourth region and the fifth region comprise surface areas ranging from 390 mm 2 to 440 mm 2 .
8 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness, and the third thickness.
9 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the toe side transition region and the heel side transition region comprise a surface area ranging from 160 mm 2 to 220 mm 2 .
10 . A golf club head comprising:
a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball,
an upper edge, a lower edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge;
a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face,
the body having a crown, a sole, a heel side, a toe side, and a flange that forms a portion of the striking surface;
wherein the flange of the body and the face are welded at a joint to form an interior cavity and the upper edge, the lower edge, the heel edge, and the toe edge of the face are defined by the joint;
wherein the face defines an outer edge; and
wherein a wall extends rearwardly from the edge of the face;
wherein the face has a first region having a first thickness, a second region having a second thickness, and a third region having a third thickness; and
wherein the first region is positioned in a center region of the face,
wherein the first region has a surface area that is within a range of 18 percent and 23 percent of a total surface area of the face,
wherein the first thickness is a variable thickness,
the second region is positioned on the toe side,
the third region is positioned on the heel side,
wherein a thickness at the upper edge of the face and the lower edge of the face is constant, and greater than the second thickness and the third thickness;
wherein a toe side transitional region is positioned between a toe side boundary of the first region and the toe edge and wherein a heel side transitional region is positioned between a heel side boundary of the first region and the heel edge;
wherein the toe side transitional region and the heel side transition region comprise a radius of curvature and a variable thickness from boundaries with the first region such that the thickness decreases as a function of a distance away from the first region to the toe edge and heel edge, respectively,
wherein the flange has a thickness defined by a thickness at the heel edge of the joint,
wherein the flange thickness is greater than the second thickness and the third thickness; and
wherein the flange does not extend inward beyond the joint.
11 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the first region comprises a rectangular shape comprising rounded corners.
12 . The golf club head of claim 11 , wherein the inner cavity is filled with air.
13 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the variable thickness of the center portion is between 1.5 to 3.25 times thicker than the toe portion.
14 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the center region has a surface area of approximately 580 mm 2 .
15 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the center region has a surface area within the range of 480 mm 2 to 620 mm 2 .
16 . The golf club head of claim 11 , wherein the center region comprises a height within a range of 13 mm to 21 mm.
17 . The golf club head of claim 16 , wherein the center region comprises a width within a range of 30 mm to 45 mm.
18 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the first region has a center point that is located 2 mm above a face center location in a crown-to-sole direction.
19 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the first region has a center point that is located within a range between 1 mm and 4 mm above a face center location in a crown-to-sole direction.
20 . The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the face further comprises a fourth region and a fifth region, wherein the fourth region is positioned between the center region and upper edge and the fifth region is positioned between the first region and the lower edge.