IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,420,149
Granted Patent B2
US 12,420,149 · App. 17/583,595 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Golf club head

Inventors: Naruhiro Mizutani (Kobe, JP); Jun Kodaka (Kobe, JP); Kiyofumi Matsunaga (Kobe, JP)
Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
A63B53/0433A63B53/0408A63B53/0416
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,420,149
App. No.
17/583,595
Granted
Sep 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A golf club head includes a face portion that forms a striking face, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a hosel portion. The striking face has a face center. The sole portion includes a toe protruding portion that is a protruding portion provided on a toe side with respect to the face center and is hollow. The toe protruding portion is not present on a heel side with respect to the face center. The toe protruding portion is formed so as to be continuous with the face portion. The height of the toe protruding portion at its apex may be greater than or equal to 1.5 mm and less than or equal to 8 mm. The golf club head is excellent in rebound performance. In the golf club head, the rebound performance can be improved by deformation of the toe protruding portion at impact.

Claims (66)

1. A golf club head comprising:

a face portion that forms a striking face;

a crown portion;

a sole portion; and

a hosel portion, wherein

the striking face has a face center,

the sole portion includes a toe protruding portion that is a protruding portion formed on a toe side with respect to the face center and is hollow,

the toe protruding portion is formed so as to be continuous with the face portion,

no protruding portion formed to be continuous with the face portion is present on a heel side with respect to the face center,

the toe protruding portion extends, on its toe side, to reach a position located on an upper side with respect to the face center, and

in a planar view from an upper side wherein the golf club head is in a reference state, the toe protruding portion does not form any part of an outer contour line of the golf club head.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein a height of an apex of the toe protruding portion is greater than or equal to 1.5 mm and less than or equal to 8 mm.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein the toe protruding portion is provided in a region that extends from a lower edge of the striking face to a position having a distance from the lower edge toward a back side of less than or equal to 25 mm.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein a minimum radius of curvature of a cross-sectional contour line of an outer surface of the toe protruding portion is less than or equal to 10 mm.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein

the sole portion further includes a heel groove that is formed on the heel side with respect to the toe protruding portion, and

the heel groove includes a portion that is located on the heel side with respect to the face center.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein

when a distance in a toe-heel direction between the face center and a toe-most point of the golf club head is denoted by Dt, and a distance that is 50% of the distance Dt is denoted by Dy,

in a cross-sectional contour line shown in a cross section taken along a vertical plane located at a position separated by the distance Dy from the face center toward the toe side, a distance between a lower edge of the striking face and a back-side starting point of the toe protruding portion is greater than or equal to 8 mm and less than or equal to 25 mm.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein

when, a distance in a toe-heel direction between the face center and a toe-most point of the golf club head is denoted by Dt,

a distance that is 50% of the distance Dt is denoted by Dy, and

in a cross-sectional contour line shown in a cross section taken along a vertical plane located at a position separated by the distance Dy from the face center toward the toe side, a straight line or a circle that passes through following three points: a back-side starting point P 1 of the toe protruding portion; a point P 2 0.5 mm apart from the back-side starting point P 1 toward the back side; and a point P 3 0.5 mm apart from the point P 2 toward the back side, is defined as a virtually extended line, then

a maximum value of a height of the toe protruding portion measured from the virtually extended line is greater than or equal to 1.5 mm and less than or equal to 8 mm.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein

when a distance in a toe-heel direction between the face center and a toe-most point of the golf club head is denoted by Dt, and a distance that is 50% of the distance Dt is denoted by Dy,

in a cross-sectional contour line shown in a cross section taken along a vertical plane located at a position separated by the distance Dy from the face center toward the toe side, a portion extending from a back-side starting point of the toe protruding portion to an outer edge of the striking face is smooth and continuous.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein

when a distance in a toe-heel direction between the face center and a toe-most point of the golf club head is denoted by Dt, and a distance that is 50% of the distance Dt is denoted by Dy,

in a cross-sectional contour line shown in a cross section taken along a vertical plane located at a position separated by the distance Dy from the face center toward the toe side, the toe protruding portion and the striking face are made continuous with each other by a curved line that is convex toward an outside of the golf club head, and

the curved line has a radius of curvature of greater than or equal to 7 mm and less than or equal to 25 mm.

10. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein

when a distance in a toe-heel direction between a heel-side end of the toe protruding portion and the face center is denoted by W 1 , and a width of the golf club head in the toe-heel direction is denoted by W 2 ,

W 1 /W 2 is greater than or equal to 0.05 and less than or equal to 0.35.

11. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein

when a distance in an up-down direction between a ground plane of the golf club head and a toe-side end of the toe protruding portion is denoted by W 3 , and a width of the golf club head in the up-down direction is denoted by W 4 ,

W 3 /W 4 is greater than or equal to 0.60 and less than or equal to 0.95.

12. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein

the toe protruding portion and the striking face are made continuous with each other by a convex curved surface region that is a curved surface convex toward an outside of the golf club head,

when, a distance in a toe-heel direction between the face center and a toe-most point of the golf club head is denoted by Dt,

a distance that is 50% of the distance Dt is denoted by Dy, and

in a cross-sectional contour line shown in a cross section taken along a vertical plane located at a position separated by the distance Dy from the face center toward the toe side, a straight line or a circle that passes through following three points: a back-side starting point P 1 of the toe protruding portion; a point P 2 0.5 mm apart from the back-side starting point P 1 toward the back side; and a point P 3 0.5 mm apart from the point P 2 toward the back side, is defined as a virtually extended line, then

the virtually extended line intersects the convex curved surface region.

13. A golf club head comprising:

a face portion that forms a striking face;

a crown portion;

a sole portion; and

a hosel portion, wherein

the striking face has a face center,

the sole portion includes a toe protruding portion that is a protruding portion formed on a toe side with respect to the face center and is hollow,

the toe protruding portion is formed so as to be continuous with the face portion,

the toe protruding portion extends, on its toe side, to reach a position located on an upper side with respect to the face center, and

in a planar view from an upper side wherein the golf club head is in a reference state, the toe protruding portion does not form any part of an outer contour line of the golf club head.

14. A golf club head comprising:

a face portion that forms a striking face;

a crown portion;

a sole portion; and

a hosel portion, wherein

the striking face has a face center,

the sole portion includes a toe protruding portion that is a protruding portion formed on a toe side with respect to the face center and is hollow,

the toe protruding portion is formed so as to be continuous with the face portion,

when a distance in a toe-heel direction between the face center and a toe-most point of the golf club head is denoted by Dt, and a distance that is 50% of the distance Dt is denoted by Dy,

in a cross-sectional contour line shown in a cross section taken along a vertical plane located at a position separated by the distance Dy from the face center toward the toe side, a minimum radius of curvature of an outer surface of the toe protruding portion is less than or equal to 12 mm,

the toe protruding portion extends, on its toe side, to reach a position located on an upper side with respect to the face center, and

in a planar view from an upper side wherein the golf club head is in a reference state, the toe protruding portion does not form any part of an outer contour line of the golf club head.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 25, 2022
From: MIZUTANI, NARUHIRO; KODAKA, JUN; MATSUNAGA, KIYOFUMI
To: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058761/0143 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-010666 · Jan 26, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220233921A1 · Jul 28, 2022
References Cited (20)
US 2550846A · Milligan · 1951 [cited by examiner]
US 4332388A · Crow · 1982 [cited by examiner]
US 5643107A · Gorman · 1997 [cited by examiner]
US 5888148A · Allen · 1999 [cited by examiner]
US 6530847B1 · Antonious · 2003 [cited by examiner]
US 6780121B2 · Herber · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 6887165B2 · Tsurumaki · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 7815524B2 · Bamber · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 8932149B2 · Oldknow · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 9168435B1 · Boggs · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 9393464B2 · Iwata · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 9526954B2 · Oldknow · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 10245474B2 · Boggs · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10751583B1 · Suk · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20040192463A1 · Tsurumaki et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20050009622A1 · Antonious · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20050049073A1 · Herber · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20220233921A1 · Mizutani · 2022 [cited by examiner]
JP 2004313762A · 2004 [cited by applicant]
JP 201647183A · 2016 [cited by applicant]