Granted Patent B2

US 8,088,021 · App. 12/409,998 · Granted Jan 3, 2012

Abstract

Claims (43)

1. A high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 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 ), wherein

i) the hollow body ( 110 ) has a front-to-back dimension (FB) of at least 4.4 inches;

ii) the hollow body ( 110 ) has a bore having a center that defines a shaft axis (SA) which intersects with a horizontal ground plane (GP) to define an origin point; and

iii) the hollow body ( 110 ) has a center of gravity (CG) located:

(a) vertically toward the crown section ( 400 ) from the origin point a distance Ycg in a direction orthogonal to the ground plane (GP);

(b) horizontally from the origin point toward the toe ( 118 ) a distance Xcg that is parallel to a vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA) and parallel to the ground plane (GP); and

(c) a distance Zcg from the origin toward the back ( 114 ) in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg;

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 the ground plane (GP), and a lower edge height (LEH) is the elevation of the lower edge ( 220 ) above the ground plane (GP), wherein

i) a maximum top edge height (TEH) is at least 2 inches; and

ii) an apex ratio of the apex height (AH) to the maximum top edge height (TEH) is at least 1.13; and

C) the crown section ( 400 ) having a crown apex ( 410 ) located an apex height (AH) above the ground plane (GP), wherein;

i) the crown apex ( 410 ) is located behind the forwardmost point on the face ( 200 ) a distance that is a crown apex setback dimension ( 412 ) measured in a direction toward the back ( 114 ) and orthogonal to the vertical direction used to measure Ycg and orthogonal to the horizontal direction used to measure Xcg;

ii) the crown apex ( 410 ) is located a distance from the origin toward the toe ( 118 ) a crown apex x-dimension ( 416 ) distance that is parallel to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA) and parallel to the ground plane (GP); and

iii) the crown section ( 400 ) includes a post apex attachment promoting region ( 420 ) on the surface of the crown section ( 400 ) at an elevation above a maximum top edge plane (MTEP) wherein the post apex attachment promoting region ( 420 ) begins at the crown apex ( 410 ) and extends toward the back ( 114 ), and the post apex attachment promoting region ( 420 ) includes:

(a) an attachment promoting region length ( 422 ) measured along the surface of the crown section ( 400 ) and orthogonal to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA), and the attachment promoting region length ( 422 ) is at least as great as fifty percent of the crown apex setback dimension ( 412 ); and

(b) an apex promoting region width ( 424 ) measured along the surface of the crown section ( 400 ) in a direction parallel to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA), and the attachment promoting region width ( 424 ) is at least as great as the difference between the crown apex x-dimension ( 416 ) and the distance Xcg; and

D) wherein the high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) has a face-on normalized aerodynamic drag force of less than 1.5 lbf when exposed to a 100 mph wind parallel to the ground plane (GP) when the high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) is positioned in a design orientation and the wind is oriented at the front ( 112 ) of the high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ).

2. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the attachment promoting region length ( 422 ) is at least as great as seventy five percent of the crown apex setback dimension ( 412 ).

3. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the apex promoting region width ( 424 ) is at least twice as great as the difference between the crown apex x-dimension ( 416 ) and the distance Xcg.

4. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the attachment promoting region length ( 422 ) is at least as great as seventy five percent of the crown apex setback dimension ( 412 ), the apex promoting region width ( 424 ) is at least twice as great as the difference between the crown apex x-dimension ( 416 ) and the distance Xcg, the hollow body ( 110 ) has a crown apex-to-toe dimension ( 418 ) measured from the crown apex ( 410 ) to the toewardmost point on the hollow body ( 110 ) in a direction parallel to the vertical plane defined by the shaft axis (SA) and parallel to the ground plane (GP), and the post apex attachment promoting region width ( 424 ) is at least fifty percent of the crown apex-to-toe dimension ( 418 ).

5. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein at least 7.5 percent of the club head volume is located above the maximum top edge plane (MTEP).

6. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein a vertical cross-section taken through the hollow body ( 110 ) at a center of the face ( 200 ) extending orthogonal to the vertical plane through the shaft axis (SA) has at least 7.5 percent of the cross-sectional area located above the maximum top edge plane (MTEP).

7. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the post apex attachment promoting region ( 420 ) has an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) that is greater than 5 inches.

8. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 7 , wherein at least fifty percent of a plurality of vertical post apex attachment promoting region cross sections taken perpendicular to a vertical plane passing through the shaft axis (SA), which pass through the post apex attachment promoting region ( 420 ), are characterized by an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) that is greater than 5 inches within the post apex attachment promoting region ( 420 ).

9. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 7 , wherein at least seventy five percent of a plurality of vertical post apex attachment promoting region cross sections taken perpendicular to a vertical plane passing through the shaft axis (SA), which pass through the post apex attachment promoting region ( 420 ), are characterized by an apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r) that is greater than 5 inches within the post apex attachment promoting region ( 420 ).

10. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 8 , wherein 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, and wherein at least fifty percent of the plurality of vertical post apex attachment promoting region cross sections are characterized by an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) of at least 50% less than the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r).

11. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 9 , wherein 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, and wherein at least seventy five percent of the plurality of vertical post apex attachment promoting region cross sections are characterized by an apex-to-front radius of curvature (Ra-f) of at least 50% less than the apex-to-rear radius of curvature (Ra-r).

12. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the apex ratio of the apex height (AH) to the maximum top edge height (TEH) is at least 1.2.

13. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the crown apex ( 410 ) is behind the forwardmost point on the face ( 200 ) a distance that is a crown apex setback dimension ( 412 ), and the crown apex setback dimension ( 412 ) is less than 1.75 inches.

14. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein a frontal cross sectional area is less than 11 square inches.

15. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the crown section ( 400 ) at the crown apex ( 410 ) has a heel-to-toe radius of curvature (Rh-t) at the crown apex ( 410 ) that is less than 4 inches.

16. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein a skirt ( 500 ) connects a portion of the crown section ( 400 ) to the sole section ( 300 ), and the skirt ( 500 ) includes a skirt profile ( 550 ) within a profile region angle ( 552 ) originating at the crown apex ( 410 ), wherein the profile region angle ( 552 ) is at least 45 degrees, and wherein the skirt ( 500 ) includes:

(i) a skirt-to-sole transition region ( 510 ) at the connection to the sole section ( 300 ) and the skirt-to-sole transition region ( 510 ) has a rearwardmost SSTR point ( 512 ) located above the ground plane (GP) at a rearwardmost SSTR point elevation ( 513 ); and

(ii) a skirt-to-crown transition region ( 520 ) at the connection to the crown section ( 400 ) and the skirt-to-crown transition region ( 520 ) has a rearwardmost SCTR point ( 522 ) located above the ground plane (GP) at a rearwardmost SCTR point elevation ( 523 ); wherein

(a) the rearwardmost SSTR point ( 512 ) and the rearwardmost SCTR point ( 522 ) are located within the profile region angle ( 552 );

(b) the rearwardmost SSTR point ( 512 ) and the rearwardmost SCTR point ( 522 ) are vertically separated by a vertical separation distance ( 530 ) that is at least thirty percent of the apex height (AH);

(c) the rearwardmost SSTR point ( 512 ) and the rearwardmost SCTR point ( 522 ) are horizontally separated in a heel-to-toe direction by a heel-to-toe horizontal separation distance ( 545 ); and

(d) the rearwardmost SSTR point ( 512 ) and the rearwardmost SCTR point ( 522 ) are horizontally separated in a front-to-back direction by a front-to-back horizontal separation distance ( 540 ).

17. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 16 , wherein the heel-to-toe horizontal separation distance ( 545 ) is at least as great as the difference between the crown apex x-dimension ( 416 ) and the distance Xcg.

18. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 16 , wherein the front-to-back horizontal separation distance ( 540 ) is at least thirty percent of the difference between the apex height (AH) and the maximum top edge height (TEH).

19. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 16 , wherein the rearwardmost SSTR point ( 512 ) is located on the heel ( 116 ) side of the center of gravity, and the rearwardmost SCTR point ( 522 ) is located on the toe ( 118 ) side of the center of gravity.

20. The high volume aerodynamic golf club head having a post apex attachment promoting region ( 100 ) of claim 16 , wherein both the rearwardmost SSTR point and the rearwardmost SCTR point ( 522 ) are located on the toe ( 118 ) side of the center of gravity.

Assignments (14)