Patent ID: 11890513
Assignee: KARSTEN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
Field: Furniture, games (Other fields)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 17:
18. A golf club head comprising:
a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball;
a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face,
the body having a crown, a sole, a front, a rear opposite the front, a heel, a toe, and a hosel located adjacent the heel,
wherein the body and the face combine to define an internal cavity, and wherein the golf club head has a volume of at least 400 cubic centimeters;
an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole in a heel to toe direction,
wherein the elongated channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from adjacent surfaces of the sole,
wherein the elongated channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe; and
wherein the center portion is generally symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane passing through a geometric centerline for the sole,
wherein a midpoint of the center portion is not coincident with the vertical plane passing through the geometric centerline for the sole,
and wherein a vertical plane passing through a face center is not aligned with the vertical plane passing through the geometric centerline for the sole,
wherein the elongated channel has a maximum width and a maximum depth of recession along a length of the elongated channel,
wherein both the maximum width and the maximum depth is defined at the vertical plane passing through the geometric centerline for the sole,
wherein the maximum width of the center portion varies no more than +/−10%;
wherein the elongated channel comprises a wall thickness,
the maximum width is defined in a front to rear direction and the maximum depth of recession is defined from the adjacent surfaces of the sole at a vertical plane passing through a face center,
wherein a ratio of the maximum width to the maximum depth is approximately 3.5:1 to 4.5:1,
wherein a wall thickness of the center portion is 1.25 to 2.25 times greater than a wall thickness of the toe portion or a wall thickness of the heel portion,
wherein the elongated channel has a boundary that is defined by a front edge and a rear edge that extend between a first end and a second end of the elongated channel, and
the front edge and the rear edge at the heel portion and the toe portion are angled away from each other such that an elongated channel width at the heel and toe portion gradually increase toward the heel and the toe respectively, and
further wherein a depth of heel portion and the toe portion of the elongated channel increase from the center portion toward the heel and the toe, respectively, and
a pair of internal ribs extending from an internal portion of a rear of the golf club head along the sole and connecting to an internal portion of a rear wall of the elongated channel; and
wherein the pair of internal ribs are substantially parallel to each other,
wherein the front edge of the elongated channel is rearwardly offset from the striking surface of the face a rearward spacing distance,
wherein the rearward spacing distance of the front edge of the elongated channel varies in a range from 7.65 mm to 9.00 mm,
wherein a third internal rib comprises an internal corner rib adjacent the hosel connected to an interior side of the sole, an interior side of the crown, and an interior portion of the rear edge of the elongated channel.