Patent ID: 12208317

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description describes the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Various inventive features are described below, and each can be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. However, any single inventive feature may not address any or all of the problems discussed above or may only address one of the problems discussed above. Further, one or more of the problems discussed above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described below.

FIG.1of the accompanying drawings shows a perspective view of a golf club head100in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The golf club head100if further separated into a body portion102and a crown portion110. The body portion102further comprises of sub-components such as the striking face104, a hosel106, and a portion of the sole108. The crown portion110, in accordance with the current embodiment, includes a crown111and wraps around a skirt112of the golf club head100to form at least a portion of the sole108.

The body portion102of the golf club head100in accordance with the present invention may roughly be 4.5 g/cc, as modern day driver type golf club heads are generally made out of a titanium type material; however, numerous other material may be used to form the body portion102of the golf club head without departing from the scope and content of the present invention so long as it can provide the structural rigidity of the golf club head100. The crown portion110of the golf club head100, at least in accordance with the present invention, may generally be made out of a lightweight material such as a fiber reinforced plastic type material with a density of less than about 2.0 g/cc, more preferably less than about 1.8 g/cc, and most preferably less than about 1.7 g/cc; however numerous other types of lightweight material may be used without departing from the scope and content of the present invention as long as it has a density that is less than that of the material used to form the body portion102.

One key feature shown inFIG.1that is worth highlighting is the parting line114between the body portion102and the crown portion110. It should be noted that visually, the parting line114is located significantly forward on the crown111ledge than any other prior art golf club head100incorporating multiple materials, as it follows the visual cue of a golf club head100that creates a natural break between the striking face portion104and the crown111. Having this crown parting line114being located so far forward is beneficial to the performance of a golf club head in that it eliminates the undesirable visuals generally associated with multi-material golf club head wherein the crown portion110is made from a lightweight composite type material. However, having the parting line114between the crown portion110and the body portion102this far forward in the crown portion of the golf club head100comes with additional design challenges that will be discussed below.

FIG.2of the accompanying drawings shows a frontal view of a golf club head200in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The frontal view of this golf club head200shows the body portion202forming a portion of the sole208and the crown portion210forming a crown211and a skirt212of the golf club head200. In addition to the above, this frontal view also allows the parting line214to be shown more clearly, once again illustrating that the location of the parting line214that separates the crown portion210from the sole portion202follows the contour of the upper edge of the striking face204in the striking face plane, and transitions towards to a line that is underneath the skirt212of the golf club head. Finally, this frontal view of the golf club head200shown inFIG.2also illustrates a cross-sectional line A-A′, to which a subsequent cross-sectional view figure can be provided to illustrate the bond between the crown portion210and the body portion202.

FIG.3of the accompanying drawing shows a heel side view of a golf club head300in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In this view, we can once again see the main components of the crown portion310further comprising the crown311of the golf club head300and the body portion302further comprising a sole308of the golf club head300. In this heel side view of the golf club head300shown inFIG.3, it can be seen that the parting line314falls below the skirt312of the golf club head300to form a portion of the sole308. The parting line214(shown inFIG.2), in the frontal view shown inFIG.2follows the natural visual cue of the topline of the striking face204(shown inFIG.2), but in the side view shown here inFIG.3, it actually follows the natural cues derived from the sole308graphics as it wraps around the skirt312of the golf club head300into the sole308.

Although the details of the bond between the crown portion310and the body portion302is not shown here inFIG.3and will be discussed in more detail in the subsequent cross-sectional views, it is worth noting there that the bond is generally achieved via a lap joint type of joint, wherein there is a beginning of an overlap and an end of an overlap. This key concept will be used to help define distance D1below, as distance D1is critical to the present invention in providing the improved aesthetic performance of the present invention.

In addition to the aboveFIG.3of the accompanying drawings also shows another key feature of the present invention by illustrating the forwardmost vertical plane320. The forwardmost vertical plane320is a plane that is created in the x-y plane as illustrated by the coordinate system301that abuts the forwardmost portion of the golf club head300. Often in a conventional golf club head300geometry, the forwardmost plane320abuts the leading edge of the face sole junction; however, in alternative embodiments of the present invention, the forwardmost plane320could abut any other location in the golf club head300without departing from the scope and content of the present invention so long as it fits the definition above.

Once the forwardmost vertical plane320is established, another very important distance D1could be illustrated. Distance D1, as defined in the present invention, relates to the distance between the forwardmost vertical plane320and the forwardmost point322of said crown portion310. In the current embodiment of the present invention, distance D1may generally be less than about 17.5 mm, more preferably less than about 16.5 mm, and most preferably less than about 15.5 mm. This distance D1, as previously mentioned, is critical to the proper function of the present invention as it allows the parting line314between the crown portion310and the body portion302to be shifted to an existing visual cue that already exists in a golf club head300such as the crown topline transition. The ability to strategically place the parting line314of the different components of a multi-material golf club head300at a location that fits with an existing visual cue of a golf club head300is beneficial to the performance of a golf club head300in that it minimizes visual distractions of a golf club head that can often be undesirable.

Before moving on to a discussion about the undesirable visual generally associated with a prior art multi-material golf club head500(shown inFIG.5),FIG.4of the accompanying drawings merely shows a toe side view of a golf club head400in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, allowing the parting line414between the crown portion410and the body portion402to be shown more clearly. Although the parting line414shown inFIG.4mostly mirrors the parting line314(shown inFIG.3) due to the fact that the sole408is symmetrical in terms of its graphics, the hosel portion of the parting line414is slightly different as shown inFIG.3due to the fact that only one side of a golf club head400has a hosel.

FIG.5of the accompanying drawings shows a top view of a prior art golf club head500where no effort is made to strategically align the parting line514between the crown portion510with the body portion502with any existing visual cue or natural feature of the golf club head500. As it can be seen inFIG.5, the resultant golf club head500leaves a strange line across the crown of the golf club head500, creating an undesirable and distracting effect that will be distracting to a golfer.

Comparing the top view of the prior art golf club head500shown inFIG.5with the top view of the current inventive golf club head600shown inFIG.6, golf club head600provides an improved performance in the visuals of the golf club head600by shifting the parting line614to the frontal crown transition portion defined as the forwardmost point of said crown portion610inFIG.6. It is worth noting here that despite the best efforts to create a seamless parting line614that matches with an existing visual cue of a golf club head600, the parting line614does become more visually recognizable around the hosel606of the golf club head600; as that region of the golf club head600does not contain any discernable visual cues that lend itself well to conceal the parting line614. In addition to showing the improvement in the aesthetics of the golf club head600compared to prior art golf club head500(shown inFIG.5),FIG.6of the accompanying drawings once again shows the distance D1, being measured from the forwardmost portion of the golf club head600to the forwardmost point622of the crown portion, along the z-axis.

FIG.7of the accompanying drawings shows a bottom sole view of a golf club head700in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In this sole view of the golf club head700we can see that the parting line714follows the visual cues of the sole graphics, allowing the golf club head700to create a visually seamless blend between the crown portion710and the body portion702. In addition to the above, this bottom sole view of the golf club head700illustrates how the crown portion710wraps around a skit of the golf club head700to form at least a portion of the sole of the golf club head700.

FIG.8of the accompanying drawings shows an exploded view of a golf club head800in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In this exploded view of the golf club head800shown inFIG.8, one can clearly how the crown portion810and the body portion802fit together via a lap joint as previously discussed. Although the cross-sectional view of the golf club head will provide even more detail below, the body portion802has a recess823around the perimeter of the body portion802. The recess823, shown inFIG.8is generally created to accommodate the thickness of the crown portion810at the various portions around the perimeter of the body portion802, allowing the two components to bond together via a lap joint type of bond. However, in alternative embodiments of the present invention, other types of bonds such as a butt joint, a dado joint, a rabbet joint, a dovetail joint, a tongue and groove joint, or any other types of joint could be used so long as it is capable of joining the crown portion810to the body portion802all without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.

The exploded view of the golf club head800shown inFIG.8also illustrates another critical feature of the present invention, wherein the distance of the overlap between the crown portion810with the body portion802to form said recess823varies across different portions of the golf club head800depending on the unique bonding requirements at each location. Because the present invention shifts the location of the parting line around various parts of the golf club head800to accommodate for visual cues inherent within a golf club head800, the bond strength required at the various portions of the golf club head800may be different, requiring different amount of overlap. This amount of overlap, generally quantified as the length of a recess823is generally defined as the distance between the beginning of an overlap to the end of an overlap. For the frontal crown joint recess823length, that length is defined as the difference between the forwardmost point822of the crown portion810and the rearward most point824of the recess823at the frontal body portion802. For the aft rear joint recess length, that length is defined as the difference between the rearwardmost point828of the crown portion810and the forwardmost point826of the recess823at the rear of the body portion802.

In order to illustrate this very important concept of creating and defining a recess823via the overlap, a cross-sectional view of the golf club head900is shown inFIG.9. This cross-sectional view of the golf club head900shown inFIG.9is taken along cross-sectional line A-A′ shown inFIG.2, down the center of the golf club head. In this cross-sectional view of the golf club head900the crown portion910is attached to the body portion902via overlapping lap joints created by recesses in the body portion902. Circular region A and circular region B are also highlighted inFIG.9, allowing enlarged views of the crown leading edge recess and the aft portion recess to be shown in more detail inFIGS.10and11respectively, illustrating the different designs used to achieve the different bonds at different portions of the golf club head900.

FIG.10of the accompanying drawings shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of circular region A shown inFIG.9, which reflects an enlarged cross-sectional view of a frontal crown junction point between the crown portion1010and the body portion1002. Although it's been discussed briefly in earlier discussions, the bond between the crown portion1010and the body portion1002is generally achieved via an overlapping lap joint type of bond, with the body portion1002forming a frontal crown recess1023ato receive the crown portion1010. The thickness of the frontal crown recess1023ain accordance with the present invention may generally be less than about 1.0 mm, more preferably less than about 0.9 mm, and most preferably less than about 0.8 mm, as crown portion1010is typically made from a thin lightweight composite type material. This thickness of the frontal crown recess1023amay generally be thicker than the actual thickness of the crown portion1010itself, because not only does it need to accommodate the thickness of the crown portion1010in the range of less than about 0.8 mm, more preferably less than about 0.7 mm, and most preferably less than about 0.65 mm, it also has to accommodate approximately 0.15 mm of glue bond thickness that is not shown inFIG.10. In this enlarged view shown inFIG.10, because the bond between the crown portion1010and the body portion1002at the crown leading edge is so close to the striking face plane, it has an increased overlap length to accommodate for the increased stress occurring at that portion of the golf club head. This overlap length D2, although may look like a linear length inFIG.10, is actually an arc length, but only appears linear due to the large radius of curvature at this portion of the golf club head. The increased overlap length at the crown transition, defined here as frontal crown transition overlap length D2, may generally be greater than about 12 mm and less than about 25 mm, more preferably greater than about 13 mm and less than about 24 mm, and most preferably greater than about 14 mm and less than about 23 mm. The frontal crown transition overlap length D2, as described in the present invention, may generally start at the forwardmost point1022of the crown portion1010and end at the rearwardmost point1024of the frontal crown recess1023aat the front of the body portion1002.

FIG.11of the accompanying drawings shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of circular region B shown inFIG.9, which reflects an enlarged cross-sectional view of a rear sole junction point between the crown portion1110and the body portion1102. Although this geometry may look more complicated at the rear portion of the golf club head due to the adjacent weighting member, the overall concept of the bond here remains the same with an overlapping lap joint created via a rear sole recess1123bin rear of the body portion1102. Similar to the discussion above, the thickness of the rear sole recess1123b, because it is adapted to receive the same crown portion1110, is generally less than about 1.0 mm, more preferably less than about 0.9 mm, and most preferably less than about 0.8 mm. However, in this rear portion of the golf club head, because of the rear edge is not subjected to as much impact stresses at the crown leading edge, the overlap length does not need to be as lengthy. The rear overlap length D3, in accordance with the current embodiment of the present invention, may generally be less than about 6.5 mm, more preferably less than about 6 mm, and most preferably less than about 5 mm. The rear overlap length D3, as described in the present invention, may generally be the difference between the rearwardmost point1128of the crown portion1110and the forwardmost point1126of the rear sole recess1123bat the rear of the body portion1102taken along the arc, and not just linearly.

In view of the dramatic difference in the crown transition overlap length D2and the rear overlap length D3, it can be said that the present golf club head has a Ratio of Front to Rear Overlap Length of about greater than about 2.0, more preferably greater than about 2.5, and most preferably greater than about 3.0. The Ratio of Front to Rear Overlap Length defined by Equation (1) below:

Ratio⁢of⁢Front⁢to⁢Rear⁢Overlap⁢Length=Crown⁢transition⁢overlap⁢length⁢D⁢2Rear⁢overlap⁢length⁢D⁢3Eq.(1)

FIG.12of the accompanying drawings shows a cross-sectional view of the golf club head1200in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In this cross-sectional view of the golf club head1200shown inFIG.12, we can see that the distance of the hosel portion recess1223cbetween the crown portion1210and the body portion1202has an hosel overlap length D4of greater than about 8 mm, more preferably greater than about 9 mm, and most preferably greater than about 10 mm. This length D4is shown to be taken at an angle of 45° offset from the hosel axis, but could be measured from any angle that is between 15° to about 75° all without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. Moreover, the measurement of length D4above is generally a measurement of the arc length as previously mentioned, despite it looking like a linear measurement inFIG.12. Finally, similar to the discussion above, a separate ratio of Hosel to Rear Overlap Length may be established by Equation (2) below, defining the relationship between the two components.

Ratio⁢of⁢Hosel⁢to⁢Rear⁢Overlap⁢Length=Hosel⁢transition⁢overlap⁢length⁢D⁢4Rear⁢overlap⁢length⁢⁢D⁢3Eq.(2)
The Hosel to Rear Overlap Ratio Length, in accordance with the present invention, may generally be greater than about 1.0, more preferably greater than about 1.5, and most preferably greater than about 2.0

It should be noted that most of the embodiments discussed here aims to create a releasable hosel hole cover, however, all of these embodiments may include glue to make the hosel hole cover stay within the hosel hole, removing the ability to remove the hosel hoe cover without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.

Other than in the operating example, or unless otherwise expressly specified, all of the numerical ranges, amounts, values and percentages such as those for amounts of materials, moment of inertias, center of gravity locations, loft, draft angles, various performance ratios, and others in the aforementioned portions of the specification may be read as if prefaced by the word “about” even though the term “about” may not expressly appear in the value, amount, or range. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the above specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. Furthermore, when numerical ranges of varying scope are set forth herein, it is contemplated that any combination of these values inclusive of the recited values may be used.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the present invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.