Particular Material Composition Or Mass Distribution Patents (Class 473/349)
  • Patent number: 11964192
    Abstract: Described herein is a golf club head that includes a body with a sole portion, a crown portion, a skirt portion, a forward region, and a rearward region. The golf club head also includes a face portion including a striking face with a maximum height from the ground plane of at least about 50 mm. A volume of the golf club head is at least about 370 cm3. The golf club head has a total club head mass between 190 grams and 210 grams, and the mass of the club head located above half of the peak crown height is less than or equal to 77 grams, and the percentage of the mass above half of the peak crown height is less than or equal to 39% of the total mass of the golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph Henry Hoffman, Joseph R. Nielson, Nathan T. Sargent, Christopher J. Harbert, Christian R. Wester
  • Patent number: 11813504
    Abstract: A golf club head with a sole having a low stiffness compliance zone, which allows the face to deflect downward upon impact with a golf ball, is disclosed herein. The compliance zone comprises a plurality of through openings that are filled with one or more filler pieces comprising a low modulus material, all of which are located within three inches of a face section measured along a front-to-back axis of the golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.
    Inventors: Alan Hocknell, Brandon D. DeMille, Irina Ivanova, William C. Watson, Timothy G. Scott, Romulus M. Tomimbang, Justin Del Rosario
  • Patent number: 11766595
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club weight attachment mechanisms are described herein. In some embodiments, a golf club head comprises a head body with an interior cavity, a shell portion, and a bracket with a weight member coupled to the bracket. In one embodiment, the bracket and the weight member can be configured to be fully contained within the interior cavity. Other examples and related methods are also described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Eric J. Morales, Martin R. Jertson, John A. Solheim
  • Patent number: 11759683
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head with a face having a ball-striking surface configured for striking a ball, a body connected to the face, and at least one channel in the ball-striking surface of the face. The region of highest COR response of the face is directionally enlarged toward the channel. Depending on the size, shape, and location of the channel, the face can be altered to provide greater COR response and increased energy transfer for impacts at specific locations on the face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: KARSTEN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
    Inventors: John T. Stites, Andrew G.V. Oldknow, Philip J. Hatton
  • Patent number: 11654337
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a bottom portion, a top portion, and a lightweight crown portion covering an opening in the top portion. The crown portion may include two or more integral ribs to stiffen the crown portion. The crown portion may be a composite crown portion formed in a mold by applying heat and pressure. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: PARSONS XTREME GOLF, LLC
    Inventors: Robert R. Parsons, Bradley D. Schweigert, Michael R. Nicolette
  • Patent number: 11541286
    Abstract: Described are embodiments of golf club heads having an internal cavity and features that cause the golf club head to have an improved acoustic performance when striking a golf ball. Some embodiments include one or more weight tracks and/or weight ports formed in the sole for receiving adjustable weights. The golf club heads can include one or more internal ribs, thickened wall regions, and/or posts positioned within the cavity that increase the rigidity of the club head and improve the acoustic performance of the club head when striking a ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Andrew Mata, Joe Hoffman, Brad Poston, Matthew David Johnson, Mark Vincent Greaney, Justin David Kleinert, Joseph Reeve Nielson, Christopher John Harbert, Nathan T. Sargent, Rachel Elizabeth Mullen, Christian Reber Wester
  • Patent number: 11491376
    Abstract: A golf club having unique mass properties and all the benefits afforded therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Justin Honea, Tim Reed, John Kendall
  • Patent number: 11241604
    Abstract: A golf club head includes: a sole; a crown; a toe; a heel opposite the toe; a strike face generally bounded by a face perimeter edge, the strike face comprising a geometric center; a rear portion; and a substantially enclosed interior cavity at least partially delimited by the sole, the crown, the strike face, and the rear portion. The golf club head also includes at least one rib having a first portion secured to the strike face, having a second portion secured to the crown, and being positioned such that a location on the strike face laterally spaced toe-ward from the geometric center by no less than 0.4 in is associated with a COR value no less than 0.825.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Robert J. Horacek, Nathaniel J. Radcliffe, John J. Rae, Michael J. Wallans, Sam G. Lacey
  • Patent number: 11235209
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a face; a body, the body defining an interior and an exterior; the face and the body together defining a center of gravity, the center of gravity being proximate the face; a coefficient of restitution feature defined in the body; wherein the coefficient of restitution feature defines a gap in the body. A golf club head includes a face and a golf club body; the face and the golf club body defining a center of gravity, the center of gravity defined a distance, ?z, from a ground plane as measured along a z-axis, the center of gravity defined a distance, CGy, from the center face along the y-axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd P. Beach, Matthew Greensmith, Matthew David Johnson, Jason Andrew Mata, Kraig Alan Willett, Nathan T. Sargent
  • Patent number: 11235208
    Abstract: A golf club head having a hollow portion therein includes a face portion for striking a ball and defining a leading edge, a sole portion extending rearwardly of the club head from the face portion and having an inner surface thereof facing the hollow portion, a club head thickness being equal to or less than 39.0 mm. The sole portion is provided on the inner surface with a weight portion extending along the leading edge and a thin wall region between the leading edge and the weight portion. The thin wall region has a length L of from 14.0 to 23.0 mm in a head front-rear direction. The thin wall region has a ratio t/L of a maximum thickness t (mm) thereof to the length L (mm) is in a range of from 0.040 to 0.080.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akio Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11213728
    Abstract: A golf club head and golf club having a large volume, large head dimensions, and/or large face characteristics, as well as unique mass property attributes driven by relationships not often considered in conventional club head design, to achieve a resistance to squaring the club head during a golf swing that is comfortable to the novice golfer, stability during off-center impacts, and preferred launch characteristics. This is achieved in part via establishing a club head configuration and associated center of gravity location that results in a preferred magnitude of Delta1 and Delta2 values, CG angle, moments of inertia, and associated ratios, relationships, and club head mass property characteristics influenced by these variables, to account for the scale of the club head and achieve improved performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Mark Vincent Greaney, John Francis Lorentzen, Matthew Greensmith, Craig Richard Slyfield
  • Patent number: 11141632
    Abstract: An iron-type golf club head is provided with a body having a volume less than 120 cc. The body can include a sole portion with two or more slots extending upwardly into the body through the sole portion into a cavity behind a face portion. A damper can be included in the cavity and in contact with a rear surface of the face portion. The club head can have a maximum CT proximate to the ideal striking location and a CT dropoff of no more than 110 ?s at a point located between a first and second scoreline proximate to the sole portion. The club head can also have a CG along the y-axis (CG-y) between 0.25 mm and 20 mm and a CG along a positive z-up axis (CG-z) between 12 mm and 25 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Taylor, Peter L. Larsen, Bret H. Wahl, Joshua J. Dipert
  • Patent number: 11117029
    Abstract: A ball striking device includes a ball striking plate having a front surface configured to strike a ball and a rear surface opposite the front surface. The ball striking plate has a desired-contact region and a perimeter. One or more spoke-like reinforcement ribs may be located on the rear surface and may radiate away from the desired-contact region toward the perimeter. At least one of the spoke-like reinforcement ribs may be located in an upper-toe quadrant or in an upper-heel quadrant of the rear surface. One or more encircling reinforcement ribs may be located on the rear surface. The one or more encircling reinforcement ribs may be at least partially encircling the desired-contact region. A thickened portion of the ball striking plate may be positioned behind the desired-contact region of the ball striking plate. The ball striking device may be a golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Byron C. Slaughter, William C. Knight, David N. Franklin, Jeremy Snyder
  • Patent number: 11103755
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a bottom portion, a top portion, and a crown portion covering an opening in the top portion. The crown portion may include a raised central crown portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: PARSONS XTREME GOLF, LLC
    Inventors: Robert R. Parsons, Bradley D. Schweigert, Michael R. Nicolette
  • Patent number: 11090532
    Abstract: A cavity back iron type club head includes a striking plate having a substantially planar striking surface and a rear surface defining a thickness therebetween. The rear surface defines a striking plate rear cavity region. A perimeter support is coupled to a peripheral portion of the striking plate. The surface area of the striking surface is related to the club head loft angle by the equation SSA?14.4(L)+2875, where SSA is the surface area of the striking surface in units of square-millimeters and L is the club head loft angle in units of degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Bret H. Wahl, Marni D. Ines
  • Patent number: 11071893
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a strike face, a crown, and a sole, and is formed from a forward section and a body section that are coupled together. The forward section includes the strike face, and the body section includes an upper shell defining a portion of the crown, a lower shell defining a portion of the sole, and an internal wall extending between the upper shell and the lower shell. The internal wall is molded from a polymeric material and is integrally formed with one of the upper shell and the lower shell. At least one of the upper shell and the lower shell defines an opening that is in communication with a cavity provided between the upper shell and the lower shell and at least partially defined by the internal wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Larson, Randy Garrido
  • Patent number: 11033786
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a striking face with a plurality of scorelines. A first virtual vertical plane is perpendicular to the striking face and passes through a toe-wardmost extent of the scorelines, and a second virtual vertical plane is parallel to the first virtual vertical plane and passes through a heel-wardmost extent of the scorelines. A central region bounded by the first virtual vertical plane, the second virtual vertical plane, and a striking face periphery has a first average surface roughness Ra1 of between about 40 ?in and about 180 ?in. And a majority of a toe region bounded by the first vertical plane and the striking face periphery is textured to have a second average surface roughness Ra2 no less than 1.5 times Ra1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Patrick Ripp, Jeff D. Brunski
  • Patent number: 10828540
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a club body including a crown, a sole, a skirt disposed between and connecting the crown and the sole and a face portion connected to a front end of the club body. The face portion includes a geometric center defining the origin of a coordinate system when the golf club head is ideally positioned, the coordinate system including an x-axis being tangent to the face portion at the origin and parallel to a ground plane, a y-axis intersecting the origin being parallel to the ground plane and orthogonal to the x-axis, and a z-axis intersecting the origin being orthogonal to both the x-axis and the y-axis. The golf club head defines a center of gravity CG, the CG being a distance CGY from the origin as measured along the y-axis and a distance CGZ from the origin as measured along the z-axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd P. Beach, John Francis Lorentzen, Bing-Ling Chao, Mark Vincent Greaney
  • Patent number: 10722763
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a golf club head being lightweight and having a high strength. A head 2 includes a face 4, a sole 8, and a crown 6. The face 4 includes a face surface fs and a face back surface fr. A plurality of projections (A) are provided on the face back surface fr. The projections (A) are point-like in a planar view. An optional first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction are defined in the planar view. Preferably, arrangement regularity of the projections (A) in the second direction is higher than arrangement regularity of the projections (A) in the first direction. Preferably, the first direction is a longitudinal direction; and the second direction is a lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Abe, Tatsuhiko Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 10695624
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a bottom portion, a top portion, and a crown portion covering an opening in the top portion. The crown portion may include a raised central crown portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: PARSONS XTREME GOLF, LLC
    Inventors: Robert R. Parsons, Bradley D. Schweigert, Michael R. Nicolette
  • Patent number: 10639525
    Abstract: A golf club set includes a plurality of golf clubs 1 having different loft angles. The golf clubs 1 include at least one 1st golf club 1A having a loft angle of less than 34 degrees, and at least one 2nd golf club 1B having a loft angle of not less than 34 degrees. Each of the at least one 1st golf club 1A and the at least one 2nd golf club 1B comprises a clubface 3 provided with a plurality of face grooves 8 having a depth. The depth of the face grooves 8 of the at least one 2nd golf club 1B is larger than the depth of the face grooves 8 of the at least one 1st golf club 1A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoyoshi Ueda, Masahiko Ueda, Shimpei Oyama, Yuki Nagano, Satoru Hanamitsu, Tomoya Hirano, Kenji Kii, Hiroshi Abe, Yasushi Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 10511116
    Abstract: It is aimed to reliably hold a terminal fitting in a dielectric while realizing miniaturization. A connector includes terminal fittings (20) connected to cores (16) of a shielded cable (15), a dielectric (23) made of synthetic resin and capable of accommodating the terminal fittings (20) in a positioned state, and an upper case (24) and a lower case (34) constituting a dielectric (23) by being united to sandwich the terminal fittings (20). The upper case (24) and the lower case (34) are united and divided in a direction intersecting an arrangement direction of the terminal fittings (20) and the cores (16) connected to the terminal fittings (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignees: AutoNetworks Technologies, Ltd., Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Maesoba, Toshifumi Ichio, Kimiyasu Okumura
  • Patent number: 10279227
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads having a hydrophobic surface and methods to manufacture such golf club heads are generally described herein. The golf club heads are configured to comprise a ball-striking face and at least two channels formed therein. The channels are separated by a land portion of the ball-striking face extending therebetween. The land portion is associated with at least a first step portion extending at a first elevation and a second step portion extending at a second elevation, the second elevation being higher than the first elevation relative to a bottom of the channels. Each of the first and second step portions is so dimensioned as to be associated with a substantially hydrophobic contact angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew W. Simone
  • Patent number: 10258837
    Abstract: A method of forming a golf club head assembly includes aligning a faceplate with a recess of a club head; welding the faceplate to the club head; then, after welding the faceplate, heating the club head and the faceplate to at least a solvus temperature of the faceplate for a predetermined amount of time; and then, after heating the club head and the faceplate, allowing the club head and the faceplate to air cool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew W. Simone, Evan R. Greer, Ryan M. Stokke
  • Patent number: 10258841
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a heel portion, a toe portion, a hosel, and a striking face. The striking face includes a plurality of scorelines each having an average depth no less than about 0.10 mm, a plurality of micro-grooves each having an average depth no greater than about 0.010 mm, and a plurality of textured surface treatment regions superimposed on the micro-grooves so as to at least partially intersect the micro-grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Roberto Aguayo, Jeffrey D. Brunski, Matthew R. Daraskavich, Sharon J. Park
  • Patent number: 10143903
    Abstract: A golf club and golf club head having a high static loft angle, low forward center of gravity, and enhanced z-axis gear effect via a large roll radius and/or tightly controlled moment of inertia about the CG x-axis, Ixx, associated with upward and downward twisting of the club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Vincent Greaney, Brandon H. Woolley
  • Patent number: 10143899
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. A golf club head may include a body portion having a face portion with regions of varying thickness. In one example, the golf club head may include a center portion with a first thickness, an outer wall portion with a second thickness less than the first thickness, and a plurality of inner wall portion with a third thickness less than the second thickness. The golf club head may include a body portion and a plurality of weight portions. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: PARSONS XTREME GOLF, LLC
    Inventors: Bradley D. Schweigert, Michael R. Nicolette, Caleb S. Kroloff
  • Patent number: 9975013
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club head sets with varying characteristics are disclosed herein. Other examples and related methods are also generally described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Marty R. Jertson, Bradley D. Schweigert, Michael R. Nicolette
  • Patent number: 9975017
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads having a hydrophobic surface and methods to manufacture such golf club heads are generally described herein. The golf club heads are configured to comprise a ball-striking face and at least two channels formed therein. The channels are separated by a land portion of the ball-striking face extending therebetween. The land portion is associated with at least a first step portion extending at a first elevation and a second step portion extending at a second elevation, the second elevation being higher than the first elevation relative to a bottom of the channels. Each of the first and second step portions is so dimensioned as to be associated with a substantially hydrophobic contact angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew W. Simone
  • Patent number: 9889352
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a set of golf clubs comprising long irons, mid-irons and short irons. The irons have a progressive horizontal CG location. Preferably, the long and MID irons have a CG located between about 1 mm and 3 mm towards the hosel and the short iron CG is located between about 3 mm and 4 mm toward the hosel. Further the irons have a substantially constant blade width with progressively decreasing scoreline width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Marni Ines, Jonathan Hebreo, Michael E. Franz, Eduardo Mendoza
  • Patent number: 9884231
    Abstract: An iron type golf club head comprising a blade portion located near a terminal end of said iron type golf club head forming a cavity near a bottom sole portion of said blade portion; a hosel portion located near a proximal end of said iron type golf club head; wherein said first material has a yield strength greater than about 570 MPa; wherein said second material has a yield strength less than about 570 MPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Hebreo, Uday V. Deshmukh, Marni Ines
  • Patent number: 9849354
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf clubs head sets with varying characteristics are disclosed herein. Other examples and related methods are also generally described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan M. Stokke, Martin R. Jertson, Michael R. Nicolette, John A. Solheim
  • Patent number: 9814954
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising an adjustable weighting feature including a tube extending from the crown to the sole of the golf club head is disclosed herein. More specifically, a golf club head formed from three pieces, namely a first piece comprising a face, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a hosel, a second piece comprising a rear end, a crown portion, and a sole portion, and a tube, wherein these pieces are welded to one another, is disclosed herein. Each of these pieces may be separately cast, forged, or formed from a metal material such as stainless steel, titanium alloy, and aluminum alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Joshua D. Westrum, James A. Seluga, Patrick Dawson, Sean P. Griffin
  • Patent number: 9764207
    Abstract: Golf club heads with slit features are described herein. Other embodiments and related methods are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Brandon L. Fossum
  • Patent number: 9713751
    Abstract: A wedge type golf club head is disclosed herein where the wedge type golf club head has enhanced performance characteristics such as improved backspin, ball speed, and launch angle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a wedge type golf club head having an adjustable center of gravity, where the center of gravity may be adjusted based on different backing profiles that comprises at least one hollow chamber. The wedge type golf club head disclosed above may also have a thickened topline, wherein the thickness of the topline progressively changes as a function of the loft angle of the wedge type golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Ronald K. Hettinger, Kevin Tassistro
  • Patent number: 9630070
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a hollow body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a bottom portion, a top portion, a plurality of ports on the bottom portion and a plurality of inner support portions in the hollow body portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: PARSONS XTREME GOLF, LLC
    Inventors: Robert R. Parsons, Bradley D. Schweigert, Michael R. Nicolette
  • Patent number: 9517392
    Abstract: An iron-type golf club head has a face for hitting a ball, a sole extending backward from the lower edge of the face and extending in the toe-heel direction of the head so as to define the bottom surface of the club head, and a hosel extending upward in a heel-side of the face and provided with a shaft inserting hole. The club head is composed of a head main body including the face, and a weight member having a specific gravity larger than that of the head main body and fixed to the head main body. The weight member integrally includes a first part extending in the toe-heel direction in the sole, and a second part constituting at least substantial portion of the hosel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
    Inventor: Naoyoshi Ueda
  • Patent number: 9517393
    Abstract: A hollow golf club head includes a metallic body, a club face, and a polymeric insert that cooperate to at least partially define a closed internal cavity. The metallic body includes a sole, a topline, and a rear wall defining an opening, with the rear wall being disposed between the topline and the sole. The club face is disposed between the topline and the sole, and on an opposite side of the sole from the rear wall. A strut extends across the opening and is secured to the body, and a polymeric insert covers the opening and is secured both to the body and to the strut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Cardani, Matt Daraskavich, Brian Kammerer, Pedro Maldonado, Michael Pinto
  • Patent number: 9370696
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, and a skirt extending between the crown and the sole and between the toe and the heel. The club head includes a drag-reducing structure that may include one or both of a continuous groove extending from a front portion to a rear edge of the toe, and along an entire length of the skirt, and a substantially V-shaped recess formed in the sole and having a vertex positioned proximate the ball striking face and the heel and away from the skirt and the toe, and a pair of legs extending to a point proximate the toe and away from the ball striking face, and curving toward the skirt and away from the ball striking face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc
    Inventors: Gary G. Tavares, Robert Boyd, John T. Stites, Andrew G. V. Oldknow
  • Patent number: 9330406
    Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting and fabricating individualized golf clubs or golf club components. Using a website, for example, a golfer can input relevant information about his or her golf game, receive recommendations for golf club components, select from the recommendations, and have the desired golf club components manufactured and delivered. In some embodiments, the golf club components include custom golf club heads fabricated using layer by layer processing, such as direct metal laser sintering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: COBRA GOLF INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Peter L. Soracco, Karl A. Clausen
  • Patent number: 9314675
    Abstract: Embodiments of a golf club head and methods to manufacture such a golf club head are generally described herein. The golf club head generally includes at least one ball-striking face, which comprises a titanium alloy that is associated with an average grain size measuring no more than about 1 micron (?m) in the longest dimension. The golf club head is associated with a coefficient of restitution of about 0.847 or more when a ball impacts the ball-striking face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Liang Quan
  • Patent number: 9238858
    Abstract: A method of forming a golf club head assembly includes aligning a faceplate with a recess of a club head; welding the faceplate to the club head; then, after welding the faceplate, heating the club head and the faceplate to at least a solvus temperature of the faceplate for a predetermined amount of time; and then, after heating the club head and the faceplate, allowing the club head and the faceplate to air cool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: KARSTEN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew W. Simone, Evan R. Greer, Ryan M. Stokke
  • Patent number: 9199144
    Abstract: A multi-piece iron golf club head is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention utilizes multi-piece construction to incorporate geometric features such as an undercut into a golf club head that is forged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Eduardo Mendoza, Jonathan A. Hebreo
  • Patent number: 9174098
    Abstract: A golf club head 2 is provided with a head body h1 and a CFRP member 16. The CFRP member 16 constitutes at least a part of a crown 6 or at least a part of a sole 8. The CFRP member 16 has a UD lamination part 18 having laminated UD layers. Orientation of a fiber is substantially set to three directions in the UD lamination part 18. When the three directions are a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction, preferably, an angle of the second direction to the first direction is substantially +60 degrees, and an angle of the third direction to the first direction is substantially ?60 degrees. Preferably, the UD lamination part 18 has a lamination symmetrical property in a fiber orientation angle. Preferably, the number of layers of the UD lamination part 18 is 5 or greater and 12 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Seiji Hayase, Masahide Onuki, Akio Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9168436
    Abstract: A ball striking device includes a ball striking plate having a front surface configured to strike a ball and a rear surface opposite the front surface. The ball striking plate has a desired-contact region and a perimeter. One or more spoke-like reinforcement ribs may be located on the rear surface and may radiate away from the desired-contact region toward the perimeter. At least one of the spoke-like reinforcement ribs may be located in an upper-toe quadrant or in an upper-heel quadrant of the rear surface. One or more encircling reinforcement ribs may be located on the rear surface. The one or more encircling reinforcement ribs may be at least partially encircling the desired-contact region. A thickened portion of the ball striking plate may be positioned behind the desired-contact region of the ball striking plate. The ball striking device may be a golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Byron C. Slaughter, William C. Knight, David N. Franklin, Jeremy Snyder
  • Patent number: 9127343
    Abstract: A surface treating method for a golf club head made of carbon steel basically has one nitriding step and two oxidizing steps. The method further has polishing, sandblasting and rinsing steps and so on processed prior to or between the basic steps, and then has polishing and oil immersing steps and so on processed after the basic steps. The finished golf club head has uniform dark appearance and also has good corrosion resistance and abrasion resistance. Furthermore, the surface of the finished golf club head does not peel off. Moreover, the method also has advantages including low pollution and low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Inventor: Chi-Hung Su
  • Publication number: 20150148149
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a club body including a crown, a sole, a skirt disposed between and connecting the crown and the sole and a face portion connected to a front end of the club body. The face portion includes a geometric center defining the origin of a coordinate system when the golf club head is ideally positioned, the coordinate system including an x-axis being tangent to the face portion at the origin and parallel to a ground plane, a y-axis intersecting the origin being parallel to the ground plane and orthogonal to the x-axis, and a z-axis intersecting the origin being orthogonal to both the x-axis and the y-axis. The golf club head defines a center of gravity CG, the CG being a distance CGY from the origin as measured along the y-axis and a distance CGZ from the origin as measured along the z-axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd P. Beach, John Francis Lorentzen, Bing-Ling Chao, Mark Vincent Greaney
  • Patent number: 9039542
    Abstract: Provided is a golf club having a head disposed at a front end of a shaft and a grip disposed at a back end of the shaft. A club weight is not larger than 290 g. A product of a ratio (head weight/club weight) of a head weight to the club weight, and a ratio (LG/LS) of a distance LG from the front end of the shaft to a center of gravity of the shaft to a full length LS of the shaft, is not smaller than 0.365.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakamura, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Takashi Nakano
  • Patent number: 9033814
    Abstract: Golf club heads which may include an iron-type golf club head body and an adjustable member configured to be engaged with iron-type golf club head body. The adjustable member may include a first surface and a second surface. The first surface of the adjustable member may form at least a portion of the sole of the iron-type golf club head and at least a portion of the rear of iron-type golf club head when the adjustable member is engaged with the iron-type golf club head body in a first orientation. Additionally, the second surface of the adjustable member may form at least a portion of the sole of the iron-type golf club head and at least a portion of the rear of iron-type golf club head when the adjustable member is engaged with the iron-type golf club head body in a second orientation, which is different from the first orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: John T. Stites, Robert Boyd, Raymond J. Sander, Hiromitsu Akiyama
  • Patent number: 9033818
    Abstract: A golf club head with a multi-material face is disclosed herein. The layers of the multi-material face are preferably attached to the club head using adhesive and mechanical methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Mark C. Myrhum, Uday V. Deshmukh