Patents by Inventor D. Clayton Evans

D. Clayton Evans has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11938382
    Abstract: A method of making a golf club head includes the steps of providing a face of a club head, the face having a ball striking surface and a perimeter defining a border of the ball striking surface, providing a golf club head body that includes a crown, a sole, a toe, and a heel, attaching the face to a front portion of the club head body, and milling the ball striking surface and an edge portion of the face to cut a machined surface into the ball striking surface and the edge portion. The milled surface includes a plurality of first grooves located along the ball striking surface and defining a first depth, and a plurality of second grooves located adjacent the perimeter along the edge portion and defining a second depth. The first depth is different than the second depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: COBRA GOLF INCORPORATED
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Cameron J. Day, Michael T. McDonnell, Ryan L. Roach, Douglas E. Roberts, Bryce Hobbs, Yi-Ching Liao
  • Patent number: 11850478
    Abstract: A crownplate for a golf club head comprises a shell formed from a first plurality of pre-preg plies and a second plurality of pre-preg plies and defines a first thickness area and a second thickness area. The first plurality of pre-preg plies comprise a resin material and a first plurality of fibers and the second plurality of pre-preg plies comprise a resin material and a second plurality of fibers. The second thickness area is thicker than the first thickness area. The first plurality of pre-preg plies comprise a first tensile strength, the second plurality of pre-preg plies comprise a second tensile strength, and the first tensile strength is higher than the second tensile strength. The second plurality of pre-preg plies define an outer periphery of the crownplate and the first plurality of pre-preg plies form a boundary that is disposed entirely within the outer periphery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Ryan L Roach, D. Clayton Evans
  • Patent number: 11679310
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body defining an exterior surface having a forward-most point and a rearward-most point that define a horizontal club head length therebetween that extends parallel to a ground plane. The body includes a face, a sole, and a crown. A front weight assembly having a first weight is secured with at least one fastener and defines a first center of gravity, and a rear weight assembly having a second weight is coupled with the body and defines a second center of gravity. A sole gap formed between an underside of the first weight and the sole defines a height of between 0.5 millimeters and 6 millimeters, the first center of gravity and the second center of gravity define a horizontal weight system length, and a ratio between the horizontal weight system length and the horizontal club head length is between 80% and 99%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Ryan L. Roach
  • Patent number: 11541283
    Abstract: A golf club head that includes a body defining an interior cavity and an exterior surface, the body including a face disposed within a forward portion and extending between a toe and a heel, a sole defining a bottom portion of the golf club head, and a crown defining a top portion of the golf club head. The golf club head further includes a front weight assembly having a first weight removably secured with a first fastener and a second fastener, the front weight assembly being disposed forward of a head center of gravity. The first fastener is disposed on a heel side of the front weight center of gravity, and the second fastener is disposed on a toe side of the front weight center of gravity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Ryan L. Roach
  • Patent number: 11524213
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body and an insert. The body defines a top side, a toe side, and a heel side, and includes a sole extending between the toe side and the heel side at a location on the body opposite to the top side. The body defines an internal volume defined between a ball-striking face and an internal wall. The insert is arranged within the internal volume and is formed layer by layer via an additive manufacturing process. The insert includes a lattice structure arranged between a rear surface of the ball-striking face and the internal wall. The lattice structure is in engagement with the rear surface and formed integrally with the ball-striking face and the internal wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Ryan L. Roach, Cameron J. Day, Bryce W. Hobbs, D. Clayton Evans
  • Patent number: 11511166
    Abstract: Summary A golf club face member is made by a manufacturing process, such as 3D printing, for a complex topology that is sturdy with good CT. 3D printing creates a face in which struts, a lattice-like structure, a waffle-iron pattern, or interior voids provide great strength and low mass. A golf club head has a club head body defining a heel portion and a toe portion and a hosel extending upward from the heel portion when the club head is at address. A face member is disposed between the heel portion and the toe portion such that it faces forward when the club head is at address. At least portion of the face member comprises a 3D printed material such as a 3D printed or sintered metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Ryan L. Roach, Cameron J. Day, D. Clayton Evans, Steven M. Mitzel
  • Patent number: 11406880
    Abstract: A method for forming a crownplate of a golf club head includes the steps of providing a first plurality of composite pre-preg plies, aligning the first plurality of pre-preg plies within a mold cavity in a first configuration in the shape of the crownplate, and heating the plurality of composite pre-preg plies to form the crownplate. The first configuration includes a first thickness area and a second thickness area. The second thickness area is thicker than the first thickness area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Ryan L. Roach, D. Clayton Evans
  • Patent number: 11285365
    Abstract: The invention provides golf clubs and methods of making golf clubs with machined perimeter faces. The club faces provide an accurate ball striking surface and improved aerodynamics. In particular, a surface is milled into the club face that expands over an edge of a ball striking surface and onto a portion of the face adjacent to at least one of a crown, a sole, a toe, or a heel. During a swing, the milled surface causes the boundary layer of airflow to separate at a point closer to the rear of the club head, resulting in reduced drag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: COBRA GOLF INCORPORATED
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Cameron J. Day, Michael T. McDonnell, Ryan L. Roach, Douglas E. Roberts, Bryce Hobbs, Yi-ching Liao
  • Patent number: 11207577
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body, a first weight assembly, and a second weight assembly. The body defines an interior cavity and an exterior surface having a forward-most point and a rearward-most point. The body includes a face disposed within a forward portion of the golf club head, a sole defining a bottom portion of a golf club head, a crown defining a top portion of the golf club head, and a skirt positioned about a portion of a periphery of the golf club head between the sole and the crown. The first weight assembly extends between the toe and the heel, has a first center of gravity, and is configured to engage a forward weight cavity mount that is formed in the sole. The second weight assembly defines a second center of gravity and is configured to engage a rearward weight aperture that is formed in the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventor: D. Clayton Evans
  • Patent number: 11033782
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body, a first weight assembly, and a second weight assembly. The body defines an interior cavity and an exterior surface having a forward-most point and a rearward-most point. The body includes a face disposed within a forward portion of the golf club head, a sole defining a bottom portion of a golf club head, a crown defining a top portion of the golf club head, and a skirt positioned about a portion of a periphery of the golf club head between the sole and the crown. The first weight assembly extends between the toe and the heel, has a first center of gravity, and is configured to engage a forward weight cavity mount that is formed in the sole. The second weight assembly defines a second center of gravity and is configured to engage a rearward weight aperture that is formed in the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Ryan L. Roach
  • Patent number: 10850169
    Abstract: The invention provides a golf club head with an openwork (e.g., lattice-like or trellis-like) internal structural element that provides strength and stiffening at key points of the club head and/or attenuates sound while adding little to the overall mass due to the defined or irregular patterns of holes, piercings, gaps, or apertures through surfaces of the material. A golf club head may be given an openwork internal rib that reinforces regions of high strain, thereby minimizing material fatigue and preventing early breakage of the club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: COBRA GOLF INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Cameron J. Day, D. Clayton Evans, Steven M. Mitzel
  • Patent number: 10835787
    Abstract: The invention provides golf clubs and methods of making golf clubs with machined perimeter faces. The club faces provide an accurate ball striking surface and improved aerodynamics. In particular, a surface is milled into the club face that expands over an edge of a ball striking surface and onto a portion of the face adjacent to at least one of a crown, a sole, a toe, or a heel. During a swing, the milled surface causes the boundary layer of airflow to separate at a point closer to the rear of the club head, resulting in reduced drag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: COBRA GOLF CORPORATION
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Cameron J. Day, Michael T. McDonnell, Ryan L. Roach, Douglas E. Roberts, Bryce Hobbs, Yi-ching Liao
  • Patent number: 10821337
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a heel, a toe, a sole, and a rail. The toe is opposite the heel. The sole is between the toe and the heel. The sole has a forward portion and an aft portion. A forward-aft direction is defined from the forward portion to the aft portion. A heel-toe direction is defined from the heel to the toe. The rail extends outwardly from the sole along the forward-aft direction. The rail and the sole define an open-ended first channel extending along the rail in the forward-aft direction. The rail defines a second channel extending in the heel-toe direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: COBRA GOLF INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Bryce Hobbs, D. Clayton Evans, Cameron J. Day, Tim A. Beno, Ryan L. Roach
  • Patent number: 10532254
    Abstract: This disclosure describes golf club heads with optimized aerodynamics, in which a highly-lifted trailing edge minimizes drag, and in which a protruding element optimizes a location of a club head center of gravity. Features of the disclosure reduce drag forces on a club head during a golf swing and consequently reduce the work required to move the club head through the air. Thus, the club heads allow golfers to achieve faster golf swing velocities and increase golf shot distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Michael S. Yagley, Cameron J. Day
  • Patent number: 10512827
    Abstract: A golf club head with at least one hollow rail disposed on the sole of the club head body, and an insert positioned within at least a portion of the at least one hollow rail. The insert may include a thermoplastic polymer, such as thermoplastic urethane, and may be positioned to beneficially modify a mass distribution of the club head. By providing sole rail(s), a player may benefit from improved ball speed due to the improved interaction between the club head and turf or ground. The golf club head may further include a channel along a length of the sole of the club head, wherein the channel traverses the at least one hollow rail. The channel may extend in a heel-toe direction along the sole and allow greater flexibility in the club head upon impact with a golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Bryce Hobbs, D. Clayton Evans, Cameron J. Day, Tim A. Beno, Ryan L. Roach
  • Patent number: 10343031
    Abstract: The invention provides a golf club head with an openwork (e.g., lattice-like or trellis-like) internal structural element that provides strength and stiffening at key points of the club head and/or attenuates sound while adding little to the overall mass due to the defined or irregular patterns of holes, piercings, gaps, or apertures through surfaces of the material. A golf club head may be given an openwork internal rib that reinforces regions of high strain, thereby minimizing material fatigue and preventing early breakage of the club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Cameron J. Day, D. Clayton Evans, Steven M. Mitzel
  • Publication number: 20180200590
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a weighting system allowing for rapid addition and removal of interchangeable weighted inserts to a golf club. The weighting system includes one or more weight housings strategically positioned on the sole of the club head, wherein each housing includes a receptacle configured to receive one or more weighted inserts within and a corresponding cover assembly configured to be releasably coupled to the receptacle to either retain one or more weighted inserts within the receptacle or simply cover an otherwise empty receptacle. The receptacle is weight-relieved to compensate for the mass of the cover assembly. Due to the conservation of mass achieved as a result of the weight-relief design on the receptacles, the weight system allows for covers to be used to cover both filled and empty receptacles alike, without undermining the intended weight distribution which occurs in current club head designs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Steven M. Mitzel
  • Patent number: 10004958
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a golf club head comprising one or more center of gravity and bias adjustment features. In some embodiments, the golf club head comprises an elongated cartridge having one or more sockets or weight ports to receive weight plugs, the arrangement of which can be changed to adjust the mass properties of the golf club head. The orientation of the cartridge itself can also be reversed to adjust the mass properties. In other embodiments, the golf club head comprises at least one semicircular weight ring that extends around the rear portion of the golf club head, and is removable and replaceable to adjust the mass properties of the golf club head. In still other embodiments, these features are combined on one head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Larry Tang, James A. Seluga, D. Clayton Evans
  • Patent number: D884101
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: COBRA GOLF INCORPORATED
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Douglas E. Roberts, Ryan L. Roach, Yi-Ching Liao
  • Patent number: D990596
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Michael S. Yagley