Patents by Inventor Gary G. Tavares

Gary G. Tavares 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).

  • Publication number: 20160317879
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, a back and a hosel region, located at the intersection of the ball striking face, the heel, the crown and the sole. The body member may have a first cross-section having a first airfoil-shaped surface in the heel. The first cross-section may be oriented at approximately 90° from the centerline of the club head. The body member may have a second cross-section having a second airfoil-shaped surface. The second cross-section may be oriented at approximately 45° or at approximately 70°. The airfoil-shaped surfaces may be defined by spline points or by equations. A golf club including the golf club head is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Gary G. Tavares, Robert M. Boyd, John T. Stites
  • Publication number: 20160193510
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, a rear, and a hosel region. The heel includes an airfoil-like surface shaped like the leading edge of an airfoil that extends over a majority of the length of the heel. The back may include a Kammback feature having a concavity extending from the heel-side to the toe-side of the back. The heel-side edge of the concavity may be shaped like the leading edge of an airfoil. Further, the sole may include a diffuser that extends at an angle of from approximately 10 degrees to approximately 80 degrees from a moment-of-impact trajectory direction. A hosel fairing that extends from the hosel region toward the toe may also be provided on the crown. A golf club including the golf club head is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Inventors: John Thomas Stites, Robert Boyd, Gary G. Tavares
  • Patent number: 9375617
    Abstract: A golf club head may include a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, a back, and a hosel region located at the intersection of the ball striking face, the heel, the crown and the sole. The crown may have a relatively round rear-side edge profile, as viewed from above. The sole may have a relatively square rear-side edge profile, as viewed from below. The rear-side edge of the sole may extend rearwardly beyond the rear-side edge of the crown along at least a portion of the back, as viewed from above. Further, the heel may have an airfoil-like surface in the forward portion of the heel. A golf club including the golf club head is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc
    Inventors: Robert Boyd, John Thomas Stites, Gary G. Tavares
  • 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: 9314677
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, a rear, and a hosel region. The heel includes an airfoil-like surface shaped like the leading edge of an airfoil that extends over a majority of the length of the heel. The back may include a Kammback feature having a concavity extending from the heel-side to the toe-side of the back. The heel-side edge of the concavity may be shaped like the leading edge of an airfoil. Further, the sole may include a diffuser that extends at an angle of from approximately 10 degrees to approximately 80 degrees from a moment-of-impact trajectory direction. A hosel fairing that extends from the hosel region toward the toe may also be provided on the crown. A golf club including the golf club head is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: John Thomas Stites, Robert Boyd, Gary G. Tavares
  • Publication number: 20150335965
    Abstract: Golf clubs and/or golf club heads include a club head body defining an interior chamber, structure for engaging a shaft with the body, and/or a shaft engaged with the body. The club head body may have an overall length of at least 4.5 inches and an overall breadth of at least 4.2 inches. In other examples, the club head body may have an overall length of at least 4.6 inches and a ratio of the overall breadth dimension to the overall length dimension of 1 or less. If desired, the ratio of the head breadth to head length dimensions may be in a range from at least 0.94 to 1 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: John T. Stites, Gary G. Tavares
  • Patent number: 9095752
    Abstract: Golf clubs and/or golf club heads include a club head body defining an interior chamber, structure for engaging a shaft with the body, and/or a shaft engaged with the body. The club head body may have an overall length of at least 4.5 inches and an overall breadth of at least 4.2 inches. In other examples, the club head body may have an overall length of at least 4.6 inches and a ratio of the overall breadth dimension to the overall length dimension of 1 or less. If desired, the ratio of the head breadth to head length dimensions may be in a range from at least 0.94 to 1 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: John T. Stites, Gary G. Tavares
  • Patent number: 9079368
    Abstract: Wood-type golf clubs and/or golf club heads include: (a) a golf club head base member including a face member having a ball striking face; and (b) a polymeric body member engaged with the golf club head base member, wherein the polymeric body member is formed via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process) and/or engaged with the golf club head base member via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process). The polymeric body member forms at least a portion of a crown member of the club head in some structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary G. Tavares, Todd Anthony Waatti, John Thomas Stites
  • Publication number: 20150165285
    Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure relate to a golf club head which includes a wood type golf club head body including a ball striking face portion at a front side thereof, a rear side opposite the front side, a crown portion, and a sole portion. Further, the sole or crown or rear portion of the golf club head body may be configured so that the golf club head body includes a bump portion which protrudes from the sole or crown or rear portion and an indented portion which recedes into the sole or crown or rear portion and creates a recess in the sole or crown or rear portion of the golf club head body. Further, the bump portion and the indented portion may be configured so that a center of gravity of the club head body is nearer to one of the heel edge of the club head body and the toe edge of the club head body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: John T. Stites, Gary G. Tavares
  • Publication number: 20150141164
    Abstract: Wood-type golf clubs and/or golf club heads include: (a) a golf club head base member including a face member having a ball striking face; and (b) a polymeric body member engaged with the golf club head base member, wherein the polymeric body member is formed via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process) and/or engaged with the golf club head base member via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process). The polymeric body member forms at least a portion of a crown member of the club head in some structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: John T. Stites, Gary G. Tavares, Todd Anthony Waatti
  • Patent number: 8961337
    Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure relate to a golf club head which includes a wood type golf club head body including a ball striking face portion at a front side, a rear side, a crown portion, and a sole portion. Further, the sole or crown or rear portion of the club head body may be configured so that the body includes a bump portion which protrudes from the sole or crown or rear portion and an indented portion which recedes into the sole or crown or rear portion and creates a recess in the sole or crown or rear portion of the body. Further, the bump portion and the indented portion may be configured so that a center of gravity of the golf club head body is nearer to one of the heel edge of the body and the toe edge of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: John T. Stites, Gary G. Tavares
  • Publication number: 20140371000
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, a back and a hosel region, located at the intersection of the ball striking face, the heel, the crown and the sole. The body member may have a first cross-section having a first airfoil-shaped surface in the heel. The first cross-section may be oriented at approximately 90° from the centerline of the club head. The body member may have a second cross-section having a second airfoil-shaped surface. The second cross-section may be oriented at approximately 45° or at approximately 70°. The airfoil-shaped surfaces may be defined by spline points or by equations. A golf club including the golf club head is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Gary G. Tavares, Robert Boyd, John T. Stites
  • Publication number: 20140371001
    Abstract: A golf club head may include a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, a back, and a hosel region located at the intersection of the ball striking face, the heel, the crown and the sole. The crown may have a relatively round rear-side edge profile, as viewed from above. The sole may have a relatively square rear-side edge profile, as viewed from below. The rear-side edge of the sole may extend rearwardly beyond the rear-side edge of the crown along at least a portion of the back, as viewed from above. Further, the heel may have an airfoil-like surface in the forward portion of the heel. A golf club including the golf club head is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Robert Boyd, John Thomas Stites, Gary G. Tavares
  • Publication number: 20140333005
    Abstract: Wood-type golf clubs and/or golf club heads include: (a) a golf club head base member including a face member having a ball striking face; and (b) a polymeric body member engaged with the golf club head base member, wherein the polymeric body member is formed via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process) and/or engaged with the golf club head base member via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process). The polymeric body member forms at least a portion of a crown member of the club head in some structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventors: John T. Stites, Gary G. Tavares, Todd A. Waatti
  • Patent number: 8876623
    Abstract: A golf club head system and a golf club head for inclusion into a golf club are provided. The golf club head system includes two or more rear or secondary body members, each configured for interchangeable attachment to a front or main body member. Each rear body member may have a different external shape, and each rear body member may have a different combination of center-of-gravity and moment-of-inertia characteristics. The system further includes a detachable attachment element for interchangeably and detachably attaching the rear body members to the front body member. The system may further include the front body member, wherein the front body member has a striking surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Boyd, Gary G. Tavares, John Thomas Stites
  • Publication number: 20140302943
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, a rear, and a hosel region. The heel includes an airfoil-like surface shaped like the leading edge of an airfoil that extends over a majority of the length of the heel. The back may include a Kammback feature having a concavity extending from the heel-side to the toe-side of the back. The heel-side edge of the concavity may be shaped like the leading edge of an airfoil. Further, the sole may include a diffuser that extends at an angle of from approximately 10 degrees to approximately 80 degrees from a moment-of-impact trajectory direction. A hosel fairing that extends from the hosel region toward the toe may also be provided on the crown. A golf club including the golf club head is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Inventors: John Thomas Stites, Robert Boyd, Gary G. Tavares
  • Patent number: 8821311
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, a back and a hosel region, located at the intersection of the ball striking face, the heel, the crown and the sole. The body member may have a first cross-section having a first airfoil-shaped surface in the heel. The first cross-section may be oriented at approximately 90° from the centerline of the club head. The body member may have a second cross-section having a second airfoil-shaped surface. The second cross-section may be oriented at approximately 45° or at approximately 70°. The airfoil-shaped surfaces may be defined by spline points or by equations. A golf club including the golf club head is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary G. Tavares, Robert Boyd, John T. Stites
  • Patent number: 8821309
    Abstract: A golf club head may include a body member having a ball striking face, a crown, a toe, a heel, a sole, a back, and a hosel region located at the intersection of the ball striking face, the heel, the crown and the sole. The crown may have a relatively round rear-side edge profile, as viewed from above. The sole may have a relatively square rear-side edge profile, as viewed from below. The rear-side edge of the sole may extend rearwardly beyond the rear-side edge of the crown along at least a portion of the back, as viewed from above. Further, the heel may have an airfoil-like surface in the forward portion of the heel. A golf club including the golf club head is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Boyd, John Thomas Stites, Gary G. Tavares
  • Patent number: 8814722
    Abstract: Wood-type golf club heads (e.g., drivers, fairway woods, wood-type hybrid clubs, or the like) include: (a) a ball striking face; (b) a club head body engaged or integrally formed with the ball striking face, wherein the club head body includes a crown portion, the crown portion including a fixed portion proximal to the ball striking face, and a removable weight portion, which is configured to be coupled with the fixed portion on a side of the crown potion away from the ball striking face. The club head body may further include an interior portion with a frame member defined therein. The crown weight may further include a weight member attached to the frame member, the weight member including at least one receptacle defined therein. The removable weight portion may further include at least one weight insert supported within the weight member in the at least one receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: John T. Stites, Robert Boyd, William F. Rauchholz, Gary G. Tavares
  • Patent number: 8814723
    Abstract: Wood-type golf clubs and/or golf club heads include: (a) a golf club head base member including a face member having a ball striking face; and (b) a polymeric body member engaged with the golf club head base member, wherein the polymeric body member is formed via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process) and/or engaged with the golf club head base member via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process). The polymeric body member forms at least a portion of a crown member of the club head in some structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary G. Tavares, Todd Anthony Waatti, John Thomas Stites