Patents by Inventor Kraig Alan Willett
Kraig Alan Willett 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).
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Publication number: 20210268341Abstract: A golf club head comprises a sole, a recessed sole port in the sole; and a rotatably adjustable sole piece adapted to be at least partially received within the sole port and comprising a central body having a plurality of contact surfaces adapted to contact the sole port and being offset from each other along a central axis extending through the central body of the sole piece. The sole piece can be positioned at least partially within the sole port at five or more rotational and axial positions with respect to the central axis, wherein at each rotational position, at least one of said contact surfaces of the central body contacts the sole port to set the axial position of the sole piece. The sole port and/or the sole piece can be generally pentagonal in shape.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2021Publication date: September 2, 2021Applicant: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Todd P. Beach, Kraig Alan Willett, Nathan T. Sargent, Michael Franz
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Patent number: 11077344Abstract: A golf club head comprises a body having a face, a crown and a sole together defining an interior cavity. The body having a channel located on the sole and extending generally from a heel end of the body to a toe end of the body. A weight member movably positioned within the channel such that a position of the weight member within the channel is able to be adjusted, thereby adjusting a location of a center of gravity of the body. Additionally, adjustment of the weight member provides a maximum x-axis adjustment range of the position of the center of gravity (Max ?CGx) that is greater than 2 mm and a maximum z-axis adjustment range of the center of gravity (Max ?CGz) that is less than 2 mm.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2019Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Joseph Reeve Nielson, Nathan T. Sargent, Christopher John Harbert, Todd P. Beach, Brian Bazzel, Mark Vincent Greaney, Christian Reber Wester, Craig Richard Slyfield, Matthew David Johnson, Matthew Greensmith, Kraig Alan Willett
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Publication number: 20210205670Abstract: A golf club includes a golf club head having a body defining an interior cavity. The body includes a sole, a crown and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown. A face defines a forward portion of the club head and includes a striking surface width and a hosel defining a hosel bore. A channel and a recessed port are positioned in the sole. The channel extends substantially in a heel-to-toe direction. A sleeve is mounted on a tip end of the golf club shaft and is adapted to be inserted into the hosel bore. A fastener has a shaft portion extending through a passage and a head portion located in the recessed port. Selectively attaching the sleeve adjusts at least one of a loft angle and a lie angle of the club head.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2020Publication date: July 8, 2021Applicant: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Christopher John Harbert, Todd P. Beach, Matthew David Johnson, Nathan T. Sargent, Kraig Alan Willett, Michelle Penney, Marc Kronenberg, Matthew Greensmith, Joseph Henry Hoffman
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Patent number: 11045694Abstract: An aerodynamic golf club head with a low center of gravity and producing reduced aerodynamic drag forces. The club head has crown section attributes and material attributes that impart beneficial aerodynamic properties and performance.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2019Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.Inventors: Kraig Alan Willett, Jeffrey J. Albertsen, Michael Scott Burnett
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Publication number: 20210170244Abstract: Golf club heads include at least one weight port situated to retain weights and positioned above an approximate club face geometric center with the club in a standard address position. One, two, or more weight ports can be located above the club face center in a club crown or other portion of a club body. Club head vertical center of gravity can be selected to compensate dynamic loft associated with locating the club head center of gravity well behind the club face. Three-dimensional adjustment of club head center of gravity is possible.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2021Publication date: June 10, 2021Applicant: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Kraig Alan Willett, Todd P. Beach, Christopher John Harbert, Gery Mel Zimmerman
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Publication number: 20210162272Abstract: A golf club head includes a body defining an interior cavity. The body includes a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown. The body has a forward portion and a rearward portion. The club head includes a face positioned at the forward portion of the body. In some embodiments, the crown includes a lattice-like structure having thin regions surrounded by a web of relatively thicker regions. In some embodiments, the club head includes one or more stiffening tubes attached between the sole and the crown to improve the acoustic performance of the golf club head.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2020Publication date: June 3, 2021Applicant: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Matthew Greensmith, Todd P. Beach, Nathan T. Sargent, Kraig Alan Willett, Joshua J. Dipert
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Publication number: 20210162273Abstract: A golf club head includes a body defining an interior cavity. The body includes a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown. The body has a forward portion and a rearward portion. The club head includes a face positioned at the forward portion of the body. In some embodiments, the crown includes a lattice-like structure having thin regions surrounded by a web of relatively thicker regions. In some embodiments, the club head includes one or more stiffening tubes attached between the sole and the crown to improve the acoustic performance of the golf club head.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2021Publication date: June 3, 2021Applicant: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Matthew Greensmith, Todd P. Beach, Nathan T. Sargent, Kraig Alan Willett, Joshua J. Dipert
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Publication number: 20210146201Abstract: Golf club heads are described having a club head portion, a shaft portion connected to the club head portion, and a grip portion connected to the shaft portion. The club head portion has a heel portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a hosel portion, and a striking face. The striking face can have a center face roll contour, a toe side roll contour, a heel side roll contour, a center face bulge contour, a crown side bulge contour, and a sole side bulge contour. The toe side roll contour can be more lofted than the center face roll contour. The heel side roll contour can be less lofted than the center face roll contour. The crown side bulge contour can be more open than the center face bulge contour, and the sole side bulge contour can be more closed than the center face bulge contour.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2020Publication date: May 20, 2021Applicant: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Mark Vincent Greaney, Kraig Alan Willett, Joe Hoffman, Todd P. Beach, Robert Story, Jake Feuerstein, Michelle Penney, Bradley Poston, Christopher Rollins, Joseph Yu, Bing-Ling Chao
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Publication number: 20210146202Abstract: Golf club heads are described herein, and in one embodiment including a body with an exterior surface defining a first body volume of at least about 400 cm3. The body has a bottom portion, a top portion, a front portion, and a back portion. A face positioned at the front portion of the body and is configured to receive an impact. A top portion silhouette profile located along a perimeter of the top portion is further described. The top portion silhouette profile defines the outer bounds of the top portion in an X-direction and Y-direction. At least one indentation can be located on the bottom portion below the crown silhouette profile. The removal of the at least one indentation from the bottom portion can create a second body volume that is at least 12 cm3 larger than the first body volume.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2020Publication date: May 20, 2021Inventors: Todd P. Beach, Nathan T. Sargent, Kraig Alan Willett
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Publication number: 20210128993Abstract: A golf club head includes a golf club body including a crown, a sole, and a skirt connected between the crown and the sole, the golf club body including a front including a leading edge and a back including a trailing edge, and a hosel connected to the golf club body; a face connected to the front of the golf club body, the face including a geometric center, the golf club head including modifiable boundary conditions.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2020Publication date: May 6, 2021Applicant: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Kraig Alan Willett, Matthew Greensmith, Andrew James, Jason Andrew Mata, Matthew David Johnson, David Anderson, Brandon H. Woolley
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Publication number: 20210121749Abstract: Golf club heads include at least one weight port situated to retain weights and positioned above an approximate club face geometric center with the club in a standard address position. One, two, or more weight ports can be located above the club face center in a club crown or other portion of a club body. Club head vertical center of gravity can be selected to compensate dynamic loft associated with locating the club head center of gravity well behind the club face. Three-dimensional adjustment of club head center of gravity is possible.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2020Publication date: April 29, 2021Applicant: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Kraig Alan Willett, Todd P. Beach, Christopher John Harbert, Gery Mel Zimmerman
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Patent number: 10960277Abstract: An iron-type golf club head has a hosel portion, a heel portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a topline portion, and a striking face including a center face location. A toe side topline-to-sole contour of the striking face is more lofted than a center face topline-to-sole contour of the striking face, a heel side topline-to-sole contour of the striking face is less lofted than the center face topline-to-sole contour, a topline side toe-to-heel contour of the striking face is more open than a center face toe-to-heel contour of the striking face, and a sole side toe-to-heel contour of the striking face is more closed than the center face toe-to-heel contour. The toe side topline-to-sole contour, the center face topline-to-sole contour, the heel side topline-to-sole contour, the topline side toe-to-heel contour, the center face toe-to-heel contour, and the sole side toe-to-heel contour are straight line contours.Type: GrantFiled: December 26, 2019Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Mark Vincent Greaney, Kraig Alan Willett, Joe Hoffman, Todd P. Beach, Connor Mark Halberg, Andrew Kickertz, Joseph Yu, Bing-Ling Chao
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Patent number: 10953292Abstract: A golf club head comprises a sole, a recessed sole port in the sole; and a rotatably adjustable sole piece adapted to be at least partially received within the sole port and comprising a central body having a plurality of contact surfaces adapted to contact the sole port and being offset from each other along a central axis extending through the central body of the sole piece. The sole piece can be positioned at least partially within the sole port at five or more rotational and axial positions with respect to the central axis, wherein at each rotational position, at least one of said contact surfaces of the central body contacts the sole port to set the axial position of the sole piece. The sole port and/or the sole piece can be generally pentagonal in shape.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2019Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Todd P. Beach, Kraig Alan Willett, Nathan T. Sargent, Michael Franz
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Patent number: 10898764Abstract: A golf club includes a golf club head having a body defining an interior cavity. The body includes a sole, a crown and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown. A face defines a forward portion of the club head and includes a striking surface width and a hosel defining a hosel bore. A channel and a recessed port are positioned in the sole. The channel extends substantially in a heel-to-toe direction. A sleeve is mounted on a tip end of the golf club shaft and is adapted to be inserted into the hosel bore. A fastener has a shaft portion extending through a passage and a head portion located in the recessed port. Selectively attaching the sleeve adjusts at least one of a loft angle and a lie angle of the club head.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Christopher John Harbert, Todd P. Beach, Matthew David Johnson, Nathan T. Sargent, Kraig Alan Willett, Michelle Penney, Marc Kronenberg, Matthew Greensmith, Joseph Henry Hoffman
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Patent number: 10888742Abstract: A golf club head includes a body defining an interior cavity. The body includes a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown. The body has a forward portion and a rearward portion. The club head includes a face positioned at the forward portion of the body. In some embodiments, the crown includes a lattice-like structure having thin regions surrounded by a web of relatively thicker regions. In some embodiments, the club head includes one or more stiffening tubes attached between the sole and the crown to improve the acoustic performance of the golf club head.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2019Date of Patent: January 12, 2021Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Matthew Greensmith, Todd P. Beach, Nathan T. Sargent, Kraig Alan Willett, Joshua J. Dipert
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Patent number: 10881918Abstract: Golf club heads are described herein, and in one embodiment including a body with an exterior surface defining a first body volume of at least about 400 cm3. The body has a bottom portion, a top portion, a front portion, and a back portion. A face positioned at the front portion of the body and is configured to receive an impact. A top portion silhouette profile located along a perimeter of the top portion is further described. The top portion silhouette profile defines the outer bounds of the top portion in an X-direction and Y-direction. At least one indentation can be located on the bottom portion below the crown silhouette profile. The removal of the at least one indentation from the bottom portion can create a second body volume that is at least 12 cm3 larger than the first body volume.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2019Date of Patent: January 5, 2021Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.Inventors: Todd P. Beach, Nathan T. Sargent, Kraig Alan Willett
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Patent number: 10881916Abstract: Golf club heads are described having a club head portion, a shaft portion connected to the club head portion, and a grip portion connected to the shaft portion. The club head portion has a heel portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a hosel portion, and a striking face. The striking face can have a center face roll contour, a toe side roll contour, a heel side roll contour, a center face bulge contour, a crown side bulge contour, and a sole side bulge contour. The toe side roll contour can be more lofted than the center face roll contour. The heel side roll contour can be less lofted than the center face roll contour. The crown side bulge contour can be more open than the center face bulge contour, and the sole side bulge contour can be more closed than the center face bulge contour.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2020Date of Patent: January 5, 2021Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Mark Vincent Greaney, Kraig Alan Willett, Joe Hoffman, Todd P. Beach, Robert Story, Jake Feuerstein, Michelle Penney, Bradley Poston, Christopher Rollins, Joseph Yu, Bing-Ling Chao
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Patent number: 10874916Abstract: A golf club head includes a golf club body including a crown, a sole, and a skirt connected between the crown and the sole, the golf club body including a front including a leading edge and a back including a trailing edge, and a hosel connected to the golf club body; a face connected to the front of the golf club body, the face including a geometric center, the golf club head including modifiable boundary conditions.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2018Date of Patent: December 29, 2020Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Kraig Alan Willett, Matthew Greensmith, Andrew James, Jason Andrew Mata, Matthew David Johnson, David Anderson, Brandon H. Woolley
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Patent number: 10857429Abstract: Golf club heads are described herein, and in one embodiment including a body with an exterior surface defining a first body volume of at least about 400 cm3. The body has a bottom portion having a sole, a top portion, a front portion, a back portion, and a front-rear dimension of at least about 111 mm. A face positioned at the front portion of the body and is configured to receive an impact. A groove located in the sole and extending from the heel portion to the toe portion. The golf club head has a moment of inertia about a center of gravity z-axis of at least about 450 kg·mm2 and a coefficient of restitution greater than about 0.810.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2019Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.Inventors: Todd P. Beach, Nathan T. Sargent, Kraig Alan Willett
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Patent number: 10835790Abstract: Golf club heads include at least one weight port situated to retain weights and positioned above an approximate club face geometric center with the club in a standard address position. One, two, or more weight ports can be located above the club face center in a club crown or other portion of a club body. Club head vertical center of gravity can be selected to compensate dynamic loft associated with locating the club head center of gravity well behind the club face. Three-dimensional adjustment of club head center of gravity is possible.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2019Date of Patent: November 17, 2020Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Kraig Alan Willett, Todd P. Beach, Christopher John Harbert, Gery Mel Zimmerman