Patents by Inventor Steven M. Ehlers

Steven M. Ehlers 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: 20140248974
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising an aerodynamic hosel is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the hosel has an upper portion and a swept transition portion which connects to the golf club head, and all points at which the swept transition portion contacts the club head are spaced rearwardly from a vertical face plane. In a further embodiment, both the upper portion and the swept transition portion comprise coaxial shaft receiving bores. In yet another embodiment, the swept transition portion of the hosel has a trailing edge that is truncated, or that has one or more surface discontinuities. In yet another embodiment, the swept transition portion has a height and a diameter, each of which is less than or equal to one inch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: CALLAWAY GOLF COMPANY
    Inventor: Steven M. Ehlers
  • Patent number: 8758157
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising an aerodynamic hosel is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the hosel has an upper portion and a swept transition portion which connects to the golf club head, and all points at which the swept transition portion contacts the club head are spaced rearwardly from a vertical face plane. In a further embodiment, both the upper portion and the swept transition portion comprise coaxial shaft receiving bores. In yet another embodiment, the swept transition portion of the hosel has a trailing edge that is truncated, or that has one or more surface discontinuities. In yet another embodiment, the swept transition portion has a height and a diameter, each of which is less than or equal to one inch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: Steven M. Ehlers
  • Patent number: 8708836
    Abstract: A golf club head (40) with a face component (50), an aft body (70), and an aerodynamic hosel (50) is disclosed herein. The hosel (50) has one or more joints (80, 85, 87) around which pieces or segments of the hosel (50) may be rotated or pivoted to modify the way in which a shaft is oriented with respect to the club head (40) when the hosel (50) is rigidly affixed to the club head (40). The present invention may be used to modify the loft, lie, and/or face angle parameters of the golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Steven M. Ehlers, D. Clayton Evans, Matthew T. Cackett
  • Patent number: 8696493
    Abstract: A driver type golf club head comprising a body having a face, a crown and a sole, wherein the highest point of the crown surface is located within a crown apex zone, and the club head has a depth, the depth being at least twice the length as a height of the club head, wherein the depth is at least 4.600 inches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Evan Gibbs, Matthew T. Cackett, Steven M. Ehlers
  • Patent number: 8690708
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a crown with an edge support structure and a flexible, conformal weight sized to fit within the edge support structure is disclosed herein. The edge support structure preferably is disposed on an internal surface of the crown so that the conformal weight is invisible when the golf club head is viewed at address. The conformal weight can be removed to adjust the vertical center of gravity of the club head, and preferably is oriented in a front-to-back direction along the club head's X-axis. The conformal weight preferably is composed of a high-density polymeric material with a specific gravity ranging from 1.8 to 4.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: Steven M. Ehlers
  • Publication number: 20140045610
    Abstract: A driver type golf club head comprising a body having a face, a crown and a sole, wherein the highest point of the crown surface is located within a crown apex zone, and the club head has a depth, the depth being at least twice the length as a height of the club head, wherein the depth is at least 4.600 inches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: CALLAWAY GOLF COMPANY
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Evan D. Gibbs, Matthew T. Cackett, Steven M. Ehlers
  • Patent number: 8646163
    Abstract: Methods of forming a golf club head having improved aerodynamic characteristics are disclosed herein. A preferred method is the largest tangent circle method, which utilizes a Cartesian coordinate system. The method results in identification of the highest point of the crown surface located within a crown apex zone, and this location aids in the design of improved aerodynamic properties of the golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Evan D. Gibbs, Matthew T. Cackett, Steven M. Ehlers
  • Patent number: 8622849
    Abstract: A driver type golf club head comprising a body having a face, a crown and a sole, wherein the highest point of the crown surface is located within a crown apex zone, and a portion of the crown contour exists above a radius arc of approximately 5.25 inches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Evan Gibbs, Matthew T. Cackett, Steven M. Ehlers
  • Patent number: 8585510
    Abstract: A golf club head (40) with a face component (50), an aft body (70), and an aerodynamic hosel (50) is disclosed herein. The hosel (50) is connected to the club head (40) at a head connection point (55) and to a shaft at a shaft connection point (57), and a YZ plane (85) defined by a y-axis and an x-axis that intersects the center of gravity (80) also intersects the head connection portion (55) of the hosel (50). In one further embodiment, a plane (95) aligned with the hosel (50) is parallel to an XZ plane (90) defined by the horizontal x-axis and the vertical z-axis. In another further alternative embodiment, a plane (95) aligned with the hosel (50) intersects the XZ plane 90.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Steven M. Ehlers, D. Clayton Evans, Matthew T. Cackett
  • Patent number: 8574096
    Abstract: A driver type golf club head comprising a body having a face, a crown and a sole, wherein the highest point of the crown surface is located within a crown apex zone, and the club head has a depth, the depth being at least twice the length as a height of the club head, wherein the depth is at least 4.600 inches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Evan D. Gibbs, Matthew T. Cackett, Steven M. Ehlers
  • Patent number: 8568247
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising an aerodynamic hosel is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the hosel may have an airfoil cross-section with a high thickness to chord ratio. In a further embodiment, the thickness to chord ratio may increase from a hosel head connection point to a hosel shaft connection point. In another embodiment, a shaft connection point of the hosel is closer to a club face vertical plane than to a head connection point vertical plane, e.g., is swept. In yet another embodiment, the hosel has an endplate proximate a shaft connection point. In yet another embodiment, the exterior surface of the hosel is rough, comprises at least one vertex generator, comprises a fillet, or comprises at least one trip step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: Steven M. Ehlers
  • Patent number: 8562455
    Abstract: A driver type golf club head comprising a body having a face, a crown and a sole, wherein the highest point of the crown surface is located within a crown apex zone, and a portion of the crown contour exists above a radius arc of approximately 5.25 inches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Evan D. Gibbs, Matthew T. Cackett, Steven M. Ehlers
  • Patent number: 8516675
    Abstract: A method for forming a driver type golf club head, the method comprising orienting a golf club head using a largest tangent circle method, forming a golf club head having an apex point positioned in a crown apex zone and designing a crown curve having some portion exist above a 5.25 inch radius arc, the radius arc beginning at the apex point and extending rearward toward the back end of the golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Evan D. Gibbs, Matthew T. Cackett, Steven M. Ehlers
  • Patent number: 8510927
    Abstract: A method of forming a golf club head having improved aerodynamic characteristics. The method comprises a largest tangent circle method utilizing a cartesian coordinate system. The method results in the highest point of the crown surface located within a crown apex zone, wherein this location aids in the improved aerodynamic properties of the golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Evan D. Gibbs, Matthew T. Cackett, Steven M. Ehlers
  • Publication number: 20130190103
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a multi-piece golf club head having a metal hosel with adjustability features that is cast separately from a face component, sole, and crown, and then is permanently affixed to those other parts after casting is complete. The face component, sole, and crown may be composed of any suitable materials, but preferably each of the face component, the sole, and the crown are stamped from a metal material and are welded to the hosel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: CALLAWAY GOLF COMPANY
    Inventors: BRADLEY C. RICE, PATRICK DAWSON, STEVEN M. EHLERS, M. GRACE HOHN
  • Publication number: 20130165252
    Abstract: A golf club providing improved golf ball launch conditions is disclosed herein. The golf club includes a face component and a sole comprising an elongated recess disposed proximate the face component. The elongated recess preferably is tube shaped, and preferably has an opening with a smaller width than an innermost surface of the elongated recess. Some embodiments of the golf club also comprise a cover affixed to the sole and at least partially covering the opening of the elongated recess.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Bradley C. Rice, William C. Watson, Patrick Dawson, Irina Ivanova, Steven M. Ehlers
  • Patent number: 8317636
    Abstract: Methods of forming a golf club head having improved aerodynamic characteristics are disclosed herein. A preferred method is the largest tangent circle method, which utilizes a Cartesian coordinate system. The method results in identification and measurement of certain club head features, which can be adjusted to improve aerodynamic properties of the golf club head. One method of the present invention lowers the drag of the club head by specifying dimensional relationships of the driver head based on location of apex and nadir points, while another method lowers the drag of the club head by improving overall face design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Evan D. Gibbs, Matthew T. Cackett, Steven M. Ehlers
  • Patent number: D666263
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Steven M. Ehlers, D. Clayton Evans
  • Patent number: D666264
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Steven M. Ehlers, D. Clayton Evans
  • Patent number: D667909
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Steven M. Ehlers, D. Clayton Evans