Striking Face Surface Deforms Upon Impact (e.g., Resilient, Etc.) Patents (Class 473/329)
  • Patent number: 11925839
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club face plates with internal cell lattices are presented herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Eric J. Morales, Erik M. Henrikson, Joshua B. Matthews
  • Patent number: 11911669
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads with components composed of a metal-composite-metal construction are described herein. The metal-composite-metal construction makes up a portion of the golf club head. The metal-composite-metal construction can make up any one or combination of the following structures: faceplate, face insert, internal ribs, turbulators, crown insert, or weight channel. The composite layer of the metal-composite-metal construction is composed of reinforced fibers. The metal-composite-metal construction allows for weight savings in the golf club head while maintaining durability, strength, rigidity, and performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Cole D. Brubaker, Clayson C. Spackman, Joshua B. Matthews, Ryan M. Stokke
  • Patent number: 11850461
    Abstract: A golf club head having a supported striking face is disclosed herein. More specifically, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention has a striking face, an internal support layer, and an intermediary sandwiched layer juxtaposed between the striking face and the internal support layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Kyle A Carr, Joshua G. Breier
  • Patent number: 11819742
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as an iron-type golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface and a body connected to the face. The body has a sole surface extending rearward from a leading edge of the face, and a toe surface extending rearward from a toe edge of the face. The sole surface configured to confront the playing surface. The iron-type club head may have an elongated channel extending from a heel side in the sole member to an end point within the toe surface. The elongated channel is recessed from the sole surface and toe surfaces and is spaced from the leading and toe edges of the face. The iron-type club head may also have a plurality of weighting elements that are adjustable by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: KARSTEN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew Robert Daraskavich, Jamil Jacaman, Matthew Brian Neeley, Michael R. Pinto, Nathaniel J. Radcliffe, Robert Horacek
  • Patent number: 11806589
    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 an interior cavity and a front portion. The golf club head may include a face portion on the front portion and having a front surface and a back surface with a center portion and a perimeter portion at least partially surrounding the center portion. The golf club head may include a face bracket portion having at least one bracket arm with end portions attached to the perimeter portion. The golf club head may further include a face insert portion located between and coupled to the back surface of the face portion and to the face bracket portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: PARSONS XTREME GOLF, LLC
    Inventors: Michael R. Nicolette, Bradley D. Schweigert, Caleb S. Kroloff
  • Patent number: 11771964
    Abstract: A multi-material iron-type golf club head having a shell that defines a closed internal volume, where the head is composed of at least two different materials, incorporates a variable face thickness, and achieves a high maximum characteristic time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey J. Albertsen, Michael Scott Burnett
  • Patent number: 11745064
    Abstract: Embodiments of an iron type golf club head with a flex structure, a face reinforcing structure, and a variable face thickness to increase face element bending while improving club head durability are described herein. The club head comprises a face element for striking a golf ball. The face element is formed integrally with the flex structure. The flex structure comprises a curved profile (e.g. S-shape or sinusoidal) that functions like a spring to support the face element during golf ball impacts. The face reinforcing structure comprises a looped rib that provides support around a center of the face element. The variable face thickness includes thickened and thinned regions to provide further face element bending or support. The combination of the flex structure, the face reinforcing structure, and the variable face thickness provides increased face element bending while improving club head durability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Eric J. Morales, Jeremy S. Pope, Thomas J. Nuttall
  • Patent number: 11724162
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club face plates with internal cell lattices are presented herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Eric J. Morales, Erik M. Henrikson
  • Patent number: 11679314
    Abstract: A golf club head with improved striking face performance is disclosed herein. More specifically, a golf club head includes a striking face with a thickened central region surrounded by transition region that reduces radially in thickness as it extends away from the central region is disclosed. The striking face geometry results in more uniform characteristic time measurements across a large percentage thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Kyle A. Carr, David S. Cornelius
  • Patent number: 11666806
    Abstract: Golf club heads are provided for selectively increasing or optimizing the coefficient of restitution (COR) at likely impact locations on the striking face of the golf club heads, while simultaneously maintaining characteristic time (CT) below a threshold value in those likely impact locations. By analyzing historical impact locations of a large cross-section of golfers, golf club head COR values can be increased or optimized in preferential locations on the striking face, such as using weighting factors for a predefined set of locations on the striking face. Therefore, instead of increasing COR uniformly across the face and/or increasing COR at impact locations on the face where golfers are unlikely to strike the golf ball, the sweet spot of the golf club head can be increased at the impact locations where golfers typically strike the golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Story, Matthew Greensmith, Christopher John Harbert, Matthew David Johnson
  • Patent number: 11602979
    Abstract: A sun visor assembly for a vehicle according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a visor having a transparent portion and a circuit configured to control at least one function of the visor. The visor is pivotable between a first position and a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: DAIMAY NORTH AMERICA AUTOMOTIVE, INC.
    Inventors: Jianhua Wang, George F. Lambert, Prem Chand Katragadda
  • Patent number: 11547910
    Abstract: An iron-type golf club head includes a ball striking face and a rear weight member that are engaged through one or more resilient members with a connection structure that creates a mass-damping effect at impact with a golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Raymond J. Sander
  • Patent number: 11511167
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a golf club head. The golf club head includes a front body having a front body front portion with a front body front surface and having a front body rear portion, and includes a rear body having a rear body front portion, a rear body rear portion, and multiple protrusions. The golf club head is configured such that (i) when the front body front surface strikes a golf ball with a first amount of force, the front body deflects toward the rear body with a first amount of deflection, and (ii) when the front body front surface strikes the golf ball with a second amount of force less than the first amount of force, the front body deflects toward the rear body with a second amount of deflection greater than the first amount of deflection. Other embodiments of related club heads and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Travis D. Milleman, Martin R. Jertson
  • Patent number: 11484755
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club face plates with internal cell lattices are presented herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Eric J. Morales, Erik M. Henrikson
  • Patent number: 11465020
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a golf club head body, a striking face, and an inner wall supporting the striking face. A ledge extends from a body into the interior of the golf club head body, and the inner wall is disposed within a gap between the striking face and the ledge. A rear surface of the inner wall is supported by a portion of the golf club head body, and a rear surface of the striking face is in contact with a portion of the inner wall. The inner wall may be inserted into the golf club head through an opening defined in the toe portion of the golf club head or the rear portion of the golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Hebreo, Doug M. Takehara, Joshua G. Breier, Ryuichi Sugimae, Nick Frame
  • Patent number: 11458373
    Abstract: Described herein is a hollow body iron-type golf club head having a sole and ballast configured to relieve stress within a forward portion of the sole. In a first configuration, the golf club head comprises a ballast undercut for relieving stress. In other configurations, the ballast undercut is combined with additional stress relief features, such as a cascading sole near the face sole juncture, for further reductions to face thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Calvin S. Wang, Alex G. Woodward, Eric J. Morales
  • Patent number: 11344775
    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 an interior cavity, a toe portion, a heel portion, a front portion, a back portion, a top portion, and a sole portion. The body portion may include a ledge portion that extends from an upper back wall portion to a lower back wall portion of the back portion. The golf club head may include a face portion coupled to the front portion to close the interior cavity, a port on the body portion, a polymer material in the interior cavity, and a mass portion. A width of the ledge portion may be greater than a width of the body portion above a horizontal midplane of the body portion. A distance between a portion of the polymer material in the interior cavity and the face portion at a location vertically above the mass portion and below the ledge portion may be greater than a distance between the mass portion and the face portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: PARSONS XTREME GOLF, LLC
    Inventors: Robert R. Parsons, Michael R. Nicolette, Bradley D. Schweigert
  • Patent number: 11338181
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a forward section and a body section to define a closed internal volume. The forward section has a strike face, a frame that surrounds the strike face, and a flange extending from the frame. The body section is formed from a molded polymeric material, and includes a forward edge that defines a receiving portion adapted to receive the flange and a weight receiving feature spaced apart from the forward edge. The body section further includes a reinforcing structure protruding into the internal volume and extending between the weight receiving feature and the forward edge. The reinforcing structure is operative to transfer impact loads between the weight receiving feature and the metallic forward section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua Boggs, Eric Larson, Kevin Harper
  • Patent number: 11331549
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body having a faceplate with a strike surface, a toe end opposite a heel end, a back end opposite the faceplate, and a sole opposite a top rail, the faceplate is connected to the sole and configured to pivot about the sole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Erik M. Henrikson, Eric J. Morales, Samuel Pendred
  • Patent number: 11331544
    Abstract: Golf club components with complex structures such as lattice structures, beam structures, and complex surface-based structures, are described herein. A binder jet machine is used create complex structures within these golf club components to optimize weighting, sound, and performance of golf club heads. These components may be manufactured using a method that includes the steps of designing a golf club head component in CAD using optimization software, printing the component from a powdered material, and then removing excess powder from the component via port holes that extend into an external surface of the component and communicate with interior voids within the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Brandon D. DeMille, Eric Stubben, David R. Handy, Irina Ivanova, Patrick Dawson
  • Patent number: 11331545
    Abstract: A golf club includes a shaft, a grip, and a club head. The shaft is coupled to the grip and to the club head. The club head includes a substantially rigid shell, a club face, and a contact area. The substantially rigid shell includes a conventional shape that has a toe area, a heel area, a sole area, a top area, and a back area. The club face is mechanically coupled to the substantially rigid shell to provide a face of the club head. The contact area is within the substantially rigid shell and positioned proximal to the club face. The contact area includes a plurality of force-focusing layers that functions to concentrate impact forces of the club head towards an area on the club face that makes contact with a golf ball during contact with the golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Inventor: Timothy W. Markison
  • Patent number: 11318643
    Abstract: A golf club with a multi-material face is disclosed herein. More specifically, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention has a striking face portion that is backed by a composite layer. The multi-material face disclosed in accordance with the present invention may generally be manufactured via a bladder molding process that applies hydrostatic forces to the composite layer to create a more consistent bond between the composite material and the metallic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Uday V. Deshmukh, John Morin
  • Patent number: 11298596
    Abstract: Embodiments of an iron type golf club head with a flex structure, a face reinforcing structure, and a variable face thickness to increase face element bending while improving club head durability are described herein. The club head comprises a face element for striking a golf ball. The face element is formed integrally with the flex structure. The flex structure comprises a curved profile (e.g. S-shape or sinusoidal) that functions like a spring to support the face element during golf ball impacts. The face reinforcing structure comprises a looped rib that provides support around a center of the face element. The variable face thickness includes thickened and thinned regions to provide further face element bending or support. The combination of the flex structure, the face reinforcing structure, and the variable face thickness provides increased face element bending while improving club head durability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Eric J. Morales, Jeremy S. Pope, Thomas J. Nuttall
  • Patent number: 11247104
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club face plates with internal cell lattices are presented herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Eric J. Morales, Erik M. Henrikson
  • Patent number: 11219804
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a plurality of internal and/or external ribs are described herein. The golf club head comprises a ribbed region comprising at least a part of at least one of the heel portion, the toe portion, the sole, or the crown; wherein the ribbed region comprises a ribbed wall including: a ribbed wall interior surface, a ribbed wall exterior surface and one or more ribs protruding from the ribbed wall, wherein the one or more external ribs comprise a first rib including: a first rib exterior section and a first rib interior section, wherein the first rib interior section extends substantially parallel to the faceplate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan M. Stokke, Martin R. Jertson, David A. Higdon
  • Patent number: 11207576
    Abstract: The invention is a golf club head with a ball striking face including a plurality of recesses, a plurality of first grooves, and a plurality of second grooves that extend between a heel edge and a toe edge of the club head. The ball striking face includes a first material, for example a metal material, and the plurality of recesses are filled with a fill material, for example a polymer material. The depth of the grooves, the height of the grooves, the fill material, and the positioning of the grooves can all affect the performance of the club head. In some embodiments, the club head is a putter-type club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: KARSTEN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
    Inventors: David N. Franklin, Jamil Jacaman
  • Patent number: 11202946
    Abstract: A golf club head including a striking face, a periphery portion, and a support arm spaced from the rear surface of the striking face, a first damping element residing between the support arm and the rear surface of the striking face, wherein the first damping element comprises a front surface in contact with the rear surface of the striking face and a rear surface in contact with the support arm, wherein the periphery portion comprises a sole, and a second damping element located between the first damping element and the sole, a front portion of the second damping element in contact with the rear surface of the striking face, a rear surface of the second damping element in contact with the support arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Charles E. Golden, Marni D. Ines, Christopher Savage, Grant M. Martens, Gentry Ferguson, John Morin, Jason A. Mata, Oswaldo Gonzalez, Jonathan Hebreo, Nick Frame
  • Patent number: 11167186
    Abstract: A mixed material golf club head including an outer metallic component and a polymeric component. The outer metallic component comprises the strike face. The polymeric component comprises a reaction wall that lies flush with a rear surface of the strike face. The reaction wall slidably translates across a back surface of the strike face at impact. In some embodiments, the outer metallic component is integrally formed with the crown and the polymeric component is integrally formed with the sole, to allow dynamic delofting for low-handicap golfers. In other embodiments, the outer metallic component is integrally formed with the sole and the polymeric component is integrally formed with the crown, to allow dynamic lofting for high-handicap golfers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: KARSTEN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Martin R. Jertson, Eric J. Morales
  • Patent number: 11161018
    Abstract: A face insert for a golf club head, preferably a putter head, is disclosed herein. The face insert comprises a pair of stacked plates, each with a plurality of hinge features. The hinge features of the lower plate extend through openings in the upper plate so that the plates are locked together, and the edge surfaces of the hinge features combine to create a striking surface that increases topspin of a golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Eric D. Stubben, David Handy, Patrick Dawson
  • Patent number: 11161019
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a golf club heads having a body portion and a face portion, wherein the face portion comprises a variable thickness profile disposed at an angle on the rear surface of the face plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Eric J. Morales, Martin R. Jertson, Ryan M. Stokke, Jacob T. Clarke
  • Patent number: 11161020
    Abstract: A wood-style golf club head includes a strike face and a body that cooperate to define a hollow internal club head volume. The strike face formed from a strike plate having an outer perimeter and a frame surrounding the strike plate. The strike plate is affixed to the frame across the entire outer perimeter. The strike plate and frame define a continuous ball striking surface that has a surface texture characteristic of milling that extends continuously across both the strike plate and the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Erik M. Henrikson, Matthew W. Simone, Yujen Huang
  • Patent number: 11148021
    Abstract: 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. The face defines a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin. Embodiments include club heads for a fairway wood that at least one of a high moment of inertia, a low center-of-gravity, a thin crown and a high coefficient of restitution. A sleeve for easily disconnecting a shaft to the club head allows for selective adjustment of the head's loft and lie angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd P. Beach, Matthew David Johnson, Nathan T. Sargent, Kraig Alan Willett, Michelle Penney, Marc Kronenberg, Matthew Greensmith, Joseph Henry Hoffman
  • Patent number: 11141634
    Abstract: Embodiments of grooves and face inserts of golf club heads and methods to manufacture grooves and face inserts of golf club heads are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Calvin S. Wang, Xiaojian Chen, David A. Higdon, Les J. Bryant, Martin R. Jertson, Anthony D. Serrano, John A. Solheim
  • Patent number: 11130027
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a head body having a crown, sole and skirt therebetween, the head body defining an opening in a front portion and having a frame support around the periphery of the opening. A face plate is mounted within the opening and has a transition radius along one or more edges to at least partially wrap around one or more of the crown, sole and skirt. The head includes thin wall zones in the crown and skirt, a hosel flush with the crown and a weight mounted in the sole proximate to the face plate, such that the golf club head has a center of gravity located relatively low and forward in proximity to the face plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Bing-Ling Chao, Todd P. Beach, John Francis Lorentzen
  • Patent number: 11110325
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a rear body having a crown member coupled to a sole member, and a front body coupled to the rear body to define a substantially hollow structure. The front body includes a strike face and a surrounding frame that extends rearward from a perimeter of the strike face. The front body further includes a fabric reinforced thermoplastic composite layer and a filled thermoplastic layer each extending across the entire strike face. The fabric reinforced thermoplastic composite layer and the filled thermoplastic layer each comprise a common thermoplastic resin component, and are directly bonded to each other without an intermediate adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Clayson C. Spackman, Jeremy S. Pope, Tyler A. Shaw, Eric J. Morales, Atiqah Shahrin
  • Patent number: 11083938
    Abstract: Embodiments of grooves and face inserts of golf club heads and methods to manufacture grooves and face inserts of golf club heads are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Calvin S. Wang, Xiaojian Chen, David A. Higdon, Les J. Bryant, Martin R. Jertson, Anthony D. Serrano, John A. Solheim
  • Patent number: 11027176
    Abstract: A golf club head having a hosel, a hollow interior, and a support structure disposed within the hollow interior proximate a flange region is disclosed herein. In particular, the present invention is directed to a fairway wood head comprising a body with a front wall, an upper opening, a return portion between the front wall and the upper opening, a hosel, an interface between the hosel and the heel side of the body, and a hosel support ring or support rod, and a composite crown affixed to the body to close the upper opening and define a hollow interior. The support structure reduces the stresses placed on, for example, the crown during hosel bending processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Justin Del Rosario, Romulus M. Tomimbang, Kevin Harper, J. Neil Hall, Timothy G. Scott
  • Patent number: 10994176
    Abstract: Embodiments of grooves of golf club heads and methods to manufacture grooves of golf club heads are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony D. Serrano, Paul D. Wood, Bradley D. Schweigert, Calvin S. Wang, John A. Solheim
  • Patent number: 10960272
    Abstract: A golf club head which may include an iron-type golf club head body, a face plate, and a filler positioned behind the ball striking face. According to aspects of the disclosure, the face plate may include score lines which define holes in the face plate. Further, according to aspects of the disclosure, the filler may be comprised of a material that readily absorbs the deflection of the face plate during impact with a golf ball during a golf swing and dampens the impact between the golf club head and the golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kawaguchi, Chris Savage
  • Patent number: 10953293
    Abstract: Described herein is a golf club head that comprises a body and a strike plate. The body comprises a heel portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, and a top portion. The strike plate comprises an outer peripheral edge and at least a portion of a strike face. Furthermore, the strike plate is welded to the body via a peripheral weld between the outer peripheral edge of the strike plate and the body. The outer peripheral edge of the strike plate comprises at least one welded portion, welded to the body via the peripheral weld, and at least one non-welded portion, not welded to the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Paul M. Demkowski, Bret H. Wahl, Scott Taylor, Sanjay Kuttappa
  • Patent number: 10940617
    Abstract: A golf club with a multi-material face is disclosed herein. More specifically, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention has a striking face portion that is backed by a composite layer. The multi-material face disclosed in accordance with the present invention may generally be manufactured via a bladder molding process that applies hydrostatic forces to the composite layer to create a more consistent bond between the composite material and the metallic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Uday V. Deshmukh, John Morin
  • Patent number: 10926141
    Abstract: A golf club head of the wood-type, including a body having a ball-striking face and a sole, is disclosed. The sole can include a wave slot for adding additional weight to the golf club head and for providing improved performance. The wave slot can include a front sidewall, a rear sidewall, and at least two waves. The wave slot can be open-ended. The waves can be positioned between the front and rear sidewalls and can each include a valley portion at the lowest point of the wave such that the valley portion does not protrude below the sole. The wave slot can also have two, three, or more waves, which can have heights that decrease as the position of the waves increases with respect to the ball-striking face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Mizuno Corporation
    Inventors: David Llewellyn, Kei Tsuji, Arata Kamo
  • Patent number: 10905921
    Abstract: A face insert for a golf club head, preferably a putter head, is disclosed herein. The face insert comprises a pair of stacked plates, each with a plurality of hinge features. The hinge features of the lower plate extend through openings in the upper plate so that the plates are locked together, and the edge surfaces of the hinge features combine to create a striking surface that increases topspin of a golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Eric D. Stubben, David Handy, Patrick Dawson
  • Patent number: 10898770
    Abstract: A head includes a head body and a face plate. The face plate includes a plate front surface and a plate rear surface. The head body includes an opening at which the face plate is disposed, a back support portion that includes a back receiving surface abutting on an outer peripheral edge portion of the plate rear surface and that supports the face plate from a back side, a face outer portion that is a part of a hitting face and that is located on a face peripheral side relative to the plate front surface, and a body groove that is located on the back side of the face outer portion and that is recessed toward the face outer portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyofumi Matsunaga, Yasushi Sugimoto, Yuki Motokawa
  • Patent number: 10894192
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a face portion, a plurality of score lines formed in the face portion and extending in a toe-heel direction, a plurality of convex portions formed in the face portion and extending in the toe-heel direction between the score lines adjacent to each other in a vertical direction of the face portion, and at least one concave portion formed in the face portion and extending in the toe-heel direction between the convex portions adjacent to each other in the vertical direction. A flat surface is formed between the concave portion and the convex portion adjacent to the concave portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wataru Ban
  • Patent number: 10881917
    Abstract: A cast cup can include a forward portion of a golf club head, including a hosel, a face portion, and forward portions of a crown, sole, heel and toe. A rear ring can be formed separately from the cast cup and coupled to heel and toe portions of the cast cup to form a metallic club head body, such that the club head body defines a hollow interior region, a crown opening, and a sole opening. The cast cup and rear ring can be cast of titanium alloys. Composite crown and sole inserts can then be coupled to the crown opening and sole opening. The face portion of the cast cup can have a desirably complex geometry. The rear surface of the face portion of the cast cup can be modified before the rear ring is attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Greensmith, Matthew David Johnson, Bing-Ling Chao
  • Patent number: 10857432
    Abstract: A golf putter head includes a body having an external surface, an internal surface, and a cavity defined by the internal surface, the external surface having a front side configured to contact a golf ball and a top side configured to receive a shaft; and an insert configured to be disposed within the cavity of the body, the insert having a first material comprising an elastomer and a shock absorbing element at least partially encapsulated within the first material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Neo-Sync LLC
    Inventors: Michael G. Mardinly, Sr., Thomas V. Falone
  • Patent number: 10843046
    Abstract: A golf club head including a crown, a sole, a hosel, a face and a flexure. The flexure provides compliance during an impact between the golf club head and a golf ball, and is tuned to vibrate, immediately after impact, at a predetermined frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Thomas Orrin Bennett, David S. Cornelius, Grant M. Martens, Mitchell E. Bac
  • Patent number: 10835786
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club face plates with internal cell lattices are presented herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Eric J. Morales, Erik M. Henrikson
  • Patent number: 10821333
    Abstract: A resilient face insert for a golf club head, preferably a putter head, is disclosed herein. In particular, the face insert comprises a plurality of hinge features spaced from a striking surface to ensure consistent ball speed across the striking surface. Each hinge feature comprises a tab portion that is spaced from the striking surface by a stem portion and that extends parallel to the striking surface, and is angled with respect to a horizontal y-axis. The orientation of hinge features with respect to the y-axis varies across the face, which reduces sidespin from mishits and produces consistent topspin regardless of impact location of a golf ball on the face insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Eric D. Stubben, David Handy, Brett Carter, Craig E. Abbott, Augustin W. Rollinson, Sean Toulon