Striking Face Surface Deforms Upon Impact (e.g., Resilient, Etc.) Patents (Class 473/329)
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Patent number: 10806976Abstract: A golf club head includes a golf club body, a hosel connected to a heel portion of the golf club body, a face connected to a front of the golf club body, the face including an inner surface, an outer surface, and at least one boundary condition feature.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2018Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Andrew James, Matthew David Johnson, Todd P. Beach
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Patent number: 10799772Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and have a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole. A pair of ribs are positioned within the channel. The ribs may diverge away from one another and may have a first rib located in a toe portion of the channel and a second rib located in the heel portion of the channel.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2015Date of Patent: October 13, 2020Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Joshua M. Boggs, Kevin Harper, Eric A. Larson, Michael T. Prichard, Hiromitsu Akiyama, Yoshimasa Fujita
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Patent number: 10799774Abstract: A method of manufacturing a golf club head enables increased moment-of-inertia and improved durability. The golf club head's crown portion has a first region having a first thickness and multiple second regions having a second thickness that is smaller than the first thickness. The second regions are distributed in a radiating fashion so as to extend from an origin toward a peripheral portion of the crown portion excluding the face side, the origin being located within 15 mm of the center of gravity of the golf club head in the toe-heel direction and also being located in the vicinity of the face side in the face-back direction in a plan view.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2018Date of Patent: October 13, 2020Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventor: Akio Yamamoto
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Patent number: 10792542Abstract: A golf club incorporating a stress reducing feature having an aperture and a shaft connection system socket. The location and size of the stress reducing feature, aperture, and the shaft connection system socket, and their relationships to one another, selectively increase deflection of the face and provide stability of the shaft connection system.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2019Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INCInventors: Michael Scott Burnett, Alexander Theodore Berger, Justin Honea
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Patent number: 10792543Abstract: An iron-type golf club head includes a club body including a heel portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, and a face portion having an ideal striking location. In some embodiments, the sole portion extends rearwardly from a lower end of said face portion and includes two or more slots extending upwardly in the z-axis direction into the body. In some embodiments, the toe portion includes one or more slots extending heelwardly in the x-axis direction into the body. In some embodiments, the top-line portion includes one or more slots.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2018Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Scott Taylor, Peter L. Larsen, Bret H. Wahl, Joshua J. Dipert
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Patent number: 10780325Abstract: 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. At least a portion of each hinge feature extends parallel to the striking surface without making contact with the striking surface. In the preferred embodiment, 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. The hinge features may be co-molded with a polymeric backing material having a plurality of parallel grooves in order to further improve performance of the face insert.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2019Date of Patent: September 22, 2020Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventors: Craig E. Abbott, Augustin R. Rollinson, Patrick Dawson, Sean Toulon
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Patent number: 10773134Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a golf club head having an adjustable tension cable disposed proximate the face. The body has a face, a sole, and a return section, and defines a hollow interior. The cable extends between the return section and the sole within the hollow interior near the face to reduce stresses placed on the face during impact with a golf ball. The cable preferably forms a woven structure, with multiple connections between the return section and sole, and the tension in the cable is adjustable via a screw connected to one end of the cable that engages a threaded bore disposed near the hosel.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2019Date of Patent: September 15, 2020Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventor: Austin L. Frederickson
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Patent number: 10765919Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 5, 2018Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Joshua Boggs, Eric Larson, Kevin Harper
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Patent number: 10765920Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 12, 2018Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventor: Raymond J. Sander
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Patent number: 10758798Abstract: A golf club head includes a top portion, a sole portion opposite the top portion, and a striking face configured to impact a golf ball. The striking face includes a face center and a variable thickness distribution such that the club head exhibits an Expected COR value of not less than 0.810, the Expected COR value being determined based on the following relationship Expected ? ? COR = ? i = 1 n ? ? j = 1 m ? p ij * c ij The variable cij corresponds to an average COR value associated with bin and the variable pij corresponds to a bin-specific impact probability value. And the club head exhibits a characteristic time no greater than 257 microseconds.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2019Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Yuki Motokawa, Naruhiro Mizutani, Jacob Lambeth
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Patent number: 10758791Abstract: An iron clubs golf club head 1 comprises a face plate and a head main body supporting a peripheral part of the face plate. The face plate is made of a titanium or a titanium alloy and provided on the club face with grooves. The head main body is made of a metal material having a specific gravity larger than that of the face plate. In a grooved range defined between positions in the toe-heel direction of the most toe-side end and most heel-side end of grooves of the face plate, a distance of at least part of a sole-side edge of the face plate is not more than 2.5 mm when measured from a sole-side profile line of the club head appearing in the front view of the club head, in the up-down direction of the club head.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2016Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventor: Takahiro Norimura
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Patent number: 10737147Abstract: Embodiments of golf club face plates with internal cell lattices are presented herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2019Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Eric J. Morales, Erik M. Henrikson
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Patent number: 10729945Abstract: Golf club heads with trench features are described herein. Other embodiments and related methods are also disclosed herein.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2016Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Ryan M. Stokke, Martin R. Jertson, Brandon L. Fossum
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Patent number: 10716973Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball where the face has multiple thickness regions. The face has a center region, an upper region, a lower region, a toe region, and a heel region. The upper and lower regions have a ramped thickness extending from a center region to an upper and lower edge of the face. The heel and toe regions have a constant face thickness and have a thickness less than the other regions. Additionally, the club head body has a flange where the face is welded to the club head body. The flange has a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the heel and toe regions of the face.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2018Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Joshua M. Boggs, Kevin Harper, Eric A. Larson, Michael T. Prichard, Hiromitsu Akiyama, Yoshimasa Fujita
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Patent number: 10716976Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 31, 2018Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Erik M. Henrikson, Eric J. Morales, Samuel Pendred
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Patent number: 10695622Abstract: A golf club head includes: a sole; a crown; a toe; a heel opposite the toe; a strike face generally bounded by a face perimeter edge, the strike face comprising a geometric center; a rear portion; and a substantially enclosed interior cavity at least partially delimited by the sole, the crown, the strike face, and the rear portion. The golf club head also includes at least one rib having a first portion secured to the strike face, having a second portion secured to the crown, and being positioned such that a location on the strike face laterally spaced toe-ward from the geometric center by no less than 0.4 in is associated with a COR value no less than 0.825.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2019Date of Patent: June 30, 2020Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Robert J. Horacek, Nathaniel J. Radcliffe, John J. Rae, Michael J. Wallans, Sam G. Lacey
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Patent number: 10688351Abstract: A golf club head having good forgiveness and playability includes a body having an interior cavity, favorable aerodynamic profile and favorable CG location. The club head may include a crown having a peripheral edge located low relative to a ground plane, stepped down crown and overlying shroud, generally flat sole, inverted aft skirt section, aft cavity, cantilevered lightweight shroud, and/or two interior chambers, one of which may have an external opening.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2017Date of Patent: June 23, 2020Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Christopher John Harbert, Joseph Reeve Nielson, Robert Nunez, Nathan T. Sargent, Christian Reber Wester
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Patent number: 10688349Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 14, 2019Date of Patent: June 23, 2020Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventors: Eric D. Stubben, David Handy, Brett Carter, Craig E. Abbott, Augustin W. Rollinson, Sean Toulon
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Patent number: 10675518Abstract: Golf club heads with cavities and inserts, and methods to manufacture golf club heads with cavities. Various embodiments include a golf club head comprising a body. The body comprises a strikeface at a front of the golf club head, a backface opposite the strikeface, a heel region, a toe region opposite the heel region, a sole, a rear portion at a rear of the golf club head, and a cavity located between the backface and the rear portion. In many embodiments, the body further comprises an insert within the cavity.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2019Date of Patent: June 9, 2020Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: David L. Petersen, Les J. Bryant, James D. Glover, Richard D. MacMillan, Xiaojian Chen, Martin R. Jertson
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Patent number: 10675514Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 18, 2019Date of Patent: June 9, 2020Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Clayson C. Spackman, Jeremy S. Pope, Tyler A. Shaw, Eric J. Morales, Atiqah Shahrin
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Patent number: 10661136Abstract: A golf club head includes a head body, a face part located apart from the head body, and a plurality of connecting parts that extend between the head body and the face part. Each connecting part includes an inclination portion that extends while inclining with respect to a face perpendicular direction. The inclination portion may include a straight inclination portion that extends along a straight line. The inclination portion may include an arc inclination portion that extends along a circular arc. The inclination portion may include a first inclination portion and a second inclination portion that are inclined inversely to each other. The inclination portion can facilitate deformation of the connecting part at impact.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2019Date of Patent: May 26, 2020Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventor: Masahide Onuki
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Patent number: 10646756Abstract: A golf club head includes a face; a body, the body defining an interior and an exterior; the face and the body together defining a center of gravity, the center of gravity being proximate the face; a coefficient of restitution feature defined in the body; wherein the coefficient of restitution feature defines a gap in the body. A golf club head includes a face and a golf club body; the face and the golf club body defining a center of gravity, the center of gravity defined a distance, ?z, from a ground plane as measured along a z-axis, the center of gravity defined a distance, CGy, from the center face along the y-axis.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2018Date of Patent: May 12, 2020Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Todd P. Beach, Matthew Greensmith, Matthew David Johnson, Jason Andrew Mata, Kraig Alan Willett, Nathan T. Sargent
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Patent number: 10610746Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face. The body has an impact-influencing structure in the form of a channel positioned on at least one surface of the body. A majority of a force generated by impact with a ball is absorbed by the impact-influencing structure, and a majority of a response force generated by the head upon impact with the ball is generated by the impact-influencing structure. The face may have increased stiffness as compared to existing faces, and may include a stiffening structure to create the increased stiffness, such as a porous or cellular stiffening structure.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2018Date of Patent: April 7, 2020Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Eric A. Larson, Robert M. Boyd, Kenneth W. Brown, Martin Brouillette, Chris Scott Daniels
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Patent number: 10543404Abstract: The golf club head of the present invention includes a face portion, a crown portion, and a sole portion. The golf club head also has an interior space surrounded by the face portion, the crown portion, and the sole portion. A first channel and a second channel that extend in a toe-heel direction and are recessed toward the interior space side are formed in the sole portion. The first channel is disposed on a face side relative to the second channel, and has a first main inner wall disposed on the face side, and a first sub inner wall disposed on a back side. The first main inner wall is formed with a longer length in a face-back direction than the first sub inner wall, and is inclined so as to extend upward while extending toward the back side.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2017Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Daisuke Kohno, Naruhiro Mizutani
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Patent number: 10518150Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads with deflection junctions are described herein. For example, a golf club head comprising: a crown, a sole, a toe skirt, a heel skirt; and a front end. The front end comprises a strikeplate having a strikeface, a backface, and a strikeplate perimeter, wherein the strikeplate and a joint segment are connected by a fixed joint. A deflection junction of the golf club head comprises a junction structure extending from the junction segment; a junction slot defined between the strikeplate perimeter and the junction structure; and a pivot bend between the junction segment and the junction structure and configured to pivot the junction structure relative to the junction segment upon impact between the strikeface and a golf ball. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2018Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventor: Brandon L. Fossum
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Patent number: 10512826Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a golf club head having an adjustable tension cable disposed proximate the face. The body has a face, a sole, and a return section, and defines a hollow interior. The cable extends between the return section and the sole within the hollow interior near the face to reduce stresses placed on the face during impact with a golf ball. The cable preferably forms a woven structure, with multiple connections between the return section and sole, and the tension in the cable is adjustable via a screw connected to one end of the cable that engages a threaded bore disposed near the hosel.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2019Date of Patent: December 24, 2019Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventor: Austin L. Frederickson
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Patent number: 10493332Abstract: A golf club head has a stranded structure such as a cantilevered strand or a beam strand. The stranded structure causes changes in acoustic properties from that of a standard golf club. A gap or through-hole around the stranded structure may be filled with a vibration dampening material, such as flexible polymer, to further adjust the acoustic properties of the golf club. Vibration frequency regions in a golf club may be modified by incorporating stranded structures in the vibration frequency regions.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2017Date of Patent: December 3, 2019Assignee: ACUSHNET COMPANYInventors: Nick Frame, Richard L. Cleghorn
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Patent number: 10478687Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface, an inner surface opposite the ball striking surface, and a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face. The head has a deformation limiting member located behind the face and having an end spaced a distance from the inner surface of the face. The face and the deformation limiting member are adapted such that an impact of the ball on the ball striking surface causes deformation of the face toward the deformation limiting member. When the deformation of the face is sufficient to cause the inner surface of the face to engage the deformation limiting member, the deformation limiting member exerts a force on the face to resist further deformation of the face.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2018Date of Patent: November 19, 2019Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventor: Eric A. Larson
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Patent number: 10463927Abstract: A golf club head including a crown defining the top surface of the club head and including a crown portion, a crown recess region formed in the crown portion and defined by a crown ledge and a bonding wall, and a crown insert disposed at least partially within the crown recess region. The size and uniformity of the junction between the crown insert and the bonding wall may be determined by measuring the dimensions of the junction at critical points on the club head.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2016Date of Patent: November 5, 2019Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Mattieu Bovee, Brian Bazzel, Todd Beach, Stephen Kraus
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Patent number: 10449423Abstract: A golf club head is 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 has 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 is more lofted than the center face roll contour. The heel side roll contour is less lofted than the center face roll contour. The crown side bulge contour is more open than the center face bulge contour, and the sole side bulge contour is more closed than the center face bulge contour.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2018Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Mark Vincent Greaney, Kraig Alan Willett, Joe Hoffman, Todd P. Beach
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Patent number: 10449428Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads, golf clubs, and methods to manufacture golf club heads and golf clubs are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a body portion comprising a first material. The body portion may have a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, a front portion having a face portion. The golf club head may include an interior cavity partially, substantially, or entirely filled with a first filler material and a second filler material. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2019Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, LLCInventors: Robert R. Parsons, Michael R. Nicolette, Bradley D. Schweigert
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Patent number: 10441856Abstract: 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. The elongated recess may be a separate piece that is permanently affixed within an opening in the sole. 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, while other embodiments comprise a filler material disposed within the elongated recess or between the elongated recess and an internal surface of the face.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2019Date of Patent: October 15, 2019Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventors: Bradley C. Rice, William C. Watson, Patrick Dawson, Irina Ivanova, Brandon D. DeMille
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Patent number: 10427014Abstract: A golf club head includes a club body including a heel portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, and a face portion. In some embodiments, the face portion has an ideal striking location and at least one channel defined in the face. In some embodiments, the golf club head has a striking face and at least one channel defined in the striking face. In some embodiments, the golf club head has an ideal striking location and at least one non-ideal striking location.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2017Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Scott Taylor, Peter L. Larsen, Bret H. Wahl, Joshua J. Dipert
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Patent number: 10420992Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head with a face having a ball-striking surface configured for striking a ball, a body connected to the face, and at least one channel in the ball-striking surface of the face. The region of highest COR response of the face is directionally enlarged toward the channel. Depending on the size, shape, and location of the channel, the face can be altered to provide greater COR response and increased energy transfer for impacts at specific locations on the face.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2017Date of Patent: September 24, 2019Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: John T. Stites, Andrew G. V. Oldknow, Philip J. Hatton
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Patent number: 10406410Abstract: Iron-type golf club heads are disclosed having a heel portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a top-line portion, a front portion, a rear portion, and a striking face. The iron-type golf club heads include a flexible boundary structure (“FBS”) that is provided at one or more locations on the club head. The flexible boundary structure may comprise, in several embodiments, a slot, a channel, a gap, a thinned or weakened region, or other structure that enhances the capability of an adjacent or related portion of the golf club head to flex or deflect and to thereby provide a desired improvement in the performance of the golf club head.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2017Date of Patent: September 10, 2019Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Bret H. Wahl, Scott Taylor, Peter L. Larsen, Joshua J. Dipert
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Patent number: 10391370Abstract: A co-forged iron type golf club is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention discloses a co-forged iron type golf club with the body portion made out of a first material and at least one weight adjustment portion monolithically encased within the body portion of the co-forged iron type golf club head without the need for secondary attachment or machining operations. The present invention creates of an iron type golf club head from a pre-form billet that already contains two or more materials before the actual forging process resulting in a multi-material golf club head that doesn't require any post manufacturing operations such as machining, welding, swaging, gluing, and the like.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2016Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: Acushnet CompanyInventors: Kevin Tassistro, Ronald K. Hettinger, Michael Wu, Jonathan Hebreo
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Patent number: 10369434Abstract: Putters include a putter body having a ball striking face member made of a material having a first hardness characteristic. A cavity is defined in the putter body behind the ball striking face member, and plural openings are defined in the ball striking face member extending rearward with respect to the ball striking face member and into the cavity. A polymeric material at least partially fills the openings and the cavity, wherein the polymeric material has a second hardness characteristic that is softer than the first hardness characteristic. The ball striking face member and the polymeric material exposed in at least some of the openings provide a ball striking surface of the putter. The ball striking surface may include grooves or scorelines to affect the launch angle, spin, and/or roll of the ball during a putt. Methods for making such putter devices also are described.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2018Date of Patent: August 6, 2019Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: John T. Stites, David N. Franklin
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Patent number: 10357695Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and have a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole, wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe, wherein the width and the depth of the center portion of the channel are substantially constant, and wherein the depth of the channel is greater at the heel and toe portions than at the center portion.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2017Date of Patent: July 23, 2019Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Joshua M. Boggs, Eric A. Larson, Andrew G.v. Oldknow, Michael T. Prichard, Nathaniel J. Radcliffe, Robert M. Boyd
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Patent number: 10357694Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and have a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole. The channel may have a cross-sectional profile that is asymmetric with a front wall and a rear wall where the front wall is longer than the rear wall. The channel may also have a center thickness that is different than a thickness at the heel and toe sides.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2015Date of Patent: July 23, 2019Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Joshua M. Boggs, Kevin Harper, Eric A. Larson, Michael T. Prichard, Hiromitsu Akiyama, Yoshimasa Fujita
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Patent number: 10335659Abstract: A golf club head having a striking face configured to impact a golf ball comprises the striking face comprising an effective striking area, the effective striking area having an expected COR value, defined by the following expression, not less than 0.810, Expected ? ? COR = ? i = 1 n ? ? j = 1 m ? p ij * c ij wherein pij is an impact probability at location or region (i, j) within the effective striking area, and cij is a COR value of the location or region (i, j).Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2017Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Yuki Motokawa, Naruhiro Mizutani, Jacob Lambeth
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Patent number: 10335646Abstract: Embodiments of golf club face plates with internal cell lattices are presented herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2018Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Eric J. Morales, Erik M. Henrikson
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Patent number: 10322322Abstract: A golf club head has a stranded structure such as a cantilevered strand or a beam strand. The stranded structure causes changes in acoustic properties from that of a standard golf club. A gap or through-hole around the stranded structure may be filled with a vibration dampening material, such as flexible polymer, to further adjust the acoustic properties of the golf club. Vibration frequency regions in a golf club may be modified by incorporating stranded structures in the vibration frequency regions.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2015Date of Patent: June 18, 2019Assignee: ACUSHNET COMPANYInventors: Nick Frame, Richard L. Cleghorn
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Patent number: 10322320Abstract: Embodiments of golf club face plates with internal cell lattices are presented herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2018Date of Patent: June 18, 2019Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Eric J. Morales, Erik M. Henrikson
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Patent number: 10307648Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a head that includes a face configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face, the body being adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel thereof. The face has a thickened portion including an annular tapered area that tapers in thickness between an upper boundary and a lower boundary and encloses an elevated area bounded by the upper boundary. The upper and/or lower boundary defines a shape having two lobes, each with an outer edge with a convex profile, and a connecting portion extending between the lobes, such that the connecting portion is defined by two outer edges extending between the outer edges of the lobes, wherein at least one of the outer edges of the connecting portion has a concave outer profile.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2018Date of Patent: June 4, 2019Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Robert M. Boyd, Jeremy N. Snyder, Hiroshi Kawaguchi, James S. Thomas, Raymond J. Sander, Rick S. Wahlin, Akira Shimozuuma
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Patent number: 10279226Abstract: A golf club head including a face portion includes a plurality of score lines formed on the face portion, a plurality of first grooves formed on the face portion, and a plurality of second grooves formed on the face portion. The first grooves have a depth D1 and a width W1 that is in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the first grooves extend, the second grooves have a depth D2 and a width W2 that is in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the second grooves extend, W1>D1, and W2<D2.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2018Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.Inventor: Wataru Ban
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Patent number: 10245474Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball where the face has multiple thickness regions. The face has a center region, an upper region, a lower region, a toe region, and a heel region. The upper and lower regions have a ramped thickness extending from a center region to an upper and lower edge of the face. The heel and toe regions have a constant face thickness and have a thickness less than the other regions. Additionally, the club head body has a flange where the face is welded to the club head body. The flange has a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the heel and toe regions of the face.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2015Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Joshua M. Boggs, Kevin Harper, Eric A. Larson, Michael T. Prichard, Hiromitsu Akiyama, Yoshimasa Fujita
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Patent number: 10245475Abstract: A golf club head according to an embodiment includes a face having a ball striking surface and a back surface. The back surface of the face has a thick portion located at a generally center portion thereof in a direction from the toe toward the heel, a thin portion located around the thick portion, and a tapered portion located between the thick portion and the thin portion. The thick portion has a first width which is a width in a heel-toe direction, and a second width which is a width in a sole-top direction and is larger than the first width, and the thick portion also has a first thickness. The thin portion has a second thickness smaller than the first thickness. The tapered portion has a thickness reduced from the side of the thick portion toward the side of the thin portion.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2017Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: MIZUNO CORPORATIONInventors: Tomoaki Aoki, Daisuke Hosooka, Kazuhiro Doi
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Patent number: 10245480Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head with a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball, a body connected to the face, an elongated, inwardly recessed channel located on the body and extending across a portion of the body, and an insert mounted within the channel. The insert includes a resiliently deflectable base member that engages the channel to retain the insert within the channel and a rigid outer member connected to the base member and forming at least a portion of the outer surface of the insert, where the outer member is made from a different material than the base member. Additionally, the insert has an outer surface that is substantially flush with at least one immediately adjacent surface of the body.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2017Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Andrew G. V. Oldknow, Robert M. Boyd, John T. Stites
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Patent number: 10213664Abstract: 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. The elongated recess may be a separate piece that is permanently affixed within an opening in the sole. 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, while other embodiments comprise a filler material disposed within the elongated recess or between the elongated recess and an internal surface of the face.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2018Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventors: Bradley C. Rice, William C. Watson, Patrick Dawson, Irina Ivanova, Brandon D. DeMille
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Patent number: 10179268Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads with deflection junctions are described herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2017Date of Patent: January 15, 2019Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventor: Brandon L. Fossum