Striking Face Surface Deforms Upon Impact (e.g., Resilient, Etc.) Patents (Class 473/329)
  • Golf club head
    Patent number: 9028341
    Abstract: A golf club head is described having a club head body having an external surface with a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a front opening. The golf club head also includes a face insert support structure located at the front opening. The support structure includes a rear support member. The rear support member includes a support portion interior surface contour defining an apex point and an undercut distance in an undercut region within at least one major or minor plane. A non-undercut region is located in at least one major or minor plane intersecting the crown to face transition region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: John Francis Lorentzen, Bing-Ling Chao
  • Golf clubs and golf club heads
    Patent number: 9022880
    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: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kawaguchi, Chris Savage
  • GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH DEPRESSION
    Publication number: 20150119163
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a crown defining an upper surface of the golf club head; a sole defining a lower surface of the golf club head, wherein said sole is substantially convex in shape; a skirt extending between the crown and the sole; a face defining a ball-striking surface and intersecting said sole at a leading edge; an interior cavity defined by said crown, sole, skirt, and face; a coordinate system with an x-axis located horizontal to said face, a y-axis located vertical to said face, and a z-axis located through said face, said z-axis and said x-axis parallel to a ground plane when said golf club head is held at address on said ground plane; a depression formed in said sole, wherein said depression is substantially concave and protrudes inwards towards said interior cavity of said golf club head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: ACUSHNET COMPANY
    Inventors: Noah de la Cruz, Darryl C. Galvan, Nick Frame, Charles E. Golden, John Morin
  • Golf club head
    Patent number: 9017187
    Abstract: A hollow golf club head comprises a face and a face peripheral portion extending rearward from the face, the face periphery portion provided with a toe-side reduced-rigidity portion and a heel-side reduced-rigidity portion consisting of a concave portion or a slit, wherein under a standard state, the toe-side portion has a center point of length located higher and at the toe side than a face centroid, wherein an angle of a first straight line passing through the face centroid and the center point P1 to the horizontal plane is 20 to 60 degrees, and the heel-side portion has a center point P2 of length located lower and the heel side than the face centroid, wherein an angle of a second straight line passing through the face centroid and the center point P2 to the horizontal plane is 10 to 70 degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Abe
  • Golf club head
    Patent number: 9011266
    Abstract: A golf club head comprises a loft angle no less than 18°, a striking face, a sole portion, and a top portion having an exterior surface. In an imaginary vertical plane spaced from a face center by no more than 10 mm and perpendicular to an imaginary striking face plane, an imaginary line segment has a length of 25 mm, a first endpoint located in the imaginary striking face plane, a second endpoint located above the exterior surface, and forms an angle ? with the striking face plane between 55° and 65°. The line segment is tangent to the exterior surface at a first point. A second point is located on the imaginary line segment and spaced from the first point by no less than 1 mm. The second point is spaced from the exterior surface by a gap distance that is no greater than 0.15 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Brunski, Darius Cyrulik, Matthew R. Daraskavich, Michael T. Prichard, Ryan J. A. Ritchie, Michael J. Cohen
  • Golf club head having a stress reducing feature and shaft connection system socket
    Patent number: 9011267
    Abstract: A golf club incorporating a stress reducing feature in contact with a shaft connection system socket. The location and size of the stress reducing feature and the shaft connection system socket, and their relationship to one another, selectively increase deflection of the face and maintain stability of the shaft connection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Scott Burnett, Alexander Theodore Berger, Justin Honea
  • Golf club heads with port structures, tuning elements, and related methods
    Patent number: 9005048
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads with port structures and tuning elements are presented. In some embodiments, a golf club head comprises a strikeplate comprising a strikeface and a backface opposite the strikeface, and a sole coupled to the strikeplate. The sole comprises an outer sole surface, an inner sole surface opposite the outer sole surface, a sole front section, and a sole rear section. The golf club head comprises a port structure defined by the backface and by the sole. The port structure can be configured to receive a tuning element within a port perimeter of the port structure, and comprises a port base at the backface and delimited by the port perimeter, a port rib wall protruded from the backface and bounding an upper section of the port base along the port perimeter, and a port trench extending into the sole. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Martin R. Jertson, Ryan M. Stokke, Bradley D. Schweigert
  • GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH STIFFENING MEMBER
    Publication number: 20150094164
    Abstract: A golf club head including a crown, a sole, a hosel, a face, a weight port, an internal cavity, and a stiffening member. The weight port is affixed to the sole. The stiffening member is located in the interior cavity and permanently affixed to the hosel. The stiffening member is also permanently affixed to the sole and the weight port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: ACUSHNET COMPANY
    Inventors: Darryl C. Galvan, Richard L. Cleghorn, Clayton Evans, Stephanie Bezilla, Mark C. Myrhum
  • GOLF CLUB HEAD
    Publication number: 20150094163
    Abstract: A hollow golf club head comprises a face portion having a club face for hitting a ball, and a club face's perimeter region extending backwards from the face portion. The perimeter region is provided with at least one set of a front part extending backwards from the face portion to have a free rear end, and a rear part extending forwards to have a free front end. The front part and the rear part are overlapped with each other without being fixed to each other so that, relatively to the rear part, the front part is movable in the front-back direction of the club head when hitting a ball.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
    Inventor: Yuki MOTOKAWA
  • Golf club head with flexure
    Patent number: 8986133
    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: March 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Thomas Orrin Bennett, Stephanie Bezilla, Richard L. Cleghorn, Uday V. Deshmukh, Noah de la Cruz, Darryl C. Galvan, Charles E. Golden, Marni Ines, John Morin, Stephen S. Murphy, Mark C. Myrhum, Gery Zimmerman
  • Putter-type golf club head and putter-type golf club
    Patent number: 8979668
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a putter-type golf club head with a face on a front side to hit a golf ball comprising a head main portion provided with a concave portion on a side of the face, and a face insert made of elastic material attached to the concave portion of the head main portion, the face insert having a three-layer structure comprising of a first layer disposed at the front, a third layer disposed at the rear, and a second layer disposed between the first layer and the third layer, each of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer having a hardness of h1, h2, and h3 and a rebound resilience of r1, r2, and r3, and the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer satisfying the following relations: h2<h1<=h3, r1>r2, and r1>r3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Takashi Nakamura
  • Golf club head
    Patent number: 8979672
    Abstract: A wood-type golf club head includes a main body and a striking wall associated with the main body. The striking wall has a striking face including a face center, a first imaginary plane tangent to the face center, and a rear surface opposite the striking face. In a second imaginary plane perpendicular to the first imaginary plane and passing through, the face center, the striking face includes a first point associated with a maximum thickness, tmax, of the striking wall, and a second point associated with a minimum thickness, tmin, of the striking wall, such that a ratio, tmax/tmin, is no less than 1.70. Also, in the second imaginary plane, the striking wall gradually tapers in thickness entirely from the first point to the second point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitchell Samson, Alex L. Timmons
  • Golf putter head
    Patent number: 8979667
    Abstract: A golf putter head which includes a putting face having a positive loft angle diverging from vertical to a putter head base. The putting face is formed from a plurality of substantially parallel blades, each of the blades contiguous with each other wherein the blades are arrayed at a downward angle. Each of the blades narrows in width towards the putting face and terminates in a narrow tip. Each of the blades is flexible at its tip in order impart an upward spring force upon impact with a golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: The University of Tulsa
    Inventor: Steven M. Tipton
  • GOLF CLUB HEAD OR OTHER BALL STRIKING DEVICE HAVING ONE OR MORE FACE CHANNELS
    Publication number: 20150072798
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: NIKE, INC.
    Inventors: John T. Stites, Andrew G.V. Oldknow, Philip J. Hatton
  • Golf Club Head or Other Ball Striking Device
    Publication number: 20150072799
    Abstract: A head for a ball striking device, such as a golf club head, includes a face member having a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a rear surface opposite the striking surface, a weight member connected to the face member behind the rear surface of the face member, and a resilient member positioned between the weight member and the face member. The resilient member is connected to the rear surface of the face member to connect the weight member to the face member. The resilient member is compressible to permit energy and/or momentum to be transferred between the weight member and the face member through the resilient member during impact, including an off-center impact on the striking surface. Momentum transferred from the weight member to the face member during an off-center impact may reduce energy loss and twisting of the face on impact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventors: David N. Franklin, Jeremy N. Snyder, John T. Stites, Robert Boyd
  • Golf Club Head or Other Ball Striking Device
    Publication number: 20150072800
    Abstract: A head for a ball striking device, such as a golf club head, includes a face member having a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a rear surface opposite the striking surface, a weight member connected to the face member behind the rear surface of the face member, and a resilient member positioned between the weight member and the face member. The resilient member is connected to the rear surface of the face member to connect the weight member to the face member. The resilient member is compressible to permit energy and/or momentum to be transferred between the weight member and the face member through the resilient member during impact, including an off-center impact on the striking surface. Momentum transferred from the weight member to the face member during an off-center impact may reduce energy loss and twisting of the face on impact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventors: David N. Franklin, Jeremy N. Snyder, John T. Stites, Robert Boyd
  • PUTTER FACE INSERT
    Publication number: 20150057099
    Abstract: A putter-type golf club head having a face insert comprising a metal sheet and a urethane backing is disclosed herein. The metal sheet, which makes contact with a golf ball during use, includes a plurality of oval-shaped holes extending through the entire thickness of the sheet and having a specific size and spacing, and the urethane backing has a hardness that optimizes performance of the face insert, and thus the putter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Alan Hocknell, Craig E. Abbott, Augustin W. Rollinson
  • GOLF CLUB HEAD
    Publication number: 20150057098
    Abstract: A gold club head includes a club head body defining a mounting surface, a spacer member including a top surface, an opposing bottom surface fixedly connected to the mounting surface of the club head body, and a face panel including a ball-hitting surface, and opposing bottom bonding surface fixedly connected to the top surface of the spacer member and a plurality of upper grooves curved inwardly in direction from the ball-hitting surface toward bottom bonding surface. Thus, the golf club head has better elasticity capable of extending the staying time of the ball in the ball-hitting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: PERFORMAX GOLE AND COMPOSITE, INC.
    Inventors: Chu-Yung CHUANG, Chung-Chao WANG
  • Golf club head with flexure
    Patent number: 8961332
    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: January 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Darryl C. Galvan, Noah de la Cruz, Charles E. Golden
  • Golf club head
    Patent number: 8956242
    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. 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: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Bradley C. Rice, William C. Watson, Patrick Dawson, Irina Ivanova, Brandon D. DeMille
  • Fairway wood center of gravity projection
    Patent number: 8956240
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    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
  • GOLF CLUB HEADS WITH FACE DEFLECTION JUNCTIONS AND RELATED METHODS
    Publication number: 20150045139
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads with deflection junctions are described herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventor: Brandon L. Fossum
  • GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH MULTI-MATERIAL FACE
    Publication number: 20150045141
    Abstract: A metal wood golf club with a striking face portion made from more than one material is disclosed. More specifically, due to the unique construction of the striking face portion having multiple materials, the present invention utilizes diffusion bonding, liquid interface diffusion, or even super plastic forming techniques to achieve the desirable bond between the more than one material used to form the striking face. The striking face portion is formed by adding a chip insert made from a secondary material that is different from the remainder of the striking face portion substantially near a geometric center of the striking face portion; wherein the secondary material has a higher Young's modulus than the remainder of the striking face portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: ACUSHNET COMPANY
    Inventors: Mark C. Myrhum, Uday V. Deshmukh, Charles E. Golden, John Morin, Nicholas Abbruzzese, Richard L. Cleghorn, Christopher D. Harvell, Steven J. Forshner, Scott A. Knutson
  • GOLF CLUB HEADS WITH FACE DEFLECTION STRUCTURES AND RELATED METHODS
    Publication number: 20150045140
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads with face deflection structures are described herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Brandon L. Fossum, John A. Solheim
  • Colorized damping indicators for customized golf club heads
    Patent number: 8951144
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a golf club having a playing characteristic that is communicated to a player based upon a vibration damping material that is colorized and visible from outside of the club head, thereby communicating to a golfer information about the playing characteristics of the club.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Ryan L. Roach, Tim A. Beno, Andrew Curtis, Michael S. Yagley
  • Iron Golf Club Head
    Publication number: 20150031471
    Abstract: An iron golf club head has a strike plate mounted securely in a front face of a head body. The head body has a sealed cavity formed in back of the strike plate so that only the peripheral edge of the strike plate is connected to the head body. When the iron golf club head strikes the golf ball, the strike plate deforms to independently bear the striking force and the cavity provides room to receive the deformation of the strike plate. Therefore, the rebounding effect is enhanced when the iron golf club head hits the golf ball.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventor: Chi-Hung Su
  • Golf club head with top line insert
    Patent number: 8939848
    Abstract: A golf club head having a low-density insert located in a top portion thereof. The insert may be only in the top line of the club head or extend from the heel around the toe. The insert may extend through a hosel and optionally be visible on a heel-side surface. The insert may be mounted on a back surface of a striking face, and may extend a distance down the back surface. The insert may extend into, and provide part of, a golf ball striking face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter L. Soracco, Ryan L. Roach, Denise T. Herman, Thomas W. Preece, Michael S. Yagley
  • STRIKE PLATE OF A GOLF CLUB HEAD
    Publication number: 20150011326
    Abstract: A strike plate of a golf club head has a striking zone and an elastic annular part defined around the striking zone and adjacent to the edge of the strike plate. Multiple annular grooves are formed in the elastic annular part on the rear face of the strike plate and are arranged at intervals. Multiple annular flanges are formed on the rear face. Each annular flange is formed between two adjacent annular grooves. The elastic annular part with multiple thicker and thinner parts alternately arranged provides elasticity as a spring. Therefore, when any part of the striking zone of the strike plate is stricken on the golf ball, the elastic annular part generates a sufficient elastic effect to effectively enlarge the sweet spot on the strike plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventor: CHI-HUNG SU
  • Weighted golf club head
    Patent number: 8926448
    Abstract: A golf club head having a center of gravity located at a point close to the face and the sole is disclosed herein. In particular, the golf club head comprises a hollow body including a weight lip and face component, and the weight lip extends from the sole inside the body towards the face component without making contact with the face component. The golf club head is preferably a wood-type or hybrid-type golf club head. In other embodiments, the golf club head comprises a weight bar disposed within the hollow body proximate the face component, and the weight bar bridges at least a portion of the sole. The weight bar may be movable within the hollow body to allow for center of gravity adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Irina Ivanova, Joel B. Erickson, Bradley C. Rice, Brandon D. DeMille, Patrick Dawson, William C. Watson
  • Golf club putter with roller putting head
    Patent number: 8920260
    Abstract: A golf club putting head includes a flexible cylindrical roller body having a striking face defined thereon and thereabout. The roller body has a central bore extending therethrough from end to end thereof and configured to mount the body over an axle on a lower end of a putter shaft such that the body can undergo rotation about and relative to the axle. The striking face on the body is yieldably conformable to the shape of a golf ball upon impacting the ball and is formed by an annular bed of multiple flexible projections formed on and about the body. The putting head also includes a pommel fitted on an outer end of the axle and configured for adjusting the rollability of the roller body on the axle so as to enable a player to hit the ball with an impact that will cause it to roll towards the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Inventor: Manucher Azmudeh
  • Golf club head
    Patent number: 8920259
    Abstract: An iron golf club head according to this invention includes a head body and a face member. The face member includes a front portion forming portion which forms the front portion of a sole portion. The head body includes a sole forming portion thicker than the front portion forming portion. The end surface of the sole forming portion on the side of a face portion includes a lower region attached to the end surface of the front portion forming portion on the back side, and an upper region above the lower region. An elastic body is disposed in the gap between the upper region and the back surface of the face member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Takaharu Takechi
  • GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH FLEXURE
    Publication number: 20140378244
    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: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Noah de la Cruz, Charles E. Golden, Stephanie Bezilla, Darryl C. Galvan, Mark C. Myrhum, Gery M. Zimmerman, Uday V. Deshmukh
  • Putter face insert
    Patent number: 8915798
    Abstract: A putter-type golf club head having a face insert comprising a metal sheet and a urethane backing is disclosed herein. The metal sheet, which makes contact with a golf ball during use, includes a plurality of oval-shaped holes extending through the entire thickness of the sheet and having a specific size and spacing, and the urethane backing has a hardness that optimizes performance of the face insert, and thus the putter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Alan Hocknell, Craig E. Abbott, Augustin W. Rollinson
  • Iron-type golf club head
    Patent number: 8911302
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an iron-type golf club head having a body with at least one sole pocket and a cap sized to at least partially close the sole pocket. The pocket is bounded on one side by a face plate, which is only partially affixed to the body via welding, and may be completely or partially filled with the cap. The cap, which can be made of multiple materials having different densities, is located within the pocket such that one or more gaps are disposed between the cap and the sidewalls of the pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Irina Ivanova, Bradley C. Rice, Scott R. Manwaring, Brandon D. DeMille
  • Golf iron facetongue
    Patent number: 8911301
    Abstract: A golf iron clubhead configuration tor increasing and controlling face flexure while stabilizing the face in all directions other than the flexure direction and reducing face vibration. The two features that contribute to these results are firstly to free the facewall from z axis restraint by the other portions of the clubhead to the maximum extent possible, limited by clubhead integrity. The second is to stabilize the free face in x and y coordinates of the facial plane with a horizontally elongated tongue or piston attached indirectly, not directly to the face. This tongue slides and is stabilized in a tight-fitting lubricated groove in the rear of the clubhead positioned downwardly from the geometric center of the clubface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Inventor: Dillis V. Allen
  • Fairway wood center of gravity projection
    Patent number: 8900069
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    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
  • Electronic firing of caseless propellant for a ballistic impeller golf club
    Patent number: 8900065
    Abstract: A unique quiet reliable golf club capable of driving a golf ball varying distances utilizing a case-less propellant formulation, fired electronically without swinging the club. The golf club contains multiple loads of case-less propellant formulation in a shaft magazine capable of playing an entire game of golf without reloading. The striker piston and cylinder are disposed within the golf club head casting that contains a silencing chamber to lower the db output level. The striker piston is propelled outward by a high pressure case-less propellant gas injected into a vortex generator, located at the breech end of the cylinder. The vortex generator disperses the gas according to a desired distance setting of a ball travel distance scale. The one piece striker piston is sealed with a piston ring and is movable on a hard-coat cylinder-bearing surface that eliminates lubrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Inventor: Roy Howard Taylor
  • Weighted golf club head
    Patent number: 8900070
    Abstract: A golf club head having a center of gravity located at a point close to the face and the sole is disclosed herein. In particular, the golf club head comprises a hollow body including a weight lip and face component, and the weight lip extends from the sole inside the body towards the face component without making contact with the face component. The golf club head is preferably a wood-type or hybrid-type golf club head. In other embodiments, the golf club head, which may be an iron-type golf club head, comprises a weight bar disposed within the hollow body proximate the face component, and the weight bar bridges at least a portion of the sole. The weight bar may be movable within the hollow body to allow for center of gravity adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Patrick Dawson, Irina Ivanova, Bradley C. Rice, Joel B. Erickson
  • Golf club head or other ball striking device with thermoreactive face
    Patent number: 8894507
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head that includes a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face. The face has an area of highest response located proximate a center of the ball striking surface. The face is formed of a first material and a second material that forms at least a portion of the area of highest response. The second material has a thermal modulus response that is different from a thermal modulus response of the first material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Boyd, Rachel M. Thurston, Jeffrey A. Hadden, Ivan E. Tornes
  • Fairway wood center of gravity projection
    Patent number: 8888607
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher John Harbert, Todd P. Beach, Matthew David Johnson, Nathan T. Sargent, Kraig Alan Willett, Michelle Penney, Marc Kronenberg, Matthew Greensmith, Joseph Henry Hoffman
  • Golf club head with improved mass distribution
    Patent number: 8882608
    Abstract: A golf club head having a striking wall having a front surface, and a rear surface, a top surface, and a sole portion extending rearwardly from the rear surface, the sole portion having a forward end, a rearward end, an upper surface and a lower surface. The intersection of the upper surface and the rear surface defines an interior sole line. The intersection of the upper surface and the rearward end defines a trailing edge. A region on the upper surface includes variation of the height of the trailing edge or exterior sole line relative to the height of the interior sole line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Jesse D. Sukman
  • Golf club head having a multi-material face
    Patent number: 8876629
    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 that forms a pocket, wherein the pocket is filled with a secondary material having a lower density to improve the performance of the golf club head. The multi-material face disclosed in accordance with the present invention may generally have a characteristic time slope of greater than about 5 and less than about 50, wherein the characteristic time slope is determined based on the various data points collected according to the United States Golf Association's (USGA's) Characteristic Time (CT) test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Uday V. Deshmukh, Charles E. Golden
  • Golf club head having a multi-material face
    Patent number: 8864602
    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 that forms a pocket, wherein the pocket is filled with a secondary material having a lower density to improve the performance of the golf club head. The multi-material face disclosed in accordance with the present invention may generally have a characteristic time slope of greater than about 5 and less than about 50, wherein the characteristic time slope is determined based on the various data points collected according to the United States Golf Association's (USGA's) Characteristic Time (CT) test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Andrew J. Curtis, Noah de la Cruz, Uday V. Deshmukh, Charles E. Golden, Bradford Hughes Hartwell, John Morin
  • Golf club head
    Patent number: 8858360
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Bradley C. Rice, William C. Watson, Patrick Dawson, Irina Ivanova, Steven M. Ehlers
  • GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH IMPROVED STRIKING FACE
    Publication number: 20140295988
    Abstract: A golf club head with an improved striking face is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention utilizes an innovative die quenching method that can alter the Young's modulus of the material of the striking face. The striking face portion of the present invention generally created from an ?+? titanium alloy such as SP 700 that contains a ? rich alloy composition to create more phase change in the alloying elements. In a preferred embodiment, the die quenching process could create a localized change in the material's Young's modulus throughout different regions of the striking face, resulting in a change in the Young's modulus of the material within the same striking face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventors: Ryuichi Sugimae, Uday V. Deshmukh, Heng-Jui Henry Yeh
  • Putter face insert
    Patent number: 8840489
    Abstract: The putter face insert of the present invention reduces or eliminates backspin, and in some circumstances even imparts topspin, of a golf ball after impact with the putter face by including a contact surface with uniform thickness and at least one backing having non-uniform thickness. Generally, reducing initial backspin improves distance control and directional consistency of a golf ball when putting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Justin Del Rosario, Augustin W. Rollinson
  • GOLF CLUB
    Publication number: 20140274446
    Abstract: A golf club-head can have a body having a crown, a heel, a toe, and a sole, the body defining a front opening; and a face plate closing the front opening of the body, the face plate comprising a lay-up of multiple, composite prepreg plies, wherein at least a portion of the plies comprise a plurality of elongated prepreg strips arranged in a crisscross pattern defining an overlapping region where the strips overlap each other. The face plate also includes an exterior and interior surface and having an image or indicia printed on the exterior surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Vincent Greaney, Parker Drennan, Sanjay Kuttappa, Bing-Ling Chao
  • Golf club head with flexure
    Patent number: 8834290
    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: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Stephanie Bezilla, Uday V. Deshmukh, Charles E. Golden, Mark C. Myrhum, Noah de la Cruz, John Morin, Darryl C. Galvan
  • Golf club head with flexure
    Patent number: 8834289
    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: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Noah de la Cruz, Charles E. Golden, Stephanie Bezilla, Darryl C. Galvan, Mark C. Myrhum, Gery M. Zimmerman, Uday V. Deshmukh
  • REINFORCED FACES OF CLUB HEADS AND RELATED METHODS
    Publication number: 20140256462
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a reinforced face of a club head. Other embodiments for related reinforced faces of club heads and related methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Inventors: Eric V. Cole, Eric J. Morales