Hollow Body Patents (Class 473/345)
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Patent number: 9533201Abstract: 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 with a toe portion, a heel portion, a top portion, a sole portion, a back portion, and a front portion having a face portion. The golf club head may include an interior cavity. The interior cavity is at least partially filled with an elastic polymer material. A bonding portion bonds the elastic polymer material to the face portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2016Date of Patent: January 3, 2017Assignee: PARSONS XTREME GOLF, LLCInventors: Robert R. Parsons, Michael R. Nicolette, Bradley D. Schweigert
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Patent number: 9486677Abstract: A golf club head comprising a body, an elevated weight bar, and a plurality of carbon tubes is disclosed herein. The body comprises a hollow interior, a face section, a sole section, and a crown section, and the elevated weight bar bridges at least a portion of the sole and may be formed separately from the rest of the body and then affixed to the body by welding or a mechanical fastener. In one embodiment, each of the carbon tubes extends from the crown section and terminates at the elevated weight bar, while in another embodiment each of the carbon tubes extends from the crown section to the sole section and passes through the elevated weight bar without making contact with the floating weight bar.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2015Date of Patent: November 8, 2016Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventors: James A. Seluga, Matthew Myers, Irina Ivanova, Bradley C. Rice, William C. Watson
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Patent number: 9474946Abstract: A more efficient triangular shape for metal wood clubs or driver clubs is disclosed. This triangular shape allows the clubs to have higher rotational moments of inertia in both the vertical and horizontal directions, and a lower center of gravity.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2014Date of Patent: October 25, 2016Assignee: Acushnet CompanyInventors: Thomas Orrin Bennett, Charles E. Golden, Christopher D. Harvell, Stephen S. Murphy, Daniel Stone
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Patent number: 9468818Abstract: A wood golf club head, which is provided therein with a hollow section and for which a crown section that forms the upper surface of the head is formed from a metal material. The crown section includes a heel portion; a toe portion with a smaller thickness than the heel portion; and a thickness transition section provided between the heel portion and the toe portion, the thickness of which decreases gradually from the heel portion to the toe portion. In the top view of a reference state in which the head is placed on a horizontal plane with a specified lie angle and loft angle, the thickness transition section extends as a smooth curve that protrudes towards the toe side.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2013Date of Patent: October 18, 2016Assignee: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.Inventor: Hirotaka Nakamura
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Patent number: 9399156Abstract: A hollow golf club head includes a sole, a crown, a skirt, and a striking face. The golf club includes a junction interconnecting the sole, crown, and skirt to the striking face, the junction including at least one stiffening member.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2014Date of Patent: July 26, 2016Assignee: SRI SPORTS LIMITEDInventors: Robert J. Horacek, Nathaniel J. Radcliffe, John J. Rae, Michael J. Wallans, Sam G. Lacey
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Patent number: 9345936Abstract: A golf club head comprising an adjustable weighting feature including a tube extending from the crown to the sole of the golf club head is disclosed herein. More specifically, a golf club head formed from three pieces, namely a first piece comprising a face, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a hosel, a second piece comprising a rear end, a crown portion, and a sole portion, and a tube, wherein these pieces are welded to one another, is disclosed herein. Each of these pieces may be separately cast, forged, or formed from a metal material such as stainless steel, titanium alloy, and aluminum alloy.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2015Date of Patent: May 24, 2016Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventors: Joshua D. Westrum, James A. Seluga, Patrick Dawson, Sean P. Griffin
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Patent number: 9320949Abstract: A golf club head including a crown, a sole, a hosel, a face and a flexure. The golf club head includes a multi-material construction including a face member, a midsection and an aft member that allows optimization of the mass distribution of the golf club head. The flexure provides compliance during an impact between the golf club head and a golf ball.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2013Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: Acushnet CompanyInventors: Charles E. Golden, Uday V. Deshmukh, Stephanie Bezilla, Mark C. Myrhum, Stephen S. Murphy
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Patent number: 9278263Abstract: A golf club head with low and high density zones designed to provide specific densities for use in various parts of the club head to achieve maximum volume and properties within specific weight goals. The low and high density zones may be formed from laminates having different equivalent densities than the layers used to form the laminates.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2012Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: Acushnet CompanyInventors: Uday Deshmukh, Charles E. Golden
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Patent number: 9278264Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads with loft-based weights and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2012Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing CorporationInventors: Ryan Stokke, Marty R. Jertson
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Patent number: 9265993Abstract: A hollow golf club head incorporating a stress reducing feature including a crown located stress reducing feature. The location and size of the crown stress reducing feature, and their relationship to one another and other club head engineering variables, play a significant role in selectively increasing deflection of the face.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2013Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INCInventors: Jeffrey J. Albertsen, Michael Scott Burnett
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Patent number: 9259629Abstract: A golf club including a club head having a club head main body including a hitting face and a face support, and a support extension. The support extension extends between the face support and a back flange to define a lower cavity.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2014Date of Patent: February 16, 2016Assignee: Acushnet CompanyInventors: Peter J. Gilbert, Douglas C. Jorgensen, Scott A. Knutson, Helene S. Hipp, Adrian L. Stanescu
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Patent number: 9233281Abstract: An iron-type golf club head comprising a high strength face plate with a face support is disclosed herein. In particular, the face plate is affixed to a perimeter region and to a face support that extends upwards from the sole proximate a front opening. The face plate preferably is welded to the perimeter region and brazed to the face support to optimize the sound and feel of the golf club head while preserving the strength of the face.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2014Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventors: Patrick Dawson, Sean Griffin, Brett Carter, Irina Ivanova
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Patent number: 9205311Abstract: Some embodiments include a club head with sole mass element. Other embodiments of related club heads and methods are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2013Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: KARSTEN MANUFACTURING CORPORATIONInventor: Ryan Stokke
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Patent number: 9168431Abstract: A fairway wood golf club characterized by a long blade length, a small club moment arm, and a large transfer distance thereby producing a relatively small CG angle and a relatively high face closing moment of inertia, and all the benefits afforded therefrom.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2013Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.Inventors: Justin Honea, Tim Reed, John Kendall
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Patent number: 9168434Abstract: A golf club incorporating a stress reducing feature including an aperture located on the crown or sole of the club head. The location and size of the stress reducing feature and aperture, and their relationship to one another, play a significant role in selectively increasing deflection of the face.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2014Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.Inventors: Michael Scott Burnett, Bryan Seon, Jeffrey T. Halstead, Justin Girard
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Patent number: 9168428Abstract: A hollow golf club head incorporating a stress reducing feature including at least one sole located stress reducing feature located at least partially on the sole. The location and size of the sole stress reducing feature, and their relationship to one another and other club head engineering variables, play a significant role in selectively influencing deflection and performance of the face.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2014Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.Inventors: Jeffrey J. Albertsen, Michael Scott Burnett
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Patent number: 9101811Abstract: A golf club head comprising a conformal weight sized to fit within a recess or channel disposed in a crown or sole is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the crown or sole itself is a conformal weight, and is removably affixed to a base structure comprising a striking face and a skeletal support structure. In other embodiments, the golf club head comprises a conformal weight in the form of a sole cap that is removably affixed to the golf club head and covers small weight ports disposed in the sole.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2014Date of Patent: August 11, 2015Assignee: CALLAWAY GOLF COMPANYInventors: Tim Goudarzi, Steven M. Ehlers, Matthew Myers, Larry Tang, Wee Joung Kim, Philip G. Foster, Wayne H. Byrne
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Patent number: 9101809Abstract: A face for a golf club head is disclosed herein. The face has an interior surface comprising a central region having a first perimeter having an elliptical shape, an outer edge having a non-elliptical, driver-face profile shape, a first intermediate region located between the first perimeter and the outer edge, the first intermediate region having a second perimeter with a shape that is more similar to the shape of the first perimeter than the shape of the outer edge, and a second intermediate region located between the second perimeter and the outer edge, the second intermediate region having a third perimeter with a shape that is more like the shape of the outer edge than the shape of the first perimeter. The thicknesses of the perimeters of the face disclosed herein may vary around their respective circumferences.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2014Date of Patent: August 11, 2015Assignee: CALLAWAY GOLF COMPANYInventors: Evan D. Gibbs, J. Neil Hall, William D. Richardson, Larry G. Tang, Homer E. Aguinaldo
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Patent number: 9084921Abstract: A golf club head comprising a channel and an expandable weight that can be removably fixed at any point within the channel is disclosed herein. The weight comprises at least an upper portion, a middle portion, a lower portion, and a bolt, and the upper portion and lower portion preferably are formed of metal materials while the middle portion preferably is formed of a polymeric material. The weight preferably is trapped within the channel so that it cannot fall out of the channel during use. The channel may also have an end that opens into a port, which can be filled with a plug or weight screw to prevent the weight from falling out of the channel, and also can be removed so that the weight can be removed and replaced with another expandable weight having a different overall mass.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2013Date of Patent: July 21, 2015Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventors: Ten Ken Liang, Matthew Myers, Sean P. Griffin
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Patent number: 9079368Abstract: Wood-type golf clubs and/or golf club heads include: (a) a golf club head base member including a face member having a ball striking face; and (b) a polymeric body member engaged with the golf club head base member, wherein the polymeric body member is formed via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process) and/or engaged with the golf club head base member via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process). The polymeric body member forms at least a portion of a crown member of the club head in some structures.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2010Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Gary G. Tavares, Todd Anthony Waatti, John Thomas Stites
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Publication number: 20150148148Abstract: Embodiments of golf club weight attachment mechanisms are described herein. In some embodiments, a golf club head comprises a head body with an interior cavity, a shell portion, and a bracket with a weight member coupled to the bracket. In one embodiment, the bracket and the weight member can be configured to be fully contained within the interior cavity. Other examples and related methods are also described herein.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2015Publication date: May 28, 2015Applicant: KARSTEN MANUFACTURING CORPORATIONInventors: Eric J. Morales, Martin R. Jertson
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Publication number: 20150141164Abstract: Wood-type golf clubs and/or golf club heads include: (a) a golf club head base member including a face member having a ball striking face; and (b) a polymeric body member engaged with the golf club head base member, wherein the polymeric body member is formed via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process) and/or engaged with the golf club head base member via a rotational molding process (or other centrifugal force inducing molding process). The polymeric body member forms at least a portion of a crown member of the club head in some structures.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2015Publication date: May 21, 2015Inventors: John T. Stites, Gary G. Tavares, Todd Anthony Waatti
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Patent number: 9033813Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head with a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball and being defined by a plurality of peripheral edges, a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the peripheral edges of the face, and a sole member connected to the sole of the body. The sole member may be removably connected to the sole, which can permit removal and replacement with another sole member having a different property. The sole member may additionally or alternately be movably connected to the sole, which can permit adjustment of the sole member, such as to change the lie angle of the head. The sole member may be at least partially received in a receiver in the sole and may form at least a portion of the lowermost surface of the head.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: May 19, 2015Assignee: Nike, Inc.Inventors: Andrew G. V. Oldknow, William F. Rauchholz
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Patent number: 9033818Abstract: A golf club head with a multi-material face is disclosed herein. The layers of the multi-material face are preferably attached to the club head using adhesive and mechanical methods.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2012Date of Patent: May 19, 2015Assignee: Acushnet CompanyInventors: Mark C. Myrhum, Uday V. Deshmukh
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Patent number: 9033815Abstract: In general, aspects of this invention relate to golf clubs or golf club components incorporating adjustment members that permit ready adjustability of golf club parameters and/or interchangeability of golf club components to change a golf club configuration, and methods for providing golf clubs. According to aspects of this invention, an adjustment member may be utilized to allow the adjustability of a golf club parameter to change a golf club configuration, while ensuring there is substantially no change to other club or club head variables, parameters or characteristics. According to another aspect of this invention, an adjustment member may be utilized to allow the adjustability of two golf club parameters independently to change a golf club configuration, while ensuring there is substantially no change to other club or club head variables, parameters or characteristics.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2012Date of Patent: May 19, 2015Assignee: Nike, Inc.Inventors: Raymond J. Sander, Joshua M. Boggs, Matthew P. Rubal
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Patent number: 9033822Abstract: A multiple-material golf club and a method for forming said golf club is disclosed herein. The multiple-material golf club preferably is a driver that has a metal face cup and a thin-walled, compression molded, composite aft body with precise IML and OML geometry. The molding composite used to form the compression molded aft body preferably comprises a plurality of randomly oriented, pre-spread carbon fiber bundles and a thermoset or thermoplastic matrix material.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2013Date of Patent: May 19, 2015Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventors: Brandon D. DeMille, Bradley C. Rice, Steven M. Ehlers
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Patent number: 9028341Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 11, 2013Date of Patent: May 12, 2015Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: John Francis Lorentzen, Bing-Ling Chao
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Patent number: 9011267Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 29, 2013Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Michael Scott Burnett, Alexander Theodore Berger, Justin Honea
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Patent number: 9011265Abstract: A golf club includes a shaft and a club head. The club head includes a ball striking face, a heel, a toe, a rear, and a crown. The crown may include a substantially horizontally-oriented forward crown region extending rearwardly from the ball striking face. The crown further may include a primary recessed feature located rearward of the forward crown region and extending from the heel to the toe of the club head. The recessed feature may have a floor and a front wall extending upward from the floor to the forward crown region. The crown may further include a substantially horizontally-oriented rearward crown region extending forwardly from the rear of the club head. The recessed feature may be located between the forward crown region and the rearward crown region. A back wall of the recessed feature may extend upward from the floor to the rearward crown region.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2013Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: John T. Stites, Robert Boyd, Raymond J. Sander
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Patent number: 9011269Abstract: A metal golf club head that allows a user to customize the location of the center of gravity. The metal golf club head comprises a hollow body with a weighting port. The weighting port allows a user to place weighting material inside the hollow body, customizing the location of the center of gravity, the swing weight, the total weight, and the balance of the golf club.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2013Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Dogleg Right CorporationInventor: David P. Billings
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Patent number: 9011266Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 7, 2012Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.Inventors: Jeffrey D. Brunski, Darius Cyrulik, Matthew R. Daraskavich, Michael T. Prichard, Ryan J. A. Ritchie, Michael J. Cohen
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Publication number: 20150105177Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2014Publication date: April 16, 2015Applicant: 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
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Patent number: 8992338Abstract: Golf club head embodiments disclosed herein comprise a crown having a stepped portion located between a front portion of the crown and rear portion of the crown, such that the crown transitions steeply in height across the stepped portion from the front portion down to the rear portion. The stepped portion of the crown may extend from adjacent to the hosel in a toeward and rearward direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: March 31, 2015Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Kraig Alan Willett, Nathan T. Sargent, Joseph Reeve Nielson, Michael Franz
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Patent number: 8992339Abstract: A golf club head 1 comprising a hollow head body 1b and a gravity center adjuster 14 fixed to the head body 1b and comprising a first weight member 15 and a second weight member 16 having a lower specific gravity than the first weight member 15, wherein the first and second weight members are provided in the head body 1b so that the locations thereof are exchangeable with each other, and a depth GL of the center of gravity which is a distance from the head's center of gravity G to a sweet spot SS of a face 2 can be changed by location exchange between the first and second weight members 15 and 16 without substantially changing a distance GK of the center of gravity which is the shortest distance from an axial center line of a shaft-inserting hole 7a to the head's center of gravity G.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2011Date of Patent: March 31, 2015Assignee: SRI Sports LimitedInventor: Kiyofumi Matsunaga
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Patent number: 8986131Abstract: A golf club includes a shaft and a club head. The club head includes a body member having a ball striking face, a heel, a toe, a rear and a crown. The crown may include a forward crown region, a rearward crown region, and a crown transition region therebetween. The rearward crown region may have a lower height than the forward crown region. The crown transition region may extend generally in a heel-to-toe direction. The vertical slope of the crown transition region may decrease as the crown transition region extends from the heel toward the toe. The crown transition region may lie at an angle from a front plane of the club head. Optionally, a club head may include a forward sole region, a rearward sole region, and a sole transition region therebetween.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: Nike, Inc.Inventors: John T. Stites, Robert Boyd, Raymond J. Sander, Eric A. Larson
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Patent number: 8986133Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 16, 2013Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: Acushnet CompanyInventors: 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
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Patent number: 8979671Abstract: A golf club head having a face component, a crown, and a composite sole or a composite body patch with one or more weight ports for receiving one or more weight inserts is disclosed herein. At least part of each of the weight ports is integrally formed in the composite sole or composite body patch, and each of the weight ports include a weight receiving region for receiving a weight and a screw receiving region for receiving a screw that secures the weight in the weight port.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventors: Brandon D. DeMille, William C. Watson, Patrick Dawson
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Patent number: 8979673Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads with weight redistribution channels are described herein. Other examples and related embodiments are also disclosed herein.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2013Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corp.Inventors: Eric J. Morales, Eric V. Cole, Jeffrey A. Blankenship
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Publication number: 20150072803Abstract: A golf club having variable face to body transition is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention relates to a golf club head having an indented transition region that helps facilitate the transition of thickness variation from the striking face to a rear aft body. The indented transition region may be located on the crown, the skirt, or the sole, and achieves improved performance by achieving an increased thickness reduction slope.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2013Publication date: March 12, 2015Applicant: Acushnet CompanyInventors: Charles E. Golden, John W. Morin, Darryl C. Galvan, Richard L. Cleghorn, Stephen S. Murphy
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Publication number: 20150072804Abstract: In an iron golf club head with a face portion and a neck portion integrally molded by forging, the iron golf club head is made of an iron steel material at least containing 0.30% by weight or less of carbon and 0.0005% by weight to 0.003% by weight of boron. The face portion has been subjected to quenching processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2014Publication date: March 12, 2015Inventors: Kazuhiro Doi, Jun Yoshikawa
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Publication number: 20150072805Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2014Publication date: March 12, 2015Inventors: Robert M. Boyd, Jeremy N. Snyder, Hiroshi Kawaguchi, James S. Thomas, Raymond J. Sander, Rick S. Wahlin, Akira Shimozuma
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Patent number: 8968114Abstract: 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. A face member formed primarily of a metallic material forms the face, and a body member is connected to the face member and extends rearward from the face member to form at least a portion of the body. The body member is formed at least partially of a polymer material, and has a doped portion containing a doping material dispersed within the polymer material. The doping material may have a different density than the polymer material, such that the doped portion has a different density than the portions of the body member not containing the doping material. A co-molding method may be used to form the ball striking device.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: Nike, Inc.Inventors: Robert Boyd, Michael E. Finn, David N. Franklin, Raymond J. Sander, Jeremy Snyder
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Publication number: 20150057102Abstract: A hollow golf club head having face end and tail ends, a strike face at the face end, a crown, a sole, and a structural response modifying constraining member having first and second ends, the second being forward of the first and spaced from the strike face, the constraining member extending vertically and in contact with the sole and the crown at its first and second ends, and extending horizontally distance that is substantially less than the sole length, when the club head is in address position.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2014Publication date: February 26, 2015Inventors: Robert J. Horacek, John J. Rae, Nathaniel J. Radcliffe, Clark Radcliffe
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Patent number: 8961336Abstract: 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 plurality of weight portions and a body portion. The plurality of weight portions may be associated with a total weight portion mass. The body portion may include a face portion, a toe portion, a sole portion, an interior cavity that may extend between the top and sole portions, and a back portion with a plurality of exterior weight ports having a first set of exterior weight ports and a second set of exterior weight ports. Each of the plurality of exterior weight ports is associated with a port diameter and configured to receive at least one weight portion of the plurality of weight portions. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2014Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Parsons Xtreme Golf, LLCInventors: Robert R. Parsons, Michael R. Nicolette, Bradley D. Schweigert
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Patent number: 8961337Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure relate to a golf club head which includes a wood type golf club head body including a ball striking face portion at a front side, a rear side, a crown portion, and a sole portion. Further, the sole or crown or rear portion of the club head body may be configured so that the body includes a bump portion which protrudes from the sole or crown or rear portion and an indented portion which recedes into the sole or crown or rear portion and creates a recess in the sole or crown or rear portion of the body. Further, the bump portion and the indented portion may be configured so that a center of gravity of the golf club head body is nearer to one of the heel edge of the body and the toe edge of the body.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2012Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Nike, Inc.Inventors: John T. Stites, Gary G. Tavares
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Patent number: 8961332Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 8, 2013Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Acushnet CompanyInventors: Darryl C. Galvan, Noah de la Cruz, Charles E. Golden
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Patent number: 8961335Abstract: A hollow golf club head comprises a face portion with a face for hitting a ball on its front and a crown portion forming a top surface of the head, wherein the head comprises a face member including the face portion and made of a metallic material and a crown member attached to the face member to form the crown portion at least partially, the crown member includes a first member made of a metal material and a second member made of a fiber reinforced resin for supporting the first member so that the first member does not directly contact with the face member, the head has a primary natural frequency of from 3800 to 6500 Hz and an antinode when the head vibrates in the primary natural mode appears in the first member.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2013Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.Inventor: Yasushi Sugimoto
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Patent number: 8956240Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 23, 2013Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: 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
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Patent number: 8956244Abstract: A golf club head comprising an adjustable weighting feature including a tube extending from the crown to the sole of the golf club head is disclosed herein. More specifically, a golf club head formed from three pieces, namely a first piece comprising a face, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a hosel, a second piece comprising a rear end, a crown portion, and a sole portion, and a tube, wherein these pieces are welded to one another, is disclosed herein. Each of these pieces may be separately cast, forged, or formed from a metal material such as stainless steel, titanium alloy, and aluminum alloy.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2013Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventors: Joshua D. Westrum, James E. Seluga, Patrick Dawson, Sean P. Griffin
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Patent number: 8956242Abstract: 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: October 19, 2012Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventors: Bradley C. Rice, William C. Watson, Patrick Dawson, Irina Ivanova, Brandon D. DeMille