Improved performance golf club head

Abstract

It is well known that increasing the moment of inertia of a golf club head can generally improve the performance of a golf club head for amateur golfers, who do not always make contact with the golf ball at the center of the face. However, realizing this in golf club design is not so simple, and different moment of inertia values ​​can have different negative effects on the overall performance of the golf club head, sometimes outweighing the many benefits traditionally associated with increasing the moment of inertia of the golf club head. [Solution] A compact-sized golf club head, such as a fairway or hybrid type golf club head, with improved performance is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention relates to a compact-sized golf club head having a disproportionately large moment of inertia relative to a smaller golf club head mounting area.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention generally relates to compact-sized golf club heads, such as fairway or hybrid type golf club heads with improved performance. More specifically, the present invention relates to compact-sized golf club heads having a disproportionately large moment of inertia for a smaller golf club head footprint. [Background technology]

[0002] In the industry, it is well known that increasing the moment of inertia of a golf club head can generally improve the performance of a golf club head for amateur golfers, who do not always make contact with the golf ball at the center of the face. However, realizing this in golf club design is not so simple, and different moment of inertia values ​​can have different negative effects on the overall performance of the golf club head, sometimes outweighing the many benefits traditionally associated with increasing the moment of inertia of the golf club head.

[0003] Campau's U.S. Patent No. 4,420,156 presents one of the earlier patents relating to the concept of moment of inertia, which serves as a good foundation for the concept, but fails to recognize that there are numerous axes of rotation for the moment of inertia in addition to the horizontal axis.

[0004] Bennett et al.'s U.S. Patent No. 7,931,546 expands on the fundamental concept of the moment of inertia within a golf club by emphasizing that the moment of inertia can have multiple different components rotating around the center of gravity. One of the most important moments of inertia in a golf club head is often I yy MOI is the moment of inertia, quantified as a measurement centered on a vertical axis passing through the center of gravity of the golf club head. yyis generally the most important value, as it quantifies the ability of the golf club head to resist twisting when struck off-center in the heel or toe directions, and because the golf ball may go astray to the left or right of the potentially intended target. I yy To complement this, often I xx there is another moment of inertia of the golf club head measured about a horizontal axis passing through the center of gravity of the golf club head in the direction from heel to toe, which is quantified as I xx This quantifies the ability of the golf club head to resist twisting when struck off-center, resulting in not only a slightly less penalty but also an undesirable effect of the golf ball being launched too high or too low. Finally, I yy and I xx the last three components of the moment of inertia values paired with I zz are often the moment of inertia of the golf club head measured about a horizontal axis passing through the center of gravity of the golf club head in the fore-aft direction, which is quantified as I zz This quantifies the ability of the golf club head to resist twisting when struck off-center along the lie axis and generates undesirable rotational results.

[0005] One way to increase the moment of inertia of the golf club head is to simply increase its size and weight, and U.S. Patent No. 7,488,261 to Cackett et al. has developed this by teaching a golf club head having a large mass, a relatively short club length, and I zz a moment of inertia about an axis, with the golf club head preferably having a volume in the range of 400 cubic centimeters to 470 cubic centimeters.

[0006] For smaller golf club heads, such as hybrid-type golf club heads, the challenge of increasing the moment of inertia becomes much more difficult. Stevens et al., U.S. Patent No. 8,246,488, illustrates this inherent limitation by showing a hybrid-type golf club head having an external heel weight, an external toe weight, and an internal sole weight and a stainless steel body, preferably with a moment of inertia in the range of 2100 to 2300 grams. xx It has a volume that is significantly lower than that of a large golf club head.

[0007] Furthermore, even if a higher moment of inertia is achieved with a smaller golf club head, these club heads are often undesirable because the center of gravity is too deep, as quantified by the CG-C value, which measures the depth of the center of gravity relative to the shaft axis. An excessively deep center of gravity measurement is often undesirable because it creates undesirable launch conditions associated with excessive spin.

[0008] Therefore, based on the above, it is clear that in this field there is a need for compact-sized golf club heads, such as hybrids, that can achieve a smaller moment of inertia in a smaller volume without sacrificing spin performance by controlling the CG-C value. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 4,420,156 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 7,931,546 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 7,488,261 [Overview of the project]

[0010] In some embodiments, the technology described herein is a compact-sized golf club head comprising a body portion having a crown, a sole, and a hitting face, the sole including a toe-biased sole weight receptacle located on the toe side of the sole, a heel-biased sole weight receptacle located on the heel side of the sole, and a plurality of two or more weights adapted to interchangeably engage with the toe-biased sole weight receptacle and the heel-biased sole weight receptacle, the compact-sized golf club head having a volume of from about 100 cc to about 150 cc, the compact-sized golf club head having a moment of inertia about the y-axis (Iyy) of greater than about 2,750 g-cm2, the compact-sized golf club head having a weight perimeter distribution ratio greater than about 0.61, the weight perimeter distribution ratio being defined by the following formula, relating to a golf club head. Weight perimeter distribution ratio = Distance D2 at the end point of the weight / Overall width D3

[0011] In some embodiments, a compact-sized golf club head comprising a body portion having a crown, a sole, and a hitting face, the sole including a toe-biased sole weight receptacle located on the toe side of the sole, a heel-biased sole weight receptacle located on the heel side of the sole, and a plurality of two or more weights adapted to interchangeably engage with the toe-biased sole weight receptacle and the heel-biased sole weight receptacle, the compact-sized golf club head having a volume of from about 100 cc to about 150 cc, the compact-sized golf club head having an overall MOI value of greater than about 5,650 g-cm2, the compact-sized golf club head having a CG-C distance D1 of less than about 13.0 mm, relating to a golf club head.

[0012] In one aspect, the technology described herein is a compact-sized golf club head comprising a body portion having a crown, a sole, and a hitting face, the sole having a toe-side-biased sole weight receptacle located on the toe side of the sole, a heel-side-biased sole weight receptacle located on the heel side of the sole, and a plurality of two or more weights adapted to engage interchangeably with the toe-side-biased sole weight receptacle and the heel-side-biased sole weight receptacle, the compact-sized golf club head having a volume of about 100 cc to about 150 cc, the compact-sized golf club head having a CG-C distance D1 of less than about 13.0 mm, the compact-sized golf club head having a weight perimeter distribution ratio of greater than about 0.61, the weight perimeter distribution ratio being defined as follows, with respect to the golf club head. Weight perimeter distribution ratio = Distance D2 at the end points of the weight / Overall width D3

[0013] These and other configurations, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following drawings, description, and claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] The foregoing and other configurations and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the present invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of this specification, illustrate the principles of the present invention and further function to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the present invention.

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows an exploded view of a compact-sized golf club head according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings shows a view of the sole of a compact-sized golf club head according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, presenting the unique configuration of golf club head 200 more clearly. [Figure 3] Figure 3 in the attached drawings shows an oblique view of a compact golf club head according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 of the attached drawings shows a diagram of the sole of a compact-sized golf club head according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] The following detailed description illustrates the best currently envisioned method of carrying out the present invention. Since the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims, the description should not be made in an restrictive sense, but merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present invention.

[0017] Various configurations of the invention are described below, each of which can be used independently of others or in combination with other configurations. However, any single configuration of the invention may not address any or all of the problems discussed above, or it may address only one of the aforementioned problems. Furthermore, one or more of the aforementioned problems may not be fully addressed by any of the features described below.

[0018] Figure 1 of the attached drawings shows an exploded view of a compact-sized golf club head 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Before moving on to the consideration of the compact-sized golf club head 100, it should be noted that Figure 1 of the attached drawings shows a coordinate system 101 showing the x, y, and z axes used to describe various performance characteristics of the compact-sized golf club head 100, including the moment of inertia around a specific axis. The x-axis as defined in the present invention refers to an axis horizontal to the golf club head in the heel-to-toe direction, with the positive direction pointing towards the heel of the compact-sized golf club head 100. The y-axis refers to an axis that passes perpendicularly through the compact-sized golf club head 100, with the positive direction pointing towards the crown of the golf club head 100, as defined in the present invention. Finally, the z-axis as defined in the present invention refers to an axis horizontal to the golf club head in the front-to-back direction, with the positive direction pointing towards the hitting surface of the golf club head 100.

[0019] The compact-sized golf club head 100 of this embodiment may generally be a hybrid-type golf club head having a volume of approximately 100cc to approximately 150cc, and is distinguished from driver-type golf club heads having a volume exceeding 400cc and fairway wood-type golf club heads having a volume of approximately 200cc. This distinction is important because, while the ability to achieve performance values ​​with larger-sized golf club heads may appear normal, the ability of the present invention to achieve these moments of inertia and center of gravity values ​​with such a compact-sized golf club head 100 is what distinguishes the present invention. The compact-sized golf club head may generally have a configuration comprising a crown, sole, and hitting surface. The compact-sized golf club head 100 may generally have a configuration comprising a body portion 102 having a front opening 104 adapted to engage with a hitting surface insert 106. The presence of the front opening 104 allows for the use of a hitting surface insert 106 that can be made of different materials, thereby improving the performance of the compact-sized golf club head 100. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the ball-face insert 106 may be constructed from a high-strength material capable of withstanding the impact forced by the ball, without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the ball-face insert 106 may be made from a lightweight material to increase the mass as desired, allowing more weight to be placed in alternative strategic positions on the compact-sized golf club head 100, without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. In a further alternative embodiment of the present invention, the ball-face insert 106 may be made from both lightweight and high-strength materials to achieve both of the aforementioned objectives, without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.

[0020] In addition to having a front opening 104, the body portion 102 may also be configured to have a crown opening 108 adapted to engage with the crown 110. Similar to the hitting surface insert 106, the crown 110 according to this embodiment of the present invention may be made from a different material than the body portion 102. In one embodiment, since the crown 110 portion of the compact-sized golf club head 100 is generally not subjected to high stress during impact with the golf ball, it may be made from a generally lightweight material to further create any mass that can be allocated to alternating, more strategic locations within the compact-sized golf club head 100 without departing from the scope and contents of the present invention.

[0021] Finally, the exploded perspective view of the compact-sized golf club head 100 shown in Figure 1 shows an outer toe weight 114 adapted to engage with an outer heel weight 118, which is adapted to engage with an outer heel weight 118, which is adapted to engage with an outer heel weight 118, which is adapted to engage with an outer heel weight 118, which is adapted to engage with an outer heel weight 118, which is adapted to engage with an outer heel weight 116, which is adapted to engage with an outer heel weight 112, which is adapted to engage with an outer heel weight 112, which is adapted to engage with an outer heel weight 1162, which is adapted to engage with an outer heel weight 116, which is adapted to engage with an outer heel weight 112, which is adapted to engage with an outer heel weight 114, which is adapted to engage with an outer heel weight 112, which is adapted to engage with an outer heel weight 112

[0022] In the current exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the outer toe weight 114 and outer heel weight 118 may generally be made of a steel-type material, but in alternative embodiments of the present invention, both the outer toe weight 114 and outer heel weight 118 may be partially or entirely made of a high-density material such as tungsten, without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the outer toe weight 114 and outer heel weight 118 may be the same weight to create a more neutral center of gravity, but in alternative embodiments of the present invention, the outer toe weight 114 may be heavier than the outer heel weight 118 to create a center of gravity that is more toe-biased, or the outer heel weight 118 may be heavier than the outer heel weight 114 to create a center of gravity that is more heel-biased, without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 of the attached drawings shows a diagram of the sole of a compact-sized golf club head 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, allowing for a clearer depiction of the unique features of the golf club head 200. More specifically, the diagram of the sole of the compact-sized golf club head 200 allows for the location of the center of gravity 220 to be shown along the xz plane indicated by the coordinate system 201. The location of the center of gravity is important because it is one of the key variables defining the performance of the compact-sized golf club head 200. In this embodiment of the present invention, the center of gravity 220 is located at a CG-C distance D1 rearward from axis SA shown in Figure 2. The CG-C distance D1 according to this embodiment of the present invention may generally be less than about 13.0 mm, more preferably less than about 12.5 mm, and most preferably less than about 12.2 mm. This CG-C distance D1 generally relates to the amount of spin generated by the golf club head 200 when striking a golf ball. If the CG-C distance D1 is too large and the center of gravity is too deep, a compact-sized golf club head of 200 can generally produce the undesirable result of too much spin.

[0024] While reducing the depth of the CG-C distance D1 is important for improving the performance of the compact-sized golf club head 200, it does not tell the whole story regarding the overall performance of the compact-sized golf club head 200. The improvement of the compact-sized golf club head 200 in the current invention is its ability to achieve the above-mentioned CG-C distance D1 in combination with the compact-sized golf club head 200 without sacrificing the moment of inertia of the compact-sized golf club head 200. The moment of inertia of the compact-sized golf club head 200 cannot be quantified by a single simple number, but is a set of values ​​discussed below.

[0025] Due to the fact that off-center hits by the golf ball to the heel and toe have the most detrimental consequences, one of the most important moment of inertia values ​​for the compact size golf club head 200 is the moment of inertia of the compact size golf club head 200 measured around the vertical axis passing through the center of gravity, y-axis (I yy This is the moment of inertia around the ). The current compact-sized golf club head 200 according to the present invention generally has a moment of inertia of about 2,750 g-cm². 2 More precisely, about 2,800 g-cm 2 Most preferably about 2,850 g-cm 2 Super I yy The above configuration may include I yy In addition, the current compact-sized golf club head 200 weighs approximately 900g-cm². 2 More precisely, about 950 g-cm 2 Most preferably about 1,000 g-cm 2 Hyperx axis (I xx The golf club head may have a moment of inertia around the I xx This relates to the moment of inertia of a compact-sized golf club head 200, measured around a horizontal axis passing through the center of gravity in the heel-to-toe direction. The third moment of inertia value relevant to the current compact-sized golf club head 200 is the z-axis (I zzThis is the moment of inertia around the center of gravity in the front-to-back direction, and this relates to the moment of inertia of the compact-sized golf club head 200 measured around the horizontal axis passing through the center of gravity in the front-to-back direction. The current I zz Generally, it is about 2,000 g-cm³ 2 Larger is also acceptable, approximately 2,100g-cm 2 Larger is also acceptable, approximately 2,200g-cm 2 It is most preferable that the size be larger.

[0026] What is noteworthy here is the shaft axis (I SA The moment of inertia around the shaft axis SA is another important performance variable in a golf club head, quantifying the ability of the compact-sized golf club head 200 to resist twisting around the shaft axis SA. Generally, this value is directly related to the distance of the center of gravity away from the shaft axis SA along three-dimensional space, and the above CG-C forms a significant part of it. Current compact-sized golf club heads 200 generally have a moment of inertia of approximately 5,000 g-cm². 2 More precisely, about 5,100 g-cm 2 Most preferably about 5,200 g-cm 2 Super I SA A configuration having this feature is also acceptable.

[0027] I SA In addition, another common method for quantifying the overall moment of inertia performance of a golf club head is to use the I200 for a compact-sized golf club head. xx Value, I yy Value, and I zz This is the overall MOI value, defined as the sum of the values. The overall MOI value of a compact-sized golf club head 200 is generally 5,650 g-cm², without departing from the scope and content of this invention. 2 Larger, more preferably 5,850 g-cm 2 Larger, and even more preferably 6,050 g-cm² 3 In larger, more extreme situations, it can reach approximately 6,300 g-cm³. 2It can be larger.

[0028] Returning to Figure 2, it can be seen that the compact-sized golf club head 200 may generally have two weight receptacles located at the outermost parts of the compact-sized golf club head 200, at the heel and toe positions. More specifically, the toe-biased sole weight receptacle 212 is filled with an outer toe weight 214, while the heel-biased sole weight receptacle 216 is filled with an outer heel weight 218. While weights have been previously used in golf club heads to adjust the center of gravity and moment of inertia, the present invention is unique in the arrangement of weights at the outermost parts of the compact-sized golf club head 200.

[0029] Here, the most peripheral placement of the outer toe weight 214 and outer heel weight 318 is quantified by the weight perimeter distribution ratio, which is defined as the distance D2 between the toe portion of the outer toe weight 214 and the heel portion of the outer heel weight 218 along the x-axis, divided by the total width D3 of the compact-sized golf club head 200 along the same x-axis. Equation 1 below provides the definition of the weight perimeter distribution ratio described above. Weight perimeter distribution ratio = Distance at the endpoint of the weight D2 / Total width D3

[0030] The distance D2 at the endpoints of the weights in the current exemplary embodiment of the present invention is generally more preferably greater than about 67.0 mm, more preferably greater than about 67.5 mm, and more preferably greater than 68.0 mm. The overall width D3 of the compact-sized golf club head 200 is generally less than about 109 mm, more preferably less than about 108 mm, and most preferably less than about 107 mm. As a result, the weight perimeter distribution ratio of the compact-sized golf club head 200 according to the present invention is generally greater than about 0.61, greater than about 0.62, and most preferably greater than about 0.63, indicating that the weight distribution is in the outermost part of the compact-sized golf club head 200.

[0031] Figure 3 of the attached drawings shows an exploded view of a compact-sized golf club head 300 according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, showing an even more compact, iron-shaped contour and exhibiting the same features as described above. The compact-sized golf club head 300 shown in Figure 3 may generally have a body portion 302 having a crown opening 304 adapted to engage with a striking surface insert 306. Similar to the embodiments described above, the compact-sized golf club head 300 may have an outer toe weight 314 and an outer heel weight 318 located on the outermost part of the compact-sized golf club head 300.

[0032] Figure 4 of the attached drawings shows a diagram of the sole of a compact-sized golf club head 400 according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, and further shows a more compact outline of an iron shape exhibiting similar characteristics. The compact-sized golf club head 400 shown in Figure 4 may also have an external toe weight 414 and an external heel weight 418, both positioned on the outer circumference of the compact-sized golf club head 400, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. This arrangement of the external toe weight 414 and external heel weight 418 contributes to the position of the center of gravity 420 being located at a CG-C distance D1 of less than about 12.0 mm, more preferably less than about 11.0 mm, and most preferably less than about 10.5 mm, without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.

[0033] Interestingly, despite the fact that the CG-C distance D1 of this even smaller, compact-sized golf club head 400 is slightly smaller than that of the previously described embodiment, the weight perimeter distribution ratio is similar in that it is greater than about 0.61, more preferably greater than 0.62, and most preferably greater than about 0.63, because the relative ratio of the distance D2 at the extreme points of the outer toe weights 414 and 418 to the overall width D3 of the compact-sized golf club head 400 remains relatively the same.

[0034] Except in the operational examples, or unless otherwise explicitly specified, all numerical ranges, quantities, values, and percentages in the foregoing parts of this specification, such as quantities of material, moments of inertia, center of gravity, loft, draft, angles, various performance ratios, and others, can be read as if the term “approximately” precedes the value, quantity, or range, even if the word “approximately” is not explicitly indicated therein. Therefore, unless otherwise explicitly stated, the numerical parameters described in the above specification and the appended claims are approximations that may vary depending on the desired properties to be obtained by the present invention. At a minimum, and not with the intention of limiting the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the claims, each numerical parameter should be interpreted at least in terms of the reported number of significant figures and by applying common rounding techniques.

[0035] Although the numerical ranges and parameters describing the broad scope of the present invention are approximations, the numerical values ​​described in specific examples are reported as accurately as possible. However, any numerical value inherently contains certain errors that inevitably arise from the standard deviation observed in each test measurement. Furthermore, where numerical ranges of various sizes are described in this disclosure, it is conceivable that any combination of these values, including the values ​​described, may be used.

[0036] Naturally, it should be understood that the foregoing relating to exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. It is a compact-sized golf club head, The main body portion having a crown, sole, and hitting surface, The sole, A sole weight receptacle located on the toe side of the sole, which is biased toward the toe side, The main body further comprises a heel-biased sole weight receptacle located on the heel side of the sole, It comprises two or more weights adapted to interlock interchangeably with the toe-biased sole weight receptacle and the heel-biased sole weight receptacle, The aforementioned compact golf club head has a volume of approximately 100cc to approximately 150cc. The aforementioned compact golf club head weighs approximately 2,750 g-cm². ２ Hyper y-axis (I ｙｙ It has a moment of inertia around ) The aforementioned compact golf club head has a weight-perimeter distribution ratio greater than approximately 0.61, and the weight-perimeter distribution ratio is expressed by the following formula. Weight perimeter distribution ratio = Distance D2 at the weight endpoints / Total width D3

2. The compact-sized golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the weight perimeter distribution ratio is greater than approximately 0.

62.

3. The compact-sized golf club head according to claim 2, wherein the weight perimeter distribution ratio is greater than approximately 0.

63.

4. The aforementioned y-axis (I ｙｙ The moment of inertia around ) is approximately 2,800 g-cm ２ A compact-sized golf club head, larger than that described in claim 1.

5. The aforementioned y-axis (I ｙｙ The moment of inertia around ) is approximately 2,850 g-cm ２ A compact-sized golf club head, larger than that of claim 4.

6. The aforementioned compact golf club head weighs approximately 5,000 g-cm². ２ Shaft axis exceeding (I ＳＡ A compact-sized golf club head according to claim 1, having a moment of inertia around ).

7. The moment of inertia about the shaft axis (I ＳＡ ) is greater than about 5,100 g-cm ２ The compact-sized golf club head according to claim 6.

8. The compact-sized golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the compact-sized golf club head has a CG-C distance D1 of less than approximately 13.0 mm.

9. The compact-sized golf club head according to claim 9, wherein the CG-C distance D1 is less than approximately 12.5 mm.

10. The compact-sized golf club head according to claim 10, wherein the CG-C distance D1 is less than approximately 12.2 mm.

Images