US-12623123-B1 - Low drag golf club head with improved mass properties

US12623123B1US 12623123 B1US12623123 B1US 12623123B1US-12623123-B1

Abstract

A golf club head includes a body defining an internal cavity. The body includes a crown portion, a sole portion, a skirt portion extending along a perimeter of an aft side of the body between the crown portion and the sole portion, and a hosel extending from a heel side of the body. The skirt portion includes a distalmost point along a toe side of the body. The hosel defines a hosel axis that intersects a ground plane at a ground intersection point. The crown portion includes a vertex point adjacent to the hosel that defines vertex height in a direction normal to the ground plane. The vertex height is less than 75% of a maximum height of the body, and a height of the distalmost point in a direction normal to the ground plane is less than 65% of the maximum height of the body.

Inventors

D. Clayton Evans
Michael S. Yagley

Assignees

COBRA GOLF INCORPORATED

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220118

Claims (17)

1 . A golf club head, comprising: a body defining an internal cavity and including: a crown portion extending along a top side of the body; a sole portion extending along a bottom side of the body; a skirt portion extending along a perimeter of an aft side of the body between the crown portion and the sole portion, the skirt portion including a distalmost point along a toe side of the body; and a hosel extending from a heel side of the body, wherein the hosel defines a hosel axis that intersects a ground plane at a ground intersection point, wherein the crown portion includes a vertex point adjacent to the hosel that is defined as an uppermost point along the crown portion adjacent to the hosel where a slope of a line tangent to an uppermost edge of the crown portion is parallel to the ground plane, wherein the vertex point defines a vertex height in a direction normal to the ground plane, wherein the vertex height is less than 75% of a maximum height of the body, and wherein a height of the distalmost point in the direction normal to the ground plane is less than 65% of the maximum height of the body.
2 . The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the crown portion includes a crown plate.
3 . The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein the skirt portion is formed by the crown plate.
4 . The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising a weight coupled to the sole portion that includes a screw bore, and a hosel pocket arranged on the sole portion.
5 . The golf club head of claim 4 , further comprising a plug assembly that is configured to fill the screw bore and the hosel pocket so that external surfaces of the plug assembly are flush with an outer sole surface.
6 . The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising an aftmost point arranged along the skirt portion, wherein a parting line is defined as an imaginary line connecting the distalmost point along the toe side and the aftmost point, and wherein the parting line extends downward in a direction toward the ground plane to define a parting line slope or grade of less than 10%.
7 . A golf club head, comprising: a body defining an internal cavity and including: a crown portion extending along a top side of the body; a sole portion extending along a bottom side of the body; a skirt portion extending along a perimeter of an aft side of the body between the crown portion and the sole portion, the skirt portion including a distalmost point along a toe side of the body and an aftmost point, wherein a parting line is defined as an imaginary line connecting the distalmost point along the toe side and the aftmost point; and a hosel extending from a heel side of the body, wherein the hosel defines a hosel axis that intersects a ground plane at a ground intersection point, wherein the parting line extends downward in a direction toward the ground plane to define a parting line slope or grade of between 5% and 10%, wherein the crown portion includes a vertex point adjacent to the hosel that is defined as an uppermost point along the crown portion adjacent to the hosel where a slope of a line tangent to an uppermost edge of the crown portion is parallel to the ground plane, wherein the vertex point defines a vertex height in a direction normal to the ground plane, wherein the vertex height is less than 75% of a maximum height of the body, and wherein a height of the distalmost point in the direction normal to the ground plane is less than 65% of the maximum height of the body.
8 . The golf club head of claim 7 , wherein the crown portion includes a crown plate.
9 . The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the skirt portion is formed by the crown plate.
10 . The golf club head of claim 7 , further comprising a weight coupled to the sole portion that includes a screw bore, and a hosel pocket arranged on the sole portion.
11 . The golf club head of claim 10 , further comprising a plug assembly that is configured to fill the screw bore and the hosel pocket so that external surfaces of the plug assembly are flush with an outer sole surface.
12 . A golf club head, comprising: a body defining an internal cavity and including: a crown portion extending along a top side of the body; a sole portion extending along a bottom side of the body; a skirt portion extending along a perimeter of an aft side of the body between the crown portion and the sole portion; and a hosel extending from a heel side of the body, wherein the hosel defines a hosel axis that intersects a ground plane at a ground intersection point, wherein the body defines a half-head height that is half of a maximum height of the body defined in a direction normal to the ground plane, wherein the body defines a maximum area plane that defines a maximum cross-sectional area of the body taken in a plane parallel to the ground plane, wherein the maximum area plane is located at a height defined in a direction normal to the ground plane, and wherein a difference between the height of the maximum area plane and the half-head height is less than plus or minus 10% of the half-head height, wherein the crown portion includes a vertex point adjacent to the hosel that is defined as an uppermost point along the crown portion adjacent to the hosel where a slope of a line tangent to an uppermost edge of the crown portion is parallel to the ground plane, wherein the vertex point defines a vertex height in a direction normal to the ground plane, wherein the vertex height is less than 75% of a maximum height of the body, and wherein a height of a distalmost point in the direction normal to the ground plane is less than 65% of the maximum height of the body.
13 . The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein the crown portion includes a crown plate.
14 . The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein the skirt portion is formed by the crown plate.
15 . The golf club head of claim 12 , further comprising a weight coupled to the sole portion that includes a screw bore, and a hosel pocket arranged on the sole portion.
16 . The golf club head of claim 15 , further comprising a plug assembly that is configured to fill the screw bore and the hosel pocket so that external surfaces of the plug assembly are flush with an outer sole surface.
17 . The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein the skirt portion includes an aftmost point, wherein a parting line is defined as an imaginary line connecting the distalmost point along the toe side and the aftmost point, wherein the parting line extends downward in a direction toward the ground plane to define a parting line slope or grade of less than 10%.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/708,691, filed on Dec. 10, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/827,163, filed on Nov. 30, 2017 and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,532,254, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/582,521, filed on Nov. 7, 2017. Each of the foregoing patent applications and issued patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. REFERENCE REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not applicable. SEQUENCE LISTING Not applicable. BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention The present disclosure relates generally to a golf club head. 2. Description of the Background Golf is a challenging sport and a social experience. Golfers of differing abilities enjoy playing together. Typically, any golfer-regardless of ability-desires the ability to make long and consistent shots. Some golf club designers have tried heel-toe mass distributions to give more consistent shots. Unfortunately, with existing clubs, the distance of a shot may be limited by extrinsic factors such as the maximum velocity of swing speeds. As such, within a group of golfers, stronger individuals will tend to have an advantage at making longer drives compared to other members of the group. Thus, golfers will typically refer to handicaps to make score comparisons meaningful and to allow groups of golfers to enjoy golf together. SUMMARY In one aspect, an example golf club head includes a ball-striking face, a crown, a sole, and a weight. The crown extends from a top of the ball-striking face. The sole extends from a bottom of the ball-striking face and meets the crown to define an internal cavity and a trailing edge at a height between 40% and 70% of a height of the golf club head, such that an amount of work required to achieve a golf club head swing speed of 100 mph is less than or equal to 6 joules. The weight is disposed in the internal cavity such that a club head center of gravity is located within 3 millimeters of an idealized axis extending through and normal to the ball striking face, the weight being more dense than the sole. In another aspect, an example golf club head includes a ball-striking face, a crown, and a sole. The crown extends from a top of the ball-striking face. The sole extends from a bottom of the ball-striking face and meets the crown to define a trailing edge at a height greater than 40% of a height of the golf club head. External surfaces of the ball-striking face, the crown, and the sole are smoothly and transitionally connected to one another to reduce air drag such that an amount of work required to achieve a golf club head swing speed of 100 mph is less than or equal to 6 joules. In yet another aspect, an example golf club head includes a ball-striking face, a crown, and a weight. The crown is connected to the ball-striking face. The sole is connected to the ball-striking face and the crown. The sole, the ball-striking face, and the crown define an internal cavity. The weight is disposed in the internal cavity such that a club head center of gravity is located within 3 millimeters of an idealized axis extending through and normal to the ball-striking face. The disclosure relates to golf club heads with aerodynamic properties optimized to make very long shots. Aerodynamic properties are optimized by means of a trailing edge of the club head being lifted very high in comparison to existing club heads, and in which the club head includes a protruding element, such as a strut with a weight on the ends extending down from the sole, to maintain an optimal center of gravity location despite the dramatically raked trailing edge. The dramatic upwards rake as the sole reaches the trailing edge reduces aerodynamic drag on a club head during a swing and thus reduces the work required for the club head to move through the air. Thus, the club heads allow golfers to achieve faster golf swing velocities and increase golf shot distances. Embodiments of the present disclosure describe golf club heads having low drag and optimized center of gravity (CG) location by virtue of a raised trailing edge (compared to existing clubs). The club head is designed with a trailing edge positioned at a height, when the club head is at address, selected to minimize drag experienced by the club head during a golf swing, resulting in faster swing speeds. To offset any potential effect that the raised trailing edge may have on a location of the club head CG, the club head may include a weighted protruding element extending from a sole of the club head. The protruding weight positions the club head CG low and close to a neutral axis of the club (an idealized axis normal to, and extending through, a center of a ball-striking face of the club head). Additionally, the club head may have a crown that includes a lightweight material such as a composite, plastic, carbon fib