Golf club head or other ball striking device having impact-influencing body features

Abstract

A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball where the face has multiple thickness regions. The face has a center region, an upper region, a lower region, a toe region, and a heel region. The upper and lower regions have a ramped thickness extending from a center region to an upper and lower edge of the face. The heel and toe regions have a constant face thickness and have a thickness less than the other regions. Additionally, the club head body has a flange where the face is welded to the club head body. The flange has a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the heel and toe regions of the face.

1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball,   an upper edge, a lower edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge;   a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face,   the body having a crown, a sole, a heel side, a toe side, and a flange that forms a portion of the striking surface;   wherein the flange of the body and the face are welded at a joint to form an interior cavity and the upper edge, the lower edge, the heel edge, and the toe edge of the face are defined by the joint;   wherein the face has a first region having a first thickness, a second region having a second thickness, and a third region having a third thickness; and   wherein the first region is positioned in a center region of the face,   wherein the first thickness is a uniform thickness,   the second region is positioned on the toe side,   the third region is positioned on the heel side, and   wherein a thickness at the upper edge of the face and the lower edge of the face is constant, and greater than the second thickness and the third thickness;   wherein a toe side transitional region is positioned between a toe side boundary of the center region and the toe edge and wherein a heel side transitional region is positioned between a heel side boundary of the center region and the heel edge;   wherein the toe side transitional region and the heel side transition region comprise a radius of curvature and comprise a variable thickness from boundaries with the center region such that the thickness decreases as a function of a distance away from the center region to the toe edge and heel edge, respectively,   wherein the flange has a thickness defined by a thickness at the heel edge of the joint,   wherein the flange thickness is greater than the second thickness and the third thickness; and   wherein the flange does not extend inward beyond the joint.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the center region comprises a rectangular shape comprising rounded corners. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the center region comprises a surface area ranging from 480 mm 2  and 620 mm 2 . 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the second region and the third region comprise surface areas ranging from 650 mm 2  to 750 mm 2 . 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first region has a center point that is located 2 mm above a face center location in a crown-to-sole direction. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the face further comprises a fourth region and a fifth region, wherein the fourth region is positioned between the center region and upper edge and the fifth region is positioned between the first region and the lower edge. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club head of  claim 6 , wherein the fourth region and the fifth region comprise surface areas ranging from 390 mm 2  to 440 mm 2 . 
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness, and the third thickness. 
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the toe side transition region and the heel side transition region comprise a surface area ranging from 160 mm 2  to 220 mm 2 . 
     
     
         10 . A golf club head comprising:
 a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball,   an upper edge, a lower edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge;   a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face,   the body having a crown, a sole, a heel side, a toe side, and a flange that forms a portion of the striking surface;   wherein the flange of the body and the face are welded at a joint to form an interior cavity and the upper edge, the lower edge, the heel edge, and the toe edge of the face are defined by the joint;   wherein the face defines an outer edge; and   wherein a wall extends rearwardly from the edge of the face;   wherein the face has a first region having a first thickness, a second region having a second thickness, and a third region having a third thickness; and   wherein the first region is positioned in a center region of the face,   wherein the first region has a surface area that is within a range of 18 percent and 23 percent of a total surface area of the face,   wherein the first thickness is a variable thickness,   the second region is positioned on the toe side,   the third region is positioned on the heel side,   wherein a thickness at the upper edge of the face and the lower edge of the face is constant, and greater than the second thickness and the third thickness;   wherein a toe side transitional region is positioned between a toe side boundary of the first region and the toe edge and wherein a heel side transitional region is positioned between a heel side boundary of the first region and the heel edge;   wherein the toe side transitional region and the heel side transition region comprise a radius of curvature and a variable thickness from boundaries with the first region such that the thickness decreases as a function of a distance away from the first region to the toe edge and heel edge, respectively,   wherein the flange has a thickness defined by a thickness at the heel edge of the joint,   wherein the flange thickness is greater than the second thickness and the third thickness; and   wherein the flange does not extend inward beyond the joint.   
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the first region comprises a rectangular shape comprising rounded corners. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the inner cavity is filled with air. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the variable thickness of the center portion is between 1.5 to 3.25 times thicker than the toe portion. 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the center region has a surface area of approximately 580 mm 2 . 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the center region has a surface area within the range of 480 mm 2  to 620 mm 2 . 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the center region comprises a height within a range of 13 mm to 21 mm. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 16 , wherein the center region comprises a width within a range of 30 mm to 45 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the first region has a center point that is located 2 mm above a face center location in a crown-to-sole direction. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the first region has a center point that is located within a range between 1 mm and 4 mm above a face center location in a crown-to-sole direction. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein the face further comprises a fourth region and a fifth region, wherein the fourth region is positioned between the center region and upper edge and the fifth region is positioned between the first region and the lower edge.