US2025090910A1PendingUtilityA1

Bunker golf club head

Assignee: KARSTEN MFG CORPPriority: Sep 20, 2023Filed: Sep 19, 2024Published: Mar 20, 2025
Est. expirySep 20, 2043(~17.1 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Jacob T. Clarke
A63B 53/0445A63B 53/047A63B 53/0433A63B 2053/0479A63B 53/0408
62
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
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References
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Claims

Abstract

The invention provides a wedge-type golf club head optimized for close-to-the-green shots. The golf club head comprises a highly lofted, large strike face and a sole with a broad bounce surface. The golf club head facilitates the golfer using a normal stance and swing path to produce an accurate, high trajectory shot to the green.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wedge-type golf club head comprising:
 a golf club head body comprising:   a toe, a heel, a sole having a leading edge defining a forwardmost edge, a front portion comprising a planar strike face having scorelines defining a grooved area and a strike face geometric center, a rear surface opposite the front portion, a top rail, a hosel, a strike face perimeter, and a transition between the hosel and the strike face;   wherein a loft plane is tangent to the strike face geometric center;   wherein an intersection of the loft plane and a ground plane define a loft angle and a loft plane intersection point;   wherein the loft angle is at least 62 degrees and no more than 70 degrees;   wherein an x-axis is defined extending from the heel toward the toe through the strike face geometric center, parallel to the ground plane, a y-axis is defined extending through the strike face geometric center from the sole toward the top line perpendicular to the x-axis, a z-axis is defined in a front to rear direction through the strike face geometric center perpendicular to both the x-axis and the y-axis, and an xy plane is defined by the x-axis and the y-axis;   wherein a strike face area is planar and within the loft plane;   wherein the strike face perimeter is defined at the transition from the strike face area planar surface;   wherein the strike face area is in a range of 5.80 in 2  to 6.0 in 2 ;   wherein the sole further comprises a maximum sole width measured between the leading edge and a rear edge, a sole maximum length measured between the toe and the heel, and a total sole area that comprises a transition area, a bounce area, and a relief area;   wherein the maximum sole width is in a range of 1.10 inch to 1.20 inch;   wherein the total sole area is in a range between 2.0 in 2  to 2.6 in 2 ; and   wherein a ratio of loft angle to sole area (Loft (ang)/S(A)) satisfies the following relationship having a unit of degrees/in 2 :   
       
         
           
             
               27. 
               ≤ 
               
                 
                   Loft 
                   ( 
                   ang 
                   ) 
                 
                 
                   S 
                   ⁡ 
                   ( 
                   A 
                   ) 
                 
               
               ≤ 
               
                 3 
                 ⁢ 
                 
                   0. 
                   . 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         2 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the strike face comprises a maximum strike face height measured between the leading edge and the strike face perimeter adjacent the top rail;
 wherein the maximum strike face height is in a range from 2.6 in to 2.8 in.   
     
     
         3 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a lie angle is in a range between 63.5 degrees and 64.5 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the maximum sole width is in a range from 1.10 in to 1.25 in. 
     
     
         5 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club head body defines a top rail height measured perpendicularly from a ground plane to an imaginary plane tangent to the top rail when the golf club head is at an address position;
 wherein the top rail height is in a range of 1.55 inches to 1.65 inches.   
     
     
         6 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a transition angle is defined between the leading edge and a transition area having a transition area rearward boundary between the leading edge and a bounce area;
 wherein the transition area comprises a maximum transition radius of curvature, and the transition area comprises a maximum transition width measured between the leading edge and the transition area rearward boundary; and   wherein the maximum transition radius of curvature is in a range of 0.07 inch and 0.09 inch.   
     
     
         7 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the golf club head body further comprises a club head mass in a range of 330 grams to 360 grams. 
     
     
         8 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the golf club head body further comprises a center of gravity (CG);
 wherein a CG height (CG(H)) is measured perpendicularly to the ground plane; and   wherein the CG height is in a range of 0.70 inch to 0.75 inch.   
     
     
         9 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein 34% of the club head mass is located under a first mass plane parallel to the ground plane;
 wherein the first mass plane is located 0.49 inch above the ground plane.   
     
     
         10 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the strike face comprises a minimum face thickness measured perpendicularly between a strike face front surface and a strike face rear surface; and
 wherein the minimum face thickness is in a range between 0.09 inch and 0.11 inch.   
     
     
         11 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 1  further comprises a perimeter extension extending rearward from the strike face; and
 wherein the perimeter extension, an upper sole surface, and a strike face rear surface together define a rear cavity. 
 
     
     
         12 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein a leading edge height is measured perpendicular to the ground plane to the leading edge when the golf club head body is in an address position; and wherein the following relationship is true: 
       
         
           
             
               0.5 
               ≤ 
               
                 
                   L 
                   ⁢ 
                   
                     E 
                     ⁡ 
                     ( 
                     H 
                     ) 
                   
                 
                 
                   C 
                   ⁢ 
                   
                     G 
                     ⁡ 
                     ( 
                     H 
                     ) 
                   
                 
               
               ≤ 
               
                 
                   0 
                   . 
                   6 
                 
                 ⁢ 
                 
                   5 
                   . 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         13 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the strike face surface area (SF(A)) to a bounce surface area (B(A)) is within the following relationship: 
       
         
           
             
               2.6 
               ≤ 
               
                 
                   S 
                   ⁢ 
                   
                     F 
                     ⁡ 
                     ( 
                     A 
                     ) 
                   
                 
                 
                   B 
                   ⁡ 
                   ( 
                   A 
                   ) 
                 
               
               ≤ 
               
                 
                   2 
                   . 
                   7 
                 
                 ⁢ 
                 
                   0 
                   . 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         14 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein a ratio of the CG height (CG(H)) to the top rail height (TR(H)) is within the following relationship: 
       
         
           
             
               0.4 
               ≤ 
               
                 
                   C 
                   ⁢ 
                   
                     G 
                     ⁡ 
                     ( 
                     H 
                     ) 
                   
                 
                 
                   T 
                   ⁢ 
                   
                     R 
                     ⁡ 
                     ( 
                     H 
                     ) 
                   
                 
               
               ≤ 
               
                 0 
                 . 
                 5 
                 . 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         15 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a rearmost plane is defined perpendicular to the ground plane and tangent to the top rail;
 wherein a loft plane intersection point is the intersection of the loft plane with the ground plane;   wherein a loft plane intersection point to rearmost plane distance (RP( Dist )) is measured perpendicularly between the intersection of the loft plane with the ground plane and the rearmost plane; and   wherein the (RP( Dist )) is in an inclusive range between 3.3 inches to 3.6 inches.   
     
     
         16 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein a distance measured parallel to the ground plane between the leading edge and the rearmost plane (LE(Dist)) is in a range between 2.5 inches to 2.7 inches. 
     
     
         17 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio between the strike face area (SF(A)) and a grooved area (Grv(A)) is defined by the following relationship: 
       
         
           
             
               1. 
               ≤ 
               
                 
                   S 
                   ⁢ 
                   
                     F 
                     ⁡ 
                     ( 
                     A 
                     ) 
                   
                 
                 
                   G 
                   ⁢ 
                   r 
                   ⁢ 
                   
                     v 
                     ⁡ 
                     ( 
                     A 
                     ) 
                   
                 
               
               ≤ 
               
                 
                   1 
                   . 
                   2 
                 
                 ⁢ 
                 
                   0 
                   . 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         18 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio between the strike face area (SF(A)) and a sole surface area (S(SA)) is defined by the following relationship: 
       
         
           
             
               2.15 
               ≤ 
               
                 
                   S 
                   ⁢ 
                   
                     F 
                     ⁡ 
                     ( 
                     A 
                     ) 
                   
                 
                 
                   S 
                   ⁡ 
                   ( 
                   A 
                   ) 
                 
               
               ≤ 
               
                 2 
                 . 
                 8 
                 . 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         19 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio between a moment of inertia around a vertical axis through the CG(Iyy) and a moment of inertia around a toe-to-heel axis through the CG(Ixx) is defined by the following relationship: 
       
         
           
             
               2.65 
               ≤ 
               
                 Iyy 
                 Ixx 
               
               ≤ 
               
                 
                   2 
                   . 
                   8 
                 
                 ⁢ 
                 
                   5 
                   . 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         20 . The wedge-type golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio between a strike face maximum height (SF(HMax)) and strike maximum width SF(WMax) measured in a heel-to-toe direction is defined by the following relationship: 
       
         
           
             
               0.9 
               ≤ 
               
                 
                   SF 
                   ⁡ 
                   ( 
                   Hmax 
                   ) 
                 
                 
                   SF 
                   ⁡ 
                   ( 
                   Wmax 
                   ) 
                 
               
               ≤ 
               
                 1. 
                 .

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