Iron type golf club head

Abstract

A head of a golf club that comprises a ball striking face. The ball striking face has a top ridge, a leading edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge. The top ridge has a first base length and the leading edge has a second base length that is less than the first base length. The heel edge extends from the top ridge to the leading edge and slants at a first angle, relative to the top ridge, towards the toe edge. The toe edge extends from the top ridge to the leading edge and slants at a second angle, relative to the top ridge, towards the heel edge. The leading edge is arcuate and defines a leading edge radius of curvature.

Claims

1. A head of a golf club, the head comprising: a ball striking face having a top ridge, a leading edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge, the top ridge having a first base length and the leading edge having a second base length that is less than the first base length; a trailing edge; a sole extending from the leading edge towards a rear of the head to the trailing edge; a toe side comprising the toe edge; a heel side comprising the heel edge, wherein the sole arcs between the heel side and the toe side; and the trailing edge extending generally linearly between the heel side and the toe side.

2. The head of claim 1, wherein a distance between the leading edge and the trailing edge is approximately 27 mm.

3. The head of claim 1, wherein the arc of the sole has an apex located approximately midway between the heel side and the toe side; the arc at the apex having a radius of curvature of 27 mm or less.

4. The head of claim 1, wherein the leading edge is arcuate and is defined by a leading edge radius of curvature; the leading edge radius of curvature of the being 50 mm or less.

5. The head of claim 4, wherein the heel edge extends from the top ridge to the leading edge and slants at a first angle, relative to the top ridge, towards the heel edge; the toe edge extending from the top ridge to the leading edge and slanting at a second angle, relative to the top ridge, towards the heel edge; and the first and second angles each being approximately 60 degrees.

6. The head of claim 4, wherein the top ridge has a top ridge radius of curvature of at least 110 mm.

7. The head of claim 6, wherein the heel edge and the toe edge each have a radius of curvature of at least 70 mm.

8. A head of a golf club, the head comprising: a ball striking face having a top ridge, a leading edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge, the top ridge extending arcuately between the toe edge and the heel edge, the top ridge being spaced from the leading edge and having a first base length, and the leading edge having a second base length that is less than the first base length; the leading edge extending arcuately between the toe edge and the heel edge; a trailing edge; a sole extending from the leading edge towards a rear of the head to the trailing edge; a toe side comprising the toe edge; a heel side comprising the heel edge; and the trailing edge extending generally linearly between the heel side and the toe side.

9. The head of claim 8, wherein the heel edge extends from the top ridge to the leading edge and slants at a first angle, relative to the top ridge, towards the toe edge; the toe edge extending from the top ridge to the leading edge and slanting at a second angle, relative to the top ridge, towards the heel edge; the first and second angles each being approximately 60 degrees; and the arc of the leading edge being defined by a leading edge radius of curvature of 50 mm or less.

10. The head of claim 8, wherein the sole arcs between the heel side and the toe side.

11. The head of claim 10, wherein the heel edge and toe edge each have a radius of curvature of at least 70 mm.

12. The head of claim 10, wherein the arc of the sole has an apex located approximately midway between the heel side and the toe side; the arc at the apex having a radius of curvature of 27 mm or less.

13. The head of claim 12, wherein a distance between the leading edge and the trailing edge is approximately 27 mm.

14. A head of a golf club, the head comprising: a ball striking face having a top ridge, a leading edge, a heel edge, and a toe edge, the top ridge extending arcuately between the toe edge and the heel edge, the top ridge being spaced from the leading edge and having a first base length, and the leading edge having a second base length that is less than the first base length; the heel edge extending from the top ridge to the leading edge and slanting at a first angle, relative to the top ridge, towards the toe edge; the toe edge extending from the top ridge to the leading edge and slanting at a second angle, relative to the top ridge, towards the heel edge; the leading edge extending arcuately between the toe edge and the heel edge; the arc of the leading edge being defined by a leading edge radius of curvature of 50 mm or less; and the top ridge having a top ridge radius curvature of at least 110 mm.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a golf club head in accordance with the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 is a rear perspective of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 is a front elevational view thereof.

(5) FIG. 4 is rear elevational view.

(6) FIG. 5 is a bottom sole view.

(7) FIG. 6 is a top plan view.

(8) FIG. 7 is a toe side elevational view.

(9) FIG. 8 is a heel side elevational view.

(10) FIG. 9 is a bottom view as seen along the club face.

(11) FIG. 10 is a top view as seen along the club face.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(12) Referring to the drawings, a wedge type iron golf club head 100 is shown having a striking 102 face with a loft at least 48 degrees and conventional grooves 104.

(13) The club head 100 has a top edge or ridge 106, a bottom sole 108, a heel side 110 and toe side 112. A leading edge 114 forms an interface between the club face 102 and the bottom sole 108. The club head 100 further includes a hosel 116 for connection to a conventional golf shaft and upper handle or grip, not shown. The striking face 102 is formed in an inverted trapezoidal shape with rounded corner surfaces when viewed in a front elevational perspective. The trapezoidal shaped face 102 includes the top ridge 106 that forms a larger and wider upper trapezoidal base, whereas the leading edge 114 forms a lower, more narrow base of the trapezoidal shape. The outer edge 111 of the heel side 110 and the outer edge 113 of the toe side 112 interconnect the upper base and lower base of the trapezoidal shape. See FIG. 3.

(14) An upper portion 118 of the club face 102 is larger and has more surface area adjacent the top ridge 106 than a lower portion 120 of the face 102 in the area adjacent the leading edge 114 between the face 102 and bottom sole 108. The outer edge 111 of the heel 110 and the outer edge 113 of the toe 112 are rounded to fit with the overall design symmetry and shape of the face 102 and are positioned at an angle of approximately 60 degrees between the upper portion 118 and lower portion 120 of the striking face 102.

(15) The rear 122 of the club head 100 is formed with a U-shaped peripheral weight 124 that creates a rear cavity 126 and increases the Moment of Inertia of the club head 100 in the event a golf ball is struck away from the center of percussion of the club head 100.

(16) The top ridge 106 or top edge of the club head 100 is formed as a curved surface having a radius between 110 mm and 120 mm. The outer edge 111 of the heel 110 and the outer edge 113 of the toe 112 of the striking face 102 are also curved and preferably are formed with a radius of approximately 70 mm. The leading edge 114, at the bottom of the striking face 102 approximately midway between the heel 110 and toe 112 is formed with a radius no greater than 50 mm. This radius creates a relatively narrow, arcuate shape to the leading edge 114 between the heel 110 and toe 112 of the club head 100 that reduces contact with the ground and/or turf during the execution of a golf shot.

(17) The bottom sole 108 of the club head 100 includes a forward portion 128 that is arcuate in shape and curves rearwardly toward the heel 110 and toe 112 and a rearward portion 130 that is approximately linear and forms a trailing edge 132. The sole 108 is the widest in a front to rear direction at an approximate center of the leading edge 114 of the face 102 and presents a greater amount of ground contact surface at that point. As the forward portion 128 of the sole 108 curves rearwardly away from the center toward the heel 110 and toe 112, the sole 108 becomes progressively narrower in a front to rear and heel to toe direction until the forward portion 128 of the sole 108 ultimately intersects with the trailing edge 132 of the club head 100. It follows there is a progressively lesser ground contact area of the sole 108 away from the center of the club head 100 essentially eliminating the ground contact area of the sole 108 at the heel 110 and toe 112 during the execution of the golf shot.

(18) This structure allows the club head 100 to produce a cutting action as it engages the turf since the minimum structure of the forward portion of the club head 100 at the leading edge 114 as well as the minimum area of the frontal portion 128 of the sole 108 at the center of the club head 100 in a heel 110 to toe 112 direction provides lesser contact surface presented to the turf. In turn, the club head 100 encounters lesser resistance as it enters the turf allowing the club head 100 to cut through the surface of the turf under the golf ball rather than dragging the face across the ground surface as occurs with many conventional club head designs.

(19) Preferably a radius 134 of at least a central area of the frontal portion 130 of the sole 108 at the center of the club head 100 is no greater than 28 mm. As the sole 108 curves rearward toward the heel 110, the radius is no greater than 79 mm whereas as the sole 108 curves toward the toe 112 a radius is no greater than 77 mm. This geometry creates a maximum front to rear dimension of approximately 27 mm at the center of the leading edge 114 of the club head 100 and a trailing edge 132 of approximately 62 mm in a heel 110 to toe 112 direction.

(20) The greater ground contact area of the rear portion 130 of the sole 108 at the trailing edge 132 enables the sole 108 to bounce preventing downward digging into the turf, particularly when the club is used in sand or deep grass.

(21) In addition, the overall shape of the club head 100 positions the center of gravity, CG, higher on the face 102 allowing greater control by the golfer for a wide variety of different golf shots, particularly those around and near the putting surfaces.

(22) It will be appreciated the above described technology for a wedge type golf club is equally applicable for a lesser lofted golf iron head having a loft configuration of as little as 20 degrees or even less and that other modifications may be made to the above described invention in keeping with the spirit and scope of the following claims: