Golf club head

Abstract

A golf club head including a striking face, a posterior body portion including a crown portion and a sole portion, wherein the striking face includes a heel side and a toe side, a geometric face center, an impact area centered about the geometric face center and stretching a distance K towards the toe side from the geometric face center, and a distance K towards the heel side from the geometric face center, a toe area including the remainder of the striking on the toe side of the impact area, a heel area including the remainder of the striking face on the heel side of the impact area, wherein a maximum characteristic time of the striking face occurs outside of the impact area.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face;   a posterior body portion comprising a crown portion and a sole portion, wherein said crown portion is coupled to an upper portion of said striking face and said sole portion is coupled to a lower portion of said striking face;   wherein said striking face comprises:
 a heel side and a toe side; 
 a geometric face center; 
 an impact area centered about said geometric face center and stretching a distance K towards said toe side from said geometric face center, and a distance K towards said heel side from said geometric face center; 
 a toe area comprising the remainder of said striking on said toe side of said impact area; 
 a heel area comprising the remainder of said striking face on said heel side of said impact area; 
 a major axis located on said striking face and oriented substantially from said heel side towards said toe side, wherein said major axis is the longest line that can be drawn on said striking face, said major axis having a length M; 
 wherein said distance K is determined by dividing said length M of said major axis by 4.85; 
   wherein a maximum characteristic time of said striking face occurs outside of said impact area.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a maximum characteristic time of said impact area is less than or equal to 257 microseconds. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a maximum characteristic time of said toe area is less than or equal to 275 microseconds. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a maximum characteristic time of said heel area is less than or equal to 275 microseconds. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a maximum characteristic time of said toe area is greater than or equal to 257 microseconds. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein a maximum characteristic time of said heel area is greater than or equal to 257 microseconds. 
     
     
         7 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face;   a posterior body portion comprising a crown portion and a sole portion, wherein said crown portion is coupled to an upper portion of said striking face and said sole portion is coupled to a lower portion of said striking face;   wherein said striking face comprises:
 a heel side and a toe side; 
 a geometric face center; 
 an impact area centered about said geometric face center and stretching a distance K towards said toe side from said geometric face center, and a distance K towards said heel side from said geometric face center; 
 a toe area comprising the remainder of said striking on said toe side of said impact area; 
 a heel area comprising the remainder of said striking face on said heel side of said impact area; 
 a major axis located on said striking face and oriented substantially from said heel side towards said toe side, wherein said major axis is the longest line that can be drawn on said striking face, said major axis having a length M; 
 wherein said distance K is determined by dividing said length M of said major axis by 4.85; 
   wherein said sole portion comprises a flexure spaced from said striking face, said flexure comprising a front wall, an apex, and a rear wall, wherein said front wall and said rear wall both extend into an interior of said golf club head, and wherein said front wall and said rear wall are coupled at said apex;   wherein a maximum characteristic time of said striking face occurs outside of said impact area.   
     
     
         8 . The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein
 wherein said flexure comprises a toe portion toeward of a geometric center of said striking face and a heel portion heelward of said geometric center;   wherein either said toe portion of said flexure or said heel portion of said flexure is more compliant than the opposite portion;   wherein a maximum characteristic time of said striking face occurs in said toe area if said toe portion of said flexure is more compliant than said heel portion of said flexure;   wherein a maximum characteristic time of said striking face occurs in said heel area if said heel portion of said flexure is more compliant than said toe portion of said flexure.   
     
     
         9 . The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein a maximum characteristic time of said striking face occurs in said toe area. 
     
     
         10 . A golf club head comprising:
 a striking face;   a posterior body portion comprising a crown portion and a sole portion, wherein said crown portion is coupled to an upper portion of said striking face and said sole portion is coupled to a lower portion of said striking face;   wherein said striking face comprises:
 a heel side and a toe side; 
 a geometric face center; 
 an impact area centered about said geometric face center and stretching a distance K towards said toe side from said geometric face center, and a distance K towards said heel side from said geometric face center; 
 a toe area comprising the remainder of said striking on said toe side of said impact area; 
 a heel area comprising the remainder of said striking face on said heel side of said impact area; 
 a major axis located on said striking face and oriented substantially from said heel side towards said toe side, wherein said major axis is the longest line that can be drawn on said striking face, said major axis having a length M; 
 wherein said distance K is determined by dividing said length M of said major axis by 4.85; 
   a compliant feature, said compliant feature asymmetrically effecting the compliance of said striking face about said geometric face center;   wherein a maximum characteristic time of said toe area is greater than said maximum characteristic time of said heel area.   
     
     
         11 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein said compliant feature comprises a flexure spaced from said striking face, said flexure comprising a front wall, an apex, and a rear wall, wherein said front wall and said rear wall both extend into an interior of said golf club head, and wherein said front wall and said rear wall are coupled at said apex; wherein said flexure comprises a toe portion toeward of a geometric center of said striking face. 
     
     
         12 . The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein said golf club head further comprises a skirt portion at the intersection of said sole portion and said crown portion and said flexure is formed in at least a portion of said sole portion and in at least a portion of said skirt portion. 
     
     
         13 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein said compliant feature comprises a variable face thickness profile comprising a thick central portion surrounded by a transition portion, said transition portion surrounded by a thin perimeter portion, and wherein the maximum thickness of said thick central portion, T thick  is at least three times the minimum thickness of said thin perimeter portion, T thin . 
     
     
         14 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein said compliant feature comprises a central face support element located centrally along a width of said striking face. 
     
     
         15 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein said central face support element spans at least a portion of the cavity formed at the interface of said crown portion and said striking face. 
     
     
         16 . The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein said central face support element spans at least a portion of the cavity formed at the interface of said sole portion and said striking face. 
     
     
         17 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein said compliant feature comprises a plurality of central face support elements located centrally along a width of said striking face, a first of said plurality of support elements spanning at least a portion of the cavity formed at the interface of said crown portion and said striking face, and a second of said plurality of support elements spanning at least a portion of the cavity formed at the interface of said sole portion and said striking face. 
     
     
         18 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein a maximum characteristic time of said toe area is greater than or equal to 239 microseconds. 
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein a maximum characteristic time of said toe area is greater than or equal to 257 microseconds. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 10 , wherein said compliance feature comprises an adjustable weight capable of manipulating the location of the center of gravity of said golf club head.