US 11,786,788 B2
Golf club having a reinforced ball striking plate
Byron C. Slaughter, Granbury Creek, TX (US); William C. Knight, Granbury, TX (US); David N. Franklin, Granbury, TX (US); and Jeremy Snyder, Benbrook, TX (US)
Assigned to Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Filed by KARSTEN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Filed on Sep. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/475,222.
Application 17/475,222 is a continuation of application No. 17/021,891, filed on Sep. 15, 2020, granted, now 11,117,029, issued on Sep. 14, 2021.
Application 17/021,891 is a continuation of application No. 16/206,760, filed on Nov. 30, 2018, granted, now 10,773,136, issued on Sep. 15, 2020.
Application 16/206,760 is a continuation of application No. 15/862,416, filed on Jan. 4, 2018, granted, now 10,173,106, issued on Jan. 8, 2019.
Application 15/862,416 is a continuation of application No. 14/918,254, filed on Oct. 20, 2015, granted, now 9,889,351, issued on Feb. 13, 2018.
Application 14/918,254 is a continuation of application No. 13/905,803, filed on May 30, 2013, granted, now 9,168,436, issued on Oct. 27, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/654,057, filed on May 31, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2022/0001250 A1, Jan. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. A63B 53/04 (2015.01); A63B 60/00 (2015.01)
CPC A63B 53/047 (2013.01) [A63B 53/04 (2013.01); A63B 60/00 (2015.10); A63B 53/0416 (2020.08); A63B 53/0433 (2020.08); A63B 53/0454 (2020.08); A63B 53/0462 (2020.08); A63B 53/0466 (2013.01); A63B 53/0487 (2013.01); A63B 2209/02 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A ball striking device comprising:
a ball striking plate having a front surface configured to strike a ball and a rear surface opposite the front surface, the ball striking plate having a desired-contact region and a perimeter; and
further comprising a thickened portion of the ball striking plate, the thickened portion including an elevated area on the rear surface of the ball striking plate positioned behind the desired-contact region of the ball striking plate; and
a plurality of spoke-like reinforcement ribs located on a rear surface and extending away from the desired-contact region toward the perimeter;
wherein:
the front surface, rear surface, and thickened portion comprise a first material and the plurality of spoke-like reinforcement ribs comprise a second material, having a greater modulus of elasticity than the first material;
the plurality of spoke-like reinforcement ribs radiate outward from the elevated area toward the perimeter;
wherein the thickened portion further includes a transition area that tapers in thickness between an upper boundary that defines a perimeter of an elevated area and a lower boundary that defines a perimeter of the thickened portion; and
wherein the plurality of spoke-like reinforcement ribs extend outward from the elevated area and over the transition area.