US 11,918,864 B2
Golf club heads with a multi-material striking surface
Alex G. Woodward, Phoenix, AZ (US); Matthew T. Schier, Phoenix, AZ (US); Murphy R. Alexander, Scottsdale, AZ (US); Anthony D. Serrano, Phoenix, AZ (US); James D. Willmott, Loughborough (GB); Erik M. Henrikson, Phoenix, AZ (US); David A. Higdon, Cave Creek, AZ (US); Cole D. Brubaker, Scottsdale, AZ (US); and John A. Solheim, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Assigned to Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Filed by KARSTEN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Filed on Aug. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/816,633.
Application 17/816,633 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/645,267, filed on Dec. 20, 2021.
Application 17/645,267 is a continuation of application No. 16/983,924, filed on Aug. 3, 2020, granted, now 11,207,572, issued on Dec. 28, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/203,817, filed on Jul. 30, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/046,505, filed on Jun. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/881,463, filed on Aug. 1, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0362637 A1, Nov. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. A63B 53/04 (2015.01)
CPC A63B 53/0429 (2020.08) [A63B 53/0412 (2020.08); A63B 53/0487 (2013.01); A63B 53/0445 (2020.08)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A putter-type golf club head comprising:
a body comprising:
a heel portion;
a toe portion distal from the heel portion;
a top rail;
a sole portion distal from the top rail; and
a striking surface forming a recess defined by the heel portion, the toe portion, the top rail, and the sole portion of the body;
a striking surface imaginary vertical axis that extends through a geometric center of the striking surface relative to the heel portion, the toe portion, the top rail, and the sole portion; and
an insert configured to be received within and complimentary with the recess defined by the striking surface;
wherein:
the insert comprises a first material and a second material forming at least one of a front surface adapted for impact with a golf ball, a rear surface opposite the front surface, and a second material thickness defined as a distance between the front surface and the rear surface;
the insert further defines a plurality of circular-shaped voids that extend through an entirety of the second material thickness;
wherein the plurality of circular-shaped voids are arranged in a plurality of rows extending in a heel-to-toe direction and a plurality of columns extending in a top rail-to-sole direction;
wherein a horizontal center-to-center distance between adjacent circular-shaped voids within a given row increases from the striking surface imaginary vertical axis toward the heel portion and the toe portion;
wherein the horizontal center-to-center distance between adjacent circular-shaped voids is governed by the equation:
Hi=H1*BH(i-1)
wherein:
Hi is the horizontal center-to-center distance between a give pair of adjacent circular-shaped voids; and
BH is a constant greater than 1.