US 11,738,243 B2
Golf club head or other ball striking device having impact-influencing body features
Joshua M. Boggs, Aledo, TX (US); Kevin Harper, Fort Worth, TX (US); Eric A. Larson, Arlington, TX (US); Michael T. Prichard, Portland, OR (US); Hiromitsu Akiyama, Tokyo (JP); and Yoshimasa Fujita, Ping-Tung Hsien (TW)
Assigned to Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Filed by Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Filed on Oct. 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/451,476.
Application 17/451,476 is a continuation of application No. 17/069,763, filed on Oct. 13, 2020, granted, now 11,148,017.
Application 17/069,763 is a continuation of application No. 14/968,504, filed on Dec. 14, 2015, granted, now 10,799,772, issued on Oct. 13, 2020.
Application 14/968,504 is a continuation in part of application No. 14/725,966, filed on May 29, 2015, granted, now 10,960,273, issued on Mar. 30, 2021.
Application 14/725,966 is a continuation in part of application No. 14/593,752, filed on Jan. 9, 2015, granted, now 9,776,050, issued on Oct. 3, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/217,503, filed on Sep. 11, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/015,237, filed on Jun. 20, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2022/0032137 A1, Feb. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. A63B 53/04 (2015.01); A63B 60/00 (2015.01)
CPC A63B 53/0466 (2013.01) [A63B 53/04 (2013.01); A63B 53/045 (2020.08); A63B 53/047 (2013.01); A63B 53/0408 (2020.08); A63B 53/0412 (2020.08); A63B 53/0433 (2020.08); A63B 53/0487 (2013.01); A63B 60/002 (2020.08); A63B 2053/0479 (2013.01); A63B 2053/0491 (2013.01); A63B 2209/00 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A golf club head comprising:
a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball;
a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face, the body having a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe; and
wherein the face comprises a face height measured through a face center from a ground plane to a midpoint of a radius between the crown and the face;
a channel extending across a portion of the sole in a heel to toe direction,
wherein the channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and has a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole,
wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe,
wherein the heel portion of the channel comprises a forward heel portion, a rear heel portion, and a heel rib member where the heel rib member separates the forward heel portion from the rear heel portion and the forward heel portion has a depth that differs from a depth of the rear heel portion;
wherein the toe portion of the channel comprises a forward toe portion, a rear toe portion, and a toe rib member where the toe rib member separates the forward toe portion from the rear toe portion and the forward toe portion has a depth that differs from a depth of the rear toe portion;
wherein the channel has a rear wall, a front wall, a front edge, a rear edge, and a channel width defined between the front and rear edges, and wherein a channel center portion width is substantially constant, and the channel width at both the heel and toe portions is greater than the channel center portion width.