Adjustable sole weight of a golf club head

• US 10,004,954 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2016
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Xiaojian, Morales, Eric J., Jertson, Martin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blau, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US15/135,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20160236047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence

Abstract

A golf club head includes a body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a sole portion, and an outer surface, a strikeface having a geometric center, a head center of gravity, and a weight member including a weight pad. The weight member is configured to be repositionable by the user to a first position or a second position. The club head having the weight member in the first position shifts the head center of gravity toward the strikeface, and the club head having the weight member in the second position shifts the head center of gravity away from the strikeface.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a sole portion, and an outer surface;

a strikeface having a geometric center;

a head center of gravity; and

a weight member including a weight pad and a weight member axis through a geometric center of the weight member running longitudinally and symmetrically dividing a width of the weight member along the entire length, wherein

the weight member comprises opposing first and second ends;

the weight member is configured to be positioned adjacent to the sole portion of the club head, substantially flush with the outer surface of the body,

the weight member is repositionable by the user to a first position or a second position,

the weight member axis of the weight member is aligned with a z-axis extending through the head center of gravity from the strikeface to a rear portion of the club head, and

a center of gravity of the weight pad is positioned offset from the weight member axis, and comprises a weight pad axis, the weight pad axis extends between a position of the weight pad center of gravity when the weight member is in the first position and the position of the weight pad center of gravity when the weight member is in the second position, wherein the weight pad axis forms a weight pad angle relative to the weight member axis ranging from 5 to 20 degrees, wherein

the weight pad is positioned closer to the heel end than the toe end relative to the weight member axis when the weight pad is in the first position,

the weight pad is positioned closer to the toe end than the heel end relative to the weight member axis when the weight pad is in the second position,

the club head having the weight member in the first position shifts the head center of gravity toward the strikeface, and

the club head having the weight member in the second position shifts the head center of gravity away from the strikeface, such that on impact with a golf ball at the geometric center of the strikeface, the club head having the weight member in the first position applies a first vertical spin on the golf ball and the club head having the weight member in the second position applies a second vertical spin on the golf ball such that the second vertical spin is different than the first vertical spin.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the difference between the first vertical spin rate and the second vertical spin rate ranges from approximately 200 rpm to 600 rpm.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the difference between the first vertical spin rate and the second vertical spin rate is approximately 300 rpm.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein when the weight member is in the first position on impact with a golf ball at the geometric center of the strikeface the club head applies a first horizontal spin on the golf ball and when the weight member is in the second position on impact with a golf ball at the geometric center of the strikeface the club head applies a second horizontal spin on the golf ball, such that the second horizontal spin and the first horizontal spin are each less than 10 rpm.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight member is constructed of titanium, stainless steel, tungsten, aluminum, other metals, composites, metal alloys, polyurethane, reinforced polyurethane, or a different material.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight pad is constructed of titanium, stainless steel, tungsten, aluminum, other metals, composites, metal alloys, polyurethane, reinforced polyurethane, or a different material.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight member and the pad member are constructed of the same material.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight member is removably coupled to the sole portion using at least one threaded fastener.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight member includes an indicator to indicate the position of the weight pad with respect to the body.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein when the weight member is in the first position, the head center of gravity is closer to the heel portion than when the weight member is in the second position.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein when the weight member is in the first position, the head center of gravity is closer to the toe portion than when the weight member is in the second position.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein when the weight member is in the second position, the head center of gravity is closer to the heel portion than when the weight member is in the first position.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein when the weight member is in the second position, the head center of gravity is closer to the toe portion than when the weight member is in the first position.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight pad has a thickness that is constant along a length of the weight member.

15. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the weight pad varies along a length of the weight member.

16. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a sole portion, and an outer surface;

a strikeface having a geometric center;

a head center of gravity; and

a weight member having opposing first and second edges and including a weight member axis and a geometric center, the weight member axis intersecting the first and second edges and the geometric center, the weight member axis runs longitudinally and symmetrically dividing a width of the weight member along the entire length, the weight member axis of the weight member is aligned with a z-axis extending through the head center of gravity from the strikeface to a rear portion of the club head, wherein a width of the weight member in a direction taken orthogonal to the weight member axis increases along the weight member axis from the geometric center towards the first and second edges;

wherein

the weight member comprises a weight pad with a center of gravity, wherein the center of gravity of the weight pad is positioned offset from the weight member axis, the weight pad comprises a weight pad axis, wherein the weight pad axis forms a weight pad angle relative to the weight member axis ranging from 5 to 20 degrees, wherein

the weight pad is positioned closer to the heel end than the toe end relative to the weight member axis when the weight pad is in the first position,

the weight pad is positioned closer to the toe end than the heel end relative to the weight member axis when the weight pad is in the second position, and wherein the weight pad axis extends between a position of the weight pad center of gravity when the weight pad is in the first position and the position of the weight pad center of gravity when the weight pad is in the second position.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, further comprising:

a rear portion opposite the strikeface; and

a perimeter partially defined by the strikeface and the sole portion, wherein the weight member is positioned on the sole portion a first distance from the perimeter, wherein the first distance is greater than or equal to 0.400 inches.

18. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the golf club head and the weight member together have a combined total mass, and wherein the weight member has a first mass ranging from 4.2% to 20.0% of the total mass.

19. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the weight member includes a first portion that includes the first edge, a second portion that includes the second edge, and a weight pad positioned on the first portion, the weight pad being symmetrical about the weight member axis.