Weight member for a golf club head

• US 10,052,537 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2017
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Nivanh, Dan S., Radcliffe, Nathaniel J., Kuan, Jimmy H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Simms, Jr., John E
• Application Number:
  US15/415,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20170128797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture

Abstract

A weight member for removable attachment to a weight port of a golf club head is provided. The weight member comprises a head that has a tool mating port for operatively receiving a portion of a fastening tool. The weight member further comprises a shaft that is associated with the head such that the shaft terminates at an end surface. The shaft has a threaded external surface and a non-threaded internal bore that extends from the end surface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

forming a first finished weight having a first finished mass and a second finished weight having a second finished mass different than the first finished mass by;

(a) forming a first intermediate weight body and a second intermediate weight body each having a head and a shaft associated with the head, wherein each of the first and second intermediate weight bodies has a substantially equal shaft length, L_S, and head height;

(b) removing an amount of mass from the first intermediate weight body to form an internal bore such that a first mass of the first intermediate weight body differs from a second mass of the second intermediate weight body by a predetermined amount of mass greater than 0; and

(c) configuring the first and second intermediate weight bodies for interchangeable association within a weight port of a golf club head.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) includes forming an external threaded surface on the shaft of at least one of the first and second intermediate weight bodies.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first finished mass and the second finished mass differ by at least 1 g.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first finished mass and the second finished mass differ by at least 3 g.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal bore has a depth, D_B, and wherein D_B/L_S is no less than 0.15 mm.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal bore is non-threaded.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the first intermediate weight body and the second intermediate weight body such that the first finished mass and the second finished mass differ by more than the predetermined amount of mass.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the first intermediate weight body and the second intermediate weight body such that the first finished mass and the second finished mass differ by less than the predetermined amount of mass.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first finished weight further includes a first shaft end surface and a first head end surface, and

the internal bore extends from one of the first head end surface and the first shaft end surface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first finished weight has a first overall length and the second finished weight has a second overall length, and each of the first overall length and the second overall length are no less than 10 mm.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the first overall length and the second overall length are no less than 15 mm.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first finished weight and the second finished weight comprises more than one material.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the material composition differs between the first finished weight and the second finished weight.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the first finished weight comprises at least one of;

stainless steel, titanium, nickel, tungsten, and a polymer; and

the second finished weight comprises at least one of;

stainless steel, titanium, nickel, tungsten, and a polymer.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first finished weight comprises a first material density and the second finished weight comprises a second material density different than the first material density.

16. A method comprising:

forming a first finished weight having a first finished mass and a second finished weight having a second finished mass different than the first finished mass by;

(a) forming a first intermediate weight body and a second intermediate weight body each having a head and a shaft associated with the head, wherein each of the first and second intermediate weight bodies has a substantially equal shaft length, L_S, and head height;

(b) removing a first amount of mass from one of the first intermediate weight body and the second intermediate weight body to form a first internal bore and removing a second amount of mass from one of the first intermediate weight body and the second intermediate weight body to form a second internal bore such that a first mass of the first intermediate weight body differs from a second mass of the second intermediate weight body by a predetermined amount of mass greater than 0;

(c) configuring the first and second intermediate weight bodies for interchangeable association within a weight port of a golf club head.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein step (c) includes forming an external threaded surface on the shaft of at least one of the first and second intermediate weight bodies.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein step (c) includes forming a socket in the head of at least one of the first and second intermediate weight bodies.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first internal bore has a first bore depth, D₁, and the second internal bore has a second bore depth, D₂, different than D₁.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the first finished weight further includes a first shaft end surface and a first head end surface and the second finished weight further includes a second shaft end surface and a second head end surface; and

the first internal bore and the second internal bore extend from one of the first head end surface, the first shaft end surface, the second head end surface, and the second shaft end surface.