Golf club head

• US 10,155,140 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2017
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Sargent, Nathan T., Nielson, Joseph Reeve, Johnson, Matthew David, Greensmith, Matthew, Beach, Todd P., Franz, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US15/726,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20180104553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• 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 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• 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 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/04 Movable ballast means A63B15/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head comprises a sole, a recessed sole port in the sole; and a rotatably adjustable sole piece adapted to be at least partially received within the sole port and comprising a central body having a plurality of contact surfaces adapted to contact the sole port and being offset from each other along a central axis extending through the central body of the sole piece. The sole piece can be positioned at least partially within the sole port at five or more rotational and axial positions with respect to the central axis, wherein at each rotational position, at least one of said contact surfaces of the central body contacts the sole port to set the axial position of the sole piece. The sole port and/or the sole piece can be generally pentagonal in shape.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body, comprising a face, a crown, a sole, and a body interior surface defining an interior cavity;

a channel formed in the body along the sole of the body, wherein the channel is elongate in a lengthwise direction and has a channel interior surface that partially defines the interior cavity of the body;

at least one weight member slidably engaged with and positioned at least partially within the channel; and

at least one rib permanently fixed directly to and protruding from the body interior surface and the channel interior surface, wherein the at least one rib extends across an entirety of the channel interior surface in a widthwise direction.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rib is co-formed with the body and the channel.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

the channel comprises at least one ledge extending lengthwise along the channel; and

the at least one weight member is configured to clamp onto the at least one ledge.

4. The golf club head according to claim 3, wherein:

the at least one weight member comprises an outer member, an inner member, and a threaded fastener; and

wherein the at least one weight member is configured to clamp the at least one ledge between the outer member and the inner member.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rib protrudes perpendicularly away from the body interior surface and the channel interior surface.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of ribs, spaced apart in the lengthwise direction, fixed directly to the body interior surface and the channel interior surface, and protruding from the body interior surface and the channel interior surface, wherein each rib of the plurality of ribs extends across an entirety of the channel interior surface in the widthwise direction.

7. The golf club head according to claim 6, wherein a first rib of the plurality of ribs is angled with respect to a second rib of the plurality of ribs.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rib is fixed directly to and protrudes from the body interior surface adjacent a first side of the channel and adjacent a second side of the channel, opposite the first side of the channel.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the lengthwise direction is curved.

10. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rib is U-shaped.

11. A golf club head, comprising:

a body, comprising a face, a crown, a sole, and a body interior surface defining an interior cavity;

a channel formed in the body along the sole of the body, wherein the channel is elongate in a lengthwise direction and has a channel interior surface that partially defines the interior cavity of the body;

at least one weight member slidably engaged with and positioned at least partially within the channel; and

at least one rib permanently fixed directly to and protruding from the body interior surface and the channel interior surface, wherein the at least one rib extends along an entire length of the channel interior surface.

12. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein the at least one rib is co-formed with the body and the channel.

13. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein:

the channel comprises at least one ledge extending lengthwise along the channel; and

the at least one weight member is configured to clamp onto the at least one ledge.

14. The golf club head according to claim 13, wherein:

the at least one weight member comprises an outer member, an inner member, and a threaded fastener; and

wherein the at least one weight member is configured to clamp the at least one ledge between the outer member and the inner member.

15. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein the at least one rib protrudes perpendicularly away from the body interior surface and the channel interior surface.

16. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein the at least one rib is fixed directly to and protrudes from the body interior surface adjacent a first end of the channel and adjacent a second end of the channel, opposite the first end of the channel.

17. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein the lengthwise direction is curved.

18. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein the at least one rib is U-shaped.

19. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein the at least one rib is angled with respect to the lengthwise direction.

20. A golf club head, comprising:

a body, comprising a face, a crown, a sole, and a body interior surface defining an interior cavity;

a channel formed in the body along the sole of the body, wherein the channel is elongate in a lengthwise direction and has a channel interior surface that partially defines the interior cavity of the body;

at least one weight member slidably engaged with and positioned at least partially within the channel;

at least one first rib permanently fixed directly to and protruding from the body interior surface and the channel interior surface, wherein the at least one first rib extends across an entirety of the channel interior surface in a widthwise direction; and

at least one second rib permanently fixed directly to and protruding from the body interior surface and the channel interior surface, wherein the at least one second rib extends along an entirety of a length of the channel interior surface;

wherein the at least one first rib and the at least one second rib are permanently fixed to each other.