Golf club heads

• US 10,300,356 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Mata, Jason Andrew, Hoffman, Joe, Poston, Brad, Johnson, Matthew David, Greaney, Mark Vincent, Kleinert, Justin David, Nielson, Joseph Reeve, Harbert, Christopher John, Sargent, Nathan T., Mullen, Rachel Elizabeth, Wester, Christian Reber
• Primary Examiner(s): Blau, Stephen L
• Application Number:
  US15/689,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20170354853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• 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 60/52 with slits

Abstract

Described are embodiments of golf club heads having an internal cavity and features that cause the golf club head to have an improved acoustic performance when striking a golf ball. Some embodiments include one or more weight tracks and/or weight ports formed in the sole for receiving adjustable weights. The golf club heads can include one or more internal ribs, thickened wall regions, and/or posts positioned within the cavity that increase the rigidity of the club head and improve the acoustic performance of the club head when striking a ball.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a crown, and a sole together defining an interior cavity, the crown comprising a composite material;

a channel formed in the sole with first and second opposing ledges extending within the channel, the channel adapted to receive at least one weight such that a position of the at least one weight along the channel is adjustable;

a post positioned within the interior cavity at a location spaced between the face and a rear end of the body and spaced between a toe side of the body and a heel side of the body, the post comprising an elongated member having a lower end coupled to the sole, an upper end coupled to the crown, and an intermediate portion between the lower end and the upper end that is positioned within the interior cavity apart from the body;

two ribs extending across an inner surface of the sole and attached to the channel, wherein the two ribs are angled relative to one another; and

at least one weight member configured to clamp the first and second ledges at selected locations along the channel;

wherein the at least one weight member is located entirely external to the interior cavity of the body and comprises an outer member, an inner member, and a threaded fastening bolt that connects the outer member to the inner member;

wherein the fastening bolt comprises an enlarged head portion and a threaded shaft extending from the head portion, the inner member includes a threaded bore for receiving the shaft, and the outer member comprises a non-threaded bore for receiving the shaft and a counter-bore in communication with the non-threaded bore for receiving the enlarged head portion; and

wherein the shaft of the fastening bolt is configured to be inserted through the non-threaded bore of the outer member and tightened into the threaded bore of the inner member to cause the inner member and the outer member to clamp onto opposite sides of the first and second ledges.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising one or more ribs that form an annular rib structure that extends around an internal surface of the body rearward of the face, wherein the annular rib structure extends across the sole, a toe side of the body, the crown, and a heel side of the body.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein one of the two ribs extends along an internal surface of the sole from a location proximate the lower end of the post to the channel.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a weight port formed in a rear portion of the sole and adapted to receive an adjustable weight, wherein the weight port is coupled to one or more ribs extending across an internal surface of the sole.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising an adjustable head-shaft attachment system configurable to selectively adjust the orientation of the golf club head relative to a golf club shaft.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the post is positioned rearward of the channel.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the post comprises a solid rod.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the post has an outer diameter of from about 2 mm to about 7 mm and a mass of the post is approximately 8 grams or less.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the post comprises a polymer material.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the post is adjustable relative to the body to change an amount of tension or compression in the post when the golf club is in a natural state.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the channel extends generally in a heel-toe direction, and the at least one weight is adjustable along the channel in the heel-toe direction.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a post-receiving structure positioned on an inner surface of the sole and entirely within the interior cavity of the body, wherein the post-receiving structure receives the lower end of the post and couples the lower end of the post to the sole.

13. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a crown and a sole together defining an interior cavity, the body having a channel with first and second opposing ledges extending within the channel;

two ribs extending along the sole and connected to the channel, wherein the two ribs are angled relative to one another;

a post positioned within the interior cavity at a location spaced between the face and a rear end of the body and spaced between a toe side of the body and a heel side of the body, the post comprising an elongated member having a lower end coupled to the sole, an upper end coupled to the crown, and an intermediate portion between the lower end and the upper end that is positioned within the interior cavity apart from the body; and

at least one weight member configured to clamp the first and second ledges at selected locations along the channel;

the at least one weight member is located entirely external to the interior cavity of the body and comprises an outer member, an inner member, and a separate threaded fastening bolt that connects the outer member to the inner member;

wherein the fastening bolt comprises an enlarged head portion and a threaded shaft extending from the head portion, the inner member includes a threaded bore for receiving the shaft, and the outer member comprises a non-threaded bore for receiving the shaft and a counter-bore in communication with the non-threaded bore for receiving the enlarged head portion;

wherein the shaft of the fastening bolt is configured to be inserted through the non-threaded bore of the outer member and tightened into the threaded bore of the inner member to cause the inner member and the outer member to clamp onto opposite sides of the first and second ledges; and

wherein the outer member comprises a central protrusion that extends into a space between the first and second ledges, the outer member further comprising first and second recessed surfaces on opposite sides of the central protrusion, the first recessed surface being configured to contact the first ledge and the second recessed surface being configured to contact the second ledge.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, further comprising:

a heel opening located on a heel end of the body, the heel opening configured to receive a fastening member; and

a head-shaft connection system including a sleeve that is secured by the fastening member in a locked position, the head-shaft connection system configured to allow the golf club head to be adjustably attachable to a golf club shaft in a plurality of different positions resulting in an adjustability range of different combinations of loft angle, face angle, or lie angle.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein at least one of the two ribs contacts a rear portion of the golf club head.

16. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the golf club head has a CG with a head origin x-axis coordinate between about −

3 mm and about 2 mm, and the CG has a head origin y-axis coordinate between about 30 mm and about 40 mm.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the channel comprises a weight installation cavity that is located within a portion of the channel.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the crown comprises composite material.

19. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the post comprises a solid rod.

20. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the post comprises a polymer material.

21. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the post has an outer diameter of from about 2 mm to about 7 mm and a mass of the post is approximately 8 grams or less.

22. The golf club head of claim 13, further comprising a weight port formed in a rear portion of the sole and adapted to receive an adjustable weight, wherein the weight port is coupled to one or more ribs extending across an internal surface of the sole.

23. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein the golf club head has a MOI about the CG z-axis between about 250 kg·

mm² and about 600 kg·

mm².