Golf club head with hidden screw port

• US 10,369,441 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2018
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Pope, Jeremy, Lee, Daniel K., Jertson, Martin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Simms, Jr., John E
• Application Number:
  US16/109,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20190060726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 1/00 Horizontal bars
• 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 2209/08 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• 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 53/065 for putters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/006 Surfaces specially adapted for reducing air resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand

Abstract

Embodiments of a golf club head are described herein including a plurality of ports with doors. The golf club head comprises a ball striking face and a body, wherein the body comprises a plurality of ports each adapted to receive a threaded fastener and defines an outer surface of the golf club head. The plurality of ports comprises a bore recessed inward relative to the outer surface of the body, wherein the bore is fluidly isolated from the internal volume, wherein the bore is adapted to receive a threaded fastener; and a door hingably coupled to the body and pivotable between a first position that is substantially flush with the outer surface and a second position that is deflected inward of the outer surface; wherein the door at least partially blocks ingress of the threaded fastener into the bore when in the first position, and permits ingress of the threaded fastener into the bore when in the second position.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a ball striking face and a body that cooperate to define an internal volume therebetween, the body defining an outer surface and a plurality of ports that are each adapted to receive a threaded fastener, wherein each port includes;

a bore recessed inward relative to the outer surface of the body, wherein the bore is fluidly isolated from the internal volume, wherein the bore is adapted to receive the threaded fastener; and

a door hingably coupled to the body and pivotable between a first position that is substantially flush with the outer surface and a second position that is deflected inward of the outer surface;

wherein the door at least partially blocks ingress of the threaded fastener into the bore when in the first position, and permits ingress of the threaded fastener into the bore when in the second position.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein each port includes a plurality of doors, each hingably coupled to the body and pivotable between a first position that is substantially flush with the outer surface and a second position that is deflected inward of the outer surface.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein each bore is threaded.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein each door has a hinged end and an opposite free end, wherein the free end includes threads that are adapted to threadably engage with threads of the threaded fastener.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the free end aligns with an edge of the bore when in the second position.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein each door is biased into the first position.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein each door is hingably coupled to the body via a living hinge.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein each door is formed from a polymeric material.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a threaded fastener and a weight, wherein the threaded fastener extends through a hole in the weight and is threadably secured within the bore of one of the plurality of ports to secure the weight relative to the outer surface.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein each port further comprises a recess defined between the threshold of the bore and the door when the door is in the first position.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a ball striking face and a body extending rearward from the ball striking face, the body including;

an outer surface;

a recessed surface extending inward from the outer surface, wherein the recessed surface defines an opening flush with the outer surface, and wherein a recess exists between the opening and the recessed surface; and

a door hingably coupled to the body and pivotable between a first position extending across at least a portion of the opening and a second position extending into the recess, wherein the door is biased to the first position.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the recessed surface defines a bore that is adapted to receive a threaded fastener.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the ball striking face and the body cooperate to define an internal volume therebetween, and wherein the bore is fluidly isolated from the internal volume.

14. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the bore is threaded.

15. The golf club head of claim 12, further comprising a threaded fastener and a weight, wherein the threaded fastener extends through a hole in the weight and is threadably secured within the bore to secure the weight relative to the outer surface.

16. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the door is a plurality of doors, each hingably coupled to the body and pivotable between a first position that is substantially flush with the outer surface and a second position that is deflected inward of the outer surface.

17. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the door has a hinged end and an opposite free end, wherein the free end includes threads that are adapted to threadably engage with threads of the threaded fastener.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the free end aligns with an edge of the bore when in the second position.

19. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the door is hingably coupled to the body via a living hinge.

20. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the door is formed from a polymeric material.