CG height adjustability by conformal weighting

• US 10,518,141 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2019
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Goudarzi, Tim, Ehlers, Steven M., Myers, Matthew, Tang, Larry, Kim, Wee Joung, Foster, Philip G., Byrne, Wayne H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blau, Stephen L
• Application Number:
  US16/285,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20190201757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 308 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 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A golf club head comprising a conformal weight sized to fit within a recess or channel disposed in a crown or sole is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the crown or sole itself is a conformal weight, and is removably affixed to a base structure comprising a striking face and a skeletal support structure. In other embodiments, the golf club head comprises a conformal weight in the form of a sole cap that is removably affixed to the golf club head and covers small weight ports disposed in the sole.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a titanium alloy base structure comprising a striking face and a skeletal support structure extending away from the striking face;

a composite crown comprises a protrusion extending from an internal surface;

a sole comprising a channel; and

a first weight,

wherein the channel extends around at least part of a rear portion of the sole,

wherein the skeletal support structure comprises at least one strut extending away from the striking face in a front-to-rear direction wherein the at least one strut comprises a shallow weight port, wherein at least one conformal weight is secured within the at least one shallow weight port by the protrusion,

wherein the crown has a doubly curved shell structure,

wherein the crown is affixed to the skeletal support structure with an adhesive, and

wherein the first weight is composed of a rigid material and is disposed within the channel.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one conformal weight is composed of a high-density metal alloy.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one conformal weight comprises a polymer having a specific gravity value of 1.8 to 4.2.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one conformal weight is composed of a flexible material.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a damping layer, wherein the damping layer is disposed between the at least one shallow weight port and the at least one conformal weight.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the skeletal support structure comprises a plurality of shallow weight ports.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the crown comprises a plurality of protrusions sized to at least partially fill each of the plurality of shallow weight ports.

8. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of shallow weight ports is integrally formed with the skeletal support structure.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the striking face is integrally cast with the skeletal support structure.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the skeletal support structure comprises at least one edge restraint structure.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the crown is removably affixed to the skeletal support structure.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head is a wood-type golf club head.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the crown is transparent.