Adjustable weight club head

• US 10,556,161 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Jertson, Martin R., Stokke, Ryan M., Chen, Xiaojian, Bacon, Cory S., Pope, Jeremy, Lee, Daniel K., Higdon, David A., Morales, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Alvin A
• Application Number:
  US16/185,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20190083862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• 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 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable

Abstract

Embodiments of golf club heads having adjustable weighting systems with a plurality of discrete attachment locations capable of receiving one or more weights are described herein. The golf club heads described herein provide user adjustability of club head center of gravity to adjust ball flight while maintaining a high moment of inertia and low and back center of gravity position.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a club head body having a toe end, a heel end located opposite the toe end, a crown, a sole located opposite the crown, a strike face, and a perimeter positioned at a junction between the crown and the sole extending from near the heel end to near the toe end; and

an adjustable weighting system positioned on the sole, the perimeter, or a combination thereof, the adjustable weighting system including;

a plurality of discrete attachment locations; and

a cable,

a tensioner operable to increase or decrease tension in the cable, and

one or more weights coupled to the cable and securable to or within one of the plurality of discrete attachment locations, wherein each weight is configured to be moveable between the plurality of discrete attachment locations to change a center of gravity of the club head, and each of the one or more weights comprise a weight center of gravity;

wherein;

the one or more weights are positioned such that the weight center of gravity of each weight is positioned within 0.50 inch of the perimeter of the club head, when the weight is coupled to at least one of the discrete attachment locations;

the one or more weights are positioned such that the weight center of gravity of each weight protrudes from an external contour of the sole, or is inset from the external contour of the sole by a distance less than 0.125 inch; and

a combined moment of inertia of the club head about the club head center of gravity, defined as the sum of a crown-to-sole moment of inertia and a heel-to-toe moment of inertia, is greater than 8,000 g·

cm².

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete attachment locations are selected from the group consisting of:

a plurality of protruding bodies, a plurality of recesses, a plurality of apertures, a plurality of notches, a plurality of tabs, a plurality of cutout regions, a plurality of ribs, a plurality of grooves, and a plurality of hooks.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the one or more weights comprise a first weight between 10 grams and 20 grams, and the first weight is the heaviest of the one or more weights.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the one or more weights further comprise a second weight between 0.25 grams and 10 grams.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the one or more weights has a groove along an outer surface thereof to receive the cable such that the cable presses the weight against one of the attachment locations upon activation of the tensioner to increase tension in the cable.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the one or more weights are configured to be adjusted by removing the weight from the cable.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the one or more weights has an aperture therethrough, wherein the cable extends through the aperture such that the weight may be adjusted along the cable upon activation of the tensioner to decrease tension in the cable.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the one or more weights are configured to be adjusted without being removed from the cable.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the one or more weights is fixed at an end of the cable, wherein the tensioner is configured to retract the cable to secure the weight against one of the discrete attachment locations.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the cable is a metallic wire rope selected from the group consisting of steel, aluminum, copper, tungsten, nickel, and silver.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the adjustable weighting system further comprises a plurality of guide elements configured to receive and guide the cable.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein at least one guide element is configured to re-route the cable back to the tensioner.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the cable is looped through the plurality of guide elements to form a web network.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the tensioner is configured to increase or decrease the tension of the cable in a first configuration, and wherein the tensioner is configured to lock the tension of the cable in a second configuration.

15. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the tensioner is configured to receive a tool to adjust the tension in the cable.