Golf club head

• US 10,646,755 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2017
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Kleinert, Justin David, Bovee, Mattieu J., Nielson, Joseph Reeve, Sargent, Nathan T., Harbert, Christopher John, Gardner, Rachel Elizabeth, Christian, Wester Reber
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US15/849,477
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0495 moving on impact, slidable, spring or otherwise elastically biased
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• 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 53/0437 with special crown 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 60/00 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 60/04 Movable ballast means A63B15/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/50 with through-holes A63B60/18 takes precedence; for stringing purposes A63B49/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head is disclosed having a main body comprising a face portion, a top portion, a bottom portion opposite the top portion, a toe portion and a heel portion opposite the toe portion. The golf club head includes one or more slideably adjustable weights within one or more weight tracks and/or one or more interchangeable weights within one or more weight ports, the weights provided so as to adjust a center of gravity (CG) of the golf club head.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a main body comprising a face portion, a top portion, a bottom portion opposite the top portion, a toe portion, a heel portion opposite the toe portion, and a body interior surface defining an interior cavity;

a first weight track located on the bottom portion and configured to receive a first weight having a first mass, wherein the first weight is slidably adjustable within the first weight track so as to adjust a center of gravity (CG) of the golf club head; and

a second weight track located on the bottom portion and configured to receive a second weight having a second mass different from the first mass, wherein the second weight is slidably adjustable within the second weight track so as to adjust the CG of the golf club head, and wherein the first and second weights are configured to be interchangeable with one another so that each weight may be slidably adjusted and secured within either the first or second weight tracks, respectively,

wherein the first weight track has a first weight track interior surface that partially defines the interior cavity of the body;

wherein the first weight comprises an outer weight member having a through bore, an inner weight member having a threaded aperture, and a threaded fastener having a head and a shaft extending from the head, wherein the shaft of the threaded fastener is configured to pass through the through bore of the outer weight member and thread into the threaded opening of the inner weight member such that tightening the threaded fastener causes the first weight to clamp at least a portion of the first weight track;

wherein the outer weight member is non-circular and at least one of the threaded fastener and the outer weight member are at least partially uncovered;

wherein the first weight track and the second weight track are permanently secured to the body;

wherein the golf club head has an Ixx (moment of inertia about a CG x-axis) and Izz (moment of inertia about a CG z-axis) such that when the first and second weights are located in a first configuration the combined Ixx and Izz is at least 673 kg·

mm²,

wherein the first and second weights may be located in a second configuration by slidably moving at least one of the first and second weights in at least one of the first and second weight tracks such that the combined Ixx and Izz is at least 724 kg·

mm² and the Ixx and Izz differ by at least 22 kg·

Mm².

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the second weight, when secured within the second weight track, extends beyond a surface of the bottom portion so as to lower the CG of the golf club head in a direction away from the top portion.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the top portion comprises a crown opening and crown insert secured to the top portion so as to cover the crown opening; and

the bottom portion comprises a sole opening and sole insert secured to the bottom portion so as to cover the sole opening, wherein the second weight track is located on the sole insert.

4. The golf club head of claim 3 wherein the sole and crown inserts are made of a composite material and remaining portions of the main body are made of a material selected from a group consisting of:

titanium, a titanium alloy, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, steel and a steel alloy.

5. The golf club head of claim 3 wherein the first weight track is located on the bottom portion between the face portion and the sole opening.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 further comprising an adjustable head-shaft connection assembly comprising a sleeve secured by a 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 different combinations of loft angle, face angle, or lie angle.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the main body comprises a frame made of a metal material, wherein the face portion comprises a face plate coupled to the frame, the top portion comprises a crown insert coupled to the frame, and the bottom portion comprises a sole insert coupled to the frame, wherein the crown insert and sole insert are made from one or more materials different from the metal material.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the top portion comprises a crown opening, the crown opening configured to receive a composite crown insert, and

wherein the bottom portion comprises a toe-side sole opening and a heel-side sole opening, wherein the toe-side sole opening is positioned toe-ward of the first and second weight tracks and configured to receive a toe-side composite sole insert and the toe-side composite sole insert covers the toe-side sole opening, wherein the heel-side sole opening is positioned heelward of the first and second weight tracks and configured to receive a heel-side composite sole insert and the heel-side composite sole insert covers the a heel-side sole opening.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the first and second weight tracks each comprise a ledge for receiving the first and second weights.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, further comprising at least one internal rib extending outwardly from an internal surface of the second weight track to provide structural support and increased rigidity to the golf club head.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising at least one internal rib extending outwardly from an internal surface of the second weight track to provide structural support and increased rigidity to the golf club head,

wherein the top portion comprises a crown opening, the crown opening configured to receive a composite crown insert, and

wherein the first and second weight tracks each comprise a ledge for receiving the first and second weights.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the top portion comprises a crown opening, the crown opening configured to receive a composite crown insert thereby enclosing the crown opening.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the bottom portion comprises a sole opening, the sole opening configured to receive a composite sole insert thereby enclosing the sole opening.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the sole insert comprises at least 25% of a sole surface area of the club head, and the crown insert comprises at least 50% of a crown surface area of the club head.

15. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the face portion is formed from a composite material.

16. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising one or more weight ports integrally formed with the main body.

17. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising one or more overhang portions that extend over at least a portion of at least one of the first weight track and the second weight track.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the one or more overhang portions are integrally formed with the main body.

19. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the second weight track extends substantially in a fore-to-aft direction and at least one fore-to-aft rib extends along a top interior surface of the second weight track.

20. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a hosel located proximate the heel portion of the golf club head and a hosel rib extending along an interior surface of the golf club head joining an interior portion of the hosel to an interior portion of at least one of the first weight track and the second weight track.