Golf club head having a removable weight

• US 20040092332A1
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Willett, Kraig A., Hoffman, Joseph H.
• Granted Patent: US 6,773,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/338
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

The invention provides a golf club head having adjustable weight, allowing the golfer to fine tune the club for his or her swing. The club head includes a body having a ball-striking face, a sole, a crown, and a side extending rearwardly from the face. The body defines an interior cavity and a recess on a selected wall of the body spaced apart from the striking face. A threaded opening is disposed in the recess. The club head further includes a weight assembly having fastener and a mass element configured to be press-fit into the recess the such that a first end is adjacent the bottom of the recess. The mass element also has an aperture configured to receive the fastener flush. The fastener removably attaches the weighting assembly to the selected wall of the club head. Pressure from the fastener attachment provides a press-fit of the mass element in the tapered recess of the selected wall.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity and including a ball-striking face, a sole, a crown, and a side extending rearwardly from the face;

wherein a selected wall of the body, excluding the striking face, has at least one recess comprising a tapered wall and a threaded opening; and

a weight assembly having a fastener and a mass element configured to be press-fit into the recess of the body such that a first end is adjacent a bottom of the recess, the mass element defining an aperture having a first diameter at the first end and a second diameter at a second end, the first diameter greater than a diameter of a threaded body of the fastener and the second diameter greater than a head of the fastener;

wherein the fastener removably attaches the weight assembly in the recess, pressure from the threaded fastening accomplishing a press-fit of the mass element in the recess.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the selected wall includes a boss extending from a bottom of the recess, wherein further the boss defines the threaded opening and has a length at least 1.5 times the diameter of the threaded body of the fastener.

3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the mass element is formed of a material having a different density than the density of a material of the selected wall.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the mass element comprises a non-circular shape in cross-section, the recess having a complementary shape.

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the selected wall is a bottom wall.

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the bottom of the recess is non-planar and the first end of the mass element has a complementary shape.

7. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the selected wall further comprises a second recess and a plug secured in the second recess, the plug formed of a material having a density no greater than the density of the material of the selected wall.

8. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the selected wall further comprises a second recess, a second weight assembly secured in the second recess.

9. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, further comprising a retaining element configured to retain the fastener in the aperture in the mass element.

10. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the retaining element is formed of a material having a different density than the density of a material of the selected wall.

11. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the retaining element comprises a low friction element.

12. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the retaining element has an aperture sized to receive a tool used to turn a head of the fastener.

13. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the retaining element has an aperture with a first diameter sized to freely receive a tip of a tool and a second diameter sized to freely receive a head of the fastener.

14. A method of removably attaching a weight to a hollow golf club head, comprising the steps of:

providing a golf club head having a top wall, a front wall, a side wall extending rearwardly of the front wall from a toe end to a heel end of the club head and a bottom wall, a selected one of the top, side and bottom walls having at least one recess comprising a tapered wall and a threaded opening;

providing a weight assembly having a mass element and a fastener, the mass element having an aperture sized to freely receive the fastener, the mass element formed of a material having a density different than the density of the material of the selected wall;

inserting a threaded body of the fastener through the aperture of the mass element; and

engaging the fastener into the threaded opening in the recess of the selected wall of the club head, the pressure from the engagement of the fastener accomplishing a pressfit of the mass element in the recess of the selected wall.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, further comprising the step of providing a retaining element positioned atop the fastener.

16. A method as defined in claim 15, further comprising the step of providing a low friction element between the head of the fastener and the retaining element.

17. A method as defined in claim 15, further comprising the step of threadably engaging the retaining element in the aperture of the mass element, the retaining element having an aperture sized to receive a tip of a tool used to turn a head of the fastener.

18. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the step of inserting the fastener through the aperture of the mass element is performed prior to the step of engaging the retaining element in the aperture.

19. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the recess in the selected wall of the club head is non-circular in cross-section and the step of providing a weight assembly comprises providing a mass element of a shape complementary to the recess.

20. A method of removing a weight from a wall of a hollow golf club head, comprising the steps of:

providing a golf club head having a top wall, a front wall, a side wall extending rearwardly of the front wall from a toe end to a heel end of the club head and a bottom wall, a selected one of the top, side and bottom walls having at least one recess comprising a tapered surface and a threaded opening;

providing a weight assembly in the recess of the selected wall, the weight assembly having a mass element, a retaining element and a fastener, the mass element formed of a material having a density different than the density of the material of the selected wall, the retaining element threadably attached to the mass element, the fastener extending through an aperture of the mass element and through the threaded opening of the recess;

inserting a tool through an aperture of the retaining element to engage a head of the fastener; and

rotating the tool to remove the fastener from the threaded opening of the recess;

wherein the head of the fastener contacts a portion of the retaining element, the outward force applied to the retaining element by the fastener being transmitted to the mass element thus removing the weight assembly from the tapered recess of the golf club head.

21. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the weight assembly is provided in the bottom wall of the golf club head.