Golf club with swing balance weight cover

• US 20050101408A1
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Sanchez, Richard R., Bryant, Leslie J., Gomez, Pedro C., Tuerschmann, Gary L., Vald'via, Guillermo G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,871,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club head includes a balance weight for swing balancing the golf club. The balance weight is selected from a plurality of balance weights and mounted in a weight cavity formed in the golf club head. A cover, imprinted with information such as the club model designation, is mounted to the club head body so that it substantially covers the balance weight. By providing a single cover for each model of golf club, in combination with a plurality of weights that are interchangeable between golf club models, the total number of balance weights that must be maintained in inventory is significantly reduced.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a golf club head, comprising:

forming a club head body comprising a hollow body having a face adapted for impacting a golf ball, said club head body further comprising a body surface having a weight cavity formed therein, the weight cavity being defined by a side wall and a bottom wall;

providing a plurality of balance weights, each of said plurality of balance weights having an upper surface, a lower surface and a lateral side joining the upper surface and the lower surface;

selecting one of said plurality of balance weights;

attaching said one of said plurality of balance weights to said club head body within the weight cavity;

providing a plurality of covers, each of said covers comprising an outer surface, an inner surface and a perimeter wall;

selecting one of said plurality of covers; and

attaching said one of said plurality of covers to said club head body so that said cover substantially covers said one of said plurality of balance weights.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of balance weights comprise weights of differing mass.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of balance weights comprise weights of differing densities.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said attaching of said one of said plurality of balance weights to said club head body within the weight cavity comprises bonding the lateral side of said one of said plurality of balance weights to the side wall of the cavity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said attaching of said one of said plurality of balance weights to said club head body within the weight cavity comprises bonding the lower surface of said one of said plurality of balance weights to the bottom wall of said weight cavity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said attaching of said one of said plurality of balance weights to said club head body within the weight cavity comprises securing said one of said plurality of balance weights to the bottom wall of said weight cavity with screw fasteners.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a slot in the side wall of the weight cavity; and

forming a corresponding tab on the perimeter wall of the cover, and wherein said attaching of said one of said plurality of covers to said golf club head so that said cover substantially covers said one of said plurality of balance weights comprises snapping the tab on the perimeter wall of the cover into the slot formed in the side wall of the weight cavity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each of said plurality of balance weights further comprising a cover cavity formed in the upper surface, the cover cavity comprising a floor and a reveal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

forming a slot in the reveal of the cover cavity; and

forming a corresponding tab on the perimeter wall of the cover, and wherein said attaching of said one of said plurality of covers to said golf club head so that said cover substantially covers said one of said plurality of balance weights comprises snapping the tab on the perimeter wall into the slot formed in the reveal of the cover cavity.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein:

said attaching of said one of said plurality of covers to said golf club head so that said cover substantially covers said one of said plurality of balance weights comprises bonding said cover to the cover cavity.

13. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein:

said cover includes a plurality of tabs and said balance weight further includes a plurality of corresponding slots, said tabs and slots cooperating to attach said cover to said balance weight.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a club head body comprising a hollow body having a face adapted for impacting a golf ball, said club head body further comprising a body surface having a weight cavity formed therein, the weight cavity being defined by a side wall and a bottom wall;

a balance weight disposed within said weight cavity and attached to said club head body, said balance weight selected from a plurality of balance weights, each of said plurality of balance weights having an upper surface, a lower surface and a lateral side joining the upper surface and the lower surface, said plurality of balance weights comprising weights having different masses; and

a cover selected from a plurality of covers and attached to said club head body so that said selected cover substantially covers said balance weight, each of said plurality of covers having an outer surface, an inner surface and a perimeter wall.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein:

said plurality of balance weights comprise weights of different densities

14. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein:

said cover is imprinted with information including a model designation for said golf club head.

15. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein:

said club head body further comprises a crown and a sole; and

said body surface is disposed between said crown and said sole.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein said weight cavity is located in a substantially rearward direction from said face.

17. A golf club head comprising:

a hollow body including a crown, a sole, a face adapted for impacting a golf ball and a body surface disposed between said crown and said sole, said body surface having a weight cavity formed therein;

a balance weight disposed within said weight cavity and attached to said body, said balance weight having a plurality of slots formed therein; and

a cover attached to said body for substantially covering said balance weight, said cover having a plurality of tabs formed thereon which are engageable with said plurality of slots to attach said cover to said balance weight.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein said weight cavity is spaced from said face in a generally rearward direction.

19. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein said balance weight is selected from a plurality of balance weights and wherein said cover is selected from a plurality of covers.