GOLF CLUBHEAD WITH ADJUSTABLE WEIGHTING

• US 20060172821A1
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Evans, D. Clayton
• Granted Patent: US 7,166,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/349
• 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 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 53/0466 wood-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 (20) with an adjustable weight member (50) is disclosed herein. The weight member (50) is preferably positioned within a recess (40) of the golf club head (20). The weight member (50) is moved to a desired location and locked in place using a locking mechanism. The weight member (50) is preferably composed of a material having a greater density than the density of the material of a body (22) of the golf club head (20).

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a crown and a sole, the body having an arc-like recess extending from a heel end of the body to a toe end of the body, the body having an arc-like track extending from the heel end of the body to the toe end of the body with a plurality of locking notches in communication with the arc-like track; and

at least one weight member positioned within the arc-like recess and movable within the arc-like recess, the at least one weight member having at least one locking projection positioned within the arc-like track and movable within the arc-like track and capable of placement within each of the plurality of locking notches, the at least one weight member also having a locking mechanism for locking the at least one weight member in a position within the arc-like recess.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the at least one weight member comprises a body that is composed of a material having a density greater than the density of the material of the body of the golf club head.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the at least one weight member comprises a body that is composed of a tungsten material and the body of the golf club head is composed of a stainless steel material.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 further comprising a second weight member positioned within the arc-like recess and movable within the arc-like recess, the second weight member having at least one locking projection positioned within the arc-like track and movable within the arc-like track and capable of placement within each of the plurality of locking notches, the second weight member also having a locking mechanism for locking the second weight member in a position within the arc-like recess.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the locking mechanism comprises a locking cam nut and a bushing, the locking cam nut threadingly engaged within a threaded aperture in a body of the at least one weight member, the bushing engaging the body of the golf club head.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the sole of the body comprises a ribbon portion and a bottom portion, and wherein the recess is located along the ribbon portion and the recess has a height ranging from 0.5 centimeter to 4.0 centimeters, a depth ranging from 0.2 centimeter to 2.0 centimeter, and an arc length ranging from 2 centimeters to 20 centimeters.

7. The golf club head according to claim 6 wherein the at least one weight member has a thickness ranging from 0.2 centimeter to 2.0 centimeters, a height ranging from 0.5 centimeter to 4.0 centimeters and a length ranging from 1.0 centimeter to 5.0 centimeters.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the at least one weight member has a mass ranging from 5 grams to 25 grams.

9. The golf club head according to claim 8 wherein the body of the golf club head has a mass ranging from 90 grams to 250 grams.

10. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a crown and a sole with a ribbon portion and a bottom portion, the body having an arc-like recess extending from a heel end of the body to a toe end of along the ribbon portion of the sole, the body having an arc-like track extending from the heel end of the body to the toe end of the body with a plurality of locking notches in communication with the arc-like track, the body composed of a stainless steel material and having a volume ranging from 130 cubic centimeters to 300 cubic centimeters and a mass ranging from 180 grams to 250 grams; and

at least one weight member positioned within the arc-like recess and movable within the arc-like recess, the at least one weight member having a body with a plurality of locking projections positioned within the arc-like track and movable within the arc-like track and capable of placement within each of the plurality of locking notches, the at least one weight member also having a locking mechanism for locking the at least one weight member in a position within the arc-like recess, the locking mechanism comprising a locking cam nut threadingly engaged within a threaded aperture in a body of the at least one weight member, and a bushing engaging the body of the golf club head.

11. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the recess has a height ranging from 0.5 centimeter to 4.0 centimeters, a depth ranging from 0.2 centimeter to 2.0 centimeter, and an arc length ranging from 2 centimeters to 20 centimeters.

12. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the at least one weight member has a mass ranging from 5 grams to 25 grams, and the body of the at least one weight member is composed of a tungsten material.

13. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the position of the at least one weight member can adjust the position of the center of gravity of the golf club head.

14. The golf club head according to claim 10 wherein the at least one weight member has a thickness ranging from 0.2 centimeter to 2.0 centimeters, a height ranging from 0.5 centimeter to 4.0 centimeters and a length ranging from 1.0 centimeter to 5.0 centimeters.

15. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a crown and a sole with a ribbon portion and a bottom portion, the body having an arc-like recess extending from a heel end of the body to a toe end of along the ribbon portion of the sole, the body having an upper arc-like track extending from the heel end of the body to the toe end of the body with a plurality of locking notches in communication with the upper arc-like track and a lower arc-like track extending from the heel end of the body to the toe end of the body with a plurality of locking notches in communication with the lower arc-like track; and

at least one weight member positioned within the arc-like recess and movable within the arc-like recess, the at least one weight member having a body with a plurality of locking projections with at least one of the plurality of locking projections positioned within the upper arc-like track and movable within the upper arc-like track and capable of placement within each of the plurality of locking notches, and with at least one of the plurality of locking projections the positioned within the lower arc-like track and movable within the lower arc-like track and capable of placement within each of the plurality of locking notches, the at least one weight member also having a locking mechanism for locking the at least one weight member in a position within the arc-like recess.

16. The golf club head according to claim 15 wherein the body is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of steel alloys, titanium alloys, titanium, magnesium, magnesium alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys.

17. The golf club head according to claim 15 wherein the recess of the body extends along 50% to 95% of the arc-length of the ribbon portion.

18. The golf club head according to claim 15 wherein the at least one weight member has a mass ranging from 5% to 25% of the mass of the golf club head.

19. The golf club head according to claim 15 wherein the body has a volume ranging from 130 cubic centimeters to 475 cubic centimeters.

20. A method for providing a golfer with a golf club having a center of gravity oriented for the golfer, the method comprising:

determining a desired center of gravity location of a golf club for a golfer from the group of far heel ward, mid-heel ward, slight heel ward, neutral, slight toe ward, mid-toe ward and far toe ward;

positioning a weight member in a location to achieve the desired center of gravity location, the golf club comprising a golf club head comprising

a body having a face, a crown and a sole, the body having an arc-like recess extending from a heel end of the body to a toe end of the body, the body having an arc-like track extending from the heel end of the body to the toe end of the body with a plurality of locking notches in communication with the arc-like track, and

the weight member positioned within the arc-like recess and movable within the arc-like recess to achieve the desired center of gravity location, the weight member having at least one locking projection positioned within the arc-like track and movable within the arc-like track and capable of placement within each of the plurality of locking notches, the weight member also having a locking mechanism for locking the weight member in a position within the arc-like recess.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein the locking mechanism comprises a locking cam nut and a bushing, the locking cam nut threadingly engaged within a threaded aperture in a body of the at least one weight member, the bushing engaging the body of the golf club head.

22. The method according to claim 20 wherein positioning the weight member comprises unlocking the locking cam nut to decompress the bushing to allow the weight member to move along recess to a location that provides the desired center of gravity location for the golfer and locking the locking cam nut to compress the bushing against the body of the golf club head.