GOLF CLUB

• US 20090286618A1
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Gery M., Beach, Todd P., Wright, Ian C., Sargent, Nathan T., Johnson, Matthew D., Greaney, Mark V., Harper, Kevin R., Willett, Kraig A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,887,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/307
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/08 with special arrangements for obtaining a variable impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club comprises a shaft, a club head, and a connection assembly that allows the shaft to be easily disconnected from the club head. In particular embodiments, the connection assembly includes a removable hosel sleeve that allows a shaft to be supported a desired predetermined orientation relative to the club head. In this manner, the shaft loft and/or lie angle of the club can be adjusted without resorting to traditional bending of the shaft. In another embodiment, the club head has an adjustable sole that can be adjusted upwardly and downwardly relative to the strike face of the club head, which is effective to adjust the face angle of the club head.

Claims

1. A golf club shaft assembly for attaching to a club head, the assembly comprising:

a shaft having a lower end portion; and

a sleeve mounted on the lower end portion of the shaft and configured to be inserted into a hosel opening of the club head, the sleeve having an upper portion defining an upper opening that receives the lower end portion of the shaft and a lower portion having a plurality of longitudinally extending, angularly spaced external splines located below the shaft and adapted to mate with complimentary splines in the hosel opening, the lower portion defining a longitudinally extending, internally threaded opening adapted to receive a screw for securing the shaft assembly to the club head when the sleeve is inserted in the hosel opening,

wherein each spline has two radially extending sidewalls that diverge from each other moving in a direction from the base of the spline to its outer surface, and each spline has a mid-span width to height ratio of about 1 to about 22, and a mid-span width to average diameter ratio of about 0.1 to about 0.5.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein each spline has a mid-span width to height ratio of about 1 to about 22, and a mid-span width to average diameter ratio of about 0.15 to about 0.35.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein each spline has a mid-span width to height ratio of about 1 to about 22, and a mid-span width to average diameter ratio of about 0.16 to about 0.22.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein each spline has a mid-span width to height ratio of about 2 to about 4, and a mid-span width to average diameter ratio of about 0.16 to about 0.22.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein each spline has a mid-span width to height ratio of about 2 to about 4, and a mid-span width to average diameter ratio of about 0.1 to about 0.5.

6. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein each spline has a mid-span width to height ratio of about 2 to about 4, and a mid-span width to average diameter ratio of about 0.15 to about 0.35.

7. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein each spline has a mid-span width to height ratio of about 2.3 to about 3.1, and a mid-span width to average diameter ratio of about 0.16 to about 0.2.

8. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion of the sleeve has an external surface and the lower portion of the sleeve has an external surface, wherein the external surface of the lower portion has a surface roughness that is greater than a surface roughness of the external surface of the upper portion.

9. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the threaded opening is adapted to receive a screw having a nominal diameter of about 4 mm.

10. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion of the sleeve has an upper flange surface that is adapted to engage a hosel of the club head when the sleeve is inserted into the hosel opening, and the sleeve and the shaft have a combined axial stiffness from the upper flange surface to a lower end of the sleeve of about 1.86×

10⁸ N/m or less.

11. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve, the shaft, and the screw have a combined axial stiffness from the upper flange surface to a head of the screw of about 9.27×

10⁷ N/m or less.

12. A method of assembling a golf club shaft and a golf club head, the method comprising:

mounting a sleeve onto a tip end portion of the shaft, the sleeve having a lower portion having eight external splines protruding from an external surface and located below a lower end of the shaft, the external splines having a configuration complementary to internal splines located in a hosel opening in the club head;

inserting the sleeve into the hosel opening so that the external splines of the sleeve lower portion engage the internal splines of the hosel opening; and

inserting a screw through an opening in the sole of the club head and into a threaded opening in the sleeve and tightening the screw to secure the shaft to the club head.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the external spline have sidewalls having a height between about 0.5 mm to about 1.0 mm and a width between about 1.0 mm to about 2.0 mm.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the threads of the screw have a nominal diameter less than about 6 mm.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the threads of the screw have a nominal diameter of about 5 mm.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the threads of the screw have a nominal diameter of about 4 mm.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the sleeve has an upper flange surface adapted to contact a hosel of the club head and a head of the screw has a bearing surface that contacts a surface in the club head when the screw is tightened into the threaded opening of the sleeve, and wherein the sleeve, the shaft, and the screw have a combined axial stiffness from the upper flange surface to the bearing surface of the screw head of less than about 1.12×

10⁸ N/m.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the sleeve, the shaft, and the screw have a combined axial stiffness from the upper flange surface to the bearing surface of the screw head of about 9.27×

10⁷ N/m or less.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the ratio of the combined axial stiffness of the sleeve, the shaft, and the screw to the axial stiffness of the hosel from the upper flange surface to the bearing surface of the screw head is less than 0.88.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the ratio of the combined axial stiffness of the sleeve, the shaft, and the screw to the axial stiffness of the hosel from the upper flange surface to the bearing surface of the screw head is about 0.73 or less.

21. The method according to claim 12, wherein the screw is tightened into the threaded opening of the sleeve with a torque wrench.

22. The method according to claim 12, wherein the internal splines are formed in a hosel insert that is secured inside the hosel opening.

23. A golf club assembly comprising:

a shaft having a lower end portion;

a club head having a hosel defining a hosel opening and an upper bearing surface, the club head also having a sole defining an opening that is in communication with the hosel opening and an internal bearing surface;

a hosel insert mounted in the hosel opening and having internal splines on an inner surface thereof;

a screw having a head defining a bearing surface adapted to engage the internal bearing surface of the club head; and

a sleeve mounted on the lower end portion of the shaft and adapted to be inserted into the hosel opening, the sleeve having an upper portion defining a thrust surface adapted to engage the bearing surface of the hosel, a threaded lower opening for receiving the screw, and a lower portion having eight longitudinally extending external splines protruding from an external surface thereof, the external splines having a configuration complementary to the splines on the inner surface of the hosel insert;

wherein the external splines are located below a lower end of the shaft, the external splines having a height between about 0.5 mm to about 1.0 mm and a width between about 1.0 mm to about 2.0 mm;

wherein the shaft can be secured to the club head by inserting the sleeve into the hosel opening so that the external splines on the sleeve engage the internal splines on the hosel insert and inserting the screw through the opening in the sole and into the threaded opening of the sleeve, and then tightening the screw so that the bearing surface of the screw head engages the internal bearing surface of the club head;

wherein the sleeve, the shaft, and the screw have a combined axial stiffness from the thrust surface to the bearing surface of the screw head of less than 1.12×

10⁸ N/m.

24. The golf club assembly of claim 23, wherein the external surface of the sleeve lower portion and the inner surface of the hosel insert have a surface roughness that is greater than a surface roughness of an external surface of the sleeve upper portion.

25. A removable shaft assembly for a golf club having a hosel defining a hosel opening, the assembly comprising:

a shaft having a lower end portion; and

a sleeve mounted on the lower end portion of the shaft and configured to be inserted into the hosel opening of the club head, the sleeve having an upper portion defining an upper opening that receives the lower end portion of the shaft and a lower portion having a plurality of longitudinally extending, angularly spaced external splines located below the shaft and adapted to mate with complimentary splines in the hosel opening, the lower portion defining a longitudinally extending, internally threaded opening adapted to receive a screw for securing the shaft assembly to the club head when the sleeve is inserted in the hosel opening;

wherein the upper portion of the sleeve has an upper thrust surface that is adapted to engage the hosel of the club head when the sleeve is inserted into the hosel opening, and the sleeve and the shaft have a combined axial stiffness from the upper thrust surface to a lower end of the sleeve of less than about 1.87×

10⁸ N/m.

26. A golf club assembly comprising;

a club head having a hosel defining a hosel opening housing a rotation prevention portion, the hosel defining a longitudinal axis and having an upper annular surface;

a shaft having a lower end portion;

a shaft sleeve having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion being mounted on the lower end portion of the shaft, the lower portion comprising a rotation prevention portion adapted to mate with the rotation prevention portion in the hosel opening to restrict relative rotation between the shaft sleeve and the club head, the lower portion of the shaft sleeve defining a longitudinal axis that is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the hosel and the upper portion of the shaft sleeve defining a longitudinal axis that is angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the lower portion and the hosel at a predetermined, non-zero angle such that the shaft sleeve supports the shaft at the predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the hosel, the upper portion comprising a head portion having lower annular surface that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve lower portion and contacting the upper annular surface of the hosel; and

a mechanical fastener removably securing the shaft sleeve to the club head.

27. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the fastener is a screw that extends into a threaded opening in the lower portion of the sleeve.

28. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the sleeve upper portion extends at least partially into the hosel opening, the hosel having an inner surface surrounding and spaced from the portion of the sleeve upper portion extending into the hosel opening so as to define an annular gap that is large enough to permit the sleeve to be positioned in the hosel opening at a plurality of angularly spaced positioned with respect to the longitudinal axis of the hosel.

29. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the annular surface of the head portion contacts the annular surface of the hosel through 360 degrees.

30. The assembly of claim 27, further comprising an elastomeric ring disposed on threads of the screw.