INTERCHANGEABLE SHAFT SYSTEM

• US 20100069170A1
• Filed: 09/16/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Murphy, Stephen S., Golden, Charles E., Knutson, Scott A., Bennett, Thomas Orrin, Bezilla, Stephanie, Hartwell, Bradford Hughes
• Granted Patent: US 7,997,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/288
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/10 with adhesive type surfaces, i.e. hook and loop-type fastener
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/022 allowing adjustable positioning of the head with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand

Abstract

A golf club incorporating an interchangeable shaft system includes a shaft, a shaft sleeve, a club head. The shaft sleeve is coupled to an end of the shaft and is received in a hosel included in the club head. The shaft sleeve is removably coupled to the club head. Hosel and shaft sleeve alignment features provide discreet orientations between the shaft and club head.

Claims

1. A golf club, comprising:

a golf club head;

an elongate shaft; and

an interchangeable shaft system releasably coupling the shaft to the club head,

wherein the interchangeable shaft system is configured to provide dual angle adjustability, and wherein the interchangeable shaft system is configured to provide a rectangular-shaped matrix of loft angle and lie angle orientations.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the rectangular-shaped matrix is a square matrix.

3. The golf club of claim 2, wherein the matrix is a 3×

3 square matrix.

4. The golf club of claim 2, wherein the matrix is a 4×

4 square matrix.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the interchangeable shaft system includes a wedge member interposed between the elongate shaft and the club head.

6. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a volume that is at least 300 cc.

7. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a volume that is less than 300 cc.

8. A golf club, comprising:

a golf club head including a hosel and a plurality of hosel alignment features, wherein the hosel defines a sleeve bore and the hosel alignment features are disposed adjacent a proximal end of the hosel;

an elongate shaft;

a shaft sleeve coupled to a distal end portion of the shaft, the shaft sleeve including a sleeve body and a plurality of sleeve alignment features;

a wedge member including a plurality of wedge alignment features, wherein the wedge member is interposed between the shaft sleeve and the hosel; and

a fastener that releasably couples the shaft sleeve to the club head,

wherein the wedge member provides a wedge angle between the shaft sleeve and the hosel and wherein the shaft sleeve provides a shaft angle between the shaft sleeve and the shaft.

9. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the magnitudes of the wedge angle and the shaft angle are different.

10. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the magnitude of the shaft angle is greater than the magnitude of the wedge angle.

11. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the magnitude of the shaft angle is less than about 5°

.

12. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the magnitude of the wedge angle is less than about 5°

.

13. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the wedge member includes end surfaces that are angled relative to each other, wherein a first end surface abuts a portion of the shaft sleeve and a second end surface abuts a portion of the hosel.

14. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the wedge member defines a wedge maximum angular deflection plane and the shaft sleeve defines a sleeve maximum angular deflection plane, and wherein the alignment features are configured so that the wedge maximum angular deflection plane and the sleeve maximum angular deflection plane may be aligned with each other.

15. The golf club of claim 14, wherein the alignment features are configured so that the wedge maximum angular deflection plane and the sleeve maximum angular deflection plane may be aligned with at least one of a 45°

alignment plane and a 135°

alignment plane of the golf club head.

16. The golf club of claim 8, wherein at least one of the hosel alignment features, the sleeve alignment features and the wedge alignment features comprise a plurality tangs.

17. The golf club of claim 16, wherein at least one of the tangs includes at least one indicium.

18. The golf club of claim 17, wherein the at least one indicium provides at least one of a qualitative and a quantitative indication of the golf club loft and lie orientations.

19. A golf club, comprising:

a golf club head including a hosel and a plurality of hosel alignment features, wherein the hosel defines a sleeve bore and the hosel alignment features are disposed adjacent a proximal end of the hosel;

an elongate shaft;

a shaft sleeve coupled to a distal end portion of the shaft, the shaft sleeve including a sleeve body and a plurality of sleeve alignment features;

an extension member including a plurality of extension alignment features, wherein the extension member is interposed between the shaft sleeve and the hosel, has a length that is between about 0.125 inch and about 3.0 inches and that includes parallel end surfaces; and

a fastener that releasably couples the shaft sleeve to the club head.

20. The golf club of claim 19, wherein at least one of the hosel alignment features, the sleeve alignment features and the extension alignment features comprise a plurality tangs.