Golf Clubs and Golf Club Heads Having a Movable Weight

• US 20110053705A1
• Filed: 08/26/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: STITES, John T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,206,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/334
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0031 at the starting point
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0495 moving on impact, slidable, spring or otherwise elastically biased
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head includes a wood type golf club head body having a ball striking face portion, a rear end portion opposite the ball striking face portion, a crown or top portion, a sole or bottom portion, a toe end portion, and a heel end portion. Further, the golf club head includes a moveable weight member, which may be contained internally within the golf club head body so that the moveable weight member is not exposed. Also, the club head may include a track system contained internally within the golf club head body so that the track system is not exposed. The track system includes a track which extends around the interior of one or more walls that comprise the golf club head body and the moveable weight member moves around the interior of the golf club head by sliding in the track.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a wood type golf club head body;

a moveable weight member contained internally within the golf club head body so that the moveable weight member is not exposed; and

a track system contained internally within the golf club head body so that the track system is not exposed,

wherein the track system includes a track which extends around the interior of one or more walls that comprise the golf club head body,

wherein the moveable weight member is configured to be moved around the interior of the golf club head by sliding in the track.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the track extends from a heel side of the golf club head body along a rear side of the golf club head body to a toe side of the golf club head body, wherein the track is positioned on or in the interior wall or walls that comprise the heel, toe and rear sides of the golf club head body.

3. The golf club head according to claim 2, wherein the moveable weight member is moveable from a position in the heel side to a position in the rear side to a position in the toe side of the golf club head body.

4. The golf club head according to claim 3, wherein the track slopes downwardly from a ball striking face side of the golf club head body to the rear side of the golf club head body, wherein a portion of the track that extends along the rear side of the golf club head body is at a height lower than portions of the track that extend along the heel side and toe side of the golf club head body.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the moveable weight member includes a locking mechanism which allows the moveable weight member to be locked in a particular position along the track.

6. The golf club head according to claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism includes at least one extendable and retractable protrusion, wherein the protrusion is configured to be extended and engage at least one hole in the track.

7. The golf club head according to claim 6, wherein the locking mechanism includes an actuator configured to retract the at least one protrusion when the actuator is depressed and wherein the actuator is configured to allow the at least one protrusion to extend when the actuator is released.

8. The golf club head according to claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism includes a threaded fastener configured to engage at least one hole in the track.

9. The golf club head according to claim 2, wherein the track extends 360 degrees around the interior of the golf club head body, from a heel side of the golf club head body along a rear side of the golf club head body and a toe side of the golf club head body to a ball striking face side of the golf club head body, wherein the track is positioned on or in the interior wall or walls that comprise the heel, toe, rear and ball striking face sides of the golf club head body.

10. The golf club head according to claim 9, wherein the track slopes downwardly from a ball striking face side of the golf club head body to the rear side of the golf club head body, wherein a portion of the track that extends along the rear side of the golf club head body is at a height lower than portions of the track that extend along the heel side and toe side of the golf club head body, wherein a portion of the track that extends along the ball striking face side of the golf club head body is at a height higher than portions of the track that extend along the heel side and toe side of the golf club head body.

11. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the moveable weight member has a height between 0.5-5.5 cm, a length between 1.25-15 cm, a depth between 1.25-6.5 cm and a mass between 5.0-70 grams.

12. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the track has a height between 0.5-6.0 cm, a length between 1.25-30 cm and a depth between 1.0-7.0 cm.

13. A golf club head comprising:

a wood type golf club head body;

at least two moveable weight members contained internally within the golf club head body so that the moveable weight members are not exposed; and

a track system contained internally within the golf club head body so that the track system is not exposed,

wherein the track system includes a track which extends around the interior of one or more walls that comprise the golf club head body,

wherein the moveable weight members are configured to be moved independently from each other around the interior of the golf club head by sliding in the track.

14. The golf club head according to claim 13, wherein the track extends from a heel side of the golf club head body along a rear side of the golf club head body to a toe side of the golf club head body, wherein the track is positioned on or in the interior wall or walls that comprise the heel, toe and rear sides of the golf club head body.

15. The golf club head according to claim 14, further comprising at least three moveable weight members, wherein the track is partitioned into three sections by two partitions, wherein the sections include a section in the heel side, a section in the toe side and a section in the rear side, wherein each of the three sections includes at least one moveable weight member.

16. A golf club comprising:

a shaft;

a grip;

a wood type golf club head body;

a moveable weight member contained internally within the golf club head body so that the moveable weight member is not exposed; and

a track system contained internally within the golf club head body so that the track system is not exposed,

wherein the track system includes a track which extends around the interior of one or more walls that comprise the golf club head body,

wherein the moveable weight member is configured to be moved around the interior of the golf club head by sliding in the track.

17. The golf club according to claim 16, wherein the track extends from a heel side of the golf club head body along a rear side of the golf club head body to a toe side of the golf club head body, wherein the track is positioned on or in the interior wall or walls that comprise the heel, toe and rear sides of the golf club head body.

18. The golf club according to claim 17, wherein the moveable weight member is moveable from a position in the heel side to a position in the rear side to a position in the toe side of the golf club head body.

19. The golf club according to claim 18, wherein the track slopes downwardly from a ball striking face side of the golf club head body to the rear side of the golf club head body, wherein a portion of the track that extends along the rear side of the golf club head body is at a height lower than portions of the track that extend along the heel side and toe side of the golf club head body.

20. The golf club according to claim 16, wherein the moveable weight member includes a locking mechanism which allows the moveable weight member to be locked in a particular position along the track.

21. A golf club head comprising:

a wood type golf club head body;

a moveable weight member contained internally within the golf club head body so that the moveable weight member is not exposed; and

a loop contained internally within the golf club head body so that the loop is not exposed,

wherein the loop extends from a heel side of the golf club head body around a rear side of the golf club head body to a toe side of the golf club head body interior to one or more walls that comprise the golf club head body,

wherein the moveable weight member is configured to be moved around the interior of the golf club head by sliding along the loop.