GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH ADJUSTABLE WEIGHTING

• US 20120064991A1
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: EVANS, D. CLAYTON
• Granted Patent: US 8,579,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/335
• 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 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A titanium bodied driver that utilizes a lightweight receiving back cap, which is designed to be non-removable from the club head but can be loosened to allow its interior to be accessed to reposition one or more movable weights into alternative receiving locations, is disclosed herein. The back cap may also be designed to be completely removable from the driver body to gain access to the one or more weights that can be re-positioned in alternative receiving areas within the back cap'"'"'s interior.

Claims

1. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face component and an aft body, wherein the body is integrally cast from a metal material, and wherein the aft body has an opening;

a gasket covering the opening;

a back cap having an interior surface, wherein the back cap is slidably affixed to the gasket; and

at least one removable weight positioned on the interior surface of the back cap.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the interior surface of the back cap has a plurality of predefined weight receiving locations.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the interior surface of the back cap has a heel side and a toe side, and wherein each of the heel side and the toe side has at least one predefined weight receiving location.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a screw, wherein the at least one removable weight is semi-permanently fastened to the interior surface of the back cap with the screw.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of screws, wherein the gasket is permanently affixed to the aft body with an adhesive, and wherein the back cap is semi-permanently affixed to the gasket with the plurality of screws.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the gasket and the back cap are each composed of a lightweight material, and wherein the at least one removable weight is composed of a heavy material having a density greater than the density of the lightweight material.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the lightweight material is selected from the group consisting of composite and aluminum, and wherein the heavy material is selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, titanium alloy, and tungsten alloy.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body is integrally cast from titanium alloy.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the aft body comprises a crown portion and a sole portion, and wherein the opening is located in the sole portion.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a slider tee comprising an end portion and a head portion, wherein the gasket comprises an elongated slot, wherein the back cap comprises a socket, wherein the end portion of the slider tee is threaded through the slot and fixed in the socket, and wherein the head portion of the slider tee is sized to prevent the slider tee from disengaging from the slot.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the slider tee is composed of a lightweight material selected from the group consisting of composite, aluminum alloy, magnesium, and plastic.

12. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the slider tee permits the back cap to slide along a length of the elongated slot.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the slider tee permits the back cap to slide on a linear, rotational, or curved path along the length of the elongated slot.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body has a volume of approximately 440 to 480 cubic centimeters and a weight of 180 to 210 grams.

15. A driver-type golf club head comprising:

a body having a rearwardly-located opening, wherein the body is composed of a titanium material, and wherein the body has a volume of approximately 440 to 480 cubic centimeters and a weight of 180 to 210 grams;

a movable assembly covering the opening; and

at least one weight member removably secured within the movable assembly, wherein the at least one weight member is composed of a high density metal material,

wherein the golf club head has no welding in its construction.

16. The driver-type golf club head of claim 15, wherein the movable assembly comprises a gasket and a back cap.

17. The driver-type golf club head of claim 16, further comprising a slider tee, wherein the gasket is composed of an aluminum material, wherein the gasket is affixed to the body with adhesive, wherein the slider tee movably connects the back cap to the gasket, and wherein the back cap is composed of a composite material.

18. The driver-type golf club head of claim 15, wherein the at least one weight member is composed of a metal material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, titanium alloy, and tungsten alloy.

19. The driver-type golf club head of claim 15, wherein the body is integrally cast.

20. A driver-type golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a crown portion composed of a composite material, a face portion composed of a titanium alloy, and a sole portion composed of a titanium alloy, wherein the sole portion comprises a rearwardly located opening, and wherein the face portion and the sole portion are integrally cast;

a gasket covering the opening, wherein the gasket is permanently affixed to the body with an adhesive material, and wherein the gasket is composed of an aluminum alloy;

a slider tee;

a back cap having an interior surface, wherein the back cap is slidably affixed to the gasket with the slider tee;

at least one screw; and

at least one removable weight secured to the interior surface of the back cap with the screw,

wherein the golf club head has no welding in its construction, and

wherein the body has a volume of approximately 440 to 480 cubic centimeters and a weight of 180 to 210 grams.