GOLF CLUB

• US 20120071264A1
• Filed: 11/28/2011
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Sargent, Nathan, Willett, Kraig Alan, Hoffman, Joseph Henry
• Granted Patent: US 8,496,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/307
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• 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 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

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, a sleeve including a top portion, a middle portion connected to the top portion is described. The middle portion includes a thin wall thickness. A bottom portion is connected to the middle portion including a plurality of engaging surfaces. A central longitudinal axis and an offset angle offset from the central longitudinal axis is described. The offset angle allows a maximum loft change of about 0.5 degrees to about 4.0 degrees. The total weight of the sleeve is less than 9 g.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face plate, a crown, a sole, and a hosel;

an adjustable head-shaft connection system configured to allow the golf club head to be adjustably attachable to a golf club shaft in a plurality of different positions resulting in different combinations of loft angle, face angle, and lie angle; and

at least two weights attachable to and removable from the body at a plurality of different positions relative to the body;

wherein a thickness of a thinnest portion of the face plate is at least 25% less than a thickness of a thickest portion of the face plate.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a maximum face plate thickness is greater than about 4.8 mm and a thinnest face plate thickness is less that about 2.3 mm.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the crown has an areal weight of less than about 0.36 g/cm².

4. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face plate, a crown, a sole, and a hosel;

an adjustable head-shaft connection system configured to allow the golf club head to be adjustably attachable to a golf club shaft in a plurality of different positions resulting in different combinations of loft angle, face angle, and lie angle; and

at least two weights attachable to and removable from the body at a plurality of different positions relative to the body;

wherein the face plate comprises a central portion, an intermediate portion surrounding the central portion, and an outer portion surrounding the intermediate portion, and the thickness of the intermediate portion is greater than the thickness of the outer portion.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the thickness of the intermediate portion is greater than the thickness of the central portion.

6. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein a thickness of a thinnest portion of the face plate is at least 25% less than a thickness of a thickest portion of the face plate.

7. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein a maximum face plate thickness is greater than about 4.8 mm and a thinnest face plate thickness is less that about 2.3 mm.

8. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the crown has an areal weight of less than about 0.36 g/cm².

9. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face plate, a crown, a sole, and a hosel;

an adjustable head-shaft connection system configured to allow the golf club head to be adjustably attachable to a golf club shaft in a plurality of different positions resulting in different combinations of loft angle, face angle, and lie angle; and

at least two weights attachable to and removable from the body at a plurality of different positions relative to the body;

wherein the crown comprises a composite material.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein a thickness of a thinnest portion of the face plate is at least 25% less than a thickness of a thickest portion of the face plate.

11. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein a maximum face plate thickness is greater than about 4.8 mm and a thinnest face plate thickness is less that about 2.3 mm.

12. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the face plate comprises a central portion, an intermediate portion surrounding the central portion, and an outer portion surrounding the intermediate portion, and the thickness of the intermediate portion is greater than the thickness of the outer portion and the thickness of the central portion.

13. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the crown has an areal weight of less than about 0.36 g/cm².

14. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face plate, a crown, a sole, and a hosel;

an adjustable head-shaft connection system configured to allow the golf club head to be adjustably attachable to a golf club shaft in a plurality of different positions resulting in different combinations of loft angle, face angle, and lie angle; and

at least two weights attachable to and removable from the body at a plurality of different positions relative to the body;

wherein the hosel has an outer diameter that is less than 15 mm.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the hosel has an outer diameter that is less than 14 mm.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the head-shaft connection system comprises a sleeve comprising an upper portion configured to receive a distal end of the shaft and a lower portion comprising a plurality of splines for coupling the sleeve to the hosel, wherein the splines are positioned below the distal end of the shaft when the shaft is connected to the hosel.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein a thickness of a thinnest portion of the face plate is at least 25% less than a thickness of a thickest portion of the face plate.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the crown comprises a composite material.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the crown has an areal weight of less than about 0.36 g/cm².