GOLF CLUB HEAD OR OTHER BALL STRIKING DEVICE HAVING ADJUSTABLE WEIGHTING FEATURES

• US 20120083359A1
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Stites, John T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,747,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/334
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• 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 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 ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head with a face having an outer surface configured for striking a ball, a body connected to the face, and a plurality of inserts connected to the outer surface of the body. The plurality of inserts are removable and interchangeable with other inserts, and at least one of the inserts has a weight that is greater than at least another one of the inserts. The inserts may be substantially identical in size and shape to enable the inserts to be interchanged with each other. Additionally, one or more of the inserts may be a primary insert with a secondary insert connected to the primary insert.

Claims

1. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a wood-type face having ball-striking surface configured for striking a ball;

a wood-type body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face to define a cavity bounded by the face and the body, wherein the body and the face enclose a volume of at least 400 cubic centimeters; and

a plurality of inserts connected to an outer surface of the body, each of the inserts having a first end and a second end that is wider than the first end, wherein the inserts are positioned in a radiating arrangement on a sole of the body, such that the first ends of the inserts are positioned proximate a single point and the inserts radiate outwardly from the single point,

wherein the plurality of inserts are substantially identical in size to enable the inserts to be removed from the body and interchanged with each other, and

wherein at least one of the inserts has a weight that is greater than at least another one of the inserts.

2. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the head has a peripheral area extending around the face and the body, the peripheral area having an outer periphery of maximum size, wherein the second ends of the inserts are positioned within the peripheral area.

3. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inserts comprise a first insert, a second insert, and a third insert, wherein the first ends of the first, second, and third inserts converge to the single point, and wherein the second insert is positioned between the first and third inserts such that the second end of the second insert and the second end of the first insert converge to a second point and the second end of the second insert and the second end of the third insert converge to a third point.

4. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the body has a curved contour, and wherein each of the inserts has an inner surface that has a curved contour that is cooperatively dimensioned with the outer surface of the body such that the inner surface of each insert engages the outer surface of the body in surface-to-surface engagement.

5. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of secondary inserts, wherein each of the inserts has at least one secondary insert connected thereto.

6. The wood-type golf club head of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of inserts has at least one cavity therein, and wherein the secondary inserts are received in the cavities.

7. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body has a rounded horizontal rear profile, and wherein the second ends of the inserts each have a rounded contour to conform to the horizontal rear profile of the body.

8. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body includes a plurality of recesses on the outer surface, and wherein each of the inserts is positioned within one of the recesses.

9. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the inserts are connected to the body by threaded fasteners.

10. A wood-type golf club comprising the wood-type golf club head of claim 1 and a shaft connected thereto.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a face having a ball-striking surface configured for striking a ball;

a body connected to the face, the body having an outer surface;

a plurality of inserts connected to the outer surface of the body, wherein the plurality of inserts are substantially identical in size to enable the inserts to be removed from the body and interchanged with each other, and wherein at least one of the inserts has a weight that is greater than at least another one of the inserts.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein each of the inserts has a first end and a second end that is wider than the first end, wherein the inserts are positioned in a radiating arrangement on a sole of the body, such that the first ends of the inserts are positioned proximate a single point and the inserts radiate outwardly from the single point.

13. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the body has a plurality of recesses on the outer surface, wherein each of the inserts is received in one of the recesses, and wherein the recesses are substantially identical in size to enable each of the inserts to be received in any of the recesses.

14. The golf club head of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of secondary inserts, wherein each of the inserts has at least one secondary insert connected thereto.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein each of the inserts has at least one cavity therein, and the secondary inserts are received in the cavities.

16. The golf club head of claim 14, the plurality of secondary inserts are substantially identical in size, to enable the secondary inserts to be interchanged with each other.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein each of the inserts has a cavity therein, and the secondary inserts are received in the cavities, and wherein the cavities are substantially identical in size to enable each of the secondary inserts to be received in any of the cavities.

18. The golf club head of claim 11, further comprising a first group of secondary inserts and a second group of secondary inserts, wherein the secondary inserts of the first group are substantially identical in size, and the secondary inserts of the second group are substantially identical in size, and wherein each of the inserts has one secondary insert of the first group and one secondary insert of the second group connected thereto.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein each of the inserts has a first cavity and a second cavity therein, wherein the secondary inserts of the first group are received in the first cavities, and the secondary inserts of the second group are received in the second cavities, and wherein each of the first cavities are substantially identical in size and each of the second cavities are substantially identical in size to enable each of the secondary inserts of the first group to be received in any of the first cavities and each of the secondary inserts of the second group to be received in any of the second cavities.

20. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 11 and a shaft connected thereto.

21. A golf club head comprising:

a face having a ball-striking surface configured for striking a ball;

a body connected to the face, the body having an outer surface;

a removable primary insert connected to the outer surface of the body; and

a secondary insert connected to the primary insert.

22. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the primary insert has a cavity therein, and the secondary insert is received within the cavity.

23. The golf club head of claim 21, further comprising a second secondary insert connected to the primary insert.

24. The golf club head of claim 23, wherein the primary insert has two cavities therein, and the secondary inserts are received within the cavities.

25. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 21 and a shaft connected thereto.

26. A golf club head comprising:

a face having a ball-striking surface configured for striking a ball;

a body connected to the face, the body having an outer surface having a curved contour;

a plurality of inserts connected to the outer surface of the body, wherein each of the inserts comprises a thin plate member having an inner surface that has a curved contour that is cooperatively dimensioned with the outer surface of the body such that the inner surface of each insert engages the outer surface of the body in surface-to-surface engagement.

27. The golf club head of claim 26, wherein the body has a rounded horizontal rear profile, and wherein the inserts each have a rounded contour to conform to the horizontal rear profile of the body.

28. The golf club head of claim 26, wherein the body has a generally rectangular horizontal rear profile including a first corner and a second corner, and wherein the plurality of inserts include at least a first insert and a second insert, the first insert having a generally squared contour to conform to the first corner, and the second insert having a generally squared contour to conform to the second corner.

29. The golf club head of claim 26, wherein the body has a rounded horizontal rear profile, and wherein the plurality of inserts include at least a first insert and a second insert, the first insert having a generally squared contour to form a first generally squared corner, and the second insert having a generally squared contour to form a second generally squared corner, giving the head a generally rectangular horizontal rear profile.

30. A golf club comprising the golf club head of claim 26 and a shaft connected thereto.