Golf Club With Adjustable Weight

• US 20120083360A1
• 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: Boyd, Robert, Stites, John T., Tavares, Gary G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,425,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/337
• 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 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/10 Non-metallic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing

Abstract

A golf club with a golf club head having one or more adjustable weights is presented. The club head may include a club head body having a recessed formed therein. In some arrangements, the recess may be formed in a sole portion of the club head body. The golf club head further includes an adjustable weight that may be rotated from a first position to a second position to adjust the weight characteristics, and thus the performance characteristics of the golf club. In some arrangements, the adjustable weight and/or any hardware, fasteners, etc. associated with the adjustable weight may be constantly connected to the golf club head such that adjustment of the weight does not include removal of the weight and/or any hardware, fasteners, etc.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body, the club head body including at least a front, a rear, a heel, a toe, a sole portion, a top and a ball striking surface, the club head body defining an interior cavity of the golf club head;

a recess formed in the sole of the golf club head; and

an adjustable weight, the adjustable weight being received in the recess formed in the sole of the golf club and being movably connected to the golf club head, the adjustable weight being movable from a first position proximal the front of the club head body to a second position proximal the rear of the club head body.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the movable connection is a rotatable connection.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the rotatable connection permits rotation of the adjustable weight in a plane generally perpendicular to the ball striking surface of the club head body.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the adjustable weight is received in a portion of the recess in an in-use position.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein another portion of the recess is vacant.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the adjustable weight is connected to the club head body in the first position, the second position and any intermediate positions.

7. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body having a recess formed therein, the club head body having a first end and a second end; and

an adjustable weight shaped to be received in at least a portion of the recess formed in the club head body, the adjustable weight being rotatable from a first position proximal the first end of the club head body to a second position proximal the second end of the club head body.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, further including a hinge around which the adjustable weight is rotated.

9. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the recess is formed in a sole of the club head body.

10. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the first position includes the adjustable weight contained within a first portion of the recess and a second portion of the recess being vacant.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the second position includes the adjustable weight contained within a second portion of the recess and a first portion of the recess being vacant.

12. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the first end of the club head body is a front end of the golf club head and the second end of the club head body is a rear end of the golf club head.

13. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the adjustable weight is rotatable in a plane generally perpendicular to a striking face of the golf club head.

14. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the adjustable weight is connected to the club head body in the first position, the second position and any intermediate positions.

15. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body, the club head body including at least a front, a rear, a heel, a toe, a sole, a top and a ball striking surface, the club head body defining an interior cavity of the golf club head;

a recess formed in the sole of the club head body; and

an adjustable weight configured to be received in the recess and rotatable about a pivot point, the adjustable weight having a first end having a first weight and a second end having a second weight, the first weight being different from the second weight.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the first weight is greater than the second weight.

17. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the pivot point is located in a central region of the recess.

18. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the pivot point includes a fastener.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the fastener is biased toward the interior cavity of the club head body to pull the adjustable weight toward the interior cavity of the club head body.

20. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the adjustable weight is rotatable in a plane generally perpendicular to the ball striking portion of the club head body.

21. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the first end is formed of a first material and the second end is formed of a second material different from the first material.

22. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the adjustable weight is formed of a first material and one of the first end and the second end includes an embedded weight formed of a second material, different from the first material.

23. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the first material is aluminum and the second material is tungsten.

24. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body having a recess formed therein, the club head body having a front and a rear; and

an adjustable weight shaped to be received in the recess of the club head body, the adjustable weight being adjustable from a first position in which a first end of the adjustable weight is positioned proximal the front of the club head body and a second end of the adjustable weight is positioned proximal the rear of the club head body, to a second position in which the first end of the adjustable weight is proximal the rear and the second end of the adjustable weight is proximal the front, wherein the first end of the adjustable weight includes a first end weight and the second end of the adjustable weight includes a second end weight, the second end weight being different from the first end weight.

25. The golf club head of claim 24, wherein adjustment of the adjustable weight from the first position to the second position includes rotation of the adjustable weight about a pivot point.

26. The golf club head of claim 25, wherein the pivot point includes a fastener.

27. The golf club head of claim 25, wherein rotation of the adjustable weight includes rotating the adjustable weight in a plane generally perpendicular to a striking face of the golf club head.

28. The golf club head of claim 24, wherein the second end weight is heavier than the first end weight.

29. The golf club head of claim 24, wherein the first end is formed of a first material and the second end is formed of a second material different from the first material.

30. The golf club head of claim 24, wherein the adjustable weight is formed of a first material and one of the first end and the second end includes an embedded weight formed of a second material, different from the first material.

31. The golf club head of claim 30, wherein the first material is aluminum and the second material is tungsten.

32. The golf club head of claim 24, wherein adjustment of the adjustable weight does not include removal of the adjustable weight.

33. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body including at least a heel, a toe, a sole, a top and ball striking surface, the sole having a recess formed therein; and

a weight attached to the club head body, the weight being moveable from a first position in the recess to a second position in the recess wherein the second position is remote from the first position.