GOLF CLUBS

• US 20130085010A1
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• 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., Willett, Kraig Alan, Sargent, Nathan T., Franz, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,033,821 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 2071/0633 without electronic means
• 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 53/025 lie angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about an axis parallel to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/026 loft angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/027 about the longitudinal axis of the shaft only
• 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 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• 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 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3635 with sound-emitting source

Abstract

An exemplary golf club head can comprise a body comprising a hosel bore defining a hosel bore axis and an adjustable sleeve comprising a plurality of longitudinal splines that engage with the body within the hosel bore such that the sleeve is configured to be secured within the hosel bore in a plurality of discrete rotational positions relative to the hosel bore axis. The sleeve can further comprise a shaft bore defining a shaft bore axis that forms a sleeve angle with the hosel bore axis when the sleeve is secured within the hosel bore. The square loft angle of the golf club head can be adjusted by changing the rotational position of the sleeve within the hosel bore. The club head can further comprise an adjustable sole piece that can be locked on the sole at a plurality of discrete positions to adjust face angle.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising:

a shaft;

a body comprising a hosel having an upper bearing surface and a hosel bore defining a hosel bore axis;

an adjustable sleeve comprising a plurality of engaging surfaces that engage with the body to restrict rotation of the sleeve relative to the body such that the sleeve is configured to be secured within the hosel bore in a plurality of discrete rotational positions relative to the hosel bore axis, the sleeve further comprising a shaft bore defining a shaft bore axis that forms a sleeve angle of at least 1.5°

with the hosel bore axis when the sleeve is secured within the hosel bore, the shaft bore being secured to a distal end portion of the shaft such that the shaft extends along the shaft bore axis; and

a retainer configured to releasably secure a distal end portion of the sleeve to the body in one of the rotational positions;

wherein the square loft angle of the golf club head can be adjusted to a plurality of different values by changing the rotational position of the sleeve within the hosel bore; and

wherein, when the sleeve is secured to the body via the retainer in one of the rotational positions, an intermediate portion of the sleeve extending axially from a lowest portion of the upper bearing surface of the hosel to a distal end of the shaft is under a tension that is constant along the axial length of the intermediate portion of the sleeve.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein tension in the sleeve is transferred directly from a shoulder portion of the sleeve to the upper bearing surface of the hosel.

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete rotational positions of the sleeve comprises at least 12 discrete rotational positions.

4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the plurality of engaging surfaces comprises at least 12 axially oriented splines.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the sleeve angle is at least 2.0°

.

6. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different square loft angle values comprises a range of at least 4°

.

7. The golf club of claim 6, wherein the range of square loft angle values includes the range of from 8°

to 12°

.

8. The golf club of claim 6, wherein a maximum increment between different square loft angle values is less than 1°

.

9. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises a first outer surface that is axisymmetric about the hosel bore axis when the sleeve is secured within the hosel bore, and a second outer surface that is axisymmetric about the shaft bore axis.

10. The golf club of claim 1, further comprising an adjustable sole piece that can be secured to a sole of the club head at six or more different discrete rotational and axial positions with respect to an axis extending through sole piece, wherein the face angle of the club head is different at each position of the sole piece.

11. The golf club of claim 10, wherein the sole piece comprises an outer wall that includes a plurality of notches that are configured to engage with corresponding ridges on the sole of the club head body to prevent the sole piece from rotating when the sole piece is secured to the sole.

12. The golf club of claim 10, wherein adjusting the sole piece between the different discrete rotational and axial positions does not cause a substantial change in the square loft angle of the club head.

13. The golf club of claim 10, wherein adjusting the sole piece between the different discrete rotational and axial positions allows the face angle of the club head to be adjusted over a range of at least 8°

.

14. A golf club head comprising:

a club head body having a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the club head body;

a rotatably adjustable sole piece adapted to be positioned at a plurality of rotational and axial positions with respect to an axis extending through the sole piece, wherein the adjustable sole piece can be locked on the sole at six or more discrete selectable positions, wherein the adjustable sole piece extends a different distance from the sole at each of the six or more positions; and

a releasable locking mechanism configured to lock the sole piece at a selected one of the six or more rotational positions on the sole, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a screw adapted to extend through the sole piece and into a threaded opening in the sole of the club head body.

15. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the sole piece comprises an outer wall that includes a plurality of notches that are configured to engage with corresponding ridges on the sole of the club head body to prevent the sole piece from rotating when the sole piece is secured to the sole.

16. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein adjusting the sole piece between the different discrete rotational and axial positions does not cause a substantial change in the square loft angle of the golf club head.

17. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein adjusting the sole piece between the different discrete rotational and axial positions allows the face angle of the golf club head to be adjusted over a range of at least 8°

.

18. The golf club head of claim 14, wherein the sole piece has a convex bottom surface, such that when the sole piece is at each rotational position the bottom surface has a heel-to-toe curvature that substantially matches the heel-to-toe curvature of a leading surface portion of the sole.

19. The golf club of claim 14, wherein the sole piece comprises a generally cylindrical stepped wall that comprises of a plurality of wall sections in an angular array around the central axis, wherein the wall sections comprise at least six trios of upper surfaces, each trio of upper surfaces configured to mate with the sole port of the body to set the sole piece at a different axial position relative to the sole.

20. A method of adjusting a golf club head, the method comprising:

adjusting a rotational position of a sleeve of the club head relative to a body of the club head to adjust a square loft angle of the club head to a desired value between about 8 degrees and about 12 degrees; and

adjusting a position of a sole piece of the club head relative to the body of the club head to adjust a face angle of the club head to a desired value between about −

4 degrees and about 12 degrees.