Wood-type golf club head with improved adjustable weight configuration

• US 5,518,243 A
• Filed: 09/01/1995
• Issued: 05/21/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ZUBI Golf Company
• Original Assignee: ZUBI Golf Company
• Inventors: Redman, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US08/523,498
• Time in Patent Office: 263 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 R, 273/167 A, 273/167 F, 273/169, 273/170, 273/171, 273/172, 273/173, 273/174, 273/193 R, 273/193 A, 273/194 R, 273/186.2, 273/79, 273/167 H , 273/77 R
• US Class Current: 473/334
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• 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 wood type golf club having a weight system on the club head including a cavity, weights and a weight distributor therein. The weight distributor includes an array of apertures designed to receive spherical weights positioned in apertures to adjust the center of the mass of the club head in accordance with particular swing characteristics of a golfer using the golf club. The cavity and the weight distributor are located at the lower back of the club head and substantially behind the ball striking face and when attached are oriented in a manner as to give the appearance of a one piece club head and maximize the weight distribution affect relative for the ball striking face. The weight distributor is a one piece unit which provides easy mounting and dismounting of the weight system.

Claims

1. A wood type golf club having a shaft, a grip on one end of said shaft and a club head at the other end of said shaft;

said club head including a heel, toe, upper surface, bottom sole, ball striking face and back of the club head wherein the improvement comprises;

a weighing system for adjustably moving the center of mass of the club head in a direction toward the toe, heel, ball striking face, or back of the club head in accordance with preselected parameters;

said weighing system providing a cavity oriented in a heel to toe direction located in the back lower half of the club head;

a weight distributor having a top outer surface and a bottom outer surface and sized to provide a snug fit in said cavity in a top to bottom and front to back direction, said bottom outer surface adjoining and extending from said bottom sole when said weight distributor is positioned in said cavity, said bottom outer surface forming a rear portion of the club head sole at a distance from the striking face;

said weight distributor including an array of apertures disposed between said top outer surface, and said bottom outer surface said array being arranged heel to toe and front to back, the front-most aperture of the apertures being spaced from said ball striking face and separate from the club head that forms said ball striking face, said front-most aperture being behind the center of gravity; and

weights sized to provide a comfortable fit in said apertures, whereby said weights are inserted into said top outer surface and are located substantially behind said ball striking face and in said back of the club head.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said weight distributor is made of a durable lightweight metal or composite material to accommodate the snug fit of said weight distributor in said cavity and to accommodate the snug fit of said weights in said apertures of said weight distributor.

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein said bottom outer surface provides a stop point for said apertures.

4. The golf club of claim 3, further comprising a cushion in said cavity between cavity walls and said weight distributor, and further comprising at least one elastic plug inserted in one of said apertures for securely holding a weight against said cushion, whereby vibrations attributable to movement of the weight are minimized.

5. The golf club of claim 4, wherein said weights and said apertures are spherical in shape.

6. The golf club of claim 5, wherein said apertures have a longitudinal axis parallel to said bottom sole.

7. The golf club of claim 6, wherein said weight distributor extends between said heel and said toe at said back of the club head of the golf club.

8. The golf club of claim 7, wherein said cushion is made of a material selected from the group consisting of rubber, plastic, cloth, silicon and wood.