Adjustable balance weighting system for golf clubs

• US 5,916,042 A
• Filed: 06/24/1997
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eric W. Reimers
• Original Assignee: Eric W. Reimers
• Inventors: Reimers, Eric W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US08/881,524
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/333-339, 473/341, 473/349, 473/345
• 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 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• 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

Adjustable balance weighting systems (10 and 110) are provided for adjusting the weighting and balance of golf clubs of either the "iron" or the "wood" types. An eccentric weighting means is mounted on or in the club head (14 or 74) so as to be rotatable and provide a mechanism by which the center of mass, and therefore the sweet spot, of the club head (14 or 74) may be varied. In the case of an iron-type club head (14), an eccentrically weighted disk (32) is mounted in a substantially vertical orientation on the rear face (24) of the club head (14). In the case of a wood-type club head (74), a similar disk (82) is mounted in a horizontal orientation in a recess (80 or 89) in a top or bottom surface (78 or 87) of the club head (74). When adjustment is needed, a screw (68 or 86) is conveniently loosened so that the disk (32 or 82) may pivot and be turned to a desired orientation, thereby causing more weight to be transferred to either the toe or heel of the club head (14 or 74), as necessary, to correct a "slice" or a "hook," respectively. In an alternative embodiment for wood club heads (112), eccentric weighting is provided by a rotatable sole plate (130) with an attached weight (156) eccentrically located thereon. In a further enhancement to the adjustable balance weighting system, there is also provided, in the case of wood clubs, an oversized club head (112) of a substantially ellipsoidal shape. The redistribution of weight afforded gives greater controllability and allows a more effective use of the already increased sweetspot provided by an oversized club head.

Claims

1. A golf club adapted to be utilized with a full swing, comprising:

a wood type club head having a front striking surface and a bottom surface;

eccentric weighting means for adjusting the balance and weight of the golf club, said eccentric weighting means including at least one eccentric weight, the at least one eccentric weight being of a non-dynamic character so as not to impart additional force to a golf ball when struck by said club head; and

mounting means for rotatably mounting said eccentric weighting means in association with the bottom surface.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein

the bottom surface includes a recess within which said eccentric weighting means is located.

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein

the eccentric weight includes a centrally located aperture for accommodating the rotatable mounting about a pin structure.

4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein

the eccentric weight has the form of an eccentrically weighted disk.

5. The golf club of claim 1, further including

holding means for preventing rotation of said eccentric weighting means during play.

6. The golf club of claim 1, further including

a removable sole plate received by the bottom surface, the sole plate having an interior surface.

7. The golf club of claim 6, wherein

said eccentric weighting means and said mounting means include the sole plate, the eccentric weight being constituted by a weight attached to the interior surface of the sole plate at a location radially distant from an approximate sole plate center.

8. The golf club of claim 7, further including

the sole plate having a plurality of protrusion features for mateable reception in a plurality of indentation features present in the bottom surface.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein

said club head is oversized and has a substantially ellipsoidal shape partially abbreviated by said striking face and further including a sole plate having a convex appearance to define a lower portion of the ellipsoid shape.

10. A golf club head of the wood type having a striking surface and a

bottom surface, comprising:

a sole plate having an interior surface;

mounting means for rotatably mounting said sole plate in association with said bottom surface; and

eccentric weighting means for adjusting the balance and weight of the golf club, said eccentric weighting means including said rotatable sole plate.

11. The golf club head of claim 10 wherein

said eccentric weighting means further includes at least one weight attached to the interior surface of said sole plate at a location radially distant from an approximate sole plate center.

12. The golf club head of claim 10 wherein

said sole plate includes an aperture structure and said mounting means includes a pivot pin received by the aperture structure about which said sole plate may rotate.

13. The golf club head of claim 10 wherein

said mounting means includes said sole plate having a plurality of protrusion features for mateable reception in a plurality of indentation features present in said bottom surface.

14. The golf club head of claim 10 wherein

said golf club head is oversized and has a substantially ellipsoidal shape partially abbreviated by said striking face and wherein said sole plate has a convex appearance to define a lower portion of the ellipsoid shape.

15. In a golf club having an oversized, wood-type club head, said club head having a substantially planar striking face, a heel, a top surface, a bottom surface, a top surface view orientation, and a mass, the top surface having a geometric center point, the improvement comprising:

said club head shaped to distribute at least fifty percent of the mass of the club head, as viewed from the top surface view orientation, heelward of the geometric center point of the top surface and at least one non-dynamic eccentric weight which is rotatable mounted in a substantially horizontal plane for adjusting the balance and weight of the golf club.

16. The improved golf club of claim 15 wherein

said oversized club head has a substantially ellipsoidal shape that is partially abbreviated by said striking face.

17. The improved golf club of claim 15 further including said golf club head having an interior portion.

18. The improved golf club of claim 17 further including

mounting means for rotatably mounting the eccentric weight within the interior portion.

19. The improved golf club of claim 18 further including

a sole plate having an interior surface, and wherein the mounting means provides a rotatable mounting of the sole plate in association with said bottom surface, the eccentric weight including the rotatable sole plate.