Adjustable golf club with hydrodynamic lock-up
First Claim
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1. A club head having an adjustable loft angle, comprising:
- a surface for impacting a golf ball;
a pivot shaft mounted in the club head;
toothed means for preventing rotation of the club head about said pivot shaft;
means for axially biasing said club head on said pivot shaft into a rotatably locked position relative to said pivot shaft; and
means for generating a hydrodynamic bias pressure, said bias pressure resisting axial movement of said club head relative to said pivot shaft during impact of the club head with said golf ball;
whereby the loft angle of the club head remains unchanged during impact with said golf ball.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The various embodiments of the invention are directed to a golf club head having an adjustable loft, wherein the loft angle is hydrodynamically locked during impact of the club head with the ball.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A club head having an adjustable loft angle, comprising:
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a surface for impacting a golf ball;
a pivot shaft mounted in the club head;
toothed means for preventing rotation of the club head about said pivot shaft;
means for axially biasing said club head on said pivot shaft into a rotatably locked position relative to said pivot shaft; and
means for generating a hydrodynamic bias pressure, said bias pressure resisting axial movement of said club head relative to said pivot shaft during impact of the club head with said golf ball;
whereby the loft angle of the club head remains unchanged during impact with said golf ball. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A pivot cartridge in combination with a golf club head having an adjustable loft angle, comprising:
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said pivot cartridge having a pivot shaft comprising an attachment extension, a first cylindrical bearing surface, a second cylindrical surface, and at least one toothed shaft segment therebetween;
said pivot cartridge having a bushing comprising a third cylindrical bearing surface and a inner surface for mounting to said second cylindrical surface;
said pivot cartridge having a pivot cylinder comprising a fourth cylindrical bearing surface slideably engaging said first shaft bearing surface, a fifth cylindrical bearing surface slideably engaging said third cylindrical bearing surface, and at least one toothed segment therebetween engageable with said at least one toothed shaft segment, wherein said pivot cylinder is axially moveable between a distal and a proximal end position relative to said attachment extension of said pivot shaft, wherein said toothed cylinder segment is disengaged with said toothed shaft segment in said proximal position and is engaged in said distal position, and wherein said pivot shaft is not removable from said pivot cylinder; and
said head comprising a surface for impacting a golf ball, and a blind hole behind and substantially parallel to said surface, wherein said hole the pivot cartridge is inserted. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
said pivot cartridge having a first seal sealing between said first cylindrical bearing surface of said pivot shaft and said fourth cylindrical bearing surface of said pivot cylinder;
said pivot cartridge having a second seal sealing between said fifth cylindrical bearing surface and said third cylindrical bearing surface of said bushing; and
said pivot cartridge having an incompressible fluid substantially filling all the voids of the internal volume bounded by the exterior surface of said pivot shaft, the interior surface of said pivot cylinder, and said first and second seals.
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19. A pivot cartridge in combination with a golf club head having an adjustable loft angle as recited in claim 18, said incompressible fluid comprising a lubricating oil or grease.
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20. A pivot cartridge for a club head having an adjustable loft angle, comprising:
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a pivot shaft comprising an attachment extension, a first cylindrical bearing surface, a second cylindrical surface, and at least one toothed shaft segment therebetween;
a bushing having a third cylindrical bearing surface and a inner surface for mounting to said second cylindrical surface;
a pivot cylinder comprising a fourth cylindrical bearing surface slideably engaging said first shaft bearing surface, a fifth cylindrical bearing surface slideably engaging said third cylindrical bearing surface, and at least one toothed segment therebetween engageable with said at least one toothed shaft segment, wherein said pivot cylinder is axially moveable between a distal and a proximal end position relative to said attachment extension of said pivot shaft, and wherein said at least one toothed cylinder segment is disengaged with said at least one toothed shaft segment in said proximal position and is engaged in said distal position;
a first and second chambers within the club head containing a substantially incompressible fluid; and
at least one restrictive conduit between said first and second chambers, whereby axial movement of said pivot cylinder along said pivot shaft forces fluid between said first and second chambers. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A golf club head with a loft angle adjustable by externally applied compressive and twisting forces, comprising:
- a club head having a surface for striking a golf ball, said club head pivotably mounted on a pivot shaft having an axis, said pivot shaft having a proximal end for mating to a hosel and a distal end extending into the club head, the club head having a first and a second axial end orientations on said pivot shaft, said first orientation distally oriented relative to said second orientation, said first orientation non-rotatable relative to said pivot shaft, said second orientation rotatable relative to said pivot shaft, said pivot shaft and the club head creating a first variable volume therebetween, said first variable volume substantially filled with an incompressible fluid, said club head comprising a second variable volume substantially filled with an incompressible fluid, at least one restrictive conduit for fluid communication between said first variable volume and said second variable volume whereby fluid in said first variable volume may be flowed by the externally applied compressive force into said second variable volume, while said restrictive conduit preventing substantial fluid flow while striking said golf ball.
- View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A golf club having a face for striking a golf ball, comprising:
- a club head mounted on a shaft having an axis, a hosel connecting said shaft to a handle for swinging the golf club, a plurality of interconnected chambers within said club head, said chambers filled with an incompressible fluid wherein at least two of said plurality of interconnected chambers have volumes that vary with axial motion of said head on said shaft, whereby said incompressible fluid is driven from one of said interconnected chambers having a variable volume into another said interconnected chamber having a variable volume to produce an axially directed force resisting said axial motion.
- View Dependent Claims (32)
Specification