Golf club head with dynamically movable center of mass

• US 6,641,490 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2002
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John Warwick Ellemor
• Original Assignee: John Warwick Ellemor
• Inventors: Ellemor, John Warwick
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US10/081,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/333, 473/334, 473/335, 473/336, 473/282, 473/291, 473/256, 473/231, 473/219, 473/326, 473/345, 473/350
• US Class Current: 473/326
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0495 moving on impact, slidable, spring or otherwise elastically biased
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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 60/24 Weighted handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand

Abstract

A golf club, namely a driver, includes a flowing moving part within the head such as mercury or a flowable solid in an inclined U shaped hollow passage (11). The moving part (12) remains captive at the rear of the head during the downswing on an axis defined by the direction of travel and the center of mass. A golf ball impacting the head away from this axis e.g. at the toe (17) causes the head to rotate and subsequently causing the flowing moving part (18) and hence the center of mass to move to behind the point of impact i.e. the toe, thus reducing head rotation head rotation and increasing the sweet spot.

Claims

1. A golf club, having a driver head, the head having a toe and a heel at opposite ends of a ball striking face for application of an impact force to a golf ball and a sole on the underside thereof, a shaft extending from the head, a surface within the head on the rear side of the ball striking face for application of a secondary impact force to a golf ball, a hollow passage within the head, the passage having first and second ends terminating at the rear surface at first and second positions on opposite sides of a central impact zone on the ball striking face, the hollow passage being arranged such that when the sole is supported on level ground with the ball striking face substantially upright, the hollow passage is inclined from the first and second positions downwardly and rearwardly from the rear surface of the ball striking face, and a liquid or flowable solid partly filling the passage, whereby upon downswing of the golf club, the liquid or flowable solid under the influence of centrifugal force will locate in a region of the passage intermediate the ends thereof and spaced from the rear surface and wherein the liquid or flowable solid will divide for application of a secondary impact force to the rear surface at the first and second positions where a golf ball is impacted by the ball striking face at or adjacent the central impact zone and wherein the liquid or flowable solid or the majority thereof will be directed for application of a secondary impact force on the rear surface at the first or second position depending upon which position is adjacent the point of impact of the ball striking face upon a golf ball.

2. A golf club as claimed in claim 1 wherein the intermediate region of the passage has in plan view a substantially arcuate configuration about a radius.

3. A golf club as claimed in claim 2 wherein the passage has substantially linear portions which extend from the intermediate region to the first and second positions respectively on the rear face.

4. A golf club as claimed in claim 2 wherein a portion of the intermediate region of the passage extends downwardly from the remainder of the intermediate region to define a container for the liquid or flowable solid.

5. A golf club as claimed in claim 4 wherein when the golf club is on level ground with the striking face substantially upright, the first position is adjacent the heel and the second position is adjacent the toe and the second position is located higher than the first position.

6. A golf club as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fluid comprises mercury.

7. A golf club as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flowable solid comprises a plurality of spheres.

8. A golf club as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hollow passage is uniform in cross section.

9. A golf club as claimed in claim 8 wherein the hollow passage is circular or square in cross section.