Gold club with customizable alignment sighting and weighting device

• US 7,186,185 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lajos I. Nagy
• Original Assignee: Lajos I. Nagy
• Inventors: Nagy, Lajos I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US10/949,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20060068928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 473238-254, 473334-339, 473219-226
• US Class Current: 473/238
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3632 Clubs or attachments on clubs, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence; clubs for swinging exercises in general A63B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3685 Putters or attachments on putters, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence

Abstract

A customizable alignment sighting device for a golf club is mounted to an upper surface of the head of the golf club with a sighting element providing the user a visual target indicator for desired alignment of the club head with the user'"'"'s line of sight. The sighting element can be readily adjusted for the user'"'"'s preferences. When not aligned, the sighting element provides an indication of the magnitude and direction of misalignment. In one embodiment, the device is shaped as a planar disc mounted on the upper surface of the club head by leveling posts spaced around its periphery. The sighting element is a concave lens or lenticulated grid or grill superimposed on a target image. In another embodiment, the device has a 3D device body mounted in a mounting cup or socket fastened to or formed in the head of the golf club. The device body has a larger-diameter circle marked around an annular opening, and a smaller-diameter circle marked depthwise inside the opening in the device body to provide a target of concentric circles by parallax effect. The device body can be formed as a sphere with axially split sides that are expanded outward when an expansion plug is threaded in the bottom, providing an interference fit holding it in position in the mounting cup. The spherical body can be formed with 4 alignment sighting holes at 90° intervals around a vertical plane and provided with a weighting element fixed at an offset position, such that it can be rotated to use any of the different alignment holes for adjusting the weight distribution in the club head.

Claims

1. An alignment sighting device for a golf club having a shaft attached to a club head comprising:

mounting means for mounting the device to an upper surface of the head of the golf club for facing toward the eyes of the user of the club;

sighting means carried on the mounting means in an adjustable sighting position for providing the user a visual target indicator of desired alignment of the club head with the user'"'"'s line of sight to the sighting means; and

adjusting means carried on the mounting means for adjusting the sighting position of the sighting means to provide a visual indicator of desired alignment according to the user'"'"'s individual alignment factors and preferences,

wherein the device is shaped as a planar disc to be mounted on the upper surface of the head of the golf club, and

wherein the device is mounted adjustably on the upper surface of the club head by a number of leveling posts spaced peripherally around its planar disc shape.

2. An alignment sighting device according to claim 1, wherein the device also provides a visual indicator of the magnitude and direction of misalignment when not aligned with the user'"'"'s line of sight.

3. An alignment sighting device according to claim 1, wherein the device has a concave lens superimposed on a target image to provide the target indicator to the user along its sighting axis.

4. An alignment sighting device according to claim 3, wherein the outer rim of the lens is marked as an outer circle of the target indicator, and the target image seen through the lens serves an the inner circle of the target indicator.

5. An alignment sighting device according to claim 1, wherein the device has a lenticulated grid or grill superimposed on a target image to provide the target indicator to the user along its sighting axis.

6. A golf putter provided with an alignment sighting device on its head comprising:

mounting means for mounting the device to an upper surface of the putter head for facing toward the eyes of the user of the club;

sighting means carried on the mounting means in an adjustable sighting position for providing the user a visual target indicator of desired alignment of the putter head with the user'"'"'s line of sight to the sighting means; and

adjusting means carried on the mounting means for adjusting the sighting position of the sighting means to provide a visual indicator of desired alignment according to the user'"'"'s individual alignment factors and preferences,

wherein the device is shaped as a three-dimensional (3D) body having an opening leading into the device body which provides the target indicator to the user along its sighting axis,

wherein the 3D device body is seated between upper and lower horizontal flanges provided on the putter head having its opening exposed through an aperture in the upper flange, and

wherein the 3D device body is clamped with an annular collar seated over the aperture in the upper flange.

7. A golf putter provided with an alignment sighting device on its head comprising:

mounting means for mounting the device to an upper surface of the putter head for facing toward the eyes of the user of the club;

sighting means carried on the mounting means in an adjustable sighting position for providing the user a visual target indicator of desired alignment of the putter head with the user'"'"'s line of sight to the sighting means; and

adjusting means carried on the mounting means for adjusting the sighting position of the sighting means to provide a visual indicator of desired alignment according to the user'"'"'s individual alignment factors and preferences,

wherein the device is shaped as a three-dimensional (3D) body having an opening leading into the device body which provides the target indicator to the user along its sighting axis,

wherein the device is seated in a mounting cup that is fastened to lower horizontal flange provided on the putter head.

8. A golf putter provided with an alignment sighting device according to claim 7, wherein the mounting cup is fastened to the lower horizontal flange by one of the following group of fasteners:

a cup mounting flange;

a threaded end of the cup threaded into a countersunk hole in the lower horizontal flange;

a bracket.

9. A golf club having a club head provided with an alignment sighting device thereon comprising:

mounting means for mounting the device to an upper surface of the head of the golf club for facing toward the eyes of the user of the club;

sighting means carried on the mounting means in an adjustable sighting position for providing the user a visual target indicator of desired alignment of the club head with the user'"'"'s line of sight to the sighting means; and

adjusting means carried on the mounting means for adjusting the sighting position of the sighting means to provide the visual indicator of desired alignment according to the user'"'"'s individual alignment factors and preferences,

wherein the device is shaped as a three-dimensional (3D) body having an opening leading into the device body which provides the target indicator to the user along its sighting axis, and

wherein the 3D device body is mounted in a mounting cup fastened to the upper surface of the club head, and is adjusted and fixed in sighting axis position by having split sides forced apart by a threaded expansion plug for an interference fit in the mounting cup.

10. A golf club having a club head provided with an alignment sighting device comprising:

mounting means for mounting the device to an upper surface of the head of the golf club for facing toward the eyes of the user of the club;

sighting means carried on the mounting means in an adjustable sighting position for providing the user a visual target indicator of desired alignment of the club head with the user'"'"'s line of sight to the sighting means; and

adjusting means carried on the mounting means for adjusting the sighting position of the sighting means to provide the visual indicator of desired alignment according to the user'"'"'s individual alignment factors and preferences,

wherein the device is shaped as a three-dimensional (3D) body having an opening leading into the device body which provides the target indicator to the user along its sighting axis, and

wherein the 3D device body is mounted in a socket formed in the upper surface of the club head, and is adjusted and fixed in sighting axis position by having split sides forced apart by a threaded expansion plug for an interference fit in the mounting socket.

11. A golf club having a club head provided with an alignment sighting device thereon comprising:

mounting means for mounting the device to an upper surface of the head of the golf club for facing toward the eyes of the user of the club;

sighting means carried on the mounting means in an adjustable sighting position for providing the user a visual target indicator of desired alignment of the club head with the user'"'"'s line of sight to the sighting means; and

adjusting means carried on the mounting means for adjusting the sighting position of the sighting means to provide the visual indicator of desired alignment according to the user'"'"'s individual alignment factors and preferences,

wherein the device is shared as a three-dimensional (3D) body having an opening leading into the device body which provides the target indicator to the user alone its sighting axis, and

wherein the 3D device body is adapted to be mounted through an upper opening of a mounting socket formed in the club head and to be positioned near a center of gravity thereof, wherein said 3D device body has a plurality of alignment sighting holes spaced around the sphere and a weighting element fixed in the spherical body at a predetermined offset position such that it can be positioned in different weight distribution positions in the club head relative to the center gravity depending on which alignment sighting holes is are rotated to provide the sighting means exposed through the upper opening of the mounting socket.

12. A golf club having a club head provided with an alignment sighting device according to claim 11, wherein the 3D device body has 4 alignment sighting holes formed at 90°

intervals around a vertical plane with respect to a vertical axis of the club, and the weighting element is positioned between two alignment sighting holes at a position offset from the center of gravity of the club such that it can be positioned in different quadrant positions in the club head relative to the center gravity.

13. A golf club having a club head provided with an alignment sighting device according to claim 11, wherein the weight distribution positions of the weighting element include those shifting the weight distribution toward and away from the shaft of the club.

14. A golf club having a club head provided with an alignment sighting device according to claim 11, wherein the target indicator is provided by one of the following types of sighting means:

inner and outer circles;

inner and outer triangles;

inner and outer squares;

inner and outer polygons;

inner and outer stars;

inner and outer geometrical shapes.

15. A golf club having a club head provided with an alignment sighting device thereon comprising:

mounting means for mounting the device to an upper surface of the head of the golf club for facing toward the eyes of the user of the club;

sighting means carried on the mounting means in an adjustable sighting position for providing the user a visual target indicator indicating a desired alignment of the club head with the user'"'"'s line of sight to the sighting means; and

adjusting means carried on the mounting means for adjusting the sighting position of the sighting means to provide the visual indicator of a desired club head alignment according to the user'"'"'s individual alignment factors and preferences,

wherein the device is shaped as a three-dimensional (3D) body having an opening leading into the device body which provides the target indicator indicating a desired club head alignment to the user along its sighting axis, and

wherein the adjusting means is a clamp device that is released to allow the user to adjust the sigbting position of the sigbting means corresponding to a desired club head alignment and then is clamped to hold the device fixedly to the club head with the sighting means providing the user a visual target indicator of the desired club head alignment.