Golf club head having removable weight

• US 7,410,425 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Willett, Kraig A., Hoffman, Joseph H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/647,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20070173347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473290-291, 473345-346, 473/349, 473/297, 473/519
• US Class Current: 473/334
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

The invention provides a golf club head having adjustable weight, allowing the golfer to fine tune the club for his or her swing. The club head includes a body having a ball-striking face, a sole, a crown, and a side extending rearwardly from the face. The body defines an interior cavity and a recess on a selected wall of the body spaced apart from the striking face. A threaded opening is disposed in the recess. The club head further includes a weight assembly having fastener and a mass element configured to be press-fit into the recess the such that a first end is adjacent the bottom of the recess. The mass element also has an aperture configured to receive the fastener flush. The fastener removably attaches the weighting assembly to the selected wall of the club head. Pressure from the fastener attachment provides a press-fit of the mass element in the tapered recess of the selected wall.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a head body having at least one recess formed therein, wherein the recess is at least partially delineated by a first recess wall and a recess bottom;

an opening formed in the recess bottom;

a mass element disposed in the recess;

a first aperture having a first diameter formed in the mass element;

a second aperture having a second diameter formed in the mass element;

a cavity formed in the mass element and extending between the first and second apertures, the cavity having a maximum diameter greater than the first and second diameters; and

a fastener having a fastener head and a fastener body, the fastener head having a third diameter greater than the first and second diameters and less than the cavity maximum diameter, wherein the fastener head is disposed in the cavity, the fastener body extends through the first aperture such that the fastener head is retained in the cavity, and the fastener body and the opening in the recess bottom are adapted to be removably engaged.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a portion of the recess widens towards an outer surface of the head body, and wherein a portion of the mass element widens towards an outer surface of the head body.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the second diameter is adapted to provide tool access to the fastener head.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the opening in the recess bottom and the fastener body are threadably engaged.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the opening in the recess bottom has a depth at least 1.5 times a diameter of the fastener body.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a boss formed in the recess bottom, wherein the opening in the recess bottom is formed in the boss.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the boss extends towards an outer surface of the body.

8. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the boss extends away from an outer surface of the body.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a cross sectional shape of the mass element is triangular, hexagonal, oval, or rectangular.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the mass element has a uniform density.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the mass element has a non-uniform density.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one recess is disposed on a sole, top wall, side wall, heel portion, or toe portion of the head body.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a portion of the recess and a portion of the mass element are coupled by means of a press fit.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the cavity is adapted such that the fastener may be rotated with respect to the mass element.

15. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the mass element is comprised of a first material having a first density, the head body is comprised of a second material having a second density, and the first density is different from the second density.

16. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a low friction element disposed between the fastener head and the retaining element.

17. A golf club head comprising:

a head body having at least one recess formed therein, wherein the recess is at least partially delineated by a first recess wall and a recess bottom;

an opening formed in the recess bottom;

a mass element disposed in the recess;

a first aperture having a first diameter formed in the mass element;

a second aperture having a second diameter formed in the mass element;

a cavity formed in the mass element and extending between the first and second apertures;

a fastener having a fastener head and a fastener body, the fastener head having a third diameter, wherein the fastener head is disposed in the cavity through the second aperture, the fastener body extends through the first aperture, the second diameter is greater than the first and third diameters, and the fastener body and the opening in the recess bottom are adapted to be removably engaged; and

a retaining element coupled to the mass element at the second aperture to retain the fastener head in the cavity.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the mass element and the retaining element are threadably engaged.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein an outer diameter of the retaining element is threadably engaged with an inner diameter of the mass element.

20. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the retaining element includes a fourth aperture to provide tool access to the fastener head, the fourth aperture having a fourth diameter less than the third diameter.

21. The golf club head of claim 20, wherein the retaining element includes a fifth aperture having a fifth diameter greater than the third diameter, wherein the fifth aperture is adapted to receive the fastener head when the retaining element is coupled to the mass element.

22. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein a portion of the recess widens towards an outer surface of the head body, and wherein a portion of the mass element widens towards an outer surface of the body.

23. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the opening in the recess bottom and the fastener body are threadably engaged.

24. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the opening in the recess bottom has a depth at least 1.5 times a diameter of the fastener body.

25. The golf club head of claim 17, further comprising a boss formed in the recess bottom, wherein the opening in the recess bottom is formed in the boss.

26. The golf club head of claim 25, wherein the boss extends towards an outer surface of the body.

27. The golf club head of claim 25, wherein the boss extends away from an outer surface of the body.

28. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein a cross sectional shape of the mass element is triangular, hexagonal, oval, or rectangular.

29. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the mass element has a uniform density.

30. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the mass element has a non-uniform density.

31. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the at least one recess is disposed on a sole, top wall, side wall, heel portion, or toe portion of the body.

32. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the a portion of the recess and a portion of the mass element are coupled by means of a press fit.

33. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the mass element and the retaining element are adapted such that the fastener may be rotated with respect to the mass element.

34. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the mass element is comprised of a first material having a first density, the head body is comprised of a second material having a second density, and the first density is different from the second density.

35. The golf club head of claim 17, further comprising a low friction element disposed between the fastener head and the retaining element.