Golf club head having removable weight

• US 7,410,426 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• 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:
  US11/647,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20070142121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473/290, 473/291, 473/519, 473/297, 411/280, 411/534, 411/368, 411/369, 411/934
• 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 rearwurdly 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 farther includes a weight assembly having fastener end 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 removable weight assembly for a golf club head, the weight assembly comprising;

a mass element;

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, and the fastener body extends through the first aperture such that the fastener head is retained in the cavity.

2. The removable weight assembly of claim 1, wherein the fastener body is adapted to be removably engaged with a portion of a golf club head.

3. The removable weight assembly of claim 1, wherein the first second diameter is adapted to provide tool access to the fastener head.

4. The removable weight assembly of claim 1, wherein a cross sectional shape of the mass element is triangular, hexagonal, oval, or rectangular.

5. The removable weight assembly of claim 1, wherein the mass element has a uniform density.

6. The removable weight assembly of claim 1, wherein the mass element has a non-uniform density.

7. The removable weight assembly of claim 1, further comprising a low friction element disposed between the fastener head and the mass element.

8. A removable weight assembly for a golf club head, the weight assembly comprising;

a mass element;

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, and the second diameter is greater than the first and third diameters; and

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

9. The removable weight assembly of claim 8, wherein the fastener body is adapted to be removably engaged with a portion of a golf club head.

10. The removable weight assembly of claim 8, 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.

11. The removable weight assembly of claim 10, wherein the retaining element includes a fifth aperture having a fifth diameter greater than the fastener head third diameter, wherein the fifth diameter is adapted to receive the fastener head when the retaining element is coupled to the mass element.

12. The removable weight assembly of claim 8, wherein a cross sectional shape of the mass element is triangular, hexagonal, oval, or rectangular.

13. The removable weight assembly of claim 8, wherein the mass element has a uniform density.

14. The removable weight assembly of claim 8, wherein the mass element has a non-uniform density.

15. The removable weight assembly of claim 8, further comprising a low friction element disposed between the fastener head and the retaining element.

16. The removable weight assembly of claim 8, wherein the retaining element is adapted to be threadably engaged with the weight assembly.