Golf club head and golf club

• US 7,611,424 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mizuno USA Incorporated (Mizuno Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mizuno USA Incorporated (Mizuno Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagai, Masao, Kanayama, Tetsuya, Llewellyn, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/673,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20080194354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473/256, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 473/334
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head of the wood-type, including: a body defining an interior cavity and including a ball-striking face, a sole, a crown, and a ribbon extending rearwardly from the face; an elongated groove that extends along a portion of the ribbon; a weight slidably disposed in the elongated grove; and a fastener affixed to the weight capable of selectively fixing a location of the weight.

Claims

1. A golf club head of the wood-type, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity and including a ball-striking face, a sole, a crown, and a ribbon extending rearwardly from the face;

an elongated groove that extends along a portion of the ribbon, the elongated groove defining an aperture opening to receive a stop;

one or more weights slidably disposed in the elongated groove, the one or more weights being sized and shaped to slide in the groove to enable the one or more weights to slide in the groove around the ribbon and wherein the stop is positioned in the groove to prevent the one or more weights from leaving the groove; and

a fastener affixed to the one or more weights capable of selectively fixing a location of the one or more weights, wherein the elongated groove includes a plurality of recesses disposed on an inner surface operable to receive the fastener.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a number of weights slidably disposed in the elongated groove is less that a number of recesses disposed on the inner surface of elongated groove.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the fastener is a spring bolt that extends through the weight and contacts one of the plurality of recesses disposed on the inner surface of the elongated groove.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the elongated groove has a dovetail shape and the weights have a complementary shape.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a receiving slot operable to receive the weight and insert the weight into the elongated groove, the receiving slot being located at one end of the elongated groove.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of recesses disposed in the groove and located on the groove inner surface each comprise opposing sloped walls being shaped to extend rearwardly away from each other.

7. A golf club head of the wood-type, comprising:

a body defining an interior cavity and including a ball-striking face, a sole, a crown, and a ribbon extending rearwardly from the face;

an elongated groove that extends along a lower portion of the ribbon including a plurality of recesses disposed on an inner surface of the elongated groove, wherein the groove is uninterrupted and defines an aperture to receive a stop;

a plurality of weights slidably disposed in the elongated grove, the weights being sized and shaped to slide in the groove and wherein the stop is positioned in the groove to prevent the weights from exiting the groove; and

a fastener affixed to each of the plurality of weights capable of selectively fixing a location of the weights corresponding to one of the recesses.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein a number of weights is less than a number of recesses.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the fastener is a spring bolt that extends through the weight and contacts one of the plurality of recesses disposed on the inner surface of the elongated groove.

10. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the elongated groove has a dovetail shape and the weights have a complementary shape.

11. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the aperture is located at one end of the elongated groove and is configured to receive the weights and hold the stop.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, further comprising a stop disposed in the receiving slot that prevents the weight from leaving the elongated groove.

13. In a golf club head having a body defining a ball-striking face, a sole, a crown, and a ribbon portion, an adjustable weight golf club system configured to enable a user to adjust the position of one or more weights disposed proximate the ribbon portion to adjust mass properties of the golf club, the adjustable weight golf club system comprising:

a groove generally positioned proximate a ribbon portion of a golf club and extending along at least a portion of the ribbon;

the groove comprising opposed groove walls and a groove inner surface, the groove walls configured to extend from the groove inner surface to define a groove opening;

a plurality of recesses disposed in the groove and located on the groove inner surface, each of the recesses comprising opposing sloped walls being shaped to extend rearwardly away from each other; and

at least one weight configured for placement within the groove and configured to be slidably disposed within the groove, the at least one weight further configured to be releasably lockable with the plurality of recesses so that the at least one weight can be moved along the groove and selectively affixed at a predetermined one of the recesses.

14. The adjustable weight golf club system of claim 13, the plurality of recesses each comprising a middle section disposed generally between the opposing sloped walls, wherein the opposing sloped walls are configured to position the at least one weight to a predetermined position in the elongated groove.

15. The adjustable weight golf club system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of recesses are spaced evenly along the groove inner surface and configured to position the at least one weight at a predetermined position in the elongated groove.

16. The adjustable weight golf club system of claim 13, further comprising a curved groove track positioned between the groove inner surface and one of the groove walls, the curved groove track configured to receive a corresponding curved portion of the at least one weight.

17. The adjustable weight golf club system of claim 13, the opposed groove walls further configured to extend toward each other to define a groove cavity opening, the groove cavity opening extending substantially along the length of the groove.

18. The adjustable weight golf club system of claim 17, wherein the at least one weight has a top surface and configured to be situated to fit within the groove to allow the top surface of the weight to be below a plane defined by the groove cavity opening.

19. The adjustable weight golf club system of claim 13, wherein the at least one weight is sized and shaped to have a complimentary cross section as the dovetail-shaped groove, the at least one weight having opposed ends extending toward the opposed groove walls to snugly fit within the groove.

20. The adjustable weight golf club system of claim 13, further comprising a weight entry slot configured to allow for entry of the at least one weight into the groove.