Golf club head with repositionable weight

• US 7,775,905 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Hoffman, Joseph H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter; Alvin A
• Application Number:
  US11/613,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20080146370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473/256
• US Class Current: 473/334
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• 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 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4984 Retaining clearance for motion between assembled parts

Abstract

A golf club head comprises a body, a track formed in or attached to the body and having a length and a weight and weight retainer. The weight is continuously repositionable such that it can be positioned at any selected point along the track between its ends. The weight has a major dimension, and the weight retainer comprises a fastening member having a diameter not greater than about one half of the major dimension of the weight.

Claims

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

a body;

a track formed in or attached to the body and having a length;

a weight being adjustable to any selected point along the track between its ends, wherein the weight has a major dimension; and

an axially captured fastening member for retaining the weight, the fastening member having a diameter not greater than about one half of the major dimension of the weight and an exposed end portion configured to be driven by a tool, wherein the weight comprises a bore configured to threadedly receive the fastening member, wherein the track is a channel having two spaced apart channel walls and a bottom formed by an outer surface of the body of the wood-type golf club head, and the channel walls have an inverted “

J”

cross section defining hooked ends.

2. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the channel walls are formed integrally with the body.

3. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight is dimensioned to be slidably movable within the track.

4. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the fastening member is configured to extend through the bore in the weight and to tighten against an inner side of the channel, thereby urging the weight outwardly against an outer side of the channel.

5. The wood-type golf club of claim 1, further comprising:

a retainer plate with a threaded bore dimensioned to receive the fastening member, and wherein the weight is positioned against an inner side of the channel, the retainer plate is positioned within and against the outer side of the channel and the fastening member is tightened to press the retainer plate outward against the channel and to press the weight inwardly against the inner side of the channel.

6. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the track extends along a curved path on a ribbon portion of the body.

7. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight is generally plate-shaped.

8. A wood-type golf club head, comprising:

a thin walled body having a crown portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, and a sole portion;

a track formed in or attached to the body and having a length;

a weight and coaxial weight retainer, wherein the weight retainer comprises an axially captured fastening member having an externally threaded body and a retainer plate with a bore dimensioned to threadedly receive the fastening member;

wherein the weight and the retainer plate are configured to exert at least two retaining forces at a selected position along the track in generally opposing directions, with one of the two forces being exerted in a direction toward the head and the other of the two forces being exerted in a direction away from the head, wherein the track comprises a channel, and wherein the retainer plate exerts a retaining force in a direction away from the head on an outer side of the channel and the fastening member exerts a retaining force on the weight in a direction toward the head.

9. The wood-type golf club head of claim 8, wherein the track is positioned generally in an aft portion of the club head.

10. The wood-type golf club head of claim 8, wherein the body comprises a ribbon portion and wherein the track is positioned generally within the ribbon portion.

11. The wood-type golf club head of claim 8, wherein a position of the weight within the channel is continuously adjustable.

12. A wood-type golf club head, comprising:

a thin walled body having crown portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a sole portion and a ribbon portion extending between the crown portion and the sole portion;

a track extending along a curved path and formed integrally with the thin walled body, the track is a channel having two spaced apart channel walls and a bottom wall formed by an outer surface of the thin walled body, the channel walls having an inverted “

J”

cross section defining hooked ends;

a weight disposed in the track and having a top weight surface and a bottom weight surface, the bottom weight surface being adjacent to the bottom wall of the channel and the top surface being adjacent to the hooked ends of the channel walls, the weight being slidably positionable along the track and having a threaded bore, the weight being continuously adjustable to any selected point along the track between its ends; and

an axially captured fastening member having an externally threaded body disposed in the threaded bore, wherein the fastening member is configured to secure the weight at a position along the track and is configured to extend through the bore in the weight to engage against a bottom wall of the channel and to exert a retaining force in a direction toward the bottom wall of the channel, thereby urging the weight outwardly in an direction away from the bottom wall of the channel against the hooked ends of the channel, wherein the hooked ends of the channel engage the top weight surface of the weight in a peripheral region of the top weight surface.

13. The wood-type golf club head of claim 12, wherein the track is formed in the sole portion of the thin walled body.

14. The wood-type golf club head of claim 12, wherein the track is formed in the ribbon portion of the thin walled body.

15. The wood-type golf club head of claim 12, wherein the fastening member further includes a head to receive a tool.

16. The wood-type golf club head of claim 15, wherein the head comprises a hex head.

17. The wood-type golf club head of claim 12, wherein the weight is spaced away from the bottom wall of the channel upon the fastening member engaging the bottom wall of the channel.

18. The wood-type golf club head of claim 12, wherein the weight is entirely contained within the channel.

19. The wood-type golf club head of claim 12, wherein the outer side of the channel includes an engaging surface that engages the top weight surface, the weight being entirely disposed within a cavity defined by the channel walls, the bottom wall, and the engaging surface of the outer side of the channel.

20. The wood-type golf club head of claim 19, wherein the engaging surface of the outer side of the channel is substantially parallel to the top weight surface.

21. A wood-type golf club head, comprising:

a thin walled body having crown portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a sole portion and a ribbon portion extending between the crown portion and the sole portion;

a track formed in or attached to the body and having a length, the track having a channel shaped track opening;

a weight being adjustable to any selected point along the track between its ends, wherein the weight has a major dimension; and

an axially captured fastening member for retaining the weight, the fastening member having a diameter not greater than about one half of the major dimension of the weight and an exposed end portion configured to be driven by a tool, wherein the weight comprises a bore configured to threadedly receive the fastening member, wherein the weight is dimensioned to fit over the track and the weight comprises a pair of opposing legs and an opening defined between the legs, and wherein the opening is dimensioned to receive the track when the weight is positioned over the track with the leg portions straddling opposite sides of the track and bearing against the body at points outside of the track upon tightening of the fastening member, wherein the axially captured fastening member comprises a head end disposed in the weight bore and an opposite end dimensioned larger than the weight bore and disposed in the track opening, and wherein, with the opposite end of the fastening member received in the track opening and the head end threadedly received in the bore of the weight, the head end can be tightened to press the weight toward the body and to press the opposite end toward an outer side of the track.

22. The wood-type golf club of claim 21, wherein the weight retainer further comprises a washer positioned between the opposite end of the fastening member and the track, wherein the washer facilitates rotation of the opposite end relative to the track when the fastening member is rotated.

23. The wood-type golf club of claim 21, wherein the track comprises a rib formed on the exterior of the body and having a generally T-shaped cross-section and a coupling member for coupling the rib to an opposite end portion of the fastening member opposite the exposed end portion.

24. The wood-type golf club head of claim 23, wherein the coupling member comprises a C-shaped coupler.

25. The wood-type golf club head of claim 23, wherein the opposite end portion is dimensioned to slide within the track but larger than a track opening of the track.