Golf club

• US 7,887,431 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Wright, Ian C., Sargent, Nathan T., Johnson, Matthew D., Greaney, Mark V., Harper, Kevin R., Willett, Kraig A., Zimmerman, Gery M., Beach, Todd P.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US12/346,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20090286618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 473/307, 473/309, 473/288, 473/314, 473/315, 473/296, 473/298, 473/299
• US Class Current: 473/307
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• 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 53/08 with special arrangements for obtaining a variable impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club comprises a shaft, a club head, and a connection assembly that allows the shaft to be easily disconnected from the club head. In particular embodiments, the connection assembly includes a removable hosel sleeve that allows a shaft to be supported a desired predetermined orientation relative to the club head. In this manner, the shaft loft and/or lie angle of the club can be adjusted without resorting to traditional bending of the shaft. In another embodiment, the club head has an adjustable sole that can be adjusted upwardly and downwardly relative to the strike face of the club head, which is effective to adjust the face angle of the club head.

Claims

1. A golf club assembly comprising:

a shaft having a lower end portion;

a club head having a hosel defining a hosel opening and an upper bearing surface, the club head also having a sole defining an opening that is in communication with the hosel opening and an internal bearing surface;

a hosel insert mounted in the hosel opening and having internal splines on an inner surface thereof;

a screw having a head defining a bearing surface adapted to engage the internal bearing surface of the club head;

a sleeve mounted on the lower end portion of the shaft and adapted to be inserted into the hosel opening, the sleeve having an upper portion defining a thrust surface adapted to engage the bearing surface of the hosel, a threaded lower opening for receiving the screw, and a lower portion having eight longitudinally extending external splines protruding from an external surface thereof, the external splines having a configuration complementary to the splines on the inner surface of the hosel insert;

wherein the external splines are located below a lower end of the shaft, the external splines having a height between about 0.5 mm to about 1.0 mm and a width between about 1.0 mm to about 2.0 mm; and

wherein the shaft can be secured to the club head by inserting the sleeve into the hosel opening so that the external splines on the sleeve engage the internal splines on the hosel insert and inserting the screw through the opening in the sole and into the threaded opening of the sleeve, and then tightening the screw so that the bearing surface of the screw head engages the internal bearing surface of the club head.

2. The golf club assembly of claim 1, wherein the external surface of the sleeve lower portion and the inner surface of the hosel insert have a surface roughness that is greater than a surface roughness of an external surface of the sleeve upper portion.

3. The golf club assembly of claim 1, wherein the sleeve, the shaft, and the screw have a combined axial stiffness from the thrust surface to the bearing surface of the screw head of less than 1.12×

10^8 N/m.