Golf club with plural alternative impact surfaces

• US 7,993,211 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2010
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illir Bardha
• Original Assignee: Illir Bardha
• Inventors: Bardha, Illir
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US12/685,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20100113177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 473244-248, 473/288, 473/251, 473/313, 473/314, 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/251
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/022 allowing adjustable positioning of the head with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/026 loft angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/028 with a range of alternative attachment points for the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/065 for putters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club having a shaft and an elongated head projecting at a lie angle relative to the shaft, the head having the shape of a regular polygon in a cross section at right angles to the central axis of the head, with each face being formed of a material that provides a different ball rebound factor, the head section being rotatable about the central axis so that any one of the faces may be presented for use with the club.

Claims

1. In a golf club having an elongated shaft and a head having a central axis, the head being connected to the shaft so that the central axis of the head intersects and extends at an angle to said shaft so that the shaft and the central axis of the head lie in a common plane, the improvement comprising:

the head comprising a heel section fixed to one end of the shaft and an adjustable section, rotatable supported relative to the heel section, having a plurality of planar faces extending in planes parallel to the central axis, the adjustable section being rotatable about its central axis to any one of a plurality of orientations, so that in each rotational position one of the planar faces is disposed in a ball-impacting position relative to the shaft, at least certain of the planar faces having different rebound factors when impacting a ball.

2. The golf club of claim 1 in which the angle between the central axis of the head and the shaft is a near right angle.

3. The golf club of claim 1 wherein at least certain of the planar faces of the adjustable section of the head comprise a recess adapted to receive an insert formed of a different material than the head.

4. The golf club of claim 1, further comprising a two part separable fastener having one part formed on the heel and the other part formed on the adjustable section of the head, the fastener adopted to allow the adjustable section to be connected to the heel at one of a plurality of rotational positions of the adjustable section relative to the central axis.

5. The golf club of claim 1 wherein the separable fastener comprises complementary sections that may be positioned in abutment to one another to fix the adjustable section in a chosen rotational position or may be separated from one another to allow rotation of the adjustable section relative to the heel.

6. The golf club of claim 5 wherein the adjustable section comprises a hole formed through its central axis and the separable fastener element extends through the hole.

7. The golf club of claim 6 wherein the rotational fastener element comprises a bolt having a slotted head in one end and a male angle engagement section formed at the other end.

8. The golf club of claim 7 further comprising a compression spring supported on the bolt, adjacent the bolt head, so that when the bolt is rotated so as to bring the blade and the heel into abutment, the spring is compressed.

9. The golf club of claim 8 wherein the heel has a hole formed with a female angle engagement section adapted to receive the male angled engagement section formed at one end of the bolt.

10. The golf club of claim 9 further comprising an elongated weighting element having a central hole adapted to be inserted into the hole formed through the central axis of the blade so the rotational fastener element may be passed through the central hole of the weighting element, whereby weighting elements of different weights may be selectably disposed within the adjustable section.

11. The golf putter of claim 1 wherein the adjustable section further comprises a toe portion symmetrical about said central axis.

12. In a golf club having an elongated shaft and a head having a central axis, the head being connected to the shaft so that the central axis of the head intersects and extends at an angle to said shaft, the improvement comprising:

the head comprising a heel section fixed relative to the shaft and an adjustable section, rotatably supported relative to the shaft and heel section, which is square in cross section in a plane normal to the central axis, with four planar faces, the adjustable section being rotatable about its central axis to any one of four orientations, so that in each rotational position one of the planar faces of the square is disposed in a ball-impacting position relative to the shaft, at least certain of the planar faces having different rebound factors when impacting a ball.