Golf club head and golf clubs

• US 8,016,694 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2009
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• 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:
  US12/610,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20110009209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 681 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473/256, D21/733, D21/752, D21/759
• US Class Current: 473/334
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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. Other aspects, features, and embodiments are also claimed and described.

Claims

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

a body comprising a ball-striking face, a sole, a crown, and a u-shaped ribbon disposed on the sole and extending rearwardly from the face;

a u-shaped elongated groove that extends along a portion of the ribbon, the elongated groove defining a series of continuous recesses disposed on an inner surface of the elongated groove, the elongated groove comprising a series of connected portions defining a multi-dimensional track;

one or more weights slidably disposed in the elongated groove and configured to slidably engage the multi-dimensional track so the one or more weights are slidably retained in the groove and slide about the multi-dimensional track and engage one of the recesses.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a fastener affixed to the one or more weights capable of selectively fixing a location of the weights, wherein the series of recesses disposed on the inner surface are operable to receive the fastener.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, the series of connected portions defining the multi-dimensional track comprising two opposing, spaced apart portions extending away from each other toward the ball-striking face.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, the series of connected portions defining the multi-dimensional track comprising a middle portion that connects the two opposing, spaced apart portions to form a continuous elongated groove.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the multi-dimensional track is configured so that the one or more weights disposed in the track can be moved in a first dimension between the ball-striking face and a back portion of the club and in a second dimension between a toe portion and a heel portion of the club.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, the series of continuous recesses comprising surfaces to receive a fastener associated with the one or more weights, wherein the surfaces are equally spaced apart along the recess.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the elongated groove has a dovetail shape and the one or more weights have a complementary shape enabling the elongated groove to hold the one or more weights in the groove.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a receiving slot operable to receive the one or more weights and insert the one or more weights into the elongated groove, the receiving slot being located at a location along the elongated groove that is proximate a heel portion of the club.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, further comprising a removable stop disposed in the receiving slot that prevents the one or more weights from leaving the elongated groove.

10. 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 general v-shape ribbon disposed on the sole and to the rear of the ball-striking face;

an elongated u-shaped groove disposed on a portion of the ribbon, the elongated groove including a plurality of continuous recesses disposed on an inner surface of the elongated groove, the elongated groove comprising extension portions having ends that extend away from each other toward the ball-striking face and are separated by the sole; and

the elongated groove configured to carry one or more weights in slidable arrangement so that the one or more weights can be disposed and slidably retained in the elongated groove and to receive the one or more weights in a unique one of the continuous recesses so that placement of the one or more weights along the groove enables adjustment of mass properties of the club.

11. The golf club of claim 10, further comprising a fastener affixed to each of the one or more of weights, the fastener comprising an end portion configured to be received into the continuous recesses such that a location of the weights can be fixed along the elongated groove.

12. The golf club of claim 10, the elongated groove comprising a joining section to join the extension portions, the joining section disposed at a location away from the ball-striking face and near a heel section of the golf club.

13. The golf club of claim 10, the elongated groove being configured as a multi-dimensional track configured to allow placement of the weights in a first dimension between the ball-striking face of the club and a back portion of the club and in a second dimension between a heel portion and a toe portion of the club.

14. The golf club of claim 10, the plurality of continuous recesses being spaced evenly along the elongated groove at discrete locations and comprise opposing wall surfaces enabling placement of the one or more weights at the discrete locations.

15. The golf club of claim 10, the plurality of continuous recesses being positioned at discrete locations in the groove and configured to receive fasteners associated with the one or more weights such that placement of the one or more weights remains constant when fastened in the plurality of recesses.

16. The golf club of claim 10, wherein the elongated groove and the one or more weights are configured with corresponding shapes so that the elongated groove can carry the one or more weights and the one or more weights can slidably traverse corner portions of the elongated groove.

17. 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 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:

one or more weights;

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; and

the groove configured to carry the at least one weight adapted for lockable engagement with a unique one of the plurality of recesses so that a user can lockably position the at least one weight along the groove to adjust mass properties of the golf club.

18. The adjustable weight golf system of claim 17, the groove being configured as a multidimensional track so that the at least one weight in the track can be positioned at a location along a first dimension between ball-striking face and back portions of the golf club and along a second dimension between hell and toe portions of the golf club.

19. The adjustable weight golf club system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of recesses are spaced evenly along the groove and configured to position the at least one weight at a predetermined position in the elongated groove.

20. The adjustable weight golf club system of claim 17, wherein the at least one weight is sized and shaped to have a complimentary cross section as the groove, the at least one weight having opposed ends extending toward the opposed groove walls to snugly fit within the groove.