Weight element for a golf club

• US 8,033,930 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Tavares, Gary G., Rauchholz, William F., Boyd, Robert, Stites, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/175,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20100016098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/339
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• 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 29/49947 by applying separate fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49963 Threaded fastener

Abstract

Wood-type golf club heads (e.g. drivers, fairway woods, wood-type hybrid clubs, or the like) include: (a) a ball striking face; (b) a club head body engaged or integrally formed with the ball striking face, wherein the club head body includes a crown portion, the crown portion including a fixed portion proximal to the ball striking face, and a removable weight portion, which is configured to be coupled with the fixed portion on a side of the crown potion away from the ball striking face. The club head body may further include an interior portion with a frame member defined therein. The crown weight may further include a weight member attached to the frame member, the weight member including at least one receptacle defined therein. The removable weight portion may further include at least one weight insert supported within the weight member in the at least one receptacle.

Claims

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

a ball striking face;

a club head body engaged or integrally formed with the ball striking face, wherein the club head body includes a crown portion, the crown portion including a fixed portion proximal to the ball striking face, and a removable weight portion, which is configured to be coupled with the fixed portion on a side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face, wherein the club head body further includes an interior portion with a frame member defined therein.

2. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the removable weight portion is configured to be mounted in abutting contact with the fixed portion on the side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face.

3. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the club head body is metal.

4. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the removable weight portion is attached to the frame member.

5. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the removable weight portion is attached to the frame member using at least one mechanical connector.

6. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 5, wherein the at least one mechanical connector is inserted into the top of the golf club body.

7. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 5, wherein the at least one mechanical connector is inserted into the bottom of the golf club body.

8. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the removable weight portion comprises:

a weight member having at least one receptacle defined therein, and

at least one weight insert supported in the at least one receptacle of the weight member.

9. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the crown portion is made from a material selected from the group consisting of:

a polymeric material, a composite material, a fiber-reinforced composite material, a light-weight metal material.

10. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the removable weight portion includes a weight support member made from a material selected from the group consisting of:

a polymeric material, a composite material, a fiber-reinforced composite material, a light-weight metal material.

11. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the club head body constitutes a driver body.

12. A wood-type golf club, comprising:

a club head including a ball striking face and a club head body engaged or integrally formed with the ball striking face, wherein the club head body includes a crown portion, the crown portion including a fixed portion proximal to the ball striking face, and a removable weight portion, which is configured to be coupled with the fixed portion on a side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face, wherein the club head further includes an interior portion with a frame member defined therein; and

a shaft member engaged with the club head.

13. A wood-type golf club according to claim 12, wherein the removable weight portion is configured to be mounted in abutting contact with the fixed portion on the side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face.

14. A wood-type golf club according to claim 12, wherein the removable weight portion is attached to the frame member.

15. A wood-type golf club according to claim 12, wherein the removable weight portion comprises:

a weight member having at least one receptacle defined therein, and

at least one weight insert supported in the at least one receptacle of the weight member.

16. A method of producing a wood-type golf club head, comprising:

providing a club head including a ball striking face and a club head body engaged or integrally formed with the ball striking face, wherein the club head body includes a crown portion, the crown portion including a fixed portion proximal to the ball striking face, and a removable weight portion, which is configured to be coupled with the fixed portion on a side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face, wherein the club head body further includes an interior portion with a frame member defined therein; and

attaching the removable weight portion to the club head on the side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face.

17. A method of producing a wood-type golf club head according to claim 16, wherein the removable weight portion is configured to be mounted in abutting contact with the fixed portion on the side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face.

18. A method of producing a wood-type golf club head according to claim 16, wherein the removable weight portion is attached to the frame member.

19. A method of producing a wood-type golf club head according to claim 16, wherein the removable weight portion comprises:

a weight member having at least one receptacle defined therein, and

at least one weight insert supported in the at least one receptacle of the weight member.

20. A method of producing a wood-type golf club, comprising:

providing a club head including a ball striking face and a club head body engaged or integrally formed with the ball striking face, wherein the club head body includes crown portion, the crown portion including a fixed portion proximal to the ball striking face, and a removable weight portion, which is configured to be coupled with the fixed portion on a side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face, wherein the club head body further includes an interior portion with a frame member defined therein; and

attaching the removable weight portion to the club head on the side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face; and

engaging a shaft member with the club head body.

21. A method of producing a wood-type golf club according to claim 20, wherein the removable weight portion is configured to be mounted in abutting contact with the fixed portion on the side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face.

22. A method of producing a wood-type golf club according to claim 20, wherein the removable weight portion is attached to the frame member.

23. A method of producing a wood-type golf club according to claim 20, wherein the removable weight portion comprises:

a weight member having at least one receptacle defined therein, and

at least one weight insert supported in the at least one receptacle of the weight member.

24. A removable weight for use with a wood-type golf club head and as part of a crown portion of a club head body, wherein the wood-type golf club head includes a ball striking face, wherein the crown portion includes a fixed portion proximal to the ball striking face, the removable weight comprising:

a weight member configured to be coupled with the fixed portion on the side of a crown portion away from the ball striking face; and

at least one receiving hole located on the removable weight, for receiving at least one mechanical connector for attaching the removable weight to the golf club head.

25. A removable weight according to claim 24, wherein the weight member is configured to be mounted in abutting contact with the fixed portion on the side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face.

26. The removable weight according to claim 24, wherein the removable weight is attached to the golf club head by inserting the at least one mechanical connecter into the top of the golf club body.

27. The removable weight according to claim 24, wherein the removable weight is attached to the golf club head by inserting the at least one mechanical connecter into the bottom of the golf club body.

28. The removable weight according to claim 24, wherein the weight member has at least one receptacle defined therein.

29. The removable weight according to claim 28, wherein the removable weight further comprises at least one weight insert supported in the at least one receptacle of the weight member.

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

a ball striking face;

a club head body engaged or integrally formed with the ball striking face, wherein the club head body includes a crown portion, the crown portion including a fixed portion proximal to the ball striking face, and a removable weight portion, which is configured to be coupled with the fixed portion on a side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face, wherein the removable weight portion comprises a weight member having at least one receptacle defined therein, and at least one weight insert supported in the at least one receptacle of the weight member, and further wherein the club head body includes an interior portion with a frame member defined therein.

31. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 30, wherein the removable weight portion is configured to be mounted in abutting contact with the fixed portion on the side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face.

32. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 30, wherein the removable weight portion is attached to the frame member.

33. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 30, wherein the removable weight portion is attached to the frame member using at least one mechanical connector.

34. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 33, wherein the at least one mechanical connector is inserted into the top of the golf club body.

35. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 33, wherein the at least one mechanical connector is inserted into the bottom of the golf club body.

36. A wood-type golf club head according to claim 30, wherein the club head body constitutes a driver body.

37. A wood-type golf club, comprising:

a club head including a ball striking face and a club head body engaged or integrally formed with the ball striking face, wherein the club head body includes a crown portion, the crown portion including a fixed portion proximal to the ball striking face, and a removable weight portion, which is configured to be coupled with the fixed portion on a side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face, wherein the removable weight portion comprises a weight member having at least one receptacle defined therein, and at least one weight insert supported in the at least one receptacle of the weight member, and further wherein the club head body includes an interior portion with a frame member defined therein; and

a shaft member engaged with the club head.

38. A wood-type golf club according to claim 37, wherein the removable weight portion is configured to be mounted in abutting contact with the fixed portion on the side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face.

39. A wood-type golf club according to claim 37, wherein the removable weight portion is attached to the frame member.

40. A method of producing a wood-type golf club head, comprising:

providing a club head including a ball striking face and a club head body engaged or integrally formed with the ball striking face, wherein the club head body includes a crown portion, the crown portion including a fixed portion proximal to the ball striking face, and a removable weight portion, which is configured to be coupled with the fixed portion on a side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face, wherein the removable weight portion comprises a weight member having at least one receptacle defined therein, and at least one weight insert supported in the at least one receptacle of the weight member, and further wherein the club head body includes an interior portion with a frame member defined therein; and

attaching the removable weight portion to the club head on the side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face.

41. A method of producing a wood-type golf club head according to claim 40, wherein the removable weight portion is configured to be mounted in abutting contact with the fixed portion on the side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face.

42. A method of producing a wood-type golf club head according to claim 40, wherein the removable weight portion is attached to the frame member.

43. A method of producing a wood-type golf club, comprising:

providing a club head including a ball striking face and a club head body engaged or integrally formed with the ball striking face, wherein the club head body includes crown portion, the crown portion including a fixed portion proximal to the ball striking face, and a removable weight portion, which is configured to be coupled with the fixed portion on a side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face, wherein the removable weight portion comprises a weight member having at least one receptacle defined therein, and at least one weight insert supported in the at least one receptacle of the weight member, and further wherein the club head body includes an interior portion with a frame member defined therein; and

attaching the removable weight portion to the club head on the side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face; and

engaging a shaft member with the club head body.

44. A method of producing a wood-type golf club according to claim 43, wherein the removable weight portion is configured to be mounted in abutting contact with the fixed portion on the side of the crown portion away from the ball striking face.

45. A method of producing a wood-type golf club according to claim 43, wherein the removable weight portion is attached to the frame member.