Golf club head and removable weight

• US 8,192,302 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Knutson, Scott A., Bezilla, Stephanie, Bennett, Thomas Orrin, Murphy, Stephen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/337,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20090298612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 411/414, 411/424, 411/531, 411/539, 411/544, 411/543, 411/545, 411/534
• US Class Current: 473/335
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0495 moving on impact, slidable, spring or otherwise elastically biased
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club head and a removable weight that is received in a receptacle of the golf club head. The weight includes a cap and a slug. The cap is removably coupled to the receptacle and includes a recess that receives a portion of the slug so that the cap and slug are able to rotate relative to each other. The slug includes an anti-rotation feature that prevents relative rotation between the slug and the receptacle and a curved abutment surface.

Claims

1. A removable weight for a golf club head including a receptacle, comprising:

a cap including a base, a sidewall that extends from the base to define a recess, and a tool engagement feature included in base, wherein the side wall includes an outer surface that is removably coupled to the receptacle; and

a slug including a retention portion and an extension portion, wherein at least a portion of the retention portion is disposed in the recess and the retention portion includes a curved abutment end surface that abuts an adjacent surface of the base when the weight is installed in the receptacle of the club head, and wherein a portion of the slug extends from the recess.

2. The weight of claim 1, further comprising a retainer extending radially inward from the sidewall toward the retention portion.

3. The weight of claim 2, wherein the retention portion of the slug includes a circumferential channel and a portion of the retainer is disposed in the circumferential channel.

4. The weight of claim 2, wherein the sidewall of the cap includes a circumferential channel extending into the sidewall from the recess and a portion of the retainer is disposed in the circumferential channel.

5. The weight of claim 2, wherein the retainer is a spring clip.

6. The weight of claim 2, wherein the retainer is a deformable ring.

7. The weight of claim 1, wherein the curved abutment surface is parabolic.

8. The weight of claim 1, wherein the curved abutment surface is spherical.

9. The weight of claim 8, wherein the recess includes a spherical portion that receives the curved abutment surface.

10. The weight of claim 1, wherein base includes a planar surface that forms a surface of the recess and the planar surface abuts the curved abutment surface.

11. A golf club head, comprising:

a body including a receptacle, wherein the receptacle includes a cap portion and a seat portion and wherein the cap portion is disposed proximate an outer surface of the body and the seat portion is spaced from the outer surface of the body; and

a weight comprising a cap and a slug, wherein the cap includes a base and a sidewall that extends from the base to define a recess, and the cap is removably coupled to the cap portion of the receptacle, wherein the slug includes a retention portion and an extension portion, and at least a portion of the retention portion is disposed in the recess and the retention portion includes a curved abutment end surface that abuts an adjacent surface of the base when the weight is installed in the receptacle, and wherein a portion of the slug extends from the recess.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, further comprising a retainer extending radially inward from the sidewall toward the retention portion.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the retention portion of the slug includes a circumferential channel and a portion of the retainer is disposed in the circumferential channel.

14. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the sidewall of the cap includes a circumferential channel extending into the sidewall from the recess and a portion of the retainer is disposed in the circumferential channel.

15. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the retainer is a spring clip.

16. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the curved abutment surface is parabolic.

17. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the curved abutment surface is spherical.

18. The golf club head of claim 17, wherein the recess includes a spherical portion that receives the curved abutment surface.

19. A golf club head, comprising:

a body including a receptacle, wherein the receptacle includes a cap portion and a seat portion and at least a portion of the receptacle is a separate component coupled to the body; and

a weight comprising a cap, a slug and a retainer, wherein the cap includes a base and a sidewall that extends from the base to define a recess, and the cap is coupled to the cap portion of the receptacle, wherein the slug includes a retention portion and an extension portion, at least a portion of the retention portion is disposed in the recess and includes a curved abutment end surface that abuts an adjacent surface of the base when the weight is installed in the receptacle, and wherein a portion of the slug extends from the recess.

20. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein the recess includes a curved portion that receives the curved abutment surface.