Golf club head

• US 8,202,175 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2009
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Ban, Wataru
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): STANCZAK, MATTHEW BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US12/496,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20100167837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 473334-339, 473/349, D21/734, D21/752
• US Class Current: 473/338
• 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 53/0466 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 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A golf club head of this invention includes a head body, a weight member attached to the head body, and a fixing unit to fix the weight member at one of a plurality of attachment positions of the head body. The plurality of attachment positions are located on a virtual cylindrical surface having the axis of a shaft to be mounted to the golf club head as a center.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a head body;

a weight member attached to said head body; and

fixing means for fixing said weight member at any one of a plurality of attachment positions of said head body,

wherein the plurality of attachment positions are located in a sole portion of said head body and on a virtual cylindrical surface having an axis of a shaft to be attached to the golf club head as a center.

2. The head according to claim 1, wherein a center-of-gravity length of said head body without said weight member attached thereto is positioned on the virtual cylindrical surface.

3. The head according to claim 1, wherein said fixing means comprises:

a plurality of first screw portions which are provided in the sole portion and define the plurality of attachment positions; and

a second screw portion which is provided in said weight member and threadably engages with said first screw portion.

4. The head according to claim 1, further comprising a rail portion which is formed along a virtual line on the virtual cylindrical surface in said sole portion and defines the plurality of attachment positions,

wherein said fixing means fixes said weight member at a given position on said rail portion.

5. The head according to claim 4, characterized in that said rail portion comprises:

a groove open at a lower part thereof, which is formed along the virtual line and forms an accommodation space to accommodate said weight member;

a partitioned chamber closed at an upper part thereof, which is formed along the virtual line in an upper portion of said groove;

a partitioning portion which is provided between said groove and said partitioned chamber and vertically partitions the space in said groove from said partitioned chamber; and

a slit which is formed along the virtual line in said partitioned chamber and makes the space in said groove communicate with said partitioned chamber, and

said fixing means comprises;

a slide member which is accommodated in said partitioned chamber such that it can move along the virtual line and connected to said weight member through said slit; and

screw portions which are respectively provided in said slide member and said weight member, and threadably engage with each other.

6. The head according to claim 1, wherein a change amount of center-of-gravity angle of the golf club head caused by a difference between the attachment positions used to fix said weight member is not less than 3 degrees.

7. The head according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said weight members having different weights.

8. The head according to claim 1, further comprising a vibration damping member which is inserted between said head body and said weight member at the attachment position.

9. The head according to claim 8, wherein said vibration damping member is integrally provided in said weight member.

10. The head according to claim 1, wherein said weight member is fixed to said sole portion of said head body,

said sole portion has a recess formed in the attachment position of said weight member, and

a depth of said recess is set such that a lowest portion of said weight member fixed to said head body is positioned above a lowest portion of said sole portion.

11. The head according to claim 1, wherein all attachment positions in the sole portion are located on the virtual cylindrical surface.

12. A golf club head comprising:

a head body; and

a weight member attached to said head body at any one of a plurality of attachment positions of said head body,

wherein the plurality of attachment positions are located in a sole portion of said head body and on a virtual cylindrical surface having an axis of a shaft to be attached to the golf club head as a center.

13. The head according to claim 12, wherein all attachment positions in the sole portion are located on the virtual cylindrical surface.