Golf club with adjustable weight

• US 8,425,348 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Boyd, Robert, Stites, John T., Tavares, Gary G.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US12/894,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20120083360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 473334-339, 473345-346
• US Class Current: 473/335
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/10 Non-metallic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing

Abstract

A golf club with a golf club head having one or more adjustable weights is presented. The club head may include a club head body having a recessed formed therein. In some arrangements, the recess may be formed in a sole portion of the club head body. The golf club head further includes an adjustable weight that may be rotated from a first position to a second position to adjust the weight characteristics, and thus the performance characteristics of the golf club. In some arrangements, the adjustable weight and/or any hardware, fasteners, etc. associated with the adjustable weight may be constantly connected to the golf club head such that adjustment of the weight does not include removal of the weight and/or any hardware, fasteners, etc.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body, the club head body including at least a front, a rear, a heel, a toe, a sole portion, a top and a ball striking surface, the club head body defining an interior cavity of the golf club head;

a recess formed in the sole of the golf club head wherein the recess recedes only at a bottom surface of the sole; and

an adjustable weight, the adjustable weight being received in the recess formed in the sole of the golf club and being movably connected to the golf club head by a hinge around which the adjustable weight is rotated, the adjustable weight being movable from a first position proximal the front of the club head body to a second position proximal the rear of the club head body.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the movable connection is a rotatable connection.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the adjustable weight is received in a portion of the recess in an in-use position.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein another portion of the recess is vacant.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the adjustable weight is connected to the club head body in the first position, the second position and any intermediate positions.

6. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body having a recess formed in a sole of the club head body wherein the recess recedes only at a bottom surface of the sole, the club head body having a first end and a second end; and

an adjustable weight shaped to be received in at least a portion of the recess formed in the club head body, the adjustable weight being rotatable by a hinge around which the adjustable weight is rotated from a first position proximal the first end of the club head body to a second position proximal the second end of the club head body.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the first position includes the adjustable weight contained within a first portion of the recess and a second portion of the recess being vacant.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the second position includes the adjustable weight contained within a second portion of the recess and a first portion of the recess being vacant.

9. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the first end of the club head body is a front end of the golf club head and the second end of the club head body is a rear end of the golf club head.

10. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the adjustable weight is rotatable in a plane generally perpendicular to a striking face of the golf club head.

11. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the adjustable weight is connected to the club head body in the first position, the second position and any intermediate positions.