Interchangeable shaft system

• US 8,523,701 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Knutson, Scott A., Zimmerman, Gery M., Stokes, Joshua C.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US13/209,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20120034994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 473/288, 473244-248, 473/307, 473/309
• US Class Current: 473/307
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/022 allowing adjustable positioning of the head with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand

Abstract

A golf club incorporating an interchangeable shaft system includes a shaft, a shaft sleeve, a club head. The shaft sleeve is coupled to an end of the shaft and is received in a hosel included in the club head. The shaft sleeve is removably coupled to the club head. Hosel and shaft sleeve alignment features provide discrete orientations between the shaft and club head.

Claims

1. A golf club, comprising:

a golf club head including a hosel and a plurality of hosel alignment features, wherein the hosel alignment features are disposed on or adjacent a proximal end of the hosel;

an elongate shaft;

a shaft sleeve assembly coupled to a distal end portion of the shaft, the shaft sleeve assembly including a sleeve body and tension member coupled to the sleeve body by a flexible coupling, wherein the sleeve body includes a plurality of sleeve alignment features;

a wedge member including a plurality of wedge alignment features, wherein the wedge member is interposed between the sleeve body and the hosel; and

a fastener that releasably couples the tension member to the club head,

wherein the wedge member provides a wedge angle between the shaft sleeve and the hosel and wherein the sleeve body provides a shaft angle between the sleeve body and the shaft.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the magnitudes of the wedge angle and the shaft angle are different.

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the magnitudes of the wedge angle and the shaft angle are at least about the same.

4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the wedge member includes end surfaces that are angled relative to each other, wherein a first end surface abuts a portion of the sleeve body and a second end surface abuts a portion of the hosel.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the tension member comprises a plurality of flexible arms that define a cavity in a proximal portion of the tension member.

6. The golf club of claim 5, wherein a distal portion of the tension member defines a fastener bore that receives a portion of the fastener.

7. The golf club of claim 6, wherein the cavity is elongate and defines a longitudinal axis that is co-axial with a longitudinal axis of the fastener bore.

8. The golf club of claim 6, wherein the sleeve body comprises a tubular portion and a ball extending from a distal end of the tubular portion, wherein the ball is received in the cavity of the tension member to form the flexible coupling.

9. The golf club of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of hosel alignment features, sleeve alignment features and wedge alignment features comprises a plurality tangs.

10. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the wedge comprises a plurality of proximal wedge alignment features that complement and engage the plurality of sleeve alignment features, and a plurality of distal wedge alignment features that complement and engage the plurality of hosel alignment features.

11. The golf club of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of sleeve alignment features, proximal wedge alignment features, distal wedge alignment features, and hosel alignment features includes at least two alignment features disposed diametrically opposite each other.

12. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the wedge member is tubular and slidably coupled to the shaft sleeve assembly and wherein the shaft sleeve assembly comprises means for capturing the wedge member on the shaft sleeve assembly.