Golf club head having movable weights

• US 8,562,457 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Olsavsky, Thomas, Vincent, Benoit, Wright, Ian, Willett, Kraig Alan, Zimmerman, Gery Mel, Hoffman, Joseph Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US13/117,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20110287857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/335
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• 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: 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 head comprises a body and at least one self-extracting pressed weight assembly. The body comprises a face plate positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head and a skirt positioned around a periphery of the golf club head between the sole and the crown. The body defines an interior cavity. The weight assembly comprises at least three components and is configured for a press fit engagement with the golf club head. The assembly has a drive portion and a threaded portion.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face plate positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head and a skirt positioned around a periphery of the golf club head between the sole and the crown, wherein the body defines an interior cavity;

at least one self-extracting pressed weight assembly comprising at least three components and being configured for a press fit engagement with the golf club head, the assembly comprising a screw having a head portion and a threaded portion, with the head portion being configured for engagement by a screwdriver;

wherein one of the three components is a retainer separate from and positionable over the head portion and having an opening allowing access to the head portion.

2. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face plate positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head and a skirt positioned around a periphery of the golf club head between the sole and the crown, wherein the body defines an interior cavity;

at least one self-extracting pressed weight assembly comprising at least three components and being configured for a press fit engagement with the golf club head, the assembly comprising a screw having a head portion and a threaded portion, with the head portion being configured for engagement by a screwdriver;

wherein a first component is a threaded retainer having a central opening and a second component is the screw, and wherein the screw is threadedly engageable with an inner portion of a bore formed in the golf club head, wherein the threaded retainer is threadedly engageable with an upper portion of the bore, and wherein the screw is removable.

3. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face plate positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head and a skirt positioned around a periphery of the golf club head between the sole and the crown, wherein the body defines an interior cavity;

at least one self-extracting pressed weight assembly comprising at least three components and being configured for a press fit engagement with the golf club head, the assembly comprising a screw having a head portion and a threaded portion, with the head portion being configured for engagement by a screwdriver;

wherein a first component of the assembly is the screw having the head portion of the assembly on one end and the threaded portion of the assembly on an opposite end, a second component of the assembly is a weight element and a third component of the assembly is a retainer, wherein the weight element and the retainer are threadedly connectible to define an internal space shaped to receive and axially confine a portion of the screw, wherein the threaded portion protrudes from the internal space to threadedly engage a bore in the golf club head and the head portion in the internal space is accessible through an opening in the retainer to allow the screw to be driven in rotation in a first direction to bear against the weight and press the assembly into the golf club head and in a second direction opposite the first direction to bear against the retainer and axially extract the assembly from a press fit engagement with the golf club head.

4. The golf club head according to claim 3, wherein the screw has an enlarged shoulder portion, and wherein the enlarged shoulder portion is designed to bear against the weight upon installation of the weight assembly in the golf club head and to bear against the retainer upon extraction of the assembly from the golf club head.