Golf clubs and golf club heads having adjustable characteristics
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A golf club head comprising:
- a golf club head body;
a ball striking face; and
a piezoelectric member in the golf club head,wherein the piezoelectric member is configured to be selectively adjusted by an input provided through a controller operably connected to the piezoelectric member,wherein the piezoelectric member is capable of having a first configuration to provide the golf club head body with a first attribute and capable of having a second configuration to provide the body with a second attribute in response to the input provided by the controller, the second attribute being different from the first attribute,wherein the golf club head includes a plurality of grooves in the ball striking face,wherein the first and second attributes are volumes of one or more of the plurality of grooves.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A golf club head which may include a golf club head body, a ball striking face and a piezoelectric member in the golf club head, wherein the piezoelectric member is configured to be selectively adjusted by an input provided through a controller operably connected to the piezoelectric member. Further, the piezoelectric member may be capable of having a first configuration to provide the golf club head body with a first attribute and may also be capable of having a second configuration to provide the body with a second attribute in response to the input provided by the controller. Further, the second attribute may be different from the first attribute.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A golf club head comprising:
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a golf club head body; a ball striking face; and a piezoelectric member in the golf club head, wherein the piezoelectric member is configured to be selectively adjusted by an input provided through a controller operably connected to the piezoelectric member, wherein the piezoelectric member is capable of having a first configuration to provide the golf club head body with a first attribute and capable of having a second configuration to provide the body with a second attribute in response to the input provided by the controller, the second attribute being different from the first attribute, wherein the golf club head includes a plurality of grooves in the ball striking face, wherein the first and second attributes are volumes of one or more of the plurality of grooves. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A golf club head comprising:
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a golf club head body; a ball striking face; a cavity located behind the ball striking face; and a piezoelectric member in the golf club head, wherein the piezoelectric member is configured to be selectively adjusted by an input provided through a controller operably connected to the piezoelectric member, wherein the piezoelectric member is capable of having a first configuration to provide the golf club head body with a first attribute and capable of having a second configuration to provide the body with a second attribute in response to the input provided by the controller, the second attribute being different from the first attribute, wherein the piezoelectric member includes a plate configured to extend substantially behind the ball striking face of the golf club head, wherein the first configuration of the piezoelectric member includes the piezoelectric member having a first size, and the second configuration of the piezoelectric member includes the piezoelectric member having a second size, wherein the piezoelectric member intrudes into and fills the cavity either in the first configuration or the second configuration. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A golf club head comprising:
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a golf club head body; a ball striking face; and a piezoelectric member in the golf club head, wherein the piezoelectric member is configured to be selectively adjusted by an input provided through a controller operably connected to the piezoelectric member, wherein the piezoelectric member is capable of having a first configuration to provide the golf club head body with a first attribute and capable of having a second configuration to provide the body with a second attribute in response to the input provided by the controller, the second attribute being different from the first attribute, wherein the golf club head includes a plurality of grooves in the ball striking face and a plurality of slats in the ball striking face which define the grooves in the ball striking face wherein the first and second attributes are angles of one or more of the plurality of grooves. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A golf club comprising:
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a golf club head which includes; a golf club head body; a ball striking face; and a piezoelectric member in the golf club head body; a shaft configured to be engaged with the golf club head; and a controller operably connected to the piezoelectric member, wherein the controller is configured to allow the user to selectively adjust a configuration of the piezoelectric member by providing an input through the controller, wherein the piezoelectric member is capable of having a first configuration to provide the golf club head body with a first attribute and capable of having a second configuration to provide the body with a second attribute in response to the input provided by the controller, the second attribute being different from the first attribute, wherein the golf club head includes a plurality of grooves in the ball striking face, wherein the first and second attributes are volumes of one or more of the plurality of grooves, wherein the piezoelectric member includes a plurality of piezoelectric members each of which is engaged in a groove of the plurality of grooves in the ball striking face, wherein the first configuration of the piezoelectric member includes the plurality of piezoelectric members positioned in the plurality of grooves of the ball striking face each having a first size, and the second configuration of the piezoelectric member includes the plurality of piezoelectric members positioned in the plurality of grooves of the ball striking face each having a second size. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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23. A golf club comprising:
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a golf club head which includes; a golf club head body; a ball striking face; and a piezoelectric member in the golf club head body; a shaft configured to be engaged with the golf club head; and a controller operably connected to the piezoelectric member, wherein the controller is configured to allow the user to selectively adjust a configuration of the piezoelectric member by providing an input through the controller, wherein the piezoelectric member is capable of having a first configuration to provide the golf club head body with a first attribute and capable of having a second configuration to provide the body with a second attribute in response to the input provided by the controller, the second attribute being different from the first attribute, wherein the first and second attributes are loft angles of the golf club head, wherein the piezoelectric member includes a plate configured to extend substantially behind the ball striking face of the golf club head, wherein the first configuration of the piezoelectric member includes the piezoelectric member having a first size, and the second configuration of the piezoelectric member includes the piezoelectric member having a second size, wherein the first configuration of the piezoelectric member includes the piezoelectric member have a first thickness at a first end thereof and a second thickness at a second end thereof such that the piezoelectric member exhibits a first angle from the second end towards the first end and the second configuration of the piezoelectric member includes the piezoelectric member exhibiting a second angle from the second end towards the first end, which is different from the first angle, thereby changing the loft angle of the golf club head.
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24. A golf club comprising:
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a golf club head which includes; a golf club head body; a ball striking face; and a piezoelectric member in the golf club head body; a shaft configured to be engaged with the golf club head; and a controller operably connected to the piezoelectric member, wherein the controller is configured to allow the user to selectively adjust a configuration of the piezoelectric member by providing an input through the controller, wherein the piezoelectric member is capable of having a first configuration to provide the golf club head body with a first attribute and capable of having a second configuration to provide the body with a second attribute in response to the input provided by the controller, the second attribute being different from the first attribute, wherein the golf club head includes a plurality of grooves in the ball striking face and a plurality of slats in the ball striking face which define the grooves in the ball striking face, wherein the first and second attributes are angles of one or more of the plurality of grooves, wherein the piezoelectric member includes a plurality of piezoelectric members each of which is positioned behind a slat of the plurality of slats in the ball striking face, wherein the first configuration of the piezoelectric member includes the plurality of piezoelectric members positioned behind the plurality of slats of the ball striking face each having a first size, and the second configuration of the piezoelectric member includes the plurality of piezoelectric members positioned behind the plurality of slats of the ball striking face each having a second size, wherein the first configuration of the piezoelectric member includes each of the piezoelectric members having a first thickness at a first end thereof and a second thickness at a second end thereof such that each of the piezoelectric members exhibit a first angle from the second end towards the first end and the second configuration of the piezoelectric member includes each of the piezoelectric members exhibiting a second angle from the second end towards the first end, which is different from the first angle.
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25. A golf club comprising:
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a golf club head which includes; a golf club head body; a ball striking face; and a piezoelectric member in the golf club head body; a shaft configured to be engaged with the golf club head; and a controller operably connected to the piezoelectric member, wherein the controller is configured to allow the user to selectively adjust a configuration of the piezoelectric member by providing an input through the controller, wherein the piezoelectric member is capable of having a first configuration to provide the golf club head body with a first attribute and capable of having a second configuration to provide the body with a second attribute in response to the input provided by the controller, the second attribute being different from the first attribute, wherein the golf club head includes a plurality of grooves in the ball striking face and a plurality of slats in the ball striking face which define the grooves in the ball striking face, wherein the first and second attributes are volumes of one or more of the plurality of grooves, wherein the piezoelectric member includes a plurality of piezoelectric members each of which is positioned behind a slat of the plurality of slats in the ball striking face, wherein the first configuration of the piezoelectric member includes the plurality of piezoelectric members positioned behind the plurality of slats of the ball striking face each having a first size, and the second configuration of the piezoelectric member includes the plurality of piezoelectric members positioned behind the plurality of slats of the ball striking face each having a second size, wherein the second configuration of the piezoelectric member includes the slats of the ball striking face extending beyond a plane of the ball striking face of the first configuration.
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33. A golf club head comprising:
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a golf club head body; a ball striking face which includes a plurality of grooves in the ball striking face; and a plurality of piezoelectric members each of which is positioned in a groove of the plurality of grooves in the ball striking face, wherein the piezoelectric members are configured to selectively adjust the volume in the grooves in the ball striking face, by an input provided through a controller operably connected to the piezoelectric members, wherein the input is configured to apply a voltage to the piezoelectric members which alters the configuration of the piezoelectric members between at least a first size, when no voltage is applied, and a second size when a voltage is applied.
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34. A golf club head comprising:
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a golf club head body; a ball striking face; a cavity located behind the ball striking face; and a piezoelectric member in the golf club head body, wherein the piezoelectric member includes a plate configured to extend substantially behind the ball striking face of the golf club head, wherein the piezoelectric member is configured to selectively adjust an internal stress behind the ball striking face, by an input provided through a controller operably connected to the piezoelectric members, wherein the input is configured to apply a voltage to the piezoelectric member which alters the configuration of the piezoelectric member between at least a first size, when no voltage is applied, and a second size when a voltage is applied, wherein the piezoelectric member intrudes into and fills the cavity either when the voltage is applied or when no voltage is applied.
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35. A golf club head comprising:
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a golf club head body; a ball striking face; and a piezoelectric member in the golf club head body, wherein the piezoelectric member includes a plate configured to extend substantially behind the ball striking face of the golf club head and has a first thickness at a first end thereof and a second thickness at a second end thereof such that the piezoelectric member exhibits an angle from the second end towards the first end, wherein the piezoelectric member is configured to selectively adjust a loft angle of the golf club head, by an input provided through a controller operably connected to the piezoelectric members, wherein the input is configured to apply a voltage to the piezoelectric member which alters the configuration of the piezoelectric member between at least a first size and a first angle, when no voltage is applied, and a second size, which is larger than the first size, and a second angle when a voltage is applied.
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36. A golf club head comprising:
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a golf club head body; a ball striking face which includes a plurality of grooves in the ball striking face and a plurality of slats in the ball striking face which define the grooves in the ball striking face; and a plurality of piezoelectric members each of which is positioned behind a slat of the plurality of slats in the ball striking face, wherein the piezoelectric members are configured to selectively adjust the angle of the grooves in the ball striking face, by an input provided through a controller operably connected to the piezoelectric members, wherein the input is configured to apply a voltage to the piezoelectric members which alters the configuration of the piezoelectric members between at least a first size and a first angle, when no voltage is applied, and a second size, which is larger than the first size, and a second angle when a voltage is applied.
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37. A golf club head comprising:
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a golf club head body; a ball striking face which includes a plurality of grooves in the ball striking face and a plurality of slats in the ball striking face which define the grooves in the ball striking face; and a plurality of piezoelectric members each of which is positioned behind a slat of the plurality of slats in the ball striking face, wherein the piezoelectric members are configured to selectively adjust the volume of the grooves in the ball striking face, by an input provided through a controller operably connected to the piezoelectric members, wherein the input is configured to apply a voltage to the piezoelectric members which alters the configuration of the piezoelectric members between at least a first size, when no voltage is applied, and a second size when a voltage is applied.
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Specification