Adjustable golf club and system and associated golf club heads and shafts

• US 9,033,815 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Sander, Raymond J., Rubal, Matthew P., Boggs, Joshua M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US13/665,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20130324327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 473305-310, 473/314, 473/316, 473/324, 473/333, 473/345
• US Class Current: 473/314
• 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 53/025 lie angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about an axis parallel to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/026 loft angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

In general, aspects of this invention relate to golf clubs or golf club components incorporating adjustment members that permit ready adjustability of golf club parameters and/or interchangeability of golf club components to change a golf club configuration, and methods for providing golf clubs. According to aspects of this invention, an adjustment member may be utilized to allow the adjustability of a golf club parameter to change a golf club configuration, while ensuring there is substantially no change to other club or club head variables, parameters or characteristics. According to another aspect of this invention, an adjustment member may be utilized to allow the adjustability of two golf club parameters independently to change a golf club configuration, while ensuring there is substantially no change to other club or club head variables, parameters or characteristics.

Claims

1. A method of assembling a golf club comprising the steps of:

providing a golf club head including a striking face rigidly connected to the golf club head;

providing an adjustment member, wherein the golf club head and adjustment member are structured as a shaft-club head connection system such that the adjustment member adjusts a first parameter associated with the club head among a plurality of positions and wherein in response to the adjustment of the first parameter, a second parameter associated with the golf club head remains constant within a predetermined tolerance, wherein the first parameter is a loft angle and adjusting the loft angle is effectively independent of the adjustment of a face angle, and adjusting the face angle is effectively independent of the adjustment of the loft angle;

providing a shaft and engaging the shaft with the golf club head; and

providing a grip and assembling the grip to the shaft.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the loft angle is adjusted among a plurality of positions in 1 degree increments.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the loft angle is adjustable from 8.5 degrees to 12.5 degrees.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second parameter is one of lie angle, face center location, center of gravity location, moment of inertia, bulge curvature, roll curvature and sole contact location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the golf club head and adjustment member are structured such that the adjustment member adjusts a third parameter associated with the club head among a plurality of positions and wherein in response to the adjustment of the third parameter, the second parameter associated with the golf club head remains constant within a predetermined tolerance.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, via the adjustment member, adjusting the first parameter independently of the third parameter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the third parameter is a lie angle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the shaft is provided from one of a senior flex shaft, a regular flex shaft, a stiff flex shaft and an extra stiff flex shaft.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to assembling the golf club head, the step of replacing in a golf club inventory, each golf club having a designed-in first parameter value corresponding to one of the plurality of positions, with the assembled golf club head.

10. A method of assembling a golf club comprising the steps of:

providing a golf club head including a striking face rigidly connected to the golf club head, the golf club head having a base loft angle;

providing an adjustment member as a shaft-club head connection system;

engaging the adjustment member with the golf club head, wherein the adjustment member is capable of adjusting the golf club head to a plurality of loft angles different from the base loft angle to form a reconfigurable golf club head, wherein adjusting the loft angle is effectively independent of the adjustment of a face angle, and adjusting the face angle is effectively independent of the adjustment of the loft angle;

providing a shaft and engaging the shaft with the golf club head; and

providing a grip and assembling the grip to the shaft,

wherein the golf club is capable of replacing a plurality of golf club heads each having respective designed in loft angle corresponding to one of the plurality of loft angles.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the golf club head and adjustment member are structured such that in response to the adjustment of the loft angle, a second parameter associated with the golf club head remains constant within a predetermined tolerance.

12. A method of designing a golf club head, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a base loft angle of the golf club head, wherein the golf club head includes a striking face rigidly connected to the golf club head;

providing an adjustment member operably engaged with the golf club head and a shaft, wherein the golf club head is adjustable to a loft angle different from the base loft angle, wherein adjusting the loft angle is effectively independent of the adjustment of a face angle, and adjusting the face angle is effectively independent of the adjustment of the loft angle; and

selecting a first parameter associated with the golf club head and structuring the golf club head such that in response to adjusting the loft angle from the base loft angle, the first parameter remains constant within a predetermined tolerance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the loft angle is adjusted among a plurality of positions in 1 degree increments.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the loft angle is adjustable from 8.5 degrees to 12.5 degrees.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first parameter is one of lie angle, face center location, center of gravity location, moment of inertia, bulge curvature, roll curvature and sole contact location.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, via the adjustment member, adjusting the second parameter independently of the loft angle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second parameter is a lie angle.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the golf club head and adjustment member are structured such that the adjustment member adjusts a second parameter associated with the club head among a plurality of positions and wherein in response to the adjustment of the second parameter, the first parameter associated with the golf club head remains constant within a predetermined tolerance.