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

• US 9,053,256 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Sander, Raymond J., Boggs, Joshua M., Rubal, Matthew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNIS, MICHAEL DAVID
• Application Number:
  US13/665,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20130324287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 473/314, 473/345
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 golf club head comprising:

a body defining a ball striking surface, a crown, a sole, a heel, a toe and a back; and

an adjustment member operably connected to the body, and

wherein the body and adjustment member are structured such that the adjustment member adjusts a first parameter associated with the body among a plurality of positions and wherein in response to the adjustment of the first parameter, a second parameter associated with the body remains constant within a predetermined tolerance, wherein the first parameter is a loft angle and the second parameter is a face center location of the golf club head,

wherein the face center location is measured in space in relation to an origin point with an X′

Y′

Z′

coordinate system defined from the origin point, with a Z′

axis extending along a direction of a shaft axis, an X′

axis parallel with a vertical plane and normal to the Z′

axis, and a Y′

axis normal to the X′ and

Z′

axes,

wherein the predetermined tolerance for the face center location is approximately 2 mm from a reference face center location measured in space in relation to the origin point, wherein the reference face center location is measured at a reference position of the golf club head prior to the adjustment of the first parameter, and

wherein the predetermined tolerance of the face center location is defined by a face center tolerance sphere with a center of the face center tolerance sphere defined as the reference face center location, wherein when the first parameter is adjusted, the face center location is no greater than 2 mm away in any direction from the center of the face center tolerance sphere.

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

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

4. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the loft angle is adjustable from 9.5 degrees to 11.5 degrees.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the predetermined tolerance for the face center location is approximately 1 mm from a reference face center.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the adjustment member is operably associated with a hosel of the golf club head.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 further comprising a shaft connected to the golf club head wherein the shaft is selected from the group consisting of:

senior (A) flex, regular (R) flex, stiff (S) flex, or extra stiff (X) flex.

8. A golf club head comprising:

a body defining a ball striking surface, a crown, a sole, a heel, a toe and a back; and

an adjustment member operably connected to the body, and

wherein the body and adjustment member are structured such that the adjustment member adjusts a first parameter associated with the body among a plurality of positions and wherein in response to the adjustment of the first parameter, a second parameter associated with the body has a value within a predetermined lower value and a predetermined upper value, wherein the first parameter is a loft angle and the second parameter is a face center location of the golf club head,

wherein the face center location is measured in space in relation to an origin point with an X′

Y′

Z′

coordinate system defined from the origin point, with a Z′

axis extending along a direction of a shaft axis, an X′

axis parallel with a vertical plane and normal to the Z′

axis, and a Y′

axis normal to the X′ and

Z′

axes,

wherein a difference between the predetermined lower value and the predetermined upper value for the face center location is approximately 2 mm from a reference face center location measured in space in relation to the origin point, wherein the reference face center location is measured at a reference position of the golf club head prior to the adjustment of the first parameter, and

wherein the difference between the predetermined lower value and the predetermined upper value of the face center location is defined by a face center tolerance sphere with a center of the face center tolerance sphere defined as the reference face center location, wherein when the first parameter is adjusted, the face center location is no greater than 2 mm away in any direction from the center of the face center tolerance sphere.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the loft angle is adjusted among a plurality of positions in 1 degree increments.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the loft angle is adjustable from 8.5 degrees to 12.5 degrees.

11. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the loft angle is adjustable from 9.5 degrees to 11.5 degrees.

12. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the difference between the predetermined lower value and the predetermined upper value for the face center location is approximately 1 mm from the reference face center.

13. The golf club head of claim 8 wherein the adjustment member is operably associated with a hosel of the golf club head.

14. The golf club head of claim 8 further comprising a shaft connected to the golf club head wherein the shaft is selected from the group consisting of:

senior (A) flex, regular (R) flex, stiff (S) flex, or extra stiff (X) flex.