Golf clubs and golf club heads having adjustable weighting characteristics

• US 9,061,186 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Larson, Eric A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): STANCZAK, MATTHEW BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US11/765,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20080318706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,925 Days
• Field of Search: 473/335, 473/334, 473/349, 473/350
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

Golf club heads include an iron type golf club head body having a rear surface (e.g., a perimeter weighting member) that defines a first weight receiving portion, and a weight member is mounted in the first weight receiving portion. The club head body further defines a second weight receiving portion independent of the first weight receiving portion, and a second weight member is removably engaged with the golf club head body at this second weight receiving portion. The weight members may be interchangeably mounted in the two weight receiving portions to thereby allow selective placement of the center of gravity characteristics of the club head body. Golf clubs including these club heads and methods of making such golf club and golf club heads also are described.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

an iron type golf club head body including a ball striking face and a perimeter weighting member extending rearward from the ball striking face and along at least a portion of a circumferential area of the golf club head body, the perimeter weighting member having a heel perimeter portion extending around a heel of the golf club head body and a toe perimeter portion extending around a toe of the golf club head body, wherein the heel perimeter portion and the toe perimeter portion are integral with the golf club head body, and wherein the perimeter weighting member defines a first weight receiving portion located along a top perimeter portion of the perimeter weighting member and a second weight receiving portion independent of the first weight receiving portion and located along a bottom perimeter portion of the perimeter weighting member, wherein at least one of the first and second weight receiving portions is formed by a chamber within the perimeter weighting member;

a first weight member removably engaged with the golf club head body at one of the first or second weight receiving portions, wherein the first weight member is engagable with the golf club head body at each of the first and second weight receiving portions; and

a second weight member removably engaged with the golf club head body at one of the first or second weight receiving portions, wherein the second weight member is engagable with the golf club head body at each of the first and second weight receiving portions,

wherein the first and second weight members are engaged with different weight receiving portions,

wherein the first and second weight members have different weighting characteristics from one another, and

wherein when the first weight member is engaged with the first weight receiving portion and the second weight member is engaged with the second weight receiving portion, the club head has a higher center of gravity than when the first weight member is engaged with the second weight receiving portion and the second weight member is engaged with the first weight receiving portion.

2. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the first weight member and the second weight member have substantially the same size and shape.

3. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the first weight member has a different density from the second weight member.

4. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the first weight receiving portion includes an open space defined along the top portion of the perimeter weighting member.

5. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the weights are engaged with the club head body by press fitting.

6. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the weights are engaged with the club head body via threaded connections.

7. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein when the first weight member is engaged with the one of the weight receiving portions, the first weight member forms at least a portion of a rear edge of the golf club head.

8. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein when the second weight member is engaged with the one of the weight receiving portions, the second weight member forms at least a portion of a rear edge of the golf club head.

9. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the first and second weight receiving portions are defined in a rear side of the perimeter weighting member and are configured such that when the first and second weight members are engaged with the weight receiving portions, the weight members each form at least a portion of a rear edge of the golf club head.

10. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the perimeter weighting member extends entirely around the circumferential area of the golf club head body when the first weight member or the second weight member is connected to the first weight receiving portion.

11. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the perimeter weighting member extends entirely around the circumferential area of the golf club head body when the first weight member and the second weight member are connected to the first weight receiving portion and the second weight receiving portion.

12. A golf club head comprising:

an iron type golf club head body including a ball striking face and a perimeter weighting member extending rearward from the ball striking face and along at least a portion of a circumferential area of the golf club head body, the perimeter weighting member having a heel perimeter portion extending around a heel of the golf club head body and a toe perimeter portion extending around a toe of the golf club head body, wherein the heel perimeter portion and the toe perimeter portion are integral with the golf club head body, and wherein the perimeter weighting member defines a first weight receiving portion located along a top perimeter portion of the perimeter weighting member, a second weight receiving portion independent of the first weight receiving portion and located along a bottom perimeter portion of the perimeter weighting member, and a third weight receiving portion independent of the first and second weight receiving portions, wherein at least one of the first and second weight receiving portions is formed by a chamber within the perimeter weighting member;

a first weight member removably engaged with the golf club head body at one of the first, second, or third weight receiving portions, wherein the first weight member is engagable with the golf club head body at each of the first, second, and third weight receiving portions;

a second weight member removably engaged with the golf club head body at one of the first, second, or third weight receiving portions, wherein the second weight member is engagable with the golf club head body at each of the first, second, and third weight receiving portions; and

a third weight member removably engaged with the golf club head body at one of the first, second, or third weight receiving portions, wherein the third weight member is engagable with the golf club head body at each of the first, second, and third weight receiving portions,

wherein the first, second, and third weight members are engaged with different weight receiving portions,

wherein when the first weight member is engaged with the first weight receiving portion and the second weight member is engaged with the second weight receiving portion, the club head has a higher center of gravity than when the first weight member is engaged with the second weight receiving portion and the second weight member is engaged with the first weight receiving portion.

13. A golf club head according to claim 12, further comprising:

a fourth weight receiving portion independent of the first, second and third weight receiving portions,

a fourth weight member removably engaged with the golf club head body at one of the first, second, third or fourth weight receiving portions, wherein the fourth weight member is engagable with the golf club head body at each of the first, second, third and fourth weight receiving portions;

wherein the first weight member is engagable with the golf club head body at the fourth weight receiving portion;

wherein the second weight member is engagable with the golf club head body at the fourth weight receiving portion; and

wherein the third weight member is engagable with the golf club head body at the fourth weight receiving portion,

wherein the first, second, third and fourth weight members are engaged with different weight receiving portions.

14. A golf club head according to claim 13, wherein the first and third weight receiving portions are positioned adjacent each other in the top perimeter portion of the perimeter weighting member,

further wherein the second and fourth weight receiving portions are positioned adjacent each other in the bottom perimeter portion of the perimeter weighting member,

wherein at least two of the first, second, third and fourth weight members have different weighting characteristics from one another,

wherein when the first and third weight members are engaged with the first and third weight receiving portions and the second and fourth weight members are engaged with the second and fourth weight receiving portions, the club head has a higher center of gravity than when the first and third weight members are engaged with the second and fourth weight receiving portions and the second and fourth weight members are engaged with the first and third weight receiving portions,

wherein when the second and fourth weight members are engaged with the second and fourth weight receiving portions and the first and third weight members are engaged with the first and third weight receiving portions, the club head has a center of gravity closer to a toe end of the club than when the second and fourth weight members are engaged with the first and third weight receiving portions and the first and third weight members are engaged with the second and fourth weight receiving portions.

15. A golf club head according to claim 13, wherein the first, second, third and fourth weight receiving portions are defined in a rear side of the perimeter weighting member and are configured such that when the first, second, third and fourth weight members are engaged with the weight receiving portions, the weight members each form at least a portion of a rear edge of the golf club head.

16. A golf club head according to claim 12, wherein the first weight receiving portion and the third weight receiving portion combine to extend from the heel perimeter portion to the toe perimeter portion, such that two of the first, second, or third weight members entirely form a portion of the perimeter weighting member extending between the heel perimeter portion and the toe perimeter portion when connected to the first and third weight receiving portions.

17. A golf club head according to claim 12, wherein the perimeter weighting member extends entirely around the circumferential area of the golf club head body when the first, second, or third weight member is connected to the first weight receiving portion.

18. A golf club head according to claim 12, wherein the perimeter weighting member extends entirely around the circumferential area of the golf club head body when two of the first, second, or third weight members are connected to the first weight receiving portion and the third weight receiving portion.

19. A golf club comprising the golf club head according to claim 12 and a shaft member engaged with the golf club head.

20. A golf club comprising:

an iron type golf club head body including a ball striking face and a perimeter weighting member extending rearward from the ball striking face and along at least a portion of a circumferential area of the golf club head body, the perimeter weighting member having a heel perimeter portion extending around a heel of the golf club head body and a toe perimeter portion extending around a toe of the golf club head body, wherein the heel perimeter portion and the toe perimeter portion are integral with the golf club head body, and wherein the perimeter weighting member defines a first weight receiving portion located along a top perimeter portion of the perimeter weighting member and a second weight receiving portion independent of the first weight receiving portion and located along a bottom perimeter portion of the perimeter weighting member, wherein at least one of the first and second weight receiving portions is formed by a chamber within the perimeter weighting member;

a first weight member removably engaged with the golf club head body at one of the first or second weight receiving portions, wherein the first weight member is engagable with the golf club head body at each of the first and second weight receiving portions; and

a second weight member removably engaged with the golf club head body at one of the first or second weight receiving portions, wherein the second weight member is engagable with the golf club head body at each of the first and second weight receiving portions,

wherein the first and second weight members are engaged with different weight receiving portions,

wherein the first and second weight members have different weighting characteristics from one another,

wherein when the first weight member is engaged with the first weight receiving portion and the second weight member is engaged with the second weight receiving portion, the club head has a higher center of gravity than when the first weight member is engaged with the second weight receiving portion and the second weight member is engaged with the first weight receiving portion; and

a shaft member engaged with the iron type golf club head body.

21. A golf club according to claim 20, wherein the first weight member and the second weight member have substantially the same size and shape.

22. A golf club according to claim 20, wherein the first weight member has a different density from the second weight member.

23. A golf club according to claim 20, wherein the first weight receiving portion includes an open space defined along the top perimeter portion of the perimeter weighting member.

24. A golf club head comprising:

an iron type golf club head body including a ball striking face and a perimeter weighting member extending rearward from the ball striking face and along at least a portion of a circumferential area of the golf club head body a rear surface opposite the ball striking face, the perimeter weighting member having a heel perimeter portion extending around a heel of the golf club head body and a toe perimeter portion extending around a toe of the golf club head body, wherein the heel perimeter portion and the toe perimeter portion are integral with the golf club head body, and wherein an upper portion of the perimeter weighting member defines a first weight receiving portion of the club head body, wherein a lower portion of the perimeter weighting member defines a second weight receiving portion of the club head body;

a first weight member; and

a second weight member,

wherein the first weight member and the second weight member have substantially the same size and shape and are interchangeable with each other,

wherein the first weight member removably engaged with the golf club head body at one of the first or second weight receiving portions, wherein the first weight member is engagable with the golf club head body at each of the first and second weight receiving portions,

wherein the second weight member removably engaged with the golf club head body at one of the first or second weight receiving portions, wherein the second weight member is engagable with the golf club head body at each of the first and second weight receiving portions,

wherein the first and second weight members have different weighting characteristics from one another,

wherein the interchangeability of the first weight member and the second weight member is configured to change a center of gravity position of the golf club head,

wherein when the first weight member is engaged with the first weight receiving portion and the second weight member is engaged with the second weight receiving portion, the club head has a higher center of gravity than when the first weight member is engaged with the second weight receiving portion and the second weight member is engaged with the first weight receiving portion,

wherein the first weight receiving portion defined in the upper portion of the perimeter weighting member includes a chamber within the perimeter weighting member which accommodates either the first weight member or the second weight member,

wherein the second weight receiving portion defined in the lower portion of the perimeter weighting member includes a chamber within the perimeter weighting member which accommodates either the first weight member or the second weight member.

25. A golf club head according to claim 24, wherein the first weight member includes:

a longitudinal length configured to extend along the golf club head in a heel to toe direction when the first weight member is engaged with the golf club head;

a first longitudinal end; and

a second longitudinal end opposite the first longitudinal end,

wherein the first weight member has a weight distribution along its longitudinal length such that the first longitudinal end is heavier than the second longitudinal end.

26. A golf club head according to claim 25, wherein the second weight member includes:

a longitudinal length configured to extend along the golf club head in a heel to toe direction when the second weight member is engaged with the golf club head;

a first longitudinal end; and

a second longitudinal end opposite the first longitudinal end,

wherein the second weight member has a weight distribution along its longitudinal length such that the first longitudinal end is heavier than the second longitudinal end.

27. A golf club head according to claim 26, wherein the first weight member is configured to be engaged with the golf club head in a first state in which the first longitudinal end of the first weight member is nearer a heel portion of the golf club head, further wherein the first weight member is configured to be engaged with the golf club head in a second state in which the first longitudinal end of the first weight member is nearer a toe portion of the golf club head.

28. A golf club head according to claim 27, wherein the second weight member is configured to be engaged with the golf club head in a first state in which the first longitudinal end of the second weight member is nearer a heel portion of the golf club head, further wherein the second weight member is configured to be engaged with the golf club head in a second state in which the first longitudinal end of the second weight member is nearer a toe portion of the golf club head.