Distance gapping golf club set with dual-range club

• US 9,114,294 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2012
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cobra Golf Company (Puma SE)
• Original Assignee: Cobra Golf Company (Puma SE)
• Inventors: Clausen, Karl A., Preece, Thomas W., Roberts, Douglas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): STANCZAK, MATTHEW BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US13/565,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20130225311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 473/328, 473/345, 473/344
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/10 with adhesive type surfaces, i.e. hook and loop-type fastener
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/01 Special aerodynamic features, e.g. airfoil shapes, wings or air passages
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

This application generally relates to sets of golf clubs including at least one adjustable club to provide a set with no distance gap. The adjustable club may include a loft-adjustment mechanism and a mechanism to prevent unintended face-angle change. The club is reliable for shots covering the full range of distances associated with multiple loft settings. Thus, an adjustable club can be included in a golfer'"'"'s golf bag and can play double-duty in terms of the ranges of shot distances it is reliably useful for. In this way, the golfer'"'"'s bag can contain fourteen clubs that cover all desired ranges between the putter and the driver.

Claims

1. A set of golf clubs comprising:

a plurality of golf clubs, each having an extended shaft with a club head and a grip on opposing ends thereof, wherein at least one club is an adjustable club comprising;

an adjustment mechanism operable to confer on the adjustable club one of two or more effective loft settings, and

a stabilizing mechanism operable to provide the adjustable club with the same heel-toe face angle while having any of the two or more effective loft settings, wherein the stabilizing mechanism comprises a pad protruding from a sole of the club head by a height H, having a maximum length L, a maximum width W, and a setback S from a front-most point on a club face of the club head when the adjustable club including the club head is at address, wherein S is more than 1 mm, L is more than 1 mm, W is more than 1 mm, and H is between 0.3 mm and 2 mm,

wherein, in at least two of the two or more effective loft settings, the adjustable club, when at address, balances with a neutral heel-toe face angle due to the pad protruding from the sole of the club head by the height H that is between 0.3 mm and 2 mm.

2. The set of claim 1, wherein:

S is between about 1 cm and about 3 cm;

L is between about 2 cm and about 13 cm;

W is between about 1 mm and about 3 cm; and

H is between about 0.5 mm and about 1.2 mm.

3. The set of claim 1, further wherein the adjustable club is configured such that, when held address in any of the two or more effective loft settings, the club head makes contact with the ground only within the stabilizing element.

4. The set of claim 1, wherein the adjustable club is one selected from the list consisting of wood, hybrid, and iron.

5. The set of claim 1, wherein the set comprises at least one wood, at least one hybrid, and at least one iron.