Golf club

• US 9,180,348 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Greaney, Mark V., Wright, Ian C., Willett, Kraig A., Sargent, Nathan T., Johnson, Matthew D., Zimmerman, Gery M.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US14/109,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20140106900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform 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 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club comprises a shaft, a club head, and a connection assembly that allows the shaft to be easily disconnected from the club head. In particular embodiments, the connection assembly includes a removable hosel sleeve that allows a shaft to be supported a desired predetermined orientation relative to the club head. In this manner, the shaft loft and/or lie angle of the club can be adjusted without resorting to traditional bending of the shaft. In another embodiment, the club head has an adjustable sole that can be adjusted upwardly and downwardly relative to the strike face of the club head, which is effective to adjust the face angle of the club head.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face plate positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, a hosel defining a hosel opening having a diameter and a depth, a sole defining a lower opening in communication with the hosel opening and the sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head, the body defining an interior cavity, wherein the hosel is permanently fixed with the body;

an adjustable loft system configured to allow a maximum loft change of about 0.5 degrees to about 3.0 degrees;

wherein the adjustable loft system includes a shaft sleeve adapted to be received in the hosel opening, wherein the diameter of the hosel opening is dimensioned to form a gap between a circumferential outer surface of the shaft sleeve and an opposing circumferential internal surface of the hosel opening;

a screw having a screw head and an externally threaded screw shaft extending from the screw head, wherein the shaft sleeve can be releasably secured to the body by inserting the screw through the lower opening and tightening the screw into the threaded opening of the shaft sleeve;

at least one weight port formed in the body; and

at least one weight configured to be retained at least partially within at least one of the weight ports.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a golf club head center of gravity has a head origin x-axis coordinate greater than about −

2 mm and less than about 8 mm and a head origin y-axis coordinate greater than about 25 mm and less than about 40 mm where a positive y-axis extends towards the interior cavity.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the golf club head center of gravity has a head origin z-axis coordinate less than about 0 mm.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a golf club head moment of inertia about a head center of gravity x-axis generally parallel to an origin x-axis is between about 200 kg·

mm² and 500 kg·

mm² and a moment of inertia about a head center of gravity z-axis generally perpendicular to ground, when the head is ideally positioned, is between about 350 kg·

mm² and about 600 kg·

mm².

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face plate has a thickness change of at least 25% over the face between a thickest portion of the face plate and a thinnest portion of the face plate.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a distance between at least two weight ports multiplied by a maximum weight of the at least one weight is between about 500 mm·

g to 1,500 mm·

g.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a distance between at least two weight ports multiplied by a maximum weight of the at least one weight is between about 450 mm·

g to 2,000 mm·

g.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the adjustable loft system includes at least four discrete positions.

9. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the adjustable loft system includes at least eight discrete positions.

10. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the adjustable loft system includes a plurality of discrete positions, the plurality of discrete positions being a multiple of four.

11. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the hosel includes a hosel diameter less than 15 mm.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the hosel diameter is less than 14 mm.

13. An assembly comprising the golf club head of claim 1 in combination with an adjustment tool, wherein the adjustment tool has an engagement end, with the engagement end being configured to operatively mate with the adjustable loft system and the at least one weight.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the shaft sleeve includes an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion of the shaft sleeve that is inserted within the hosel opening has a substantially uniform diameter.

15. A golf club head assembly comprising:

a body comprising a face plate positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, a hosel defining a hosel opening having a diameter and a depth, a sole defining a lower opening in communication with the upper opening and the sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head, the body defining an interior cavity, wherein the hosel is permanently fixed with the body;

an adjustable loft system configured to allow a maximum loft change;

wherein the adjustable loft system includes a shaft sleeve adapted to be received in the hosel opening, wherein the diameter of the hosel opening is dimensioned to form a gap between a circumferential outer surface of the shaft sleeve and an opposing circumferential internal surface of the hosel opening;

a screw having a screw head and an externally threaded screw shaft extending from the screw head, wherein the shaft sleeve can be releasably secured to the body by inserting the screw through the lower opening and tightening the screw into the threaded opening of the shaft sleeve;

at least two weight ports formed in the body having a distance between the at least two weight ports; and

at least one weight configured to be retained at least partially within at least one of the weight ports, the at least one weight having a maximum mass, wherein the distance between the at least two weight ports multiplied by the maximum loft change multiplied by the maximum mass of the at least one weight is between about 50 mm·

g·

degrees and about 6,000 mm·

g·

degrees.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the distance between the at least two weight ports multiplied by the maximum loft change multiplied by the maximum mass of the at least one weight is between about 500 mm·

g·

degrees and about 3,000 mm·

g·

degrees.

17. An assembly comprising the golf club head of claim 15 in combination with an adjustment tool, wherein the adjustment tool has an engagement end, with the engagement end being configured to operatively mate with the adjustable loft system and the at least one weight.

18. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the shaft sleeve includes an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion of the shaft sleeve that is inserted within the hosel opening has a substantially uniform diameter.

19. A golf club head assembly comprising:

a body comprising a face plate positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, a hosel defining a hosel opening having a diameter and a depth, a sole defining a lower opening in communication with the upper opening and the sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head, the body defining an interior cavity, wherein the hosel is permanently fixed with the body, wherein at least 50 percent of the crown has an areal weight less than 0.4 g/cm²;

an adjustable loft system configured to allow a maximum loft change of about 0.5 degrees to about 3.0 degrees;

wherein the adjustable loft system includes a shaft sleeve adapted to be received in the hosel opening, wherein the diameter of the hosel opening is dimensioned to form a gap between a circumferential outer surface of the shaft sleeve and an opposing circumferential internal surface of the hosel opening;

a screw having a screw head and an externally threaded screw shaft extending from the screw head, wherein the shaft sleeve can be releasably secured to the body by inserting the screw through the lower opening and tightening the screw into the threaded opening of the shaft sleeve;

at least one weight port formed in the body; and

at least one weight configured to be retained at least partially within the at least one weight port.

20. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein the crown is comprised of a metallic material.

21. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein at least 50% of the crown has a thickness of about 0.8 mm or less.

22. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein the adjustable loft system includes at least four discrete positions.

23. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein the face plate includes a face insert comprised of composite material.

24. The golf club head of claim 23, wherein the face insert includes a metallic layer attached to the composite material.

25. The golf club head of claim 23, wherein the face insert includes a polymer layer attached to the composite material.

26. An assembly comprising the golf club head of claim 19 in combination with an adjustment tool, wherein the adjustment tool has an engagement end, with the engagement end being configured to operatively mate with the adjustable loft system and the at least one weight.

27. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein the shaft sleeve includes an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion of the shaft sleeve that is inserted within the hosel opening has a substantially uniform diameter.

28. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face plate positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, a hosel defining a hosel opening having a diameter and a depth, a sole defining a lower opening in communication with the upper opening and the sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head, the body defining an interior cavity, wherein the hosel is permanently fixed with the body, wherein at least 50 percent of the crown has a thickness less than about 0.8 mm;

an adjustable loft system configured to allow a maximum loft change of about 0.5 degrees to about 3.0 degrees; and

wherein the adjustable loft system includes a shaft sleeve adapted to be received in the hosel opening, wherein the diameter of the hosel opening is dimensioned to form a gap between a circumferential outer surface of the shaft sleeve and an opposing circumferential internal surface of the hosel opening;

a screw having a screw head and an externally threaded screw shaft extending from the screw head, wherein the shaft sleeve can be releasably secured to the body by inserting the screw through the lower opening and tightening the screw into the threaded opening of the shaft sleeve;

the face plate including a face insert comprised of composite material in a forward portion of the golf club head.